afterMAPH » Theater

More from MAPH Alums at the Caffeine Theatre

Linda — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:27:11 +0000

Two University of Chicago Alums team up for a “darkly fascinating,” “ambitious”* theatre piece:

Caffeine Theatre presents:
Like the Moon Behind the Clouds
by Donald Gecewicz (AB ‘76)
directed by Jennifer Shook (MAPH ‘05)

And this week, Caffeine brings you two special events with these U of C artists:

Wednesday, January 30: A free reading of poetry and Donald Gecewicz’s translation of Carla Vasio’s inspiring Italian memoir of her trip to Japan, where her heart “opened like an eggshell”– at the BookCellar in Lincoln Square. 7:00 pm. See http://www.bookcellarinc.com/ for more information.

Thursday, January 31: Theatre Thursday dinner package includes a pre-fixe dinner at Bella Bacino’s Italian Bistro and Pizzeria, a ticket to the 7:30pm performance of Like the Moon Behind the Clouds, and a post-show conversation with the playwright and director. $25. Tickets at 312-742-TIXS (8497). Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center 77 E. Randolph St.

…or skip dinner and you can still see the play and discussion for the low price of $20 ($18 for seniors, $16 for students, $14 for groups of 10 or more). Tickets at 312-742-TIXS (8497).

“It’s easy to dehumanize people and cover it up by saying it’s a small world after all,” said Gecewicz. “But it’s much harder to open up our hearts to the whole world.”
(For an interview with Gecewicz and Shook, see:
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=74847)

Caffeine Theatre presents the world premiere of Like the Moon Behind the Clouds, by Donald Gecewicz. Follow Italian writer Carla Vasio to Tokyo and into the worlds of Japanese poets. Like the Moon Behind the Clouds fuses film, music, and puppetry in Caffeine Theatre’s acclaimed poetic style. As Carla’s story unfolds like a Japanese printmaker’s album of views, the question remains: Is it a small world after all?

Through February 24, 2008
Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center 77 E. Randolph St

Thurs-Sat at 7:30;
Sundays at 3pm;
Saturday matinees on Feb 9, 16 and 23 at 3:00

$20 Regular price
$18 Seniors
$16 Students
$14 Groups of 10 or more

* Quotations from Jonathan Abarbanel, Windy City Times

Oh the Humanity (Festival)!

Linda — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:00:51 +0000

Running from October 27 through November 11 the Chicago Humanities Festival returns to Chicago for its 18th year. The theme this year is “The Climate of Concern,” working in conjunction with the Chicago Festival of Maps. Every year this festival runs throughout the various cultural institutions in Chicago, bringing lecturers, panel discussions, and music and dance performances, focusing this year on “the clear and urgent challenge we face: how do we, as a community of fellow humans, come to envision – with lucidity, vigor, and hope – our responsibilities toward each other, our progeny, and the planet?” Many events are free or of very little cost and several are even going on in Hyde Park. Make sure to check out events at the Experimental Station, a newly rebuilt and redesigned space on 61st and Blackstone, as well as those events at the Hyde Park Art Center.

For a full schedule of events visit:
http://www.chfestival.org/festival/index.cfm?fa=home.searchResults&sec=adult&type=all

This festival not only brings a slew of entertaining and academic performances, but it also provides job and volunteer opportunities. For more info on the festival in general as well as how to get involved with the festival visit:
http://www.chfestival.org/index.cfm?fest=1

Femmes do THYESTES at Court Theatre!

mlfink — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 16:30:47 +0000

MAPHers feeling free and frisky after turning in their theses last year gave Court Theatre’s Arcadia rave reviews. Coming up is a real thespian treat: Seneca’s time old story of human rage, Thyestes, translated and interpreted by two of today’s greatest female artists. The play will open on Sept. 20 and run until Oct. 21–and constitutes a sweet excuse to get back to campus in all its autumn glory.

Caryl Churchill, winner of four Obie Awards, including the award for Sustained Achievement, has crafted a translation of the play that promises to be inventive and to thoughtfully engage issues of desire and politics. (To read more about her work, check out her British Council on the Arts profile, especially the “Critical Perspective” section: http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth259 .)

The play’s director, Joanne Akalaitis, is another Obie Sustained Achievement winner, whose supa-star career includes gigs with the American Repertory Theater, Juilliard, and the NYC Opera. Judging from the publicity pictures, it’s not something you want to miss—check out the Court Theatre’s website for details.

http://www.courttheatre.org/home/plays/0708/thyestes/index.shtml