Silent Theatre Band reinterprets “Freaks”

Posted by DCA Theater on December 10, 2009 in July-December 2009 Season, Carnival Nocturne

The Claudia Cassidy Theater was packed last night for a special screening of Tod Browning’s 1932 horror classic, Freaks. Over 275 people turned out to watch and listen as The Silent Theatre Band accompanied the film with a live, original score.

Freaks was not originally a silent film but Silent Theatre Company’s Tonika Todorova stripped the classic of its audio and added intertitles so that the band could work to revitalize and reinterpret the sound track. The result was an inspired jazz collaboration that navigated the audience through the film’s dark story about sideshow “freaks” and “normal” people.

Musicians
Holly Mead, keyboards                                                    
Rob Frye, woodwinds                                                                
David Taylor, guitar                                                                        
Steven Ptacek, drums/percussion

This event was presented in conjunction with Carnival Nocturne playing through December 20 at the Storefront Theater. 

Click “Read more” for additional information about Freaks.

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CARNIVAL NOCTURNE: Post Your Review

Posted by DCA Theater on November 19, 2009 in July-December 2009 Season, Carnival Nocturne

November 19 — December 20
Storefront Theater

Silent Theatre Company welcomes visitors into the mysterious underground world of a traveling carnival. In the midst of fire breathers, fortune tellers, bestial tamers and natural freaks, a somber secret lies – a curse that binds them all together. With a live band and physical acts of carnival performance, this original dark fable combines the styles of Tim Burton and Edward Gorey in a thrilling and enchanting ride through a world of whimsy and macabre.

View photos by John W. Sisson, Jr.

What did you think about the show? Share your comments here.

LiveWire Theatre captivates audience with a modern Everyman tale

Posted by DCA Theater on October 20, 2009 in July-December 2009 Season, INCUBATOR Series: LiveWire Chicago Theatre

Some of the questions that director Joshua Aaron Weinstein asked in an earlier blog: “What about this play inspires you? What doesn’t? What characters do you connect with, and which do you not care about? How does the language of the play feel to you?” really helped fuel the discussion last night after seeing the work-shopped version of “Lower Debt”.  After a well-paced, thoughtful and language filled hour and fifteen minutes of “Lower Debt”, the audience readily stayed in their seats to talk about what they had just seen, and to offer feedback about the changes that could be made before LiveWire Chicago Theatre launches a fully produced version in Spring 2010.

The event was presented as a part of INCUBATOR, a series designed to support the creation of new work by emerging Chicago theater companies. Utilizing Chicago DCA Theater space and resources, participants explore new projects, develop and refine styles, and share their process with the public during a special showcase event.

The cast of “Lower Debt” arrives on stage at the end of the show to help field questions.

“Lower Debt” director Joshua Aaron Weinstein gets the talk-back started.

The audience loved getting involved in discussing the development of this new work.

The discussion continues - LiveWire Theatre invited the audience to leave their thoughts on debt and the economy in general on their “Community Board” which will travel with them as they perform “Lower Debt”.

Final thoughts before the show

Posted by DCA Theater on October 19, 2009 in July-December 2009 Season, INCUBATOR Series: LiveWire Chicago Theatre

by Joshua Aaron Weinstein, director of Lower Debt

We’ve had an incredible experience being part of the DCA’s INCUBATOR Series this month and we’re thrilled to be presenting a reading tonight of the new work in development, “Lower Debt.”

Set in the turbulent times we will live in, “Debt” tells the story of an everyman who falls from his white collar existence, ending up among the residents of a tent city looking for another way to live. The questions of community, economy, commodity and happiness are explored in this poetic and heartbreaking play.

It has been a writer’s dream to have a group of artists dedicated to my work. What has been a highly collaborative process is still missing one key element though, and that is you! We all know that bringing art and audience together is a tenant of live theater, but what we often overlook, specifically when developing new work, is the opportunity to have the audience play a part in what live theater can be. The showcase performance tonight will do just that.

LiveWire plans to mount a fully realized production of “Lower Debt” in the spring, but we need your help. What about this play inspires you? What doesn’t? What characters do you connect with, and which do you not care about? How does the language of the play feel to you? And what are your overall impressions of the piece? These are the questions we will be asking each and every audience member tomorrow night after we present our reading. We hope to take your responses and mix them in with our show, so that when the lights go up in the spring, “Lower Debt” won’t just be a play developed by a collective of artists, but by the community at large; the community of artists and audience.

See you at the show!

photo blog

Posted by DCA Theater on October 15, 2009 in July-December 2009 Season, INCUBATOR Series: LiveWire Chicago Theatre

by Joshua Aaron Weinstein, director of Lower Debt

Claude (Brian Cicirello) irrates Val (Allison McNeela)

Leah (Madeline Long) confides in C.W. (Will Kinnear)

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