12th Annual SKETCHBOOK Festival Will Feature Brand New Format and World Premiere Line-Up of Five Programs Running In Repertory In Collaboraction’s Two Performance Spaces At The Flat Iron Arts Building June 6 – July 15
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CHICAGO – Entering its 12th year, Collaboraction’s SKETCHBOOK festival has expanded to include five programs containing thirteen pieces of world premiere theatre in rotating rep in Collaboraction’s two venues in the Flat Iron Arts Building. This year’s festival reformats the previous seven-minute recipe by integrating longer world-premiere productions, including “Honeybuns” by Dean Evans, “[fər] women” by Patrese McClain and “A Day In the Unweeded Garden” by Meredith Miller, along with a variety of shorter pieces. SKETCHBOOK: REINCARNATE will showcase thirteen pieces total, feature contemporary theatre, visual art and music. The programs will run June 6 – July 15, 2012.
Press opening will be June 9 and 10.
Tickets are now on sale at www.collaboraction.org or by calling 312-226-9633. Tickets are $20 per show ($10 student/industry). A SKETCHBOOK all access pass for all five programs is $65 ($35 student/industry).
Collaboraction is also offering a special discounted all access pass if purchased prior to May 15. This special rate is $20 for student/industry and $45 for general public.
What can you expect from SKETCHBOOK: REINCARNATE? You’ll see some of Chicago’s most exciting theatre artists pushing the form in a social, mixed-medium environment. Real food will be used in an exploration of the assumptions we make and the connections we have to death row inmates and their final meals. You’ll help resolve a whodunit turned on its head. You’ll meet Chicago librarians in a battle to preserve the
boundaries of reality and an overlarge buffoon who goes by “Honeybuns.” Not to be outdone, Harlotry & Necromancy Appreciation Society will finally determine an answer to the age-old question “What is the opposite of porn?” And this is only the beginning of Sketchbook 2012!
SKETCHBOOK: REINCARNATE will feature five programs in both of Collaboraction’s spaces in the Flat Iron Arts Building. Collaboraction has officially moved in to both Studio 300 and Studio 336 to provide programming throughout the year in these two spaces. “Honeybuns,” “[fər] women” and “A Day In the Unweeded Garden” will run in repertory in Room 336, while “The Three” and “The Seven” will run in repertory in Room 300.
SKETCHBOOK has gained widespread recognition as a platform for emerging artists to gain critical exposure as well as an incubator for established artists to take exciting artistic risks. Once again, SKETCHBOOK will integrate visual art installations and music into the experience. The Chicago Tribune has hailed the festival as “stellar;” the Chicago Reader raves, “The atmosphere is all inclusive and embracing in this celebration of creativity, and as a result you're willing to go along for the ride no matter what,” and Newcity proclaims, “One of the city's most intriguing off-Loop companies. SKETCHBOOK...has become a must-see annual event.”
The 12th Annual SKETCHBOOK Festival, SKETCHBOOK: REINCARNATE will take place at Collaboraction’s new home at the Flat Iron Arts Building at 1579 N. Milwaukee June 6 – July 15. A full performance schedule can be viewed at www.collaboraction.org.
SKETCHBOOK: REINCARNATE Programming Details:
Program 1: “Honeybuns”
Devised by Dean Evans
Honeybuns, billed as “The World’s Greatest Mime,” is a visceral and hilarious theatrical event. To share the room with the gigantic creature known simply as Honeybuns is to experience a highly physical, highly interactive piece of performance art that has impressions of Stand-Up Comedy, Mime, and twisted psychotherapy. Honeybuns will seduce you into submission and, literally, charm the pants off of you.
Run Time: Approximately 60 minutes / Rm 336
Program 2: “[fər] women”
Devised by Patrese D. McClain (director) and Jessica Ellis (choreographer)
Returning from Sketchbook X, it’s the full length version of the dance-theatre production of Four Women. Filled with beautiful movement, song, and poetry, “[fər] women” explores the lives of the four archetype characters Aunt Sarah, Saphronia, Sweet Thang, and Peaches inspired by the Nina Simone song “Four Women.”
Run Time: Approximately 45 Minutes / Rm 336
Program 3: “A Day In the Unweeded Garden”
Devised by Meredith Miller
Using her unique form of visual poetry--in which every costume holds a secret, every object has a story to tell, where all the world’s a stage and life is a cabaret--dance-theater artist Meredith Miller creates a haunting and immersive world in which Hamlet and Ophelia perform a pageant of their failed attempts at life.
Run Time: Approximately 50 Minutes / Rm 336
Program 4: “The Three”
Total run time: Approximately 90 Minutes / Rm 300
Last Meal Man
Devised by Dani Bryant and Erica Barnes
The last meal is the final statement of the condemned. “The Last Meal Man,” a new devised piece led by Dani Bryant (of such food based plays as “Binge,” “Kitchen,” and “Molé”) will use real food and historical fact to explore the assumptions we make and the connections we have to death row inmates and their final meals.
Run Time: Approximately 35-40 minutes.
How We Do
Devised by Beatrice Bosco and Lloyd Brodnax King
One thing that's always true about murder is that someone winds up dead. Beyond that, it’s hard to know.
Run Time: Approximately 15-20 minutes.
Psychonaut Librarians
Devised by The New Colony; Written by James Asmus and Crystal Skillman; Directed by Sean Kelly; Featuring Will Cavedo, Caitlin Chuckta, Sarah Gitenstein, Rachel Farmer, Ashleigh Ross and Gary Tiedemann
Beyond the reference section, hidden deep in the catalogues of the oldest library in Chicago, nestled in the shelves of fantasy, four librarians cherish their secret lives as the Psychonaut Librarian brethren have before them and fight to preserve the boundaries of reality!
Run Time: Approximately 30 Minutes.
Program 5: “The Seven”
All plays are seven minutes or less; Total Run time: Approximately 50 minutes / Rm 300
Vigilante
By Ike Holter; Directed by Kelly Kerwin
A self proclaimed hero comes face to face with his arch nemesis. Their fight incites a battle between neighbors, race and 90's soft-core hip-hop, as well as a whole bunch of other things that make people really uncomfortable.
Mendacity, or the Herd of Elephants in the Room
By Carlos Murillo; Directed by Anthony Moseley
Mauricio's history of telling lies comes to a head one morning when he discovers a human finger growing from his nostril.
But Really Though, What is the Opposite of Porn?
Devised by Harlotry & Necromancy Appreciation Society: Evelyn DeHais, Aileen McGroddy and Tamara Silverleaf
In its explorations of sexual licentiousness and death, The Society has yet to find an answer to the question, "What is the opposite of porn?" Is it cat litter, phone books, televised bowling, or perhaps knitting? Three renowned thinkers who have devoted their studies to this very query join together to conduct a daring exploration intended to find the answer.
Untitled 862
Devised by Kevin O'Donnell (music) and Kasey Foster (choreography)
The familiar interactions we each encounter every day are put in the spotlight through simple choreography to grow these mundane movements of handshakes and head nods into something more beautiful, important, goofy, and sad.
We Have Seven (7) Minutes to Cure Childhood Obesity
By Lee August Praley; Directed by Dav Yendler
Barnaby and Hester are here to teach you how to maintain an active lifestyle and a healthy diet... if they can make it through the assembly.
Invention of Falling
By Kristin Idaszak; Directed by Sarah Moeller
A beauty pageant contestant channels Galileo Galiliei for the talent portion of the competition, in which she recreates his famous experiment on the Leaning Tower of Pisa to determine the law of free fall acceleration, and in the process uncovers a painful truth.
TBD
By Greg Moss; Directed by Nathan Green
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