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Chicago Shakespeare Theater's (CST) recently announced two additions to the 2008/09 World's Stage Series, its international programming initiative. Rwandan theater ensemble Urwintore performs an 80-minute adaptation of The Investigation by Peter Weiss in French with English supertitles Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare for 10 performances only January 21–31, 2009. Polish musical ensemble Karbido presents their acclaimed musical invention The Table Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare in a limited engagement April 30–May 10, 2009. The Investigation and The Table join two previously announced World's Stage productions, A Midsummer Night's Dream performed by artists from India and Sri Lanka, November 25–December 7, 2008, and Sweet William, a salute to the Bard performed by Great Britain's Michael Pennington February 3–22, 2009.
"We kicked off the season in July by opening the World's Stage to over 50,000 Navy Pier visitors with Maudits Sonnants, an airborne spectacle from France," said Executive Director Criss Henderson. "The addition of The Table and The Investigation to previously announced works from India, Sri Lanka and Great Britain rounds out an extraordinary five-production season that spans Europe, Africa and Asia."Peter Weiss' The Investigation, one of the earliest theatrical responses to the Holocaust, has been performed for more than 40 years throughout the world. Dorcy Rugamba, director of The Investigation and founder of the Urwintore ensemble, has edited the script with Isabelle Gyselinx into a riveting 80-minute adaptation performed by a Rwandan and Congolese cast. The re-imagined work draws startling parallels about human complicity between the 1994 Rwandan conflict and the atrocities of the Holocaust.Rugamba's interpretation has received critical acclaim in performances in Rwanda, Belgium, the UK and at Peter Brook's Bouffes du Nord theatre in Paris. The Evening Standard called the work "an unforgettable experience," while the Daily Telegraph said it was "acted with supreme dignity and theatrical restraint." The Guardian describes the work as having "shattering power" and suggests that it "should be seen by as many as possible." The Investigation performs its limited engagement, Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, January 21–31, 2009. Tickets are $46–$56.
The Table, a theatrical audio-spectacle, is a new and innovative work from Poland's celebrated avant-garde music ensemble Karbido. A seemingly innocuous table is transformed into an endlessly varied musical instrument by the four men in suits seated around it. The resulting hour-long concert is a fully immersive musical experience and a unique live theater event.On its tour to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Israel Festival, and other festivals throughout Europe, The Table has cultivated an international following. Newsweek called the work "an hour-long symphony of sounds, from hard rock to African drums and club rhythms to vocally embellished Mongolian songs and Eskimo-like rhythmical structures based on human breath." The Independent described the production as "an electrifying acoustic journey round the globe...Superb." The Table performs its limited engagement, Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, April 30–May 10, 2009. Tickets are $35–$45.The World's Stage Series of exceptional international works also includes two previously announced productions. This fall, Tim Supple's bold, breakthrough adaptation of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream comes to Chicago Shakespeare Theater following sold-out performances across India, the UK, Australia and North America. The show's diverse cast, composed of artists, acrobats, martial artists and musicians from across India and Sri Lanka, will perform in Chicago Shakespeare's Courtyard Theater for 16 performances only, November 25–December 7, 2008.
In February, Chicago Shakespeare Theater hosts Sweet William, Michael Pennington's large-spirited, one-man show that pays homage to Shakespeare's life and work. Pennington, a seasoned actor and a fixture for nearly four decades on the world's leading Shakespearean stages, shares an intimate and engaging slice of a life spent with the Bard. Sweet William will be performed Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare February 3–22, 2009.Chicago Shakespeare Theater, recipient of the 2008 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is Chicago's premier destination for international theater. Through its World's Stage Series, CST has brought some of the world's leading performing groups to Chicago and toured its own productions to stages throughout the world. For Chicago audiences and artists alike, the World's Stage Series is a passport to experiencing exceptional stage work.For further information and to purchase tickets, call the Chicago Shakespeare Theater Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com.
