theaterdancemusic Fall 2013

Body/Head MCA STAGE featuring Kim Gordon and Bill Nace at the Sep 24 Edlis Neeson Taylor Mac Theater An Abridged Concert of The History of Political Popular Music Sep 27–28

Timbre 4 Tercer Cuerpo (Third Wing) Oct 3, 5 and 6

ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) John Zorn Retrospective Oct 26

Rainpan 43 Elephant Room Nov 2, 3, 7–10

Nassim Soleimanpour White Rabbit, Red Rabbit Nov 3–5 and 9

Chicago Dancemakers Forum Break Out! Celebrating ten years of supporting new work by dancemakers Nov 16

Sandra Bernhard Experience an electrifying array of Everything Bad and Beautiful artists from around the globe—all at Dec 5 and 7 a great price. Tsukasa Taiko Visit mcachicago.org/stage or call Taiko Legacy 10 and Reduction 312.397.4010 for tickets. Dec 21–22 Nassim Soleimanpour White Rabbit, Red Rabbit November 3–5 and 9, 2013 Copresented with the Chicago Humanities Festival

Written by Nassim Soleimanpour Featuring (in alphabetical order) Usman Ally Fawzia Mirza Yasen Peyankov Michael Shannon White Rabbit, Red Rabbit was originally produced by Volcano Theatre in association with Necessary Angel and Wolfgang Hoffmann.

Dramaturgy by Daniel Brooks and Ross Manson

White Rabbit, Red Rabbit As part of the Chicago Humanities Edlis Neeson Festival, generous underwriting for White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is provided Theater by Carol Rosofsky and Robert B. Lifton. White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is presented Museum of in association with Aurora Nova Contemporary Art Productions. Nassim Soleimanpour: Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago Chicago Welcome MCA STAGE It is our tremendous pleasure to present a high- animal from others. Both Elephant Room and at the Edlis light of the fall season for both MCA Stage and White Rabbit, Red Rabbit explore creativity and Neeson Theater the Chicago Humanities Festival. self-awareness.

Each year, we strive to highlight distinctive art- Peter Taub ists whose visions reflect and refract the annual Director of Performance Programs theme of the Festival. In recent years, MCA MCA Chicago Stage and the Chicago Humanities Festival Tsukasa Taiko have collaborated to bring forward memo- Mary Kate Barley-Jenkins rable performances by Big Dance Theater, Liz Managing Director, Programming Reduction Lerman/Dance Exchange, and Mike Daisey, just and Production to name a few. Chicago Humanities Festival Dec 21 The current theme of Animal: What Makes Us Human has been especially stimulating, and Copresented with so this year we are expanding by copresenting Asian Improv Arts Midwest two intriguing projects. First, Elephant Room is a feat of misdirection. What seems to be an off- Formidable and dance artists the-wall magic show turns out to be experimen- tal theater fueled by our imaginations and our revisit the early 1970s musical/theater unwitting suspension of disbelief. Along the way, experimentation days of Tokyo: we are drawn into a secret society located at a Nicole Mitchell, Edward Wilkerson Jr., point in the space-time continuum somewhere Michael Zerang, Hamid Drake, Ayako between baroque nostalgia and Paterson, New Kato, Melody Takata, and others. Jersey.

White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is an entirely dif- Buy tickets online at ferent animal. Iranian playwright Nassim mcachicago.org Soleimanpour refused his country's mandatory military service as a conscientious objector and was therefore refused a passport for inter- national travel. His experience is that of many in his generation—computer literate and well informed, but living within parameters circum- scribed by the Islamic Republic. Created to trav- el the world when he can't, his play requires no director or set, and each performance features a different actor who receives the script for the first time he or she takes the stage. Museum of Contemporary Art Dramatically distinct, these two works prompt Chicago us to explore what distinguishes the human About the work Artists Up Close MCA STAGE

White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is staged without Gain insight into the creative process at the Edlis Soleimanpour, a director, or a set, and features through these intimate opportunities Neeson Theater a different guest performer each night. The to engage with the artists. performer is handed the script for the first time as he or she steps onstage before the live audi- First Night Talks ence. Using a menagerie of allegorical animals, Nov 3–5 and 9 the play is “not about Iran,” Soleimanpour has Following every performance the audience stated. It grapples with the social phenomena of members are invited to participate in a moder- Chicago Dancemakers Forum power, obedience, and manipulation. ated post-show discussion. Invited moderators are Jamil Khoury (Founding Artistic Director, Break Out! ); Katie Watson (Second City; Medical Humanities and Bioethics Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Nov 16 Medicine); Nejla Yasmina Yatkin (ny2dance); and Narimon Safavi (WBEZ contributor, Celebrating ten years of supporting new explorations Worldview; National Iranian-American Council). by Chicago Dancemakers, this exuberant event features performances throughout the museum all day. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation Nov 9, 3 pm performance Buy tickets online at mcachicago.org

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Nassim Soleimanpour White Rabbit Red Image courtesy of Aurora Nova Productions About the Artists

Nassim Soleimanpour Seven’s In the Heart of America, and 16th Street and is Head of Theatre Studies at the University is an independent multidisciplinary theater Theater’s Dental Society Midwinter Meeting. of Illinois at Chicago, where he teaches acting. maker and resides in Tehran, Iran. Written She has produced documentaries and starred Peyankov is originally from Bulgaria, where to travel the world when he couldn’t, White in a number of Chicago-made indie films and he graduated from the National Academy of Rabbit, Red Rabbit has been named the web series, including her own comedic series, Theatre and Film Arts. Dublin Fringe Festival Best New Performance, Kam Kardashian. For the last seven years received the SummerWorks Outstanding she has been doing sexual violence preven- Michael Shannon New Performance Text Award and the Arches tion work at colleges, universities, and military Jeff Award–winning actor Michael Shannon Brick Award (Edinburgh Fringe), and has institutions around the world, performing the began his career as a stage actor in Chicago, also been nominated for Total Theatre and comedic-educational show Sex Signals. In where he helped found . Brighton Fringe Pick of Edinburgh Awards. 2014, she will premiere her one-woman show He has worked with notable Chicago theater Soleimanpour most recently participated as about her experiences as a South Asian Muslim companies such as the Steppenwolf Theatre, a panelist in the World Theatre Festival In American woman, entitled Me, My Mom & Lookingglass Theatre, and Northlight Theatre, Conversation series in Brisbane, Australia. Sharmila Tagore. among others. A celebrated film actor, his credits include Pearl Harbor, 8 Mile, Kangaroo Usman Ally Yasen Peyankov Jack, Bug, Take Shelter, Man of Steel, and was born of Pakistani parents and raised has been an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Revolutionary Road, for which he received his in southern and eastern Africa. He has Theatre since 2002 and last appeared in Three first Academy Award nomination. Shannon has originated several roles in world premieres Sisters. Other Steppenwolf appearances a recurring role as Nelson Van Alden on the hit of award-winning productions, including the include The Hot L Baltimore, The Diary of Anne HBO series Boardwalk Empire. Pulitzer Prize–winning Disgraced, for which Frank, Lost Land, Cherry Orchard, Frankie and he was nominated for a Jeff Award for Actor Johnny in the Clair de Lune, The Time of Your in a Principal Role, and the Pulitzer finalist, Life, Hysteria, The Berlin Circle, Morning Star, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. The Pillowman, Time to Burn, The Tempest, Most recently he originated the role of and Superior Donuts. Additional theater Bagheera in The Jungle Book at the Goodman credits include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Theatre. His work has been seen in major Are Dead, Ivanov, Scenes from an Execution, theaters around the country, as well as Agamemnon, and Caligula (European Repertory on television and film. Ally is a recipient of Company); The Odyssey (); the highly prestigious Fox Foundation/ Hamlet, , Twelfth Night (); Theatre Communications Group Fellowship. and Medea (American Theater Company). He holds an MFA in Acting from the University Film credits include A Very Harold and Kumar of Florida (Magna Cum Laude) and a BA Christmas, Contagion, Transformers 3, Crime in Theatre and Cultural Anthropology from Fiction, The Company, Novocaine, U.S. Lewis & Clark College. Marshals, and Payback. Television credits include The Mob Doctor, The Beast, Gifted Fawzia Mirza Hands, Karen Sisco, Alias, Early Edition, The is a former-attorney-turned-actor, producer, Unit, The Evidence, Numb3rs, E-Ring, and and writer. Recent Chicago theater credits others. His translation of Chekhov’s Ivanov, include the Goodman Theatre’s The Happiest produced by European Repertory Company, Song Plays Last and Teddy Ferrara, Silk Road was published by Ivan R. Dee. He is the Rising’s The DNA Trail and Scorched, Theatre recipient of a Jeff Award and a Fox Fellowship Thank You

Lead support for the 2013–14 Friends of MCA Stage $500–999 season of MCA Stage is provided by Elizabeth A. $10,000–24,999 Julie and Shane Campbell Liebman. Additional generous Terri and Stephen Geifman support is provided by Graff, Ginger Farley and Bob Shapiro Marcia Lazar David Herro and Jay Franke, Nancy Lauter McDougal and Cynthia Raskin Caryn and King Harris, Lisa Yun Lee Ms. Patricia F. Sternberg 24th annual Chicago Humanities Festival Like us on Facebook for the must-reads, Lois and Steve Eisen and Alfred L. McDougal Jim Stone Animal: What Makes Us Human must-sees, and must-shares: The Eisen Family Foundation, Anonymous October 13 | Evanston facebook.com/chicagohumanities and Mary Ittelson. MCA $5,000–9,999 October 20 | Hyde Park Chicago is a proud member $499 and under November 1–10 | Downtown Revisit your favorite programs and of Museums in the Park and Ellen Stone Belic discover new favorites on our YouTube channel: receives major support from Patricia Cox Richard Poston The Chicago Humanities Festival has youtube.com/chicagohumanities the Chicago Park District. Pamela Crutchfield welcomed world-class artists, writers, thinkers, Maya Polsky and performers to Chicago since 1990. Take our podcast with By celebrating great ideas in public programs you to the gym, on the train, and in the car. $1,000–4,999 featuring creative and insightful speakers, Search “Chicago Humanities Festival” the Festival has become a vital component on iTunes Amphion Foundation, Inc. of Chicago’s cultural community. Janet Alberti Tackle big questions with us on the CHF blog, and Fred Schneider This year’s festival includes more than eighty blog.chicagohumanities.org Foundation Season Sponsor Leigh and Henry Bienen events at venues in Evanston, and Chicago’s Shawn M. Donnelley Lincoln Park, Loop, and Hyde Park neighbor- Sign up for weekly email updates on our and Christopher M. Kelly hoods, and features concerts, performances, website, chicagohumanities.org Sarai Hoffman discussions, lectures, and more. For more Official Airline of MCA Chicago and Stephen Pratt information and tickets, visit chicagohumanities. Maecenas org or call the CHF Box Office at 312.494.9509. Susan Manning and Doug Doetsch Herbert R. and Paula Molner Serious Smart Culture Join us for Stages, Sights & Sounds in 2014 Sharon Oberlander You are always eager for new ideas and The performance-based programming of CHF’s Elizabeth Price savvy cultural criticism—that’s why you attend nationally recognized spring festival appeals and Lou Yecies Chicago Humanities Festival programs—but to a wide audience, including children and The MCA is a proud partner Carol Prins and John Hart your curiosity doesn’t end when the fall Festival families. The fifteenth annual Stages, Sights of the National Performance Cheryl and John Seder finishes. Make the humanities a vital and & Sounds festival takes place in May 2014. Network. As of October 2013 vibrant part of your daily life with CHF multime- Please visit chicagohumanities.org for more dia. information in early 2014.

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As one of the nation’s largest multidisciplinary museums devoted to Parking the art of our time, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago offers Validate your ticket at the coat exhibitions of the most thought-provoking art of today. The museum’s check for $11 parking in the MCA garage (220 East Chicago Avenue) performing arts program, MCA Stage, is the most active presenter of and Bernardin garage (747 North theater, dance, and music in Chicago, featuring leading performers Wabash Avenue). The $11 parking from around the globe in the 300-seat Edlis Neeson Theater. is limited to six hours on the date of the performance.

MCA Stage is committed to presenting groundbreaking performances Lost and found that focus on collaboration; working closely with artists; converging To inquire about a lost item, call the museum at 312.280.2660. with the larger programming of the museum; and offering a contem- Unclaimed articles are held for porary view of the traditional roots of performance. 30 days.

King Harris, Performance Programs Seating Chair of the Peter Taub, Director Please switch off all Board of Trustees Yolanda Cesta Cursach, noise-making devices while Madeleine Grynsztein, Associate Director you are in the theater. Pritzker Director Richard Norwood, Theater Janet Alberti, Production Manager Patrons are seated at the Deputy Director Cameron Heinze, Manager management’s discretion. Food and Michael Darling, Kevin Brown, House open beverage containers are not James W. Alsdorf Management Associate allowed in the seating area. Chief Curator Phill Cabeen, House Management Associate Reproduction Performance Committee Tiffany Goodman, House Unauthorized recording and Lois Eisen, Chair Management Associate reproduction of a performance Ellen Stone Belic Quinlan Kirchner, House is prohibited. Patricia Cox Management Associate Pamela Crutchfield Jamie Mermelstein, Intern Museum of Contemporary Art Ginger Farley Diandra Miller, Intern Chicago Jay Franke Duncan Reilly, intern 220 East Chicago Avenue John C. Kern Chicago, IL 60611 Lisa Yun Lee Facilities mcachicago.org Elizabeth A. Liebman Dennis O’Shea, Manager of Alfred L. McDougal Technical Production General information 312.280.2660 Paula Molner Sharon Oberlander Box Office Box office 312.397.4010 Maya Polsky Matti Allison, Manager D. Elizabeth Price Phongtorn Phongluantum, Volunteer for performances Carol Prins Assistant Manager 312.397.4072 Cheryl Seder Molly Laemle, Coordinator [email protected] Patty Sternberg Amanda Abernathy, Associate Richard Tomlinson Molly Mullen, Associate Museum hours Ethan Schleeter, Associate Tuesday: 10 am–8 pm Wednesday–Sunday: 10 am–5 pm Program notes compiled by Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Yolanda Cesta Cursach Christmas, and New Year’s Day