Pivot Arts to Present 2nd Annual SADNESS SHOW, 2/10; DON CHIPOTLE Set for 3/10

Pivot Arts is pleased to announce the February/March 2015 line-up of its monthly POP UP! PERFORMANCE SERIES, connecting artists, local businesses and arts patrons throughout Edgewater, Andersonville and Uptown.

The new line-up includes:

The 2nd Annual SADNESS SHOW

Tuesday, February 10 at 7:30 pm

Francesca's Bryn Mawr, 1039 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago

Pivot Arts' SADNESS SHOW, a cabaret style showcase celebrating "sadness" as an alternative to Valentine's week hullabaloo. Hosted by Emcee "Madame Bustiere," (played by clown Pamela Chermansky, who recently starred in The Ruffians' hit Burning Bluebeard), the line-up includes original ukulele songs performed by Katy Collins (Sideshow Theatre's Stupid F--king Bird) and Lindsey Noel Whiting (Lookingglass Alice), plus A Sad Story Contest. Judged by a panel of Neo-Futurists, the Sad Story contestants include Kurt Chiang (Co-Artistic Director of Neo-Futurists), Isaac Gomez (playwright and Literary Manager at Victory Gardens Theater), Alex Kumin (cast member of The Lincoln Lodge stand-up comedy showcase), playwrights Brett Neveu, Anne Garcia Romero, Scott Barsotti and Calamity West and Tanya Palmer (Director of New Play Development, Goodman Theatre). The winner takes home a bottle of "Two Buck Chuck."

DON CHIPOTLE by Juan Villa - Public Reading

Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30 pm

Hopleaf, 5148 N. Clark St., Chicago

Written by award winning playwright Juan Villa (Empanada for a Dream) and directed by Jo Cattell, Managing Director of Collaboraction, and Resident Director for the terraNova Collective, DON CHIPOTLE follows two young boys, Celestino and Octavio, who journey across New York City on an epic adventure, encountering dangerous villains, strange creatures, and memorable characters. Drawing on the classic tale Don Quixote and Villa's own experience growing up in the violent atmosphere of lower East Side Manhattan, DON CHIPOTLE uses puppetry, music, song and dialogue to create a magical adventure about an uninhibited boy who has his childhood taken away. DON CHIPOTLE is being developed by the terraNova Collective in collaboration with the Pivot Arts' Performing Arts Incubator Project.

Tickets for both events are $10 and can be purchased at the door. Food and drink are available for purchase. For more information, visit www.pivotarts.org.

Pivot Arts' POP UP! PERFORMANCE SERIES occurs monthly at local businesses throughout Edgewater, Andersonville and Uptown and is curated by Julieanne Ehre (Pivot Arts Director) and Tanya Palmer (Pivot Arts Artistic Associate and Director of New Play Development at the Goodman Theatre). Pivot Arts' partnerships with local businesses help boost the local economy by bringing arts patrons directly to establishments in Chicago's Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods. Past POP UP! business partners have included FLATS Chicago, Independent Spirits, Lickity Split Custard and Sweets, Hopleaf, Metropolis Coffee, Kitchen Sink, Burke's Pub and Uncommon Ground.

"Pivot Arts brings fascinating pop-up performances to nontraditional spaces, including local businesses in Edgewater," comments Katrina Balog, Executive Director of the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce. "The success of the events for the businesses is a clear indicator of the importance of arts and culture in economic growth."

About Pivot Arts - Pivot Arts is a home for innovative music, theater and dance on Chicago's far north side. They develop new work and present unique performances throughout the year culminating in a multi-arts festival. Their vision is that of a vibrant community where unique collaborations between artists, businesses and organizations leads to the support and creation of innovative performance events. Pivot Arts was founded in 2012, became an official not-for-profit in 2014 and is led by director, Julieanne Ehre. Major support for Pivot Arts comes from the Alphawood Foundation, the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation at the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture, Loyola University Chicago, Northern Trust and Uptown United. For more information visit www.pivotarts.org.

Pictured: Ukulele players Lindsey Noel Whiting and Katy Collins, part of Pivot Arts' 2nd annual SADNESS SHOW. Photo by Corey Lindsey.

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