Exploring the art of storytelling through physical and visual means, the third annual Physical Festival Chicago will play June 3rd-11th and will feature 5 companies and solo artists from Europe, Latin America, and The United States.

In addition to performances by Cia de Teatro Manual (Brazil), Laura Simms (New York), Rough House Theater (Chicago), Malgosia Szkandera/The Bag Lady Theater Company (Poland/Spain), and Recent Cutbacks (New York), the Festival will also include a Scratch Night, a preview of what’s next for Chicago’s physical theater scene, and four professional Master Classes with the visiting artists.

Founded in 2013 by Alice da Cunha and Marc Frost, Physical Theatre Chicago 2016 will take place in their new home at Stage 773 after spending the last two festivals at Links Hall. “Our new location allows us to consolidate all of our programs under one roof and create a true festive environment for our visiting artists, the public and students. We are eternally grateful to Links Hall for having provided us the space to plant and nourish this seed that is quickly growing”, said Frost. “Alice and I have worked really hard this past year to bring to the city artists and groups that are on the cutting edge of this exciting hybrid called physical theater.”

The Festival will include Master Classes during the day focusing on various aspects of physical theater and taught by the visiting artists. All the Master Classes will start at 10 am and will take place at Stage 773. The classes are: “Masks: Presence, Potential and Play” taught by Michael Brown and Marc Frost (Saturday, June 4); “Myth and Memoir: The Art of Making Stories for the Stage” by Laura Simms (Monday, June 6); “Looking for a Manual Theatre” by Cia de Teatro Manual (Tuesday, June 7); “Through the Eyes of the Object: An Introduction to Tabletop Puppetry” by Rough House (Wednesday, June 8); “Object Theater” by Malgosia Szkandera (Thursday, June 9); and “Just Dumb Enough: Creating Joyful and Irreverent Theater” by Recent Cutbacks (Friday, June 10).

2016 Festival Schedule:

Friday-Sunday June 3-5
7 PM – “Hominus Brasilis” by Cia de Teatro Manual (Brazil)

9 PM – “How to Find Romania” by Laura Simms (New York)

Monday, June 6
7 PM – Scratch Night

Tuesday-Wednesday June 7-8
7 PM – “Sad Songs for Bad People” by Rough House Theatre (Chicago)

Thursday-Saturday June 9-11
7 PM – “The Bag Lady” by Malgosia Szkandera/The Bag Lady Theater Company (Poland/Spain)
9 PM – “Hold Onto Your Butts” by Recent Cutbacks (New York)

For more detailed information on this year’s Physical Festival Chicago, including artist bios and show descriptions, visit physicalfestival.com

Festival passes are $45-$60 and tickets for individual shows are $12-$18.