The Intrepid Social Worker

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

by Suzanne Bracken, LiveWire Collective Member

Looking at the character of Patricia, the intrepid social worker determined to help others in their hour of need, it was a bit of a challenge to try and make her ‘real’, at first.  With the help of Jim LoBianco, Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Homeless Services here in Chicago, a better picture of the person behind the helping smile has begun to take shape.

In talking with Jim, I learned about the challenges these good-hearted people face in reaching out to the homeless.  Their joys, frustrations, the level of creativity needed to find a solution that works for each individual.  One thing he pointed out to me that I had not really considered before, homelessness is a very individualized problem.  No two people are the same when it comes to how they became and why they are homeless.  Hearing this changed my perception of the homeless; from a group with common characteristics to a population of individuals with circumstances different from own.

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Quiet and tortured soul

Posted by DCA Theater on October 13, 2009 in July-December 2009 Season, INCUBATOR Series: LiveWire Chicago Theatre

by Glenn Proud, Artistic Director of LiveWire Chicago Theatre

I cannot be more excited by the development process of Lower Debt. I’m to the point where I feel almost spoiled by having so many intelligent and thoughtful artists working together that I want it to become a LiveWire Chicago Theatre norm when it comes to the development of our new works. This is exactly what I want out of a theatre experience, a group of like-minded artists gathering together and ripping a story apart, exposing relationships and turning over every rock of the human condition. I learn more and more from these individuals everyday.

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InFusion Theatre Company opens “Rhymes with Evil”

Posted by DCA Theater on October 9, 2009 in July-December 2009 Season, Rhymes with Evil

After the sold out opening night performance of InFusionTheatre’s “Rhymes with Evil” by Charles R. Trager, the audience joined the cast and crew for food, music and drinks on the Storefront Mezzanine.

Special thanks to ROTI Mediterranean Grill for catering and our generous beer sponsor Goose Island Brewing Co.

If you missed out on the InFusion reception, join us on Thursday, November 19 for the opening night performance and reception for Silent Theatre Company’s “Carnival Nocturne” created by Silent Theatre Company.

“Rhymes with Evil” drew quite a crowd for opening night.

The playwright, Charles R. Trager (at left) enjoys the reception with his wife and “Rhymes with Evil” actors Andy Luther and Victoria Gilbert (far right).

The Matilda ale donated by Goose Island was a big hit.

“Rhymes with Evil” director and InFusion Theatre’s Artistic Director Mitch Golob takes a moment for a picture with “Rhymes with Evil” actress Caroline Heffernan.

Character Development

Posted by DCA Theater on October 8, 2009 in July-December 2009 Season, INCUBATOR Series: LiveWire Chicago Theatre

by Joshua Aaron Weinstein, director of Lower Debt

Now my hates been turned off from my job
I’ve been laid off oh what am I gonna do
Well is the shape I’m in cause of my dark skin?
Well I know that can’t be true.
Since we are all down here together gotta work to make it better
Well that’s for what its worth.
But you know the rules are bent
When you have to pay your rent
Just to live on Earth
We’re talkin’ about Justice
- Victor Wooten, Justice

How do a group of citizens end up living off the grid in a tent city? Encampments are popping up everday in the news and it is disturbing whether it is a large group residing or just one (as we discover from this article in today’s Daily Herald).

Our goal for this weekend was to uncover the back stories of the residents in the tent city established in “Lower Debt.” We learned that Wendell has committed a crime against the wrong organization and has become a refugee along with her sister Val, who has her addiction hindering her from making a living, and Val’s husband, Claude, who stinks of booze and whose temper is too short for the world. They come clear across the country, on the run and in need of a safe place to lay. Luckily, Claude’s cousin Damon patrols the area of the empty lot in which they come to lay, but there is always a price to be paid even when family is involved.

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RHYMES WITH EVIL: Post Your Review

Posted by DCA Theater on October 6, 2009 in July-December 2009 Season, Rhymes with Evil

October 05 — November 08, 2009
Storefront Theater

For this Midwest premiere, InFusion Theatre Company brings creepy puppets and visual spectacle to a very human tale of an imaginative and inventive stay-at-home dad. In his Midwest farm house, he creates a beautiful yet bizarre world of puppets, costumed characters and fanciful stories for his young daughter. But all is not what it seems in this suspense-filled and disturbing tale of love, loss and danger appropriate for the Halloween season.

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