Victory Gardens Welcomes Natural Gas, 1/29

 Victory Gardens Theater presents a night of improv with Natural Gas, featuring Michael Patrick Thornton as part of Crip Slam, a component of Victory Gardens Access Project. The performance is Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 7:30PMin the Richard Christiansen Theater at the Victory Gardens Biograph, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park.  

 

Michael Patrick Thornton is the Artistic Director of The Gift Theater and a celebrated Chicago actor who is a recurring guest star on ABC television’s Private Practice.  He and the Natural Gas company members perform weekly at The Gift; Michael is joining forces with Crip Slam for this night of comedy in part because improv became “a tremendous healing agent” during his recovery from a spinal stroke in 2003.

In an interview with Mike Ervin, co-director of VG’s Access Project, Thornton, who uses a wheelchair, told Ervin that “my life as an improviser really only started seriously after I got sick.  I started getting into not knowing, giving over control, not being able to guarantee anything.”  Already the artistic director of The Gift and an up and coming actor, Michael added classes atSecond City to his rehab schedule.   Improv quickly became a passion.  In fact, Michael was teaching improv at ColumbiaCollege when the call came from Private Practice to audition for the role of Dr. Fife.

Audience participation is encouraged during this hands-on event and Natural Gas performs based on audience suggestions.  In advance of the performance, patrons will be invited to email Mike Ervin, mervin@victorygardens.org, a regular day-in-the-life story from your own life. These literary gems will be tossed into the hat and, that night, Michael and Natural Gas will choose one story as the basis for an improv. Following the performance, Mike Ervin and Michael Thornton will participate in a conversation and Q & A with the audience.

Access Project Mission 
Now in its 19^th year, the Access Project is a nationally recognized model outreach effort designed to involve people with disabilities in all aspects of theater, both on and off the stage. Part of the Victory Gardens Access Project, Crip Slam is a series of performances, readings, movies and other events that promote, explore and celebrate disability culture.

Tickets

Natural Gas will take place in the 109-seat Richard Christiansen Theater at the Victory Gardens Biograph, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.  For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens Box Office,773.871.3000 (tty:  773.871.0682), email tickets@victorygardens.org, or visit www.victorygardens.org.  Tickets are $10.

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