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Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents Lobby Hero at Theater Wit January 24-March 1, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Shattered Globe Theatre’s 34th season continues with

Lobby Hero

January 24-March 1 

at Theater Wit

A cop and a night watchman get tangled in the blurred lines between right and wrong in Shattered Globe's revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s dark comedy 


Expect fireworks when Shattered Globe Artistic Producer Nate Santana directs Lonergan’s “masterpiece…the best drama, the best comedy and the best romance of the year, all rolled into one” (TimeOut New York). 

Shattered Globe Theatre’s 34th season continues with the comic masterpiece Lobby Hero by (top, from left) Kenneth Lonergan, directed by Nate Santana, January 24-March 1, 2025 at Theater Wit. The cast features (bottom, from left) Shattered Globe Ensemble Member Adam Schulmerich as Bill, Emma Jo Boyden as Dawn, Elliot Esquivel as Jeff and Terence Sims as William.

Charm, romance and humor abound in the 2001 comedic masterpiece Lobby Hero by Kenneth Lonergan, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Manchester by the Sea. 

Shattered Globe Theatre’s first production of 2025, Lobby Hero runs January 24-March 1 at Theater Wit. Shattered Globe Artistic Producer Nate Santana directs Lonergan’s “masterpiece…the best drama, the best comedy and the best romance of the year, all rolled into one” (TimeOut New York). 

It’s the graveyard shift at a mid-rise apartment lobby in Manhattan. A rudderless security guard, his demanding supervisor, a rookie cop, and her self-centered partner are forced to navigate the question of whether doing the wrong thing for the right reason can ever be justified. Confronting complex moral dilemmas, their choices reveal the blurred lines between right and wrong.

"Motives come in every shade but black and white," wrote Ben Brantley of the New York Times, calling Lobby Hero a "combustible brew of impulses.”  

“These characters all live in a world of light and shadow as they chase their dreams,” said director Nate Santana. “Filled with irreverence and sincerity, charm and ugliness, heart and animosity, two opposing ideas often show up at the same time, in the same place, with the same person, asking each to wrestle with the idea that both could possibly be true. When they look in the mirror what will they see? And what will they accept about themselves as they figure out what kind of person they want to be?”


The cast features (from left) Emma Jo Boyden as Dawn, Elliot Esquivel as Jeff, Shattered Globe Ensemble Member Adam Schulmerich as Bill, and Terence Sims as William. Credit: Jeff Kuryscz


Lobby Hero features (from left) Shattered Globe Ensemble Member Adam Schulmerich as Bill, Terence Sims as William, Elliot Esquivel as Jeff and Emma Jo Boyden as Dawn. Credit: Jeff Kuryscz

Shattered Globe’s new take on Lonergan’s dark comedy features SGT Ensemble Member Adam Schulmerich as Bill, and three Chicago actors all making their Shattered Globe debuts: Emma Jo Boyden as Dawn, Elliot Esquivel as Jeff and Terence Sims as William. The production team includes José Manuel Díaz-Soto (set designer), Uriel Gomez (costume designer), Ellie Fey (lighting designer) Mariah Bennett (props designer) Chris Kriz (sound designer) Sammi Grant (dialect coach) Julia Farrell Diefenbach (dramaturgy) Isabelle Valet (assistant stage manager) Lucy Whipp (production manager) Ronald Hale (technical director) and Tina Jach (production stage manager). 

The first preview of Lobby Hero, Friday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m., is Pay-What-You-Can. Previews continue Saturday, January 25 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, January 26 at 3 p.m, and Wednesday, January 29 at 7:30 p.m. Previews are $10-$25. No show Friday, January 31. Performances run through March 1: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. There’s an added 3 p.m. matinee on closing day, Saturday, March 1. Performances are $15-$52. For group discounts, email groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or call (773) 770-0333.

Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets are $10-$52. Purchase tickets online at SGTheatre.org, call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150, or purchase in person at Theater Wit.

Access: 

Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible, and all patrons with disability needs are invited to purchase $20 access tickets with the code “ACCESS20” at Theater Wit’s checkout page. Please email boxoffice@theaterwit.org to ensure we can reserve the right seat for your access needs. Please do not use this code if you do not require these services. Go to SGTheatre.org and see the Accessible Ticketing info to find out about our Waived Ticket Program.

Assisted Listening Devices are available for all performances.

Audio Description and a Touch Tour will be offered on Friday, February 21. The Touch Tour begins at 6:15 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m.

Open Captions will be provided at the 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, January 23.

Visit SGTheatre.org for more information, including content warnings, news of special events, accessible and waived ticket programs. Find and follow the company on social media @shatteredglobe on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Shattered Globe’s Lobby Hero features (from left) Elliot Esquivel as Jeff and Terence Sims as William. Credit Jeff Kuryscz

Shattered Globe’s Lobby Hero features (top, from left) Shattered Globe Ensemble Member Adam Schulmerich as Bill, Emma Jo Boyden as Dawn, (bottom) Elliot Esquivel as Jeff and Terence Sims as William.

Company biographies

Kenneth Lonergan (playwright, Lobby Hero) is an acclaimed American playwright, screenwriter and director known for his character-driven dramas that capture the intricacies of everyday life. Born and raised in Manhattan, Lonergan was encouraged to write from a young age, eventually pursuing dramatic writing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. His breakthrough play, This Is Our Youth (1996), explores the disillusionment of young people in the 1980s and marked the start of his successful theater career. Other notable plays include The Waverly Gallery (2000) and Lobby Hero (2001), both of which later had successful Broadway revivals. Lonergan's film career includes the Oscar-nominated You Can Count on Me (2000) and Manchester by the Sea (2016), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. His work, whether on stage or screen, is celebrated for its deep empathy and nuanced portrayal of complex human experiences.

Nate Santana (director, Lobby Hero, Artistic Producer, Shattered Globe Theatre, he/him) joined the company as an Ensemble Member in 2018. For three years, he taught and directed the Protege Program at SGT as well as produced and oversaw the inaugural Global Playwriting Series (GPS), which received over 150 submissions in its first year. Theatre credits include Marvin’s Room (Shattered Globe); Ironbound (Raven Theatre); The Thanksgiving Play (Steppenwolf); Legend of Georgia McBride, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (Northlight); Frankenstein, Sense and Sensibility (Indiana Repertory Theatre); SS! Romeo and Juliet, SS! Twelfth Night (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy (Griffin Theatre); The Abuelas, White Tie Ball, Momma’s Boyz (Teatro Vista); The Rainmaker (BoHo Theatre); References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot (Phoenix Theatre Indianapolis) and What Happened When, Slipping (the side project). Television credits include Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Suits and The Exorcist. Santana is also an Ensemble Member with Teatro Vista. He studied at the School at Steppenwolf, The Moscow Art Theatre, and received his BA from Valparaiso University.

Adam Schulmerich (Bill, he/him) has been a Shattered Globe ensemble member since 2023. His SGT credits include Becky Nurse of Salem, A View From the Bridge, Rasheeda Speaking and Five Mile Lake. Other Chicago credits include The Spirit of ’76 (The Agency); Scissortail (Adapt Theatre); Inventing Van Gogh (Strange Bedfollows Theatre); Wild (Kid Brooklyn); and Ponypool (Strawdog Theatre).




Emma Jo Boyden (Dawn, she/her) is making her Shattered Globe Theatre debut. Chicago credits include Arsenic and Old Lace (Court Theatre); Henry V and Hamlet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Drury Lane Theatre); Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (Northlight Theatre); A Recipe for Disaster (Windy City Playhouse); Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man (Greenhouse Theater Center); La Boheme and Don Giovanni (Lyric Opera of Chicago).






Elliot Esquivel (Jeff, he/him), born and raised in Austin, Texas, is making his SGT debut. Chicago credits include Manic Monologues (WaterTower Theatre) and Alice by Heart (Chicago's Kokandy Productions).








Terence Sims (William, he/him) is also working with Shattered Globe for the first time. Chicago credits include Toni Stone (Goodman Theatre); Paris (Steep Theatre); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Writers Theatre); Crumbs From the Table of Joy (Raven Theatre); Damascus (Strawdog Theatre); Barbecue (Strawdog Theatre); and Monster (Steppenwolf Theatre). Regional credits include Broke-o-logy (B Street Theatre) and To Kill A Mockingbird (Children’s Theatre Madison).






Up next: A bold new adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities directed by Mikael Burke

It’s the best of times, and it’s the worst of times. Still today. So what better time to take a new look at A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens? Shattered Globe will present the Midwest premiere of Brendan Pelsue’s bold new adaptation of Dickens’ classic tale of revolution. Acclaimed Chicago director Mikael Burke will make his Shattered Globe debut staging this new riff on Dickens’ classic, chillingly timely novel about privilege, poverty and political adaptation.

A Tale of Two Cities may be 165 years old, but with Burke at the helm, Shattered Globe’s new production will remind us that some things never change. Or, can they? In a society where the gap between the rich and poor widens, and the cries for revolution grow louder, one can hope. Performances of A Tale of Two Cities are April 18 – May 31, 2025. 


About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre seeks to redefine what it means to be an ensemble theatre, discover new connections between story, artist and audience, and explore drama from bold, challenging perspectives. 

Shattered Globe Theatre was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 80 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 44 Jeff Awards and 118 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. 

Guided by Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, Shattered Globe’s values are rooted in a commitment to racial equity, respect for all artists and support for the ensemble, while creating new opportunities to amplify traditionally marginalized voices and collaborate in all aspects of its work. Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre’s Ensemble has 29 members: Judy Anderson, Louis Contey, David Dastmalchian, Demetra Dee, Joe Forbrich, Christina Gorman, Daria Harper, Tina M. Jach, Rebecca Jordan, Steve Kleinedler, Vivian Knouse, AmBer Montgomery, Tina Muñoz Pandya, Eileen Niccolai, Jazzma Pryor, Hailey Rakowiecki, Deanna Reed-Foster, Linda Reiter, Nate Santana, Drew Schad, Adam Schulmerich, Leslie Ann Sheppard, Sandy Shinner, Joe Sikora, Shelley Strasser, Devonte E. Washington, Sarah Jo White, Joseph Wiens and Brad Woodard.

SGT’s Artistic Associates now number 20 including Daniela Colucci, Mikey Gray, Lawrence Grimm, Darren Jones, Christopher Kriz, Jason Lynch, Elizabeth Margolius, Kelsey Melvin, Tim Newell, Jane Nix, Aila Peck, Steve Peebles, David Antonio Reed, Jasmine Cheri Rush, Angie Shriner, Abbey Smith, Becca Smith, Michael Trudeau, Ayanna Wimberley and Austin Winter.

Shattered Globe Theatre is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Bayless Family Foundation, The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, Brenda and James Grusecki, Carol P. Eastin, The Shubert Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council.

Visit SGTheatre.org for subscriptions, tickets and information, and follow the company @shatteredglobe on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 


REVIEW: Juicy Chicago Premiere of Fat Ham Now Extended Twice Through March 9, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Chicago Premiere of 

Fat Ham

HIGH DEMAND FOR TICKETS NOW EXTENDING THE CHICAGO PREMIERE THROUGH MARCH 9th


**UPDATE: This "Juicy" collab's so nice they extended it twice! FAT HAM is Goodman Theatre's co-production with Definition Theatre and an absolute must see. Now playing through March 9, 2025. 
Don't miss this! 


REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

So you think you know Hamlet... but until you've seen a ghost emerge from a smoker, and young adults transform into their true selves, you ain't seen nothin' yet. It was my great pleasure to catch opening night of Fat Ham, reviewing for ChiIL Live Shows. 

Photo Credit: B. Kenaz-Mara

We've long been fans of Definition Theatre's excellent work and love this creative, high energy riff on Hamlet, set at a modern, black, backyard barbecue. We've long adored director Tyrone Phillips, playwright James Ijames, E. Faye Butler, and Sheldon D. Brown. Fat Ham has a strong cast all around. 


(L-R) Sheldon D. Brown, Ronald L. Conner, Trumane Alston, E. Faye Butler, Ireon Roach 
and Anji White. All Production Photos by Liz Lauren.

Tyrone Phillips’ Chicago premiere-production of James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, five-time Tony Award-nominated play Fat Ham is an absolute must see! We've known Tyrone Phillips for years and long admired his talent. I believe we first met when he worked on a show at A Red Orchid, back in the day. It's been a joy watching him move from scrappy storefronts to directing at Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and now Goodman, without sacrificing his creative vision. Tyrone is an excellent director, and under his guidance, this award winning script and crazy talented all-Chicago cast shine! 

This Goodman production is co-produced with Chicago’s famed Definition Theatre—of which Phillips is Founding Artistic Director and Ijames is a company member. I got to know Definition Theatre well, back in 2018, when I was chosen to join them for a multiweek DCASE Playwriting workshop. They're a wonderfully welcoming company and the talent pool runs deep!

If you're well versed in The Bard's work, you'll notice many parallel plot points, and character details, like friends Tio, Larry, and Opal instead of Horatio, Laertes, and Ophelia. If you're not a Shakespeare scholar, never fear. Fat Ham is a solid, stick-to-your-ribs production that works as a hilarious stand alone piece as well. In this version, Hamlet is Juicy, a young man who is both black and gay. Like the original, his father's been murdered by his uncle who then marries his mother, inappropriately soon after. His father, like Hamlet's, makes repeat appearances from the afterlife. His lecherous uncle's devious designs are revealed in a game of charades instead of Hamlet's play within a play. Thankfully, in Fat Ham everyone does not die in the end. 

(L-R) Anji White and Ronald L. Conner.

In our current political and social morass, I'm still firmly committed to amplifying DEI voices and works. Fat Ham is a universal exploration of family dynamics and drama, as well as a celebration of black culture and style in the form of a backyard barbecue. What face do we show our parents and long time family friends? What secrets do we hide and what do we share? Fat Ham is at once classic and modern, fierce and funny, and unapologetically black. 

Fat Ham is decidedly more comedy than tragedy, and it was fun seeing Shakespeare's text catapulted into the 21st century in James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, five-time Tony Award-nominated play. 


(L-R) Trumane Alston and Sheldon D. Brown.

Finally, I don't want to give too many spoilers, but it was great to see Sheldon Brown back in town from LA, and in such a fabulously fun, transformative role as Larry. I've always admired his skills as an actor and his outlook on life and healing after trauma. I was blown away by his performance in Fat Ham and even more impressed knowing his backstory. He played a shirtless lead in About Face Theater's "This Bitter Earth." back in May 2019 and I remember how much depth and bravery he brought to the role. He was still healing from multiple surgeries following a violent attack in Uptown in April of 2018, and unflinchingly bared his physical and emotional wounds in a powerful way that left a lasting impression on me

Though we differ in obvious ways, I've always felt a particular affinity and common ground with Sheldon. He hails from Dayton Ohio originally, while I grew up in nearby Cincinnati. We both came to Chicago after college and moved first to Uptown, sketchy but affordable on struggling actor wages. I was also attacked in nearly the same block he was, in a random act of street violence, where the perpetrators were never caught. In my case it was May of 1994, when 3 men with a large, curved, serrated hunting knife, attacked me in a robbery attempt outside of my apartment near Kenmore and Wilson. Both my arms and hands were cut multiple times with defensive wounds as I tried to mace them and shielded my face. My watch was hit so hard the watch face smashed and the time stopped. I'm pretty sure my left hand would have been severed completely if I hadn't been wearing that watch. Healing emotionally, PTSD, nightmares, and getting back to feeling reasonably safe again took much longer than healing from the physical injuries. His even more horrific and traumatic attack resonated with me on a personal level. I have nothing but admiration for his strength and resilience, and it brings such joy to see him succeeding. Read more about Sheldon's attack and recovery journey at these 2 links:



(L-R) Victor Musoni, Trumane Alston, Sheldon D. Brown, E. Faye Butler and Ireon Roach.

Back to the show at hand, Fat Ham is stellar storytelling and we were wowed all around by the acting, directing, creatives, and cast. It's always a joy to see E. Faye Butler, and though she's best known for musical theatre, her comedic timing is impeccable and we adored her over the top role as Rabby. I was not familiar with Trumane Alston's work before Fat Ham, but he's caught my attention now. Don't miss this! Highly recommended. 

★★★★ Four out of four stars. B Kenaz-Mara, ChiIL Live Shows

“Fat Ham”: James Ijames’s riff on Hamlet centers on Juicy (Trumane Alston), “a Black, gay, self-aware young man struggling with body image, personal confidence and the oppressive expectations of others, especially his father, as much as any broader existential angst.

Check out the fun show tie in drinks at Goodman's bar. 

Photo Credit: B. Kenaz-Mara

ChiILin’ at opening night of Goodman Theatre’s Fat Ham! Such joy and support among all the cast/creatives/crew and audience. Love drink tie-ins with show themes, but I think this is the first one in 16 years of reviewing that’s a tie-in with my +1, Barbara B! “Hard to be the Barb” indeed. 

Photo Credit: B. Kenaz-Mara

By the way, I've been part of Goodman's GeNarrations Storytelling workshops for 4 sessions now and I was chosen twice to perform at Lobby Stories. Here's the storyteller lineup for the Goodman's production of Fat Ham, on the theme of "Family"--biological and/or chosen. I'll be performing before the Fat Ham matinee on Thursday, February 20th at 1pm in the second-floor mezzanine lobby. Drop in if you can. FREE. 

LINEUP:

Thursday, February 6th

Carrie Waller; "A mother's power of persuasion." 

Cora Rambert; "Did The System Fail me or did I Fail the System?"

Thursday, February 13th

Regan Burke, "Holidays Interrupted."

Margot McMahon, "Painting Polyp Portraits."

Thursday, February 20th

Pamela Schumacher, "Tea and Crumpets."

Nancy Solomon, "Mama Golda and Her Famous Blintzes."

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara, "Once Bitten." (My real life Voodoo engagement story, set in New Orleans) ❤


Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

 
Fat Ham
By James Ijames
Directed by Tyrone Phillips

January 11 - March 9, 2025 in the Owen Theatre



(L-R) Trumane Alston and Anji White.

Fat Ham tells the story of Juicy, a Black, queer young man who is confronted by the ghost of his father during a family barbeque. Seeking revenge for his murder, his father puts a screeching halt to Juicy’s quest for joy and liberation. Ijames’s reinvention of Shakespeare’s masterpiece features an all-Chicago cast: Trumane Alston (Juicy), Sheldon Brown, E. Faye Butler, Ronald L. Conner, Victor Musoni, Ireon Roach and Anji White. Fat Ham opens tonight and runs through March 2. Tickets ($25 - $85; subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Ham or by phone at 312.443.3800. Goodman Theatre is grateful for the support of ITW (Corporate Sponsor Partner) and the Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust (Lead Sponsor of IDEAA Programming).

EXTENSION WEEK SCHEDULE

-Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30pm

-Wednesday, February 26 at 7:30pm

-Thursday, February 27 at 2pm and 7:30pm

-Friday, February 28 at 7:30pm

-Saturday, March 1 at 2pm and 7:30pm

-Sunday, March 2 at 2pm

Special events for the production include: Drinks and Discussion: Conversation with Definition Theatre (January 24) featuring a panel of the talented Black creatives behind the Chicago-premiere production exploring the unique experiences and perspectives of Black queer artists; Black Affinity Night (February 7) celebrates the richness of Black culture and community at a special pre-show reception and conversation, followed by the evening performance.

(L-R) Trumane Alston and Ireon Roach.

Full Company of Fat Ham (in alphabetical order)

By James Ijames

Directed by Tyrone Phillips


Trumane Alston…Juicy

Sheldon Brown…Larry

E. Faye Butler…Rabby

Ronald L. Conner…Rev/Pap

Victor Musoni…Tio

Ireon Roach…Opal

Anji White…Tedra


Understudies for this production include Blake Hamilton Currie, Marquise De’Jahn, TayLar, Joseph Primes and Jazzy Rush.


Creative Team


Set Designer…..Arnel Sancianco

Costume Designer ……Jos N. Banks

Lighting Designer…..Jason Lynch

Sound Designer….. Willow James

Illusion Consultant…Benjamin Barnes

Fight and Intimacy…Gaby Labotka 

Casting is by Lauren Port, CSA. Jared Bellot is the Dramaturg. Patrick Fries is the Production Stage Manager.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES AT GOODMAN THEATRE

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Friday, January 31 at 7:30pm – Professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.

Touch Tour* and Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, February 1, 12:30pm Touch Tour; 2pm performance – The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset.

Spanish-Subtitled Performance: Saturday, February 1 at 7:30pm – An LED sign presents Spanish-translated dialogue in sync with the performance.

Open-Captioned Performance: Sunday, February 2 at 2pm – An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

Visit Goodman theatre.org/Access for more information about Goodman Theatre’s accessibility efforts. 

(L-R) Victor Musoni and Trumane Alston.
Fat Ham
By James Ijames
Directed by Tyrone Phillips
January 11 - February 23, 2025 in the Owen Theatre
Photos by Liz Lauren

ABOUT DEFINITION THEATRE

Definition Theatre has been a vibrant force for over a decade, celebrating stories created with, inspired by, and intended for people and communities of color. Through the act of making, Definition expands perspectives, stewards resources, and bridges the possibilities found at the intersection of art, innovation, and education. Known for bold and impactful productions, we’ve brought to life plays by Oscar-winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, Pulitzer Prize-winners James Ijames and Jackie Sibblies Drury, and Tony Award-winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. We strive to promote equity, foster empathy, and enhance the quality of life for our community members by offering opportunities for creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural expression. Our work emphasizes collaboration in theater-making and raises awareness of career paths in the arts. In 2024, Definition leased and equipped a storefront space in Hyde Park, enabling us to engage artists and expand programs as we prepare for our permanent home in Woodlawn on the southside of Chicago. This new theater, community center, and business incubator will amplify and preserve BIPOC voices, promote social justice, and empower the next generation of artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to drive positive progress through the transformative power of the arts. Tyrone Phillips is the Artistic Director, Neel McNeill is the Executive Director, Willow James is the Civic Engagement Director.

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

Chicago’s theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. Led by Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, the theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades.

The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.

Using the tools of theatrical practice, the Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand and empathize with cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

Goodman Theatre was built on the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. We recognize that many other Nations consider the area we now call Chicago as their traditional homeland—including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo and Mascouten—and remains home to many Native peoples today. While we believe that our city’s vast diversity should be reflected on the stages of its largest theater, we acknowledge that our efforts have largely overlooked the voices of our Native peoples. This omission has added to the isolation, erasure and harm that Indigenous communities have faced for hundreds of years. We have begun a more deliberate journey towards celebrating Native American stories and welcoming Indigenous communities.\

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation on the new Goodman center in 2000.

Julie Danis is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Lorrayne Weiss is Women’s Board President and Kelli Garcia is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.


Friday, January 17, 2025

REVIEW: Cabinet of Curiosity's The Cabinet Through January 19, 2025 and Returning This Fall

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar
Chicago's Cabinet of Curiosity's
The Cabinet
7th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival


The return after 15 years of The Cabinet, a legendary Chicago puppet work, revived by Chicago’s Cabinet of Curiosity. 

Run Time: 60 minutes. Suggested for ages 14+ 


REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

The Cabinet is an absolute must see! Don’t miss this somnambulist nightmare massacre. Cabinet of Curiosity’s The Cabinet is a bloody good time! We adored this visually stunning, deviant delight, with multiple puppet styles. Highly recommended.  ★★★★ Four out of four stars.

It was my great pleasure to catch opening night of Cabinet of Curiosity's short run remount of The Cabinet as part of this year's Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. There's no Narnia at the back of this wardrobe, but an exciting tale of murder, mayhem, and psychiatric care with questionable morals, based on the 1919 German Expressionist silent film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Back and bigger than ever, The Cabinet is a gargantuan dresser containing worlds of wonder and multiple styles of puppetry, from creepy 3 dimensional paper mache creations, to shadow puppets, 2D stick puppets, scroll work, and even a giant pop-up book. 

We love that the puppeteers are a vital and visible part of this production in stark black and white. Their talent and timing was impressive, even down to the multilevel puppeteering spaces and climbing skills involved in some of the space changes. Utterly impressive!

We saw several of Redmoon Theatre's renditions of this incredible piece back in the day, and are so excited Cabinet of Curiosity is bringing this tale back to life! We've covered many of Cabinet of Curiosity's shows and spectacles over the years, and we've even shots lots of behind the scenes photos and videos of their works in progress. For years before that we extensively documented Redmoon's epic installations and community rituals, including making-of previews and documented performances. Their collaborative style and penchant for spectacle make them longtime favorites of ours. If you can't make it out for this short 3 day run, rumor has it they have a fall remount in the works and are planning on a longer October run! 

The delightfully askew set design and puppets are visually stunning and we love the victrola playing out this story in vintage record form. Kudos to the entire cast, crew, and creatives. You've done Chicago proud on an international playing field! 

Back in the day, we caught the original Redmoon Theatre production of The Cabinet in 2005 and their remount 15 years ago, and covered both in depth at ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows. You'll never look at an armoire (or the hundred year old, black and white film this show is based on) quite the same way again. Don't miss this! Highly recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars.

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

It’s been 15 years since Chicago has seen The Cabinet, the story of the murderous Dr. Caligari and his somnambulist slave Cesare set in an off-kilter world of puppetry and intricate machinery. Evoking the 1919 German Expressionist silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, inspired by the original Redmoon Theatre production from 2005, Cabinet of Curiosity’s Frank Maugeri is creating another abstract “cabinet of curiosities” in which puppeteers manipulate the characters and objects, just as Caligari controlled Cesare’s plight.



It’s been 15 years since Chicago has seen The Cabinet, the story of the murderous Dr. Caligari and his somnambulist slave Cesare set in an off-kilter world of puppetry and intricate machinery. 
Evoking the 1919 German Expressionist silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, inspired by the original Redmoon Theatre production from 2010, Cabinet of Curiosity’s Frank Maugeri is creating another abstract cabinet of curiosities – a “spectacle in miniature” in which puppeteers manipulate the characters and objects, just as Caligari controlled Cesare’s plight.

“I was very eager to return to The Cabinet, Redmoon Theater's longest-running and most acclaimed indoor production, which I created over a decade ago with the brilliant Mickle Maher and Mark Messing, two of Chicago’s legendary creative stalwarts,” said Maugeri. “I am grateful to be joined by my co-director Corrie Bessie and a new collective of unparalleled artists and designers inspired by the shared belief that powerful mythical stories using images, objects, transformation, and craft can disorient and arrest an audience. This tale of Tyranny's weakness under the weight of Love has current potency that will inspire dialogue. I also believe there’s a new generation that has not seen work like this, though the original show invented a style that still permeates puppetry today.”
 
“I was excited to continue building a new collective of artists inspired by the shared belief that powerful mythical stories using images, objects, transformation, and craft could disorient and arrest an audience. I wanted to experiment again with the production's fluidity and intensely focused manipulation of materials as an exercise in virtuosity.”
 
“This tale of Tyranny's powerlessness and weakness under the weight of Love has current potency. As a believer that art is both a spiritual and political practice, this show can resonate as a work that inspires dialogue and discussion, which is my creative mission.” 
 
“I also believe there is a new generation of audience members who have likely not seen work like this in our city, though the original show invented a style that still permeates the puppetry artist community today. I wanted to return to the experiment to see how it resonates with a new, young, curious audience.”

The Cabinet features puppets by Jesse Mooney-Bullock, whose work has been seen in Chicago for the past 23 years, starting with Redmoon The Old Man and the Sea, and most recently in Paramount Theatre’s production of Disney’s Frozen. The cast features Gabrielle Frabotta, Danielle H. Gennaoui, Abby Palen, Jacinda Ratcliffe, Sion Silva, Allyce Torres and Dustin Valenta. The production team includes Frank Maugeri, creator/co-director; Corrie Bessie, co-director; Mickle Maher, writer; Mark Messing, composer; Kass Copeland, scenic painter and collage artist; Diane Fairchild, lights; Brandin Hurley; shadow animations; Liviu Pasare, projections; Janet Eckleberger,costumes; Shawn Ketchum Johnson, scenic engineer and designer; D C Krause, scenic engineer, designer and set build manager. 
 
The 2024 production of The Cabinet was inspired by a 2010 show Maugeri created and directed at the now defunct Redmoon Theater. The “Spectacle in Miniature” was Redmoon’s most acclaimed indoor show and its longest running production. It toured to Brazil as well. This recent production was made cooperatively with a largely new team of designers, builders, engineers and makers. The show was and is a meditation on tyranny’s weakness over love. It returns Frank to his immense curiosity of ritual, transforming mundane objects into mystical materials, and chasing aesthetic arrest and the power of awe.


The Cabinet Cast Bios


Gabrielle Frabotta ENSEMBLE (she/her) Gabrielle arrived in Chicago in 2021 as a portraiture painter, to attend The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a personal experiment she leapt into performance and puppetry under the much-appreciated guidance of Blair Thomas. She’s been committed to embracing an interdisciplinary art practice since 2022- including but not limited to- seeking publication for her working series of children’s books, welding steel and painted papier mâché installations, and inserting herself into live performance. Gabrielle intends to continue challenging herself to step into her full range of expression as her career unfolds, and guiding others to do the same. In 2023 she had the opportunity to background sing and dance for Teatro ZinZanni Circus and Cabarete Zazou’s Liv Warfield. Additionally, she served as a production assistant for Théâtre De l’Entrouvert’s ‘Anywhere’ during the 2023 Chicago International Puppet Theatre Festival. She would like to extend a special thanks to her friends and family for their unwavering faith in her creative process, as well as to Cabinet of Curiosity’s Frank Maugeri for his vision of his politically poignant remount of ‘The Cabinet’, to which she feels honored to announce will be her first official theatrical debut.

Danielle H. Gennaoui ENSEMBLE Danielle (she/her) is a Lebanese American circus and theatre artist from St. Louis, MO. Specializing in aerial arts, partner acrobatics, and physical theatre, Danielle has been coaching, performing, and choreographing professionally for over 12 years. Since she was little, Danielle loved to direct plays in her parents’ basement, climb every tree in sight, and spin around in circles until she fell over. Fortunately, not much has changed (though the falling over is fewer and further between). Danielle took her first aerial class in 2008 and immediately fell in love with circus arts while training at The Actors Gymnasium. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, focus in directing and performance, from the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University and is a graduate of The Aloft Circus Arts Full-Time Training Program (Major: Lyra). Currently based in Chicago, IL, Danielle is proud to have created new work, performed, and coached with: The Actors Gymnasium, Aloft Circus Arts, Circus Harmony, Chicago Center for Dynamic Circus, MSA & Circus Arts, Gravity Aerial Arts, Thodos Dance Chicago, Apple Tree Theatre, Sussurus Performance Group, and The Alexandrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. [daniellegennaoui.com]

Jacinda Ratcliffe ENSEMBLE Jacinda (she/her) is a Chicago-based performing artist and Jeff-nominated choreographer. She is an ensemble member with Lucky Plush Productions with which she has toured nationally and performed on various Chicago stages including the Harris Theater, Pritzker Pavilion, and Steppenwolf 1700. Recent performing credits include Actor 1 in PORTAL (Lookingglass Theatre); Tish/Kylie (u/s) in THE LOVE OBJECT (The Story Theatre); Puppeteer in DRIFT TO SLEEP (Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival) as part of Little Amal’s Walk Across America in 2023; Echo 1 in GET OUT ALIVE (California Center for the Arts, Escondido); and Grim Reaper in Happy Songs About Unhappy Things (independent film produced by Jamie Foxx & Detari Turner) which premiered at Cinequest Film Festival in 2024. Choreographic & Movement Direction credits include PRELUDE TO A KISS (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre), LAVENDER MEN (About Face Theatre), THE ISLAND (Court Theatre); GET OUT ALIVE (Haven Theatre); LADY FROM THE SEA (Court Theatre); LACED (About Face Theatre); MLIMA’S TALE (Griffin Theatre). She is on faculty at the Actor’s Gymnasium and Chicago Movement Collective, the latter of which she also serves as Collective Manager & sits on the Board of Directors. Ratcliffe graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Dance and Psychology. Upon graduating, she studied on scholarship at Lou Conte Dance Studio, under Claire Bataille. She received additional dance training through intensives with The Washington School of Ballet, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Ballet Hispánico, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She is represented by Big Mouth Talent. More at jacindaracliffe.com

Sion Silva ENSEMBLE Sion is a non-binary Chicago based visual artist, puppet maker and performer whose personal work specializes in the philosophy of myth and the macabre. Their practice dubbed "The Graveyard of Eden" is a lifelong spiritual journey in which they manifest their own personal mythology into physical art as artifacts, manuscripts and performative renditions. Outside of their personal work they are a freelance art and puppetry fabricator, working through Chicago Puppet Studio, Manual Cinema, Rough House, Tom Lee, Mary Zimmerman, Whitesnake Productions, Drury Lane, Kehoe Designs and Pretorius Studios. Alongside all of this they are a part of Rabbitfoot Puppetry a collective focused on devising narrative driven weird and spectacular giant puppets. With Rabbitfoot, they have developed and performed shows for Electric Forest, New Orleans Giant Puppetry Festival, Southeastern Regional Puppetry Conference (Puppet Paradise), Night Out in the Parks, Nightmare on Clark Street and other small commissions. They are also an Art Institute alumnus and have been living in Chicago since 2016. To them art is a perpetual practice of purifying the soul.

Allyce Torres ENSEMBLE Allie (she/her) is an actor, powerlifter, and puppeteer originally from San Diego, CA. She has worked with companies such as Steep, [producing body], Chicago Children’s Theatre, 16th Street Theatre, Cabinet of Curiosity, Teatro Vista, The Passage, and Lookingglass. She is proudly represented by Big Mouth Talent. 

Dustin Valenta ENSEMBLE Dustin (he/him) returns to the Cabinet (from its last production at Redmoon, which also toured Brazil), and is thrilled to be reimagining it with this incredible crew. He was born in Vermont and grew up in Minnesota. As a traveling yoga teacher, Dustin spent four years living all over the world from Australia to Italy, and he is the 2019 USA Yoga National Champion. Education: MFA DePaul University, The School at Steppenwolf and the Stella Adler Physical Theatre training program. Select Theatre: Inanimate (Theater Wit), Mesmerized (Chicago Children’s Theatre), The Secret Lives of Coats (Red Eye Theatre, Minneapolis) The History of Invulnerability (Six Points Theatre, St. Paul), The Feast: An Intimate Tempest (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre). Film: Ponderosa, Beyond Belief. TV: Crisis. Dustin is represented by the great team at DDO. Thanks to Frank, Corrie, V, MR, MD, SE, and SD. Love to Marbles.

Abby Palen ENSEMBLE UNDERSTUDY- (they/them) Abby is a director, designer, and performer based in Chicago, IL. Abby's long-standing fascination with puppetry fabrication and performance has taken them across North America. For Abby, puppets express ideas and emotions that transcend the human form; a puppet can embody many anything’s and anyone’s simultaneously. Abby is a founding member and director of Rabbit Foot Puppetry and is grateful to have collaborated with The Chicago International Puppet Festival, Paperhand Puppet Intervention, Bread and Puppet Theater, In the Heart of the Beast, The Fox and Beggar Theater, and The Chicago Sculpture Institute, among many others. Recently, they have started using mechanisms and technology in their work and are excited to see where it takes them.


The Cabinet design team bios

Corrie Besse CO DIRECTOR Corrie (she/her) has collaborated with artists in a myriad of ways throughout her career. Whether as an arts administrator, educator, producer, or production stage manager her mission is to foster and support the holistic health of artists and arts organizations by empowering artists and the creative community through a dedication to curiosity, integrity, and abundance. She earned her M.F.A. in Theatre with a focus on Arts Leadership from Virginia Tech in Virginia and a B.A degree in Theatre Arts and Communication Studies from Central College in Iowa. Past professional credits include serving as the Managing Director for the Theater & Performance Studies Program at the University of Chicago, and Operations Manager for Salonathon. Additionally, she has worked in Minnesota with Springboard for the Arts, and locally with A Red Orchid Theatre, Albany Park Theater Project, Barrel of Monkeys, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater, Chicago Dance Crash, Chicago Humanities Festival, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Famous Door, Hypocrites, Mary – Arrchie, PineBox, Redmoon, Roosevelt University, Seanachai, Shattered Globe, Teatro Vista, and the Gate Theatre in London. Currently she serves as the Business Manager at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN.

Jesse Mooney-Bullock PUPPET DESIGNER (he/him) is a freelance puppet-designer and director of Moonbull Studio. His puppets have been seen in the Chicago area for the past 23 years, beginning with Redmoon Theatre’s adaptation of the Old Man and the Sea, and most recently in Paramount Theatre’s production of Disney’s Frozen. He has also created puppets for Blair Thomas & Company, House Theater, Nashville Children’s Theatre and Marin Theatre. A Jeff Award and Bay Area Theater Critics Award recipient, Jesse lives in Cincinnati on a homestead with his family and menagerie of animals, constant inspirations for life and puppets.

Kass Copeland SCENIC PAINTER AND COLLAGE ARTIST Kass Copeland (she/her) has worked as an artist and designer in Chicago since 1995. Prior to earning her BFA in graphic design from The Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, she studied and apprenticed with her father, a theatrical and circus prop designer and craftsman.  She participates regularly throughout the Midwest in group exhibitions and has had solo and two-person shows at The Lubeznik Center in Michigan City, IN, The Illinois State Museum in Lockport, IL, The Union League Club of Chicago, Adventureland Gallery and Gallery Oh in Chicago.

As a designer she collaborated with the former Redmoon Theater for over a decade and now enjoys working with Cabinet of Curiosities, The Chicago Children's Theater, and other theater, event, and advertising clients. 

​Diane Fairchild LIGHTING DESIGNER- Diane (she/her) is a Chicago-based freelance lighting designer. Chicago area credits include work with Lifeline (ensemble), Rivendell (ensemble), Raven, Teatro Vista, Babes with Blades, the side project, Wilmette Parks District, Grant Community High School, Momenta, Academy of Movement and Music, Theater Wit, Wheaton College, Next, Northlight, Court, Sideshow, and Victory Gardens. Regional credits include work with Michigan Shakespeare Festival, Intiman, Trinity Rep, Michigan Shakespeare Festival, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Boise Contemporary Theatre, First Stage (Tysons Corner), and City Theatre. Her excellence in design has earned her nominations for Jeff, Broadway World Chicago, Wilde, and Midwest/Chicago Emmy Awards. Ms. Fairchild earned her BFA in Design and Technology from Wright State University and her MFA in Lighting Design from New York University. Diane lives in Evanston with her husband, two children, and their very adventurous tortoise.
 
Brandin Hurley SHADOW ANIMATIONS Brandin (she/her) is an installation artist with a background in scenic design. Her work, inspired by the seemingly eternal and awe-inspiring patterns found in nature, allows her to explore the beauty, fragility, and interconnectedness of the natural world and our responsibility towards it. Her installations, sculptures, and fine art utilize clean contemporary lines to honor the beauty and diversity of our ecosystems. Recent collaborations include work with Four Seasons, Adorn Restaurant, Comcast, Hilary Matt, Tribune Tower Residences, SoHo House, Magnificent Mile Association, Clayco, Hilton, One Steakhouse, and WNDR Museum.

Shawn Ketchum Johnson SCENIC ENGINEER AND DESIGNER (he/him) Shawn Ketchum Johnson is a theater artist focused on design, devising, and site-specific performance.  Johnson's award-winning work has been seen on Chicago stages, throughout the midwest, and in west coast regional theater.  He has been collaborating with Frank Maugeri on innovative theatrical gestures for over a decade (including Redmoon's BELLBOYS, BEARS AND BAGGAGE and Cabinet of Curiosity's SEA CHANGE) and is glad to have a hand in bringing this seminal work to new audiences.  He is currently directing, designing and producing a surround-sound audio installation performance of 4.48 PSYCHOSIS, which will be hosted next month at Cornell College before moving to other venues.  Johnson is an alumnus of Northwestern University.

D C Krause SCENIC ENGINEER AND DESIGNER, SET BUILD MANAGER (He/Him) David is an Educator, Designer, and Entrepreneur, David Christopher “big” Krause has been designing and fabricating for cinema, theater, television, advertising, events and museums for over twenty years. As Associate Professor of Production Design in Cinema and Television Arts at Columbia College Chicago he developed Chicago’s first BA and BFA program in Cinema and television Production Design. Melding a science and mathematics background with study in arts and management, Krause has forged a reputation as a “make-it-happen” resource for the Chicago entertainment community with his design and fabrication boutique “Big Works Industries” creating award winning work for Ogilvy, Burnett, Sandro Miller, and many others. Inspired by the possibilities of emerging technologies, Krause has also explored the worlds of virtual production and augmented reality as storytelling media.

Mickle Maher WRITER Mickle’s plays have appeared Off-Broadway and around the world, and been supported by grants from the NEA, the Rockefeller MAP fund, and Creative Capital. They include There is a Happiness That Morning Is; Song About Himself; An Apology for the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening; The Hunchback Variations; The Strangerer; Jim Lehrer and the Theater and Its Double and Jim Lehrer’s Double; Spirits to Enforce ; Cyrano (translator); Song About Himself; It Is Magic; and the book and lyrics for the musical Small Ball. He is a cofounder of Chicago’s Theater Oobleck and teaches playwriting and related subjects at the University of Chicago. This April, his adaptation of Jason Lutes’ celebrated graphic novel Berlin will premiere at the Court Theatre. A number of his works are available through Agate Publishing. 

Frank Maugeri CREATOR/DIRECTOR Frank (he/him) is a designer and director committed to the art of celebration, creating and studying urban rituals, developing uncanny visual theater that investigates universal human experiences like love, death, spirituality and faith. He currently runs his singular design program, "Parties with the Purpose," for The Clayco Foundation, where he creates interactive, immersive events which raise critical funds to study and cure rare medical diseases. He continues his partnership with The School of the Art Institute, where he shares his unique pedagogy, "The School of Celebration," and mentors and employs emerging artists to develop and execute rituals and interactive events in neighborhoods, parks, city streets and urban spaces across the nation. His academic writing focuses on the “Spirituality of the Mundane." He has been commissioned to make celebrations and spectacles by President Barack Obama's White House, the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Actors Gymnasium of Evanston, The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Chicago Children's Theater, The Chicago Humanities Festival, the Shedd Aquarium, The Lawndale Neighborhood Association, and TED X, the Loop Alliance, the Chicago Park District, The Botanic Gardens, The University of Chicago, Columbia College, the past four Mayors of Chicago; notably, directing the Millennium Park's Grand Opening, the grand opening of the North Wing of the Art Institute, and the premiere celebration of the Chase Pavilion at Navy Pier. He developed, devised, and directed the Chicago Children's Theaters S.T.E.A.M. curriculum and academic philosophies at their current hub in the West Loop before he left to create his current enterprise, Cabinet of Curiosity, which empowers an ever-evolving collective of engineers, dancers, poets, visual artists, and educators to create immersive events. He has been hired as a civic engagement consultant to several chapters of The Young Presidents Organization, The Salt Shed, and The Epiphany Center for the Arts. He attended art school to become an animator and quickly became a pariah in commercial animation after declining a position with an unknown new television show called "The Simpsons." That drove him to a life of social work and civic art. He is a past winner of the prestigious NEA/TCG Directors award, where he studied outdoor theatre across Europe and community rituals in Bali. Frank was raised by witches in an atmosphere of ghosts, seances, and the divine. He was the Producing Director of Redmoon Theatre for 2 decades. Frank wants to thank Mike Meluch, Tony Willis, Lou Silverstein, Shawn Clark, El, and Leah for their unwavering support.

Mark Messing COMPOSER Mark (he/him) was delighted to find that humans can conjure magic together when on the third day of band practice in Mr. Koenig’s sixth grade music program at Pompano Beach Florida elementary school the class got to the page in the book where the band plays in harmony. He is delighted to conjure with Cabinet of Curiosity on the long-awaited return of The Cabinet. In between The Cabinet and Mr. Koenig’s class, he’s made music and sound for Theater Oobleck, Blair Thomas Puppet Theater, The Ljubljana Puppet Theater, Bricklayers Theater/Collectif Masque, Chicago Children’s Theater, Lookingglass Theater Company, Walkabout Theater, and a few others now on the posterity circuit. Currently he is working with Court Theater to realize a stage version of Jason Lute’s graphic Novel, Berlin.

Liviu Pasare PROJECTIONIST- Liviu (he/him) is a Chicago-based video designer creating new and immersive experiences. His work encompasses video installations, interactive design and immersive experiences for public spaces and stages. With a strong art and technology background and a passion for collaboration, Liviu has partnered with a diverse range of artists and organizations to enable and manifest new visions. Recent engagements include Luftwerk, Cabinet of Curiosity, The Seldoms, Bob Faust, Nick Cave, Daniel Arsham, Federico Solmi, Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, In the Realm of Senses. He is a company member with Collaboraction and a longtime collaborator with Teatro Vista. For more information. visit liviu.stoptime.live.
 
Janet Eckleberger  COSTUMES Janet (she/her) makes many items from fabric, found objects, and will do your taxes. She lives in a Camper in Greensboro with her man boy Eliot.

Cabinet of Curiosity (cocechicago.com) is intentionally composed of diverse project-by-project collectives who authentically collaborate on original celebrations, rituals, and productions. Cabinet uses sophisticated puppetry and handmade devices to develop unique interactive experiences, productions, and events. We focus on creating new types of gatherings, ceremonies, and rituals that promote community, dialogue, and interactivity among people who may not usually mix. We support multicultural professionals in the fields of theatre, visual arts, dance, sculpture, and music while mindfully training high school and college-age apprentices to become the future creators of new meaningful rituals. All of the objects and devices created by Cabinet are engineered to expose their mechanical operations so they are simultaneously educational, informative, and magical. We embrace commissions requiring unique ritual, ceremony, procession, and pageantry elements. These commissions create funding that establishes an innovative revenue stream, reduces the responsibility of sustainability from a board, audience, and foundations, trains apprentices through a unique scholarship apparatus, builds community, and funds our free and significantly discounted public work. We are committed to social engagement — both grand and intimate. Our purpose is to promote curiosity, community, and culture. The remount of Frank Maugeri’s spectacle in miniature, The Cabinet, follows several new works, Death is Not the End, Tabletop Tragedies, Farewell Fables, and numerous original rituals, including Panoramic Prayers, Pedal Powered Playground, Pedal Powered Poetry, Reflections on Fire, Messages of Hope, Sea Change, and Journey for the Sun. Our “season of celebration” includes free ritual workshops, a summer of unexpected parades and performances, our leadership of The Clayco Foundations Illumination, and our free year-round School of Celebration and Celebration Consultancy programs. Cabinet of Curiosity does not permit stipend wages or volunteers and only pays artists by the hour for design, rehearsal, and execution or performance. We maintain a commitment to being a right-sized, debt-free arts enterprise. 

The Cabinet

Cabinet of Curiosity

Chicago

The Biograph's Začek-McVay Mainstage, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park

Thursday, January 16 at 7 p.m.; Friday, January 17 at 9 p.m.; Saturday, January 18 at 9 p.m.; Sunday, January 19 at 3 p.m.

60 minutes

14 and up

Tickets: $25-$43

cocechicago.com



About the 7th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival
The Cabinet is one of  more than 100 shows and special events that are part of the 7th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, January 15-26, 2025. The 2025 Chicago Puppet Fest is the largest event of its kind in North America, spanning 12 days and dozens of Chicago venues, presenting  an international pageant of puppet artists in all-ages spectacle shows in landmark theaters, intimate works on smaller stages, and late night puppet cabarets. Last year’s festival attracted nearly 20,000 fans of puppetry, a record, from Chicago and around the world. This year, see puppet artists from Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Norway, Puerto Rico, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, the U.S. and Chicago performing the full range of contemporary and traditional puppetry styles.



For tickets and information,visit chicagopuppetfest.org, sign up for the festival’s e-news, and follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram or Vimeo, hashtag #ChiPuppetFest. 

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Facility Theatre's “PUSSY SLUDGE” Production Runs March 6 - April 5, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

FACILITY THEATRE ANNOUNCES CAST AND PRODUCTION TEAM FOR 

“PUSSY SLUDGE”


Production Runs March 6 - April 5, 2025

Chicago’s Facility Theatre today announced the cast and production team for PUSSY SLUDGE, written by Gracie Gardner and directed by Ava Calabrese Grob. The production runs March 6 - April 5, 2025 (previews March 4 and 5) at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave., with performances Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets (suggested donation of $25) are on sale now at www.facilitytheatre.org. I'll be out for the Press Opening March 6th.

(Top L-R: Hannah Ottenfeld, Seneca Sims, Carolyn Hoerdemann, Layke Fowler; Bottom L-R: Jake Flum, Danny Turek, Michaela Voit, Edwina Luokkala-Burckhardt)

Gracie Gardner’s award-winning play PUSSY SLUDGE, a darkly comic and erotic queer fantasia, follows a woman who encounters increasingly outrageous characters in the swamp where she’s taken refuge from her life, as she sludges through a journey to claim responsibility for her pain. 

The cast features Hannah Ottenfeld (Pussy Sludge), Seneca Sims (Courtney), Carolyn Hoerdemann (Rachel), Layke Fowler (RJ), Jake Flum (Sebastian), Danny Turek (Adam), Michaela Voit (Becca), and Edwina Luokkala-Burckhardt (Josephine). 

The production team includes Faith Hart (Assistant Director), Sofie Schmeltzer (Stage Manager), Kirk Anderson (Set Designer), Daphne Agosin (Lighting Designer), Maggie Rothberg (Sensology  / Props Designer), Bianca Thompson (Intimacy Director), Kotryna Hilko (Costume Designer), Tom Daniels (Set Builder), Jae Robinson (Sound Designer), Jamie Kreppein (Production Manager) and Isabelle Roney (Production Assistant). 

Dates: March 6 - April 5, 2025 (Previews March 4 - 5, 2025)

Schedule: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Facility Theatre (1138 N. California Ave.)

Tickets: General Admission: $25 suggested donation; pay-what-you-can options available

Box Office: www.facilitytheatre.org 

ABOUT FACILITY THEATRE

Facility Theatre is a theater collective that invites audiences to a re-imagining of rarely seen works and original plays. While confronting social and artistic stereotypes, this group of seasoned and emerging artists intends to bring a fresh eye and an alternative perspective to the traditional narrative. Founded in 2016, the collective cultivates the collaborative process as a means of empowerment for the artists and fosters an environment of inclusivity and curiosity with the community. 

For additional information check us out at www.facilitytheatre.org, facebook.com/facilitytheatre, and twitter.com/facilitytheatre.

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