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Saturday, August 30, 2014

ACT OUT OPENING: Polarity Ensemble Theatre Presents MIRACLES IN THE FALL


Polarity Ensemble Theatre Presents the World Premiere Play
MIRACLES IN THE FALL
By Chuck O’Connor
Directed by Richard Shavzin
September 3 – October 5, 2014


Laura Berner Taylor (Clare Connelly) and Rian Jairell (Father Peter Lentine).

Polarity Ensemble Theatre kicks off its 2014 -15 season with the world premiere of MIRACLES IN THE FALL, a searing drama in which a family must surmount the lies and betrayals that have twisted their lives. MIRACLES IN THE FALL is written by Dionysos Cup Award Winner Chuck O'Connor and directed by Jeff Award Winner Richard Shavzin. 

MIRACLES IN THE FALL features: Laura Berner Taylor, Rian Jairell, Mickey O’Sullivan and Fred Wellisch plays September 3 – October 5, 2014 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614, where Polarity begins its eleventh season and the second year of its new residency. 









Regular Run: Sunday, September 7 – Sunday, October 5, 2014
Curtain Times: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 PM, Sunday at 3:00 PM


Tickets: Previews: $15. Regular run: $25. Students: $10, Seniors: $20. Tickets are available at www.petheatre.com and 773-404-7336

The story at the heart of MIRACLES IN THE FALL centers on the life of Clare Connelly, a nun in 1968 Detroit who discovers secrets about her family that have driven their collective shame and disastrous life decisions. Deep betrayals of the past twist the lives of the Connellys, but faith, family and forgiveness allow redemption for some.

MIRACLES IN THE FALL was developed in POLARITY ENSEMBLE THEATRE 2013 DIONYSOS CUP FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS. It is the eighth Polarity-developed play by a Chicago-area playwright to reach its world premiere on a Chicago stage.

The production team for MIRACLES IN THE FALL includes Charles C. Palia, Jr. (set design), Jessica Smith (costume design), Benjamin L. White, USA (light design), Aaron Stephenson (sound design), Maggie Speer (props) Rachel Ramirez (managing director), Nicole Smith (production manager), Jamie Crothers (stage manager) and Richard Engling (artistic director).

 

About the Playwright:
Chuck O’Connor is a Network Playwright with Chicago Dramatists. His work has been selected as a Heideman Award Finalist with Actor’s Theater of Louisville and as winner of the 2013 Dionysos Cup at Polarity Ensemble Theatre. Recently, Chuck turned his focus to international issues, working with the United Nations “Stop Rape Now” program, developing pieces that empower woman in Ukraine and Turkey. Cheryl Coons, Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists and board member at Porchlight Theater, described Chuck’s writing as, “. . . sophisticated, dramatic, thoughtful, and heartfelt. He writes about big ideas, and yet his stories are firmly grounded in his authentic and dimensional characters.” Chuck holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Michigan State University and a Master’s Degree from Loyola University-Chicago. He lives in Evanston with his wife and two small children.

About the Director
Richard Shavzin is delighted to return to Polarity after directing last season's Never The Bridesmaid, especially to do another new play. Other world premiere credits include Marisa Wegrzyn’s Ten Cent Night (Chicago Dramatists); Defamation, Tops or Bottoms, and Fallout (Canamac Productions); Beat The Jester and Slaphappy (Beat The Jester Productions); Changing Rainbows (Red Wolf Theatre); Klub Kokomo (PS Theatricals); and Studs Terkel's Race (adapted by Jamie Pachino) at Strawdog Theatre, where he was Artistic Director from 1993-1998. Also at Strawdog he won a Jeff for Direction for Burn This, and directed the Jeff Nominated productions of Criminal Hearts; Cat's-Paw; The Big Funk; A Mother, A Daughter and A Gun; Skeletons and Hurlyburly, which won 4 Jeffs. Other credits include the Chicago premiere of Vick’s Boy for American Theater Company (American Blues), Endangered for Stage Left’s Leapfest, and the workshop production of the musical Any Someone At All at Second City’s Skybox Theater.

Richard is an Associate Artist at Chicago Dramatists and an Artistic Affiliate at American Blues Theater. He served on the Board of Directors of the League of Chicago Theatres from 1994-2000, and served two terms, one as chair, on the Theatre Peer Review Panel of the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. He currently serves on the National Council of Actors Equity Association, and on the National Board of Directors of SAG-AFTRA.

About Polarity Ensemble Theatre

Founded in 2004, Polarity Ensemble Theatre is a professionally diverse group of artists who strive to advance the state of Chicago theater for both local and international audiences by developing new works and bringing new life to the classics through live performance, workshops, and publishing.

ACT OUT OPENING: The Commons of Pensacola at Northlight Theatre


Northlight Theatre opens 40th Anniversary Season with the Midwest Premiere of Amanda Peet’s 
The Commons of Pensacola directed by Robin Witt

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, Northlight Theatre has long been a favorite of ours, and we're especially excited for their 40th Anniversary Season this year. Save the dates. They're kicking off in style with The Commons of Pensacola. Then Northlight is producing two world premiere works (White Guy on the Bus and Shining Lives: A Musical), the second-ever productions of two plays (The Commons of Pensacola and Outside Mullingar) and a classic rarely produced in the US (The Mousetrap).  

In addition, Northlight has a number of new works in development through Interplay, a program that has sent 25 out of 29 scripts on to full professional productions throughout the country and developed Northlight’s three best-selling plays: Better Late by Larry Gelbart and Craig Wright, The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham and Chapatti by Christian O’Reilly.

In the previous few seasons, Northlight hired early-career directors to much success, including Kimberly Senior (The Whipping Man) and Devon de Mayo (Lost in Yonkers).  This season, Northlight is introducing directors Robin Witt (The Commons of Pensacola) and Jonathan Berry (The Mousetrap) to its audiences.


The Commons of Pensacola was a recent New York hit and starred Blythe Danner and Sarah Jessica Parker.


Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents the second-ever production of The Commons of Pensacola by Amanda Peet, directed by Robin Witt.  The production will run at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, from September 12 – October 19, 2014.  

Judith is a woman in exile, relegated to a Florida condo after her husband’s Madoff-like crimes have expelled her from a luxurious life.  Family ties are tested when her daughter Becca comes to visit for Thanksgiving, joined by Becca’s filmmaker boyfriend and rebellious niece.   Guilt by association, lost wealth, and questionable motives make trying to love your family an uncommonly difficult challenge in this funny, incisive and timely new drama.


Title: The Commons of Pensacola
Written by: Amanda Peet
Directed by: Robin Witt
Featuring: Erik Hellman, Leah Karpel, Barbara Kingsley, Lily Mojekwu, Lori Myers and Lucia Strus.
Dates: Previews: September 12 – 18, 2014 
Regular run: September 20 – October 19, 2014

Schedule:      Tuesdays: 7:30pm (except September 30, October 7 and 14)
Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except October 1) and 7:30pm (except September 24)
Thursdays: 7:30pm 
Fridays: 8:00pm (except Opening on September 19 at 
7:30pm)
Saturdays: 2:30pm (except September 13) and 8:00pm 
Sundays: 2:30pm; and 7:00pm (except September 21, October 5 and 19)
Open Captioning: Sunday, October 12 at 7:00pm

Location: Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore
Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd,
Skokie

Tickets: Previews: $25-$54
Regular run: $25-$78
Student tickets are $15, any performance 
(subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.

847.673.6300; northlight.org

Artistic Director BJ Jones comments, “Fresh from its New York premiere, Northlight is proud to present The Commons of Pensacola, directed by Robin Witt, one of Chicago's hottest directors. Examining the collateral damage wrought by a crooked Wall Street financier, Amanda Peet stirs the embers of one family’s scorched life.  Northlight kicks off its 40th Anniversary with fresh new work, brimming with topicality, starring Northlight favorite Linda Kimbrough and Lusia Strus.”

The cast of The Commons of Pensacola includes Erik Hellman (Gabe), Leah Karpel (Lizzy), Linda Kimbrough (Judith), Lily Mojekwu (Lorena), Lori Myers (Ali), and Lusia Strus (Becca). 

The creative team includes Jeffrey D. Kmiec (scenic), Emily McConnell (costumes), Sarah Hughey (lighting), Nick Keenan (sound), and Kristin Leahey (dramaturgy).  Rita Vreeland is the stage manager. 

Amanda Peet (Playwright) has starred in numerous films including Something’s Gotta Give, Igby Goes Down, Syriana, The Whole Nine Yards, and Nicole Holofcener's Please Give. On television she starred in the WB drama Jack and Jill, as well as Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.  Her theatre credits include the Broadway revival of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park (opposite Patrick Wilson) and Off-Broadway productions of Break of Noon and This Is How It Goes, both by Neil LaBute. Peet will next be seen in the HBO comedy Togetherness, created by the Duplass brothers. Her play The Commons of Pensacola premiered at the Manthattan Theatre Club with Blythe Danner and Sarah Jessica Parker. A native New Yorker, Peet resides in Los Angeles with her husband, the writer David Benioff, and their two daughters. 

Robin Witt (Director) is an artistic associate at Steep where she directed Motortown, Love and Money, Pornography, Harper Regan, Parlour Song, and Breathing Corpses. She is also an ensemble member at Griffin where she directed Men Should Weep, Flare Path, and Stage Door. Other theaters Robin has worked for include Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, A Red Orchid, The Artistic Home, and Everyman (Baltimore). Last year she directed Juliet: A Dialogue About Love for 'sacred playground theatre' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Robin is an Assistant Professor of Directing at UNC Charlotte, and she is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts (BFA) and Northwestern University (MFA). She will be directing Alistair McDowall's Brilliant Adventures for Steep in July 2015. 

Erik Hellman (Gabe) is returning to Northlight after appearing as Uncle Louie in Lost in Yonkers. Chicago credits include Luna Gale (Goodman); Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, Proof (Jeff Award Nomination—Supporting Actor), The Comedy of Errors, The Mystery of Irma Vep (Jeff Award Nomination—Lead Actor), Titus Andronicus, and Arcadia (Court); Eastland (Lookingglass); Hesperia (Writers); The Madness of King George III, The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, and Edward II (Chicago Shakespeare); Honest, The Elephant Man, and Huck Finn (Steppenwolf); All My Sons (TimeLine); as well as shows at Next, Chicago Dramatists, Remy Bumppo, The House Theatre of Chicago, and as a company member of Strawdog. Outside of Chicago, Erik has appeared at Milwaukee Repertory, Geva, Syracuse Stage, Indianapolis Repertory, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Houston’s Stages Repertory, and Off-Broadway at The Mirror Repertory.  Film/TV work includes The Dark Knight, The Chicago Code, Boss, Betrayal, and as Dr. Alec Willhite on Chicago Fire and Chicago PD.

Leah Karpel (Lizzy) is making her Northlight debut.  Chicago credits include: Buena Vista, The Glass Menagerie, and The Hot L Baltimore (Steppenwolf); Appropriate, The Whale, and We Are Proud to Present... (Victory Gardens); Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom (Strawdog); and Punk Rock (Griffin).  Regional credits include: 4000 Miles (Long Wharf); Ten Chimneys (Milwaukee Rep); Half And Half (Penguin Rep); The Play About My Dad (CollaborationTown); and Evanston: A Rare Comedy (HERE Arts/PS 122).  Leah received her BFA from Boston University and is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf. Next up: the world premiere of Sam Hunter's Pocatello at Playwrights Horizons.

Linda Kimbrough (Judith) has appeared at Northlight in Ten Chimneys, A Life and Better Late (both opposite John Mahoney), She Stoops to Conquer, Red Herring, The Gamester, Hearts, and The Old Neighborhood.  Most recently she played Feste in Twelfth Night (Baltimore Center Stage), Silda in Other Desert Cities (Goodman), and the Mother in GNIT as part of the Humana New Plays Festival (Actors' Theatre of Louisville). She is proud to have originated roles in four of David Mamet's plays: Edmond, Reunion, The Water Engine, Squirrels, and in his adaptation of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard.  Movies include State & Main, Spartan, Red Belt, Homicide, and The Phil Spector Story (with Al Pacino) for HBO.

Lily Mojekwu (Lorena) is working with Northlight for the first time. This summer, she performed in King Richard III and Twelfth Night (Lakeside Shakespeare).  Some favorite Chicago credits include Welcome Home Jenny Sutter, The Overwhelming (Jeff Nomination – Best Production), and Well (Next, where she is an Artistic Associate); fml: How Carson McCullers Saved My Life, The Elephant Man, and The Brother Sister Plays (Steppenwolf); Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare); A Twist of Water (Route 66); and Greensboro: A Requiem (Non-Equity Jeff Nomination – Best Supporting Actress) and In Arabia We’d All Be Kings (Non-Equity Jeff Award – Best Ensemble) at Steep. 

Lori Myers (Ali) was last seen as Maggie in Robin Witt’s critically acclaimed Men Should Weep (Griffin). Favorite roles include Julia Gibbs in David Cromer’s Obie & Lucille Lortel Award-winning Our Town (Hypocrites) in a record-breaking run in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles; Theresa in Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation (Victory Gardens); Mother Courage in Mother Courage and Her Children (Vitalist); and Paula in Mrs. Klein (London, UK).  Mrs. Myers has worked with Steppenwolf, Upright Citizen's Brigade, The Building Stage, Bailiwick Rep, Theatre Wit, Shattered Globe, Vitalist, Redmoon, Next, and countless other vibrant storefronts in Chicago, New York, and London. 

Lusia Strus (Becca) is so happy to be at Northlight where she earned her Actor’s Equity Card in their inaugural production at the North Shore Center, Atomic Bombers. Select Chicago credits include Ironbound, Good People (Jeff Award nomination), her own solo show It Ain’t No Fairy Tale (LA Weekly Award - Solo Performance), Hysteria, Our Town, and Whispering City (Steppenwolf); Love’s Labours Lost, Merry Wives of Windsor, and Henry IV (Chicago Shakespeare Theater/Royal Shakespeare Company); Go Away Go Away (Jeff Award - Principal Actress) and Slavs! (European Rep); and many years of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (Chicago and New York City) as a Neo-Futurist. Other recent credits include Enron and Elling (Broadway); The Retributions (Playwrights Horizons); Travesties and Are You There, McPhee? (McCarter). Film and television credits include Restless, 50 First Dates, Cotton, Kelly and Cal, The Mend, Modern Family, Blue Bloods, Wayward Pines, and recurring roles on web series Jack in a Box and Whatever This Is. Lusia lives in New York City but is Chicago to the bone.


The Box Office is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, in Skokie.  Box Office hours are Monday-Friday 10:00am-5:00pm, and Saturdays 12:00pm-5:00pm. On performance days, the box office hours are extended through showtime. The Box Office is closed on Sundays, except on performance days when it is open two hours prior to showtime.

Northlight is continuing its popular special event series in conjunction with each production.  All events are free for subscribers and ticket holders.  

Post-Show discussions with a Northlight facilitator, engaging audiences in a dialogue about the play's themes and the creative process behind live theatre, will be held after the following performances: 9/14 at 2:30, 9/16 at 7:30, 9/17 at 7:30, 9/24 at 1:00, 9/28 at 2:30, 10/8 at 1:00.

Backstage with BJ is a mid-day discussion with Artistic Director BJ Jones, featuring special guest artists, actors, directors and designers, offering behind-the-scenes insight into each production while it is still in rehearsal.  Backstage with BJ for The Commons of Pensacola will be held on Friday, September 5 at 12:00pm and will last approximately one hour.  Reservations are required, 847.679.9501 x3605 or specialevents@northlight.org.


Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Now in its 40th season, the organization has mounted nearly 200 productions, including over 40 world premieres.  Northlight has earned 151 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 28 Awards.  As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.
The Commons of Pensacola is supported in part by Feldco. The 40th Anniversary is supported by season sponsor BMO Harris Bank and lighting sponsor ComEd.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from BMO Harris Bank; Cramer- Krasselt; Draft FCB; The  Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award; Evanston Community Foundation; First Bank &  Trust; The Homestead Hotel; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Melvoin Award for Playwriting; Modestus Bauer Foundation; North Shore Center for the Performing Arts Foundation; NorthShore University HealthSystem; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Plante Moran; Pioneer Press; Quince at the Homestead; The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation; Room & Board; Sage Products; Sanborn Family Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; Skokie Fine Arts Council; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners; Vi at The Glen;  the Venturous Theater Fund; and The Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Rubblebucket NEW Release Survival Sounds is Out & Fall Tour Dates


Rubblebucket's NEW Survival Sounds is officially out and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you. These guys have long been favorites of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows. We've shot pit photos of them in action at North Coast Music Fest, Lincoln Hall, Double Door and more. Did you just catch them last week at Chicago's Boulevard Fest? They're coming back soon. Spend a rockin' Halloween night with them at Metro. Tickets on sale 8/29!


Stream: NY Times / Spotify

Rubblebucket can't wait to play the new tunes for you on their massive tour that starts next week!

Fall Tour - All dates & Tix here: 

8/26: New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (SOLD OUT)
8/27: Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade (intimate release show – couple tickets left!)
9/6: Toronto, ON @ Riot Fest
9/10: Providence, RI @ Fete *
9/11: Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall *
9/12: Syracuse, NY @ Westcott Theatre *
9/13: Ithaca, NY @ The Haunt *
9/14: Albany, NY @ The Hollow *
9/16: Fairfield, CT @ Stage One *
9/18: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
9/19: Washington, DC @ U Street *
9/20: Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre *
9/21: Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theatre *
9/24: Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West *
9/25: Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel *
9/26: Cincinnati, OH @ Midpoint Music Fest
9/27: Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig *
9/28: Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *
9/30: Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street *
10/1: Iowa City, IA @ Blue Moose Tap House *
10/3: Denver, CO @ Bluebird *
10/4: Salt Lake City, UT @ State Room *
10/6: Boise, ID @ Neurolux *
10/7: Bozeman, MT @ The Zebra *
10/8: Missoula, MT @ The Badlander *
10/10: Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey #
10/11: Vancouver, CAN @ Media Club %
10/12: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir #
10/15: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent #
10/16: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre #
10/17: San Diego, CA @ The Casbah #
10/18: San Diego, CA @ The Casbah #
10/20: Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room &
10/21: Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad &
10/23: Austin, TX @ Red 7
10/24: Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's Downstairs
10/25: Dallas, TX @ Club Dada &
10/27: Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar &
10/28: St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House &
10/29: Nashville, TN @ High Watt
10/31: Chicago, IL @ Metro & (Tix on Sale 8.29)
11/1: Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater &
11/6: Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground #
11/7: Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground #
11/9: Boston, MA @ Paradise #

* Body Language supports
# Royal Canoe supports
% co-headline with Royal Canoe
& Landlady supports

Monday, August 25, 2014

Budweiser MADE IN AMERICA Fest Will Rock Both Coasts Simultaneously! #MadeInAmericaFest

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:


Disclosure: It's our pleasure here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows to partner up with Budweiser Made In America Fest and Markerly. We have been compensated for sharing this info with our readers.




Be able to say YOU were there for the first ever Budweiser Made In America Fests in LA or the 3rd in Philly. This year Budweiser Made in America festival is the first American festival to run simultaneously on both coasts. It's going to be epic!





**Los Angeles**


Labor Day Weekend

August 30th & 31st

Grand Park, Downtown LA






This is the inaugural year of the Budweiser Made in America festival in Los Angeles. The festival benefits the United Way of Greater Los Angeles

Budweiser Made in America festival is the first American festival to run simultaneously on both coasts


Lineup

Imagine Dragons, Kanye West, John Mayer, Steve Aoki, Juanes, Afrojack, Kendrick Lamar, Rise Against, Weezer, Sublime with Rome, Metric, Capital Cities, Chance the Rapper, Cypress Hill, Gareth Emery, R3HAB, Schoolboy Q, Wolfgang Gartner, Borgore, DVBBS, 12th Planet, YG, Mute Math, Rita Ora, Nipsey Hussle, Dr. Dog, Terraplane Sun, ZZ Ward, Classixx, Hit-Boy, DJ Mustard, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock, SZA, Yellow Claw, Grits & Biscuits, Will Sparks, Cut Snake, Scavenger Hunt, A Tribe Called Red


Cause Village Vendors

Shawn Carter Foundation, United Way, Headcount, Budweiser Veterans, Tyler Robinson Foundation (Imagine Dragons charity), Dogs without Border, Hire LA, Food Forward, United States Green Building Council, LIFT Los Angeles, Skid Row Housing, LA Street Car, LA Street Gallery


*Click here to purchase 2 day tickets or single day Aug 30 or Aug 31st tickets for LA.*



**Philly**


Labor Day weekend

August 30th & 31st

Benjamin Franklin Parkway




Budweiser Made in America festival returns to Philadelphia for the third consecutive year. Festival benefits the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and United Way of Lancaster County

Budweiser Made in America festival is the first American festival to run simultaneously on both coasts


Lineup

Kanye West, Kings of Leon, Tiesto, The National, Steve Aoki, Pharrell Williams, J. Cole, Girl Talk, Spoon, Chromeo, City and Colour, Grimes, AWOLNATION, R3HAB, Gareth Emery, De La Soul, Baauer, Tommy Trash, Mayer Hawthorne, Kongos, 3LAU, The Neighborhood, Danny Brown, YG, Holy Ghost, Penguin Prison, Destructo, Bleachers, DJ Cassidy, Cherub, Will Sparks, Young & Sick, Vacationer, Cut Snake, Kaneholler


Cause Village Vendors

Shawn Carter Foundation, United Way, Headcount/NAACP, Budweiser Veterans, Donda House (Kanye West’s charity), St. Jude Hospital (Kings of Leon supported charity), Partners in Health (The National), World Childhood Foundation (Tiesto), Philly Paws, Drive Change, Born this Way Foundation, Why Hunger, Mural Arts


*Click here to purchase 2 day tickets or single day Aug 30th or Aug 31st tickets for Philly.*


Disclosure: Once again, it's our pleasure here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows to partner up with Budweiser Made In America Fest and Markerly. We have been compensated for sharing this info with our readers.

Friday, August 15, 2014

ACT OUT OPENING: ALOFT CIRCUS ARTS PRESENTS CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS SHOW DINNER OF OUR DISCONTENT

On giant lampshades, clotheslines, chains and picture frames, Aloft's contemporary circus show, "The Dinner of Our Discontent" veers from heartbreaking to hilarious at the drop of a plate. 



Directed and conceptualized by Shayna Swanson, "Dinner" follows five estranged sisters as they return to the home they grew up in after their parents' sudden deaths. Through world­ class acrobatics and circus acts, childhood emotions and resentments take center stage as they encounter the same issues that plagued them while growing up: the twins still dress (and walk, and eat) alike, the second sister vies for the affection of the oldest, and they all walk heartlessly over the meek youngest sister. And then there's the grief stricken butler who has lived in the house longer than any of the girls, thanklessly raised them and waited on them every day, now faced with having to leave the only family he ever knew while trying to keep the peace. Their deceased parents watch the madness, perched precariously in two picture frames on the back wall, eyes following the action, tormented by their sudden separation and longing for their family to be whole again.


Premiered in 2009, this is a restaging of the original, with an entirely new cast of stunning circus artists. The original acts, high in the air and skittering across the floor, have been reworked to highlight the experience and incredible talents of these performers.


If you were one of the few lucky enough to see the show in its first incarnation, you'll be amazed at the growth of this contemporary circus company over the last 5 years. Aloft's Artistic Director, Shayna Swanson, once part of the cast, steps off the stage to direct the action from the outside, working to heighten the chaos and emotion that the artists bring forth.

Featuring dramatic moments, comic surprises and superb physicality, Dinner of Our Discontent reveals over 75 minutes the central truth about family: it will catch you when you fall, but make you jump through hoops for approval.

About Aloft Circus Arts:
Aloft is a Chicago­based physical performance company dedicated to telling original stories through world­class circus arts. Aloft combines visual art, urban space, physical movement, modern dance, and aerial performance to build a cohesive emotional tale. In productions meant for theaters, the street, or the open sky, Aloft Circus Arts is changing the limits of what’s physically possible in storytelling.

Founded ten years ago by Artistic Director Shayna Swanson, Aloft is at the forefront of the contemporary circus movement in the USA.. Hosts of the first­ever Contemporary Circus Festival in North America just last January, Aloft Circus Arts is putting Chicago in the world’s spotlight with ground­breaking shows and the best circus performers working today. Swanson, once part of the cast, steps offstage to direct the action, heightening the chaos and emotion. This is the first time that Aloft has presented a full­length, narrative show in a Chicago based theater.

Animal ­free and accessible for all audiences, Aloft Circus Arts is at the forefront of what modern circus is growing into, pushing the limits and leaving old ideas of “circus” in the dust.



For more information and photos, check us out on Facebook at AloftCircusArts or on our website www.aloftcircusarts.com

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