Nothing Without a Company

### Context Profile for Nothing Without a Company

1. **Organization Mission & Cause:**
   - **Mission:** Nothing Without a Company (NWaC) is dedicated to creating and promoting original theatrical works that reflect the diverse voices and experiences of the community. Their mission emphasizes the importance of storytelling as a means of connection and understanding, particularly in addressing issues related to addiction and recovery.
   - **Cause:** The organization focuses on providing a platform for underrepresented narratives, particularly those that explore the complexities of addiction, recovery, and personal transformation.

2. **Type of Activities:**
   - **Events:** NWaC hosts theatrical productions, film screenings, and community discussions. Their recent event, "Not One Batu: The Film Experience," is a fundraiser featuring a film adaptation of their acclaimed play.
   - **Fundraising Campaigns:** They engage in fundraising activities to support their productions and community outreach, with proceeds from events directed towards future projects.
   - **Community Programs:** NWaC collaborates with local organizations to enhance community engagement and support for individuals affected by addiction.

3. **Tone of Voice:**
   - The tone of NWaC's communications is **friendly**, **inspiring**, and **informative**. They use approachable language that invites community participation and emphasizes the emotional weight of their narratives. The content often reflects a sense of urgency and importance regarding the issues they address.

4. **Emoji Usage:**
   - The organization does not prominently use emojis in their communications, focusing instead on clear and professional language. However, they may incorporate them in informal social media posts or community engagement efforts to enhance relatability.

5. **Key Facts:**
   - **Founding Info:** Specific founding details were not found on the website, but NWaC has been active in producing original works since at least 2018.
   - **Scale:** The organization has conducted 98 email campaigns and has multiple forms for community engagement.
   - **Impact Metrics:** Their productions, such as "Not One Batu," have received recognition and awards, indicating a positive impact on audiences and the community.
   - **Volunteer Info:** The website does not explicitly mention volunteer opportunities, but community involvement is implied through their events and outreach efforts.

6. **Writing Guidelines:**
   - **Style:** Content should be engaging and accessible, using straightforward language that resonates with a broad audience. 
   - **Structure:** Use clear headings and bullet points for easy readability. 
   - **Emotion:** Incorporate storytelling elements that evoke empathy and connection, particularly when discussing personal experiences related to addiction and recovery.
   - **Call to Action:** Encourage community participation and support, making it clear how individuals can contribute or get involved.

This context profile serves as a foundational guide for creating personalized and impactful content for Nothing Without a Company, ensuring alignment with their mission, tone, and community-oriented approach.

LXCL:Enjoy the full performance experience while supporting community access and artist compensation

Community Supporter Admission

LXCL:Enjoy the full performance experience

General Admission

LXCL:Reduced-price ticket for students, artists, arts workers, and community members.

Community / Student / Industry Admission

The Trouble With My Hair by Ada Cheng&ldquo;Hair is never just hair, it holds our histories, our rebellions, our identities, our desires to belong, and our declarations of independence. This show is about coming home to oneself and learning to love the person underneath it all.&rdquo; - Ada Cheng About the ProductionThe Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am,&nbsp;is an intimate exploration of gender, sexual identity, and boundary-making through Ada&rsquo;s evolving relationship with her hairstylist and her hair. Blending narrative art and theatrical storytelling, Ada Cheng playfully brings her audience on a journey of self-discovery and self-love through her struggles with hair. From early memories of negotiating belonging to courageous acts of boundary-making in adulthood, Cheng uses her changing hairstyles and haircolors as milestones marking her path toward self-definition. Each cut, color, and conversation becomes a metaphor for reclaiming voice and visibility in a world eager to define her first. This site-responsive Chicago presentation spans five performances across the city, each featuring guest performers and a post-show conversation or response. Performances (5 total)Each performance runs approximately 2 hours and includes guest artists and a post-show discussion or response.<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Friday, Aug 21 | 7:30&ndash;9:30pm Scissor &amp; Fork 3968 N Elston Ave, Irving Park</li><li fr-original-style="font-weight: bold;" style="font-weight: bold; box-sizing: inherit;">Saturday, Aug 22 | 7:30&ndash;9:30pm Visceral Adventure Lounge 3638 W Grand Ave, Humboldt Park</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Sunday, Aug 23 | 7:30&ndash;9:30pm REM Salon 3035 W Fullerton Ave, Logan Square</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Saturday, Aug 29 | 7:30&ndash;9:30pm Haibay&ocirc; 1132 W Argyle St, Uptown</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Sunday, Aug 30 | 1:00&ndash;3:30pm Center on Halsted 3656 N Halsted St, Northalsted Featuring a performance response by Stir Friday Night, followed by a closing reception until 3:30pm. This final performance will not include a post-show talkback.</li></ul>Guest Artists&nbsp;Each performance will feature two guest artists, with a different lineup at every venue. Guest artist announcements coming soon.&nbsp; Host Partner:Located in Chicago&#39;s Humboldt Park neighborhood, <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.visceraladventure.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Visceral Adventure Lounge</a> is a multidisciplinary arts venue that hosts immersive performances, live events, exhibitions, workshops, and community programming. The artist-run space brings together creators from across disciplines, fostering experimentation, collaboration, and new ways of engaging audiences through performance and the arts. History of&nbsp;The Trouble With My Hair:&nbsp;Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I AmThe performance is developed with and directed by <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.soaringsolostudios.com/bio/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Jessica Lynn Johnson</a>, an award-winning director and solo show development expert known for shaping compelling, authentic solo works. &ldquo;Ada is a brilliant and gifted storyteller. Gentle, perfectly paced and warmly welcoming in her sweetly sarcastic way. The writing is magical. Evocative, sensual and human.&rdquo; -<a fr-original-style="" href="https://nohoartsdistrict.com/author/samantha-simmonds/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros</a> of NoHo Arts District. Ada has performed The Trouble With My Hair&nbsp;nation-wide, including the Asheville Fringe Art Festival, was an official selection of the Soaring Solo Studios Stars Series&nbsp;2025, and she continues to have more shows throughout the year in and out of the country. Writer + Performer BioDr. Ada Cheng is an award-winning storyteller, solo performer, and producer. Committed to amplifying and uplifting marginalized voices, she has created numerous storytelling platforms for BIPOC and LGBTQIA community members to tell difficult and vulnerable stories. She has consistently engaged in public education and public outreach through the use of storytelling and performance arts. Since 2016, she has toured her solo performances Not Quite and Loving Across Borders nationwide, presenting at universities, theaters, and conferences. She premiered her third solo performance, The Trouble with My Hair, in Los Angeles in October 2025 as part of Soaring Solo Studios&rsquo; Stars Series. She has been a speaker with the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau since 2019. Dr. Cheng was named the 2023&ndash;24 Lund-Gill Endowed Chair at Dominican University and was a recipient of the 2024 Public Humanities Award from Illinois Humanities.&nbsp; PoliciesCommunity / Student / Industry Tickets: To help make this performance accessible while ensuring artists are fairly compensated, a limited number of Community / Student / Industry tickets are available for each performance. Pay What You Can Tickets: Five Pay What You Can tickets will be available at the door for each performance on a first-come, first-served basis. Availability is limited, so advance ticket purchase is recommended. Refunds &amp; Exchanges Policy: All ticket sales are final. We are not able to offer refunds. If you are unable to attend, we appreciate your understanding that your ticket purchase directly supports the artists and production.Exchanges may be requested up to one week prior to the scheduled performance, subject to availability. Within one week of the event date, we are unable to accommodate exchanges.

Hi <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="color: rgb(42, 42, 196); overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Thank you for purchasing your ticket to The Trouble With My Hair by Ada Cheng! <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" id="isPasted" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">We&#39;re so excited to welcome you to this site-responsive Chicago presentation. <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" id="isPasted" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Performance Details<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;"> <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Saturday, August 22<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;"> <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">7:30&ndash;9:30pm<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;"> <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Visceral Adventure Lounge<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;"> <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">3638 W Grand Ave<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;"> <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Chicago, IL 60651 <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Check-In<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;"> <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">There&#39;s no need to print your ticket or show a screenshot. When you arrive, simply provide the name of the ticket purchaser at the check-in table, and we&#39;ll get you checked in. <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Doors open 30 minutes before the performance. We encourage you to arrive early to get settled before the show begins. <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">About the Experience<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;"> <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">This performance takes place in a unique community venue rather than a traditional theater. Seating is general admission and arranged specifically for this performance. We hope you&#39;ll enjoy experiencing the work in a space that is part of the storytelling. <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Ticket Policy<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;"> <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">All ticket sales are final. We are unable to offer refunds. If you are unable to attend, your ticket purchase will be considered a donation in support of the artists and production. <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">If your plans change, exchanges may be requested up to one week prior to your scheduled performance and are subject to availability. We are unable to accommodate exchanges within one week of the event date. <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">If you have any questions before the performance, please don&#39;t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to sharing this special evening with you! <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Aloha,<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Hannah Ii-Epstein<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:#000000; background-color:transparent;" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">boxoffice@nothingwithoutacompany.org

The Trouble With My Hair by Ada Cheng“Hair is never just hair, it holds our histories, our rebellions, our identities, our desires to belong, and our declarations of independence. This show is about coming home to oneself and learning to love the person underneath it all.” - Ada Cheng About the ProductionThe Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am, is an intimate exploration of gender, sexual identity, and boundary-making through Ada’s evolving relationship with her hairstylist and her hair. Blending narrative art and theatrical storytelling, Ada Cheng playfully brings her audience on a journey of self-discovery and self-love through her struggles with hair. From early memories of negotiating belonging to courageous acts of boundary-making in adulthood, Cheng uses her changing hairstyles and haircolors as milestones marking her path toward self-definition. Each cut, color, and conversation becomes a metaphor for reclaiming voice and visibility in a world eager to define her first. This site-responsive Chicago presentation spans five performances across the city, each featuring guest performers and a post-show conversation or response. Performances (5 total)Each performance runs approximately 2 hours and includes guest artists and a post-show discussion or response.<ul><li>Friday, Aug 21 | 7:30–9:30pm Scissor &amp; Fork 3968 N Elston Ave, Irving Park</li><li>Saturday, Aug 22 | 7:30–9:30pm Visceral Adventure Lounge 3638 W Grand Ave, Humboldt Park</li><li>Sunday, Aug 23 | 7:30–9:30pm REM Salon 3035 W Fullerton Ave, Logan Square</li><li>Saturday, Aug 29 | 7:30–9:30pm Haibayô 1132 W Argyle St, Uptown</li><li>Sunday, Aug 30 | 1:00–3:30pm Center on Halsted 3656 N Halsted St, Northalsted Featuring a performance response by Stir Friday Night, followed by a closing reception until 3:30pm. This final performance will not include a post-show talkback.</li></ul>Guest Artists Each performance will feature two guest artists, with a different lineup at every venue. Guest artist announcements coming soon.  Host Partner:Located in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, <a href="https://www.visceraladventure.com/" target="_blank">Visceral Adventure Lounge</a> is a multidisciplinary arts venue that hosts immersive performances, live events, exhibitions, workshops, and community programming. The artist-run space brings together creators from across disciplines, fostering experimentation, collaboration, and new ways of engaging audiences through performance and the arts. History of The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I AmThe performance is developed with and directed by <a href="https://www.soaringsolostudios.com/bio/" target="_blank">Jessica Lynn Johnson</a>, an award-winning director and solo show development expert known for shaping compelling, authentic solo works. “Ada is a brilliant and gifted storyteller. Gentle, perfectly paced and warmly welcoming in her sweetly sarcastic way. The writing is magical. Evocative, sensual and human.” -<a href="https://nohoartsdistrict.com/author/samantha-simmonds/" target="_blank">Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros</a> of NoHo Arts District. Ada has performed The Trouble With My Hair nation-wide, including the Asheville Fringe Art Festival, was an official selection of the Soaring Solo Studios Stars Series 2025, and she continues to have more shows throughout the year in and out of the country. Writer + Performer BioDr. Ada Cheng is an award-winning storyteller, solo performer, and producer. Committed to amplifying and uplifting marginalized voices, she has created numerous storytelling platforms for BIPOC and LGBTQIA community members to tell difficult and vulnerable stories. She has consistently engaged in public education and public outreach through the use of storytelling and performance arts. Since 2016, she has toured her solo performances Not Quite and Loving Across Borders nationwide, presenting at universities, theaters, and conferences. She premiered her third solo performance, The Trouble with My Hair, in Los Angeles in October 2025 as part of Soaring Solo Studios’ Stars Series. She has been a speaker with the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau since 2019. Dr. Cheng was named the 2023–24 Lund-Gill Endowed Chair at Dominican University and was a recipient of the 2024 Public Humanities Award from Illinois Humanities.  PoliciesCommunity / Student / Industry Tickets: To help make this performance accessible while ensuring artists are fairly compensated, a limited number of Community / Student / Industry tickets are available for each performance. Pay What You Can Tickets: Five Pay What You Can tickets will be available at the door for each performance on a first-come, first-served basis. Availability is limited, so advance ticket purchase is recommended. Refunds &amp; Exchanges Policy: All ticket sales are final. We are not able to offer refunds. If you are unable to attend, we appreciate your understanding that your ticket purchase directly supports the artists and production.Exchanges may be requested up to one week prior to the scheduled performance, subject to availability. Within one week of the event date, we are unable to accommodate exchanges.

Nothing Without a Company

Visceral Adventure Lounge — The Trouble With My Hair (Sat, Aug 22)

3638 W Grand Ave

Community Supporter Admission

$50

General Admission

$25

Community / Student / Industry Admission

$15

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