Theater Dance Music at the Edlis Neeson Theater Winter/Spring Manual Cinema Ragamala Dance and Rudresh Mementos Mori Mahanthappa Jan 15–18, 2015 Song of the Jasmine Apr 10–12, 2015 Stan’s Cafe The Cardinals International Contemporary Ensem- Jan 22–24, 2015 ble (ICE): Anna Thorvaldsdottir In the Light of Air Sònia Sánchez Apr 26, 2015 Le Ça (The Id) Feb 13–15, 2015 Creative Music Summit: Nicole Mitchell Mariano Pensotti May 2, 2015 Cineastas (Filmmakers) Renée Baker Feb 26–Mar 1, 2015 May 3, 2015 Joffrey Academy of Dance Third Coast Percussion with Winning Works: Choreographers Glenn Kotche of Color Wild Sound Mar 7–8, 2015 May 21–22, 2015 The Seldoms Power Goes Mar 20–29, 2015 Sound Credits General operating support for The Lead support for the MCA Stage New Seldoms is provided in part by the Works Initiative is provided by Lyndon Baines Johnson New England Foundation for the Arts Elizabeth A. Liebman. The Seldoms Special Message to the Congress: with funding from the Doris Duke The American Promise (on the Voting Charitable Foundation. Generous support for MCA Dance is Rights Act), March 1965 Address to provided by David Herro and Jay Power Goes the Nation Announcing Steps to Limit The Seldoms are also supported by Franke. the War in Vietnam and Reporting The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation His Decision Not to Seek Reelection, and the MacArthur Fund for Arts and The Seldoms: Power Goes is supported March 20–22 and March 31, 1968 Culture; The Donnelley Foundation; by a National Performance Network the Ginger Farley Charitable Trust; (NPN) Creation Fund Project co- Lyndon Baines Johnson Jesser, Ravid, Jason Basso and Farber, commissioned by the MCA Chicago in 26–29, 2015 Phone Conversation with Joe Haggar LLP; and many generous individuals. partnership with Southern Illinois (Tailor), August 1964 University Edwardsville, and NPN. The Seldoms are in residency at Additional support comes from the NPN Lyndon Baines Johnson Pulaski Park, through the Chicago Forth Fund and Performance Residency Phone Conversation with Congressman Park District’s Arts Partners in Program. Major contributors of NPN Adam Clayton Powell, March 1965 Residence Program, which unites include the Doris Duke Charitable artists and communities in Chicago’s Foundation, Ford Foundation, and the Lyndon Baines Johnson parks. National Endowment for the Arts (a Phone Conversation with Lady Bird federal agency). Johnson, March 1964 Special thanks to William Frederking and Brian Kuhlmann for photography. Lyndon Baines Johnson Thank you to our individual donors From “Excerpts of Selected Telephone for Power Goes: Craig Ahmer, Kelly Photo: William Frederking Conversations of President Lyndon Anderson, Kim Baker, Julie Ballard, Baines Johnson,” October 1, 2003 and Don and Ann Beeson, Timothy Bowser, “The Humor of LBJ,” Centennial Edition, Margi Cole, Kate Corby, Jamie Corliss, Carrie Hanson, Director/ Chorus The Seldoms developed Power 2008 (Produced by LBJ Library and Jenny Dzuibla and Chase Gruszka, Museum, 2313 Red River, Austin TX Jill Ellington, Liscel Esguerra, Bob Choreographer (Mar 20–22) Goes in part through the MCA 78705) Faust, Cheryl Flack, Stuart Flack, The Seldoms: Power Goes is made Stuart Flack, Playwright Dwight Alaba Stage/New Works Initiative, Barack Obama Ezra Hausman, Robert Hausman, Odele possible by the New England “A More Perfect Union,” March 2008 Hawkins, Heejai, David Henderson, Foundation for the Arts’ National Bob Faust, Video and Sabrina Danielle Baranda which provided commissioning Stephen Hnatow, Connie Howard, Dance Project, with lead funding from Barack Obama Kristina Isabelle, Sean Kelley, Jim the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Installation Jacob Buerger support and a production State of the Union Address, January Kenny, Barbara Koenen, Ashley Vaughan and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, 2015 Kloet, Theo Kuczarski, Mary Ann with additional support from the Mikhail Fiksel, Sound Design Jamie Corliss design residency. Established Lajoie, Andres Lemus, Liberty, Jane National Endowment for the Arts. and Composition Cristina Granados in 2014, the New Works Initiative Barbara Jordan Madden, Mel Martinez, Dan McEnerney Democratic National Convention and Melissa Matarrese, Charles Julie E. Ballard, Lighting Design Lauren Kunath meaningfully expands MCA Keynote Speech, 1976 McClellan, Maura McDanel, Sheena Medina, Jonathan Meyer, Cora Miller, and Technical Direction Dina Liberatore Stage’s ongoing commitment to Dave Brubeck Raquel Monroe, Jessica Morris, Laura “Unsquare Dance,” 1961 Murphy, Mark O’Brien, Bruce Ortiz, Michael J. Kramer, Dramaturgy Anna Rodimtseva supporting artists and bringing Townes Van Zandt Onye Ozuzu, Nick Paul, Maria Pinto, Jeff Hancock, Costume Design Andy Slavin important new performances to Lynn Pounian, Connie Pruett, Ann “Brazos River Song,” 1994 Additional funding for Power Goes Rice, Raphanthony Ritual, Olivia is provided by The Boeing Employee’s Sarah Krepp, Visual Design Jelani Smith audiences. Jimi Hendrix Bustos Rodriguez, Lynn Rogers, Matt Community Fund and by “New Stages “Purple Haze,” 1967; “Fire,” 1967; Rothwell, Connie and Kent Sabin, Contributions Porscha Spells For Dance”, a program administered “Star Spangled Banner,” 1969 Grant Sabin, Ida Sabin, Laura Samson, by Dance/USA in partnership with Liviu Pasare, Video Projections Elizabeth Wood Running time is seventy-five Sara Samuels, Mark Schulze, Simon Audience Architects. Leadership Sinek, David Sutor, Amanda Timm, Support for the New Stages for Dance Buck Blue, Installation Rigging Misha Woodward minutes with no intermission. Chrysty Jessamyn Trocio, Benjamin II Initiative is provided by MetLife Holliday Wardell, Carolyn Watson, Christina Gonzalez-Gillett, Karen Yatsko Foundation. This project is partially Kacy Winarski, Liz Wolfe, Matt Young. supported by a CityArts Grant from Assistant Director Deepest gratitude to the Museum of the City of Chicago Department of Contemporary Art Chicago and Peter Cultural Affairs & Special Events, Philip Elson, Media and (Mar 26–29) and by the Arts Work Fund for Taub and Yolanda Cesta Cursach of the Technology Coordinator Dwight Alaba MCA Stage Performance Program. Organizational Development. Sabrina Danielle Baranda Gratitude to Bonnie Brooks, Ginger Farley, William Frederking, Todd Movement Design and Shanna Fragen Hanson, Chuck Harper, and Brian Shaw for your generous time, expertise, Performance by The Seldoms Rebeca Garza Griffin and support given to Power Goes. Ensemble Lauren Kunath Philip Elson Ann Libera Christina Gonzalez-Gillett Chloe Grace Michels Damon D. Green Umi Nakamura Edlis Neeson Javier Marchán-Ramos Kyra Peterson Theater Amanda McAlister-Howard Anna Rodimseva Cara Sabin Andy Slavin Elizabeth Wood Karen Yatsko Bottom Left: The Seldoms John F. Kennedy in 1963, to the presi- Artists Up Close Photo: William How to Get Power Frederking by Michael J. Kramer dency. Johnson’s career was tainted by MCA Stage’s series of artist-centered Left: controversy, questionable ethics, and talks, workshops, and open studios The Seldoms Dramaturg, The Seldoms backroom deals that epitomized the Photo: William allows the public to engage with Frederking Visiting Assistant Professor, History worst of insider Washington politics and artists in intimate settings to provide and American Studies, Northwestern corruption. Nonetheless, when he a closer look at the creative process. University took office, Johnson also oversaw the Join us today. passage and implementation of trans- “What I believe is always true about formative civil rights legislation and MCA Studio: Open Doors power is that power always reveals.” social welfare initiatives. A man Earlier in March, as part of the Open — Robert Caro, Lyndon Baines obsessed with accruing individual Doors program, museum visitors were Johnson biographer power, he sought to wield it in service invited inside the theater to observe of the collective good. the artists working on the production. Lyndon Baines Johnson was an imposing man. Six foot three, with a lust Johnson’s larger-than-life persona MCA Talk MCA Talk: Bodies on the Line for domination and control that was and the swirling tumult of the First Night Mar 28, 1–3 pm legendary, he rose from the destitute 1960s serve as the starting point for Mar 20 and 27 To create Power Goes, Carrie Hanson but beautiful Hill Country region of The Seldoms’ Power Goes. Audience members are invited to studied the figure of Lyndon Baines Texas to Senate Majority Leader in stay after the performance for a Johnson as a point of inquiry into the 1955, to the vice presidency in 1960, This multimedia dance work is not The Seldoms Photo: William conversation with Carrie Hanson relationship between power and social and, finally, upon the assassination of merely a biographical study of LBJ, Frederking and collaborators, moderated by change. During LBJ’s presidency many Peter Taub, Director of Performance talked of “putting bodies on the line” as Programs, and Yolanda Cesta Cursach, struggles over civil rights, Vietnam, and Associate Director of Performance other issues raged. Programs. For this talk Hanson convenes Mark K. Updegrove (Director of the LBJ Presidential Library and author of Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presiden- cy), S. Elise Archias (Associate Profes- sor, School of Art and Art History at the University of Illinois Chicago), Michael Dawson (John D. MacArthur Professor of Political Science and the College at the University of Chicago), and Stuart Flack (playwright) for a vigorous discussion of power’s role in making—or blocking—progress.