Manual Cinema is now a late special addition to this year’s Chicago International Music and Movies Festival (CIMMfest No. 5) with their newest and most technically sophisticated feature-length work to date:Lula del Rayon April 20.Although it looks like cinema,Lula Del Reyis actually elaborate shadow puppetry done with overhead projectors. The production is actually more sophisticated than that, combining handmade shadow puppets, live actors, cinematic motifs, three overhead projectors, Foley sounds and a live band soundtrack. It’ll be at new performance venue Constellation, formerly the Viaduct Theater.
Manual CinemapresentsLula del Rayas part of CIMMfest No. 5,Saturday April 20, 4:30 p.m. at Constellation,3111 N. Western Avenue. $22. http://cimmfest.org/manual-cinema/
Told almost entirely sans dialogue,Lula del Rayis the story of a lonely adolescent girl who lives with her mother on the outskirts of a vast satellite array in the middle of the desert. After a chance encounter over the radio, Lula becomes obsessed with a soulful country music duo, the Baden Brothers. Inspired by their music, she runs away from home and into a world of danger, deception and disappointment. Set in the mid-century American Southwest and inspired by the music of Hank Williams, Roy Orbison and Patsy Cline,Lula del Rayis a mythic reinvention of the classic coming-of-age story.Lula del Raywas developed at the University of Chicago in the Theater and Performance Studies Program where Manual Cinema currently serves as Ensemble-in-Residence.
DO-IT-ALL DIRECTOR SHANE CARRUTH IN PERSON FOR MIND-BLOWING DOUBLE FEATURE AT MUSIC BOX THEATRE
OPENING NIGHT OF NEW FILMUPSTREAM COLOR IS FOLLOWED BY HIS 2004 CULT HIT PRIMERWITH LIVE Q&A IN BETWEEN
Friday, April 12 at Music Box Theatre
**The 7:30pm show of Upstream Color is completely sold out! Due to popular demand, director Shane Carruth will now also attend the 5pm screening of Upstream Color on Friday, April 12 with a post show discussion. (The 5pm screening will not include a screening of Primer).
Shane Carruth’s new feature film Upstream Color opens exclusively in Chicago at the Music Box Theatre for a regular run starting Friday, April 12. This gorgeous piece of experimental science-fiction is about two broken souls who share a unique (and hallucinatory) bond. On opening night of the run, the Music Box welcomes the do-it-all filmmaker – writer, director, star, producer, co-editor, composer, casting director, production designer, sound designer and distributor – in person for a very special double feature of his work. First the audience will be treated toUpstream Colorat 7:30pm. Next up will be Carruth’s 2004 breakthrough Primer – which beat out Garden State andNapoleon Dynamite to take home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and subsequently earned a cult following for its sophisticated twist on the complications of time travel – at 9:45pm. Carruth will introduce the films and do a Q&A withAV Club’s Scott Tobias between shows, Friday, April 12 at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Avenue. Upstream Color will continue its regular Chicago run through April 19 at the Music Box Theatre.
Shane Carruth’s sensuously directed and much anticipated sophomore effort is a truly remarkable film that lies beyond the power of language to communicate while it delivers a cohesive sensory experience. With its muscular cinematic language rooted in the powerful yearnings felt before words can be formed, Upstream Color is an entirely original, mythic, romantic thriller that goes in search of truths that lie just beyond our reach. Kris (Amy Seimetz ) is derailed from her life when she is drugged by a small-time thief. But something bigger is going on. She is unknowingly drawn into the life cycle of a presence that permeates the microscopic world, moving to nematodes, plant life, livestock and back again. Along the way, she finds another being—a familiar, who is equally consumed by the larger force. The two search urgently for a place of safety within each other as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of their wrecked lives.
Primer (2004)9:45pm
Four friends/fledgling entrepreneurs, knowing that there’s something bigger and more innovative than the different error-checking devices they’ve built, wrestle over their new invention. Shane Carruth’s feature debut, which cost $7,000 and was shot on 16mm, won the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize in 2004.
About the Music Box Theatre:
For nearly 30 years the Music Box Theatre has been the premier venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films, festivals and some of the greatest cinematic events in Chicago. It currently has the largest cinema 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. For additional information please visit www.musicboxtheatre.com .
Spring means music in Chi-town and the excellent shows are pouring into town. Here's a short list of our top picks. *We've been giving you the heads up about most of these over at our FB page and Twitter feed for weeks if not months in some cases. If you still haven't gotten tickets, get outta the house and go already. As always, check out ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. We have loads of original content band interviews, live show shots, tour news, and giveaways. Thursday 4/4
When Flying Feels Like Falling (all ages) These Chi-town punk kin have a string of upcoming gigs here. They may still be in high school, but these alums of Girls Rock! Chicago already have some major fest cred & battle of the bands wins under their belts.
THU APR 4, 2013 - 7:00 PM
When Flying Feels Like Falling
Stop The Silence!
with Cellar Rats, Seraphina Mushroom Jello Nelson, Tocsin, The Hanging Garden, Flagass
Greenhouse Theater
2257 N. Lincoln Chicago (near the Fullerton Brownline stop)
Please bring donations, anything is appreciated, all of the money will be going to RVA.
*Greenhouse Theater has a cash bar for this event: food, drinks, whatever.*
All ages!
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics:
-Every 2 minutes someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S. -54% of rapes/sexual assaults are not reported to the police -Out of every 100 rapes, 46 get reported to the police, 12 lead to an arrest, 9 get prosecuted, 5 lead to a felony conviction, and only 3 rapists will ever spend a single day in jail. -97% of rapists walk free. http://www.rainn.org/statistics
Speak up against Rape Culture!
Friday 4/5 March Fourth Punk Rock Marching Band at Martyr's Click the link to check out full details on the show along with ChiIL Live Shows' original content--March Fourth HD videos and live show shots.
Chicago post-punk group The Bright White (confirmed for Lollapalooza) will open for Makeshift Prodigy at Reggie's Rock Club, 2105 S. State St, on Friday, April 5. Show is 7PM, ages 17+ and $12-$15. Click here for tickets.
Todd Kessler and his band the New Folk headline with Alexis Marceaux (also featured on HBO's Treme) and her band, Alexis & the Samurai, as direct support. Mike Mangione & the Union will open the show.
Reverend Peytons Big Damn Band with Jimbo Mathus and Alvin Youngblood Hart Sat. 04/06 | 8:00PM @ Cubby Bear
“Toxic Noise” appears on the group’s current album, The Vines of Age, and band leader Yoo Soo Kim explains the genesis of the clip:
Before shooting "Toxic Noise," we knew that there was a certain moving energy that the song has, but couldn't quite figure out a story or concept that best conveyed that energy. For a couple months, we were at a loss on what to film for the song, but at a show in Ames, IA, we stumbled on some music video that focused heavily on lights to contrast between different feelings of mellowness and bombast. In a similar way, the quiet verses and loud choruses of "Toxic Noise" paralleled that song. To this day, we honestly have no clue what video we saw, but we commend that forever mysterious video for leading us to our concept. We pitched the idea to Kevin Larson, a director we worked with for our last two videos, and, from there, rented and built different lights to achieve the effect. The setting itself was easier - our keyboardist Ben is the choir director at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, IL, and he was able to let us use the school's auditorium for a day; just enough time to squeeze a music video shoot in. Check out the band's main site here
They're baaaaack. March Fourth is one of our all time favs, and not just because these kick ass Portland performers put on a rockin' birthday bash every year for my little sis who lives in Portland and was born on 3/4. We're immersed in the circus arts world and love what March Fourth does.
One of these days they'll play outdoors in Chi-town so they can break out their full blown fire show and we can bring underagers ((hint hint)). My own 9 & 12 year olds who perform with CircEsteem LOVE March Fourth on line and I'm sure they'd be even more blown away live.
For now, we'll be there, but do note, their Martyr's gigs are 21+. Come early. Chicago's own Polkaholics who also rock are the openers!!
Yesterday as we were loading up the tour bus for another trip across the USA, the sun was shining in our hometown of Portland. Daffodils were blooming, the cherry blossoms were out, but I guess we've got a hankering for a bit more winter because we're heading east to the Rockies, then out to the Great Lakes and finishing up this trip on the east coast. This is the first tour of our new year (which starts on March 4th of course!) and we are so excited to present some new tunes, new routines and even a new band member or two! You'll never know quite what you're going to get since every show is different, but it's a guaranteed good time. Do us a favor and take a moment to spread the word to any friends and family about our shows, particularly in Madison, WI and Ames, IA and Lincoln, NE and Philadelphia, PA. It helps a lot, thanks!
Huge armfuls of gratitude to everyone for all the birthday wishes over the past few weeks. We've really been feeling the love from our fans all these years, and especially in March as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our first show. Wow, ten years! It's been so fun to look back over the years and see where this project has been. It was especially great to have so many of the M4 alumni back on stage for an encore song at our birthday show! If you want to take a peek back, check out this fun slideshow of M4 pics through the years, as seen through the lense of one of our Seattle fans. Our very own Kevin Balmer of Diggable Monkey did this 10-year retrospective mini-short film for Portland Monthly's feature in March.
Check out all our spring tour dates below and we'll see you on the road. Don't fret if you don't see your town on this route...we've got another 150 or so days on the road this year and there's a pretty good chance our paths will cross again soon! As always, you can check our online calendar for the latest info since our summer tour is starting to take shape!
*If we lived just a little closer we'd be all over this!
JOY NOW:
Imagine your child playing alongside MarchFourth! Well, now they can! The Joy Now Arts Project is a circus, music and performance program for youth 4-18 taught by members of MarchFourth. Registration is now open for our teen performance progam, summer camp and NEW circus classes for kids 4-12! Fnd out more at www.joynowproject.org.
(left to right) Company member Sara Sawicki, Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary, Allie Long, Katherine Banks and Morgan Maher
BUZZ22 CHICAGO’S SHE KILLS MONSTERS GETS ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE AS PART OF STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY’S FOURTH ANNUAL GARAGE REP
Buzz22 Chicago’s hit production of She Kills Monsters as part of Steppenwolf’s Garage Rep is getting one additional performance on April 16 at 8pm.
We haven't made it over to She Kills Monsters yet, but it's high on our must see list.
(left to right) Company member Ellie Reed and Jessica London-Shields with (background, left to right) Allie Long and Katherine Banks
By popular demand, Buzz22 Chicago’s critically acclaimed production of
She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen, directed by Scott Weinstein, gets an additional performance as part of Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s fourth annual Garage Rep. This “clever, funny, moving, lively and delightfully geeky” (Chicago Tribune) play now also performs on Tuesday, April 16 at 8pm; the ensemble cast of 11 remains intact. Garage Rep runs through April 21; tickets ($20) are on sale now through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.
(left to right) Morgan Maher, Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary, Katherine Banks, Jessica London-Shields and company member Sara Sawicki
Agnes's life is turned upside down when she stumbles upon her late sister’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook. As she embarks on an action-packed quest to save her sister's soul, Agnes comes face to face with homicidal fairies, raunchy ogres and blood thirsty cheerleaders, and discovers a side of herself she never knew existed. Qui Nguyen's touching comedy combines real life, fantasy and 90s pop culture in the search for the badass in us all.
(top to bottom) Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary and Allie Long
The cast of She Kills Monsters features Katherine Banks, Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary, Daeshawna Cook, Fred Geyer, Jessica London-Shields, Allie Long, Morgan Maher, Jose Nateras, Ellie Reed, Sara Sawicki and Richard Traub. The creative team includes William Boles (scenic design), Rachel Goldberg (costume design), Lee Keenan (lighting design), Daniel Carlyon (sound design), Matt Deitchman(composer), Chuck Coyl (fight director) and Lori Buchanan (dance choreography). Additional credits include Colleen Werle (puppetry design); Sarah Fornace, Drew Dir and Julia Miller of Manual Cinema (shadow puppet design); Alex Tey (gore design, assistant fight director); Jamie Karas (properties master); Mary Hungerford (production manager); and Christopher Leck (stage manager).
The fourth annual Garage Rep also features See What I Wanna See, words and music by Michael John LaChiusa, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, music direction by James Morehead, presented by Bailiwick Chicago; and BlackTop Sky by Christina Anderson, directed by Cassy Sanders, presented by Theatre Seven of Chicago. Tickets to all three Garage Rep productions ($20) are currently on salethrough Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.
Credit for all production photos: Michael Brosilow
Katherine Banks (front) with (background, left to right) company Member Sara Sawicki, Jessica London-Shields and Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary in Buzz22 Chicago’s Midwest-premiere production of She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen, directed by company member Scott Weinstein, presented as part of Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s Garage Rep 2013. Performance through April 21, 2013.
Support for Garage Rep is provided by the “Leading for the Future Initiative,” a program of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. OptionsHouse is the Garage Series Sponsor.
Buzz22 Chicago (Scott Weinstein and Sara Sawicki, Co-Artistic Directors; Philip de Guzman, Managing Director) was founded by seven Northwestern University graduates in 2010. Since then, Buzz22 has staged four productions, including the Midwest premiere of Residue by Joel Sinensky and Quake by Melanie Marnich, performed in repertory at Royal George Theatre. The company seeks to provide a home for up-and-coming artists in the Chicago area. Buzz22 stages stories to explore the constant coming of age: the ever-occurring moments that challenge who we are and who we want to be. buzz22chicago.com
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is America’s longest standing, most distinguished ensemble theater, producing nearly 700 performances and events annually in its three Chicago theater spaces—the 515-seatDownstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat Garage Theatre. Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 43 actors, writers and directors. Artistic programming at Steppenwolf includes a five-play Subscription Season, a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season and three repertory series: First Look Repertory of New Work, Garage Rep and Next Up. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Off-Broadway, Broadway, London, Sydney and Dublin. Steppenwolf has the distinction of being the only theater to receive the National Medal of Arts, in addition to numerous other prestigious honors including an Illinois Arts Legend Award and nine Tony Awards. Martha Lavey is the Artistic Director and David Hawkanson is the Executive Director. Nora Daley is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org,facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr.