Cabinet of Curiosity presents The Icicle Picnic: Journey for the Sun
Cabinet of Curiosity, the Chicago-based theater and events company, announced their first annual pageant The Icicle Picnic. This year's inaugural family-friendly production, Journey for the Sun, features live music, beat boxing, giant puppets, ridiculous devices, and transforming sets to tell the story of two brothers who embark on a mythological journey to save the earth from an exploding sun. Celebrating unlikely heroes and the strength in unity across differences, The Icicle Picnic: Journey for the Sun is presented from January 11 to 15, 2023, in nine performances only, at Chopin Theater, 1543 W Division Street
Showcasing the delightful craft of pageantry, live cartoon, and intimate spectacle, Journey for the Sun is an imaginative devised theater work that follows two brothers, Clem and Buster (Michelle Billingsley and Sadie Roz Glaspey), who run a declining drive-in movie theatre in small town Indiana. Along with their new employee the Cow (Alexandra Plattos Sulack) and the drive-in's Popcorn machine (Yuri Lane), the brothers receive a strange transmission from outer space that sets off a whirlwind mission to save the planet. Inspired by the absurd low budget science-fiction films from the 1950s and cartoons of the 60s, Journey for the Sun protagonists must prevent the earth's overheating and destruction, encountering Little Green Men, asteroid showers, space monkeys, giant robots, and more along the way.
In The Icicle Picnic: Journey for the Sun, Cabinet of Curiosity's Artistic Director Frank Maugeri returns to a theatrical form he crafted during his 25-year tenure at Redmoon Theater, the "Pageant." Journey for the Sun was originally created and presented in association with Sylvia Hernandez Distasi, Lindsey Noel Whiting, and Kasey Foster at the Actors Gymnasium. For this new edition, Maugeri brings together new artists, designers, engineers, and social innovators to revise the timely story about hope, fearlessness, and the power of community.
The production kicks off an innovative model for Cabinet of Curiosity where professional actors and artists will provide mentorship to emerging artists. Journey for the Sun is written by veteran Chicago playwright and adapter Seth Bockley and collaboratively directed by Frank Maugeri, Sadie Rose Glaspey, Michelle Billingsley, Alexandra Plattos Sulack, and Yuri Lane. Seasoned actor and tap dancer Time Brickey leads the first-time Pageant ensemble of youth performers, including Avie June Schubert, Selah Herrera Helphand, Delilah Lane, and Theo Maciukenas.
Designed as a relief from Chicago's dark winter weather, the immersive production features sets and props by Caitlin McCloud, video projections and shadow performance by Liviu Pesare, and sound effects by Yuri Lane. Cabinet of Curiosity invites families for interactive post-show opportunities to learn how prop devices and contraptions were developed by the creative team.