PerformInk
PerformInk is Chicago's entertainment industry trade publication.
Photo of past Collaboraction parks event.
Collaboraction, which now bills itself as “Chicago’s social issue-driven contemporary theatre”, has announced the schedule for PEACEBOOK, a new collaborative city-wide festival of theater, dance, music, visual art, and spoken word focused on cultivating peace in Chicago as part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks program.
Each PEACEBOOK performance is a collection of seven original pieces of theater, dance, and spoken word uniting Chicago artists in creating connections with Chicagoans in communities around the city. The festival is a result of the ongoing evolution of Collaboraction and its participation in the Chicago Peace Movement. “We are committed to being a part of the solution by bringing more artists to this critical issue and giving new artistic opportunities to Chicago’s communities most affected by 200 years of segregation and economic disparity,” said Collaboraction Artistic Director Anthony Moseley.
The PEACEBOOK festival features over 200 performers and is free. Performances will take place at three parks in Chicago August 12th-27th.
South Side/Englewood
Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd St.
Friday, August 12 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 13 at 7 p.m.
CHI CITY LOVE by GQ
GQ of the acclaimed Q Brothers, also known as the “white guy from Drumline,”pens a hip-hop love song to Chicago in hopes of inspiring peace.
SOMETHING TO SAY by The Example Setters The Example Setters are a youth ensemble from the South Side that uses unison spoken word and choreography to enlighten audiences with the power and beauty of the truth.
NOBODY ELSE by Ray of Light
A spoken word piece by Ray A. Williams of the Microphone Misfitz about the importance of creating personal peace.
STEP-ALIVE by Stanford Bailey
A Chicago-Style Steppin dance piece cultivating peace and harmony performed by the Step-Alive Teen All Stars of Englewood. The structured art form of Chicago-style Steppin is an antidote and social alternative to anti-social behavior, and it gives youth something to pass along to their children when the time comes.
BEFORE THE POP POP POP by Universes, directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce
Universes is a national ensemble theater company of multi-disciplined writers and performers of color who fuse theater, poetry, dance, jazz, hip hop, politics, down home blues, and Spanish boleros to create moving, challenging, Sketchbook and entertaining works for the stage. This is a new work about the tension between police and community at the moment before tragedy, directed by Chicago stage legend Cheryl Lynn Bruce.
WHEN THE SNOW MELTED IN CHICAGO by Greg Hardigan, directed by Jennifer Chambers
Hardigan, a Sketchbook veteran actor, and playwright pens this large ensemble piece which reflects on the beauty of the downtown skyline juxtaposed to the different items found on the streets of Chicago at the annual snow melt in the Spring.
SKIP TO THE END by Kacie Smith
A dance piece about the futility of violence and anger, the futility of the continuous cycle, and the hope that once we wear ourselves out, we perhaps will finally be able to take a breath and see each other.
Musical guest August 12 is Microphone Misfitz. Musical guest August 13 is TBA.
West Side/Austin
LaFollette Park, 1333 N. Laramie
Friday, August 19 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 20 at 7 p.m.
ACTIONS BUILD A BEAUTIFUL CITY devised by Justin Dietzel and Anie Svarz
This devised piece uses a diverse ensemble, movement,and singing to created a medley of “Beautiful City” (Godspell) and “Louder Than Words” (Tick Tick Boom!) to express how we can come together as human beings and help one another through the trials and tribulations the people of Chicago face on a daily basis.
A CHANCE by Schoen Smith directed by Michael Pogue
This staged poetry piece deals with issues of racism, particularly acts of violence against African Americans, in the justice system. The speaker(s) urge(s) their oppressor and their fellow humans to incite change, stop unjust acts of hatred against minorities and to identify before they crucify.
HERE I AM by Josh Mattingly, directed by Tobi Mattingly
Josh Mattingly explores the life of a native Chicagoan, who has lived through many years of conflict, despair, peace and joy. Mattingly seeks to understand “a part of my city that I’ve allowed myself to be ignorant of.”
THE MAKING OF AN EXAMPLE SETTER by Sir Taylor, directed by Anthony Moseley
Sir Taylor, a founding member of the Jessie White Tumblers and U.S. Gymnastic Team, reunites with PEACEBOOK Festival Director Anthony Moseley to create a choreopoem that tells Sir Taylor’s life story of peace.
THE PARKING LOT DISCORD by Josh Weagly, directed by Ana Martinez Medina
A play about two women who are caught in needless conflict in a parking lot. This work reveals that being too focused on personal agendas can create crippled bridges of communication and prevent resolution of conflict, as illustrated today in larger issues of race, class, sexuality or identity.
PEACE HOPE AND LOVE by Collaboraction’s Peacemakers teen ensemble, directed by Luis Crespo
A devised piece about peace, hope, and love created by the Collaboraction teen group.
WHO CAN WE BE? by Kyle J. McCloskey, directed by Anderson Lawfer
Anderson Lawfer of Strawdog Theatre stages this piece with puppets, chronicling a south side teen who struggles to create a haven where his community can rise up in order to find freedom and cultivate peace.
Musical guest August 19 is Environmental Encroachment. August 20 isTBA.
North Side/Uptown
Clarendon Park, 4501 N. Clarendon Ave.
Friday, August 26 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 27 at 7 p.m.
BAG AND TAG devised by Sophia Pietrkowski
There are over 20,000 homeless youth in the city of Chicago. What happens to the things that are most important to us after displacement? This devised piece aims to bring awareness to a Bag and Tag service that will keep our homeless youth in possession of their most important belongings.
BEATBOX SYMPHONY by Chicago Beatbox LTD, directed by Yuri Lane
This piece will feature amazing beatboxers from around the Chicago area, including an interactive beatbox symphony conducted by Yuri Lane, also known as the Human Beatbox.
CO-EX-IST devised by Danielle Littman and Diana Raiselis
Littman and Raiselis are interviewing Uptown residents, business owners and workers with a central question: What does it mean for Uptown residents to coexist? The answers will be shaped into a hyper-local performance piece that touches on not only the neighborhood’s concerns, but also its gifts, strengths, and joys.
EVERYBODY LOVES BIG E written by Reginald Edmund, directed by Melanie Flores
A narrative from a 12-year-old bootlegger brings attention to the difficulty of making a living in a difficult neighborhood, and how police bias and brutality lead to unjust actions against people just trying to survive and find peace.
YOU’RE MEAN, WORK ON THAT devised by Kasey Foster
Peace is a good thing, and this city of marches and protests is hungry for it. A dance piece about Chicago’s fight for unity and love.
FOLKS ALONG THE WAY by Still Acting Up, directed by Genevieve Fowler
Still Acting Up is an audition-based senior citizens theatre troupe who hopes to debunk the myth of what it means to be a senior involved in the arts and wants to inspire audiences to action.
WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS OFF by Jenny Lynn Christoffersen, directed by Spencer Diedrick
A spoken word ensemble piece about ignorance and privilege that shows how everyone must do their part to open their eyes and help fix the world’s problems even though they may not be directly affected by some of them.
Musical guest August 26 is TBA. Musical guest August 27 is Nicholas Tremulis.