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The Lookingglass Youth Ensemble, the new youth performing troupe of Lookingglass Theatre Company Education and Community Programs, announced its first-ever three-show season of public performances. Thirty talented ensemble members, ages 8 to 18 and from throughout the Chicago area, will present and star in these exciting family shows in 2006/07, on weekend afternoons at Lookingglass:
The Odyssey
By Lookingglass Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman
Directed by Kerry Catlin
December 3-January 28
Share an amazing voyage complete with magic, monsters and feats of great
bravery, as we bring to vibrant life Homer's epic tale of Odysseus'
fantastical ten-year journey. Join Odysseus and his stalwart crew as they
battle the Cyclops, outwit the bewitching Sirens and brave the wrath of
Poseidon so that they may, at last, return home to their loved ones.
Employing elements of circus, puppetry and tumbling, The Odyssey is sure to
hold even the youngest theatergoers spellbound, ready by the final curtain
for adventures of their own. Recommended for ages 7 and up.
Juvie (working title)
A World Premiere
Directed by Erica Mott and Meredith Glidden
February 18-March 18
In a powerful ground-breaking new work, members of Lookingglass' Young
Ensemble have collaborated with their peers incarcerated at the Cook County
Juvenile Detention Center to create a piece of theater which tells their
stories. With searing honesty, this piece examines themes of justice and
survival in our society, and a lost generation of young men and women.
Funny, poignant, moving and thought provoking, Juvie is sure to offer unique
opportunities for post-show dialogue and discussion among the audience.
Recommended for ages Middle School and up.
Black Beauty: the Musical
Book and Lyrics by Jody Davidson Music by Denys Gawronski
July 7-August 12
In a special treat for animal lovers of all ages, Anna Sewell's beloved
classic comes to life in a musical adaptation of her "autobiography of a
horse." From wobbly foal to aristocratic saddle horse to overworked London
cab horse, Beauty encounters owners both benevolent and brutal as he travels
the roads of Victorian England. Heartwarming and uplifting, through story
and song, Black Beauty: the Musical shares a gentle message of the
importance of kindness to animals that will be long remembered by its young
audience. Recommended for ages 7 and up.
The Youth Ensemble will perform in Lookingglass' new Chase Studio Theatre, inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Avenue at Pearson. Performance times are Saturdays and Sundays at 12 pm and 2 pm. Tickets are only $6 for students; $12 for adults. For tickets and information, call the Lookingglass Box Office, (312) 337-0665.
The Lookingglass Youth Ensemble was formed through open auditions in Spring 2006. The original troupe, a diverse group of 24 Chicago-area youngsters ages 8 to 18, will expand to include 30 members this season. Members of the ensemble receive their training free-of-charge, and are taught all aspects of stage production by Lookingglass artists and top theater training professionals. When not performing on-stage roles, ensemble members are found behind-the-scenes of each production - running lights, building sets, running lights, stitching costumes, even working in the box office. Following each regular runs, all Lookingglass Youth Ensemble productions will also go on tour to Chicago-area after school centers, youth clubs, libraries and recreation centers.
Creation of the Lookingglass Youth Ensemble represents a major shift in focus for the Lookingglass Education Department, under the new guidance of Education and Community Director Jody Davison since 2005. In addition to formalizing a youth ensemble, Davidson has launched a new class format named the Lookingglass Continuum. With its greater scope and sequence of classes, the new Lookingglass Contiuum offers a more structured approach to transitioning participants from creative dramatic play, where the needs of the child are foremost, to the skills required for public performance, where success is measured more by the artist's abilities to impact an audience.
Classes in Lookingglass Education and Community Programs' new fall session begin September 25. Most are grouped by skill set and ability and not by chronological age, more closely mirroring the professional stage where often actors of many generations will work together creating a play. All classes are taught by Lookingglass artists or top area theater training professionals. For class information visit http://www.lookingglasstheatre.org/education