This production is part of the MFA Acting Summer series, matching Northwestern’s emerging MFA actors with visionary Chicago directors to create exciting and unexpected collaborations in contemporary theatre.

By Chelsea Marcantel 
Directed by Ericka Ratcliff  

When Nina enters her first air guitar competition, she thinks winning will be easy. But as she befriends a group of charismatic nerds all committed to becoming the next champion, she discovers that there’s more to this art form than playing pretend; it’s about finding yourself in your favorite songs and performing with raw joy.  Airness is an exuberant reminder that everything we need to rock is already inside us.  

Director

Ericka Ratcliff is artistic director of Congo Square Theatre and works to amplify the mission of Congo Square by celebrating the complexities of Black life and culture on stage. She is a member of The Chicago Women In Philanthropy, Women’s Leadership Mentoring Program (WLMP), the 2023 Points of Light Conference Host Committee, and artEquity’s BIPOC Leadership Circle. Ericka is a nominee for Broadway World Chicago’s 2022 Regional Awards for “Best Direction of a Play” for her work on What To Send Up When It Goes Down and was recently featured in NewCity Magazine for her accomplished work in theatre. She is an artistic associate with Lookingglass Theater and was a recipient of the Chicago 3Arts Make A Wave Award in 2017.