Chicago, IL — A newly established, community-based Fable Festival is taking place May 16 — May 20, 2012 in non-traditional spaces throughout Edgewater/Andersonville. The performance festival answers calls happening in town hall meetings across Chicago for more focus on neighborhood arts events in the City's upcoming Cultural Plan.
Performances will take place in empty storefronts, public schools, cafes, restaurants, the lakefront and bars in an effort to showcase the community and collaborate with businesses to bring more patrons to the Edgewater neighborhood. This unique event invites over 20 established theater-makers and performance companies to present a weekend of new, short works based on international fairy tales and fables -- often accompanied by music, puppets and food and drink.
"The festival is unique in that from the onset we set out to collaborate not only with arts organizations but also with businesses and the Alderman's office to work together to create an exciting event for the community," states Julieanne Ehre, founder of the Edgewater Arts Center and co-producer of the Festival. Katy Collins, Artistic Director of Vintage Theater Collective and also co-producer adds, "A Fable Festival appeals to a broad audience who want to hear classic stories but with modern or unexpected twists."
Edgewater is quickly becoming a center for arts activity supported by Alderman Harry Osterman's focus on a Master Plan for the 48th Ward that embraces Arts and Culture:
"Many fantastic arts organizations call the 48th Ward home," states Representative Osterman, "It is evident that these organizations contribute to our community's vibrancy, making it more of a destination and contributing to the success of our neighborhood businesses. Fable Fest will be another exciting opportunity for arts and business to partner together in creating something unique and exciting in Edgewater."
The festival kicks-off Wednesday, May 16th at Women & Children First Bookstore with a Fairy Tale Reading for Tots and continues through Sunday, May 20th with performances for children and adults of all ages (shows appropriate for children marked below).
Festival tickets and information:
www.fablefestival.org or call 773-828-9185
One Time Festival Entry (required) - $5
All Shows - $5
Free Events are listed below
Tickets may be reserved in advance or purchased at the door (cash or credit accepted)
See below for complete lineup as of release time. All events take place in the Edgewater Neighborhood of Chicago.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
10:30am at Women & Children First Bookstore
5233 N. Clark Street
Vintage Theater Collective presents
Fairy Tale Reading for Tots
Recommended for children under 5
FREE
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Thursday, May 17, 2012
3:30pm at Lickity Split
6056 N. Broadway Avenue
Jen Bills (Second City alum) presents
Fairy Tale Reading for Tots
Interactive fairy tale performance.
Recommended for children under 10
FREE
7pm at 1130 W. Thorndale Avenue Storefront
Devised Works:
Three short pieces combine for one performance.
New Beast Theatre Works presents
Tower In Song
By David Amaral and Joshua Dumas
A cautionary fable, told via song, shadow puppetry and toy theatre.
Julia Miller and Lizi Breit present
The Weight
The story of a young boy's journey through his own emotional landscape. An adaptation of Ramona Cordova's 2006 album, The Boy Who Floated Freely. Appearances by: the Sun, the Moon, the Birds, and a gypsy band.
Greg Allen presents
Eating Yourself
Greg Allen, founder of The Neo-Futurists, teams up with visionary artist Joe Mazza to create a short piece inspired by the meta-folk stories of a four-year-old named Ingbert. Dark and twisted and endlessly surprising, this piece features ghoulish puppets, photographs of those puppets, and a wild soundtrack.
8pm at Mia Francesca's Bryn Mawr
1039 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue
Hearty appetizers provided by Mia Francesca accompany
Hearts and Brains present
The Story Story
By Lacy Campbell
Two puppets and two projectors telling three stories, each illustrated by three different visual artists.
10pm at Burke's Public House
5401 N. Broadway Avenue
Vintage Theater Collective presents
The Mountaintop Cycle
By Ike Holter
Directed by Steve Lenz
The Mountaintop Cycle combines a series of fables based on modern American and ancient Greek mythology. Vintage combines toy theater, puppet theater, and live music to bring this magical world alive.
For 21 years and older
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Friday, May 18, 2012
4:30pm at Senn High School Auditorium
5900 N. Glenwood Avenue
Lifeline Theatre presents
How to Survive a Fairy Tale
By James E. Grote
Directed by Shole Milos
Even though his dad is a frog and his mom claims to be a princess, Jack grew up in a house without fairy tales. So when he is thrust into a mysterious forest, threatened by bears and witches and trolls, he must find a way to survive without any knowledge of the "rules" of traditional folktales.
Recommended for children 5 and up
5:30pm at Senn High School Studio
5900 N. Glenwood Avenue
Terrence Moseley in Association with Onus Theatre Company presents
Moontower
By Cedric Jonathan Mays, with Terrence Moseley
A young boy dreams of a beautiful girl in a moontower. Believing that she is his enchanted love, he goes on a quest to find her. With the help of a few friends along the way he may be able to see his dream come alive.
7pm at 1130 W. Thorndale Avenue Storefront
Devised Works:
Three short pieces combine for one performance.
New Beast Theatre Works presents
Tower In Song
By David Amaral and Joshua Dumas
Julia Miller and Lizi Breit present
The Weight
Greg Allen presents
Eating Yourself
(see Thursday, May 17 for description)
8pm at Kitchen Sink
1107 W. Berwyn Avenue
Lifeline Theatre presents
Food and Fables by The Lifeline Storytelling Project
Lifeline Theatre's emerging writers group spin-off of classic fables and tales.
The Sweat Girls present
Sweatily Ever After: Small Tales
Written and performed by Caroline Andres, Dorothy Milne, Martie Sanders and Pamela Webster. Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves -- the Sweat Girls explore their fairy tale alter egos in their signature monologue style which the Chicago Reader called "brutally honest and dazzlingly hilarious."
10pm at Burke's Public House
5401 N. Broadway Avenue
Vintage Theater Collective presents
The Mountaintop Cycle
By Ike Holter
Directed by Steve Lenz
(see Thursday, May 17 for description)
Saturday, May 19, 2012
1pm at Berger Park
6205 N. Sheridan Road
iO's Storytown
From superheroes to undersea adventures, Storytown takes you on an interactive, fully improvised adventure, using your suggestions and ideas to create a different story every time. Kids design the setting and help shape the story, and our actors, artists, and musicians bring it to life.
Recommended for children 3 and up
3pm at Senn High School Auditorium
5900 N. Glenwood Avenue
Lifeline Theatre presents
How to Survive a Fairy Tale
By James E. Grote
Directed by Shole Milos
(See Friday, May 18 for description)
4pm at Senn High School Studio
5900 N. Glenwood Avenue
Hearts and Brains presents
The Story Story
By Lacy Campbell
(See Friday, May 18 for description)
5pm at Senn High Studio
5900 N. Glenwood Avenue
Terrence Moseley In Association with Onus Theatre Company presents
Moontower
By Cedric Jonathan Mays, with Terrence Moseley
(See Friday, May 18 for description)
6pm Live music and bring your own picnic on Senn High School's Lawn
7pm at Bethany Lutheran Church
1244 W. Thorndale Avenue
Edgewater Arts Center presents
Wicked Children
By Jennifer Barclay
Original Music by Andrew Hansen
Directed by Julieanne Ehre
Movement and music combine in an absurdly dark retelling of the Hansel and Gretel tale.
8pm at The Waterfront Café at Berger Park
6219 N. Sheridan Road
Edgewater Arts Center presents
What Big Eyes You Have
Curated by Tanya Palmer (Director of New Play Development, Goodman Theatre)
10 writers riff off Little Red Riding Hood, featuring the work of Scott Barsotti, Thomas Bradshaw, Lisa Dillman, Dana Lynn Formby, Sarah Gubbins, Rohina Malik, Mia McCullough, Brett Neveu, Tanya Palmer, and Christopher O. Pena. Followed by live music.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
12pm at Mia Francesca's Bryn Mawr
Choose Your Own Adventure and Gelato!
1039 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue
iO's Storytown
Recommended for children 3 and up
(See Saturday, May 19 for description plus children make their own gelato sundae)
3pm Panel Discussion
Location TBD
Arts as Vehicle for Community Engagement
Moderated by Willa Taylor (Education Director. The Goodman Theatre)
Panelists include Megan Carney (Director, UIC's Gender and Sexuality Center), Bonnie Metzgar (Artistic Director, About Face Theatre), Michael Rohd (Artistic Director, Sojourn Theatre) and others.
4pm at Pete's Pizzeria and Bakehouse
1100 W. Granville Avenue
Vintage Theater Collective presents
Fairy Tale Reading for Tots
Recommended for children under 7
FREE
7pm at Bethany Lutheran Church
1244 W. Thorndale Avenue
Edgewater Arts Center presents
Wicked Children
By Jennifer Barclay
Original Music by Andrew Hansen
Directed by Julieanne Ehre
(See Saturday, May 19 for description)
8pm at The Brown Elephant
5404 N. Clark Street
Reservations required.
Artist Central Exchange hosts an Art Party.
Fable Festival culminates in an event including live music, performances and visual art for sale centered around Little Red Riding Hood themes.
Fable Festival sponsors include:
Alchemy Arts, Berger Park and the Chicago Park District, Bethany Lutheran Church, Broadway Cellars, The Brown Elephant, Burke's Public House, Coffee Studio, the Indie Café, Kitchen Sink, Lickity Split, Mia Francesca on Bryn Mawr, Nookies Edgewater, Pete's Pizzeria and Bakehouse, the Red Balloon, Senn High School, and Women & Children First.
Fable Festival is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.
Vintage Theater Collective
It is our mission to dialogue with classic works and learn through them how to better live in our world today. We produce classics with a modern twist and have a bent toward new adaptations.
Edgewater Arts Center
Our vision is that of a vibrant community where collaboration between artists, businesses and other organizations supports the creation of innovative artistic programming for diverse audiences within Edgewater and the greater Chicago area.
