REVIEW: A TOE TAPPING GOOD TIME WITH A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD AT CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE

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CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE 
A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD,

THROUGH OCTOBER 29TH
AT THE STATION

"The days are long but the years are short." Gretchen Rubin

I've got a confession to make. I just saw A Year With Frog & Toad with no children in tow. Before the show started, I sat between two preschoolers, kind of awkwardly hoping the moms bookending them would each assume I was there with the other kid, and not some weird, middle aged lurker. It was actually relaxing not to be wiping noses, wrangling squirmers, and asking a whole family repeatedly if they needed to go potty, but I remember those days well. As I listened to the endless kid questions and happy chatter, it took me back, and I started chatting with the moms, asking the kids if they were excited for the show, and bouncing a bit in my seat in anticipation, too. Once the kids settled in for the duration and started lap sitting and snuggling up with their parents it was lovely, but a bit bittersweet too. 

My kids are now 14 and 16, and they still would have come with me, as they did for The Station's opener, Manual Cinema's Magic City, and CCT's The Year I Didn't Go To School, in March, but they're both cast in a show at Actors Gymnasium and had rehearsal. Maybe all those great CCT shows they saw as tots lead to a lifelong love of theatre. My husband jokes that I doomed him to a fate as parent/audience member in an endless string of shows. I consider my cultural conditioning a success and couldn't be prouder. 

We were there as a family for the 2006 version of A Year With Frog & Toad, Chicago Children's Theatre's first production ever, in Goodman's smaller theatre. We sat in the balcony and I may have been more jazzed for the show than my then 3 and 5 year olds, but by the end, even my theatre reluctant husband was won over. We all adored the show. For months after, I'd hear snippets of show songs, dialogue and scenes creep into the kids' creative play and I'd grin.

Sage & Dugan at Kidzapalooza that same year.

In 2013, CCT did a well received remount at Ruth Page Center For The Arts, and I was thrilled that my then tweens (age 10 & 12) were still open to a kids' show, and truly enjoyed it. It's a mark of excellent children's theatre when the adults and older kids are just as well entertained as the littles. This show is timeless fun for "kids" of all ages.

Sage & Ada Gray at the 2013 press opening

(Ada has reviewed shows since age 4 and is now in professional productions all over town! Check out her blog.)

**WARNING: Watching A Year With Frog & Toad may lead to an uncontrollable desire for eating cookies!

Flash forward to 2017. The cast has changed, CCT has a home of their own, and A Year With Frog & Toad is still one of my all time favorite children's theatre shows! I've loved watching it's evolution through three different incarnations at Chicago Children's Theatre and can't recommend it highly enough. Andy Nagraj as Toad and Matthew C. Yee as Frog are crazy impressive, playing multiple instruments and bringing this charming tale to life with finesse. This time around I was enamored with the swamp set that encircles the audience, with a lovely little, well traveled path between Frog and Toad's homes on either end of the space. The animal band holds center court in a playful gazebo. It's exciting to see how flexible The Station space is, with movable seating. There were plenty of real chairs for those more comfortable with a seat back and some leg room and loads of low, kid sized squishy benches, perfect for family cuddling. There's even a section close to the door, for those who may not make the full hour without a potty break.

The songs are so catchy I still find myself whistling or humming them days after the production. It's a big old amphibian buddy show that always leaves me with warm fuzzies for their lifelong friendship and for the changing seasons and passing of time. As if I wasn't feeling nostalgic enough, after the show I got in my car and Smashing Pumpkins' cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" was playing, with the iconic lyrics: 

What is love?

Can the child within my heart rise above?

Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?

Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Well, I've been afraid of changin'

'Cause I've built my life around you

But time makes you bolder

Even children get older

And I'm getting older, too

Songwriters: Stevie Nicks

Landslide lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC 

Cherish those years when the kids are young. In this moment, you may be sick to death of diapers, being on call 24/7, and having little people on top of you, needing things relentlessly, but truly, the days are long and the years are short. Who knows what the changing seasons will bring, but I know not to miss a chance to catch A Year With Frog & Toad. Make some memories. This production just might be the start or continuation of a lifelong love affair with theatre for your littles. Maybe in that hazy, hard to fathom future, when your tots are teens, you'll be seeing Frog and Toad for the third time, and you'll leave knowing that you too can handle the seasons of your life, as long as you've got old friends to hang with, and stellar shows on stage.

Matthew C. Yee (on guitar) plays Frog and Andy Nagraj plays Toad in Chicago Children's Theatre's A Year with Frog and Toad. 
All production photos by Charles Osgood

Limited engagement through October 29, 2017

Based on the books by Arnold Lobel

Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale

Music by Robert Reale

Directed and Choreographed by Stuart Carden

Music Direction and Musical Reductions by Andra Velis Simon

A musical for the whole family!

A Year with Frog and Toad is the Tony-nominated musical based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved Frog and Toad books. Lobel’s well-loved animal characters jump from the page to the stage in this whimsical musical that follows two best friends – the cheerful, popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad – through four, fun-filled seasons. Part vaudeville, part make believe, all charm, A Year with Frog and Toad tells the story of a friendship that endures, weathering all seasons.

Acclaimed Chicago director Stuart Carden and music director Andra Velis Simon are creating a highly entertaining, all-new production of the Tony-nominated musical based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved Frog and Toad book series.

Join two best friends – cheerful Frog and grumpy Toad – on a trip through spring, winter, summer and fall filled with adventure, for a joyful, all-ages musical about a friendship that endures all seasons, despite their differences.

A multi-talented cast of Chicago actor-musicians - led by Andy Nagraj as Toad and Matthew C. Yee as Frog - will not only recreate Lobel’s delight stories on stage, but also play a variety of musical instruments on every song.

CCT’s twelfth season opens with a brand new take on A Year with Frog and Toad, the all-ages show that successfully launched the company in 2006 at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. Acclaimed Chicago director Stuart Carden will direct and choreograph CCT’s all-new, reimagined production of the Tony-nominated musical based on children’s author and illustrator Arnold Lobel’s beloved Frog and Toad books. A multi-talented cast of actor-musicians will not only share Lobel’s beloved stories but also play a variety of instruments on every song. Andra Velis Simon is music director.

Lobel's beloved amphibians hop from the page to the stage in this heartwarming musical that follows two best friends – the cheerful, popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad – through four fun-filled seasons. Waking from hibernation in the spring, Frog and Toad go swimming, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life lessons, celebrating their differences that make them unique and special. Full of joy and energy, top musical numbers include “Cookies,” “Getta Loada Toad,” “I’m Coming Out of My Shell” and “Merry Almost Christmas.” Part vaudeville, part make believe, all charm, A Year With Frog and Toad tells the story of a friendship that endures, weathering all seasons.



Performances are September 19-October 29, 2017 in the new, 149-seat Pritzker Family Studio Theatre at Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. Performance times are Tuesday through Friday at 10 a.m., Saturday at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Savvy, culturally inclined families know they can save lots of money with a variety of Chicago Children’s Theatre 2017-18 multi-show Subscription Packages, now on sale at chicagochildrenstheatre.org or by calling (872) 222-9555. Choose between pre-built packages or a Choose Your Own package for maximum flexibility. Younger Audience Fixed Packages, recommended for ages 2 to 6, include A Year with Frog and Toad, plus The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party and My Wonderful Birthday Suit! Older Audience Fixed Packages, recommended for ages 6 and up, include A Year with Frog and Toad, along with An Epic Tale of Scale and Last Stop on Market Street.

Fixed Packages are $100. Benefits of subscription packages include flexible ticketing exchange, a 10% discount and no processing fees on additional tickets, and discounts on CCT classes and camps.

Single tickets to A Year with Frog and Toad are $33, and are on sale now at chicagochildrenstheatre.org or by calling (872) 222-9555.

CCT also offers deeply discounted group rates, as low as $10 per ticket, for schools, playgroups, birthday parties and scouting groups. CPS schools may be eligible for financial assistance. Email GroupSales@chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call (872) 222-9555 to learn more.

More about CCT’s new production of A Year with Frog and Toad

A diverse and talented cast of professional Chicago actors will play Frog, Toad and all of their animal friends.

Audiences will recall Matthew C. Yee (Frog) from his memorable turns as the father in last season’s world premiere The Year I Didn’t Go To School: A Homemade Circus and as The Mad Hatter in CCT’s 2015 smash hit musical Wonderland: Alice’s Rock and Roll Adventure.

Making his CCT debut is Andy Nagraj (Toad), a frequent performer at Court, Writer’s, Northlight, Silk Road Rising and TimeLine Theatre.

Shawn Pfautsch, a founding member of The House Theatre of Chicago where his credits include Death and Harry Houdini and the title role in Cyrano, reprises the role of Snail following his unforgettable performance in CCT’s 2013 remount of A Year with Frog and Toad.

Also making their Chicago Children’s Theatre debuts are Lauren Vogel (Bird #1, Mouse, others), who has performed regionally and in Chicago at The Hypocrites, A Red Orchid and TrapDoor Theatre and Jazelle Morris (Bird #2, Turtle, others), who has performed at Steppenwolf and Black Ensemble Theater.
The production team includes John Musial (scenic design), Rachel Healy (costume design), Lee Fiskness (light design), Ellie Terrell (prop design) and Ari Clouse (stage manager).

“A child of the 1970s, I grew up with the Frog and Toad stories when they were first published. My mother shared these delightful, thoughtful and funny stories with me at an age when I was just starting to make friends and figuring out what it meant to be a friend,” said Stuart Carden. “Now, with twin five-year-olds I am so happy to reconnect with Arnold Lobel's timeless stories and share them with a whole new generation of kids. Our production will be a wonderfully immersive experience for audiences as the theater will be wrapped in the vibrant natural world illustrated in the book, allowing children and adults alike to feel as if they've stepped into the meadows and forests of Frog and Toad's world. Also new, the superb music director Andra Velis Simon is customizing the infectious Dixie-land jazz score for this production and will lead our cast of actor-musicians as they play music on every song."

Carden returns to Chicago Children’s Theatre where he directed The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and the world premiere musical Frederick. Carden works around the country directing and producing theater including five seasons at Writers Theatre in Chicago and two seasons at City Theatre in Pittsburgh as associate artistic director. Notable directing projects include: PigPen Theatre Co.’s new folk musicals The Hunter and the Bear (Writers Theatre) and The Old Man and The Old Moon (The Old Globe, ArtsEmerson, New Victory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Writers Theatre), Marco Ramirez's The Royale at City Theatre and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Nina Raine's Tribes in a co-production with Philadelphia Theatre Company and City Theatre Company; US premiere of David Greig's Yellow Moon, Randall Colburn's Hesperia, and Giles Havergal's adaptation of the Graham Greene novel Travels with My Aunt at Writers Theatre; Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation, Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room, Curt Columbus and Marilyn Campbell’s adaptation of Crime and Punishment, and Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; David Harrower’s Blackbird, Stephen Massicottes’ Mary's Wedding, Jeffrey Hatcher’s A Picasso and Tristine Schyler’s The Moonlight Room at City Theatre; Shishir Kurup’s The Merchant on Venice, David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child, and the premieres of Yussef el Guindi’s Back of the Throat and 10 Acrobats in an Amazing Leap of Faith at Silk Road Rising; and Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman, US premiere of Martin Crimp’s adaptation of The False Servant, and Marie Jones’ Stones in his Pockets for Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre. Carden lives in Oak Park with his wife, contemporary art curator Neysa Page-Lieberman and their twins Dashiell and Griffin. He is an alum of Carnegie Mellon University's M.F.A. Directing program and a member of SDC. stuartcarden.org   

Andra Velis-Simon is a music director, adapter/arranger, vocal coach and pianist based in Chicago. Regionally, her work has been seen at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, A.R.T. in Cambridge, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Berkeley Rep, Olney Theatre Center in Maryland, and Three Oaks in Michigan. In Chicago: The Goodman (The Iceman Cometh and Camino Real); Porchlight (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever); Theater Wit (Mr. Burns: a post-electric play and 10 out of 12); Chicago Children’s Theatre (The Hundred Dresses, A Year with Frog and Toad and Goodnight Moon); The Hypocrites (Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes, American Idiot, Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, and HMS Pinafore); and many others. Velis-Simon is the Resident Music Director for Firebrand Theatre, and an adjunct faculty member at Columbia College Chicago, where she has taught musical theater performance courses since 2008. 

More about Frog and Toad, the book series and the musical
Frog and Toad are the main characters in a series of easy-reader books written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel in the 1970s. Each book contained five simple, humorous, often poignant short stories about their adventures together. Frog and Toad are Friends (1970) received a Caldecott Honor award and was named one of the Top 100 Picture Books of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal. Frog and Toad Together (1972) won a Newbery Honor award.

The musical A Year with Frog and Toad, adapted by brothers Robert (music) and Willie Reale (books and lyrics), was commissioned by Lobel’s daughter, Adrianne Lobel. It debuted in 2002 at the Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis, and was remounted off-Broadway later that year at New Victory Theater. It ran briefly on Broadway at the Cort in 2003, won three Tony nominations (Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score) and broke new ground by bringing professional children’s theater for the 3-to-10-set to Broadway. 

Access Weekend for A Year with Frog and Toad
Chicago Children’s Theatre continues to grow its commitment to serving all Chicago children at The Station by expanding its array of services for all patrons with disabilities.

Each 2017-18 production will include an Access Weekend, during which all performances are presented with services for children on the autism spectrum or with Down Syndrome, children who are blind or have low vision, or children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Access Weekend for A Year with Frog and Toad is October 7 and 8. Services include:

Pre-show Touch Tour of the set plus real-time audio description during the show for guests who are blind or have low vision:
Saturday, October 7, 9 a.m.

Live open captioning for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing:
Saturday, October 7, 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Sensory friendly performance for children on the autism spectrum or with Down Syndrome: 
Sunday, October 8, 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Note: Modifications are made to production elements like lighting, sound and music to avoid sensory overload, with a nearby Quiet Room.

For more information about Access services, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org/access or contact Access and Inclusion department at access@chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

Everything's Happening At

After 11 years of itinerancy, starting this fall all of Chicago Children's Theatre's family-friendly performances, classes, camps and community outreach initiatives will take place year-round at Chicago Children's Theatre's new permanent home, The Station,a beautifully renovated, former Chicago police station in Chicago's West Loop.

 “Everything is happening at The Station” is the happy slogan for Chicago Children’s Theatre’s first full season in its new home, The Station, in the heart of Chicago’s West Loop community.

After 11 years of itinerancy, all of the company’s family-friendly performances, classes and camps will finally take place in one location, Chicago Children’s Theatre’s new permanent home, a repurposed former Chicago police station at 100 S. Racine Ave., starting this fall.


Also on tap for Chicago Children’s Theatre’s 2017-18 season
After A Year with Frog and Toad, children of all ages are cordially invited to enjoy tea or hot cocoa with CCT’s friends from the English Lake District at The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party, December 2-17. Spend the day with Peter Rabbit, Mr. Jeremy Fisher and Simpkin the cat as they delight audiences in this interactive trunk and puppet show, directed by Will Bishop and designed by Grace Needlman.

                               
With the New Year comes My Wonderful Birthday Suit!, a world premiere written and directed by Gloria Bond Clunie, January 16–February 18, 2018. When hurtful words about skin color slip out, best friends discover how to appreciate outer beauty while learning to seek the remarkable gifts inside each of us, complete with music, surprise and the wisdom of the splendiferous Thinking Tree.



In the spring, The Station itself transforms into an all-immersive, two-story theatrical environment titled An Epic Tale of Scale, written and directed by Henry Wishcamper and Jo Cattell, collaboratively designed by CCT Community Programs Artistic Director Frank Maugeri, with original music by Gabriel Ruiz. Think The Magic School Bus meets Sleep No More, and you’re close for an encounter that surely defies description. Experience An Epic Tale of Scale, March 10-April 8.



And talk about a finale! Chicago Children’s Theatre, in a co-commission with Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, will debut Last Stop on Market Street, a world premiere musical based on the contemporary children’s book by Matt de la Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson, winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal, Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book. Playwright Cheryl L. West is creating this first-ever stage adaptation of Peña’s tale about a young CJ and his wise grandmother who teaches him to find beauty in everyday city life. CCT welcomes back the father and son songwriting duo, Motown music legend Lamont Dozier and his son Paris Ray Dozier, the team behind the music in CCT’s 2015 smash hit Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money, to create another original score. Henry Godinez directs. Andra Velis Simon is music director. Performances are April 24-June 3.



About the new Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station
Chicago Children’s Theatre has transformed the former 12th District Police Station, located in the heart of Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood at 100 S. Racine Avenue, at the intersection of Racine and Monroe Street, into its first permanent home. The new Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, opened its doors in January 2017, and already serves as a beautiful, mixed-use performing arts, education and community engagement facility that welcomes all Chicago families.

In addition to presenting shows in the Pritzker Family Studio Theatre, The Station boasts four classrooms for a year-round roster of classes and camps for toddlers to teens. Fall classes were just posted. Go to chicagochildrenstheatre.org/education for the full roster of educational offerings and to register.

Additionally, CCT now has its own dedicated space at The Station for Red Kite programming for children on the autism spectrum and other special needs. These children have opportunities to participate in Red Kite Adventures and CCT’s annual Camp Red Kite, the only summer arts camp of its kind in Chicago. Visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org/redkiteproject to learn more and register.


About Chicago Children’s Theatre
Since its launch in 2005, Chicago Children’s Theatre has cemented its reputation as the city’s largest professional theater company devoted exclusively to children and young families. The company evolved out of Chicago’s need for high-quality, professional year-round children’s programming to match the quality and significance of theatrical powerhouses such as Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre and Lookingglass Theatre. Likewise, CCT has always believed children should be treated as the sophisticated audiences that they are, showcasing high profile and award-winning talent, inventive production values and compelling stories that challenge, educate and entertain.

Audiences have embraced Chicago Children’s Theatre since its inaugural production, A Year with Frog and Toad, at the Goodman Theatre in 2006. Since then, CCT’s productions have featured everything from black-light scenery to live music to interactive four-dimensional sets to life-size puppets, with performances showcasing the heart of Motown to Vaudeville to contemporary, current and modern styles.

CCT has also built a national reputation due to its focus on new work, producing 16 world premieres in the last 11 years including The Selfish Giant, The Hundred Dresses, Jackie and Me, Dot and Ziggy, The Houdini Box, The Elephant and The Whale (in association with Redmoon), Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money, Leo Lionni’s Frederick, Wonderland, Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure, A Snowy Day with Beatrix Potter, Jabari Dreams of Freedom, Another Snowy Day with Beatrix Potter, Manual Cinema’s The Magic City and The Year I Didn’t Go To School: A Homemade Circus. These enjoyed successful inaugural runs in Chicago, many followed by productions at theaters across the U.S.

CCT has always honored a strong commitment to low-income families and children with special needs. In partnership with Chicago Public Schools, the company offers free tickets to more than 5,000 Chicago-area low-income students each season.

Led by Co-Founders, Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell and Board Chair Todd Leland, and Community Programs Artistic Director Frank Maugeri, Chicago Children’s Theatre is supported by a dynamic Board of Directors comprised of dedicated individuals from the fields of entertainment, philanthropy and business. Chicago Children's Theatre is sponsored in part by ComEd, Goldman Sachs Gives and JP Morgan Chase.

For more information, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call (773) 227-0180.

OPENING: Acclaimed Hard Times Returns To Lookingglass Theatre 10/4-1/14/17

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Lookingglass Theatre Company Presents

Its Award-Winning, Circus-Infused Production of

Hard Times

Adapted and Directed by Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman

From the Book by Charles Dickens

In Association with The Actors Gymnasium

October 4, 2017 – January 14, 2018

RUN TIME

2 hours 30 minutes, including one intermission

AGE RECOMMENDATION

Ages 8+

In a Chicago theatre season that's off to a roaring start, with a plethora of world class options, I have to say Lookingglass Theatre's Hard Times remount, directed by Heidi Stillman, is at the top of my must see list. I missed their award winning, highly acclaimed first run of Hard Times in 2001 and am eagerly anticipating catching the press opening with the family on October 14th. Check back soon for our full review.

Lookingglass Theatre Company opens its 30th Anniversary Season with the return of the award-winning, circus-infused Hard Times, adapted and directed by Artistic Director and Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman from the book by Charles Dickens and in association with The Actors Gymnasium. Hard Times runs October 4, 2017 – January 14, 2018 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N Michigan Ave at Pearson. 



A Dickensian carnival of characters inhabits the streets of smoke-choked Coketown: grim Mr. Gradgrind’s school churns out joyless students; poor Stephen Blackpool toils in the nearby mines; and mill-owner Mr. Bounderby, full of bluster and bombast, presides over it all. Only when a traveling circus alights nearby, and young orphan Sissy Jupe enters their world, does a ray of hope shine through. Artistic Director Heidi Stillman adapts and directs this timeless love-letter to the power of beauty, hope, and imagination. 

Heidi Stillman—in her finest, most nuanced work as both adapter and director—has crafted a show of tremendous grace and heart, darkness and light. She has brought to life a Victorian-era epic that bursts with wit and whimsy, and all the outrage, hope, severity, and sentimentality of the novel.

– Chicago Sun-Times

As brilliantly conceived as any Dickens stage adaptation I have ever seen. It’s a tribute not only to the glory of Dickens, but to the joy of theater.

– Chicago Tribune

Dates:                           
Previews:  October 4 – 13, 2017
Regular run: October 15, 2017 – January 14, 2018

Times:                          
Tuesdays: 7:30 p.m. (Nov 21; Dec 12, 19; Jan 2 only)
Wednesdays: 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays: 2:00 p.m. (Oct 19, 26; Nov 16, 30; and Dec 21, 28 only)
7:30 p.m. (except Nov 23)
Fridays: 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 2:00 p.m. (except Oct 7, 14)
7:30 p.m.
Sundays: 2:00 p.m. (except Oct 15)
7:30 p.m. (except Oct 8, 15; Dec 24, 31)

*There are additional performances on Friday, November 24 and Wednesday, December 27 at 2:00 p.m.

Accessible Performances: 
Audio Described/Touch Tour performance, Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
(Touch Tour begins at 6 p.m.)
Open Captioned performance, Thursday, December 14, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
lookingglasstheatre.org/access

Returning to Hard Times are Ensemble Members David Catlin (returning to the role of Stephen and Sleary), Raymond Fox (returning to the role of Mr. Gradgrind, Sissy’s Father and Slackbridge), Louise Lamson (in the role of Rachael, Mrs. Gradgrind and Scherezade through 12/17) and Artistic Associate Troy West (returning to the role of Mr. Bounderby). The cast also includes Artistic Associate Atra Asdou (Rachael, Mrs. Gradgrind and Scherezade beginning 12/19), with Audrey Anderson (Sissy), Amy J. Carle (Mrs. Sparsit, Drunk Woman and Pufflerumpus), Raphael Cruz (Bitzer and Le Papillon), Cordelia Dewdney (Louisa), Marilyn Dodds Frank (returning to the role of Mrs. Pegler), Nathan Hosner (Mr. Harthouse, Mr. M’Choakumchild and Kidderminster) and JJ Phillips (Tom).

The creative team for Hard Times includes Ensemble Members Daniel Ostling (returning scenic designer) and Mara Blumenfeld (returning costume designer), Artistic Associates Brian Sidney Bembridge (returning lighting designer), Andre Pluess (returning sound designer and original composition) and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi (returning circus choreography) with Amanda Herrmann (props design), Isaac Schoepp (rigging) and Eva Breneman (dialect coach). The stage manager is Jeri Frederickson.



About the Artists
HEIDI STILLMAN (Adaptor/Director/Artistic Director/Lookingglass Ensemble Member) has both written and directed productions for Lookingglass including: Cascabel (in collaboration with Tony Hernandez and Rick Bayless), The North China Lover, Hephaestus (in collaboration with Tony Hernandez), The Brothers Karamazov (2009 Raven Award), Hard Times (five Jeff Awards including Director, New Work, and Production; also produced at Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia), and The Master and Margarita (Jeff Nominated). Additional writing credits with Lookingglass include: The Last Act of Lilka Kadison with Nicola Behrman, David Kersnar, Abbie Phillips and Andy White, The Old Curiosity Shop with Laura Eason and Raymond Fox (Jeff Award for Adaptation), and The Baron in the Trees with Larry DiStasi (Jeff Nominated). Directing work with Lookingglass includes: Death Tax, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Trust, The Wooden Breeks, and Hillbilly Antigone. Heidi’s adaptation of The Book Thief premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. She directed Minita Gandhi’s Muthaland for Silk Road Rising Solos and Victory Gardens’ Ignition Festival, CAATA/ConFEST, and at 16th Street Theatre. Most recently, she co-wrote and directed The Year I Didn’t Go to School at the Chicago Children’s Theatre.

AUDREY ANDERSON (Sissy) is making both her Lookingglass and Chicago professional debut in Hard Times. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Audrey moved to Chicago to study theatre at Loyola University where she is currently a senior. She has performed with numerous Minneapolis professional companies, including Children’s Theatre Company and Classical Actors Ensemble, along with many collegiate productions while attending Loyola University, a few being columbinus, Elephant’s Graveyard, and FML: How Carson McCullers saved my life. Audrey learned to fly at Xelias Aerial Arts in Minneapolis, and continued her studies at The Actors Gymnasium upon moving to Chicago.

ATRA ASDOU (Rachael, Mrs. Gradgrind, Scherezade beginning Dec. 19/Lookingglass Artistic Associate) returns to Lookingglass now as an Artistic Associate, last appearing in Blood Wedding and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Past performances include: 1984 (Steppenwolf for Young Adults), A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre), Heartbreak House (Writers Theatre), Dirty (The Gift Theatre), Seminar (Haven Theatre), and Inana (TimeLine Theatre). She is a graduate of Loyola University, Second City (where she is an understudy to the touring company), and iO (where she is on the Harold team, Lil’ Tooties, and an ensemble member of Whirled News Tonight).

AMY J. CARLE (Mrs. Sparsit, Drunk Woman, Pufflerumpus)’s previous Lookingglass credits include: North China Lover, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Peter Pan (A Play), and Trust. Other Chicago credits include: Harvey and Orlando (Court Theatre); The Book of Joseph (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Wonderful Town, The Sins of Sor Juana, Rock ‘N’ Roll, and Desire Under the Elms (Goodman Theatre); The Book Thief, The Internationalist, Animals Out of Paper, Sex With Strangers, and Hedda Gabler (Steppenwolf Theatre Company). Off-Broadway National Tour: The Vagina Monologues. Regional credits: The Profane (Chautauqua Theater Company); Fully Committed and The Diary of Anne Frank (Madison Repertory Theatre); Or, (Forward Theater); Morning Star (Kansas City Repertory Theatre). Television:  Boss (STARZ), Chicago Code (FOX), Law & Order, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and CRISIS (NBC). Film: Who Gets the Dog? Amy coaches privately, and teaches at Vagabond School for the Arts.

DAVID CATLIN (Mr. Sleary, Stephen Blackpool/Lookingglass Ensemble Member)’s Lookingglass acting credits include: The Arabian Nights, Our Town, Argonautika, Summertime, La Luna Muda, Manuscript Found at Saragossa, The Vanishing Twin, The Scarlet Letter, The Odyssey, and The Jungle. Other Chicago performance credits include: Marnie & Phil: A Circus Love Letter, Lost & Found: A Recycled Circus and All the Time in the World (The Actors Gymnasium); The Elephant & The Whale (Chicago Children’s Theatre/Redmoon Theater); The Nutcracker (The House Theatre of Chicago); The Midnight Circus. David is an artistic associate with The Actors Gymnasium and serves on the acting faculty for Northwestern University.

RAPHAEL CRUZ (Bitzer, Le Papillon), a native of San Francisco, began his journey into the circus arts at age six.  Specializing in traditional Chinese acrobatics he studied with the Founder of the Nanjing acrobatic troupe, Master Trainer Lu Yi. At the age of 15, furthered his training at The National Circus School of Montreal. He specialized in Hand to Hand and after graduating, he became an original member and artistic collaborator of The 7 Fingers production of Traces. Raphael also studied music extensively and plays several instruments, which helped him land the role Buster in Cirque du Soleil’s production of Iris (2012) in Los Angeles. Other credits include: Assistant Choreographer for the opening ceremonies of the Sochi Olympics; Associate Acrobatic Designer for Cirque du Soleil’s Broadway production Paramour. Raphael is also a cast member of French contemporary dance company DCA’s latest production Courte Pointe.

CORDELIA DEWDNEY (Louisa) returns to Lookingglass after this summer’s Moby Dick. She has worked with Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage, and South Coast Repertory for the National tour of Moby Dick and has appeared on Chicago Med. Cordelia is a graduate of Northwestern University with degrees in Theatre and English.

MARILYN DODDS FRANK (Mrs. Pegler)’s credits with Lookingglass include: The Last Act of Lilka Kadison, Metamorphosis, Metamorphoses, Hard Times, George, and The Idiot. Broadway: Superior Donuts; The Clean House (Lincoln Center). Chicago: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Shaw Chicago, A Red Orchid Theatre, Court Theatre, Latino Chicago, Teatro Vista, Remains Theater, Next Theatre Company, New Criminals Theater Company, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and Piven Theatre Workshop. New York: En Garde Arts and La MaMa. LA: The Actors’ Gang and Padua Playwrights. Marilyn has performed in the premieres of four plays written and directed by Maria Irene Fornes and movies with Robert Altman, Judd Apatow, Michael Apted, and Stephen Frears, among others. Forthcoming movies directed by Chicago Independents: Our Father, What They Had, and Slice.

RAYMOND FOX (Mr. Gradgrind, Sissy’s Father, Slackbridge, Lookingglass Ensemble Member) last appeared at Lookingglass in Moby Dick. Off-Broadway/Broadway: Metamorphoses (Second Stage Theatre, Circle in the Square Theatre). Regional Credits: Goodman Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Arden Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Route 66 Theatre, Hartford Stage, American Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Meadow Brook Theatre, The House Theatre of Chicago, Mark Taper Forum, Court Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, First Folio Theatre, Canada’s Stratford Festival and TimeLine Theatre (Blood and Gifts, 2013 Equity Jeff Award for Supporting Actor). Education: Northwestern University and the A.R.T. Institute at Harvard University.

NATHAN HOSNER (Mr. Harthouse, Mr. M’Choakumchild, Kidderminster) was last seen at Lookingglass as Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. He recently played Lord Aster in the first national tour of Peter and the Starcatcher. Chicago credits include productions with Writers Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Northlight Theatre, About Face Theatre, and First Folio Theatre. Regional credits include productions with American Players Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Indiana Repertory Theatre, New Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, Door Shakespeare, and The BoarsHead Theater. Nathan is a graduate of The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

LOUISE LAMSON (Rachael, Mrs. Gradgrind, Scherezade through Dec. 17/Lookingglass Ensemble Member) returns to the Lookingglass stage and to Hard Times, where she originated the role of Louisa Gradgrind. Other Lookingglass credits include: The Idiot, The Secret in the Wings, The Wooden Breeks, Icarus (The Getty Villa, LA), The Brothers Karamazov, Our Town, The Arabian Nights, Ethan Frome, Metamorphoses, The Little Prince, and most recently Death Tax. Other Chicago credits include: About Face Theatre’s Bash (After Dark Award and Jeff Award Nomination) and The Odyssey (Goodman Theatre). New York credits include: Metamorphoses (Second Stage Theatre and Broadway) and The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (Second Stage Theatre). Louise is a graduate of Northwestern University. She joined the ensemble in 2016.

JJ PHILLIPS (Tom) returns to Lookingglass where he previously appeared as Kev in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Jeff Award Nominee, Actor in a Supporting Role—Play), as well as Paolo in The North China Lover, and the understudy for Ian in last season’s Beyond Caring. Chicago: Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Next up: Fat Pig, Leveling Up), The House Theatre of Chicago (The Hammer Trinity), Griffn Theatre (Punk Rock). Regional: Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts (Miami). Film/TV: Chicago Fire, Thrill Ride, and the upcoming web series Kappa Force and Blame It On Toby.

TROY WEST (Mr. Bounderby/Lookingglass Artistic Associate) has been an Artistic Associate since 2002. Broadway: August: Osage County (also London & Sydney). Off-Broadway: Bug (Barrow Street Theatre) and The Execution (Nat Horne Theater). Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Linda Vista, The Berlin Circle, Terry Won’t Talk and Picasso At The Lapin Agile (also San Francisco and LA), among others. Regional credits include: American Conservatory Theater, Arden Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse, Indiana Repertory Theatre, and Portland Center Stage. Chicago credits: A Red Orchid Theatre, Famous Door Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Next Theatre Company, and Remains Theater, among others. Upcoming: The Boring Professor in the feature film, The Pages and recreating the role of Michael Stiles in Linda Vista at Center Theatre Group in LA.

First Rehearsal Video:


REFLECT Panels
Lookingglass’ REFLECT Series is a curated selection of post-show discussions featuring panelists with a range of viewpoints and expertise on the content and context of each production. These wide-ranging conversations, moderated by artistic staff, offer an opportunity for Lookingglass audiences and guests to engage with the vision and visionaries behind each show, get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the unique Lookingglass process, and hear from artists, academics and authorities with diverse perspectives on the material.

REFLECT post-show panel discussions take place directly following the 2:00 p.m.­ matinee on select Sundays at Lookingglass Theatre. The discussions are free and open to the public.

October 22:  Hard Times/These Times: Hard Times for Truth
With scientific data being questioned and the recent emergence of “alternative facts,” how do we determine the lines between fact and opinion, speculation and lie? Tackle this quandary with Lookingglass Artistic Director and Hard Times adaptor and director Heidi Stillman, and the Raven Foundation’s Andrew McKenna.

October 29:  Hard Times/These Times: The World of Work
The Industrial Revolution transformed Dickens’ England, with new technologies bringing new jobs for some and eliminating others. How is the Information Age similarly changing our world today?

November 12:  Hard Times/These Times: A Matter of Power
With income inequality on the rise and an increasingly polarized body politic, how do class, gender, race and other dividing lines intersect and align to keep us apart?

December 3:  Hard Times/These Times: Behind the Scenes
Join Hard Times artists for a peek behind the curtain at the genesis of the production, and how it has changed from 2001 to 2017.

December 10:  Hard Times/These Times: Charles Dickens and The Holiday Spirit
In Chicago and cities across the country, A Christmas Carol is an annual seasonal offering. What is it about Dickens’ works that uniquely lends itself to holiday fare?

Theatre Night Out for Young Professionals – Thursday, November 30, 2017
Join members of the Lookingglass Associates Board and other young professionals for a pre-show reception at Theory (9 W Hubbard St) and a performance of Hard Times. lookingglasstheatre.org/under35  



Subscriptions
Subscriptions are on sale for the 2017–2018 Season. Performances will be held at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N Michigan Ave at Pearson. 

Subscribers can choose between a 3-play subscription, the Gglasspass program, or for those under 35, the Madhatter’s Club. For the 2017–2018 Season, 3-play subscriptions range from $116–$170.

The Gglasspass is a flex pass available to all ages. For $150, Gglasspass holders receive 3 tickets that can be used in any combination and denomination for any Lookingglass production in the 2017–2018 Season.

The Madhatter’s Club flex pass is available to those 35 or younger. The Madhatter’s Club flex pass is $75 and includes 3 tickets that members can use in any combination and denomination for any Lookingglass production in the 2017-2018 Season.

Subscription benefits include access to the best seats in the house, pre-sale opportunities and savings before single tickets go on sale to the general public, special perks at restaurant partners, unlimited ticket exchanges, discounted parking at the nearby John Hancock Center, Water Tower Place and Olympia Centre Garage, reduced tuition for Lookingglass’ renowned classes and summer camps, and access to exclusive subscriber-only events. For season subscription and ticket information, call the Lookingglass Theatre box office at (312) 337-0665 or visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

About Lookingglass Theatre Company
Inventive. Collaborative. Transformative. Lookingglass Theatre Company, recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award, was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students. Now in its 30th season, Lookingglass is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. The Company has staged 64 world premieres, received 144 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations, and work premiered at Lookingglass has been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford, Kansas City, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Louisville and St. Louis. Lookingglass original scripts have been produced across the United States. In 2016, Lookingglass received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

The Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago's landmark Water Tower Water Works opened in June 2003. In addition to developing and presenting ensemble work, Lookingglass Education and Community programs encourage creativity, teamwork and confidence with thousands of community members each year.

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues to expand its artistic, financial and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Heidi Stillman, Executive Director Rachel Kraft, Producing Director Philip R. Smith, Connectivity and Engagement Director Andrew White, Interim Managing Director Michele Anderson, a 24 member artistic ensemble, 23 artistic associates, an administrative staff and a dedicated board of directors led by Chairman John McGowan and President Nancy Timmers. For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

OPENING: World Premiere of The Magnificent Wonder at Actors Gymnasium for 6 Shows Only

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:

The Magnificent Wonder at Actors Gymnasium

Don't let the word "youth" fool you. This show is packed with major talent. The cast auditioned for their roles and they've been prepping for 70+ hours to build this show, choreograph, learn lines, and master mind blowing circus arts under the training of some of Chicago's top professional choreographers and performers. Of course we're extra jazzed here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, since both of my teens are returning to perform in their 3rd AG Youth Circus show. The Fall Youth Circus is fabulous family friendly fun. The intimate venue has limited seating so book tickets ahead if you can. Shows do sell out. Highly recommended. Don't miss this! 

Last Call November 11th & 12th:

ABOUT

AT THE ACTORS GYMNASIUM, PEOPLE LEARN TO FLY – PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND CREATIVELY. 

The Actors Gymnasium was founded in 1995 and has grown to become one of the nation’s premiere circus and performing arts training centers.

We are dedicated to bringing a new physicality to the American Theatre, through developing physical performers and encouraging ground-breaking theatrical exploration.

We promote our core values of creativity, community, and courage across three program areas:

1. TEACHING CIRCUS ARTS AND PERFORMANCE SKILLS BOTH ONSITE AT THE NOYES CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, AND OFFSITE AT A DOZEN OR MORE COMMUNITY LOCATIONS.

Our Professional Training Program and Summer Circus Intensive and serve artists from across the United States and beyond.

Weekly classes for students of all ages and experience levels reach over 1,000 students per year, while our summer and winter camps engage over 200 youth aged 9–14.

2. PRODUCING ORIGINAL AND DARING CIRCUS-THEATRE PRODUCTIONS, INCLUDING NINE PRODUCTIONS A YEAR AT NOYES.

Our shows provide students with invaluable performance opportunities, and the annual premiere of our Winter Circus features professional circus artists alongside our up-and-coming young performers.

We also collaborate with theaters ranging from local Chicago storefronts to major regional companies. This past season, Lookingglass’s Moby Dick toured to three Tony-Award-winning theatres: The Alliance (Atlanta), Arena Stage (DC) and South Coast Repertory (CA). The rolling world premiere of The Magic Play started at The Goodman before opening at Olney Theater (VA). We also collaborated with Chicago Children’s Theatre on The Year I Didn’t Go to School.

3. SHOWCASING PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS BY PROVIDING AWARD-WINNING AND AWE-INSPIRING ENTERTAINMENT FOR CORPORATE AND OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS.

We provide entertainment at events ranging from private weddings to major public parades, and everything in between. These events help support our mission by raising the profile of Chicago’s circus community and introducing people to this vital and exciting art form.

“Even as an audience member, the work you do inspires me into metaphorical flight. Every performance or class I’ve witnessed lights me up and jump starts my imagination and drive. Thank you for flying lessons.”

EDGE ADVENTURES AERIAL PARK HAS ZOMBIE FUN FOR EVERYONE THIS OCTOBER

ZOMBIE ZIP LINES AND HAUNTED TREETOP TRAILS COMING TO EDGE ADVENTURES AERIAL PARK

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Picks List:

Family Friendly Halloween Fun a Short Day Trip From Chi, IL

For the month of October Edge Adventures Aerial Park - Deep River NWI will present a Halloween experience unlike any other in the Chicago/Northwest Indiana area. The park will be transformed into a spooky forest with Haunted Treetop Trails. And on Saturday evenings, there will be Zombie Zip Line adventures featuring live zombies roaming beneath the zip line course.



Edge’s Haunted Treetop Trails will have participants crossing rope bridges, zip lines and log beams while surrounded by ghosts, ghouls and other mysterious effigies. Spooky lights, scary sounds and creepy decor will create the atmosphere of a haunted forest. These haunted elements will add to an already thrilling treetop adventure in the woods.



On Saturday evenings in October, Edge will kick things up a notch with Zombie Zip Lines featuring live zombies roaming the earth below the zip-liners. Participants can zoom over the heads of the walking dead as the creepy figures stagger around in a zombie wasteland below the course. Chilling lighting effects and creepy sounds make this nighttime experience one that is not to be missed.

Teen actors from area high schools will star as “The Zombies” on Zombie Zip Line evenings. On October 7, Crown Point High School Theatre Department actors will kick things off as they transform the once-friendly forest to a zombie infested wasteland. The second week will feature actors from Hobart High School Theatre Department lurking around the zombie apocalypse zone. On October 21 actors from Lake Central Theater Company will stagger along the trails of terror scaring everything in their path. And on October 28 the park will be overrun with zombies from the Bearcat Theatre Company at Wheeler High School in Union Township.

If this sounds a little too terrifying, there will be a much less scary experience for children ages 4-7. In the Jack-O-Lantern Hollow kids’ course, there are low to the ground elements decked out in pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. Jack-O-Lantern Hollow is a great Halloween activity for the little ones in a zombie free zone. There will be safe passage for the little ones from the parking lot to the Jack-O-Lantern zone.



The Haunted Treetop Trails and Jack-O-Lantern Hollow are open Fridays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout October.

Zombie Zip Lines take place every Saturday night in October from 5 to 10 p.m. Advance reservations are recommended.

These offerings are included in the regular park admission prices. The two-hour adventure is $39 for adults and $29 for children 8-12. The three-hour adventure for adults is $49 and $39 for children 8-12. Tickets for the Jack-O-Lantern Hollow kids’ course are $10 for a one-hour experience.

Edge Adventures Aerial Park –Deep River NWI is located adjacent to Deep River Water Park. The park features more than 50 self-guided treetop obstacles including zip lines, cargo nets and rope bridges. Adults and kids can harness up and play in the trees. All of the aerial park’s challenges provide thrills and screams for guests at every skill level.

Edge Adventures provides all safety equipment – helmet, harnesses, belays and gloves. Guests participate in a safety briefing and practice course, and are assisted by Edge-trained staff throughout each of the course routes. They have the thrill of climbing, zipping and working through the courses with the security of knowing that they are 100 percent on the safety line from start to finish.

Certain age, height and weight limits apply for the larger courses. Adventurers must be at least 8-years old, with a minimum weight of 40 lbs and a maximum of 275 lbs. Hands must reach 66” high with feet flat on the ground. Groups of 20+ may reserve a Group Adventure any day subject to availability. Call or email for details.

Edge Adventures Aerial Park – Deep River NW Indiana is located at 9001 E. Lincoln Highway, Crown Point, IN 46307. For preregistration and advance ticket information, visit http://www.edgeadventureparks.com/deep-river

You can also email us at info@edgeadventuresparks.com ; call us at 800-590-8347, like us on Facebook https://.www.facebook.com/deepriveraerialpark/ ; or follow us on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/edgeadventures_deepriver/

Summary of Hours

Jack-O-Lantern Hollow (ages 4-7) – scary rating 0 skulls

• Fridays starting at 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. 
• Saturdays 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. 
• Sundays 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Haunted Treetop Trails (ages 8+) – scary rating 1 skull

• Fridays 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with last climb starting at 6 p.m. 
• Saturdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with last climb starting at 9 p.m. 
• Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with last climb starting at 4 p.m.

Zombie Zip Lines with Haunted Treetop Trails (ages 10+) – scary rating 2 skulls

• Saturdays in October from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. with last climb starting at 9 p.m.

Arts in the Dark LUMA8 (Light Up My Arts) Halloween Parade Saturday, Oct. 21 from 6-8 p.m.

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List

EVERYONE BECOMES AN ARTIST ON HALLOWEEN!

MAGICAL NIGHTTIME PROCESSION IN DOWNTOWN’S CULTURAL DISTRICT

FILLED WITH COSTUMES, SPECTACLE, MUSIC, DANCE AND MORE

            

Saturday, Oct. 21, 6 – 8 PM

LUMA8, in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Chicago Park District, is pleased to announce Arts in the Dark, a festive and enchanting nighttime Halloween Parade along Columbus Drive, on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 6-8 p.m., that will showcase the creativity of Chicago’s diverse cultural community and inspire the next generation of artists.



Arts in the Dark will begin marching on Columbus Drive at dusk, traveling from Balbo Ave. to Monroe St., and will be led by eight “Illuminators” chosen for their remarkable efforts in their respective creative fields.  It is “parade as art” as contingents combine costumes, masks, spectacle, music, movement, lighting elements and audience engagement.

The event is produced by LUMA8 (Light Up My Arts), a not-for-profit dedicated to elevating Chicago as a focal point of artistic and cultural innovation.  Sharene Shariatzadeh, President and CEO of LUMA8, says, “The LUMA8 team is proud to produce Arts in the Dark in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the Chicago Park District.”  Shariatzadeh adds, “We believe Arts in the Dark is destined to become one of Chicago’s most iconic events because it showcases that which is at the very heart of the City – its dynamic cultural community.  Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this extraordinary evening!”



LUMA8 is executing the vision of Mark Kelly, Chicago's Commissioner of DCASE.  Kelly says, “As the founding Artistic Director for The Halloween Parade, I am excited that my vision to activate Halloween as the "artist's holiday" will be taken to a new level with LUMA8’s Arts in the Dark.  This curated nighttime parade brings together our entire cultural community in a magical moment to celebrate our creative spirit and the amazing contributions we make to this City.” 

Arts in the Dark draws together Chicago’s vast creative community, from world-renowned cultural institutions to aspiring artists in every field.  The Art Institute and School of the Art Institute will march in medieval-style armor, Broadway In Chicago will invite their devoted fans to dress up as their favorite Broadway characters, and After School Matters will have multiple programs participating including West Town Bikes with decorated cycles and riders, the Mariachi Ensemble, Aztec Dance Chicago and The Art of Drumming. 

LUMA8 also is calling on individual artists to join the parade by creating lanterns using the theme “Under the Sea and Up in the Air.”  Awards will be given to the artists with the most creative and best executed lanterns.



The Arts in the Dark festivities will kick-off at 4 p.m. at Buckingham Fountain, where the Chicago Blackhawks street team will host a pre-parade celebration including music and a Blackhawks inspired mural to commemorate the artist’s holiday in conjunction with hockey. Party-goers can post pictures to social media for the chance to win Blackhawks prizes.  Following the parade, DCASE will host a “House Party at the Bean,” and the Chicago Park District will present a family-friendly Halloween movie and candy giveaways in Maggie Daley Park.

Sponsors/Partners include Millennium Garages, Blue Plate Catering, Chicago Cultural Mile Association, Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, Concept Effects, Connor J Design, EXPO Chicago, Lagunitas and Mesirow Financial.

This family-friendly event is free and open to the public.  For more information, visit www.ArtsintheDark.org

About LUMA8
LUMA8 (Light Up My Arts) is an independent not-for-profit dedicated to creating conversations about Chicago that are heard around the world.  This is achieved through unique cultural events and experiences, often using light and scale as tools, and by developing innovative ways to amplify the effect of existing arts initiatives.  It coordinates the work of public agencies, arts organizations and artists to elevate the cultural life of the city, attract visitors, and ultimately generate economic impact.

About the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy.  This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors.

About the Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is the 2014 Gold Medal Award winner, recognized for excellence in park and recreation management across the nation. For more information about the Chicago Park District’s more than 8,700 acres of parkland, more than 600 parks, 26 miles of lakefront, 11 museums, two world-class conservatories, 15 cultural centers, 16 historic lagoons, nearly 50 nature areas, thousands of special events, sports and entertaining programs, please visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or contact the Chicago Park District at 312/742.PLAY or 312/747.2001 (TTY). Want to share your talent? Volunteer in the parks by calling, 312/742.PLAY.

Sunday 2pm Matinees Return for Barrel of Monkeys' THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA at the Neo-Futurist Theater

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Barrel of Monkeys Presents

THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Stories on Sunday Afternoons

Directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd

October 15 – November 12, 2017 at Neo-Futurist Theater

(left to right)  Barrel of Monkeys company members Kassi Bleifuss, Nancy Casas, Nick Hart and Bradford Stevens perform “When I Went To Wizard World” in THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.

**Barrel of Monkeys annually performs more than 300 student-written stories for the students in their schools and 175 stories on the stage for the general public!**

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List: 

Family Friendly Theatre 

Sundays at 2 pm from October 15 – November 12, 2017

Here at ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows, we've been long time fans of Barrel of Monkeys' THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA shows, and their quirky kid created masterpieces. We also adore their tireless energy working with Chicago Public School students to encourage creative writing and introduce theatre to kids all over town. My now teens have dug their hilarious sketches for years, and these shows are a trip for adults too! They run year round on Monday nights, with the original concept being a showcase for fellow adult actors to catch, on what's often a dark night, when they're off work. Along the way, though, they've grown a great family following as well, hence their well received Sunday matinees, at a more kid friendly time. Check it out!  

Barrel of Monkeys is pleased to bring back its popular Sunday matinees this fall with THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Stories on Sunday Afternoons, playing Sundays at 2 pm from October 15 – November 12, 2017 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Celebrate the change of season with a new line-up of stories written by Chicago Public School students, adapted for the stage and performed by Barrel of Monkeys Company Members and directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd. 

Tickets are available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140.


(front right) Spencer Meeks and fellow Barrel of Monkeys company members perform “The Ten Diamonds & Sisters” in THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.


Clever and funny – touching and poignant – the collection of short sketches featured in THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA is equally entertaining for adults and children. The line-up of the long-running, critically-acclaimed revue changes each week by audience vote, so no two shows are ever the same. 

Barrel of Monkeys, a Chicago-based arts education theater ensemble now in its 21th season, conducts creative writing workshops with 3rd through 5th grade students in underserved Chicago Public Schools. The ensemble of actor-educators then turns their stories and words into professionally performed theater, presented both in-school and for the general public through its revues. 

Location: Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago
Dates: October 15 – November 12, 2017
Curtain Times: Sundays at 2 pm 

Tickets: $15 for adults; $5 for children under 12. Discounts: $10 for students with ID, seniors, veterans and groups of 10 or more people. Tickets are available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140.


Barrel of Monkeys company member Spencer Meeks performs “Peggy's Little Darlings” in THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.


About the Director
Brandon Cloyd joined Barrel of Monkeys (BOM) in 2007 and has been deeply involved in many facets of the company ever since. Prior to joining BOM, Brandon graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a minor in Business Institutions. Within BOM,Brandon has served as an actor, teaching artist, lead teacher, a member of Teacher Corps, as well as directing shows for schools and public performances of That's Weird Grandma. He has also held the role of the BOM After-School Program Coordinator at Loyola Park from 2014-2016 and the Program Director since the summer of 2016. Outside of Barrel of Monkeys, he worked as the Associate Director of Camp Echo, where he has spent 13 summers managing campers and staff at a co-ed sleep away camp in Upstate New York. Brandon has worked with other theatre companies including Urban Theatre Company, American Theatre Company, Filament Theatre, Ingen Productions, ACLE's Teatrino in Italy and Purple Crayon Players at Northwestern University. 


(left to right)  Barrel of Monkeys company members Raquel Torre, Bradford Stevens and Michael Turrentine perform "Bennie and Eddie" in THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.


(center) Barrel of Monkeys company member Nancy Casas performs "Bennie and Eddie" in THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.


About Barrel of Monkeys
Since Barrel of Monkeys’ inception in 1997, its teaching artists have served more than 60 Chicago Public Schools. Over 15,000 elementary school students have participated in the Barrel of Monkeys programs, which aim to build students' writing skills, improve self-esteem, and instill confidence in their ideas and abilities.

Barrel of Monkeys is sponsored in part by Wintrust Financial, Allscripts, Inc., IMC Chicago, Ernst and Young, and Punchkick Interactive. It receives generous support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; the National Endowment for the Arts; a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; the Chicago Community Trust; Crown Family Philanthropies; Alphawood Foundation of Chicago; the Maurice R. and Meta G. Gross Foundation; Polk Bros Foundation; the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; the Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc.; The Saints; The Topfer Family Foundation, and many other generous individuals and foundations. 


TWGSundays-6  (left to right) Barrel of Monkeys company members Bradford Stevens, Raquel Torre, Mary Winn Heider and Emily Marso perform “The Amazing Zurine” in THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.