OPENING: World Premiere of Remember the Alamo With Neo-Futurist Flair March 4 to April 27, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

World premiere of 

Remember the Alamo 

recreates the Battle of the Alamo with a live audience 

and Neo-Futurist flair

March 4 to April 27, 2019 

Production opens exactly 183 years after the famous 1836 battle

I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's Neofuturists for the press opening, Monday, March 4th, so check back soon for my full review. Think theatre is "to die for"? You may just get that chance. In this new production created by Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Nick Hart and directed by Artistic Director Kurt Chiang, the cast takes over The Neo-Futurist Theater, refuses to leave and obstructs all production in the theater until the audience and actors recreate the Battle of the Alamo in its entirety—through the inevitable "death" of the audience. 

My +1 for this show has visited the Alamo and done the tour, not once but twice, so I'm eager to get her take on the show. She sent me postcards both times saying "where's the basement", referencing the iconic Pee Wee's Big Adventure movie Alamo Tour scene. That's about the extent of my Alamo knowledge, so I'm dying to learn more. Bring it, Neofuturists! History's so much more memorable as on stage storytelling. 




Continuing their 30th Anniversary Season, The Neo-Futurists present the world premiere main stage production Remember the Alamo at The Neo-Futurist Theater from March 4 to April 27, 2019 (previews begin February 28), 183 years after the famous 1836 battle.

Mixing personal stories and historical fact, Hart and the cast breach complex questions around race, Latinx identities, and the border wall. Remember the Alamo is inspired by the grand American tradition of historical reenactment with the meta-theatrical style, honest narratives and personal takes that have defined The Neo-Futurists for 30 years.

Tickets for the world premiere Remember the Alamo at The Neo-Futurist Theater (5153 N. Ashland Avenue) are on sale now and range from $10-$25. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit neofuturists.org/remember-the-alamo.

Remember the Alamo is the 2017-18 commission from The Neo-Futurists’ new works residency program, Neo-Lab, which launched with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Over the past three decades, The Neo-Futurists have created more than 10,500 plays within their flagship late-night event (now known as The Infinite Wrench) and more than 65 full-length mainstage productions incorporating their signature non-illusory, interactive style of performance.

February 28–April 27, 2019
Tickets: $10-$25; all Thursdays & previews are “pay what you can”
Schedule: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Previews: February 28–March 2
Regular run: March 7–April 27

ARTIST BIOS
Brenda Arellano is a performer and devisor based out of Oakland, CA. She was an ensemble member of The Neo-Futurists in Chicago, as well as with The San Francisco Neo-Futurists.  She is an alumnus of Barrel of Monkeys, and has performed with Chicago Children’s Theater, The House Theater, Teatro Vista, and the monthly live lit event, Paper Machete. Recent credits in the Bay Area include Berkeley Repertory Theater’s Ground Floor Summer Lab (2016 and 2018), as well as performing as a hospital clown for Medical Clown Project.

Hal Baum is a writer/performer born and raised in the city of Chicago. He previously performed with The Neo-Futurists in The Arrow Drops Anchor and The Arrow Cleans House.

Nancy Casas is a company member with Barrel of Monkeys, teaching in Chicago Public Schools and performing in That's Weird, Grandma. This is her first production with The Neo-Futurists.

Mitchell Chapman is a regular technician for The Neo-Futurists. Recent credits include Tedium/Other Sensations (Asst. Production Manager), Empty Threats (Stage Manager), and regular runs in the long-running show, The Infinite Wrench.

Kurt Chiang is Artistic Director & Ensemble Member with The Neo-Futurists. As a Neo-Futurist, he has written over 300 two-minute plays since joining the company in 2008 and is the creator of the Prime Time show Analog (2013), and the recurring live-reading-and-editing show The Arrow, in collaboration with Lily Mooney. Previous credits at The Neo-Futurists: Saturn Returns (writer/performer), The Neo-Futurists: Body (co-editor), Haymaker (director), BEER! The Musical (performer), Burning Bluebeard (choreographer & installation artist), and The Fool (Returns To His Chair) (writer/performer). He is a Company Member of Barrel of Monkeys and has performed in That's Weird, Grandma. Kurt is a 2017 3Arts Make a Wave grantee.

Nick Hart graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in theatre in 2010. He has been an ensemble member with The Neo-Futurists since 2014, where he has written and performed more than 150 short plays and is currently a writer and performer in their signature late-night production The Infinite Wrench. Hart is also a proud member of Barrel of Monkeys and has regularly performed in their show That’s Weird, Grandma since 2011. Remember the Alamo is his first world premiere mainstage production at The Neo-Futurist Theater this spring.

Steven Edward Mosqueda is a Los Angeles native but considers Chicago home since 1990. He is a Neo-Futurist alum and a founding member of The Drinking & Writing Theater, exploring the connection between creativity and alcohol since 2002.



ABOUT THE NEO-FUTURIST THEATER
Celebrating its 30th Anniversary this season, The Neo-Futurist Theater is a collective of writer-director-performers who create theater that is a fusion of sport, poetry and living newspaper. The company has created more than 10,500 plays to date within its flagship late-night event (now known as The Infinite Wrench) and more than 65 full-length mainstage productions incorporating its signature non-illusory, interactive style of performance. From humble beginnings launching the first late-night theater production in Chicago, The Neo-Futurist Theater created what became the city’s longest-running show and has grown to become one of the most highly regarded experimental theater companies in the United States, with sister companies in San Francisco and New York. For more information, visit www.neofuturists.org.

The Neo-Futurist Theater is partially supported by grants from Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Arts Work Fund, The Chicago Community Foundation, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council Agency, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and The National Endowment for the Arts.

SHOWS ON OUR RADAR: Tangles & Plaques Return Engagement Through September 29, 2018

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Tangles & Plaques

at The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Avenue 

A limited three-week return engagement through 

September 29, 2018

It was my great pleasure to catch the world premiere of Tangles & Plaques in October of 2017. This unique glimpse into the world of dementia patients and their caregivers is at once playful and painful, as well as enlightening. For all of us in the sandwich generation, caring for aging parents and children of our own, this is a must see.  



Tangles & Plaques attempts to demystify the experience of dementia in the language of theatre—offering a vivid, poignant, participatory experience that is unique to each audience and different every performance. Ensemble Member Kirsten Riiber and Director Jen Ellison conduct a symphony of impossible tasks and egregious forgery with the help of the audience and a cast including Riiber, Kaitlyn Andrews, Ida Cuttler, Justin Deming, Mike Hamilton, Nick Hart and Dan Kerr-Hobert. The ensemble interrogates the life and death of memories—how they persist, when they depart and the ways they distort over time.

Tangles & Plaques is Neo-Lab’s 2016-17 commission. Neo-Lab is an original works residency at The Neo-Futurist Theater originally launched in 2015 by the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information visit www.neofuturists.org/events/tangles-plaques.

Halloween Edition! Barrel of Monkeys Presents THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Ghosts, Ghouls and Talking Potatoes

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Halloween Edition!

Barrel of Monkeys Presents

THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Ghosts, Ghouls and Talking Potatoes

Directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd

October 7 – November 4, 2018 at the Neo-Futurist Theater

An Original Sketch Show that is Written by Kids, 

Performed by Grownups, and Enjoyed by Humans

PHOTO CREDIT: Barrel of Monkeys company members perform THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Just in time for Halloween, Barrel of Monkeys is pleased to present the newest revue of its much lauded sketch show: THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Ghosts, Ghouls and Talking Potatoes, directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd. The Halloween edition plays Sundays at 3 pm from October 7 – November 4, 2018 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140. The press opening is Sunday, October 14 at 3 pm.



Gather ye ‘round for a line-up of scary (and silly) stories featuring talking potatoes getting lost in the woods, Malcolm X fighting zombies, creepy slideshows that haunt old houses, and other spooky scenarios imagined by Chicago elementary school students.

The cast to date includes Jennifer Allman, Noah Appelbaum, Isabella Gerasole and Tom Malinowski. Additional casting to be announced.



Now in its eighteenth year, THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA features adaptations of stories written during Barrel of Monkeys’ creative writing residencies in Chicago elementary schools. BOM teaching artists guide 3rd through 5th graders through a six-week curriculum that uses theater to bring out the storyteller in every child. Afterward, BOM’s ensemble of professional actors, comedians and musicians bring the young authors’ stories to life as raucous sketches, songs and movement pieces, performing first for students in their schools and then for the public. 

The stories in THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA resonate with adults while celebrating the imaginations of young people. Rotating themes highlight the diversity of stories BOM students concoct, from hilarious dialogues between unlikely characters to poignant pleas for social change. Every week brings a new line-up of stories, and BOM invites audiences to vote on their favorites at each performance.



Location: Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago
Dates: Preview: Sunday, October 7 at 3 pm
Press performance: Sunday, October 14 at 3 pm
Regular run: Sunday, October 14 – Sunday, November 4, 2018
Curtain Times: Sundays at 3 pm 
Tickets: Previews: $10 for adults, $5 children 12 and under, $8 groups of 10 or more. Regular run: $20 for adults; $5 for children 12 and under. Discounts: $12 for students with ID, seniors, veterans and groups of 10 or more people. Teen Arts Pass (TAP) members: $5 with ID. Tickets are currently available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140.

About the Director
Brandon Cloyd joined Barrel of Monkeys 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. Before becoming the company’s Artistic Director in September 2017, Brandon served as BOM After-School Program Coordinator at Loyola Park from 2014-2016 and Program Director from 2016-2017. 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 Theater  Company, Filament Theatre, InGen Productions, ACLE's Teatrino in Italy and Purple Crayon Players at Northwestern University.



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., 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. 

OPENING: LILY MOONEY’S EMPTY THREATS VIA THE NEO-FUTURISTS Through July 14, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

THE NEO-FUTURISTS 

ANNOUNCE 

LILY MOONEY’S EMPTY THREATS, 

DIRECTED BY KRISSY VANDERWARKER, 

Lily Mooney by Joe Mazza/Brave Lux

JUNE 7 – JULY 14

Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Lily Mooney Holds a Character of Her Own Creation Hostage in this Dark Comedy 

About Truth, Power and Change

The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Lily Mooney’s Empty Threats, directed by Krissy Vanderwarker, in her directorial debut with The Neo-Futurists, playing at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., June 7 – July 14. Previews are Thursday, June 7 – Saturday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night Monday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. The running time is currently 90 minutes. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

In Empty Threats, writer-performer Lily Mooney presents a send up of power dynamics found in contemporary theater and in modern life. The show begins with a fictional premise: Victor, a college professor, prepares to leave his office at the end of a long day. Soon the play’s author, a “real person,” barges in and stages an interrogation, forcing Victor to defend his fictional existence. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and David Mamet’s Oleanna serve as springboards for this complex, comedic and vigorous investigation of truth and responsibility.

Empty Threats features performances from Lily Mooney* and Jared Fernley.

The production team of Empty Threat includes Krissy Vanderwarker (director); Mitchell Chapman (stage manager); Rachel Flesher (violence designer); Zach Payne (assistant violence designer); John Kelly (lighting designer); Grant Sabin (scenic designer); Leah Hummel (props designer); Andrew Tham (sound designer) and Kate Hardiman (production manager).

* denotes member of The Neo-Futurist Ensemble

ABOUT LILY MOONEY* Creator/”Pearl”
Lily Mooney is a writer, performer and teacher in Chicago. Since 2012, she has been an ensemble member of The Neo-Futurists, where she makes short plays for the company's flagship show, The Infinite Wrench. Alongside Artistic Director Kurt Chiang, she co-creates and produces The Arrow, a experimental storytelling show that collides prose, plays, and improvisation. Other Neo-Futurist credits include Saturn Returns, (writer/performer) and The Neo-Futurists: Body (contributing writer). Mooney studied and performed improv at The Annoyance Theatre and holds an MFA from Northwestern University.

ABOUT KRISSY VANDERWARKER, Director
Krissy Vanderwarker is a director/maker. Vanderwarker’s directing credits include: Home Invasion, Midsommer Night's Eve (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure (Lookingglass), Skin of Our Teeth (Remy Bumppo), Harry & The Thief (Pavement Group), The Grown-Up (Shattered Globe), Psychonaut Librarians (The New Colony) and with Dog & Pony Theatre Co.: Breach, Counterfeiters, God’s Ear, As Told by the Vivian Girls, Mr. Marmalade, Ape, Osama the Hero, As Much As You Can and Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake). Vanderwarker is currently making Ghost Army, a city-wide interactive experience, and her first short film titled “Monster Convention.” 

ABOUT JARED FERNLEY, “Victor”
Jared Fernley’s stage credits include work with Writers Theatre, Northlight, Strawdog Theatre, Jackalope, Griffin Theatre and The New Colony, as well as Backroom Shakespeare and One Year Chekhov (where he is an ensemble member). Fernley’s TV credits include “Chicago Fire,” (NBC) and “Patriot,” (Amazon). Fernley is also an artistic associate with Erasing The Distance, a company that sheds light on mental health through documentary theater. He is a proud graduate of The School at Steppenwolf and is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent. 

EMPTY THREATS
June 7 – July 14
Created by Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Lily Mooney
Directed by Krissy Vanderwarker
Previews: Thursday, June 7 – Saturday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Monday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Run: Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Thursdays and Previews Pay-What-You-Can, Regular Run: $10-$25 
Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255

About The Neo-Futurists
The Neo-Futurists are a collective of writer-director-performers creating theater that is fusion of sport, poetry and living-newspaper. Originating over 10,071 plays within the newly launched The Infinite Wrench, 28 years of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, and more than 65 full-length productions within their immediate, non-illusory aesthetic, The Neo-Futurists have grown to become one of the most highly regarded experimental theater companies in the United States. From humble beginnings as the first late-night theater production in Chicago, they launched what became Chicago’s longest running show and today sustain multifaceted programs such as Neo-Access, The Kitchen (a micro-festival on art and performance), Prime Time, exchanges with branches in New York and San Francisco, Neo-Lab, and The Infinite Wrench, their flagship ongoing late-night show running 50 weekends every year. For more information visit www.neofuturists.org

The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Lily Mooney’s Empty Threats, directed by Krissy Vanderwarker, in her directorial debut with The Neo-Futurists, playing at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., June 7 – July 14. Previews are Thursday, June 7 – Saturday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night Monday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. The running time is currently 90 minutes. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

OPENING: WORLD PREMIERE OF TREVOR DAWKINS’ A STORY TOLD IN SEVEN FIGHTS VIA THE NEO-FUTURISTS

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THE NEO-FUTURISTS ANNOUNCE ENSEMBLE MEMBER TREVOR DAWKINS’ 

A STORY TOLD IN SEVEN FIGHTS, DIRECTED BY TONY SANTIAGO, MARCH 1 – APRIL 7

Running Time: 80 minutes

The True Story of Fist Fights and Theater Riots within the Dadaist and Surrealist Movements in the early 20th Century Comes to Life in The Neo-Futurists’ Next World Premiere

I've adored The Neo-Futurists since I first discovered them during their Live Bait Theatre days in the early 90's. My teenage son and I will be out for the press opening of A Story Told in Seven Fights on 3/5, so check back soon for my full review. We're looking forward to this one!

The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Trevor Dawkins’ A Story Told in Seven Fights, directed by Tony Santiago, playing at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., March 1 – April 7. Previews are Thursday, March 1 – Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night Monday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

A Story Told in Seven Fights finds Creator and Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Trevor Dawkins leading a group of stage combatants smashing their way through the true stories of fist fights and theater riots that erupted within the Dadaist and Surrealist movements at the turn of the 20th century. This will be Dawkins’ second full-length Prime Time production after his 2014 summer blockbuster Haymaker and the Neo-Futurist debut for former Oracle Productions’ Tony Santiago.

"When thinking about art and its role in society today, the ensemble and I wanted to look at, celebrate and scrutinize the actions of icons from the early modern art movements,” says Dawkins.  “By looking at the provocations and conflicts of the past, we hope to create a strategy to fight for the future. " 

A Story Told in Seven Fights features performances from Trevor Dawkins*, Jen Ellison**, Rasell Holt, Arti Ishak, TJ Medel, Kendra Miller, Stephanie Shum and Jeff Trainor.

A Story Told in Seven Fights’ production team consists of Tony Santiago (director), Olivia Wallace (stage manager), Gaby Labotka (fight director), Alon Stotter (lighting designer), Eleanor Kahn (scenic designer), Steve Labedz (sound designer) and Kate Hardiman (production manager).

ABOUT TREVOR DAWKINS* creator/performer
Trevor Dawkins has worked as a Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member since 2011, where he has written and performed for Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind and more recently the late-night hit, The Infinite Wrench. Dawkins also created and performed in Haymaker, which The Chicago Tribune’s "On the Fringe" column listed as one of "The Best of 2014." Other Neo-Futurist Prime Time credits include Chalk and Saltwater: The Ladder Project, Daredevils Hamlet, Analog and Redletter. He has performed original work around Chicago, across the United States and at the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe. He has appeared in the films Operator and Bite Radius, as well as the Netflix series Easy. Dawkins is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.F.A. in Performance.

ABOUT TONY SANTIAGO, director
Tony Santiago moved from Virginia in 2008 and works in Chicago as an artist, educator and producer. Santiago worked at Oracle Productions programming award-winning theatre available to the public free of admission. Credits include Kasey Foster’s Romulus, Red Theatre’s R+J The Vineyard, Monty Cole’s The Hairy Ape, Kristiana Rae Colón’s good friday and Joe Varisco’s QUEER, ILL, & OKAY. He directed A Chorus of Hope, commissioned by the Lyric Opera in collaboration with Chicago Voices and Harmony, Hope and Healing in 2016. Santiago is the executive producer of a pop-up production company, The Roustabouts. Roustabouts credits include, Winehouse: A Tribute to Amy, and Ike Holter’s Stay Lit and Put Your House In Order. Currently, he is a program manager at Chicago Arts Access, a nonprofit dedicated to building and connecting audiences with free tickets and accessibility services with its website, freetix.org.

* denotes an active member of The Neo-Futurist Ensemble
** denotes an artistic associate of The Neo-Futurists

A Story Told in Seven Fights
March 1 – April 7
Created by Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Trevor Dawkins
Directed by Tony Santiafo
Previews: Thursday, March 1 – Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Monday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Run: Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Thursdays and Previews Pay-What-You-Can, Regular Run: $10-$25 

Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255

About The Neo-Futurists
The Neo-Futurists are a collective of writer-director-performers creating theater that is fusion of sport, poetry and living-newspaper. Originating over 10,071 plays within the newly launched The Infinite Wrench, 28 years of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, and more than 65 full-length productions within their immediate, non-illusory aesthetic, The Neo-Futurists have grown to become one of the most highly regarded experimental theater companies in the United States. From humble beginnings as the first late-night theater production in Chicago, they launched what became Chicago’s longest running show and today sustain multifaceted programs such as Neo-Access, The Kitchen (a micro-festival on art and performance), Prime Time, exchanges with branches in New York and San Francisco, Neo-Lab, and The Infinite Wrench, their flagship ongoing late-night show running 50 weekends every year. For more information visit www.neofuturists.org

The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Trevor Dawkins’ A Story Told in Seven Fights, directed by Tony Santiago, playing at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., March 1 – April 7. Previews are Thursday, March 1 – Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night Monday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. The running time is currently 80 minutes. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

The Neo-Futurists are partially supported by grants from Alphawood Foundation Chicago, The Chicago Community Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. 

OPENING: WORLD PREMIERE OF KIRSTEN RIIBER’S TANGLES & PLAQUES at THE NEO-FUTURARIUM 10/12-11/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

 THE NEO-FUTURISTS LAUNCH THEIR LATEST SEASON WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

KIRSTEN RIIBER’S 

TANGLES & PLAQUES, 

OCTOBER 12 – NOVEMBER 18, AT THE NEO-FUTURARIUM

A Neo-Lab Commission, Neo-Futurists’ Artistic Associate Jen Ellison Directs an Ever-Changing, Always Original, Interrogation of Dementia and Memories

Don't forget to grab your tickets to this intriguing participatory world premiere! ChiIL Live Shows will be out on opening night so check back soon for our full review.

The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Kirsten Riiber’s Tangles & Plaques, October 12 – November 18, directed by Artistic Associate Jen Ellison at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland (at Foster) in Andersonville. Previews are Thursday, Oct. 12  – Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night Monday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

Neo-Lab’s 2016-17 commission, Tangles & Plaques attempts to demystify the experience of dementia in the language of theatre—offering a vivid, poignant, participatory experience that is unique to each audience and different every performance. Creator Kirsten Riiber* and Director Jen Ellison+ conduct a symphony of impossible tasks and egregious forgery with the help of the audience and a cast including Riiber, Kaitlyn Andrews, Ida Cuttler*, Justin Deming, Mike Hamilton, Nick Hart* and Dan Kerr-Hobert.* With guidance from Memory Care Director Alex Schwaninger, a professional counselor at the local Bethany Retirement Community, the ensemble interrogates the life and death of memories— how they persist, when they depart and the ways they distort over time. 

* denotes Ensemble Member  + denotes Artistic Associate 

Neo-Lab is an original works residency originally launched in 2015 by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The inaugural Neo-Lab production during the 2015-16 Season was Ensemble Member Tif Harrison’s Saturn Returns; the Chicago Tribune said, “Saturn Returns provides a smart and sensitive ramble through the first pangs of grappling with saying goodbye forever.” The 2017-18 Season’s current Neo-Lab commission is Ensemble Member Nick Hart’s Remember the Alamo, with its first workshop presentation Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.

The Tangles & Plaques production team includes Kirsten Riiber (creator, ensemble), Jen Ellison (director), Alex Schwaninger (professional consultant), John Kelly (lighting designer), John Wilson (set designer) and Kate Hardiman (production manager).

ABOUT KIRSTEN RIIBER*, creator

Kirsten Riiber is a visual artist, writer and actor who also serves as the activities director for Bethany Retirement Community. Roles include “Marion” in The Big Knife at Shafer Street Playhouse and “Moss” in Glengarry Glen Ross, as well as devising two original shows with Alluvium Group: The Adventures of Goodbye Forever and Hello Again and Oniero. Riiber has appeared as a writer-­performer in the productions Saturn Returns, Analog, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind and The Infinite Wrench since 2013 as an ensemble member of The Neo-­Futurists.

ABOUT JEN ELLISON+, director

Jen Ellison has been performing, writing and directing in Chicago for nearly 20 years. Directing credits include Trap Door Theatre, WNEP, and Collaboraction, and The Neo-­Futurists where she is an artistic associate. As a resident director at the Second City, Jen has overseen two national touring companies, developed multiple shows for their Outreach and Diversity program, and directed Apes of Wrath for the ETC stage. In addition to teaching ethics at DePaul University, she is a member of the Comedy Writing and Performance faculty at Columbia College Chicago.

ABOUT ALEX SCHWANINGER, professional consultant

Alex Schwaninger has always loved connecting with people over the deepest issues of life – from the search for personal identity to interpersonal and community issues. Even since his earliest memories, he has found himself in situations meditating, translating and coaching others in communicating in a way both to understand the other and to be understood. Schwaninger has a master’s degree in counseling psychology and has been a memory care director at Bethany Retirement Community since 2011.

Tangles & Plaques
October 12 – November 18
Created by Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Kirsten Riiber
Directed by Neo-Futurist Artistic Associate Jen Ellison
Previews: Thursday, Oct. 12 -  Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Monday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Run: Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., October 19 – November 18

Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255

About The Neo-Futurists

The Neo-Futurists are a collective of writer-director-performers creating theater that is fusion of sport, poetry and living-newspaper. Originating over 9,978 plays within the newly launched The Infinite Wrench, 28 years of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, and over 65 full-length productions within their immediate, non-illusory aesthetic, The Neo-Futurists have grown to become one of the most highly regarded experimental theater companies in the United States. From humble beginnings as the first late-night theater production in Chicago, they launched what became Chicago’s longest running show and today sustain multifaceted programs such as Neo-Access, The Kitchen (a micro-festival on art and performance), Prime Time, exchanges with branches in New York and San Francisco, Neo-Lab, and The Infinite Wrench, their flagship ongoing late-night show running 50 weekends every year. For more information visit www.neofuturists.org

The Neo-Futurists are partially supported by grants from Alphawood Foundation Chicago, The Chicago Community Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, and The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

REVIEW: The? Unicorn? Hour? at The Neofuturarium Through May 20th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar

EXTENDED & HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Caught The? Unicorn? Hour? [Extended!] yet?! Come to the joy womb, a blanket fort for adults to reconnect with their anger issues in the swear square, release their inner child for a play day, and satiate their wanderlust. This show is part group therapy, letting go of personal fears and embracing what makes you happy, and contains surprisingly multilayered depth in the guise of playful silliness. (I was particularly transported back to childhood days since they miraculously found both a clone of my 70's bedroom daisy lamp fixture for the set & a fair replica of the fanlight globes that replaced it!) The Neo-Futurists The? Unicorn? Hour?-The Neofuturists At the Neofuturarium

Take a sanity break from the endless fake news and political madness of 2017 and follow these hooded mystics who morph into mythical unicorns, on a journey of self discovery. 



Anthony channels a bearded Bacchus or gracious Greenman, while his real life wife, Leah is all guts and girl power, with the unicorn equivalent of a mohawk, and a pinch of PeeWee Herman just for grins. 



I'm still laughing inside about their tea party, where she manspreads like the worst el offenders, while he sits primly. Hilarious. There's some truly great physical comedy and partner acro here, along with a nonverbal challenge to try something that scares you, get out of your comfort zone, and GO already. Explore, expand, embrace adventure!

Come along on this epic journey while you still can. Extended through May 20th. Recommended for teens+ to adults of all ages. Highly recommended. I took both of my teens who enjoyed the show immensely. My 14 year old daughter, Sage's recap sums it all up succinctly: "It was weird... but weird good." Don't miss this! 

THE NEO-FUTURISTS ARE DOING THEIR JOY HOMEWORK IN THE WORLD PREMIERE OF LEAH URZENDOWSKI AND ANTHONY COURSER’S 

THE? UNICORN? HOUR? 

APRIL 6 – MAY 20th (extended)

Adrian Danzig Directs this new Adventure in Discovering and Growing Joy

The Neo-Futurists are proud to present a world premiere created and performed by Leah Urzendowski* and Anthony Courser The? Unicorn? Hour?, directed by Adrian Danzig, April 6  - May 20th, at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland. Previews are Thursday, April 6 - Saturday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. with opening night Monday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay what you can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

The? Unicorn? Hour? invites the audience to discover and grow in an atmosphere where joy can float freely. Inspired by childhood favorites like “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “Peewee’s Playhouse,” this show claims joy as the core fantastical world of adventure within us.  Joy is an active choice, requiring a shift of perception of the world around you.   

“We became really obsessed and excited with the politics of joy; joy being an activism; that feeling joy, being joy, creating joy is a way to fight against the world and your oppressor.  Joy is a part of the resistance,” said Leah Urzendowski. “The? Unicorn? Hour? refers to the unicorn that lives within all of us - the mythical magical organ in your soul that can be tapped into at any moment you choose. You can “unicorn” at anytime! Seeking joy is refusing woe and accepting the beauty of an unbridled lifting of the spirit.”

“We want to give people the gift of saying yes and delighting in absurd choices; help people tap back into a time before the word ‘no’ was forced on them. We want to be a looking glass of what a world could look like when we choose to eliminate self-doubt and say yes to a sincere playfulness,” added Anthony Courser.   

ABOUT LEAH URZENDOWSKI* creator/performer

Leah Urzendowski* is a founding member of The Ruffians, and an ensemble member with The Neo-Futurists since 2011. Some of Urzendowski’s Chicago credits include Jeff recommended Mr. Burns (Theatre Wit); Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, Miss Neo Pageant, (both with The Neo- Futurists); Burning Bluebeard (The Ruffians); 500 Clown Trapped, 500 Clown Frankenstein, 500 Clown Macbeth (all with 500 Clown); Moby Dick, Dustbowl Gothic ( both with The Building Stage) and Hunchback (Redmoon). Choreography and movement direction credits include The Magic Play (Goodman), Lord of The Flies (Steppenwolf), Ivywild (Hypocrites), Miss Neo Pageant (The Neo-Futurists) and Burning Bluebeard (The Ruffians, The Neo-Futurists).  TV and film credits include “Chicago PD,” “Chicago Fire,” “ER” and “Operator.” Urzendowski is a teaching artist with The Ruffians, The Neo-Futurists and Team Awesome, specializing in physical theatre, ensemble and partnership building, clown, movement and movement consulting. She received her BFA from Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and is represented by Stewart Talent.

ABOUT ANTHONY COURSER, creator/performer

Anthony Courser is a founding member of the Ruffians (2013), an artistic associate with The Neo-Futurists (2012) and a teaching artist with Barrel of Monkeys (2001).  Some of Courser’s favorite Chicago credits include Burning Bluebeard (The Ruffians, The Neo-Futurists); Jeff Recommended Ivywild (The Hypocrites); Daredevils Hamlet, Picked Up, The Fool Returns to His Chair, Daredevils (The Neo-Futurists), That’s Weird, Grandma (Barrel of Monkeys); set designer for Analog (The Neo-Futurists).  He was in the performance ensemble of New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat and the Le Tigre Tent. He is a graduate of Dell Arte International School For Physical Theatre and a student of Panchinko Clowning with Sue Morrison at the Canadian Clown Institute.  Courser is a teacher of clown, Physical Theatre, and Ensemble and Partner Building.  He is also a carpenter, but he doesn’t have time to build you a table.

ABOUT ADRIAN DANZIG** director

Adrian Danzig was an early Neo-Futurist (1990) and a founding member of Redmoon Theater, Hubinspoke Theater and is the founding producing artistic director of 500 Clown. His direction/creation credits include Circle of Madness, Action, Not Dead Yet, 500 Clown Get Happy and the earliest versions of 500 Clown Macbeth. Danzig graduated from New York City’s High School of Performing Arts, received his BA from Oberlin College in Government and his MFA from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago in Performance. He has studied clown with Ctibor Turba, Philippe Gaulier, Ronlin Foreman, Dominique Jando, Els Comediants, David Shiner, Avner the Eccentric and was a clown with Big Apple Circus Clown Care for seven years. 
   
* denotes an active member of The Neo-Futurist Ensemble

**denotes a Neo-Futurist Alum

ABOUT THE NEO-FUTURISTS

The Neo-Futurists are a collective of wildly productive writer-director-performers that create theater that is fusion of sport, poetry and living-newspaper. Having created more than 9,775 plays within 28 years of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind and over 65 original, full-length productions within their immediate, non-illusory aesthetic. The Neo-Futurists have grown to become one of the most highly regarded experimental theater companies in the United States. From humble beginnings as the first late-night theater production in Chicago, they launched what became Chicago’s longest running show and today sustain multifaceted programs such as Neo-Access, The Kitchen (a micro-festival on art and performance), Prime Time, Neo-Lab and their ongoing late night show 50 weekends every year. For more information visit www.neofuturists.org. 

The Neo-Futurists are proud to present a world premiere created and performed by Leah Urzendowski* and Anthony Courser The? Unicorn? Hour?, directed by Adrian Danzig, April 6 - May 13, at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland. Previews are Thursday, April 6 - Saturday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. with opening night Monday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay what you can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

The Neo-Futurists are partially supported by grants from Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Network for Ensemble Theaters, The Illinois Arts Council Agency, The Chicago Community Trust, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Field Foundation of Illinois, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and The National Endowment for the Arts.

NOW PLAYING: Pop Waits at the Neo-Futurists Through March 12th

Pop Waits

FEBRUARY 4 - MARCH 12 2016 

THURSDAY/FRIDAY/SATURDAY AT 7:30PM

Price: $10 – $20 & Pay-What-You-Can-Thursdays

BUY TICKETS

or call us at

773-878-4557

Running Time: 90 minutes

Who are you? What are we? Do I repeat the chorus or hit the bridge?

POP WAITS IS AN ATHLETIC, PARTICIPATORY, CLOWN PROVOCATION TO WRITE A SONG.

Partners and performers Malic White and Molly Brennan both struggle with depression and rely on music to yank themselves out of despair. With the help of a live band and the audience (that’s YOU), White and Brennan summon the sacred powers of their heroes, Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, to write a song of their own.

Through monologues, movement pieces and performance of their rock heroes’ most influential songs, Brennan strips away her penchant for theatricality, while White discovers that building a larger-than-life persona might be the key to survival.

POP WAITS contains loud noises, haze, strobe effects and nudity…because it’s awesome. 
If you don’t like either of those things, just let us know. 

CREATED BY MALIC WHITE  AND MOLLY BRENNAN

DIRECTED BY HALENA KAYS

BAND/ASSORTED ROCKERS: SPENCER MEEKS, DAVID “BIG D” SMITH, ELISA CARLSON.

Want to rock on? Molly and Malic want to jam with you and are teaching a Two-Week Pop Waits Devising Workshop called WE COULD BE HEROES.

Molly Brennan

(Co-creator of POP WAITS) is an actor, singer and clown, playing the Red Queen in Lookingglass Theatre’s Lookingglass Alice, an Accessible Lesbian in The Second City’s American Mixtape and as Madam Barker in Red Tape’ Theatre’s The Life and Death of Madam Barker. Other credits include The Second City’s Guide to the Opera at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Peter Pan: A Play at Lookingglass Theatre, Animal Crackers at Goodman Theatre,Theatrical Essays at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and 500 Clown Macbeth and 500 Clown Frankenstein in multiple venues in Chicago and the United States. On the variety/cabaret/storytelling front, Molly has appeared at the Chicago Humanities Festival, MCA Chicago, Salonathon, Davenport’s, Followspot, The Paper Machete, and You’re Being Ridiculous. She has hosted The Moth Chicago and is a co-creator/curator of The Kinky Butch Witching Hour. Molly served as Artistic Director of Barrel of Monkeys for three years. Molly was named Chicago’s “Queen of Mischief and Make Believe” by American Theatre Magazine, February 2015. She’s also got a couple Jeff prizes for being an acting winner.

Malic White

Malic White joined the Neo-Futurist Theater Ensemble in October 2012. Malic assistant directed The Miss Neo Pageant and performs in Too Much Light. Malic’s storytelling, dance and performance work has been featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Pritzker Pavilion, the Logan Square Auditorium, Tour de Fat and Chances Dances. Malic’s writing has appeared in Bitch Magazine, Windy City Times and the Huffington Post, plus all over Twitter and Facebook.