Showing posts with label all ages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label all ages. Show all posts

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Physical Theater Festival Presents All Ages Show: Adventure Sandwich 6/8/25 at 11am at Theater WIT

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List

ADVENTURE SANDWICH: IT'S A SANDWICH ADVENTURE (Chicago)

by Adventure Sandwich 

50 min / All Ages

One Performance Only! June 8 at 11am

Make this Sunday a family fun day with an all ages adventure show. ChiIL Mama will be there... will you? 

Adventure Sandwich: A Sandwich Adventure! is a new live-action-cartoon musical made for people and sandwiches of all ages. Join Hoagie (a sandwich) and Lily (a human) as they make their way from the streets of Possibilopolis to the depths of the Several Seas and beyond. Will they find the secret recipe for Imaginnaise? Will they escape Dr. Distracto’s Den of Diversions? Or will they get stuck in The Buffer Zone? Find out on June 8th at the Physical Theater Festival!

https://www.physicalfestival.com/adventuresandwich



Check out the full lineup for the12th Physical Theater Festival Chicago right HERE: https://www.physicalfestival.com/shows.

Also, check out the fabulous Physical Theater Fest Workshop offerings for this year at  https://www.physicalfestival.com/workshops.

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

FEST ALERT: Physical Theater Festival Chicago returns May 31-June 9, 2019 at Stage 773

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

PHYSICAL THEATER FESTIVAL CHICAGO GROWS TO A 10-DAY EVENT WITH NEW FORMS OF THEATER FROM AROUND THE WORLD, MAY 31-JUNE 9 AT STAGE 773 




Physical Theater Festival Chicago returns May 31-June 9, 2019 at Stage 773, opening with (from left) Next Door by Out of Balanz (Denmark), closing with Freeman by Strictly Arts (U.K.), the festival’s largest presentation ever, and with new additions announced including the family-friendly Tic Tac Tock by Mrs. Flower (Belgium/U.K.).


I'll be out for opening night, catching Next Door & Helga for ChiILMama.com (family friendly) & ChiILLiveShows.com (adult). Then we'll be back to check out every act in this year's Physical Theater Festival Chicago. Check back soon for my full reviews. 

Physical Theater Festival Chicago, back for its sixth season, will present physical theater acts and artists from Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Puerto Rico, India, the U.K. and Chicago that promise to wow audiences for 10 consecutive days of “theater that moves you.”

Physical Theater Festival Chicago runs May 31-June 9, 2019. All events (except Eventide) take place at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Festival passes ($50 and $65) and single tickets ($15-$20) are on sale at physicalfestival.com.


For updates, follow the festival on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


The 2019 Physical Theater Festival Chicago – the full line-up:

Following, in chronological order, is the full 2019 Physical Theater Festival Chicago schedule – launching with the opening weekend return of the Danish company Out of Balance, the smash hit success of the inaugural fest in 2014, closing with Physical Festival Chicago’s largest presentation in its history, Freeman from Strictly Arts U.K., an Edinburgh Fringe Fest sensation with incredibly powerful stories of mental illness and systemic racism.



Next Door
By Out of Balanz
From Copenhagen, Denmark
Friday, May 31 at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 1 at 9 p.m., Sunday,
June 2 at 2 p.m.
60 minutes
For ages 12 and up

*Parents: Sunday, June 2, 2 p.m. is Sitter Sunday. Come for the show, teaching staff from Willow Tree Child Care will watch your kids, ages potty trained and up! See website for more information. 

Multi-award winning Danish company Out of Balanz returns to Chicago with their critically acclaimed Next Door. The stand-out smash hit of Chicago’s first Physical Theater Festival in 2014 is back by popular demand to re-celebrate physical comedy, active imaginations and the importance of relationships.

When Ivan Hansen’s neighbor passes away suddenly, Ivan realizes he doesn’t know anything about him. In Next Door, intimate storytelling and high-octane physical theater explore what it is that really connects us.

Next Door captured First Prize and Audience Prize at the Birmingham European Theatre Festival 2013 and Best Male Performers at Kosovo’s Skena Up International Festival. The Copenhagen Post called it “imaginative and groundbreaking…an unforgettable journey into the human psyche.” The Scotsman found it “irresistible.”

Founded in 2006, Out of Balanz is an award-winning international theater ensemble based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Recognized for their highly collaborative creative process and for producing original work rich in spectacle and adventurous in form, Out of Balanz has created over a dozen original works and toured to 16 different countries in Europe, North America and Asia (including such venues as The John Houseman Theatre off-Broadway, The Barbican in London and at the first-ever Physical Theater Festival Chicago.) The company was named one of the 13 most innovative physical theater companies in the world, alongside such prestigious companies as The SITI Company and DV8, by backstage.com. For more, visit outofbalanz.org.




Helga – life of a diva extraordinaire
By Henni Kervinen, directed by Jenni Kallo
From Finland
Friday, May 31 at 9 p.m.; Saturday, June 1 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, June 2 at 5 p.m.
60 minutes
For ages 10 and up

Henni Kervinen in Helga – the life of a diva extraordinare (Finland)

A new cabaret diva extraordinaire is here! Poignant, melancholy mime, clowning circus skills and physical comedy make up the wordless story of Helga. Tragedy and comedy meet as Helga invites us into her world, from the mundane details of her day to the fabulous memories of her life.

Helga is skillfully performed by Finnish circus artist Henni Kervinen and directed by Jenni Kallo, Artistic Director of the renowned Kallo Collective (Only Bones, Edinburgh Fringe 2016). LapinKansa.fi called Helga 'absurd comedy and sparkling wit…', with an Edinburgh Fringe Fest fan hitting the nail on the head with "only the Finns can make humor out of melancholy as fabulously as this.” For more, visit kallocollective.com.

Note: Helga is silent, no interpreter needed, making it appropriate for audiences that are deaf or hard of hearing.




The festival’s new Fresh Series featuring two mid-length works in progress, includes:

The Raveling
by Walkabout Theatre
From Chicago
Sunday, June 2 at 8:30 p.m. and Monday, June 3 at 9 p.m.
60 minutes
For ages 14 and up

As the borders of home are redefined across generations, The Raveling teases apart the threads of heritage, history and hearsay in its cast of co-creators hailing from Chicago, Toronto, and New Delhi. The Raveling is part family fever dream, part fairy tale, and part detective story as the knot of belonging is stretched and pulled across countries and decades of legends, heroes, and misadventures.

Walkabout Theater is a multidisciplinary ensemble committed to a unique practice of theater-making in Chicago. Walkabout produces three streams of programming: free outdoor phenomena focused on community engagement and unique artistic collaborations; world-premiere, touring performances created by the ensemble; and training workshops investigating techniques of co-creation. Radically process-oriented, Walkabout is distinguished by a deep investment in the creation of each ensemble project, in the personal and artistic development of each ensemble artist, and in the cultural and artistic advancement of ensemble practice. For more, visit walkabouttheater.org.




A Life with No Limits
By Aura CuriAtlas Physical Theatre
From Chicago
Monday and Tuesday, June 3 and 4 at 7 p.m.
60 minutes
For all ages

A Life With No Limits is inspired by the life and work of astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. It is created in the company’s signature blend of dance, theater, and acrobatics with original music composed by Sophia Serghi. The story is told wordlessly and reflects on the determination, passion, and sense of humor of someone who has severe physical limitations, yet has an imagination that is able to roam free. The narrative follows the protagonist from younger days with full mobility and a lust for life, through diagnosis and onset of physical disease, to moments of hopelessness when the choice must be made to succumb to the black hole that life has presented or find a way to escape its unbeatable gravitational pull. Throughout, Hawking escapes into his mind where he can move more freely and where the other bodies on stage become objects in the universe or elements in an equation that he can manipulate with ease.


Chicago’s ChiIL Mama called A Life with No Limits “a moving must see…mind-boggling…I was left in awe of the superhuman physical strength and willpower required to live with a severe disability.”

Aura CuriAtlas was founded in 2013 by Dan Plehal, a Chicago-based theater director, actor, acrobat and teacher, and Joan Gavaler, who choreographs, performs, and teaches dance and physical theater at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. The company also includes founding member Mickey Lonsdale, an actor and teacher of dance and acrobatics outside of NYC. 

Blending dance, theater, and acrobatics to tell stories, Aura CuriAtlas keeps the qualities of lightness (Aura), strength (Atlas), and play (Curiosity) at the center. The company has created three shows, Dream Logic, A Life With No Limits, and The Fool and The World and have been touring them around the country. The company’s lightheartedness, athleticism and reliance on physical storytelling make its stories accessible to audiences of many different ages and backgrounds. For more, visit acphysicaltheatre.com.




Scratch Night
Tuesday, June 4 at 9 p.m.
80 minutes
Heels Over Head (Chicago)

The wildly entertaining revue of new and more experimental short works by emerging and veteran Chicago physical theater artists, presented in association with Heels over Head, will feature (at press time) La Vuelta Ensemble led by Raquel Torre and Jean Claudio; Claire Saxe from Rough House Theater; and Brittany Price Anderson from Heels Over Head. Look for more artists TBA.


International Touring Talk
Wednesday, June 5 at 7 p.m.

Learn the ins and outs of touring Chicago-made work internationally and nationally at this free industry panel with artists from Walkabout Theater and India's Guild of the Goat and presenters from Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Chicago Park District. The hour-long panel will be followed by breakout sessions focused on how to pitch presenters, create touring budgets and develop technical riders.





Eventide
By 3AM Theatre
From New York/Puerto Rico 
Wednesday and Thursday, June 5 and 6 at 9 p.m.
60 minutes
Ages 7 and up
at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Wicker Park

Physical Festival Chicago’s first-ever off-site production is a beautiful, wordless circus theater show featuring a former Cirque du Soleil performer and a former Martha Graham company soloist. The production employs expressive movement, object manipulation, and contemporary, surreal scene-setting to expose the challenges we face in romantic relationships and relationships with ourselves.

Eventide begins in the ether and slowly narrows in on an apartment where a troubled couple lies awake despite the late hour. Soon we witness their disconnection unfold with the interplay between present interactions, interior monologues and past memories. With the future of their relationship at stake, they choose to explore a hovering, seductive void, one that’s accessible via inexplicable phenomena of the twilight hours. There in the void they move freely, without the weight of mental clutter, giving them a clarity that ultimately leads them toward redefining their individuality and partnership. Eventide is told wordlessly, making it ideal for audience members that are deaf or are hard of hearing.

3AM Theatre is the latest creative endeavor of two career performers, Kyle Driggs and Andrea Murillo. They bring their respective experiences at storied institutions like Martha Graham Dance Company and Cirque du Soleil to 3AM where they are developing performances that explore both the intersection and the boundaries of their art forms. 3amtheatre.com



The Gift
By Angela de Castro
From Brazil/UK
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 6, 7 and 8 at 7 p.m.
60 minutes
All ages

A clown waits for his new date to arrive. Smart, proud and optimistic he waits longingly, impatiently...waits...and waits. In what seems an eternity he walks a tightrope between passion and despair. Will it all end in tears or laughter? The Gift is about love and loss, giving and loneliness. A heart-warming tale in the great tradition of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin in which music and silence merge as passion and imagination take over. The Gift will touch and delight audiences of all ages. In an era of so-called sophistication and cool, we need more than ever the simple, universal message of love, hope and truth captured in The Gift.

The Gift began as a 30-minute show in 1990, subsequently receiving a special grant from the Arts Council of Great Britain to develop into a full length show and premiering at the London International Mime Festival. The Gift has been seen all over the UK and is now touring worldwide. Reworked with new material, this updated production is performed and directed by Angela de Castro, accompanied by a special guest classical musician, with choreography by clown and commedia dell'arte expert Barry Grantham.

Brazilian born Angela de Castro has been a professional clown/actor for forty years, working with some of the UK’s most innovative physical theatre companies including The Right Size and Clod Ensemble. She travels the world with her workshop masterclass ‘How To Be a Stupid’ and is perhaps best known for creating the Green Clown in Slava’s Snowshow. One of the most internationally admired women clowns, she has been awarded fellowships by NESTA Dreamtime, The Arts Foundation and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. For more, visit contemporaryclowningprojects.com.



Freeman
By Strictly Arts
From the UK
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 6, 7 and 8 at 9 p.m.
60 minutes
For ages 14 and up

Following its critically acclaimed sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Freeman makes its Midwest debut as the largest international production ever presented by Physical Theater Festival Chicago.

Winner of a Spirit of the Fringe Award and shortlisted for Amnesty International’s Freedom of Expression Award, Freeman is inspired by the first man in America to plead insanity as his defense and sees writer Camilla Whitehill (Where Do Little Birds Go?) and Strictly Arts examine the unspoken link between mental health and systemic racism.

Throughout time and across waters, from William Freeman, to Sarah Reed, to Sandra Bland, six true stories are threaded together and told through physical theater, spoken word, gospel singing, shadow puppetry and more. History is bound to repeat itself when the thumb is permanently bearing down on the loop button, so has anything really changed?

The Guardian called Freeman “a revelation, a piece of stunning physical theatre,” Broadway Baby hailed its “outstanding artistic courage” and Edinburgh Guide raved "both exciting and devastating...everybody should see it."

Strictly Arts is a new physical theater company led by Artistic Director and founder, Corey Campbell and Executive Producer, Henry Bays. The company formed after achieving breakout success with Green Leaves Fall in 2015, instantly igniting a partnership between Strictly Arts and Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre. More recently, Strictly Arts received the Charlie Hartill Special Reserve Fund from the Pleasance Theatre enabling the company to take its first show, Freeman, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, selling out its performances and receiving many 5 star reviews. Freeman started as a work in progress piece that quickly developed into national tours in 2017 and 2018. It sold out across all venues with standing ovations and amazing feedback, and was shortlisted for two Off West End Awards.

As a company, Strictly Arts devises work that is engaging, thought provoking and unique. It strives to make the work created accessible to audiences around the world, while telling stories that forgotten communities can connect with. For more, visit strictlyarts.co.uk.

The Nora Project Presents: Tic Tac Tock by Mrs. Flower
With and by Rachel Ponsonby, Directed by Louis Spagna
From Belgium/U.K.
Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m.
50 minutes
All ages
Free with suggested donation to The Nora Project


Tic Tac Tock by Mrs. Flower

Experience sensory friendly, inclusive live theater for children of all abilities and their families.

Tic Tac Tock is a prize-winning story told by Mrs. Flower about when she was a little girl. She explains what a day is like "over there" in France in her unique and humorous style. Tic Tac Tock is a celebration of music, song, and language in both French and English. Mrs. Flower tells her tale while playing over 10 instruments as well as the sumptuous use of audience participation, circus, magic and clowning.

A musical clown show for all ages, Tic Tac Tock is with and by Rachel Ponsonby, and directed by Louis Spagna. zirktheatre.be

The Nora Project is a Chicago-based nonprofit with a mission is to teach empathy by sparking friendships between students and their peers with disabilities. The Nora Project is currently in more than 30 schools and 85 classrooms across Chicagoland and growing. thenoraproject.ngo


Workshops
One of the great thrills about Physical Theater Festival is the opportunity to connect with artists from around the world, and play. Learn how to have fun on stage, connect with your body, and create work with other artist at one or more workshops:

Make ‘Em Laugh- Comedy and The Human Body by Out of Balanz
Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Expressive Body: The Essence of Physical Theater by Kallo Collective
Monday, June 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Action, Group, Body and Song By Walkabout Theater
Tuesday, June 4, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Art of Human Playgrounds by Aura CuriAtlas 
Wednesday, June 5, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Physical Theater Foundations by Strictly Arts
Thursday, June 6, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mindful Manipulations by 3AM Theatre
Thursday, June 6, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Pleasure of Playing by Angela De Castro
Friday, June 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Outside Eyes by Angela de Castro (Individual one hour sessions for performers or theater companies) 
Saturday, June 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Visit physicalfestival.com/workshops-2019 for more class descriptions, fees and information on a discounted workshop pass.


About the 2019 Physical Theater Festival Chicago

Physical Theater Festival Chicago is the city’s annual contemporary, visual and physical theater festival presenting new forms of theater from around the world. Back for its sixth year, Chicago’s Physical Theater Festival presents a diverse, international slate of radically different works of physical theater, loosely defined as storytelling through highly physical, highly visual means to create live, original and contemporary works.

Since 2014, Physical Theater Festival Chicago has presented artists and companies from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, India, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain and the U.K. Each year, Physical Theater Festival introduces Chicago to work that is:

Contemporary - using cutting-edge, on-the-pulse theatrical forms that are responding to the contemporary moment using contemporary notions of theater.

Visual - elevating the visual aspects of its stories, theater which is occupied with the creation of visual atmospheres and images as much as verbal text.

Physical - pursuing storytelling through primarily physical means, whose aim is to create original stories which start and end with the body as the foundational textual source.


Physical Theater Festival Chicago co-founders Alice da Cunha and Marc Frost

Chicago theater artists Alice da Cunha and Marc Frost launched Chicago’s inaugural Physical Theater Festival in 2014 through the Artistic Associate program at Links Hall. The inspiration for the Festival drew upon their combined experience as physical theater students at the London International School for the Performing Arts (LISPA). Moving from London to Chicago, they were inspired to start a new festival to promote a more progressive, fresh and physical approach to theater making in Chicago. Six years later, Physical Theater Festival Chicago is following in the tradition of such great European theater festivals as the London International Mime Festival (LIMF) and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, to name a few.

“Physical theater embraces such a wide variety of styles, approaches and aesthetics including clown, puppetry, mime, mask, dance, theater, vaudeville and circus, stop motion film and poetry to name just a few,” explains Alice da Cunha. “Chicago is fortunate to be home to one of the best, most eclectic and adventurous audiences in the world. So ‘let’s get physical,’ Chicago. The 6th Physical Theater Festival Chicago is your chance to see an eye-opening variety of contemporary physical theater styles, artists and companies from around the globe.”

Alice da Cunha was Marketing Director for CASA (London's Latin American Theatre Festival) and she produced, curated and presented SHORTCUTZ (a weekly short film festival). She was also the Production Assistant for TODOS Festival, an interdisciplinary festival in Lisbon, Portugal. In Chicago, da Cunha is an actress who has performed in many plays and films, including United Flight 232 at The House Theatre of Chicago, winner of a 2016 Jeff Award for Best Ensemble, and more recently, La Ruta at Steppenwolf Theatre. She has also worked in hospitality for the Chicago Latino Film Festival.

Co-Artistic Director Marc Frost is an actor, deviser, educator and Chicago native who has performed and produced work in Brazil, Ireland, Spain, the USA and the U.K. He created Theater Unspeakable as a platform for original works of devised, physical theater. Based in Chicago, the award-winning company has toured nationally to thousands of young audiences at venues including Lincoln Center Education (NY) and Kennedy Center (DC). He currently teaches physical theater at DePaul University. He is also a recent graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute's 14-Week Training Program for Commercial Producers in New York City.

Physical Theater Festival Chicago is supported by The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and is also supported by Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Events (DCASE), Fractured Atlas, Stage 773 and Theater Unspeakable LLC.

For more information, visit physicalfestival.com.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

REVIEW: Theater Unspeakable's The American Revolution, History in 50 Minutes

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

THEATER UNSPEAKABLE
PRESENTS
“THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION”



OCTOBER 17 – NOVEMBER 11, 2018


AT THE GREENHOUSE THEATER CENTER



**If all portrayals of History had been more fun like this, I would have paid more attention in Social Studies at school.**

Review: 
By Catherine Hellmann, Guest Critic

“Well, that was unique!” was the reaction of my theater novice brother about the unusual but very fun production of The American Revolution by Theater Unspeakable.

Difficult to explain, but a hoot to experience, Theater Unspeakable is a very physical theater company based in Chicago but tours extensively to share their creative works around the U.S. The American Revolution is an original production, a wild summary of the American fight for independence. Currently playing at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N Lincoln Avenue, Theater Unspeakable has a limited engagement October 17 through November 11. Following its Chicago run, The American Revolution will soon play in Washington and California.



Combining tongue-in-cheek humor and quick pacing with amazing body language, The American Revolution brings to life George and Martha Washington, King George III, Sam Adams, Paul Revere, John and Abigail Adams, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson. The seven performers create a theatrical game like Twister with impressive acrobatics. One of my favorite bits was whenever King George III was portrayed, one of the actresses was placed behind him as his legs, creating a hilarious visual effect as he childishly waved “his” legs in the air. “I liked their retreat,” observed my sister after the show. When ascending a hill to battle, the actors had their fingers act as small legs rushing the hill, then “retreating” upon command. Funny stuff.   

“In this 50-minute play, seven actors, all performing two feet off the ground, share 21 square feet of space to recreate the entire American fight for independence from Lexington to Yorktown. Using only the actors’ bodies and voices, the show evokes an epic time-period in American history,” according to their press release. (“How did they not fall off that platform?” asked my mesmerized brother.) We asked how long they rehearsed and were amazed it was only three weeks. Just the variety of sound effects alone would be a challenge to coordinate.



This production was originally devised by the following members of Theater Unspeakable: Brittany Anderson, Parker Arnold, Zachary Baker-Salmon, Marc Frost, Patrice Foster, Jeffery Freelon, Kyle Geissler, Jason Hammond, Trey Hobbs, Kathleen Hoil, Quenna Lené, Katie Mancuso, Aaron Rustebakke, Lyn Scott, Vanessa Valliere, Ryan Westwood and Thomas Wynne.

The production stars Devin Sanclemente who is great as King George, Sonja Lynn Mata (Sam Adams), Alex Small (John Adams), Caroline M. Watson (Governor Dinwiddie), Lexi DeSollar (Abigail Adams), Jeffery Owen Freelon, Jr. as an awesome George Washington, Carolyn Moore (Martha Washington), Jamia Taylor, and Renata Camara Loader.



Highlights include the Boston Tea Party, the re-enactment of Washington crossing the Delaware, and the rendition of “My Country, Tis of Thee” while mimicking an American flag.  

If all portrayals of History had been more fun like this, I would have paid more attention in Social Studies at school.






The American Revolution is a perfect family show, so we want families to enjoy it together! Theater Unspeakable is now offering a family discount. Get 4 tickets for only $50. Have more than 4 people in the family? No worries! It's only $12.50 for each additional family member.

Catch Theater Unspeakable's American Revolution now until 11/11/18.

The crazy physical comedy that results from Theater Unspeakable's unique platform performances has long been a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Mama. You have to see it to believe it, and with their acclaimed version of THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, you just might learn a bit of contorted history too. Check it out!

Theater Unspeakable, a devised, physical theater company based in Chicago that has received tremendous critical acclaim across the U.S., presents THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, a whirlwind re-telling of the American fight for independence at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N Lincoln Avenue, for a limited engagement October 17 through November 11, with a press opening at 2 p.m. on October 20. Prior to its Chicago run, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION will play in Washington D.C at the Kennedy Center, and following Chicago in Washington at the Edmonds Center for the Arts and California at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo.



Combining tongue-in-cheek humor with a dash of derring-do, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION brings to life George and Martha Washington, King George III, Sam Adams, Paul Revere, John and Abigail Adams, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson, amongst others, to bring the audience the original story of the greatest democratic experiment in world history. 

The physical theater practiced by the company draws upon the heavy influence of Theater Unspeakable Founder and Director Marc Frost’s, time at the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA). This two-year theater program based on the teachings of Jacques Lecoq exposed him to many different styles of theater. Since returning and founding the company, Marc has set a goal for himself and his collaborators to continue experimenting with these styles until they have broken ground on new forms of their own.

"Theater Unspeakable loves to create big stories in small spaces. The story of the American Revolution appealed to us because of its epic scale. We were excited by the challenge of bringing it to life in less than an hour all upon a tiny stage,” said Marc Frost, founder and director of Theater Unspeakable. “I am originally from Chicago, and we founded Theater Unspeakable and THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION here in the city, so it is an honor to be able to bring the production back to our hometown.”


From October 17 – November 11, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION will run Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sundays at 11 a.m. The running time is 50 minutes with no intermission. There will be a Q&A with the artists immediately following each performance. Ticket prices are $30 or $20 for students, industry, seniors, and military and can be purchased at https://www.greenhousetheater.org/theamericanrevolution-tickets.



About Theater Unspeakable
Founded by Marc Frost in 2010, the Chicago-based Theater Unspeakable draws upon the heavy influence of Jacques Lecoq and Marc’s two years spent at the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA). The American Revolution is Theater Unspeakable’s third production, following Superman 2050 and Murder on the Midwest Express. Their work has been presented at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, The Chicago Humanities Festival, and at Lincoln Center Education in New York. They continue to tour nationally.

Adventure Stage Chicago and Theater Unspeakable; a fantastic duo. We’re joining forces to make bringing your family to the theater easier. Use the code: Revolution to get $5 off tickets to any Adventure Stage or Theater Unspeakable production. Check out what ASC is offering this season!

Thursday, March 8, 2018

2018 Chicago Fringe Festival Lottery Party 3/11/18 Free and Open to the Public

CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 9TH ANNUAL LOTTERY PARTY, SUNDAY, MARCH 11, AT WESTON’S COFFEE & TAP CO.

The 2018 Chicago Fringe Performers and Kids Fringe Participants Are Chosen Randomly At This Event Which Also Includes Live Music, Food and Drink Specials


The 2018 Chicago Fringe Festival, August 30 - September 3, is proud to announce the 9th Annual Lottery Party, Sunday, March 11, 1 – 3 p.m., at Weston’s Coffee & Tap Co., 4872 N. Milwaukee Ave. The Lottery Party is the gathering where individuals and organizations learn if they will perform in the 2018 Fringe Festival. The Lottery Party is free and open to the public. The random drawing of participants includes bingo, drinks and food from Weston’s Coffee & Tap Co., a European-inspired coffee shop in Jefferson Park also serving wine, beer and sandwiches. The party is broadcast live at Chicago Fringe’s facebook page.



A total of 24 shows will be accepted into the 2018 Chicago Fringe Festival, held again in Jefferson Park, half local artists and half non-local artists. The lottery ensures diversity in the Fringe’s line-up and family-friendly programming that includes comedies, dramas, dance pieces, musicals, performance art and the unclassifiable. The Chicago Fringe Festival is an uncensored, unjuried, no-holds barred performance event that returns 100% of ticket sales to the artists. In their first eight years, Chicago Fringe has returned more than $200,000 to artists.



ABOUT CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL
The Chicago Fringe Festival, now in its ninth year, is a member of the Fringe Festival movement and is one of many festivals held throughout the world. The Chicago Fringe Festival is devoted to celebrating an inclusive community of adventurous artists, volunteers and patrons.

Monday, September 29, 2014

CITY WINERY CHICAGO CINEMA & CARAFE HOUSE PRESENTS THE BEATLES’ DOC GOOD OL’ FREDA $5 All Ages


FOOD AND BEVERAGE SPECIALS INCLUDE HALF-PRICE CARAFES OF WINE, THEMED DRINK SPECIALS AND $10 FLATBREADS

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, follows up the success of its past
Cinema & Carafe House showings, Mistaken for Strangers and End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones with another acclaimed music documentary.



Beatles-related Good Ol’ Freda showcases the life of The Beatles longtime secretary Freda Kelly and her amazing stories about John, Paul, George and Ringo and the madness that surrounded them during the 1960s.

Good Ol’ Freda shows Wednesday, Oct. 1, 8 p.m. in City Winery’s performance venue projected onto dual 90-inch screens and heard on City Winery’s state-of-the-art Meyer Sound® system.


Good Ol’ Freda: Wednesday, Oct. 1 ($5 general admission)

Freda Kelly was just a shy Liverpudlian teenager when she was asked to work for a local band hoping to make it big. Though she had no concept of how far they would go, Freda had faith in The Beatles from the beginning, and The Beatles had faith in her. History notes that The Beatles were together for 10 years, but Freda worked for them for 11. Many people came in and out of the band's circle as they grew to international stardom, but Freda remained a staple because of her unfaltering loyalty and dedication. As The Beatles' devoted secretary and friend, Freda was there as history unfolded; she was witness to the evolution – advances and setbacks, breakthroughs and challenges – of the greatest band in history. Themed drink specials may include green Apple-tinis in tribute to The Beatles’ record label.
(Ryan White, 2013, DVD, 86 min)

All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8pm, unless noted.

To purchase concert tickets or to become a City Winery VinoFile™ member, call (312) 733-WINE (9463) or visit www.citywinery.com/chicago/

End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones and Good Ol’ Freda join a diverse mix of the most respected names in pop, rock, jazz, blues, world music, cinema and live lit performing at City Winery Chicago, including previously announced headliners and supporting acts  (Sept. 28-29); Steve Nieve Plays Elvis Costello with Tall Ulyss (Sept. 30); The Fauntleroys (Oct. 2); Justin Nozuka and David Ryan Harris (Oct. 3); Chicago Philharmonic Sunday Series (Oct. 5, noon); Lost Bayou Ramblers (Oct. 5, 8pm); Casey Abrams Trio and Jamie Lono & Noble Heart (Oct. 6); David Bromberg Quintet and Al Rose with Steve Doyle (Oct. 9); Mason Jennings with Lucette (Oct. 10); Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Oct. 12); Joan Osborne with Ruston Kelly (Oct. 13); Kat Edmonson (Oct. 14); Glenn Tilbrook (Oct. 15); The Talisman Project with Sammy Figueroa and Glaucia Nasser (Oct. 16); Carbon Leaf with Marie Miller (Oct. 17); Pat McGee with Keaton Simons (Oct. 18, 7:30pm); Live New’d Girls burlesque show (Oct. 18, 11pm); Sinéad O’Connor (Oct. 19, 20, 22); Willie Watson and Mikaela Davis (Oct. 21); Amel Larrieux (Oct. 23); Paula Cole with Anne Heaton (Oct. 26); Las Guitarras de España (Oct. 28); Hot Buttered Rum and Zach Deputy (Oct. 29); Duncan Sheik (Oct. 30); Mary Black – “The Last Call” (Oct. 31); Eric Roberson (Nov. 1-2); Donna the Buffalo (Nov. 5); Chicago Philharmonic Sunday Series (Nov. 9, noon); Dave Davies (Nov. 12-13); Ryan Bingham (Nov. 14); David Grisman & Del McCoury (Nov. 15-16); Mike Doughty (Nov. 20); Joshua Redman Trio (Nov. 21, 7:30 & 10pm); Larry Graham and Graham Central Station (Nov. 22, 7:30 & 10pm); Hot Rize featuring Red Knuckles & The Trailblazers (Nov. 23); Ronnie Baker Brooks (Nov. 28); DakhaBrakha (Nov. 30); Lisa Loeb (Dec. 3); Suzy Bogguss - A Swingin' Little Christmas (Dec. 4); Chicago Philharmonic Sunday Series (Dec. 7, noon); Griffin House (Dec. 7, 8pm); The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show (Dec. 11); The Bad Plus (Dec. 14); and Los Lobos (Dec. 17-19).


City Winery Chicago, a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall and private event space, is located in the heart of the West Loop at 1200 W. Randolph, in the historic urban Fulton Market district. The concert hall accommodates up to 300 guests, all seated at tables with complete beverage and dining service, ensuring a comfortable “listening room” experience enhanced by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system.  Riedel is the official and exclusive provider of glass ware, showing City Winery’s commitment to enjoying quality wine in a quality vessel. American Airlines is the Official Airline and Crowne Plaza is the Official Hotel of City Winery. For more information, please visit www.citywinery.com.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

INCOMING: Rio 2 Summer Tour THIS Wed 7/9 at Kohl Children's Museum #rio2summertour.


JOIN THE SUMMER’S BIGGEST PARTY 
AS TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX 
HOME ENTERTAINMENT 
BRINGS THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS 
OF THE AMAZON 
TO YOUR HOMETOWN


Chicago area families are invited to attend the Chicago stop of our Rio 2 Summer Tour, bringing Soccer Fever, Games, Samba Lessons, and Fun for the Whole Family! Join in on the Summer fun!



Families will have plenty of reason to shake a tail feather down to the tour; it’s full of interactive activities for all ages including portable viewing stations to watch soccer games, live from Rio; screenings of RIO 2; Samba performances and lessons; customizable Carnival masks; soccer challenges, and much more! All guests can also turn their fun into a global sensation by joining a cross country karaoke from the party via the sing- and dance-along photo booth.

CHICAGO EVENT DETAILS:
Wednesday, 7/9    
Kohl Children’s Museum
2100 Patriot Blvd, Glenview, IL 60026
1:30-6:30pm CT    
Game Times - 3pm CT

- RIO 2 is on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD July 15 - 

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings the party to the people with its cross country RIO 2 Summer Party Tour. Families will have plenty of reason to shake a tail feather down to the tour; it’s full of interactive activities for all ages including portable viewing stations to watch soccer games, live from Rio; screenings of RIO 2; Samba performances and lessons; customizable Carnival masks; soccer challenges, and much more! All guests can also turn their fun into a global sensation by joining a cross country karaoke   from the party via the sing- and dance-along photo booth.

With the Blu-ray/DVD and Digital HD release right around the corner, Fox Home Entertainment will bring the party from the Amazon this summer with a bunch of family-friendly fiestas across the country. You can find the Summer Party Tour any time of day, check out pictures from the tour, follow the GPS enabled tour bus, and explore all sorts of RIO 2 goodies at  www.rio2summertour.com.  

Follow the tour on social media with #rio2summertour.     

Monday, May 19, 2014

Bring The Kids--Cinema Night at City Winery Dave Grohl's Sound City THIS Tuesday at 8pm All Ages

CINEMA NIGHT AT CITY WINERY CHICAGO
SPECIAL ALL-AGES SHOWING OF DAVE GROHL’S SOUND CITY
FOOD AND BEVERAGE SPECIALS INCLUDE HALF-PRICE CARAFES OF WINE AND $10 FLATBREADS
  TUESDAY, MAY 20, 8PM

Show your punk kin, grunge lovers, and snarky teens how cool their parents still are! Bring the family out to City Wine for Cinema Night.  Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama, Dave Grohl's long been one of our favorites. We're HUGE Nirvana fans and those songs are still in heavy rotation on our ipods.  Grohl is versitile and crazy prolific, playing with a host of greats. Come check out Sound City, the documentary he produced and directed.  It's playing THIS Tuesday at Chicago's hot venue for cool live shows and now films--City Winery!!  ALL AGES.


City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, follows up the success of its April movie screening, 20 Feet From Stardom, with a special showing of Sound City, the acclaimed documentary directed and produced by Dave Grohl. The story of LA’s unsung analog recording studio in the Valley and the artists who made rock history there features appearances by Neil Young, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, Trent Reznor, Rick Rubin, Mick Fleetwood, Lars Ulrich, John Fogerty, Rick Springfield, Josh Homme, Frank Black, Pat Smear, Barry Manilow, Lindsey Buckingham, Lee Ving, Krist Novoselic and Paul McCartney. Sound City shows Tuesday, May 20, 8 p.m. in City Winery’s performance venue projected onto dual 90-inch screens and heard on City Winery’s state-of-the-art Meyer Sound® system.
Tickets are $5, and guests receive 50% off carafes of City Winery house-made wines and $10 flatbreads.

Sound City (Dave Grohl,
2013, 108 mins.): Tuesday, May 20, 8 p.m. ($5 general admission)
Deep in the San Fernando Valley, amidst rows of dilapidated warehouses, was rock ’n' roll's best-kept secret: Sound City. America's greatest unsung recording studio housed a one-of-a-kind console, and as its legend grew, seminal bands and artists such as Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Rick Springfield, Tom Petty, Metallica and Nirvana all came out to put magic to tape. Directed by Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) and featuring interviews and performances from the iconic musicians who recorded some of rock’s greatest albums at the studio, Sound City doesn’t just tell the story of this real-life rock ’n’ roll shrine; it celebrates the human element of music as Grohl gathers some of rock's biggest artists to collaborate on a new album. Using Sound City's legendary analog console, together these artists continue to create musical miracles in a digital world.


All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8pm, unless noted.

To purchase concert tickets or to become a City Winery VinoFile™ member, please call (312) 733-WINE (9463) or visit www.citywinery.com/chicago/.
Sound City joins a diverse lineup of the most respected names in pop, rock, jazz, blues, world music and live lit performing at City Winery Chicago, including previously announced headliners and supporting acts: Spektral Quartet with Julien Labro (May 14); Colin Blunstone with special guest Edward Rogers (May 15); Cathy Richardson Band and Andrew Salgado (May 16); Steep Canyon Rangers (May 18); Sound City (May 20); Story Sessions (May 21); The Westies (May 22); Jackopierce and Phil Jacobson (May 23-24); French Quarter Fest with New Orleans Suspects, Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys and Sanctified Grumblers (May 26); Burton Cummings from The Guess Who (May 28-29); The Westies and Greg Trooper (May 30); Jukebox Groove (June 1, 2pm); Rising Appalachia and The Way Down Wanderers with Good Graeff (June 1); New Millennium Orchestra with Matt Ulery Trio (June 2); Josh Krajcik (June 3); Sizzling Latin Dance Night with Samuel Del Real and Juvenato (June 4); Bilal (June 5); Orbert Davis Sextet (June 8, 3pm); Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express – “Temple Beautiful with Strings” (June 8); Blitzen Trapper with Parkington Sisters (June 10); World Party with Gabriel Kelley (June 12-13); John Doe with Jesse Dayton (June 14); Carolina Chocolate Drops (June 16-17); Joe Purdy with Brian Wright (June 18-19); Ari Hest (June 20); Carrie Newcomer (June 22); Ginger Baker’s Jazz Confusion (June 23); Preservation Hall Jazz Band (June 24-25); Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis (June 28); Albert Cummings (June 29); Julian Lage and Nels Cline Duo (June 30); Berlin featuring Terri Nunn and Vapornet (July 1); The English Beat (July 2-3); Pedrito Martinez Group (July 4); Louis Prima Jr. & the Witnesses (July 6); Time For Three (July 7); Yarn with special guest Carolina Story (July 9); Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks (July 10); Dr. Ralph Stanley & his Clinch Mountain Boys with Town Mountain (July 11); Dengue Fever (July 12); Marc Cohn (July 17 - 18); Asleep at the Wheel (July 20); An Evening with David Crosby (July 21-22); and Dave Alvin + Phil Alvin with The Guilty Ones (July 24); Matthew Sweet ( July 25); The Bangles (July 27-28); Bruce Cockburn with Jenny Scheinman (Aug. 10-11); Sharon Shannon (Aug. 12).

City Winery Chicago, a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall and private event space, is located in the heart of the West Loop at 1200 W. Randolph, in the historic urban Fulton Market district. The concert hall accommodates up to 300 guests, all seated at tables with complete beverage and dining service, ensuring a comfortable “listening room” experience enhanced by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system.  Riedel is the official and exclusive provider of glass ware, showing City Winery’s commitment to enjoying quality wine in a quality vessel. American Airlines is the Official Airline and Crowne Plaza is the Official Hotel of City Winery. For more information, please visit www.citywinery.com.

Pinterest