Cast Announced for Open Space Arts' SUNSETS: TWO ACTS ON A BEACH, Opening February 2, 2024

Cast announced for Open Space Arts production of the classic gay play 

SUNSETS: TWO ACTS ON A BEACH

opening February 2nd

Open Space Arts will additionally screen the Greek feature film 

THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN

at Facets on January 31st

Open Space Arts has announced its cast for SUNSETS: TWO ACTS ON A BEACH by Cal Yeomans, a long-lost drama by an early pioneer of gay theater. Kevin Wood will direct this evening of two one-act plays, which was last performed at the 1982 American Gay Arts Festival in Chicago and offers an intimate exploration of human sexuality and relationships from an era before AIDS era and before online hookups. Both plays are set next to a men’s room on a Florida gulf coast beach – the sort of place where seaside frolics take a different turn when the sun goes down.

John Cardone will appear in Act One: “The Line Forms to the Rear,” as Henry, a former drag performer who finds a new life purpose in a most unusual type of social service. This one-act play is a monologue that delves into the complexities of gay life with heavy yet authentic language. Christopher Sylvie and Aaron Cappello will perform in Act Two: “At the End of the Road,” which explores the developing relationship – physical and emotional - between Dan (Cappello), a young, bi-curious, and married construction worker; and John (Sylvie), a forty-something realtor who is a regular visitor to this particular stretch of beach. Cardone also appear in Act Two as Henry’s drag persona Henrietta. Curen Feliciana is the understudy for all three roles. The production team includes Rick Paul (Set Design), Zahrah Aga (Costume Design), Justin Walker (Lighting Design), Zach Stinnet (Sound Design), and Greta Zanstra (Intimacy Design). The production contains nudity. Opening night is Friday, February 2 at 7:30 pm and the play will run through Sunday, February 19, 2024.  All performances will be in the intimate 20-seat theatre at Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago.

L-R: John Cardone, Aaron Cappello, Christopher Sylvie. 

Cal Yeomans was an award-winning trailblazer in post-Stonewall gay theater, who had critically acclaimed plays produced on both coasts and in Chicago in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He burst the boundaries of what was considered acceptable in legitimate theater. A native of Crystal River, Florida, a small Gulf Coast town, Yeomans attended Florida State University, designed sets and acted in summer stock before moving to New York, where he studied acting under William Hickey at the famed HB Studio and enrolled in a fashion course at the Parsons School of Design. In 1981, Yeoman's SUNSETS was produced by both the Stonewall Repertory Theater in New York and the 544 Natoma Performance Gallery in San Francisco. The New York production was selected to play at the Third National Gay Arts Festival in Chicago in 1982.

Performances are at Open Space Arts, 1411 W Wilson, in Chicago. Opening night is February 2, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. to Feb 18. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $20 for students or seniors, and $15 for OSA Members.

Film screening at Facets on January 31.

Open Space Arts is also presenting a screening of THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN, is a 2023 film from Greece, directed by Zacharias Mavroeidis. The film has been described as “a reconfiguration of the traditional romantic comedy through a proudly queer lens.” While having a day-long swim at Athens' queer beach, best friends Demos and Nikitas recall the events of a recent summer in the prospect of turning them into a screenplay for Nikitas' feature debut. This frank portrayal of friendships, hookups, and breakups was a stand-out hit at Venice Film Festival this past September, earning several nominations for their Queer Lion Award.

THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN screens on Wednesday, January 31 at 7:00 at Facets, 1517 W Fullerton. Tickets are $15, or $10 for OSA Members.

Find information on all Open Space Arts events at https://openspacearts.com, and Pride Film Fest events at https://openspacearts.com/category/film-fest/ . Tickets for all events can be purchased at https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/Search.

OPEN SPACE ARTS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to combating homophobia and antisemitism through the transformative power of creativity and cultural expression. Our mission is to foster inclusivity, promote understanding, and empower marginalized communities by utilizing various artistic mediums to challenge discriminatory beliefs and attitudes. OSA has produced ROSENBERG, MASSAGE THERAPY, and THE KRAMER PROJECT in live performances, and produces the Pride Film Fest, a hybrid fest of streaming and in-person events, which runs from November 1 to July 1 annually. Open Space Arts is led by Directors Elayne LeTraunik and David Zak.

February 2-18, 2024

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays 2 pm

Press opening Friday, February 2, 2024, at 7:30 pm

Open Space Arts

1411 W. Wilson Ave.,

Tickets $25.00 ($20 for seniors and students, $15 for OSA members),

Tickets available at https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/Search

Website: www.openspacearts.com

 

SUNSETS: Two Acts On A Beach by Cal Yeomans, a long-lost drama by an early pioneer, was last performed at the 1982 American Gay Arts Festival in Chicago and offers an intimate exploration of human sexuality and relationships from the pre-AIDS era. The plays are funny and touching and a great reminder of how life has changed - or not - in the last 40 years!

Act One is a monologue featuring Henry, a man whose life has been turbulent. Act Two explores the relationship between Dan, a married construction worker on a quest for self-discovery, and John, who prefers anonymous hookups.

THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN (Greece, 2023, 1:46)

Directed by Zacharias Mavroeidis

Wednesday, January 31 at 7:00 pm

Facets, 1517 W Fullerton.

Tickets are $15, or $10 for OSA Members

A new film from Greece, directed by Zacharias Mavroeidis. While having a day-long swim at Athens' queer beach, best friends Demos and Nikitas recall the events of a recent summer in the prospect of turning them into a screenplay for Nikitas' feature debut. This frank portrayal of friendships, hookups, and breakups was a stand-out hit at Venice Film Festival, earning several nominations for their Queer Lion Award.

BIOS

Cal Yeomans (Playwright) was an award-winning playwright, poet, actor, artist, educator, lecturer, photographer, real estate investor, land developer, and philanthropist who is considered a key contributor to the gay theater movement of the 1970s and 1980s 12. He was born on June 13, 1938, in Crystal River, Florida, and passed away on October 31, 2001. His critically acclaimed plays were produced on both coasts and in Chicago in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Robert Schanke’s book, QUEER THEATRE AND THE LEGACY OF CAL YEOMANS, explores his life and legacy, allowing a rare exploration into this pivotal moment of gay American history.

David Zak (Director) has won seven Jeff Awards in Chicago, including four for Directing (ANIMAL FARM, DR. SEX, PARADE, POPE JOAN), two for writing (THE HIROSHIMA PROJECT, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO) and a special Jeff for “Fostering Diversity in Chicago Theater.” In his 27-year stint as Artistic Director of Bailiwick Repertory, he directed the world premiere production of THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER, the US premieres of Sir Peter Hall’s ANIMAL FARM and JERRY SPRINGER – THE OPERA, and many original works including the political dramas THE HIROSHIMA PROJECT and SIN: A CARDINAL DEPOSED. He has directed in London (THE IRISH CURSE), Seoul (DOLLHOUSE, FANTA STICK, THE GHOST’S COOKBOOK), Dublin (OH, HOLY ALLEN GINSBERG, AT THE FLASH), Boston (SIN: A CARDINAL DEPOSED), Los Angeles (DR. SEX, AT THE FLASH) and New York (MARLOWE and POSEIDON: AN UPSIDE-DOWN MUSICAL). His productions of the American Premieres of JERRY SPRINGER – THE OPERA, Sir Peter Hall’s ANIMAL FARM, PARADE, POPE JOAN, and Dennis DeYoung’s HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME all won the Jeff Award for best musical. His most recent Chicago productions have included: THE BOY FROM OZ, Terrence McNally’s SOME MEN, AFTERGLOW, PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT, THE BOOK OF MERMAN, HIS GREATNESS, and UNDER THE RAINBOW FLAG. He was inducted into Chicago’s Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2013

Zacharias Mavroeidis (Director, THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN). Born in Athens, Greece, Zacharias Mavroeidis studied architecture and theater before turning to filmmaking. His debut feature, the comedy THE GUIDE (2011) screened in more than twenty film festivals around the world. In 2014 he had his first novel, NINE LIVES LEFT, published in Greece. In 2018 he completed ACROSS HER BODY, a highly acclaimed documentary that follows a fading religious tradition on the island of Thirassia. His sophomore feature, Defunct premiered at the International Competition of the 60th Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

About Open Space Arts 

OPEN SPACE ARTS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to combating homophobia and antisemitism through the transformative power of creativity and cultural expression. Our mission is to foster inclusivity, promote understanding, and empower marginalized communities by utilizing various artistic mediums to challenge discriminatory beliefs and attitudes.

Open Space Arts illuminates contemporary and historical issues through film and live performances. OSA will perform where the arts can have the most impact. With the freedom to perform anywhere, from libraries, theaters, empty storefronts, and online, OSA can respond quickly to bring important issues to life. www.openspacearts.com

Music Box Theatre & Neon Present ANATOMY OF A FALL Beginning October 27, 2023

What We're Watching: ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Music Box Theatre & Neon present writer/director Justine Triet’s Palme D’or Winner (Cannes Film Festival) 

ANATOMY OF A FALL

beginning October 27, 2023

For showtimes and information, click here: https://musicboxtheatre.com/films-and-events/anatomy-of-a-fall

“ANATOMY OF A FALL persuasively suggests that every marriage is ultimately something of a mystery.” — NPR

“With its provocative commentary on the mutating nature of grief and guilt, it pulls back the curtain on the complex inner workings of marital and parental relationships.” — The AV Club

“What unfolds is less a dissection of the details surrounding the circumstances of the case, but rather an inspection of womanhood itself, in which the ways a woman has failed to meet social or cultural expectations becomes a point of legal contention.” — Tribune News Service

About ANATOMY OF A FALL:

For the past year, Sandra (Sandra Huller), her husband Samuel (Samuel Theis), and their 11-year-old son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he was murdered or committed suicide. Samuel's suspicious death is presumed murder, and Sandra becomes the main suspect. What follows is not just an investigation into the circumstances of Samuel's death but an unsettling psychological journey into the depths of Sandra and Samuel’s conflicted relationship.

Pricing:

Ticket prices are $11 ($8 for Music Box members).

Become a member: https://www.musicboxtheatre.com/membership/become-a-member

About Music Box Theatre:

Operating since 1929, the Music Box Theatre has been the premier venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films for more than three decades, playing host to over 200,000 patrons annually. It currently has the largest theater space operated full time in the city. The Music Box Theatre is independently owned and operated by the Southport Music Box Corporation. SMBC, through its Music Box Films division, also distributes foreign and independent films in the theatrical, DVD, and television markets throughout the United States; and through its Music Box Direct subsidiary, operates an online streaming service offering the best of foreign and independent films.

Regular events produced, presented and hosted at Music Box Theatre include the 70mm Film Festival; the annual 24-hour horror-movie marathon Music Box of Horrors; and Noir City: Chicago, co-presented by the Film Noir Foundation.

Follow the Music Box Theatre on Facebook (www.facebook.com/musicboxchicago/), Twitter (@musicboxtheatre), and Instagram (@musicboxchicago)

Music Box Theatre Virtual Cinema Streaming WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES Starting 7/10/20

Missing Indie Cinema? 

Chicago's Music Box Theatre Virtually Has You Covered

Oscilloscope Laboratories and Music Box Theatre present the acclaimed, smile-inducing, toe-tapping debut feature from Japanese writer/director Makoto Nagahisa, WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES, which will be available as a Virtual Cinema presentation, beginning Friday, July 10, 2020.

The Virtual Cinema experience was created to assist temporarily closed and gradually reopening independent theaters. By purchasing a “ticket,” you’ll be directly supporting Music Box Theatre, as all revenue is being shared between distributor and exhibitor just as if you bought your ticket at the theater’s box office.

For information on rentals, click here: https://musicboxtheatre.com/films/we-are-little-zombies
(The Virtual Cinema Link will be live on July 10.)

“Explosively ingenious and energetic...A hyper-stylized, hyperactive and hyper-fun movie spectacular.” — Variety

“A rainbow-colored scream into the abyss...One of the most exciting premieres at Sundance 2019.” — New York Magazine

About WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES:
When four young orphans—Hikari, Ikuko, Ishi, and Takemura—first meet, their parents’ bodies are being turned into dust, like fine Parmesan atop a plate of spaghetti Bolognese, and yet none of them can shed a tear. They are like zombies; devoid of all emotion. With no family, no future, no dreams, and no way to move forward, the young teens decide that the first level of this new existence involves salvaging a gaming console, an old electric bass, and a charred wok from their former homes—just enough to start a band and then conquer the world. Tragedy, comedy, music, social criticism, and teenage angst are all subsumed in this eccentric cinematic tsunami. 

Pricing & Scheduling:
Rentals are $12, and are good for 72 hours. Your purchase will go toward supporting Music Box Theatre during our gradual reopening.

Become a member: https://www.musicboxtheatre.com/membership/become-a-member


About Music Box Theatre:
Operating since 1929, the Music Box Theatre has been the premier venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films for more than three decades, playing host to over 200,000 patrons annually. It currently has the largest theater space operated full time in the city. The Music Box Theatre is independently owned and operated by the Southport Music Box Corporation. SMBC, through its Music Box Films division, also distributes foreign and independent films in the theatrical, DVD, and television markets throughout the United States.

Regular events produced, presented and hosted at Music Box Theatre include the 70mm Film Festival; the genre film festival Cinepocalypse; the annual 24-hour horror-movie marathon Music Box of Horrors; and Noir City: Chicago, co-presented by the Film Noir Foundation.

Follow the Music Box Theatre on Facebook (www.facebook.com/musicboxchicago/), Twitter (@musicboxtheatre), and Instagram (@musicboxchicago)

The Music Theatre Hosts The 4th Annual Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) Festival 5/20-26

Films On Our Radar:

The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) Festival kicks off on Friday, May 20^th, 2016 at The Music Theatre!

This year's lineup will include 25 feature films and shorts. This programming brings together an eclectic array of films ranging from raucous comedies and foreign-made dramas to thought-provoking documentaries and midnight genre films.

Special guest appearances include Craig Robinson (Morris From America), Martin Starr (Operator), Anne Hamilton (American Fable), Ira Sachs (Little Men), Ti West (In a Valley of Violence), Michael Pena (War on Everyone) among others!

Now in its fourth year, the CFCA festival will run May 20-26th, 2016 and will be held once again at Chicago's historic Music Box Theatre. Click HERE for Program Scheduling.

Passes are also on sale HERE 

The CFCA will be programming the following titles as part of this year's program at The Music Box Theatre:

Beauty and the Beast

Christophe Gans, the director of such visually stunning films as "Brotherhood of the Wolf" and "Silent Hill," unites two of France's biggest stars, Vincent Cassel and Lea Seydoux, to produce this lavish live-action version of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's classic fantasy story that has already served as the basis for two classic screen adaptations from Jean Cocteau and Disney. For those of you who somehow missed those, it tells the story of a beautiful young woman who agrees to become the prisoner of a ferocious beast in order to save her beloved father's life and eventually learns that there is more to him than his gruff exterior would suggest.

The Blackcoat's Daughter

Set on a nearly deserted prep school campus during winter break, the debut feature from writer/director Oz Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins) follows two students (Kiernan Shipka and Lucy Boynton) who have been left behind and a young woman (Emma Roberts) who has just left the hospital and is hitchhiking towards the school with a seemingly good-natured couple (James Remar and Lauren Holly). Needless to say, something is clearly amiss but what exactly it is and how it connects these seemingly unrelated characters is what gave audiences a start when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was formerly known as “February”.

Goat

Co-written by David Gordon Green and based on the memoir by Brad Land, this harrowing drama follows a 19-year-old boy, who, following a brutal assault, pledges the college fraternity to which his older brother belongs. As the hazing rituals grow more and more dangerous, he finds himself reconsidering his loyalty to both his brother and his new-found allies. Directed by former documentarian Andrew Neel and co-starring Nick Jonas and James Franco, the film offers an eye-opening look at some of the more appalling aspects of masculinity in contemporary society.

Hunt For the Wilderpeople

From Taika Waititi, the writer-director-star of "What We Do In The Shadows," comes the comedic coming-of-age story of Ricky (Julian Dennison), an unruly orphan boy who is dropped off at a remote farm with the latest in a long string of foster parents, the cheerful Aunt Bella and the more taciturn Uncle Hec (Sam Neill). For a while, everything works out fine, but when a tragedy strikes that threatens to remove Ricky to another family, he and Uncle Hec take off into the bush and, thanks to a series of odd events, unexpectedly find themselves at the center of a nationwide manhunt. 

Life, Animated

Based on the memoir by Ron Suskind, this documentary tells the story of his autistic son Owen and how they still managed to communicate with each other utilizing characters and dialogue from Disney animated films that were the only thing that seemed to truly engage the boy. Mixing live-action and animation, the film shows  how Owen was able to utilize his responses to these films as a way to explore his own personal feelings while growing up, and to help him as he makes his first steps towards adulthood and independence.

Morris From America

Directed by Chad Hartigan (whose previous feature, "This is Martin Bonner," was part of the first Chicago Critics Film Festival), this crowd-pleasing comedy follows the adolescent misadventures of a 13-year-old American boy (Markees Christmas) growing up in Germany while living with his father (Craig Robinson). This film was a hit at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and a Special Jury Award for Individual Performance for Robinson.

Trash Fire

In this super-dark comedy with horrific overtones from Richard Bates Jr. (whose "Excision" managed to make even the most dedicated genre buffs squirm in their seats), Adrien Grenier stars as an unpleasant young man who, to please his pregnant girlfriend (Angela Trimbur) and prove that he can be a reliable father figure, agrees to visit the estranged grandmother (Fionnula Flanagan) and sister (Annalynn McCord) that are his only living relatives. Although the two make the trip in order to allow him to bury the hatchet at last, they soon discover that family ties can choke as well as bind. 

American Fable

American Fable is a fairytale thriller set in the 1980s Midwest farm crisis about a courageous girl living in a dark and sometimes magical world. When 11-year-old Gitty discovers that her beloved father is hiding a wealthy man in her family’s silo in order to save their struggling farm, she befriends the captive in secret and quickly becomes trapped between protecting her family and her soul.

Another Evil

After encountering a ghost in his family’s vacation home, a modern artist and his wife hire an “industrial-grade exorcist” to get rid of the beings. But he soon realizes that ridding the home of evil won’t be as simple as it seems.

Contemporary Color

In the summer of 2015, legendary musician David Byrne staged an event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to celebrate the art of Color Guard: synchronized dance routines involving flags, rifles, and sabers. Recruiting performers that include the likes of Saint Vincent, Nelly Furtado, Ad-Rock, and Ira Glass to collaborate on original pieces with 10 color guard teams from across the US and Canada.

Dark Night

The lives of six strangers intersect at a suburban Cineplex where a massacre occurs.

Demon

A bridegroom is possessed by an unquiet spirit in the midst of his own wedding celebration, in this clever take on the Jewish legend of the dybbuk.

Disorder

Vincent is an ex-soldier with PTSD who is hired to protect the wife and child of a wealthy Lebanese businessman while he’s out of town. Despite the apparent tranquility on Maryland, Vincent perceives an external threat.

First Girl I Loved

With Dylan Gelula (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) in attendance.

Seventeen-year-old Anne just fell in love with Sasha, the most popular girl at her LA public high school. But when Anne tells her best friend Clifton—who has always harbored a secret crush—he does his best to get in the way.

The Fits

While training at the gym 11-year-old tomboy Toni becomes entranced with a dance troupe. As she struggles to fit in she finds herself caught up in danger as the group begins to suffer from fainting spells and other violent fits.

In a Valley of Violence

With Writer/Director Ti West in attendance!

A mysterious stranger, and a random act of violence drags a town of misfits and nitwits into the bloody crosshairs of revenge.

Into the Forest

With Director Patricia Rozema in attendance

In the not-too-distant future, two young women who live in a remote ancient forest discover the world around them is on the brink of an apocalypse. Informed only by rumor, they fight intruders, disease, loneliness and starvation.

Joshy

With Adam Pally in attendance

Josh treats what would have been his bachelor party as an opportunity to reconnect with his friends.

Little Men

With Writer/Director Ira Sachs in attendance!

A new pair of best friends have their bond tested by their parents’ battle over a dress shop lease.

Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World

Werner Herzog’s exploration of the Internet and the connected world.

My Blind Brother

The rivalry between two brothers reaches a fever pitch during a charity swim competition.

Nuts!

The mostly true story of Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, an eccentric genius who built an empire with his goat-testicle impotence cure and a million-watt radio station.

Operator

CLOSING NIGHT FILM!

With Martin Starr, Writer/Director Logan Kibens and Writer Sharon Greene in attendance!

Joe (Martin Starr) is a programmer and self-quantifier who uses the data he collects to make sense of the world and control his panic attacks. He and his wife Emily (Mae Whitman), a member of the Neo-Futurists, are happily married until they start working together on a project that promises to replicate Emily’s personality. What begins as a collaboration that strengthens their relationship quickly spirals into a technological love triangle in this dark comedy about love in the age of anxiety shot on location in Andersonville.

The Other Half

Nickie Bellow (Tom Cullen) is a self-destructive drifter, ever mourning the disappearance of his younger brother. Then he meets Emily (Tatiana Maslany) and the two form an immediate, inseparable bond – it is love at first sight deepened by a shared sense of sorrow. After a short amount of time, his PTSD and her bipolar disorder surface complicating their new-found intimacy. For Nickie and Emily, time does not heal all wounds, but could real love indeed conquer all?

For the most current details, along with information on the festival as a whole and a look back at previous years, please go to www.chicagocriticsfilmfestival.com

About The CFCA-

The CFCA has always been dedicated to supporting and celebrating quality filmmaking that has something to say about our world, our lives, and our society. In the past, while it supported and fought for the continued role of film critics in the media, the CFCA's primary public interaction was through the announcement of its annual film awards each December. In recent years, however, the CFCA moved aggressively to expand its presence on the Chicago arts scene and to promote critical thin king about cinema to a wider base. In 2012, in addition to re-launching a late-winter awards ceremony, CFCA members presented numerous film screenings at theaters like the Studio Movie Grill in Wheaton, and Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18 in Rosemont. Illinois. CFCA members also team-taught a new Young People's Film Criticism Workshop at Facets Multimedia that emphasized not just film analysis and criticism, but also writing skills to middle- and high-school students, many of whom were attending the course on lower-income scholarships. With this film festival, we intend to take the next step.

About The Music Box Theatre-

For the last two decades, the Music Box Theatre has been the premiere venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films. It currently has the largest theater space operated full time in the city. The Music Box Theatre is independently owned and operated by the Southport Music Box Corporation. SMBC, through its Music Box Films division, also distributes foreign and independent films in the theatrical, DVD and television markets throughout the United States.

Follow The Music Box Theatre on Instagram @musicboxchicago and Twitter @musicboxtheatre