CHF to Present Theater Unspeakable's THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 5/9-17

The Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) is pleased to present The American Revolution by Theater Unspeakable (TU), as part of the Stages, Sights & Sounds annual international performance festival for young audiences, with performances May 9, and 16-17 at Victory Gardens Biograph Theater (2433 N Lincoln Ave). The American Revolution explores the critical period of American history--all within the raised playing space of 21-square-feet. Tickets are $14 for adults and $7 for children (17 & under), and are on sale now at chicagohumanities.org and via phone at 312-494-9509.

Theater Unspeakable revisits an epic period of American history in a mere 50 minutes. Confined to a 3-by-7 foot platform, seven actors recreate the American fight for independence, from Lexington to Yorktown. Combining tongue-in-cheek humor, fantastical feats of pantomime, and a dash of derring-do, The American Revolution displays the company's signature brand of rowdy and imaginative theater.

"Theater Unspeakable is absolutely thrilled to be returning to Stages, Sights and Sounds!" said Marc Frost, Founder of TU. "This will be our third appearance at this fantastic festival, and we are excited to perform once again for hundreds of Chicago area school kids and families. As a company that is doing a lot of touring, we are happy to be performing for some hometown audiences in Chicago, which is where we live and make our art."

The American Revolution cast includes Brittany Anderson, Jeffery Freelon, Jr., Trey Hobbs, Kathleen Hoil, Quenna Lené, Aaron Rustebakke, and Vanessa S. Valliere. The artistic team includes Marc Frost (Director), Rachel K. Levy (Lighting Designer), Chloe Cappuccilli (Costume Designer), and Jacob Watson (Additional Set Designer).

Frost started Theater Unspeakable as a platform for creating new works of devised, physical theater. Based in Chicago, TU is dedicated to telling stories using the entire body, mind, heart, and soul. Working both indoors and outdoors, TU creates live theatrical performances combining the elements of movement, dance, mime, circus, and clown.

Since 2010, TU has created three original pieces, including: Superman 2050, Murder on the Midwest Express, and The American Revolution. TU has toured these pieces at venues across the US, including: Lincoln Center Education (NYC), McLean Community Center (DC), and in Chicago at Adventure Stage Chicago, The Second City, and the Chicago Cultural Center.

DETAILS:

The American Revolution

Theater Unspeakable | Chicago

Saturday, May 9 | 4 & 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 16 & Sunday, May 17 | 4 p.m.

Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, Za?ek McVay Theater

60 min | Ages 10+

Tickets to The American Revolution are on sale now! Tickets are $14 for adults, and $7 for children (17 & under) and can be purchased online at chicagohumanities.org or by calling the CHF Box Office at 312-494-9509 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For 25 years, the Chicago Humanities Festival has celebrated the questions that shape and define us as individuals, communities, and cultures. For the curious at heart, CHF's vibrant year-round programming and robust Fall Festival offer the opportunity to engage with some of the world's most brilliant minds. Collaborating with leading arts, cultural, and educational organizations, it presents scholars, artists and architects, thinkers, theologians, and policy makers that change how we see the world, where we're from, and where we're going. CHF also presents the spring Stages, Sights & Sounds, Chicago's only international performance festival for young audiences. Under the leadership of Executive Director Phillip Bahar and the newly appointed Marilynn Thoma Artistic Director Jonathan Elmer, CHF is one of Chicago's most vital presenting organizations.

The Chicago Humanities Festival has grown from eight programs in one day at a single venue in 1990, to 170 programs year-round at more than 30 venues in and around Chicago. Over the past 25 years, CHF has put on more than 2,600 programs and performances, and presented more than 3,300 speakers and artists, including: 10 Nobel Prize winners, 70 Pulitzer Prize winners, 53 MacArthur Award recipients, 16 Tony Award winners, 10 Grammy Award winners, and seven Academy Award winners. Visit chicagohumanities.org for more information.