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Chicago DCA Theater offers downtown audiences a great opportunity to experience Chicago's vibrant off-Loop theater scene with an innovative and exciting look at the many diverse theater companies that call Chicago home. The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs continues 2008 with a full roster of events at the DCA Theaters which include the Storefront Theater, located at 66 East Randolph Street, and the Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, located at 77 East Randolph Street.
A key anchor of the downtown theater district, Chicago DCA Theater will present attractions by five Chicago theater companies, including Seanachai Theatre Company, The Incurable Theatre Company, Blair Thomas and Company, Noel Williams, and WNEP Theatre.
The Chicago DCA Theater 2008 fall line-up includes:
Scenes From The Big Picture - Chicago Premiere
Seanachai Theatre Company at Storefront Theater
August 28 - October 5, 2008
Continuing Seanachai Theatre's tradition of Irish storytelling, this play, written by Owen McCafferty, smashes the "big picture" into vivid snapshots of intimate groups of people. Moving from shops to pubs to life on the street, the urban story masterfully weaves together the lives of twenty characters in forty scenes into a 24-hour slice of contemporary Belfast life. Originally presented by London's Royal National Theatre in 2003, this production is the premiere presentation in the Midwest.
In The Curious Hold Of The Demeter - World Premiere
The Incurable Theater at the Studio Theatre in the Chicago Cultural Center
October 2 - October 25
The Incurable Theater combines puppetry, masks, live actors, shadowplay, and projections into a unique production inspired by F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent film Nosferatu. The darkly comic tale for adult audiences follows the travails of Count Orlock as he stows away on the Russian schooner, "The Demeter." In his travels to a foreign land to begin life anew, his debilitating insomnia brings to life his insecurities and nightmares. This new play was written by Jill Summers, whose short stories are frequently heard on Chicago Public Radio's Third Coast International Audio Festival.
Cabaret Of Desire
Blair Thomas and Company at Storefront Theater
October 9 - November 8, 2008
High art meets low as Blair Thomas and Company give voice to 20th century poet Federico Garcia Lorca through a cabaret of burlesque dancing, amoral ruffians, puppets, and a player piano for an evening of highly unique theater. The adult-themed production presents a comedy of failures chronicling one man's pursuit of love and affection. What unfolds is a surreal world where one man's fantasy collides with its own end.
Party Of One - Chicago Premiere
Noel Williams at Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center
November 7 - 24, 2008
Journey through the psyche of Captain Melisande Blue in Noel William's award winning Pochinko clown and Bouffon style show. Packed and ready to go, Mel and her baggage find themselves at a train station exiled for "loving a little too much." Her divine ride features a feisty turnstile, dinner dates with luggage, and a two and a half foot mini version of "Gone with the Wind." A Fringe Festival favorite throughout the country, this will be the first time the full show has been seen in Chicago.
Soiree Dada: Schmuckt Der Hallen - World Premiere
WNEP Theater at Storefront Theater
November 21 - December 21, 2008
Back by popular demand, the WNEP Theater DADAs take on the most wonderful time of the year. Utilizing the tools of chaos, anarchy, and a wicked sense of humor, DADA sets out to destroy and rebuild Christmas. With the willing assistance of their audience, the largest Soireé Dada cast in thirteen years will create a spectacle unlike any seen on these shores. There will be a tree and presents, too.
Additional fall programming at Chicago DCA Theater includes the new incubator series in the Studio Theatre, featuring Dog and Pony Theatre Company, Infusion Theatre, and The Plagiarists. The season will also bring staged readings by AFTRA/SAG Senior Radio Players and the performance art festival Site Unseen.
All tickets are available by phone by calling 312-742-8497, on-line at www.dcatheater.org, or by visiting the box office in at the Storefront Theater. The box office is open Tuesday through Saturdays from 12:00pm to 6:00pm and one hour prior to show time.