World Premiere! Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents The Mystery of The Haunted Bush October 10 – November 3, 2024 at The Chopin Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

World Premiere!

Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents

The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang:

The Mystery of The Haunted Bush

Pictured (left to right) Grant Drager, David Cerda, Ed Jones, Ben Meneses, Josh Kemper, Tyler Anthony Smith,Caitlin Jackson and Elizabeth Lesinski. Photo by Rick Aguilar Studios.

By Artistic Director David Cerda

Directed by Frankie Leo Bennett

October 10 – November 3, 2024 at The Chopin Theatre

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to conclude its 22nd season with the world premiere of The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush, bringing together two beloved Handbag parodies in one chilling Halloween tale. The girls – Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, Sophia (and their whacky friends) – enlist the help of America’s favorite 30-something teenage detectives to help solve a mystery in this all new episode written by Artistic Director David Cerda and directed by Frankie Leo Bennett. The Mystery of The Haunted Bush plays October 10 - November 3, 2024 on The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at handbagproductions.org or bit.ly/hauntedbush. I'll be out for the press opening October 13th, so check back soon for my full review. 

Rose’s (Ed Jones*) nephew Fred (Tyler Anthony Smith*) is coming for a visit with his amateur sleuth friends, Daffy (Liz Lesinski*), Velva (Caitlin Jackson*), Skaggy (Josh Kemper) and their dog Skooby (Ben Meneses). While Rose is excited, she’s also hiding the real motive for inviting them: she’s being haunted by a big, scary bush – or is it a tree? There’s seems to be some confusion about that. 

Meanwhile, the Skooby gang is in awe of their idol and Sophia’s (Ryan Oates*) best friend, Nancy Drew (Danne W. Taylor*), particularly Skaggy, who takes things a step further. Can the gang help the girls solve the mystery of the haunted bush before it devours Rose? Will Velva and Daffy reveal their special secret? Will Dorothy (David Cerda*), Blanche (Grant Drager*) and Sophia survive the spooky hijinks?

Join Miami’s favorite roomies in a spine chillingly ridiculous tale, that combines Handbag’s signature biting humor with a heart. 

The production stars original cast members David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Ed Jones* and Ryan Oates* as the Geriatric Fab Four, joined by Caitlin Jackson*, Josh Kemper, Elizabeth Lesinski*, Ben Meneses and Tyler Anthony Smith* as the Skooby Don’t gang. Rounding out the cast are Michael S. Miller*, Scott Sawa* and Danne W. Taylor*. Understudies include Frankie Leo Bennett, Kelly Bolton, Nick Dorado, Al Duffy, Wendy Hayne, Brandon Nelson, Eric James Norman, TJ O'Brien, Jenny Rudnick and Coco Sho'Nell.

The production team includes Marcus Klein (Scenic Designer), Madeline Felauer (Costume Designer), Liz Cooper (Lighting Designer), Danny Rockett (Sound Designer), Maggie O'Brien (Props Designer), Syd Genco* (Make-Up Designer), Keith Ryan* (Wig Designer), Kate Lass (Violence Choreographer), Scott Sawa* (Assistant Director), Morgan Laszlo (Assistant Scenic Designer), Tom Daniel (Technical Director), Jackson Mikkelsen (Electrician), Tim Paul (Graphic Designer) and Veronica Kostka* (Stage Manager).

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member

 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Cast (in alphabetical order): David Cerda* (Dorothy), Grant Drager* (Blanche), Ed Jones* (Rose), Josh Kemper (Skaggy), Caitlin Jackson* (Velva) Elizabeth Lesinski* (Daffy), Ben Meneses (Skooby), Michael S. Miller* (Rita Claxton), Ryan Oates* (Sophia), Scott Sawa* (Stan), Tyler Anthony Smith* (Fred) and Danne W. Taylor* (Nancy Drew).

Understudies: Frankie Leo Bennett, Kelly Bolton, Nick Dorado, Al Duffy, Wendy Hayne, Brandon Nelson, Eric James Norman, TJ O'Brien, Jenny Rudnick and Coco Sho'Nell

Location: The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Previews: Thursday, October 10, Friday October 11 and Saturday, September 12 at 8 pm

Opening/Press performance: Sunday, October 13 at 7 pm

Regular run: Thursday, October 17 – Sunday, November 3, 2024

Curtain Times: Thursday, Fridays and Saturday at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be added performances on Sunday, October 20, Sunday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 30 at 8 pm.

Tickets: $29 previews, $38 advanced general admission, $45 general admission, $48 at the door, $60 VIP/reserved seating with drink ticket. Group rates $35 for 10 or more. Tickets are now on sale at handbagproductions.org  or bit.ly/hauntedbush.

 

About the Artists

David Cerda (Playwright) is a founding member and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, now celebrating its 23rd  year anniversary. As resident playwright, he has written many Handbag productions as well as acted in them. His play, The Drag Seed was recently produced at LaMaMa Experimental Theater and his Golden Girls Lost Episodes parody shows have been produced around the country and was featured in Golden Con: Thank you for being a Fan, the world’s first fan convention dedicated to all things Golden Girls at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Cerda is a proud inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and recipient of a Jeff Award for lifetime achievement for his 23 years (and counting) of work and service to the community. He lives in Chicago with his partner, Christopher.

Frankie Leo Bennett (Director, he/him) is an award-nominated Chicago-based theatre multi-hyphenate, returning to Handbag after previously directing The Golden Girls Save XMAS and associate directing on The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes: Vol. 3. Handbag acting credits: Christmas Dearest, Poseidon! An Upside-Down Musical, The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes: Bea Afraid!  Regional Direction: Porchlight Revisits The Apple Tree (co-), RENT (asst.), multiple editions of New Faces Sing Broadway. Broadway In Your Backyard and Chicago Sings (Porchlight Music Theatre). Regional Acting: Kokandy Productions (Jeff nominee - Best Principal Performer/Musical - The SpongeBob Musical); Porchlight Music Theatre; Theo Ubique. Composer/Playwright - Resident Services: A Crossed-Up Animal Musical. He currently serves as Producing Artistic Associate at Porchlight Music Theatre.

About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.

World Premiere! Hell in a Handbag's A FINE FEATHERED MURDER: A MISS MARBLED MYSTERY - Extended Through August 13th, 2022 at The Chopin Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

World Premiere!

A FINE FEATHERED MURDER: 

A MISS MARBLED MYSTERY

by David Cerda

Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass

Now extended through August 13th, 2022 at The Chopin Theatre

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to conclude its 20th anniversary season with the world premiere of A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery, by Artistic Director David Cerda*, directed by Cheryl Snodgrass. This wild whodunit inspired by everyone’s favorite female British mystery writer will play through August 13th, 2022 at The Chopin Upstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are currently available handbagproductions.org. I'll be out to review on June 23rd, so check back like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often.

The production features ensemble members David Cerda*, Sydney Genco*, Caitlin Jackson*, Ed Jones*, Nicky Mendelsohn*, Michael Rashid*, Tyler Anthony Smith* and Danne W. Taylor* with Barbara Figgins, Michael Hampton, Max McKune, Shane Roberie, Elizabeth Rude, Coco Sho-Nell and Maria Stephens.

 

PHOTO CREDIT: The cast of Hell in a Handbag Productions’ world premiere of A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery includes (top, l to r) David Cerda, Barbara Figgins, Sydney Genco, Michael Hampton and Caitlin Jackson (middle, l to r) Ed Jones, Max McKune, Nicky Mendelsohn, Michael Rashid and Shane Roberie (bottom, l to r) Elizabeth Rude, Coco Sho-Nell, Tyler Anthony Smith, Maria Stephens and Danne W. Taylor.

Handbag goes posh with Ed Jones* as Miss Jane Marbled, an unassuming spinster with a knack for solving murders. It’s a good thing because people drop dead wherever she goes. Join Miss Marbled as she visits her dear friend, the wickedly and ridiculously chic, Lady Violetta Fowler (David Cerda*) for the annual Fine Feathered Ball at the Fowler Estate, England’s largest poultry farm. All is well until murder shows up, unannounced, and, in the most brutal fashion. Poor unflusterable Miss Marbled is left to contend with a rogues’ gallery of suspects sure to delight audiences in the tastefully intriguing manner they’ve come to expect from Hell in a Handbag Productions.

The production team to date includes Pamela L. Parker* (Scenic Designer), Bill Morey and Beth Laske-Miller (Costume Designers), Liz Cooper (Lighting Designer), Danny Rockett (Sound Designer/Music), Hannah Dains (Props Designer), Keith Ryan* (Wig Designer), Sydney Genco* (Make-up Designer), Jabberwocky Marionettes (Puppetry), Sammi Grant (Dialect Coach), Abby Teel (Production Manager), Spencer Douglas Clark (Assistant Director, Intimacy, Choreographer) and Drew Donnelly* (Stage Manager).

Please note: Handbag will continue to adhere to all city, state and federal COVID safety guidelines in place at the time of performance including, but not limited to, proof of full vaccination and masking at all performances.

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member

 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Cast (in alphabetical order): David Cerda* (Lady Violetta Fowler), Barbara Figgins (Mrs. Hawk), Sydney Genco* (Gerta Rabe), Michael Hampton (Nigel Drake), Caitlin Jackson* (Vivian Birdsong), Ed Jones* (Miss Jane Marbled), Max McKune (Constable Hatcher), Nicky Mendelsohn* (Chick), Michael Rashid* (Garson), Shane Roberie (Lord Reginald Fowler, Inspector Byrd), Elizabeth Rude (Millicent Lark), Coco Sho-Nell (Treasure Abundance), Tyler Anthony Smith* (Charles Fowler), Maria Stephens (Prudence Peck) and Danne W. Taylor* (The Dowager Countess Edith Fowler).

Understudies: Kelly Bolton, Chad Gearig-Howe, Kristen Secrist, Ben Stacy and Robert Williams*.

Location: The Chopin Upstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Regular run: Though Sunday, July 31. 2022

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm

Tickets: $24 advanced general admission, $42 at the door, $62 VIP/reserved seating with drink ticket. Group rates $34 for 10 or more. 

Tickets are currently available at handbagproductions.org.

 

About the Artists     

David Cerda (Playwright) is a founding member and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, now celebrating its 20th year anniversary. As resident playwright, he has written many Handbag productions as well as acted in them. His play, The Drag Seed was recently produced at LaMaMa Experimental Theater and his Golden Girls Lost Episodes parody shows have been produced around the country and was featured in Golden Con: Thank you for being a Fan, the world’s first fan convention dedicated to all things Golden Girls at Chicago’s Navy Pier. As a Latinx queer individual, he is a proud inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and recipient of a Jeff Award for lifetime achievement for his 25 years (and counting) of work and service to the community. He lives in Chicago with his partner, Christopher.

Cheryl Snodgrass (Director) has most recently directed the remount of The Drag Seed and its move to LaMama in NYC. She first worked with HIAH as an actor, playing Bigger Lorraine in Caged Dames, but soon transitioned to directing. She has since directed Die! Mommie, Die!, Haywire, Rip Nelson’s Halloween Spooktacluar, SCARRIE The Musical,  L’imitation of Life and The Birds.  Cheryl has also assisted David in developing several scripts. Outside of HIAH, Cheryl has worked with playwright Jeff Goode for 35 years as a director, actor and producer. She directed the premiere productions of Poona the F*ckdog and Other Plays for Children (Trap Door), The Emancipation of Alabaster McGill (Studio Roanoke) and The Eight Reindeer Monologues (Brave Hearts). In the last five years, she’s directed three shows for The Foundlings – To the New Girl, Hoist, and The Eight. She directed two shows for Glass Glass Apple – Shadows of Birds and Lighthouses in the Desert and, finally, Who’s Holiday, for Penobscott Theatre in Bangor, ME.

About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.

Irish Theatre of Chicago Presents MOLLY SWEENEY March 31 – May 8, 2022 at The Chopin Theatre

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Irish Theatre of Chicago Presents

MOLLY SWEENEY

By Brian Friel

Directed by Ensemble Member Siiri Scott

March 31 – May 8, 2022 at The Chopin Theatre

 

Irish Theatre of Chicago is pleased to return to the Chicago stage with Brian Friel’s moving play Molly Sweeney, directed by Ensemble Member Siiri Scott, playing March 31 – May 8, 2022 at The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division Street in Chicago. Tickets go on sale shortly at www.irishtheatre.org. I'll be out for the press opening April 2nd so check back soon for my full review. 

Molly Sweeney features ensemble members Matthew Isler*, Robert Kauzlaric* and Carolyn Kruse*.

*Denotes Irish Theatre of Chicago ensemble member

Blind since birth, Molly knows the world through touch, sound, taste and smell. When her hopeful husband and ambitious doctor propose restoring her sight, everyone begins to understand things may not be as they appear. Brian Friel, Ireland's master storyteller, brings us a riveting contemporary drama about the unexpected consequences of a medical miracle. 

The production team for includes Jessica Baldinger (scenic design), Louise Gregory (costume design), Smooch Medina (lighting design), Agata Pacia (sound design) Evan Sposato (production design), Parick Starner (production manager) and Jen Bukovsky* (stage manager).

COVID protocols: To ensure the health and safety of artists, audiences and staff, proof of vaccination and masking is required at all performances. These protocols are subject to change based on evolving guidance from Actors’ Equity Association, the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois and the CDC.

 

Location: The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division Street in Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, March 31 at 7 pm and Friday, April 1 at 7 pm

Press performance: Saturday, April 2 at 7 pm

Regular run: Sunday April 3 – Sunday, May 8, 2022. Please note: there will not be a performance on Sunday, April 17 (Easter).

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 4 pm.

Tickets: Preview $25. Regular run $40. Seniors/students $5 off. Tickets are currently available at www.irishtheatre.org.

CREATIVE BIOGRAPHIES:

Brian Friel (Playwright) wrote The Enemy Within (1962); Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1964); The Loves of Cass McGuire (1966); Lovers (1967); Crystal and Fox (1968); The Mundy Scheme (1969); The Gentle Island (1971); The Freedom of the City (1973); Volunteers (1975); Living Quarters (1977); Aristocrats (1979); Faith Healer (1979); Translations (1980); a translation of Three Sisters (1981); The Communication Cord (1982); an adaptation of Turgenev’s novel Fathers and Sons (1987); Making History (1988); Dancing at Lughnasa (1990); The London Vertigo (1991); an adaptation of A Month in the Country (1992); Wonderful Tennessee (1993); and Molly Sweeney (1994). Dancing at Lughnasa premiered at the Abbey Theatre, transferred to London’s West End, and then went on to Broadway, where it won three 1992 Tony Awards, including Best Play. The play has been performed around the world, including national tours in Ireland, England and Australia. His plays have been performed extensively in Dublin at the Abbey, Gate, and Olympia theatres, and in many West End theatres in London. New York productions include Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Helen Hayes, 1965); The Loves of Cass McGuire (Helen Hayes, 1966); The Mundy Scheme (Royale, 1969); The Freedom of the City (Alvin, 1974); Faith Healer (Longacre, 1979); Lovers (Lincoln Center, 1986); Aristocrats (MTC, 1989); Dancing at Lughnasa (Plymouth, 1991); Wonderful Tennessee (Plymouth, 1993); Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Roundabout, 1994) and Translations (Plymouth, 1995). In 1992, Faith Healer was revived by King’s Head Theatre, London, and transferred to the Wyndham in the West End; and A Month in the Country opened at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. Molly Sweeney opened at the Gate Theatre and transferred to the Almeida Theatre in London. Born in Omagh, County Tyrone, in Ireland in 1929, Mr. Friel began writing short stories for "The New Yorker" in 1959 and subsequently published two collections: "The Saucer of Larks" and "The Gold in the Sea." His first radio plays were produced by the BBC, Belfast, in 1958. In 1989, BBC Radio devoted a six-play season to his work, the first living playwright to be so distinguished. He co-founded Field Day Theatre Company in Derry, Ireland, where Translations, The Communication Cord and Making History premiered. 

Siiri Scott (Director) is the Head of Acting and Directing at the University of Notre Dame. After over 25 years in the classroom and multiple teaching awards, she trains advanced students in acting, voice, dialect and movement and teaches international masterclasses on acting pedagogy. She received her MFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University before she began working professionally. An actor and director, she has worked in regional theatre and television in Chicago, Milwaukee, Seattle and Los Angeles. Siiri is a member of two theatre companies and performs Japanese Noh with Theatre Nohgaku and directs/produces with Irish Theatre of Chicago. She directed the Jeff-nominated production of My Brilliant Divorce, The Weir and Pineapple for ITC, and she produced the Notre Dame tours for the company. A classically trained performer, she keeps herself in the game as a voice actor and works on both commercials, installations and educational software, and is an award-winning narrator of over 80 audiobooks. Publications include the chapter "Vulnerability in Performance" in The Pedagogy of Vulnerability and she is co-editing an anthology for Routledge, titled “Stanislavsky & Race,” which examines inclusivity and equity in the training and application of the Stanislavsky System in the U.S. and abroad.

Irish Theatre of Chicago (formerly Seanachaí Theatre Company) is supported in part by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, The Arts Work Fund,The National Endowment for the Arts, and The Grainger Foundation. 

 

THE DRAG SEED Via Hell in a Handbag Productions to Play February 24 – March 20, 2022 at The Chopin Theatre

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents

THE DRAG SEED

By Artistic Director David Cerda

Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass

February 24 – March 20, 2022 at The Chopin Theatre

 

Plus a Limited Engagement at New York’s

LaMama Experimental Theatre Club!

 

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we adored this camp classic the last time around, and can't wait to see the revival run. I'll be out to catch this one March 3rd, so check back soon for my full review. Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to continue its 20th anniversary season with a revival of its popular comedy The Drag Seed, an unauthorized parody of the 1956 psychological horror-thriller film The Bad Seed. Written by Artistic Director David Cerda* and directed by Cheryl Snodgrass, The Drag Seed will play February 24 – March 20, 2022 at The Chopin Downstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are currently available at handbagproductions.org and thedragseed.eventbrite.com. 

Please note: Handbag will require proof of full vaccination and masking at all performances. The entire cast and crew is fully vaccinated and tested regularly.

Handbag is also pleased to announce that following its Chicago run, The Drag Seed will play a limited engagement March 31 – April 10, 2022 at the legendary La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City, featuring the full Chicago cast.

The revival features ensemble members David Cerda*, Sydney Genco*, Ed Jones*, Elizabeth Lesinski*, Tyler Anthony Smith* and Danne W. Taylor* with Kelly Anchors and Patrick O’Keefe. Understudies: Nicky Mendelsohn*, Elizabeth Rude and Jamie Smith.

Carson (Patrick O’Keefe) is a perfect little boy who likes to dress like the perfect little girl and they’re deadly serious about crowns and pronouns. Carson’s mother, Connie (Ed Jones), loves and accepts Carson but wishes Carson wasn’t so competitive. Carson always gets what they want, and they really want to win the drag pageant at their very progressive school – The Josephine Baker Rainbow Academy for Gifted Students. When Carson loses to Summer Breeze, they vow to get that crown – one way or another…

The production team includes Lauren Nichols (scenic design), Gregory Graham (costume design), Liz Cooper (lighting design), DJ Douglass (sound design), Pamela Parker* (props design), Keith Ryan* (wig design), Sydney Genco* (make-up design), R & D Fight Choreography (fight choreography), Abby Teel (production manager) and Drew Donnelly* (stage manager).

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member

Dates: Previews: Thursday, February 24 at 7:30 pm, Friday, February 25 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, February 26 at 7:30

Opening/Press performance: Sunday, February 27 at 7 pm

Regular run: Saturday, February 25 – Sunday, March 20, 2022

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 4 pm

Industry Night: Monday, March 14 at 7:30 pm

Tickets: $27 advanced general admission, $32 at the door, $50 VIP/reserved seating with drink ticket. Group rates $25 for 10 or more. Tickets are currently available at  handbagproductions.org and thedragseed.eventbrite.com.

 

About the Artists     

David Cerda (Playwright) is a founding member and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, now celebrating its 20th year anniversary. As resident playwright, he has written many Handbag productions as well as acted in them. His Golden Girls Lost Episodes parody shows have been produced around the country and will be featured in Golden Con in Chicago, the world’s first fan convention dedicated to all things Golden Girls at Navy Pier. As a Latinx queer individual, he is a proud inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and recipient of a Jeff Award for lifetime achievement for his 25 years (and counting) of work and service to the community. He lives in Chicago with his partner, Christopher.

Cheryl Snodgrass (Director) works regularly with Hell in a Handbag. Productions include Die, Mommie! Die!, Scarrie: The Musical, L’Imitation of Life and The Birds. She has performed with Handbag in Caged Dames and The Birds, and has assisted David Cerda in developing a number of scripts. Cheryl has worked with playwright Jeff Goode directing the premiere productions of Poona the F*ckdog and Other Plays for Children, The Emancipation of Alabaster McGill and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues among others. She directed To the New Girl and Hoist for Foundlings, as well as Shadows of Birds and Lighthouses in the Desert with Glass Apple. Cheryl most recently returned from Bangor, ME after directing Who’s Holiday. Next up is the world premiere of Handbag’s A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery. 

 

About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit  handbagproductions.org.

AN EVENING OF SONGS AND STORIES WITH VERBÖTEN COMPOSER JASON NARDUCY MARCH 14 AT THE CHOPIN THEATRE

**Canceled Due to Coronavirus Closures**

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO ANNOUNCES 

 A ONE NIGHT ONLY SPECIAL EVENT, 

AN EVENING OF SONGS AND STORIES WITH VERBÖTEN COMPOSER 

JASON NARDUCY, 

SATURDAY, MARCH 14 AT 8 P.M., AT THE CHOPIN THEATRE

Image of Jason Narducy courtesy of The House Theatre of Chicago

The House Theatre of Chicago presents An Evening of Songs and Stories with Verböten Composer Jason Narducy, Saturday, March 14 at 8 p.m. at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. Verböten is the world premiere musical inspired by Narducy’s 1980’s Evanston-based teenage punk rock band, directed by The House’s Artistic Director Nathan Allen, with book by Brett Neveu and music and lyrics by Narducy and now extended through March 29 at the Chopin Theatre. Tickets for An Evening of Songs and Stories with Verböten composer Jason Narducy are $40 and may be purchased at www.thehousetheatre.com.

The House Theatre of Chicago is thrilled to be able to offer fans of Narducy, Verböten and The House a rare opportunity to experience this acclaimed musician’s “Living Room” concert on the living room set of Verböten. The evening will highlight Narducy’s career with him sharing songs and personal stories of his own multi-decade musical journey.

ABOUT JASON NARDUCY
Jason Narducy is an Evanston-based musician. In 1982, at 11 years-old, he formed the seminal punk rock band Verböten with his childhood friends in an Evanston basement. Today, he plays bass in both the Bob Mould Band and Superchunk, and fronts Split Single, with whom he’s recorded two albums with a rotating cast of stellar musicians, including Jon Wurster, Spoon’s Britt Daniel,  Wilco’s John Stirratt, and R.E.M.’s Mike Mills.

ABOUT VERBÖTEN
It’s 1983 in Chicago and it’s do-or-die for Verböten—a band that is made up of outsider teens with seriously complex home lives. As they gear up for a show at The Cubby Bear that is sure to change their lives forever, can they keep their parents from destroying the fabric of their self-made punk rock family? With lyrics and music by Verböten’s original guitarist, Jason Narducy, Verböten is inspired by the true story of Chicago's own young punks.

The Verböten performance schedule through March 29 is as follows:

Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.

Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. (Alternative times:  Saturday, March 14 at

2 p.m., no performance March 14 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 28 at 2 p.m.and 7 p.m.      

Sundays at 3 p.m.  (No Performance Sunday, March 22).

Ticket prices range from $30-60 and may be purchased by calling 773.769.3832 or by visiting www.thehousetheatre.com.  Student and industry same-day discounted tickets are available at $20 for all dates, based on availability. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are also available. 

For additional information on Verböten and its cast and design team visit www.thehousetheatre.com.

ABOUT THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO
The House Theatre of Chicago is Chicago's premier home for intimate, original works of epic story and stagecraft. Founded and led by Artistic Director Nathan Allen, along with Managing Director Erik Schroeder, The House is driven by an interdisciplinary ensemble of Chicago’s next generation of great storytellers, and aims to become a laboratory and platform for the evolution of the American theatre as an inclusive and popular artform.

The House was founded in 2001 by a group of friends to explore connections between Community and Storytelling through a unique theatrical experience. Since becoming eligible in 2004, The House has won 24 Joseph Jefferson Awards, became the first recipient of Broadway in Chicago’s Emerging Theater Award in 2007, and was awarded a 2014 National Theatre Company Grant by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. The 18th season of original work began this November and The House continues its mission to unite Chicago in the spirit of community through amazing feats of Storytelling.  

The House Theatre of Chicago presents An Evening of Songs and Stories with Verböten Composer Jason Narducy, Saturday, March 14 at 8 p.m. at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. Verböten is the world premiere musical inspired by Narducy’s 1980’s Evanston-based teenage punk rock band, directed by The House’s Artistic Director Nathan Allen, with book by Brett Neveu and music and lyrics by Narducy and now extended through March 29 at the Chopin Theatre.Tickets for An Evening of Songs and Stories with Verböten composer Jason Narducy are $40 and may be purchased at www.thehousetheatre.com.

REVIEW: Compagnie La Pendue’s Tria Fata at The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Surprisingly Intimate Puppetry Production 

Darkly Funny and Touching

Review of Compagnie La Pendue’s Tria Fata

Monday Jan 21 at Chopin Theatre

Presented as part of The Festivals Exchange

Guest Review
by d’arcy mies

In Tria Fata, La Pendue’s cast of two puppeteers present a cabaret that serves up life and death. A one-man band (Martin Kaspar Lauchli) fills the space with jaunty Klezmer music and (occasionally manipulates stringed puppets), while the graceful, black clad Estelle Charlier fills various roles, most notably, Death itself. Presented in French with English supertitles projected above the stage, the show is both intimate and expansive, at once personal and universal.



The main character, a red-haired old woman, bargains with Death for a little extra time, so she can once more review the memories of her life. The highlights of her life are presented: an amusing and bizarre childbirth scene, a highly symbolic coming of age vignette, and a heartbreakingly tragic love story. Each part is presented using different techniques: hand puppets and marionettes, shadow-puppetry, mime, and at the end, a touching and mesmerizing kinetic slide show. Tria Fata invites the audience to share in the old woman’s first breath, and her last, an unforgettable tribute to the human experience.

Photo Credit D'Arcy Mies

Photo Credit D'Arcy Mies

D'Arcy Mies is a Montessori teacher, mom, and long time theater lover who lives in Chicago burb, Franklin Park. She drives a "Tardis Blue" car decked out like Dr. Who's time machine and can often be found at pop culture events.



"Tria Fata" by Compagnie La Pendue (France)
Chopin Theatre, 1543 W Division

She is a puppeteer. He is a musician. Life and death are playing in their cabaret. The big imaginary machinery they are activating together strangely looks like the one which presides over our destinies: the Ancients believed this weaving loom belongs to the three Parcae—Tria Fata—where the threads of our lives are weaving, uncoiling, and breaking.

Presented as part of The Festivals Exchange —supported by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation International Connections Fund

About the Festival

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival was founded in 2014 to establish Chicago as a prominent center for the art of puppetry. This biennial Festival presents the highest quality local, national, and international puppet shows in venues across the city. Invited artists lead workshops, public presentations and talks as an integral part of the Festival offerings. Additionally, the Festival hosts the Volkenburg Puppetry Symposium devoted to the advancement of scholarship and research in the field of puppetry.

REVIEW: Nasty, Brutish, and Short: A Puppet Cabaret and The Walls of Harrow House Opening at Chopin Theatre 10/11-11/3/18

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

NOW Twice the Capacity in Dual Cabaret Rooms! 

Nasty, Brutish, and Short: A Puppet Cabaret @ Links Hall

Review: 

I'd caught Nasty Brutish & Short several times in past years and first discovered them as part of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. It was my great pleasure to see them again this September at Links Hall. Their shows were selling out so fast they've expanded to run half of the cabaret in both small theatre spaces simultaneously, with a swap at intermission. Sometimes the work is a bit uneven, ranging from brand new puppeteers to long time pros trying out new material, which is fine by me. I love that Chicago has an outlet that's open and inclusive, where performers with a range of levels and styles can play together. This time around the show was astonishingly polished and beyond excellent, with many breathtaking moments. It was especially fun to catch a sneak peek at scenes and characters from Rough House's upcoming Halloween show, and have a star of Harrow House as the MC! We can't wait to see what's next and will be saving the dates for upcoming Nasty, Brutish, and Short shows. Highly recommended!

Nasty Brutish & Short is an evening of contemporary short-form puppet and object based theater for adult audiences. The cabaret is a low risk environment for artists to perform new and experimental work and foster artistic exchange between puppet artists of different generations and mediums.

Presented by Links Hall and Curated by Grace Needlman and Maddy Low.

Christopher Knowlton as “Atticus Gluteus Maximus”

Rough House co-presents Nasty, Brutish, & Short, a quarterly puppet cabaret at Links Hall.

Contact us at nbspuppetcabaret@gmail.com or check out Roughhouse Theater's site HERE or Nasty Brutish & Short's Site HERE.

This event is funded in part by the Puppet Slam Network (a project of IBEX Puppetry)

www.linkshall.org
Located at Links Hall
3111 North Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618

SAVE THE DATES

Next Up: The Walls of Harrow House 

**Recommended for audiences aged 14 and over. Runtime approximately one hour.**

OBSESSION. TERROR. PUPPETS. 

You are invited to a once-in-a-lifetime tour of Harrow House, the secluded home and studio of Milton Harrow, the world’s most influential and reclusive architect. With no guide but your own instincts, you’ll be set loose in the infamous home to discover its secrets, free to pull on whatever threads you encounter and become entangled in the terrifying tale that unspools around you.

Through puppetry, environmental and sonic design, Harrow House will bring you face to face with cosmic horrors, nightmarish to behold and yet…uncannily familiar. Harrow House asks: can we not only face our fears, but meet them? Can we find empathy for those who frighten us?

The Walls of Harrow House
Thu, Oct 11, 2018, 7:00 p.m. - Sat, Nov 3 2018, 11:00 p.m.

Chopin Theatre, 1543 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60642


The performance will start on time – no late entry.
Get your tickets and more info right HERE.

Ticket Giveaway: House Theatre of Chicago's World Premiere, BOREALIS 8/30-10/21/18

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

**ENTER BELOW! TWO OF OUR LUCKY READERS WILL WIN A PAIR (2) OF TICKETS UP TO $100 VALUE TO BOREALIS, GOOD FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH AT 7PM**

THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO ANNOUNCES CASTING FOR ITS WORLD PREMIERE SEASON OPENER, 

BOREALIS, 

BY BENNETT FISHER, DIRECTED BY MONTY COLE, 

AUGUST 30 – OCTOBER 21 

Both Playwright and Director Make their Debut with The House in this Epic Adventure Through the Corporate Guts of Big Oil 

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, it's our great pleasure to partner up once again with The House Theatre of Chicago on a ticket giveaway for our readers. The House has a well deserved national reputation for epic productions and amazing feats of storytelling. They've long been favorites of ours and we make it a point to catch every show they mount. Whether you've never seen one of their shows or you're a regular, take a few minutes to enter at the bottom of this post, and you may be one of two lucky winners to enjoy a show "on the house".

The House Theatre of Chicago is proud to announce casting and the production team for the company’s season opener, Borealis. Director Monty Cole helms the professional premiere of playwright Bennett Fisher’s epic adventure through the corporate guts of Big Oil. Borealis runs August 30 through October 21 at Chopin Theatre’s Upstairs Theater, 1543 W. Division St., Previews begin Thursday, August 30 and play through Friday, September 7. Opening/press night is Saturday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. 

The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. (September 23 and October 7) or 7 p.m. (September 9, September 16, September 23, October 14 and October 21). Preview tickets are $20 and regular run tickets range from $30 to $50. $20 same-day tickets for students and industry professionals are available for all dates, seats permitting. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehousetheatre.com or call 773.769.3832.


When a redacted and ominous letter arrives from her brother on the oil fields, thirteen-year-old Cozbi sets off for Anwar, Alaska to find him. Armed with a book on corporate communication strategy and a sharp axe, Cozbi battles her way through an Arctic wilderness in pursuit of her missing brother. But she'll have to face more than a multi-tentacled HR rep to learn the truth. Part mythic journey, part workplace satire, Borealis is a dark and funny adventure about family obligation, career aspiration and what we leave behind to make our way to the top. 


Cozbi’s search-and-rescue tale to the inner workings of Big Oil travels between mundane cubicles crawling with monstrous executives to desk-jockeys trapped by the dangerous ice-bound surround and out to the slick, sea-soaked rigging platforms. The House employs an immersive design with huge pipelines traversing up, around and behind the audience creating unique pathways and playing spaces for actors.


Borealis was first developed at the Kennedy Center MFA Playwrights workshop in 2014. It received further development at UC San Diego, the Unicorn Theater, Mixed Blood, Cutting Ball Theater, Custom Made Theater Company, the Alliance Theater (Kendeda Prize Finalist), and The House Theatre of Chicago and the Chicago Performance Lab through the Theatre and Performance Studies Program at the University of Chicago.

Borealis_Headshot Block.jpg: (L to R) Johnny Arena+ (Ensemble #1), McKinzie Chinn (Burke), Desmond Gray (Absalom), Ben Hertel+ (Ensemble #2), Paige Hoffman+ (Ensemble #3: McKnight/Langley/Zebedee, Internal Understudy for Burke), Madhura Jugade (Abbot & Cozbi Understudy), Juan Munoz (Absolom & Ensemble #3 Understudy), Karissa J. Murrell Myers* (Abbot), Oly Oxinfry (Ensemble#1 and #2 Understudy), Tia Pinson (Cozbi)


The cast of seven includes three House Company Members: Paige Hoffman+, Johnny Arena+, and Ben Hertel+. Returning guest artists include Desmond Gray (The Nutcracker, Hatfield & McCoy) and Tia Pinson (Hatfield & McCoy) as brother and sister, as well as new guest artists McKinzie Chinn and Karissa J. Murrell Myers*. The understudies are Madhura Jugade, Juan Munoz, and Oly Oxinfry. 

The Production and Design team includes Eleanor Kahn, scenic designer; Izumi Inaba^, costume designer; Lee Keenan+^, lighting designer; Sarah Espinoza, sound designer; Matthew Muñiz+, composer; Ellie Terrell, properties designer; Breon Arzell, choreographer; Gaby Labotka, fight choreographer; Abhi Shrestha, assistant director and Amalie Vega*, stage manager. 


*Member Actor’s Equity Association

+Company Member of The House Theatre of Chicago

^Member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 


ABOUT BENNETT FISHER, playwright

Bennett Fisher is an artistic associate and former Shank Fellowship Playwright in Residence at Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago and a company member of Campo Santo and People of Interest and the Cutting Ball Theater. His other plays include Damascus (recently presented by Strawdog in Chicago, Samuel Goldwyn Award, O'Neill Conference finalist), Don't Be Evil, Candlestick, Campo Maldito, and the dialogue for the immersive theater experience The Speakeasy, currently running in San Francisco. His work has been presented and produced by the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Strawdog Theater Company, La Jolla Playhouse's WOW Festival, the Alliance Theater, the Kennedy Center MFA Playwrights Workshop, Florida Repertory Theater, the Martin E. Segel Center, Burbage Theater Company, People of Interest, Ubuntu Theater Project, Theater Emory, the Unicorn Theater, Sleepwalkers Theater, New Conservatory, the Cutting Ball Theater, Custom Made Theatre Company, and others. Fisher has been commissioned by The House Theater of Chicago, Theater Emory, Campo Santo, and others. His screenplay version of Damascus was optioned by Bill Mechanic and Pandemonium and he is currently developing work with e1 based on the experience of the former CIA officer-turned-whistleblower John Kiriakou. As an actor, dramaturg, and director, he has collaborated with California Shakespeare Theatre, Stanford Summer Theatre, Just Theater, Crowded Fire, Pear Ave Theatre, Adirondack Shakespeare Company, Marin Shakespeare Company, and many others. He received his MFA from UC San Diego in 2016.           
ABOUT MONTY COLE, director

Monty Cole is a director based out of Chicago and Los Angeles. Cole has directed for The Goodman Theatre, The Alley Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, American Theatre Company, Definition Theater Company/ALTA, The House Theatre of Chicago, the Chicago Theater Marathon, California Institute of the Arts and others. Cole directed the critically acclaimed and Jeff Award winning production of The Hairy Ape for Oracle Productions. Cole is working with collaborator and choreographer Breon Arzell on revitalizing In Dahomey, the first black written and performed Broadway musical from 1903 for the Center for New Performance. Recently, Cole directed William Shakespeare's Hamlet at The Gift Theatre and Kiss by Guillermo Calderon at the Haven Theatre Company. Cole is currently finishing his MFA Directing degree at the California Institute for the Arts.






ABOUT THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO 


The House is Chicago's premier home for intimate, original works of epic story and stagecraft. Founded and led by Artistic Director Nathan Allen and driven by an interdisciplinary ensemble of Chicago’s next generation of great storytellers, The House aims to become a laboratory and platform for the evolution of the American theatre as an inclusive and popular artform.

The House was founded in 2001 by a group of friends to explore connections between Community and Storytelling through a unique theatrical experience. Since becoming eligible in 2004, The House has been nominated for 70 Joseph Jefferson Awards (22 wins), became the 
first recipient of Broadway in Chicago’s Emerging Theater Award in 2007, and was awarded a 
2014 National Theatre Company Grant by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. The 17th season of original work will begin with Borealis in the fall of 2018 and The House will continue its mission to unite Chicago in the spirit of Community through amazing feats of Storytelling.   

ENTER HERE! TWO OF OUR LUCKY READERS WILL WIN A PAIR (2) OF TICKETS UP TO $100 VALUE TO BOREALIS, GOOD FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH AT 7PM

Winners will be chosen at random and announced here and via our social media outlets on September 7th. Winners will also be e-mailed. Enter early and often through midnight September 6th.

**ENTER HERE**

Disclosure: Thanks to House Theatre for providing tickets for our giveaway and for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own.

OPENING: Chicago Debut of Manual Cinema's The End of TV at Chopin Theatre

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Manual Cinema is self-presenting the Chicago debut of The End of TV for a three-week summer run July 19-August 5 at Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park.

 “The End of TV’s artistry is awesome. Its impact is profound, unique, indescribable.”

- Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant 

”a fascinating theatergoing experience blending live music, old TV video clips and shadow puppetry”

- E. Kyle Minor, New Haven Register 

“the audience gets to experience…a moment of live artistic creation, playing out on the stage in front of them, with little to hide and lots to show” 

- Thomas Breen, New Haven Independent 

Photo Credit for all: Judy Sirota Rosenthal

I'll be ChiILin' at Chi, IL's Chopin Theatre this Friday for the press opening of Manual Cinema's Chicago debut of The End of TV. We've reviewed many of Manual Cinema's productions over the years and love their quirky multimedia story telling style that combines live action and projection. We're eager to catch their latest. Check back soon for my full review.



The End of TV - an art pop song cycle with live visuals set in post-industrial Rust Belt America - melds vintage overhead projectors, multiple screens, puppets, actors, live feed cameras, multi-channel sound design and a live music ensemble. 

Through its tale of two women who become unlikely friends as one approaches the end of her life, while the other is reinventing a new one, The End of TV becomes an unforgettable, multimedia, theatrical meditation on late 20th century advertising, TV culture and the pre-internet American imagination. 

Manual Cinema has announced a three-week summer run of The End of TV, July 19- August 5 at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division, in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.

A critical and box office hit when it debuted last summer at The International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven, CT, Manual Cinema’s summer run at Chopin marks the Chicago premiere of The End of TV.

The End of TV has one preview, Thursday, July 19 at 7 p.m. Performances continue through August 5: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Run time is 70 minutes. Tickets are $30; $20 for students and seniors. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at manualcinema.com/cal.





Manual Cinema was founded in 2010 by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller, and Kyle Vegter, all close collaborators on The End of TV. Manual Cinema has turned heads in Chicago ever since, combining handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive visual stories for stage and screen. Using vintage overhead projectors, multiple screens, puppets, actors, live feed cameras, multi-channel sound design, and a live music ensemble, Manual Cinema transforms the experience of attending the cinema and imbues it with liveness, ingenuity, and theatricality.


Manual Cinema-The End of TV (Official Trailer) from Manual Cinema on Vimeo.

The End of TV premiered in June, 2017 at the The International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven, CT, and was met with substantial critical acclaim: 

Set in a post-industrial Rust Belt city in the 1990s and told through a collection of original 70’s R&B-inspired art pop songs, The End of TV explores the quest to find meaning amongst the increasingly constant barrage of commercial images and advertising white-noise. Two sides of the American Dream — its technicolor promise as delivered through TV ads, and its failure, witnessed in the dark reality of industrial decline — are staged in cinematic shadow puppetry and lo-fi live video feeds with flat paper renderings of commercial products. The show is driven by a sweeping chamber art pop song cycle performed live by a seven-piece band.

The End of TV depicts the rise and fall of the American rust belt through the stories of Flo and Louise, both residents of a fictional Midwestern city. Flo is an elderly white woman, once a supervisor at the thriving local auto plant. Now succumbing to dementia, the memories of her life are tangled with television commercials and the “call now” demands of the QVC home shopping network. Louise, a young black woman laid off from her job when the same local auto plant closes, meets Flo when she takes a job as a Meals-on-Wheels driver. An unlikely relationship grows as Flo approaches the end of her life and Louise prepares for the invention of a new one. Their story is intercut with commercials and TV programs, the constant background of their environment.

The End of TV is a Manual Cinema production. Credits are: screenplay by Kyle Vegter and Ben Kauffman; direction and storyboards by Julia Miller; adapted for the screen by Lizi Breit, Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Julia Miller, Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter; music by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter; sound design by Kyle Vegter; puppet design by Lizi Breit; associate puppet designer and storyboard artist Drew Dir; assistant director Sarah Fornace; costumes by Mieka van der Ploeg; lighting design by Claire Chrzan; lighting associate Shelbi Arndt; masks by Julia Miller; stage manager Shelby Glasgow; production manager Mike Usrey; puppet build interns Zofia Lu Ya Zhang and Kathryn Ann Shivak.

The cast is Kara Davidson (Flo/puppeteer), Aneisa Hicks (Louise/puppeteer), Jeffrey Paschal (ensemble/ puppeteer), Vanessa Valliere (ensemble/puppeteer), Shalynn Brown aka RED (drums), Maren Celest (vocals, live sound FX, live video mixing), Deidre Huckabay (flutes, vocals), Ben Kauffman (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Lia Kohl (cello, vocals), Marques Toliver (vocals, violin) and Kyle Vegter (bass).

The End of TV was co-commissioned by The International Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven, CT, and made possible in part with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Theater Project, with lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.


More about Manual Cinema

“this Chicago troupe is conjuring phantasms to die for…”
-Ben Brantley, The New York Times

Manual Cinema was founded in 2010 by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller, and Kyle Vegter. To date the company has created seven original feature length live cinematic shadow puppet shows (Lula Del Ray, ADA/ AVA, Mementos Mori, My Soul’s Shadow, The Magic City, No Blue Memories and The End of TV); a live cinematic contemporary dance show created for family audiences in collaboration with Hubbard Street Dance and the choreographer Robyn Mineko Williams (Mariko’s Magical Mix); an original site-specific installations (La Celestina); an original adaptation of Hansel & Gretel created for the Belgian Royal Opera; music videos for Sony Masterworks, Gabriel Kahane, three time GRAMMY Award-winning eighth blackbird, and New York Times Best Selling author Reif Larson; a live non-fiction piece for Pop-Up Magazine; a self-produced short film (CHICAGOLAND); a museum exhibit created in collaboration with the Chicago History Museum (The Secret Lives of Objects); a collection of cinematic shorts in collaboration with poet Zachary Schomburg and string quartet Chicago Q Ensemble (FJORDS); and live cinematic puppet adaptations of StoryCorps stories (Show & Tell).

Manual Cinema has been presented by, worked in collaboration with, or brought its work to The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), Under the Radar Festival (NYC), The Tehran International Puppet Festival (Iran), La Monnaie-De Munt (Brussels), BAM (NYC), Underbelly (UK), Adelaide Festival (AU), The Kennedy Center (DC), The Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Noorderzon Festival (Netherlands), The O, Miami Poetry Festival, Davies Symphony Hall (SF), The Ace Hotel Theater (LA), Handmade Worlds Puppet Festival (Minneapolis), The Screenwriters’ Colony in Nantucket, The Detroit Institute of Art, The Future of Storytelling Conference (NYC), the NYC Fringe Festival, The Poetry Foundation (Chicago), the Chicago International Music and Movies Festival, the Puppeteers of America: Puppet Festival (R)evolution, and elsewhere around the world.

Manual Cinema was ensemble-in-residence at the University of Chicago in the Theater and Performance Studies program in the fall of 2012, where they taught as adjunct faculty. In 2013 Manual Cinema held residencies and taught workshops at the School of the Art Institute (Chicago), The Future of Storytelling Conference (NYC), RCAH at Michigan State University, and Puppeteers of America: Puppet Festival (R)evolution (Swarthmore, PA), Southern Illinois University, and the Chicago Parks District. In Spring 2016 Manual Cinema held workshops at Yale University as visiting lecturers in the theater department.

In Fall 2016, they contributed visuals, music, and sound design for an immersive adaptation of Peter Pan with producer Randy Weiner (Sleep No More, The Donkey Show, Queen of the Night) which premiered in Beijing in December 2016. In February 2017, Manual Cinema premiered The Magic City, a new show for children and their families, adapted from a novel by Edith Nesbit, and the inaugural production at the new Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station. That was followed in September, 2017 by No Blue Memories, about the life and work of poet Gwendolyn Brooks, commissioned by the Poetry Foundation and based on a screenplay by Eve Ewing and Nathaniel Marshall, presented at the Harold Washington Library, and remounted last March in partnership with the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and the Poetry Foundation. The company also debuted in Australia, France and Germany in 2017 and returned to the Edinburgh Fringe with Lula del Ray. 

Currently, Manual Cinema is touring its production ADA/AVA in Holland. Following its summer run of The End of TV, Manual Cinema will present its world premiere production of Frankenstein at Court Theatre in Hyde Park, November 1-December 2, 2018, as part of Court Theatre’s 2018-19 season. 

For more, visit manualcinema.com, follow the company on Facebook at facebook.com/manualcinema, on Instagram at instagram.com/manual_cinemaand on Twitter @ManualCinema.