In the Works Theater Lab Series Begins on Nov. 17 in Millennium Park

Returning for a third season to Millennium Park is the theater lab series, In the Works, where audiences have a chance to sit on the stage of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in a climate controlled environment and experience works in development by local theater artists. The 2011-2012 season, supported by a grant from The Boeing Company, kicks off with a concert reading of Lifeline Theatre's world premiere adaptation of Hunger on November 17-19, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.

Presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture - and Lifeline Theatre, Hunger is based on the 2003 debut novel by American author and journalist Elise Blackwell (The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish, An Unfinished Score), adapted by Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Chris Hainsworth and directed by Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Robert Kauzlaric.

Tickets are $15 and are available by calling 312.742.TIXS (8497) or by visiting www.millenniumpark.org. Following the reading, there will be a conversation about the story with author Elise Blackwell and Lifeline Theatre artists.

Hunger is a powerful drama of deprivation and loss. It takes place during the 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad, when a Russian botanist named Ilya is charged with protecting a cache of valuable seeds for future generations. As the weeks turn to months and food grows scarce, Ilya and his co-workers are torn between their lives' work, the dictates of a brutal regime and the harsh realities of survival in a time of war. Consumed by innumerable hungers and haunted by memories of happier days, Ilya must choose whether to preserve his life or protect his ideals.

The cast of Hunger includes Lifeline Theatre ensemble members Peter Greenberg (Vitalli/Lysenko), Katie McLean Hainsworth (Efrosinia/Klavdiya), Jenifer Tyler (Lidia) and Christopher M. Walsh (The Director/Ivan), with guest artists Dan Granata (Sergei), John Henry Roberts (Ilya), Simone Roos (Alena, November 18), and Kendra Thulin (Alena, November 17 and 19). The creative team for this event includes Lifeline Theatre ensemble members Kevin D. Gawley (Lighting Designer), Chris Hainsworth (Adaptor), Robert Kauzlaric (Director) and guest artists Katie Adams (Stage Manager), Andrew Hansen (Original Music) and Maren Robinson (Dramaturg).

Lifeline Theatre specializes in original literary adaptations. Its ensemble of artists uses imaginative, unconventional staging to portray sprawling stories in an intimate space. Lifeline is committed to promoting the arts in its Rogers Park neighborhood and is an anchor of the Glenwood Avenue Arts District.

One of the missions of Millennium Park's In the Works series is to develop new plays for a future production. Since its inception in October of 2009, two of its eight presentations have seen a world premiere presentation, including Arlene Malinowski's Aiming for Sainthood produced at Victory Gardens Theatre and Tanya Saracho's El Nogalar at the Goodman Theatre. Next year, Lookingglass Theatre Company will present Eastland by Andy White, seen last spring as part of the In the Works theater lab series, and Lifeline Theatre will mount Hunger in a full production from February 3 - March 25, 2012.

For more information about the In the Works theater lab series, which includes Lifeline Theatre's Hunger followed by TUTA Theatre Company's Fulton Street Sessions (January 12-14, 2012), visit www.millenniumpark.org, call 312.742.1168, visit Millennium Park on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @Millennium_Park.

Millennium Park
Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by Michigan Ave. to the west, Columbus Dr. to the east, Randolph St. to the north and Monroe St. to the south. Convenient parking is located in the Millennium Park Garage (entrance on Columbus at Monroe or Randolph) and at the Grant Park North and East Monroe Garages, all located within a short walking distance of Millennium Park.

Millennium Park, managed and programmed by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers. Among Millennium Park's prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoor's hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture.

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, presents thousands of high-quality free festivals, exhibitions, performances and holiday celebrations in venues throughout the city each year. DCASE is dedicated to promoting an ongoing celebration of the arts in Chicago, supporting the people who create and sustain them, and marketing the city's abundant cultural resources to a worldwide audience.

Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture
The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture (COTC) is dedicated to promoting Chicago as a premier cultural destination to domestic and international leisure travelers, providing innovative visitor programs and services, and presenting free world-class public programs. COTC supports local artists through grants and other resources and creates vital opportunities for artists of all levels. For more information please visit www.ExploreChicago.org.

 

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