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Showing posts with label Pride Arts Center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pride Arts Center. Show all posts

Thursday, May 3, 2018

OPENING: Check Out The Pride Arts Center’s Summer Season; Headliners Include Melissa Young and Alan Palmer

Pride Arts Center special summer events to include cabarets, film screenings, comedy and WeFest




Headliners include Melissa Young and Alan Palmer

In addition to its just-announced “PAC Pride Fest” of five fully-staged plays, the Pride Arts Center will host another five special events and performances. The lineup will include the cabaret events OUT AND PROUD by Melissa Young, and Alan Palmer’s FABULOUS DIVAS OF HOLLYWOOD; Pride Films and Plays’ semi-annual WEFEST celebration of Chicago’s queer female, non-binary and trans artists., the final PRIDE FILM FESTIVAL of the ’17-18 season and an improv comedy show by CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY.

The Pride Arts Center’s summer season will kick off on Sunday, June 3 at 7:30 pm in the PAC’s Broadway venue with Melissa Young’s OUT AND PROUD: A RAINBOW CELEBRATION.  Young will perform and emcee a musical and comedic tour of LGBTQ history that will also feature in its cast Nick Sula, Daryl Nitz, Jeannie Tanner and Dan Riley, performing some of the most iconic songs of the LGBTQ movement.

The following weekend, impressionist Alan Palmer will perform his musical FABULOUS DIVAS OF BROADWAY for two nights only, on Friday June 8 and Saturday, June 9 in the 85-seat Broadway theater. With fast paced changes of beautiful costumes, wigs, thematic projections and a bevy of satirical songs, FABULOUS DIVAS OF BROADWAY parodies some of the biggest and best that Hollywood has to offer.With fast paced changes of beautiful costumes, wigs, thematic projections and a bevy of satirical songs, Alan Palmer’s impressions remind us why we all love to go to the movies and adore the leading women who star in them.
(Click on image to access high res photo of Alan Palmer)
The following week will see the final PRIDE FILM FESTIVAL of the 2017-18 season on Tuesday, June 12. Themed “Summer Shorts,” the screening will present a series of sexy and fun upbeat films for summer. The monthly film festival will then go on hiatus until November.

The next evening, on Wednesday, June 13, Pride Films and Plays will present its semi-annual inclusive, intersectional variety show celebrating the work of female, non-binary, and trans artists, WEFEST.

On Saturday, June 16, CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LIVE will be performed in the Broadway at 10 pm. This irreverent night of improv comedy is inspired by the popular and politically incorrect party game “Cards Against Humanity.”

Tickets for all events are on sale now at  www.pridefilmsandplays.com or by phone at 866-411-4111 or 773-857-0222


PAC Cabaret Event
OUT AND PROUD: A RAINBOW CELEBRATION
Broadway Theater
Sunday, June 3, 2018 at 7:30PM
Broadway Theater
Pride Arts Center
4139 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60613
Tickets: $30, Tickets available at www.pridefilmsandplays.com or by phone at 866-811-4111 or 773-857-0222.

Melissa Young’s tour of the LGBTQ movement through song and comedy returns with a little help from Chicago’s best Cabaret stars at the Pride Arts Center. Celebrate Pride month with Melissa Young and Nick Sula as they return with Young’s historical hit, OUT AND PROUD: A Rainbow Celebration. Nine years ago, Young performed the music of the World’s most loved LGBTQ icons to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, June 28, 1969 and now returns to celebrate the progress our country has made over the last nine years with help from some of her friends! Daryl Nitz, Jeannie Tanner and Dan Riley join Young and Sula this time around with proceeds benefiting Pride Films and Plays. Starting with Stonewall and Judy Garland, Young will follow the LGBTQ Rights timeline, matching icons to significant moments in history. Dolly Parton’s “Light of the Clear Blue Morning” in 1977 aligns with Anita Bryant and the S.O.C., Bette Midler’s “Do You Wanna Dance” aligns with a post Stonewall New York (1971-73) of Bathhouses and Gay-owned Discos. The creation of the Pride flag 1979/80 and Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out!” Young’s passion for the history and where the movement is today comes across with laughter, heart and great love. Reservations recommended. Young’s been seen all around town at Davenports, Hydrate, the Park West, 3160 and Drury Lane Water Tower and out of town at The Dunes Resort, Don’t Tell Mama in NYC, The Duplex NYC and The Stonewall Inn.



PAC Cabaret Event
FABULOUS DIVAS OF HOLLYWOOD
Starring and Created by Alan Palmer
Friday, June 8, 2018 and Saturday, June 9 at 10:30PM
Broadway Theater
Pride Arts Center
4139 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60613
Tickets: Premium seats $25, General Admission $20
Tickets available at www.pridefilmsandplays.com or by phone at 866-811-4111 or 773-857-0222.

This outlandish, outrageous and out-and-out fun-filled show by the creative team behind the hit off-Broadway musical FABULOUS DIVAS OF BROADWAY parodies some of the biggest and best that Hollywood has to offer. With fast paced changes of beautiful costumes, wigs, thematic projections and a bevy of satirical songs, Alan Palmer’s impressions remind us why we all love to go to the movies and adore the leading women who star in them.

Beyond mimicry, beyond drag, ALAN PALMER’S FABULOUS DIVAS OF HOLLYWOOD is both reverent and irreverent.  A loving and hysterical tribute to the Prima Performers of Hollywood, it’s a must for all lovers of film!
His cast of 22 characterizations includes Cher, Meryl Streep, Audrey Hepburn, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, plus a few surprises
PAC Film Event

PRIDE FILM FESTIVAL - SUMMER SHORTS
Tuesday, June 12 – 7:30 pm
The Broadway, Pride Arts Center
4139 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60613
Tickets: $15 Premium, $10 General Admission, $8 Seniors/Students/Military, are currently available at www.pridefilmsandplays.com or calling 1 866 811 4111 or 773-857-0222.

A series of sexy and fun upbeat films for summer. This will conclude our first year of monthly short films fests, which will return in November.

PAC Special Event
WEFEST
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at 7:30 PM
Broadway Theater
Pride Arts Center
4139 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60613
Tickets: Premium seats $15, General Admission $10
Tickets available at www.pridefilmsandplays.com or by phone at 866-811-4111 or 773-857-0222.

Pride Films and Plays’ semi-annual celebration of Chicago’s queer female, non-binary and trans artists. WeFest is an inclusive, intersectional variety show celebrating the work of female, non-binary, and trans artists.

PAC Special Event
CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LIVE
Saturday, June 16, 2018 at 10:00PM
The Broadway, Pride Arts Center
4139 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60613
Tickets, priced at $10, are currently available at www.pridefilmsandplays.com or calling 1 866 811 4111.

One Night Only! CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LIVE Following three sell-out performances last year, CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LIVE comes to Pride Arts Center Saturday June 16 at 10 pm. The irreverent night of improv comedy is inspired by the popular and politically incorrect party game “Cards Against Humanity.” After audience members pitch their ideas, the best suggestions are acted out by the Cards Against Humanity writers and a team of improvisers. The worst suggestions will be mercilessly ridiculed. Recommended for ages 18+.

 

ABOUT PRIDE FILMS AND PLAYS
Pride Films and Plays creates diverse new work (or work that is new to Chicago) with LGBTQ+ characters or themes that is essential viewing for all audiences. We accomplish this mission through fully-staged productions, writing contests and staged readings, and filming one short film each season.

PFP is the primary tenant in the Pride Arts Center (PAC), which connects and promotes other artists who share our values, creating a safe environment for all. PAC books one-night events or limited runs, cabaret, film, dance, comedy, and other events. PAC opened in 2016 and consists of two performance spaces: The Buena at 4147 N. Broadway which has 50 seats and The Broadway at 4139 N. Broadway which has 85 seats.
                                                                                                  
Pride Films and Plays is supported by The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago’s City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, Proud to Run, the AmazonSmile Foundation, Arts and Business Foundation, Tap Root Foundation and Alphawood Foundation. 

PFP is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust. Pride Films and Plays is a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois and The League of Chicago Theatres.

For more information, visit www.pridefilmsandplays.com or call 1.800.737.0984.


ABOUT PRIDE ARTS CENTER

PRIDE ARTS CENTER has become an important part of the arts environment in the Buena Park neighborhood and beyond. In addition to performances by PFP, (www.pridefilmsandplays.com), PAC hosts monthly events including play readings, film screenings, cabaret nights, and variety shows. Guest productions are also included in the PAC schedule. Find a full calendar of everything happening at PAC here. http://pridefilmsandplays.com/calendar/

Thursday, April 26, 2018

OPENING: CHICAGO PREMIERE OF THE DAYS ARE SHORTER Via Pride Films and Plays 5/8-6/3/18

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

CHICAGO PREMIERE OF
THE DAYS ARE SHORTER 
By Corinne J. Kawecki
Directed by Iris Sowlat


The Buena, Pride Arts Center, 4147 N. Broadway

Magical play exploring life’s joys and challenges at different ages will open May 10 in The Buena, Pride Arts Center


I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's Pride Films and Plays for the press opening of The Days are Shorter on May 10th, so check back soon for my full review.

In THE DAYS ARE SHORTER, by Evanston resident Corinne J. Kawecki,  53-year-old Julia is afraid of getting older. Despite attempts to recapture her youth, her body keeps reminding her of her advancing years. With the help of her younger female lover’s magic act, Julia creates a new, magical life to help her accept the inevitability of aging by finding out who is she is and who really needs her love.  The play was a finalist in Pride Films and Plays’ annual “LezPlay” competition in 2016 and was produced by Queer Theatre Kalamazoo this past January.

Pride Films and Plays company member Iris Sowlat will direct a cast including Gay Glenn, Joan McGrath, Pat Parks and Kendra Verhage. Amy J. Johnson, Jean Marie Koon, and Ren Harris will understudy. The design team will be Chas Mathieu (scenic designer), Sanja Manakoski (costume designer), Liz Cooper (lighting designer), John S. Nichols III (sound designer), Danielle Myerscough (properties designer) and Neil Tobin (magic consultant). Jessie Cole will be stage manager and Deb Kemp will be assistant stage manager and production intern.

Pride Films and Plays Artistic Director Nelson Rodriguez explains why THE DAYS ARE SHORTER was selected for a spot in the company’s subscription season. “We love the inter-generational connections between women in this piece as well as the magical elements which build tension and offer surprises. Mostly, I love that it's about a person coming to terms with aging and embracing all the different stages that life offers us: from free-spirited and hopeful youth to the stability and settled-ness of middle-age to the freedom experienced in old age when reflecting on and continuing to pursue a life well-lived. People of all genders and ages will recognize themselves in Julia's touching, hilarious, and misguided attempts to love herself.”

Tickets are $15 for previews, $25 for regular run ($5 discounts for students, seniors, vets for regular performances, excluding Saturdays) Tickets available now at www.pridefilmsandplays.com or by phone at 866-811-4111 or 773-857-0222.




BIOS
Corinne J. Kawecki (playwright). Corinne J. Kawecki’s full-length play THE DAYS ARE SHORTER, was produced by Queer Theatre Kalamazoo in January 2018. Her other productions include the following one acts: CAPE COD MOURNING, A BRIDGE TO SOMETHING, THE MOON, THE LAKE AND FIRE, DEMONS AND MONSTERS, LESBIAN NIGHTMARE, THE INTERVIEW, and SERIOUS. THE WHOLE SHEBANG was selected for the Concurrent Play Lab at the Great Plains Theatre Conference.  Her play SHORT EXPANSE, full-length, was a Finalist in Pride Films and Plays’ Great Gay Play Contest (Chicago) in 2011.  Her full-length plays THE DAYS ARE SHORTER, FREE RADICALS and CIVIL WARS were semi-finalists for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference in 2012, 2013 and 2017 respectively.  THE DAYS ARE SHORTER was a Finalist in the LezPlay Festival at Pride Films and Plays, Chicago, in 2016.  Corinne was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 1997 for her work on behalf of the LGBT community. Corinne is currently developing her newest full-length play, TIES THAT BIND. She is a member of the Writers Network at Pride Films and Plays, Chicago and a member of the Dramatists Guild. 

Iris Sowlat (Director) is thrilled to direct THE DAYS ARE SHORTER at Pride Films & Plays! A proud Company Member at PFP, Iris has previously directed two LezPlay readings, directed the short play VIRGINIA & ORLANDO & VITA FOR HISTORY LEZONS, and produced AFTER ORLANDO, WEFEST, and SHEFEST. Recent directing credits include JOAN OF ARC (RhinoFest), NARRATIVES OF ACHROMATOPSIA (Chicago Fringe Festival), and THAT LAST LIGHT (Chicago Theatre Marathon). Iris is an Artistic Associate at Stage Left, and has also worked with Broken Nose, Collaboraction, 20% Theatre, Global Hive Labs, and NoPassport. Thanks always to my family for their love and support!
 The Days Are Shorter
LISTING INFORMATION

THE DAYS ARE SHORTER
By Corinne J. Kawecki
May 8 – June 3, 2018
Previews Tuesday May 8 and Wednesday, May 9 at 7:30 pm

Regular performances Wednesdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm (Except no performance Weds., May 16)
The Buena, Pride Arts Center
4147 N. Broadway

Tickets are $15 for previews, $25 for regular run ($5 discounts for students, seniors, vets for regular performances, excluding Saturdays) Tickets available at www.pridefilmsandplays.com or by phone at 866-811-4111 or 773-857-0222.
Julia believes that the answer to all of her problems is youth.  She's tried various ways to recapture her youth but her 53 years continue to dog her steps.  After many sleepless days and nights, she feels herself being slowly consumed by age and madness. Magic is inherent in THE DAYS ARE SHORTER, from Julia’s young lover's magic act to Julia's creation of a magical life in order to find out who really needs her love.





Monday, May 21st at 7:30 PM at Pride Arts Center

Pride Films and Plays brings you an exciting evening showcasing musical performances from the Best Performers, and Best Supporting Performers nominated for the 2017/18 Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson (“Jeff”) Awards.

All proceeds from the evening benefit the New Musical Initiative at Pride Films and Plays.

General Admission tickets are $20. VIP tickets are available for $30 and include reserved seating and program recognition.




ABOUT PRIDE FILMS AND PLAYS
Pride Films and Plays creates diverse new work (or work that is new to Chicago) with LGBTQ+ characters or themes that is essential viewing for all audiences. We accomplish this mission through fully-staged productions, writing contests and staged readings, and filming one short film each season.

PFP is the primary tenant in the Pride Arts Center (PAC), which connects and promotes other artists who share our values, creating a safe environment for all. PAC books one-night events or limited runs, cabaret, film, dance, comedy, and other events. PAC opened in 2016 and consists of two performance spaces: The Buena at 4147 N. Broadway which has 50 seats and The Broadway at 4139 N. Broadway which has 85 seats.
                                                                                                  
Pride Films and Plays is supported by The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago’s City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, Proud to Run, the AmazonSmile Foundation, Arts and Business Foundation, Tap Root Foundation and Alphawood Foundation. 

PFP is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust. Pride Films and Plays is a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois and The League of Chicago Theatres.

For more information, visit www.pridefilmsandplays.com or call 1.773.857.0222 or 1.800.737.0984.




ABOUT PRIDE ARTS CENTER
PRIDE ARTS CENTER has become an important part of the arts environment in the Buena Park neighborhood and beyond. In addition to performances by PFP, (www.pridefilmsandplays.com), PAC hosts monthly events including play readings, film screenings, cabaret nights, and variety shows (PAC the House).

Guest productions are also included in the PAC schedule. Find a full calendar of everything happening at PAC here. 

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

REVIEW: Cor Theatre's Stellar Late Company Explores Suicide Fallout at Pride Arts Center

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Ghosts loom large in Late Company, at what might be one of the awkwardest, angriest dinner parties ever on stage. A year after his suicide, this dead 16 year old is larger than life in his absence, from the all consuming grief enveloping his parents, who are haunted by a mysterious thumping upstairs, to a bully's nightmares, and his parents' chagrin.


**Late Company is for mature audiences.**   


Photo credits: Matthew Gregory Hollis

Yesterday, my 14 year old daughter and I stood in the grocery checkout line where headlines blared "Woman goes on trial for allegedly urging boyfriend to kill himself". The current trial involves a then 17 year old girl who is being tried for involuntary manslaughter now, 3 years after her boyfriend killed himself. There is no precedent for rulings on encouraging suicide.

I asked my daughter if the girl deserved jail time. This prompted a lively discussion where she argued that bullying and joking around are incredibly common in high school and if everyone who said something stupid and insensitive to someone was arrested, our jails would be overflowing with non violent teens. And who's to say the kid wouldn't have killed himself anyway. She pointed out the vast numbers of bullied kids who don't kill themselves and the kids who aren't bullied who do. As a mother of two high schoolers, I wholeheartedly disagreed. I was ready to throw the book at any kid evil or insensitive enough to influence a peer to kill himself, so people would think twice before being so cruel and pushing an already troubled kid over the edge. 

That night I saw Cor Theatre's Late Company and began to realize the complexity of the issues and all the intertwined lives surrounding each childhood suicide death, especially Late Company's show with the added LGBTQ element. Similar issues were at the forefront. How much culpability do bullies have after a suicide? Can grief be shared? Can blame? Can forgiveness? In Late Company, a suicidal gay boy, grappling with his sexuality, closeted to his parents, being treated for depression, kills himself after being harassed at school. Late Company also features a surprisingly sympathetic bully and his defensive parents as media victims. Cor Theatre does a stellar job of broaching this topic with energy and empathy. We recommend Late Company. It's a tough but timely topic and a great springboard for discussion. 



We also love the communal art project in the lobby that will be raffled off. The audience is invited to add a simple brush stroke to a blank canvas as a pledge of support for the LGBTQ Community.







As Late Company opens, the table is set for an elegant dinner party. Enter, two devastated, grieving parents. Enter belatedly, a teen wracked with guilt and vilified by the media for his potential contribution to his classmate's demise, and his loving parents who are late because they were fighting over whether the dinner is a good idea. 

Everything's on the table, quite literally, in this thought provoking and too timely production. Both families' parenting styles are up for critique, mental health, grieving styles, the blame game, LGBTQ coming of age, and more. What starts as an effort to bring closure to a tragedy ends in vicious verbal attacks, raw emotion, and pain. Yet, through it all the audience has a stellar chance to leave with more empathy for the all too frequently lethal struggles of LGBTQ teens, the devastated parents who have lost children to suicide, and the stunned classmates whose hazing was meant to be funny not fatal. 

Ultimately there are some tender moments of healing and glimmers of future forgiveness down the road.






Cor Theater's Chicago debut of Late Company runs through July 16, 2017 at the Pride Arts Center, in the Buena Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway St. in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. Tickets, $18-$30, are on sale now at cortheatre.org, or by calling (866) 811-4111.

Performances continue through July 16: Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at  3 p.m. Exceptions: No Wednesday shows June 21 or July 5. The performance on Thursday, June 22 is sold out. No shows Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25 due to Pride Weekend. 


About Late Company

Get set for a scorching start to Chicago's summer theater season when  Cor Theatre presents the Midwest premiere of Late Company, a shockingly funny, scathingly painful family drama set on Chicago's North Shore about LGBTQ youth and the scourge of teen suicide. Acclaimed director Jessica Fisch stages the first Chicago production of this vitally important new work by Canadian gay playwright, director and filmmaker Jordan Tannahill, called the future of Canadian theatre (NOW Magazine) and the hottest name in Canadian theatre (Montreal Gazette). 

The raves continued for recent European premiere of Late Company at London's Finborough Theatre. Time Out London called Late Company a powerful new drama about the devastating aftershocks of cyber bullying. Superb. The Times hailed this dinner party from hell serves up the full gamut of emotions. A terrific play. Go! This one deserves a West End transfer. Like the controversial Netflix hit series 13 Reasons Why, Late Company takes no prisoners with its vivid portrayal of the aftershocks of teen suicide, but more from the parents' point of view. 



One year after a gay teen's suicide, two North Shore families sit down to dinner. Pleasant mealtime chatter quickly turns into fierce interrogation as each person at the table confesses their real or imagined part in the tragedy. As blame shifts, layers of parental, sexual, and political hypocrisy are revealed. Scathingly funny and heartbreakingly real, award winning Jordan Tannahill's Late Company asks, How well can a parent ever really know their child? 

According to Cor Artistic Director and cast member Tosha Fowler, Late Company is about wrestling with forgiveness. Two sets of parents are fighting desperately for closure from a suicide brought on by missed opportunities and misunderstandings on both sides. Nobody in the room is blameless –everyone is sparring like hell to find peace within themselves and each other. Jordan's writing is funny and searing. It has the kind of visceral energy that makes live theater unique, said director Jessica Fisch, adding, In light of our current political climate, a play about people coming to the table to talk over their grievances feels both novel and inspirational. I want to believe it's possible for people with drastically different points of view to find common ground and healing. Late Company challenges that belief and offers hope that it is possible.

Cor's Chicago debut of Late Company features Tony Bozzuto (so memorable in Cor's Skin Tight and Christina, The Girl King), Matthew Elam (a Chicago newcomer and third year acting major at DePaul), Paul Fagen (recently seen in About Face's The Tempermentals) and Tosha Fowler (co-founder and artistic director of Cor, credits include What of The Night? and Love and Human Remains). New to the cast is Asia Jackson, most recently seen in Among All of This You Stand Like A Fine Brownstone at ETA Creative Arts Theatre.The production team is Cole von Glahn (assistant director), Adam Gutkin (set and props), Alarie Hammock (costumes), Jeffrey Levin (sound), Eric Vigo (lights), Topher Kielbasa (dramaturg), Stefin Steberl (production manager) and Michael Starcher (stage manager). 



Jordan Tannahill is a playwright, director, filmmaker and a leading figure in Canada's gay arts community. The TorontoGlobe and Mail recently hailed him as ...the poster child of a new generation of (theatre? film? dance?) artists for whom interdisciplinary is not a buzzword, but a way of life. His plays have been presented across Canada, his films have been widely exhibited at venues such as the  Toronto International Film Festival, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the British Film Institute, and he received the 2014 Governor General's Literary Award for Drama for his book Age of Minority: Three Solo Plays. In collaboration with William Ellis, Tannahill runs the alternative art-space Videofag in Toronto. Currently he is partnering with the National Theatre of London and the National Film Board Canada to create Draw Me Close, an immersive technology memoir in which audiences experience a live, illustrated world as five-year-old Jordan during his mother's battle with cancer. The first chapter premiered April 21-29, 2017 at the Tribeca Film Festival. jordantannahill.com.

Jessica Fisch is a Chicago-based freelance director and professor. Chicago projects this season include directing the world premiere of Firebirds Take the Field for Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and associate directing Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee at Steppenwolf. Other credits include Trudy, Carolyn, Martha and Regina Travel to Outer Space (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival), Fefu and Her  Friends (Goodman Theatre/Rivendell Latina/o Celebration), Opulent Complex and That Thing That Time (Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Tens), Far Away (SITE Festival, Northwestern), 42 Stories (Raven Theatre, [Working Title] series) and Machinal and Spike Heels (Northwestern University).


Selected New York credits are The Realm (The Wild Project), strive/seek/find (Abingdon Theatre), the 2009 PlaywrightsHorizons Stories on 5 Stories Benefit, Personal History (Ensemble Studio Theatre), The Redheaded Man (Barrow Street Theatre/Down Payment Productions/FringeNYC/ FringeEncores), and Dressed In Your Dreams (Public Theater/Emerging Writers Group), an adaptation of the cult 1960ૻs gothic vampire soap opera Dark Shadows (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Prior to moving to Chicago, Fisch lived in New York City where she was the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Down Payment Productions (DPP). She was also a resident director at Ensemble Studio Theater, the 2008-2009 Playwrights Horizons Directing Resident and a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. She earned her MFA at Northwestern University. 

About Cor Theatre 
Cor Theatre (cortheater.org) debuted in September 2012 with a vision to create theatrical experiences that are rarely presented in Chicago by artists who seek to defy expectation. Today, Cor is one of Chicago's youngest and most ambitious professional theater companies with a growing board and strong experience behind it.  Cor's inaugural production, Skin Tight by Gary Henderson, was met with enthusiastic audiences, critical acclaim and made just enough money to establish a not-for-profit corporation. 

The company named itself Cor Theatre, deriving its name from the Latin root of courage – meaning heart. Cor returned in 2015 with Erin Courtney's A Map of Virtue, named a top show to see in the Chicago Tribune and Most Promising Debut by Time Out Chicago. Cor triumphed again in 2015 with the first Chicago staging in 20 years of Brad Frasier's Love and Human Remains, which played to numerous sold-out houses and was named one of the top plays to see by Windy City Times and New City. In March 2016, Cor presented the U.S. premiere of Christina, The Girl King by Michel Marc Bouchard, translated by Linda Gaboriau, telling the true story of the enigmatic, gender bending 17th century Queen of Sweden. Cor concluded its 2016 season in October with an epic production of Bertolt Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan, translated by Tony Kushner, directed by ensemble member Ernie Nolan. 

Most recently, in January 2017, Cor gobsmacked Chicago audiences and critics alike with Carlos Murillo's daring staging of What of the Night? by María Irene Fornés.  Current Cor company members are Tony Bozzuto, Chris Brickhouse, Elyse Cowles, Tosha Fowler, Adam Gutkin, Alarie Hammock, Topher Kielbasa, Jeffrey Levin, Claire Meyers, Ernie Nolan, Stefin Steberl and Eric Vigo. 

For more information, visit cortheater.org, like Cor Theatre on Facebook, follow the company on Twitter, @TheatreCor, or call (866) 811-4111.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

LAST CALL: Irrational Tales Ends 9/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

REVIEW: Get Lit With Irrational Tales





Though simple in scale, this production makes a great date night for lit geeks. Denman has adapted heavy hitters like Nathanial Hawthorne, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Clark Ashton Smith, rounding out the show with an original piece, Reflections. We had the chance to catch opening night of Irrational Tales at The Broadway and it's refreshing to see some classic and original tales of terror that don't involve the disturbing real life tales that recently shuttered Profiles in this very space. We're happy to support the new ownership, Pride Arts Center, and look forward to seeing what they bring to the space. 

Sure, the show's campy and low budget, but that's part of it's charm. Although I do wish they'd gone with actual liquid, since they're drinking in just about every story, and the mime pouring and drinking was distracting. The story telling is fun, though, and with tickets going for just $15, you'll still have cash to grab drinks and dinner before or after the show.

This show is a bit of a homecoming for David Denman, the Artistic Director of Clock Theater, and author of the 4th piece in this production. He was a company member of the National Pastime Theater who had the space for years before Profiles. The past is prologue and Profiles is past. Now it's Clock Theater's time. Come on out and support the arts.

Irrational Tales
The Broadway

4139 N. Broadway
Chicago IL
Through September 18, 2016


Part of The Pride Arts Center 
Thursdays Fridays Saturdays 8 PM. Sundays 3 PM.

Tickets $15



CHICAGO READER
"Too many fake British accents and huffy turnings on the heel mar David Denman and Clock Theater's macabre revue Irrational Tales. Denman barely revises three works of spooky American short fiction, rounded up to four with something of his own, "Reflections."
Most of the pieces could have used more actual adaptation, but there's one exception: "The Gorgon" by Clark Ashton Smith, which first appeared as a short story in the April 1932 edition of the pulp magazine Weird Tales. That it does beautifully as a one-act, clearly edging out midcareer works by Nathaniel Hawthorne and F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a testament to the unbalanced calculus of theatrical adaptation. The only genuine fear I felt throughout Tales came in "Gorgon" while watching Jennifer Cheung play a witch—her vituperative cackles are excellent. —Max Maller


Clock Theater Live

Clock Theater endeavors to combine compelling storytelling, with strong use of all the productions elements, to create a memoriable theatrical experience.

Clock Painting and Design

In his scenic designs, as well as his personal work, David Denman likes to avoid subjects that are over-approached, using color and contrast a strong sense of drawing and perspective.

History

A Chicago-based theater and film production company, established in 1999, David Denman's Clock Productions has produced The Visit(1998), Einstein's Dreams (2000), Savage Love (2001), The Big Funk (2001), Mommy Abdula's Miraculous Traveling Carnival of Wonders (2002), Ocean Sea (2003), The Pinter Plays (2003), The Three Sisters (2003), The Love of a Good Man (2004), Einstein's Dreams (2005), *The Firebugs and the Good Citizen (2006), *The Magician (2007), The Quiltmaker's Gift (2007), *Alice of the House of Carol (2009), The Tumultuous Tale of the Tragically Transparent Tunic (2010), Six Scary Tales (2010), *Street Scene (2010), Six More Scary Tales (2011) and Counterpoint (2012).

indicates co-production with The National Pastime Theater
Chicago venues include The National Pastime TheaterChopin TheaterAthenaeum Theater and City Lit; regional venues includeKalamazoo Civic CenterThunder Bay Theater, and the Whitehall Theater.
David Denman, founder of Clock Productions, is also a set designer and a painter. In 1994 he became a member of the National Pastime Theater Company in Chicago. In 1998, he formed Clock Productions, becoming its Artistic Director and co-producing with other companies, as well as mounting shows on his own.
David is the writer for the Scary Tales series, adapting old campfire tales, folk tales, and urban legends for the stage.




CLOCK THEATER TO OPEN THE BROADWAY 
   (FORMERLY PROFILES THEATRE)
    PART OF THE PRIDE ARTS CENTER

Clock Theater will be the first theater company to make use of The Broadway, (formerly Profiles Theatre) at 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago, part of the Pride Arts Center

Artistic Director of Clock Theater, David Denman, was a company member of the National Pastime Theater which resided in the space for many years prior to Profiles moving in. Says Denman, “ It is very ironic that as a former resident of the space with National Pastime, my theater is returning to the space once again.”

Clock’s production of “Irrational Tales” includes a number of vignettes based on stories of terror.  Included in the stories are “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Gorgon” by Aston Clarke Smith,  “A Diamond as Big as the Ritz” based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Reflections.”

The production runs through September 18 with performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $15.

Appearing in the production, which is produced and adapted by David Denman and directed by Lesley Fisher Chapman, are CJ Chapman, Jennifer Cheung, Amanda Forman, David Meldman, Sarah Mergener, Whitney Pipes and Mark West.   Stage Manager is Amber Mandley, Costume Design by Arin Mulvaney, Lighting  and Mask Design by Ben Dionysus, Sound Design by Sheri Tatar, Fight Choreography by Danielle Stahl and Scenic Design by David Denman. 



Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2556728.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

OPENING: September 1 Clock Theater is Set To Open The Broadway in former Profiles Space

CLOCK THEATER TO OPEN THE BROADWAY 
   (FORMERLY PROFILES THEATRE)
    PART OF THE PRIDE ARTS CENTER


Clock Theater will be the first theater company to make use of The Broadway, (formerly Profiles Theatre) at 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago, part of the Pride Arts Center

Artistic Director of Clock Theater, David Denman, was a company member of the National Pastime Theater which resided in the space for many years prior to Profiles moving in.  Says Denman, “ It is very ironic that as a former resident of the space with National Pastime, my theater is returning to the space once again.”

Clock’s production of “Irrational Tales” includes a number of vignettes based on stories of terror.  Included in the stories are “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Gorgon” by Aston Clarke Smith,  “A Diamond as Big as the Ritz” based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Reflections.”

The production opens September 1 and runs to September 18 with performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm.  Tickets are $15.

Appearing in the production, which is produced and adapted by David Denman and directed by Lesley Fisher Chapman, are CJ Chapman, Jennifer Cheung, Amanda Forman, David Meldman, Sarah Mergener, Whitney Pipes and Mark West.   Stage Manager is Amber Mandley, Costume Design by Arin Mulvaney, Lighting  and Mask Design by Ben Dionysus, Sound Design by Sheri Tatar, Fight Choreography by Danielle Stahl and Scenic Design by David Denman. 


Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2556728.

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