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Saturday, October 28, 2023

TimeLine Theatre's Chicago Premiere of The Lifespan of a Fact NOVEMBER 1-DECEMBER 23, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

 TimeLine Theatre's 

The Lifespan of a Fact


TimeLine Theatre is thrilled to present the Chicago premiere of 
The Lifespan of a Fact, a comedic showdown between truth and fact, based on true events, November 1 – December 23, 2023.

Fact-checker Jim Fingal (Alex Benito Rodriguez, from left), editor Emily Penrose (Juliet Hart), and writer John D’Agata (PJ Powers) become locked in a battle between truth and fact in the gripping and fast-paced comedic showdown that is TimeLine Theatre Company’s Chicago premiere of The Lifespan of a Fact by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, based on the book by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal, directed by Mechelle Moe. It runs November 9 – December 23, 2023 (previews 11/1 – 11/8) at TimeLine’s home at 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. Tickets: timelinetheatre.com or 
(773) 281-8463 x6. Photo by Peyton Robinson. 

The original 2018 Broadway production was praised as “a smart and engaging exploration of the nature of truth and the role of the media in society” by the Chicago Tribune, and “a tightly written and expertly crafted play that keeps the audience riveted from start to finish” by The New York Times.  


TimeLine Theatre's Chicago premiere of The Lifespan of a Fact begins previews on November 1. Performances run through December 23 at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago.


For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com
or call the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.



Alex Benito Rodriguez plays the role originated on Broadway by Daniel Radcliffe, a fact checker on deadline, caught between a fact-challenged writer and his demanding editor

TimeLine Theatre’s Chicago premiere of The Lifespan of a Fact, November 1 – December 23, 2023, will star (from left) TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers as essayist John D’Agata, TimeLine Company Member Juliet Hart as editor Emily Penrose, and Alex Benito Rodriguez as fact checker Jim Fingal. 

Casting has been revealed for TimeLine Theatre Company’s The Lifespan of a Fact, a comedic showdown between truth and fact, set in the world of non-fiction publishing, based on true events, running November 1 – December 23, 2023.

TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe (she/her) has already been announced as director of the Chicago premiere of the acclaimed play by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, based on the book by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal.



Alex Benito Rodriguez plays fact-checker Jim Fingal, who is locked in a battle between truth and fact with his editor and a writer in TimeLine Theatre Company’s Chicago premiere of The Lifespan of a Fact

Today, TimeLine confirmed Artistic Director PJ Powers (he/him) and founding Company Member Juliet Hart (she/her) will return to the stage for The Lifespan of a Fact. Powers last appeared at TimeLine in 2015 in The Apple Family Plays, also alongside Hart, whose most recent TimeLine credits include A Disappearing Number (2017) and Oslo (2019). Both are founding Company Members, favorites with TimeLine audiences, with dozens of credits over the past 26 seasons both on stage and behind-the-scenes. Alex Benito Rodriguez (he/him), making his TimeLine debut, rounds out the play’s three-person cast. Rodriguez was Jeff Award-nominated in 2022 for Actor in a Principal Role in First Floor Theatre’s Botticelli in the Fire.

In The Lifespan of a Fact, Rodriguez plays Jim Fingal, an eager young intern at a high-profile magazine hoping to impress his demanding editor-in-chief, Emily Penrose (Hart). When assigned the job of fact-checking an essay about the city of Las Vegas by legendary writer John D’Agata (Powers), Jim discovers a huge problem: many of the essay’s details were made up. As the publication deadline looms, a battle between truth and fact ensues in a gripping and fast-paced comedy of ethics.

The Lifespan of a Fact opened on Broadway in 2018 starring Daniel Radcliffe as Jim Fingal, Bobby Cannavale as John D’Agata, and Cherry Jones as Emily Penrose. The play was praised as “a smart and engaging exploration of the nature of truth and the role of the media in society” by the Chicago Tribune,and “a tightly written and expertly crafted play that keeps the audience riveted from start to finish” by The New York Times

The book on which the play is based, The Lifespan of a Fact, was co-authored by Jim Fingal and John D’Agata, and is a deep dive into real-life Fingal’s fact-checking of D’Agata essay “What Happens There.” The book also received critical attention from NPRThe New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. It was subsequently named a “Top 10 Most Crucial Book” by Slate, a “Best Book of the Year” by The Huffington Post, and an Editor’s Choice by The New York Times Book Review

TimeLine’s production team for The Lifespan of a Fact includes Jeffrey D. Kmiec (Scenic Designer, he/him), Kotryna Hilco (Costume Designer, she/her), Brandon Wardell (Lighting Designer, he/him), Rowan Doe(Properties Designer, they/them), Anthony Churchill (Co-Projections Designer, he/him) and Vija Lapp (Co-Projections Designer, she/her), Andrew Hansen (Sound Designer, he/him), Micah Figueroa (Fight and Intimacy Choreographer, he/him), Maren Robinson (Co-Dramaturg, she/her), Bryar Barborka (Co-Dramaturg, they/them), Dina Spoerl (Dramaturgical Display Designer, she/her) and Olivia Sullam (Stage Manager, she/they).

“I’m absolutely thrilled to dive into the themes of this play with such an incredible ensemble and production team,” said director Mechelle Moe. “In our space and time in the world now, what is our relationship to truth and facts? How do we uphold them, champion them, question them? What is the impact to society when misinformation allows truth and facts to be compromised and manipulated to serve a purpose/agenda? And are facts, indeed, the final measure of truth? With this topical comedy, we’ll delve into all these questions, and hopefully share some laughs along the way!”

“We’re elated to bring this hilarious, poignant, and conversation-starting play to TimeLine, and I can’t wait to return to the stage in our longtime home on Wellington Avenue—a special place that’s held countless memories for more than two decades,” said Artistic Director PJ Powers. “This play calls out with a bold red pen that facts matter, while also acknowledging the sometimes-fuzzy distinction between artistic license and journalism, each with its own set of responsibilities for storytelling and/or reporting. And as people’s sources for news—and truth—become more varied, the debate between John D’Agata and Jim Fingal is sure to resonate with Chicago audiences who experience this provocative show.”

The Lifespan of a Fact reunites on stage TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers and founding Company Member Juliet Hart. 

Juliet Hart plays magazine editor Emily Penrose, who mediates a battle pitting truth against fact between an arrogant writer and a meticulous fact checker in TimeLine Theatre Company’s The Lifespan of a Fact

BUYING TICKETS

Save on tickets to The Lifespan of a Fact plus enjoy ultimate flexibility during TimeLine’s entire 2023-24 season with a TimeLine FlexPass. Four options, priced from $119 to $275, are now on sale via timelinetheatre.com/subscribe or the TimeLine Box Office at 
(773) 281-8463 x6.

Previews begin November 1. Press Night is Wednesday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is November 9. Performances run through December 23 at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.

Preview tickets are $35. Single tickets to regular performances start at $52 (all evening performances) and $67 (all matinee performances). Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine is also a member of TCG’s Blue Star Theatre Program and is offering $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family.

Ticket buyers ages 18-35 may join TimeLine’s free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are also available. Visit timelinetheatre.com/discounts for more about available discounts.


LOCATION/TRANSPORTATION/PARKING

The Lifespan of a Fact will take place at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, near the corner of Wellington and Broadway, inside the former Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ building, now Chabad East Lakeview. TimeLine is served by multiple CTA trains and buses. There are multiple paid parking options nearby, plus limited free and metered street parking. Visit timelinetheatre.com/timeline-theatre for details and available discounts.

TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe directs this acclaimed play by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Farrell,based on the book by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal.

Alex Benito Rodriguez plays fact-checker Jim Fingal in TimeLine Theatre Company’s Chicago premiere of The Lifespan of a Fact


Alex Benito Rodriguez plays Jim Fingal, a young intern at a high-profile magazine eager to impress his editor-in-chief, Emily Penrose (Juliet Hart). When Emily assigns Jim the job of fact-checking an essay about the city of Las Vegas by legendary writer John D’Agata (PJ Powers), Jim discovers a huge problem: many of the essay’s details were made up. As the publication deadline looms, a battle between truth and fact becomes a gripping and fast-paced comedy of ethics.


The book on which the play is based was co-authored by Jim Fingal and John D’Agata, and is a deep dive into real-life Fingal’s fact-checking of D’Agata's essay “What Happens There.” 


Magazine editor Emily Penrose (Juliet Hart, from left), fact-checker Jim Fingal (Alex Benito Rodriguez), and writer John D’Agata (PJ Powers) become locked in a battle between truth and fact in TimeLine Theatre Company’s The Lifespan of a Fact

THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Previews are Wednesday, November 1 through Friday, November 3 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, November 4 at 4 p.m.; Sunday, November 5 at 2 p.m.; and Tuesday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. Press Night is Wednesday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is Thursday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. Regular performances continue through December 23: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. Exception: No 4 p.m. show Saturday, November 11, and no performances Wednesday and Thursday, November 22 and 23 (Thanksgiving). Added matinees are Tuesday, November 21 at 2 p.m., Friday, November 24 at 4 p.m., and Thursday, December 21 at 2 p.m.


PJ Powers plays writer John D’Agata, who becomes locked in a battle between truth and fact with his editor and a meticulous fact checker, in TimeLine Theatre Company’s The Lifespan of a Fact.



DISCUSSIONS
 
Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the dramaturg and members of the production team on Wednesday, November 15; Sunday, November 19; Thursday, November 30; and Sunday, December 17.
 
Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before the performance, a 25-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the dramaturg on Sunday, November 26, and Wednesday, December 6.
 
Company Member Discussion: A post-show discussion with the collaborative team of artists who choose TimeLine’s programming and guide the company’s mission on Sunday, December 3.
 
Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour panel discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play alongside a member of the production team in a moderated discussion, following the performance on Sunday, December 10.
 
All discussions are free and open to the public. For details, visit timelinetheatre.com.


ACCESSIBILITY

Distanced Performance: The performance on Friday, November 17 will have a capacity cap and seating chart so that patrons can sit with additional space allocated between parties. Mask-wearing is also required at this performance.

Captioned Performances: Open-captioned performances with a text display of words and sounds heard during performances are Friday, December 8, and Saturday, December 9 at 4 p.m. 

Audio-Described Performance: On Friday, December 15, the performance will feature narration about visual elements of the production around the dialogue, available for individual patrons via headphones.
 
TimeLine Theatre is accessible to people with disabilities. Two wheelchair lifts provide access from street level to the theatre space and to lower-level restrooms. Audience members using wheelchairs or who need to avoid stairs, and others with special seating or accessibility needs, should contact the TimeLine Box Office in advance to confirm arrangements.


HEALTH AND SAFETY

Mask-wearing is no longer required at TimeLine performances. Exception: One scheduled Distanced Performance for each production. Anyone is welcome to attend the Distanced Performance, but due to very limited capacity, we ask that immunocompromised patrons be given the first chance to reserve. 

While masking is no longer required at most performances, TimeLine supports an individual’s choice to mask and will continue to make good quality masks available upon request. Protocols are subject to change based on current public health recommendations; for the most current information, visit timelinetheatre.com/health-and-safety.


UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

In addition to The Lifespan of a Fact, TimeLine’s 2023-24 subscription season includes three more riveting plays that link past, present and future:  

  • Playing now, the critically acclaimed Chicago premiere of Stefano Massini’s Tony Award-winning The Lehman Trilogythe quintessential story of western capitalism rendered through the lens of a single immigrant family, adapted by Ben Power, co-directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling and Vanessa Stalling. Performances have been extended due to popular demand though November 26 at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse, 175 E. Chestnut St

  • The Chicago premiere of Notes from the Field by Anna Deavere Smith, directed by Mikael Burke, an innovative documentary piece that shines a spotlight on the stories of those caught in America’s school-to-prison pipeline. Previews start January 31, 2024. Press opening is Wednesday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through March 24.

  • The world premiere of Black Sunday by Dolores Díaz, developed through TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective and directed by Sandra Marquez, a startling look at conflicts of climate change, race, and gender in the days leading up to an infamous dust storm in 1930s Texas. Previews start May 8, 2024. Press opening is Wednesday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through June 30.

Save on tickets and enjoy ultimate flexibility during TimeLine’s 2023-24 season with a TimeLine FlexPass. Four options, priced from $119 to $275, are now on sale. For more information and to purchase, call (773) 281-8463 x6 or visit timelinetheatre.com.

Note: The Lifespan of a FactNotes from the Field and Black Sunday will be presented at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.

ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY
TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. Currently celebrating its 27th season, TimeLine has presented 88 productions, including 13 world premieres and 39 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program and TimeLine South summer arts program, which bring the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools and beyond. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 60 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

The company has long been bursting at the seams of its current leased home located at 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, where the theatre has been in residence since 1999. The company is currently working to develop its new home, located at 5035 North Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Plans feature an intimate black box theater seating up to 250 audience members, expanded area for the immersive lobby experiences that are a TimeLine hallmark, new opportunities for education and engagement, room to allow audience members to arrive early and stay late for theatergoing experiences that extend far beyond the stage, and more.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Executive Director Mica Cole, and Board President John Sterling. TimeLine Company members are Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Charles Andrew Gardner, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Anish Jethmalani, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, and Maren Robinson.

Major corporate, government and foundation donors providing season support via TimeLine’s Annual Fund include: Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Crown Family Philanthropies; Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation; Laughing Acres Family Foundation; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at Prince; Polk Bros. Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; Van Dam Charitable Foundation; and Walder Foundation. TimeLine also acknowledges the support of a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com or FacebookTwitter, or Instagram (@TimeLineTheatre).


BIOGRAPHIES
Juliet Hart (Emily Penrose) is a founding Company Member of TimeLine, where she has appeared in Oslo, A Disappearing Number, The Apple Family Plays: That Hopey Changey Thing and Sorry (Jeff Award-nomination - Ensemble), 33 Variations (Jeff Award – Production, Play, Midsize), To Master the Art, All My Sons, Weekend, Harmless, Martin Furey’s Shot, It’s All True(Jeff Award nomination – Supporting Actress), and many others. Other Chicago credits include work with Chicago Shakespeare, Prop Thtr, Zebra Crossing and Collaboraction. Recent television credits include Chicago Fire and Proven Innocent. Film credits include One Year Later, written and directed by Chicago’s own Lucia Mauro. Hart also serves as Director of TimeLine’s Living History Education Program, where she finds inspiration every day working with CPS students and teachers. She holds an MFA degree in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

PJ Powers (John D’Agata) was a co-founder of TimeLine in 1997 and became Artistic Director in 1999. Since then, he has overseen the production of more than 80 plays, including 13 world premieres and more than 39 Chicago premieres. During his tenure, TimeLine has garnered 60 Jeff Awards, including 11 for Outstanding Production, as well as awards for excellence in arts management, including the 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Powers was instrumental in establishing TimeLine’s home on Wellington Avenue in 1999; expanding the company’s programming to include productions in numerous other venues, including the Broadway Playhouse; creating the TimePieces play reading series and First Draft Festival of new work; launching the Living History Education Program in Chicago Public Schools under the direction of TimeLine co-founder Juliet Hart; and planning for TimeLine’s new home in Uptown. As an actor, he has appeared in 18 productions at TimeLine, including The Apple Family Plays: That Hopey Changey Thing, The Front Page, The Farnsworth Invention, Fiorello! and Hauptmann. He also has appeared at Writers, Northlight, and Shattered Globe, among others. A graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, Powers has served on the Board of Directors for the League of Chicago Theatres, was awarded the Meier Achievement Award for mid-career artists, and received a Goldman Sachs Senior Fellowship at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.He directed the one-night-only Chicago premiere of J.T. Rogers’ One Giant Leap: The Apollo 11 Moon Landing at the Broadway Playhouse.

Alex Benito Rodriguez (Jim Fingal) is making his TimeLine debut with The Lifespan of a Fact. Chicago theatre credits include Anna in the Tropics (u/s, Remy Bumppo) and Botticelli in the Fire (First Floor Theatre, Non-Equity Jeff Award nomination – Actor in a Principal Role). Since 2016, Rodriguez has been a member of Wender Collective (FKA Walkabout Theater Company). Rooted in radical collaboration and laboratory-style physical theatre making, Wender creates and produces new works nationally and internationally. He appeared in their production of The Brink in venues around the world, including Steppenwolf Theatre, Links Hall Chicago, Dartmouth College, Krakow Poland, and The Theatre Olympics in India. In addition to his work on stage, Rodriguez has appeared in student films, commercials, short films, and NBC's Chicago Fire.​ He holds a BFA degree in Acting from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MFA degree in Acting from FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. For more, visit alexbenitorodriguez.com.

Mechelle Moe (Director) is a Company Member at TimeLine, where her credits include directing Rutherford and SonCardboard Piano, and In the Next Room or the vibrator play. She also has appeared on stage in many TimeLine productions, including Boy, The Apple Family Plays, My Kind of Town, The Front Page, The Children’s Hour, Not Enough Air, and Paradise Lost. Other directing credits include Milk Like Sugar, The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love Suicide, and columbinus. Moe is a Jeff Award recipient for Actress in Principal Role for her performance in Machinal (The Hypocrites) and received a Jeff Award nomination for Actress in Principal Role for Stage Door (Griffin). She is an artistic associate of Griffin Theater. Moe graduated with honors from the University of Illinois Chicago with both a bachelor’s degree in Theater as well as Anthropology.

Gordon Farrell (Playwright) trained as a playwright at the Yale School of Drama, receiving an MFA in 1986 and going on to work with major Hollywood studios, initially as a story analyst for Warner Brothers and Columbia Pictures, and eventually as a screenwriter. He has written for hire and sold screenplays to Universal Pictures, Warner Brothers, MGM, and ITC. Farrell’s first independent screenplay, Girls Who Smoke, premiered in 2011. It went on to be an official selection at more than a dozen film festivals, receiving the Audience Choice Award at Seattle’s Post Alley Film Festival. As a playwright, from 2009 to 2013, Farrell worked with dozens of women on New York’s Lower East Side who wanted to tell their personal stories on stage. The series of monologue plays that grew out of it was called In the Red Room/Every Woman Dances for Someone. His other plays have been produced in San Francisco, and at Alleyway Theatre, the Yale School of Drama, and New York’s Primary Stages. He is the author of The Power of the Playwright’s Vision, published by Heinemann Press in 2001. It has been translated internationally and become a standard playwriting text at colleges and universities in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Jeremy Kareken (Playwright) is a playwright living in New York and Baltimore. His short plays Hot Rod, Big Train, and 80 Cards have been performed around the country and internationally. He served as a speech writer and policy analyst for two presidential campaigns. His awards include the Sewanee Conference’s Dakin Fellowship for Farblondjet, and Guthrie/Playwrights Center’s Two-Headed Challenge for The Sweet Sweet Motherhood. The Hamptons Film Festival Screenwriters Conference selected Kareken and David Murrell for their horror-comedy script about haunted breast implants—THESE! Conquered the Earth. In 2018, PlayPenn shortlisted Kareken’s new political satire about an illiterate king, The Red Wool. Born and raised in Rochester, New York, and a graduate of the University of Chicago, he has taught at NYU, NYIT, the Actors Studio Drama School, and currently teaches at The Acting Studio - New York. A lifetime member of The Actors Studio, Kareken occasionally acts and for 18 years served as the researcher for Bravo TV’s Inside the Actors Studio.


David Murrell (Playwright) was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the University of Chicago, currently lives in Queens, and has written a sea chest’s worth of TV and film treatments and spec scripts. Access Theater (NYC) and the Cleveland Public Theatre each produced his play Ductwork, and the Hamptons Film Festival Screenwriters Conference selected his and Jeremy Kareken’s feature screenplay about haunted breast implants, THESE! Conquered the Earth. In 2019, the Outer Critics Circle co-awarded Murrell its John Gassner Playwriting Award for The Lifespan of a Fact.

Friday, October 27, 2023

Nosferatu - A Symphony of Horror. Screening and Original Score by Gramps the Vamp Saturday, Oct 28th Only

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Nosferatu - A Symphony of Horror

Screening and Original Score by Gramps the Vamp

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're jazzed to partner up with WBEZ to promote their spine chilling seasonal screening this Saturday, in the hauntingly beautiful and possibly haunted Studebaker Theater. I adore Nosferatu, the original 1922 vampire thriller, and Chicago's own groovy ghouls, Gramps the Vamp, too. I've seen them at Sleeping Village before and they were so much fun live. This weekend's packed with Halloween possibilities in Chi, IL, but if you're still seeking some macabre fun, check out this fangtastic one night only happening. I can't wait to see Nosferatu and Gramps the Vamp paired up. 

Event details

Date/Time Sat, Oct 28 @ 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Location Studebaker Theater

410 South Michigan Avenue Fine Arts Building

Chicago, Illinois 60605

Admission $30


Event description

In 1922, a single film altered the course of cinema and established the essence of screen-based horror. After more than a century later, and featuring numerous reinterpretations, F.W. Murneau’s Nosferatu firmly cements its position as the genre cornerstone, captivating audiences with a blend of fear, fascination and fright.

Relive the experience at the historic (and possibly haunted) Studebaker Theater on Saturday, October 28 for a special Halloween screening accompanied by an original score* from Chicago’s own doom funk band, Gramps the Vamp. The film will be presented in its original color restoration and German intertitles.

You won’t want to miss this bloody good time.

A limited number of event posters designed by Chicago-based illustrator Ryan Duggan will be available for purchase online.


Artist Bio

Gramps The Vamp is a genre-bending instrumental ensemble that has been exploring the dark corners of heavy groove-based music since 2011. Corralling its eclectic influences (funk, world fusion, surf-rock, jazz, psychedelia, heavy metal, avant-garde) with a unifying retro-cinematic aesthetic, Gramps The Vamp weaves tight grooves, wild experimentation, and lush melodies together into a post-apocalyptic dance party.

*Originally commissioned by the Chicago Park District’s Movies in the Parks.

NO Refunds

Get your tickets HERE.

Thursday, October 26, 2023

WORLD PREMIERE OF NYRA’S DREAMS VIA PROP THTR & SURTAAL DANCE OCTOBER 27 - NOVEMBER 19, AT CHICAGO DRAMATISTS

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

PROP THTR AND SURTAAL DANCE PRESENT THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

NYRA’S DREAMS

OCTOBER 27 - NOVEMBER 19,

AT CHICAGO DRAMATISTS 

Prop Thtr’s New Residency at Chicago Dramatists Launches with the Movement Play Nyra’s Dreams


Prop Thtr and SurTaal Dance are proud to announce the world premiere of Nyra’s Dreams, created and performed by Shalaka Kulkarni and directed by Stefan Brun, October 27 - November 19 at Chicago Dramatists, 1109 W. Chicago Ave. The co-production of Nyra’s Dreams incorporates contemporary dance and traditional Indian classical dance, media and varied characters to bring Nyra and her quest to life. Opening night is Friday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with Industry Nights, to be announced. Tickets are suggested price of $20 or pay-what-you-can at Shalakak.com/surtaaldance. I'll be there on opening night, so check back soon after for my full review.

A co-production of Prop Thtr and SurTaal Dance, Nyra’s Dance, a movement play incorporates multiple story-telling vessels to tell of Nyra, who walks between different worlds and connects within her fragmented mind to women who teach her about resilience, frailty and hope, helping her realize her real quest to find her way back home to Dyavaprthivi, that resides between heaven and earth.  Nyra is a character devised out of myths/mythological stories found in Indian culture and documented experiences about the Devadasi (temple dancer) system and its existence now.

Shalaka Kulkarni 

All photos by Rich Rankin

Nyra’s Dreams is another step in SurTaal Dance’s exploration of how to employ Indian classical dance vocabulary to celebrate female experience in nontraditional performances. This world premiere is the culmination of text, travel, collaboration, film, choreography and composition - of which an experimental 10-minute film, completed in April 2023, has premiered in Paris, Seoul and Assam. 

The production of Nyra’s Dreams is the inaugural presentation of Prop Thtr’s leadership team project. This project’s goal is to  find new forms and structures outside of traditional show business to generate, incubate, develop, produce and give continued life to new work in the performing arts.

ABOUT SHALAKA KULKARNI, creator and performer

Shalaka Kulkarni (she/her/hers) is an interdisciplinary dance artist. Trained in Indian Classical dances- Bharatanatyam and Kathak, she creates experiences that bridge the ancient and contemporary, uplifting marginalized voices. She is interested in creating and presenting a hybrid movement form that fuses techniques of Bharatnatyam and Kathak with other movement influences, text, film and technology. She has performed in India, US and Europe and is excited to present her first solo play with Stefan Brun and Prop Thtr in Chicago, her second hometown.  


ABOUT STEFAN BRUN, director

Stefan Brun (he/him/his) is executive director of Prop Thtr. He co-founded the company with Scott Vehill in 1981 and has also directed plays and related performing art events and television in the United States and Germany.  He has continuously designed stage-lighting and been a performer on stage and film.  Together with Prop Thtr, from 1998 on, Brun took part in the founding and development of the National New Play Network, of which Prop Thtr is a charter core member. Serving as artistic director for most of Prop’s 15 year residency on Elston Avenue, he directed many productions including the long running Chicago hit, HIzzoner, written by and starring Neil Giuntoli. He currently leads Prop’s new “Leadership Team Pilot Program.” Married with Jenny Magnus, he is the father of Lena. Brun is devoted to mentoring and empowering those from whom we have not heard and new works for the stage. 


ABOUT PROP THTR

Prop Thtr creates and presents live and online experiences at the intersection of laboratory, education and community building. Prop Thtr believes that theater and theater education are not luxuries but tools for living. They attempt to open resources for others to use these tools.

Prop Thtr is focused on the development of new work, supporting theatre artists of all backgrounds and experience levels as well as Chicago theatre companies and is invested in Chicago stories told by Chicago communities with the support of our resources, knowledge, and talent.


ABOUT SURTAAL DANCE

SurTaal Dance is proud to offer an innovative and contemporary take on Indian classical dance. Their projects are dedicated to pushing creative boundaries and experimenting with new forms of expression. The performances showcase the unique beauty, versatility and grace of Indian dance vocabulary. SurTaal Dance invites you to experience the magic of SurTaal Dance and share in their passion for this beautiful art form.

Nyra’s Dreams is supported by a federal award to the City of Chicago by the United States Treasury Department, the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency and High Concept Labs, See Chicago Dance, TAPS Chicago Performance Lab at the University of Chicago and audiences’ donations.

Lyric Opera Presents Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment November 4 – 25, 2023

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Donizetti’s beloved comic opera 

The Daughter of the Regiment 

marches onto the Lyric Opera of Chicago stage

 for the first time in 50 years 

November 4 – 25, 2023

This mashup of slapstick and romance stars two of the biggest names in all of opera: Lisette Oropesa, one of the most celebrated singers of her generation, in her eagerly anticipated Lyric debut; and returning favorite Lawrence Brownlee, whose role includes the show-stopping "Ah, mes amis," sometimes dubbed the "Mount Everest" of arias. The opera also stars Ronnita Miller and Alessandro Corbelli in the first of his two comic roles this season.

The Daughter of the Regiment heralds the Lyric debut of internationally celebrated conductor Speranza Scappucci, who will soon become the principal guest conductor of London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

This iconic production by Laurent Pelly — a co-production of the Metropolitan Opera, the Vienna State Opera, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden — has received raves around the globe. Filled with dazzling arias and raucous comedy, The Daughter of the Regiment is a must-see for devoted opera lovers and newcomers alike. We hope you can join us for all of the military might and operatic delight.

NEW-TO-CHICAGO PRODUCTION

The Daughter of the Regiment

Gaetano Donizetti

Lyric Opera of Chicago is delighted to bring this production of Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment — bel canto opera’s equivalent of vintage champagne — to the city for the first time. Marie, the lovable, irrepressible spirited heroine — a foundling, raised by soldiers — loves handsome Tonio. Things get complicated when the Marquise carts her off to refine her with a “proper” education. In one exhilarating number after another, Marie throws off coloratura flourishes like shooting stars, while her tenor sweetheart pops out nine high Cs in a single aria! Bel canto superstar Lawrence Brownlee and comedic veteran Alessandro Corbelli partner with the dazzling Lisette Oropesa in her eagerly awaited Lyric debut. The marvelously stylish Speranza Scappucci conducts Laurent Pelly’s quick-witted, uproarious production.

Language: Sung in French with projected English titles

Running Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, including 1 intermission

Location: Lyric Opera House

For more information and to purchase tickets click HERE.

Lyric’s presentation of Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment is generously made possible by Invenergy, Sonia Florian, and Marion A. Cameron-Gray.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Hot Weekend Picks: Sideshow Villains New EP, Claws for Breakfast and Deviant Cabaret at Alhambra Palace Sunday, October 22, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Get Your Tricks And Treats On With Chicago's Own 

"Criminal Cabaret" Group Sideshow Villains


This Sunday, I'll be ChiILin' with the villains, reviewing for ChiIL Live Shows. Ready for some adult fun? Sideshow Villains will be performing their new EP, Claws for Breakfast, a compendium of tunes about revenge, addiction, and murder set to an eclectic mix of Americana musical styles, in the lush setting of the Alhambra Palace's main hall on Sunday, October 22 at 6PM CST. 

Interspersed between songs, the audience will witness the Villains' accomplices in the Deviant Cabaret, a mix of dance, circus, and cabaret acts designed to disturb and delight. Attendees are encouraged to arrive in their most exquisite Halloween finery and may be asked to assist Mark the Knife, the "World's Most Dangerous Comic."

The music featured on Claws for Breakfast evokes 70’s film soundtracks, Hollywood westerns, and vaudevillian burlesque acts with all tracks written or co-written by Sideshow Villains band leader Dante Ingram. 

 The Deviant Cabaret will feature Ingram on vocals and silks, MC and comedian Mark Faje, aerialist and juggler Benjy Radinsky, trapeze/aerial sling artist Camille Swift, aerial artist Chris Rooney, guitarist Chris Siebold, dancer Cristal Sabbagh, aerial rope artist Dalia Shafie, percussionist Dan Leoli, bassist Greg Nergaard, trumpet player Jaime Ruiz, aerialist Michael House, multi-instrumentalist Paul Mutzabaugh, and performance artist Spitfire. Sarah Kroth will be stage managing the event.








Ticket prices range from $25 for students to $65 for premium seats and Alhambra Palace is located at 1240 W Randolph St in Chicago's West Loop. 

For more information and tickets, click here:

https://sideshow-villains-deviant-cabaret.ticketleap.com/sv-deviant-cabaret/

https://sideshowvillains.bandcamp.com/album/claws-for-breakfast

https://sideshowvillains.com/

 

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

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

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

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

ANATOMY OF A FALL

beginning October 27, 2023



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


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

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

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

About ANATOMY OF A FALL:

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


Pricing:

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


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


About Music Box Theatre:

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

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

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

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