Chicago Premier of Pierrot Lunaire featuring Blair Thomas & Co, eighth blackbird and Lucy Shelton

Of all of the companies in Chicago that are creating new puppet theater, most notably Redmoon Theater, I find Blair Thomas's to be the most challenging and innovative. While Redmoon focuses more and more on making work that is kid friendly that appeals to the broadest of audiences, Thomas (who co-founded Redmoon before founding his own company in 2002) creates clever visual adaptations of texts which are intellectually challenging, or even unwieldy: he's adapted the poems of Wallace Stevens; the stories, letters and plays of Lorca. His current work, Pierrot Lunaire-a caberet opera stages the music of Arthur Schoenberg and expressionistic poems of Belgian symbolist poet Albert Giraud.

Soprano Lucy Shelton portrays a poet that invokes the spirit of Pierrot, a mischievious character from the commedia dell'arte, as a muse. Pierrot Lunaire was created in collaboration with innovative new music ensemble, eighth blackbird. Costumed members of eighth blackbird will perform the song cycle--written for flutes, clarinets, violin/viola, cello, and piano--from memory.

A second puppet piece tells the story of an old man and a young girl who find common ground at the foot of a remote waterfall and is peformed with Jacob Druckman's Reflections on the Nature of Water (1986), a solo piece for the marimba.

A master of an exceptionally broad range of puppet styles and techniques, Thomas has used shadow puppetry, wooden hand puppets, and rod marionettes in past work. Both of the new pieces feature Bunraku puppets, a style of puppety which originated in Japan. Bunraku puppets are typically half to three-quarters human-size and are operated by two or, in this case, three performers.

Pierrot Lunaire—a caberet opera runs Thursday through Saturday, March 30, 31 and April 1 at 7:30PM at the MCA. Tickets are $18-22. For more information / tickets call 312-397-4010 or visit their website.

Photo: Sean Williams

3 card molly presents The Other After

backstage at the theater of creation

Saturday and Sunday, March 25 and 26, 7:00pm and 8:30pm
At The Spareroom, 2416 W. North Avenue, just west of Western Avenue.

SPACE IS LIMITED!!!
RSVP: aniagreiner@yahoo.com or 773.878.8114

$10 suggested donation

THE OTHER AFTER is a performance experience that explores ideas of evolution, intelligent design and space travel while telling the tale of two little girls who mysteriously disappear from their picnic in the woods.

3 card molly (Liz Winfield and Ania Greiner) takes the audience on a backstage tour of a "theater of creation" that includes a visit to a design workshop, a meeting with the great designer, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the staging area for an alternate future of mankind. Come prepared to walk, stand, sit, and maybe even join a picnic! With special guests Jessica Hannah, Diandra Jones, and Joseph Ravens.

Visit http://www.3cardmolly.org for more information

DanceBridge - A New Initiative to support Chicago's Professional Dance Artists and Choreographers

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs is pleased to introduce "DanceBridge," a new initiative to support Chicago's professional dance artists and choreographers. The goal of DanceBridge is to foster the creation of new and innovative work, particularly work that crosses boundaries of style or tradition and reflects contemporary international influences and/or interdisciplinary exploration. Toward this end, FREE rehearsal space is offered for 12-week periods in the Dance Studio of the Chicago Cultural Center as well as a performance opportunity to present the new or developing work beginning May, 2006.

How to apply:
Submissions are reviewed at least twice/year in April for the Summer and Fall sessions and in November for the Winter session by the Dept. of Cultural Affairs Dance Force Committee.

Deadlines:
April 5, 2006 Summer and Fall sessions
November 1, 2006 Winter session

Criteria:
Applicants must be at a professional level, with a minimum of 2 years experience making and presenting work in public performances.

Dance Bridge seeks proposals for the development of new and innovative work, in particular work that:
- crosses boundaries of style or tradition or
- reflects contemporary international influences or
- involves interdisciplinary exploration

For an application: Department of Cultural Affairs, www.cityofchicago.org/CulturalAffairs Search: DanceBridge

This site inspected by #

Goat Island Summer School

Goat Island, a collaborative performance group based in Chicago, will present their eighth Artist-in-Residence Workshop at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago this summer. Since their inception in 1987, they have created eight performance works, and toured the U.S., Canada, UK, and Europe; in 2005 the group performed their latest completed work at the 37th International Theatre Festival of the Venice Biennale. They have produced a number of publications, focusing on both their performance and educational work. They have also produced two film projects that have developed out of their live performances. Goat Island has received six U.S. National Endowment for the Arts grants and were the subject of an American Public Broadcasting Service documentary in 1996.

Directed by the interests of the participants as well as those of the instructors, the intensive workshop will examine disciplines of performance, installation, writing, movement, music, research, publication, and documentation in various forms and combinations. Sessions will combine "theory" and "practice", investigating forms of thought and presentation, styles of collaboration, historical and philosophical perspectives, and methods of individual and collective _expression and creativity.

( Read more... )

Instructors/Goat Island Company members:
Matthew Goulish, Lin Hixson, Mark Jeffery and Karen Christopher.

http://www.artic.edu/saic/programs/continuing/summer/suminst.html

Puppetry Event: Tantalus Theatre Group presents The Serpent Woman

A dark commedia faerie tale featuring masks, giant puppets, dances and lots of bawdy fun. Located at The Side Studio (1520 W. Jarvis in Rogers Park) every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm from now until April 1. $10.

Call 773-960-2066 for reservations (strongly recommended - house seats 30)

More information at http://www.tantalustheatre.org

[Thanks to Brian for passing this on.]

Performance Opportunity: Fieldtrips, Multidisciplinary Performance Festival

Sponsored by the Field/Chicago and Links Hall
Non-Curated festival,open to all applicants on a first come first serve basis

Friday, Saturday, Sunday May 19, 20, 21, 2006
Friday, Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 7pm
At Links Hall, 3435 N. Sheffield

Soloists and ensembles of any description (dance, music, comedy, theater, poetry, etc.) are invited to present works running up to 20 min, in this professionally produced event.

Application Deadline: March 31, 2006

Application fee: $35 which covers one 20 minute slot on one of the festival nights as well as 45 min of tech. The Field/Chicago covers press release, fliers, program, mailing and light designer/tech director

E-mail Judith Harding at: artbusters@sbcglobal.net for an application.

Symposium: Re-Do It? Re-Presenting Bodies in Performance
March 16 & 17, 2006
Presented by the The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Performance Art Department

The Symposium begins on Thursday, March 16 with a public keynote address, "Performance Returns," by Peggy Phelan. It continues on Friday, March 17 with a day of panels and discussions; and ends with a performative extravaganza of re-doable, un-redoable, and un-doable propositions and acts by participating student, faculty and guest artists.

The Symposium will take place in and around the Department's 280 S. Columbus Drive Performance Space, Room 012 (Basement). Peggy Phelan's keynote address on Thursday, March 16 will be in the Columbus Building Auditorium and is free to the School and the public.

( SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS & SCHEDULE )
( REGISTRATION & RESERVATIONS )

Reservation Deadline is Monday, March 13th.

For further information: 312 443-3782

Local Infinities presents Avner the Eccentric, Workshop on Physical Approach to Theater/Comedy

I'm excited to announce that Avner the Eccentric is coming to Chicago and Local Infinities Visual Theater is hosting a workshop at The Theater School, DePaul U. Please respond if you are interested in participating in the workshop.

Day one, Saturday May 20th, 12-5 pm, $100 (open to 26 participants)
Day one and two, Sunday & Sunday, May 20-21, 12-5 pm, $175 (open to 14 participants)

The workshop will be held in the Large Movement room at the Theater School, which will be available at 11:00 am if you'd like to come early to warm up. You can find out more about Avner, his show and his workshops on his site http://www.avnertheeccentric.com.

( Read more... )

WORKSHOP FOR THEATER PROFESSIONALS
FREEZE, FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT
A physical approach to acting and comedy

This intriguing workshop will give participants a firm grounding in physical comedy techniques. For the working professional this is a unique opportunity to take one’s work to the next level.
( More on Avner Eisenberg )

Power Tools: Essential Business Practice for Visual Artists
Presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Chicago Artists Coalition and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Friday May 12
KEYNOTE SPEAKER Renee Phillips, Director of Manhattan Arts International, curator and author of "Presentation Power Tools for Fine Artists", and "Success Now! A Motivational Guide for Artrepreneur".
School of the Art Institute Fullerton Auditorium
$10 General Public, $5 CAC members, Students free

Saturday May 13
WORKSHOPS with noted arts professionals on RESUME, PORTFOLIO, FINANCIAL PLANNING, STRATEGIC PLANNING and CAREER OPTIONS. Day-long session with reception and handbook.
Location: School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Chicago Cultural Center
Fee: $40 General Public, $30, CAC members, Students free.

For more information, info@chicagoartistsresource.org

CREATIVE CHICAGO Space and Housing Expo
Saturday April 8
10:00 - 3:00
Chicago Cultural Center
FREE

Find spaces, facilities and resources for all Chicago Creatives -- in visual art, dance, film, music, theater, fashion and design.

( Expo Highlights )
( Workshops )

Panel discussion: Career Paths of Well-Known Artists
Wednesday, March 22, 6:30 pm
Mooney Foundation, 114 W. Kinzie

With John David Mooney, Dan Addington and the Zhou Brothers. Speakers will discuss how they got started, when was their first big break, how they find commissions and other tales of success.

Fee: $5 CAC members, $10 non-members.
Details: Chicago Artists' Coalition
312.670-2060 or 847.674-0321.

Panel Discussion: Health Care for the Mind and Body for Artists and Self-Employed People
Thursday, March 16, 7 - 9 p.m.,
Lake Side Cafe, 1418 W. Howard St.

LH Volunteer Sharon Hyson, Amona Buechler, Arlene Rakoncay, & Lew Rosenbaum on topics from the battle for decent health care, insurance alternatives, to why the arts enhance your state of heath, and wellness and well being.

Presented by the Chicago Teaching Artists Collective

For details, 312.409-3258, sharonhyson@hotmail.com.

Artists at Work Forum: Careers that Work
Thursday, March 16, 6:00 pm
Chicago Cultural Center -- 1st Floor Garland

Four Chicago artists -- sculptors Mary Brogger and Faheem Majeed, videographer Jennifer Reeder and painter Paul Sierra -- discuss personal experience and practical tips for making a living making art. Artists are encouraged to bring specific questions for the panel.
( Read more about the artists on the panel here )
Artist at Work Forums invite artists, advocates, and related professionals to address current issues of interest and concern in Chicago's art community. AAWF are made possible through the generosity of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein at the MCA

Who knew that a story about a fat lesbian intellectual who wrote fragmented poetry would work as a musical? That you could make a whole song out of two lines of nonsensical text? Or that it would be so goddamned funny?

On the way to the opening of Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein, I couldn't help but think--Gertrude Stein. Musical. Seems like a bad idea. About as bad an idea as turning a Victor Hugo story into a Disney cartoon, or James Joyce's Dubliners into a heartwarming Christmas review complete with Riverdance-style tap dancing.

I remained skeptical for the first twenty minutes of the piece through the first musical number sung by a young Gertrude Stein (Christine Mild). Young Gertrude seemed a little too pert, the music a little too polished, and the chorus, clad in white Victorian-style frocks gave me flashbacks to Composer Stephen Flaherty's earlier work, Ragtime.

But I was soon hooked--Cindy Gold as Gertrude Stein has enormous stage presence (whenever she left the stage I kept wishing she'd come back) and brought a salty humor, wit and intelligence to the piece. She acted as a sort of narrator, who reflects back on her life as a young woman, her early romance with language and with her lifelong companion Alice B. Tolkas, without any regrets and with great insight.

Excerpts from Stein's writings, including "Miss Furr and Miss Skeene", "Men", "A Lyrical Opera Made by Two to Be Sung", and "As a Wife Has a Cow", were adapted by Steppenwolf ensemble member Frank Galati, without being watered down and are presented, very successfully, with a burleque and vaudvillian flair.

Some of the songs in the musical were literally composed using two or three lines of fragmentary text, relying heavily on intonation and repetition to convey meaning. This was most successful in the songs "Men" and "Such a One" which get at some kind of truth about being gay, simply through saying "and they were gay as they were" (I'm paraphrasing) over and over again. Through the repetition it became a sort of mantra of acceptance.

You've got three weeks left to see this unusual and funny show. Tickets to Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein are $20-40. Performances run Wednesday to Sunday through March 12, 2005 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (220 E Chicago). For more info/tickets call 312-397-4010 or visit http://www.mcachicago.org

Photo: Bernie Yvon, Christine Mild, Jenny Powers, Zach Ford, Cindy Gold, Harriet Nzinga Plumpp, Travis turner, Cristen Paige. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Generating New Performance Writing with Beau O'Reilly and Curious Theatre Branch

THIS WEEKEND Saturday, February 25, 9:00am-2:00pm, $50
Workshop at Links Hall, 3435 North Sheffield

One of Chicago's all-original theater companies, founded in 1988 by Jenny Magnus and Beau O'Reilly, Curious Theatre Branch has consistently worked with an ensemble of artists in a non-hierarchical decision-making process, where the philosophy of collaboration as a social force is explored on every level. This workshop focuses on the generation of new performance writing: create, read, and receive feedback. Limited to 8 participants.

Please contact Erica or CJ at 773.281.0824 or info@linkshall.org to register

Essential Functions: Soundscoring for Choreography

Wednesday, February 22, 5:30pm
FREE
With Henrique Rodovalho, Artistic Director of Quasar Dance Company from
Goiania, Brazil, and Sao Paulo native composer Flavio Chamis.

At the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
http://www.chicagoculturalcenter.org

Dramaturgy in Dance panel discussions

Dramaturgy, as a concept, is multi-faceted. By hosting this series, we hope to challenge the traditional definition, and come away with a broader understanding of dramaturgy - while extracting elements of the dramaturgical process to benefit the field of dance.

Please join us for two Saturday discussions with local theater and dance artists who will share their experiences working with, or as dramaturgs.

Saturday, March 11
with Peter Carpenter, Sarah Gubbins, Coya Paz and Kairol Rosenthal
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Museum of Contemporary Art - Education Kanter Center
220 E. Chicago Ave. - Theater entrance
FREE
( Read more... )

Saturday, April 1
with Ann Filmer, Ann Boyd, Jan Erkert, and Jennifer Shook
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Chicago Cultural Center, Dance Studio
78 E. Washington St.
FREE
( Read more... )

For more information about these events or the series on Dramaturgy in Dance, please contact Kristen Cox, Project Director at chicagodancemakers@gmail.com or 773-818-2884.

Red Rover Series (readings that play with reading)

Experiment #6: Absences

Featuring:
Nathalie Stephens
Jeff Marlin
and "in absentia"
Lise Beaudry
kari edwards
Brane Mozetic
Benny Nemerofksy Ramsay

7pm Sunday, February 26th
at the SpareRoom
2416 W. North Avenue
suggested donation $3
http://www.spareroomchicago.org
( Read more... )
Red Rover Series is curated by Amina Cain and Jennifer Karmin

Got ideas for reading instructions & experiments? Email us at redroverseries@yahoogroups.com