OPENING: Adventure Stage Chicago Presents The American Revolution by Theater Unspeakable 11/8.

ACT OUT KIDS: Family Friendly Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more. 

“THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION”

LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE

Think history is dry and boring--think again. Suspend your disbelief as 7 actors suspended on a platform bring history to life in 50 minutes and 21 square feet! Now that's a feat. Come check it out. We'll be there to review November 8th. Get your tickets before this show is history!

Theater Unspeakable’s Highly Original Take on the Country’s Founding Fathers Will Be Staged at the Vittum Theater, November 4-29

From The Patriot to John Adams, from the iconic portrait of Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emmanuel Gottlieb Leutze to the musical 1776, the birth of our nation has been portrayed countless times in countless ways in the arts. But never quite like this.

Adventure Stage Chicago, a program of Northwestern University Settlement Association, proudly presents Theater Unspeakable’s production of The American Revolution, a critical history lesson in 50 minutes, from November 4-29 at the Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble St. in Chicago.

Seven actors—suspended on a platform two feet off the ground—share 21 square feet of space to recreate the entire heroic fight for American independence from Lexington to Yorktown. Using only the actors’ bodies, voices and (pantomimed) cannons, the show evokes an epic time period in American history. Combining tongue-in-cheek humor with a dash of derring-do, The American Revolution displays Theater Unspeakable’s company’s rowdy brand of bare-boned and imaginative physical theater in the company’s first ever extended run in Chicago.

“The country's founding had an imperfect beginning, built upon the sacrifice, slaughter, and subjugation of many individuals and peoples,” said Marc Frost, director of “The American Revolution” and founder of Theatre Unspeakable. “I want them to leave feeling proud of their country's founding, because it truly was the dawning of a new era for personal freedom; yet, even in its most beatified heroes, we see the flaws, the human shortcomings, which to me make the achievements all the more inspiring. We also hope they laugh, too.”

“At Adventure Stage we tell heroic stories about young people. Theater Unspeakable’s The American Revolution is a continuation of this work, but with an intriguing twist,” said Tom Arvetis, Producing Artistic Director of Adventure Stage Chicago. “Here we have not a young person, but a young country.  A country by all measures still in the very early stages of its life but unmistakably called toward its own independent future. With The American Revolution, Theater Unspeakable looks back on the birth of our country with their delightfully dexterous approach to storytelling and invites us to imagine what freedom looks like almost 240 years later.” 

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION DATES, TIMES AND TICKET INFO

Public Performances will take place November 8, 15, 29 at 4 p.m., and November 14, 21, 28 at 7:30 p.m.; Student Matinees will take place November 4-6, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25 at 10:30 a.m.

Tickets for all shows are $17 for adults, $12 youth aged 14 and under and groups of ten or more; $7 previews.  Student groups begin at $7. *A special $10 ticket is available to neighbors in the 60622 and 60642 zip codes. The American Revolution is performed at Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble St., in the heart of Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. Street parking is available, and the theater is close to the Noble St. stop on the #56 Milwaukee bus line and the Division stop on the CTA Blue Line. The theater is wheelchair accessible.

For more information, call (773) 342-4141 or visit www.adventurestage.org

Adventure Stage Chicago is funded by Banco Popular , Grover Hermann Foundation, Kinder Morgan Foundation, Lloyd A Fry Foundation, I.A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation, Illinois Arts Council, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, Paul M Angell Family Foundation, Polk Bros Foundation, RBC Foundation – USA, Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust

ABOUT THEATER UNSPEAKABLE

Marc Frost started Theater Unspeakable as a platform for creating new works of devised, physical theater. Based in Chicago, the company is dedicated to telling stories using the entire mind, body, heart and soul. Working indoors and outdoors, the company creates live theatrical performances combining elements of movement, dance, mime, circus and clown. Since 2010, the company has created three original pieces including “Superman 2050,” “Murder on the Midwest Express” and “The American Revolution”. Theater Unspeakable has toured these pieces at various venues including: Lincoln Center, McLean Community Center, Chicago Humanities Festival, The Second City and the Chicago Cultural Center.

ABOUT ADVENTURE STAGE CHICAGO

Adventure Stage Chicago creates and tells heroic stories about young people. We do this to engage our community and inspire all of us to be heroes in our own lives. This is our 11^th season.

Adventure Stage has received numerous honors since its inception in 2004, including:

• American Alliance for Theatre and Education’s 2013 Orlin Corey Award for Artistic Excellence to ASC Founder/Producing Artistic Director Tom Arvetis
• Illinois Theatre Association’s 2012 Award of Excellence in Theatre for Young Audiences
• Zeta Phi Eta Winifred Ward Award for Outstanding New Children's Theatre Company from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education
  

Adventure Stage Chicago is a program of Northwestern University Settlement House, the oldest continually operating settlement house in Chicago. Throughout its 122-year history, the Settlement has remained committed to providing resources that empower neighbors to overcome the obstacles of poverty. Adventure Stage extends this mission by presenting Chicago's young audiences, educators and families with affordable artistic experiences rooted in performance.

ACT OUT KIDS: OPENING TONIGHT 2 Shows Only MANUAL CINEMA'S Lula del Ray (8+)

ChiIL Mama will be there... will YOU?!  Check back like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We'll have our review and also Sage and Du's Reviews up shortly on our blog and social media sites.

We dig Manual Cinema and have been raving about this show for weeks now. It's finally here!  We're also super stoked that this show and Superman2050 kick off Chicago Children's Theatre's Later Stages Series for older kids.  

Spring 2014 Chicago Children’s Theatre will launch Later Stages, a series of four Friday evening performances for children ages 8+, performed by cutting-edge theatre artists in Chicago.  Tickets are only $15!

Click here for our past coverage.

May 16 & 30, 7:30 p.m.

The Ruth Page Center for Arts

1016 N. Dearborn Street

Manual Cinema presents Lula Del Ray

Set in the mid-century American Southwest and inspired by the music of Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and Patsy Cline, Lula Del Ray is the mythic reinvention of a classic coming-of-age story, performed with overhead projectors, shadow puppets, actors in silhouette, and live music.

Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic motifs, and live sound manipulation to create immersive theatrical stories.  Using overhead projectors, paper puppets, actors in silhouette, and a live band Manual Cinema transforms the experience of attending the cinema and imbues it with liveness, ingenuity, and theatricality.

*The run time is approximately 75 minutes with no intermission, plus a 10 min puppet show & tell after every performance.

**If you have special seating accommodations, please inform the Box Office 72 hours before the performance.

One Performance Left:

Theater Unspeakable presents Superman 2050

May 9 & 23, 7:30 p.m.

The Ruth Page Center for Arts

1016 N. Dearborn Street

*We cordially invite you to wear your finest superhero apparel to this performance!

Epic story, pocket proportions–seven actors share one tiny platform, just 3′ x 7′, and upon it an original Superman tale unfolds.  The cast members use only their bodies and voices to create every prop, scene, sound effect, and character in this fast-paced, physical production.

Theater Unspeakable is dedicated to telling stories using the entire body, mind, heart, and soul.  Working indoors and outdoors, TU create live theatrical performances combining elements of movement, dance, mime, circus, and clown.

*The run time is approximately 40 minutes with no intermission, plus a 10 min Q & A after every performance.

**If you have special seating accommodations, please inform the Box Office 72 hours before the performance.

Click here for all of Sage and Du's Reviews to date

Sage & Du's Reviews

(a kids' eye view)

2014 Launch

My kids have been immersed in the Chicago theatre scene their entire lives. Now at 11 & 13 they're still able to enjoy our city's stellar children's theatre offerings, but they've also become my go to +1's for big budget Broadway in Chicago spectacles, edgy storefront fare, and thought provoking dramas at Goodman, Steppenwolf and beyond.

My 13 year old, son, in particular has become quite the insightful critic, and we both love a good post show talk.  I was almost in tears on opening night of The Whale at Victory Gardens, as my son and I waited for the show to begin.   Instead of grousing about attending a play or burying his nose in a DS game as many boys would, he was busy perusing the program.   Then he turned to me and said "I'd really like to meet Chelsea Warren."   When I asked why he said, "Because the show hasn't even started yet, but the set design is so cool it really makes me curious to see who lives here.   It's really well done." Joy!

Though they've been my silent partners for years, they've recently been inspired by 9 year old critic, Ada Grey, to speak up and take an active role in our reviews for ChiIL Mama.   I'll still be writing reviews, as well, but they will have their own space for their own unique voices, too.  Sage & Du's Reviews (a kids' eye view) will be appearing here at ChiIL Mama on a regular basis!

ACT OUT KIDS CLOSING: SPARK at Adventure Stage

We've been raving about SPARK at Adventure Stage on social media since opening day. We gave away 4 tickets to a lucky reader & we've had a sidebar link up with details to the show. Click here for our past coverage and full show details.

If by chance you've been living in a cave and still haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? Go already! If you have been living underground you'll particularly be able to relate to this production. Highly recommended.  We're very excited they are calling this chapter one, since that hints at more to come!

LAST CALL:
Final show Saturday 5/3 at 4pm

Tom Arvetis has really outdone himself with the world premiere of SPARK. We're also consistently impressed with Adventure Stage's commitment to the community via their home space at The Northwestern Settlement House. They live their mission statement of being there for their neighbors, with free and reduced tickets for the neighborhood, outreach programs and collaborations. 

My 10 year old daughter's Girl Scout trip partnered up with The Settlement House's program for the elderly, The Golden Agers. The girls made baked goods for the group and escorted them all to and from SPARK, then joined them for lunch. It was an incredible experience for young and old alike!

Pandora lives a regimented life within the underground tunnels of Sanctuary, a secluded community designed to outlast the raging violence outside its walls. Each inhabitant of Sanctuary has a purpose, a place, and a common enemy—the mysterious Outliers who live in the world above.  

But after Pandora personally encounters two young Outliers, she starts to question all that has been taught to her. Is Sanctuary the safe haven she has always believed it to be, or a prison built on fear? As sides are chosen and truths shattered, Pan must ultimately decide between the life she knows and the one that is calling to her. 

Using projections designed by Liviu Pasare to simulate the texting and gaming that is ever-present in Sanctuary’s techno-savvy world, this inventive adventure set in the near future is recommended for ages 9 (grade 4) and up.

ABOUT THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT

The Prometheus Project began when playwright Tom Arvetis and director Rives Collins visited several Chicago middle school classrooms and conducted a series of story circles with Adventure Stage’s West Town neighbors, utilizing the Greek myth of Prometheus as a starting point for understanding contemporary challenges within our community. Themes of power, violence, sacrifice and hope emerged as young people and families shared the daily struggles they experience. Out of these story circles, SPARK was born.

Relying heavily on the archetypes of the Hero’s Journey, ASC's goal with SPARK is to ask our audience to think critically about the responsibility we have to our neighbors and the courage it will take to move our communities toward a more imaginative, healthy and tolerant status quo.

Check out our performance schedule, press release, cast and crew, and special events sections for more information!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Click here for more information. 

YOUR ADVENTURE AWAITS YOU.

A dystopian sci-fi adventure that completely re-imagines 

the myths of Prometheus and Pandora.

"The talented, enthusiastic cast at Adventure Stage Chicago convey hope and perseverance." -Chicago Reader  

"The projections by Liviu Pasare do a lot to keep things exciting—simulating texting, gaming and built-in surveillance states. It's inspiring to see an array of kids excited about theater." -Time Out Chicago

"Fans of popular YA dystopian novels will love this original play. In a world filled with bloodshed and ruled by technology, this welcome return to the lessons found in mythology is both refreshing and exciting."  -centerstagechicago.com

"A heavily plot-driven story that contains a good amount of action and a wonderful closing tableau." -Chicago Tribune

"I think this is a very awesome show and I loved it!" -Ada Grey (nine-year-old reviewer extraordinaire)

FLASH GIVEAWAY: WIN 2 Tickets to Lifeline’s Lyle Finds His Mother (ages 5+) #Closing #ChildrensTheatre

ChiIL Mama is giving away a pair of tickets for Lifeline’s acclaimed production, Lyle Finds His Mother, valid for its final weekend (April 26 and 27-your choice of shows pending availability).  Enter HERE through midnight Tuesday 4/22. 

Last chance to catch this acclaimed production! Lifeline KidSeries has long been a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Mama. We've always made it a point to spend one on one time with our son & daughter. This is the perfect "date" for a mom or dad and your special little someone. Check out the sculpture garden next door and make it a day with lunch in the neighborhood. Heartland Cafe is a short walk north.

Lifeline Theatre KidSeries Presents Lyle Finds His Mother,

World Premiere Musical Based on the 
Popular Children’s Book 

Plus Stories Come Alive! Hour Workshops Every Saturday and Sunday During the Run

Click here for our prior coverage.

This production is recommended for children ages five and up *(NOTE: children under two not permitted), and runs one hour with no intermission. The book will be on sale in the lobby.

Lifeline Theatre’s KidSeries presents Lyle Finds His Mother, a world premiere musical based on the beloved children’s book by Bernard Waber, adapted by Jessica Wright Buha, with music and lyrics by Michael James Brooks, and directed by Lifeline Theatre Artistic Director Dorothy Milne. Lyle loves his life with the Primms in the house on East 88th Street. But everything changes when Hector P. Valenti, Star of Stage and Screen, returns with an offer to take Lyle to meet his mother in the land of the crocodile. Should Lyle trust the devious showman? And will his adopted family understand his desire to meet his birth mother? Travel the world on a journey of hilarity and heart in this world premiere musical for the entire family. 

Lyle Finds His Mother runs Saturday, March 22–Sunday, April 27 (no performances Easter Sunday, April 20) at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. Regular performance times are Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.

PLUS: Join Lifeline Theatre every Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m. (except Easter Sunday, April 20) during the run of Lyle Finds His Mother (following the 11 a.m. show, or before the 1 p.m. show) for our Stories Come Alive! Hour. Children will get up-close and personal with the book behind the play with an interactive storytelling session and on-your-feet theatre games. The cost is only $5 per child. Reservations are recommended, though not required. Contact Lifeline Theatre at 773-761-4477 for more information.

The complete cast and production team for Lyle Finds His Mother includes:

CAST: Guest artists Linsey Falls (Hector P. Valenti, Mr. Primm), Anthony Kayer (Lyle), Deanna Myers (Lyle’s Mother), Erin O’Shea (Mrs. Primm), and Brian Tochterman Jr. (Joshua). With understudies Chris Ballou and Marissa Lessman.

CREW: Lifeline Theatre ensemble members Alan Donahue (Scenic & Properties Designer) and Dorothy Milne (Director); with guest artists Michael James Brooks (Composer, Lyricist & Sound Designer), Jessica Wright Buha (Adaptor), Benjamin W. Dawson (Production Manager), Erin Gallagher (Costume Designer), Katie Messmore (Stage Manager), Danny Osburn (Lighting Designer), and Joe Schermoly (Technical Director).

Lifeline Theatre KidSeries presents Lyle Finds His Mother, running Saturday, March 22–Sunday, April 27 (no performances Easter Sunday, April 20) at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. Press opening is Sunday, March 23 at 1 p.m. Regular performance times are Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Previews are Saturday, March 22 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; and Sunday, March 23 at 11 a.m.) Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.

Lifeline Theatre also offers “Name Your Price” tickets a half-hour before the show (subject to availability), group rates and other discounts available upon request. A party room is available for full-service birthday and special event parties. Free parking is available at the designated lot west of the theatre (NE corner of Morse and Ravenswood) with free shuttle service before and after the show. Street parking is also available and Lifeline Theatre is handicapped and CTA accessible (Red Line Morse stop/busses).

Now in its 31^st season, Lifeline Theatre specializes in original literary adaptations. Its ensemble of artists uses imaginative, unconventional staging to portray sprawling stories in an intimate space. Lifeline is committed to promoting the arts in its Rogers Park neighborhood and is an anchor of the Glenwood Avenue Arts District. We aspire to create art that is relevant to our culturally diverse, increasingly youthful neighborhood. Lifeline Theatre – Big Stories, Up Close.

Lifeline Theatre’s programs are partially supported by Alphawood Foundation; The Allstate Foundation; The Arts Work Fund; Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; The Common Cup; Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; FGMK LLC; Flex Print, Inc.; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; The Grover Hermann Foundation; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; Netrix LLC; The Pauls Foundation; The Polk Bros. Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; and the annual support of businesses and individuals.

ACT OUT KIDS: Ongoing Shows On Our Radar--Hogwash at Bughouse Theater

We haven't had a chance to check these guys out in person because my own kids have Sat AM classes. But we've heard good things and you can't beat the price--pay what you can/donation. Theatre is great for kids. Come on out and play with Hogwash. Ongoing, every Saturday.

What: Improvised Children's Musical- Hogwash: An Improvised Tall Tale

Where: Bughouse Theater (2054 W. Irving Park, Chicago IL)

When: Every Saturday, 10:30a.m.

Who:  Kids ages 3-12 but toddlers are welcome, too.

Cost: Donation Only.  Kids get a punch card and when they get 10 punches they get a hogwash T-Shirt!

www.hogwashkids.com

WIN 4 Tickets to The World Premiere of SPARK (9+) at Adventure Stage & Catch Push Play Free This Mon & Tues

Here at ChiIL Mama, we're long time fans of the fantastic work Adventure Stage does.  They're great about community building, bringing world premiers to life, and rocking the family friendly fare.  Check out their talented kids' from the ASC Trailblazers in FREE shows THIS Monday and Tuesday.   Then CLICK HERE to enter to WIN 4 free tickets (ages 9+) to the opening day performance (April 5/4pm) of  SPARK by Tom Arvetis!  He's a local dad and fixture in the Chicago theatre world.  Check out our past video interview with Tom (12/11) right here. ASC's Trailblazers present the world premiere of... Mon, Feb. 24 & Tue, Feb. 25 at 7:00pm     Our Trailblazers are putting the final touches on their creation PUSH PLAY, an inventive exploration of violence and negativity in media and how all of us are affected by it. The world we live in is complicated, and children process it in a myriad of ways. With PUSH PLAY, our young heroes have created a show that we think your young heroes should see. So grab your kids. Join us for the play. And let's START A CONVERSATION. TICKETS ARE FREE. Refreshments served afterward. Call 773-342-4141 or visit AdventureStage.org to reserve your seats. ll

Don't miss this exciting new stage play that completely re-imagines the classic myths of Prometheus and Pandora.

(Suggested ages 9+/4th grade.  Under age 5 NOT admitted.)

“It only takes a spark to ignite a flame.” 

Pandora lives a regimented life within the underground tunnels of Sanctuary, a secluded community designed to outlast the raging violence outside its walls. Each inhabitant of Sanctuary has a purpose, a place, and a common enemy—the mysterious Outliers who live in the world above.  

But after Pandora personally encounters two young Outliers, she starts to question all that has been taught to her. Is Sanctuary the safe haven she has always believed it to be, or a prison built on fear? As sides are chosen and truths shattered, Pan must ultimately decide between the life she knows and the one that is calling to her. 

Using projections designed by Liviu Pasare to simulate the texting and gaming that is ever-present in Sanctuary’s techno-savvy world, this inventive adventure set in the near future is recommended for ages 9 (grade 4) and up.

ABOUT THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT
The Prometheus Project began when playwright Tom Arvetis and director Rives Collins visited several Chicago middle school classrooms and conducted a series of story circles with Adventure Stage’s West Town neighbors, utilizing the Greek myth of Prometheus as a starting point for understanding contemporary challenges within our community. Themes of power, violence, sacrifice and hope emerged as young people and families shared the daily struggles they experience. Out of these story circles, SPARK was born.

Relying heavily on the archetypes of the Hero’s Journey, ASC's goal with SPARK is to ask our audience to think critically about the responsibility we have to our neighbors and the courage it will take to move our communities toward a more imaginative, healthy and tolerant status quo.

Check out our performance schedule, press release, cast and crew, and special events sections for more information!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Click here for more information. 

YOUR ADVENTURE AWAITS YOU.

ACT OUT KIDS: OPENING The Three Little Pigs at Emerald City

Meet George Stiles  and Anthony Drewe: Creators of The Three Little Pigs The dynamic musical theatre songwriting partnership behind The Three Little Pigs, George Stiles (music) and Anthony Drewe (lyrics) have been writing together since they met at Exeter University over twenty years ago.   Together, they have written many popular musicals, revues, and songs, including the Olivier Award-winning Honk! and additional music for the Broadway hit, Mary  Poppins.  In celebration of the American Premiere of Stiles & Drewe's The Three Little Pigs at Emerald City, let's get to know this dynamic duo, and get a peek at the costumes below... "Siu" costume by Nathan Rohrer "Mother Pig" costume by Nathan Rohrer George Stiles  and Anthony Drewe On the process of writing a new musical together: Drewe: What we like doing best is when a song grows organically, where I give him a title or maybe a verse or a chorus and then sets it to music. Stiles: I don't doodle. I tend to get a lyric and immediately go away from the piano. [...] I tend to pace around the garden with it and find the rhythmic centre of the piece; I think that is the most important thing for me, finding what the meter is.  On writing for a family audience: Stiles: We love the idea of writing for family audiences.  With Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Honk!, and Just So--they're all stories that appeal across the age range. Drewe: What I love to see is when an audience comes along, and you have children as young as three with their slightly older bothers and sisters, with their parents, and they go to the theatre to have an experience together, but they're all going to get different things out of it.   On The Three Little Pigs: Drewe: When you have a  story that is so well known as the Three Little Pigs, in order to make it captivate an audience, you have to make it tell them something that they didn't know they were going to come and see.  Stiles & Drewe's  The Three Little Pigs opens on January 25th! Get tickets online or call 773-935-6100 to book today!

ACT OUT KIDS OPENING: Number The Stars at DePaul's Merle Reskin Theatre (ages 8+)

Number The Stars

by Dr. Douglas W. Larche with Susan Elliott Larche

based on the novel by Lois Lowry

directed by Ernie Nolan

JANUARY 18 - FEBRUARY 22, 2014

at DePaul's historic Merle Reskin Theatre
60 E. Balbo Dr. (just off Michigan Ave.)

Share the magic of theatre with the young people in your life!

For Tickets Call 312.922.1999
or Purchase Tickets Online

Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays at 10 am, Saturdays & Sundays at 2 pm.
Reserved Seating on the Main Floor on Saturdays and Sundays.
Visit our showpage for specific dates and times.

Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen play carefree games in the streets of Copenhagen, until the Nazi occupation of their city becomes increasinly more evident. As the Nazis attempt to relocate the Jewish residents of Denmark, Annemarie and the Johansens take a stand and help Ellen's family escape to Sweden. Winner of the Newbery Medal, Number the Stars uses history to remind us that anyone can be a hero. 

Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Visit our showpage to learn more about the production, special events, community partner days, and interpreted performances!