2012: big season launches 4th decade!

A season so phenomenal we think you should not miss any part of it!  We open, as we have done for a number of years now, on January 13th, yes Friday!, with the 24th annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival curated by Curious Theatre Branch.  Chicago's oldest fringe festival brings you over 30 shows - solo, ensemble, plays, music - Thursday through Monday for five thrilling and packed weeks

for schedules, descriptions, reservations

plus lots of wonderful pictures:



www.rhinofest.com








And when the Rhino Fest is over, February 12th - the weekend immediately following Prop Thtr opens a very special co-production with Practical Theatre veteran Rush Pearson:

THE DIARY OF A MADMAN
adapted from a story by Nikolai Gogol
opening February 17th, playing Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm four weeks only! 

The "Diary" is the record of a gradual invasion of its writer's mind by delusions of grandeur.  In this adaptation, Rush Pearson is the madman and we are his diary. A masterwork of immediate theater, developed by this, one of Prop Thtr's favorite theater artists, over many years and numerous venues.




 
Late Nights will feature Lupe Sanchez and The Taco Flavored Eggrolls in their new revue: "IT TAKES JUAN TO KNOW WONG (A Colored Commentary)  Fridays at 10:30pm through April 6th and in his original play "Porque No Comes"  Saturdays at 10:30 through March 24th. 

http://tacoflavoredeggrolls.com/?p=418

Following these Prop Thtr Artistic Director Stefan Brün will direct another in his series of productions of the plays of Bertolt Brecht,
"Drumming In The Night"

Written as the dust of World War One kicked up the German revolutions of 1918, this is the very first of Brecht's plays to have received professional production and attention.  Following a Soldier who returns home, unwelcomed and no longer wanted, to the convulsions of revolution: 
 
 Opening March 23rd and playing Fridays and Saturdays 8pm, Sundays at 3pm
 
 Featuring the New Prop Thtr Ensemble!


 
"My flesh should putrefy in the gutter so that your idea gets into heaven? Are you all drunk?"       



"Mein Fleisch soll im Rinnstein verwesen, dass eure Idee in den Himmel kommt? Seid ihr besoffen?"

 


(Watch this space for a running dramaturgical journal of this production; for details of the rest of this incredible season, including: 

"The Feast" by Tony Fiorentino

 "Music Mad, How Chief O'Neill saved the Soul of Ireland" by Adam Bernard Whiteman

"Innervation Dance Company"

"Mass Murders"   .....and much more!

Conjured Worlds/ Embodied Terrain; Embodied Composition: movement theatre laboratory

Above an example of a score for a work in progress by the Lisa Fay and Jeff Glassman Duo, who bring a wealth of experience and years of practice in a number of crafts together to lend a seldom seen virtuosity of composition and execution of movement based performances.  A delight leading audiences to euphoric participation in their taking apart "natural looking" behavior and what follows in a moment - subjecting these to contortions, subversions and convolutions, letting 'what's natural' show its socially constructed fa(r)ce.

"...dazzling sophistication, virtuoso level of characterization..." wrote Kyle Gann in The Village Voice


Lisa Fay and Jeff Glassman Duo
A composing and performing movement based theatre duo since 1991, who apply composed structures to ordinary human behavior. Contradictions play out with an air of stubborn continuity.

LINKS HALL has joined with the Prop Thtr to offer two extraordinary workshops led by this Duo, a valuable opportunity to experience the well founded craft they have refined:

1. Conjured Worlds/ Embodied Terrain, a one day workshop on Saturday October 1st which introduces both their compositional and their performance work. They will demonstrate and then allow participants to experiment with, the relationship between score, performer and audience.  Compositional propositions (conjured worlds) and performance techniques (embodied terrain) will coax forth new ground for live performance and present challenges to the performing body.  This workshop is open to all.  Materials provided.  


2. Embodied Composition: movement theatre laboratory, Oct 4th-8th is an intensive which immerses participants in an experimental movement theatre laboratory.  The work is meticulous while open to surprises, counter-intuitively small, analogue, acoustic and on a fine scale - leading to performance pieces by the participants best seen in intimate settings -like that of Links Hall - where what seems impossible, is undeniably live.  Composition and timing of each frame is needed for the whole to work, like with animation.  Then those will be developed into movement theatre pieces: embodied composition.  Participants should be ready for a rigorous hands-on compositional laboratory with an emphasis on the performance of laboratory generated work.  This workshop will culminate in an open performance at Links Hall on October 8th.

See The Lisa Fay and Jeff Glassman Duo perform from their repertoire at the Prop Thtr, 8pm Thursday, September 29th, Friday, September 30th and Saturday, October 1st.  $15 or pay what you can! 

"Surreal Vaudeville, Lisa Fay 

and Jeff Glassman belong in 

some kind of genius category.

One is reminded of silent film

comedians and European circus

clowns, who hone their material

to its essence"

                               David Cuthbert 

                              New Orleans Times-Picayune 

www.lisafayandjeffglassmanduo.org
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October 8th at 10:30pm Prop Thtr presents the second of four nights honoring and looking at the video, film, painting, graphic, photographic work of Tom Pallazzolo, our Lolapalooza. Our lobby is at its historic finest as a gallery of his work and we will show his media work that Saturday night as well as the second Saturdays of November and December.  A gifted Chicago Artist!

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Our October guest Company: the Consortium Project with Den Of Thieves:

What: Den of Thieves 

Why: Maggie is a newly single, junk-food-binging shoplifter looking to change her life and herself-hating ways. Paul is her passionately convicted, formerly four-hundred-poundcompulsive-overeating sponsor in a twelve-step program for recovering thieves. Maggie's jealousex-boyfriend is a charismatic wannabe Puerto Rican small-time thief of uncertain ancestry namedFlaco who spins a grammatically challenged but persuasive yarn about seven hundred and fiftythousand dollars in unprotected drug money sitting in a safe in a downtown disco guarded by aneasily distracted crackhead. This dubious and ragtag would-be criminal crew is rounded out byFlaco's new girlfriend, the fabulous Boochiea malaprop-slinging topless dancer who refuses to lether troubled childhood or her third-grade reading level stand in the way of her inevitable path tofame, fortune and fur. When things don't quite go according to plan, this bickering quartet ofhapless thieves finds themselves at the mercy of Louie "The Little Tuna" Pescatore, a reluctant,

donut-ingesting heir to the criminal empire run by his father"The Big Tuna"who has left him incharge for the weekend. The penalty for stealing from the Tuna is death"Ba Da Bing, Ba Da Boom." ButLouie offers them a break: "I need one body and three thumbs, you can choose the who, whys andwherefores among yourselves." Tied to chairs and able to move only their mouths, they must now fightfor their lives by out-arguing each other as to who deserves to live. Verbal gymnastics and thestruggle for self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-love produce a high-octane battle for survivalthat's not resolved until the last donut falls. - Dramatist Play Service, Inc. 

When: Oct 06, 2011 8:00 PM - Oct 23, 2011 2:00 PM 

Where: Prop Theatre, 3502 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 

Followed by: Point Of Contention's   "All The Girls Love Bobby Kennedy"  look out for that opening Friday October 28th!

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Coming in 2012:  The longest running fringe festival in Chicago, January 13th - February 12th, 2012.

rhinofest.com

Coming January 13th - - February 12th, 2012

Still In Play - in many more than one way!

This September 15th, Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art sees the opening of three days of a scripted and devised play, "Still In Play, a performance of getting ready", which the Curious Theater Branch has developed over a year long residency, text and lyrics written by Jenny Magnus, music by The Crooked Mouth (who will give a special RELEASE concert after the Friday September 16th performance of "Still In Play") and directed by Prop Thtr Artistic Director and Curious Theater Branch founding associate artist Stefan Brün with Jen Moniz and Briana Finegan and with Choreography by Jayita Bhattacharya and Judith Harding.  Featured are many of the performers who make up the Curious Theater Branch: Jayita Bhattacharya, Jeff Bivens, Sidonie Greenberg, Judith Harding, Cat Jarboe, Troy Martin, Nia O'Reilly-Amandes, Beau and Colm O'Reilly, Matthew Rieger, John Starrs, Matt Test, Vicki Walden and, of course, Jenny Magnus.  Acoustics are designed by Joseph Fosco, lights are designed by MCA and Trap Door resident designer Richard Norwood, Videography and documentation by Jeffrey Bivensand Costumes are designed by Prop Thtr Managing Director Diane Hamm. 
"Still In Play, a performance of getting ready"

BACK at the PROP THTR, our very valued guests from the Silent Theatre Company, who have offered Chicago a distinctive vision and style for over six years now and have become regular presenters at the Prop Thtr, with their Wild Party Variety Hour every final Saturday night of the month, now join forces with us to present two amazing productions in the inimitable Silent Theatre Style:  "NOIR" and "ACME"

ACME: (live) Action Cartoon with Music and Entertainment
pays homage to the cartoon genre. From classical tomfoolery to neo‐animation, this
production is sure to strike a chord with the child inside you. Comedy, satire,
whimsy and parody all band together for a nostalgic evening of stylized vignettes. ACME: (live) Action Cartoon with Music and Entertainment features
Chelsea Brand, Jenna Dalgety, Gillian Hastings, Matthew Massaro, Nathan
Thompson and Samuel Zilitch. Created and Directed by the ensemble.
Production Stage Manager: Shannon Evans

How do you find hope in a city that doesn't want to be saved? It's Chicago in 1930. The city revels in its celebrity, refuses to play by the rules and scoffs at
the rest of the country's distaste. When his ex partner shows up with a plan which would thrust him into the thick of the mob, private investigator Frank
McClellan must decide to walk the line between trust and hope. At stake is five thousand dollars, the life of an old friend and a final chance to help take down public enemy number one.
NOIR: city of big shoulders was written out of love for the detective story and fascination with Chicago's most recognizable era. Of the cinematic styles that have crossed over to the stage, film noir remains one of the most compelling. This is Silent Theatre's second venture into this genre and pays homage to the city of the gangster while it delights in asking the most spine tingling question in literature: "Who done it?"
NOIR: city of big shoulders features Brendan Balfe, Chelsea Brand, Scott Coyne, Joanne Dubach, Brian Parenti, Nathan Paul, Evan Sierminski and Joe Vonderhaar. Written and directed by Brendan Balfe. Videographer: Krzysztof Piotrowski. Costumes by Stephanie Schultz. Production SM: Shannon Evans.

And that is not all....

From the very first days of the Prop Thtr, way back in 1981, an artist we have admired and whose work we have shown is Tom Palazzolo
Throughout the rest of 2011, the lobby of Prop Thtr has been turned into a gallery of paintings, print work, photography by Tom Palazzolo.  The second Saturdays of September, October, November and December will feature showings of the many films and videos he has created, in a wide array of styles, over the years.  We call this whole series Lolapaloozza and we are kicking it all off with a reception, Gallery Vernissage, special showing of his newest movie and other special surprises on Sept 10th starting at 7pm and going late!

 

 Also do not miss our longtime resident, FACTORY THEATRE'S "Black and Blue" which is having the final performances of this hit summer play right NOW!

PropThtr: Untangling at the Junction; Whatever gets you thro...

PropThtr: Untangling at the Junction; Whatever gets you thro...: "We participated in the NNPN 13th annual conference and delighted that another brave small midwestern company - from Iowa City! - will be inv..."

Untangling at the Junction; Whatever gets you through the night

We participated in the NNPN 13th annual conference and delighted that another brave small midwestern company - from Iowa City! - will be invited to join the fold while we are devastated that a leader of new play development, Florida Stages, has had to declare bankruptcy and cease operations.  We kind  of always thought we were the ones, in that body of theaters, who were most threatened.  This is another moment when the paradigm of sustainability is taking new shape and, perhaps, our flexible  smallness is an advantage.  Not that the economic downturn has not shaken us, it has.  In many ways.  The State of Illinois is not able to pay even the grants it has already approved for us. Many more of the young companies, with whom we work to mount their first productions, have had to shelve their plans (if not their dreams) for the moment while they find more solid funding.  We at Prop are prepared to adjust, to support and to shapeshift so as to remain a reliable presence for those who are interested, not only in new work, but in long-term relationships among artist producing new work: in 'continued life' as our valued NNPN has formulated it.  We have invented new co-production models, lowered some of our prices and dumped some of our costlier ventures.  Hunkering down and raising high the priority of high quality work.   Kara Hartzler, author of "Arizona: No Roosters In The Desert", was enchanted with our production of her play and, although it was the third of the rolling world premiers, she said it will influence the final version of her script.  That is how we roll!

At the End of June, Daaimah Mubashshir is bringing her "Untangling at the Junction" in which a women who promises her father to return to Islam is also committed to her life being queer and explores this antinomie - if it is one.   Daaimah - who we hope will find the response and courage to bring more performances to Prop - will feature guest artists:  On June 30th: Mary Bowers and Barrie Cole (I would like to note that an expecial delight is all the ways we lure Barrie Cole to perform at the Prop Thtr, she is a part of both this show and the July "Whatever Gets You Through the Night") on July 7th: Olivia Dawson. 

Tekki Lomnicki and her Tellin' Tales Theater are one of the building  blocks of Prop Thtr.  She is a regular with us, both for her own perfomances with guests and for her fabled and marveous 7 Stories Up, wherein she works partnering youth and artists and awakening amazing collaborative shows.   This show is a veritable feast of those who we love to have at Prop:  Tekki herself, as I already mentioned, Barrie Cole and also Edward-Thomas Herrera and Dave Awl.  A 'star studded cast' at Prop !

Look out, in September, for work by Paul Peditto, an author with whom Prop - and particularly Scott Vehill - have shared nearly a quarter century of producing shows, also look out, in October, for Bertolt Brecht, who Stefan Brün seeks to unearth at his earliest, the show "Drums In the Night", which was the first production to draw wider notice and in which Brecht's work as playwright and busker and poet are all mixed still in the shock of Post World War 1 Germany.  In the Fall we will be bringing a running Tom Pallazollo film, graphic and painting retrospective - the only time all his different disciplines of work have been gathered together.  We are putting together Swing and electro-swing dancing events, and of course more "church of the new play" Sunday play-readings. 

Always something more at the Prop Thtr.

Joseph Riley

foray into what a blog could be?

celebrating significant years of Joseph Riley, designer at the Prop Thtr!

above right, the model months before, what the above left link leads to -

Developing one of two 'duets' in our theater, this "No Roosters In The Desert",
from which these images are,
along with designing "Easy Six" for the Factory Theatre on our other stage.  

Joseph has over the last years done this before, he has thrice thrust a second story upon the back theater, and thrust many more story's onto the stage together, beginning I think,  together with Shannon Evans,  on "Lovesauce" by RJ Tsarov, an amazing whirling claustrophobic space, I thought, then I remember the large painted strong choices on cardboard with frills and magic he would build for the kids of the summer camp, easily movable and flowing. He built a 2 story amazing house with roof and windows and porch and life busting out of every pore, for "1512 W. Studebaker" with Liz Ladach Bark, a house in foreclosure I will never forget.  Then, just recently, built a forest with stump holes and secrets and mossy trees and hillside and a cottage to boot, a fairy tale world.

With me, Joseph has helped on everything I have worked on in one way or another over the last couple of years, decisively and hugely in "The Darkest Pit" by Kristiana Colón for which a tight classroom spanned out over the audience with its fear.

In every iteration of our long series of projects with Jenny Magnus, from stages to museums, festivals and onhe has stood by.  For Scott Vehill's "The Informer" and for The Buzz that is Beau O'Reilly, at Trap Door and over at The Artistic Home and then, recently and hugely, for me, "Debris of The Prophet" by Paul Carr, where he helped us realize our generations fond nightmare, to have the world turn into a cartoon, building two versions of the same set

- no Joseph does not shrink from long hours, from complication, from theatrical impatience; Joseph churns that back as productive conceptual meetings full of bursts and chuckles, patient stubborn questions about what are the intentions, a wildly optimistic but very exact eye for what is proportionately possible, then the immense decency to actually carry that through to the ambitious compromise which every opening night is.  I have watched Joseph with friends, I have watched Joseph love, I have, above all, watched Joseph work.  He has very often been, over the last years, the nicest thing happening at Prop Thtr and I shall greatly miss his intense presence while I shall also be beckoning with him, future new links and cooperations - perhaps in other ways.  Prop Thtr particularly salutes  Joseph Riley.
(added April 23rd:  the set painted:

Arizona: No Roosters In the Desert

The highlight of our 30th season, by Kara Hartzler (based upon interviews compiled by Anna Ochoa O'Leary):

In this riveting new American play, four women trek the desert toward the American dream. On their way they push the limits of their physical and emotional endurance, and they establish profound yet fragile connections with each other through the magical storytelling of the youngest of them, an indigenous woman from Chiapas.

we were part of pushing through this controversial first time, the National New Play Network lent its support to a play that, itself, has crossed borders!  A rolling world premier from El Circulo Teatro in Mexico City through Borderlands Theater in Tuscon, Arizona to Chicago - here produced locally with a stellar cast directed by Tanya Saracho (whose wonderful new play, "El Nogalar" is featured at the Goodman's Owen Theater in a Teatro Vista production)- where it will open April 28th (with special previews April 23rd - April 25th at 8pm!) and run through Cinco de Mayo till May 29th!

 A small excerpt from dramaturg Jessica Kadish's work:

"BASIC POLITICAL BACKGROUND - SOUTHWEST BORDER STRATEGY

Cross-referencing a bunch of sources, it's clear that the desert journey takes about 3-4 days through the path that we're looking at. This path seems to be a pretty historically specific one - developed by the Southwest Border Strategy implemented in the early-mid '90s. According to O'Leary's research (which inspired Hartzler's writing), it started in 1993 with Operation Hold The Line (Texas), and continued with Operation Gatekeeper (California in 1994) and Operation Safeguard (Arizona in 1995). This plan has caused major crackdowns on all major border-crossing centers, which is what forces people into the more remote desert areas to make the crossing.

OPERATION SAFEGUARD
-happened last in the sequence because with the success on crackdowns in El Paso and San Diego, migration traffic shifted to Nogales/Tucson. Operation Safeguard was implemented to address that traffic shift.
-new fence built near Nogales
-more border agents assigned to the Tucson region
-government report released 1995 calls it "Biggest Increase Ever" in sending agents to the AZ border (http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/Pre_96/January95/7.txt.html)

It's more dangerous now to cross the border than it used to be - about 200 bodies are found each year (npr.org) regardless of policy shifts. And even though the number of successful crossings is down, this 200-figure is staying the same - which means that a higher percentage of people aren't surviving the journey. Different numbers of deaths come from different sources, though. La Jornada de Michoacán writes that 2 people die every day...which would mean over 700 deaths per year...perhaps this number includes more than just bodies that are found in the desert. (http://www.lajornadamichoacan.com.mx/2010/10/01/index.php?section=municipios&article=013n3mun)

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In June Prop Thtr will host two very special events which highlight our special devotion to expanding the offer of performance beyond our new play specialty:  The first weekend of June,

The Carnival Of Curiosity & Chaos 

produced by Prop Thtr favorite: Artist Tom Hill

"A Tantalizing Spectacle Featuring Acts By: Tom Hill, Jeffrey Pressley, Ammu Nition, Jen Dollface, & Danielle Forrest. They Are Prodigies of Physical Phenomena and Great Presentation of Marvelous Living Human Curiosities.

This 2 Hour Freak Show Demonstrates Acts of: Underwater Escape, Block Head, Trapeze, Burlesque, Fetish Play, Bed of Nails, Sword Play, Poi, Piercings & Brandings, Glass Walking, Belly Dancing, Aerial Chain, Suspended Straightjacket Escape, The Iron Stomach, Sword Swallowing, Hot Coal Walking, Contortionism, Handcuff & Chain Escapes, Adagio, Human Pin Cushion, Tattooed Men & Women, Snake Charmer, and Much More…

The Freaks Display Their Acts For Peoples’ Unquenchable Curiosity For The Outlandish And The Unknown. 

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/139761

www.artisttomhill.com


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The second weekend of June, we are privileged to welcome our mates of yesteryear's Chicago "Practical Theatre"  Victoria Zielinski and Paul Barrosse with their hit L.A. Cabaret show, "The Vic and Paul Show" :

After a 22-year absence from the Chicago stage, Paul Barrosse and Victoria Zielinski, veterans of The Practical Theatre Company, are bringing “The Vic & Paul Show”, their original two-person comedy revue, to The Prop Theatre from June 9-12.

After raising three kids “from diapers to diplomas,” Vic & Paul are back to doing what they were doing before they got married: performing sophisticated comedy sketches and musical numbers in an intimate theatrical setting.

“The Vic & Paul Show” is “An Evening of Comedy, Music, Marriage & Martinis.” It’s somewhere between Nick & Nora and Nichols & May (if those famous couples were over-50 parents with grown-up kids).

Vic & Paul will be joined at The Prop by their musical director, Chicago area Emmy-winner Steve Rashid. Chicago native Shelly Goldstein directed the show.

There will be one preview performance on Thursday, June 9th at 8:00 pm. (Tickets $10.)

Shows are Friday June 10th at 8:00 pm ($20), Saturday June 11th at 8:00 pm ($20), Sunday, June 12th at 2:00 pm ($15) and at 7:00 pm ($20).

For Reservations go to: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/169351


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Join young bands doing good and playing well and artists raffling original art this Sunday APRIL !0th in a benfit for Japan:  http://on.fb.me/hUkkFK

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And, LollaPallazollo! in July, the largest gathering ever of Chicago's Tom Pallazollo's films in one place.  More about that, about Brecht's "Drums In the Night", about Burrough's  "The Last Words Of Dutch Schultz" and lots, yeah lots, more.

Please Visit Prop Thtr this 30th Season and be part of the shows, always live, always really here, always a fresh breath of non-digital entertainment!