Nothing Without a Company's DOWN THE MOONLIT PATH Opens Tonight

Nothing Without a Company will open its 10th Anniversary Season with an immersive and interactive multi-media dramatization of nine traditional folktales from cultures around the world. The stories will re-visit the voice and culture of their origins in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, while shedding new light on these tales and celebrating the stories we share. In NWaC's tradition, audiences will interact with the environment surrounding them, providing one of the most unique theater experiences in Chicago in years.

Down the Moonlit Path, created and directed by Rachel Staelens and adapted by Tate A. Geborkoff, will be performed promenade style with multi-media and multi-disciplinary performances including puppetry, dance, music and poetry. It will be performed at The Preston Bradley Center in Mason Hall, 941 W. Lawrence Ave., in an open performance space especially painted and designed for this environmental production.

In the stories of Down the Moonlit Path, kings are humbled, witches lurk in shadows, children are heroes, and transformation reigns. The nine stories are "Hansel & Grethel" (German), "The Hummingbird and the Shepherdess" (Peruvian), "How Morning Star Lost Her Fish" (Iroquois/Haudenosaunee), "The Storks and the Night Owl" (German, Iraqi), "Cunnie-Mo'n-Father" (Jamaican, West African), "The Twin Brothers" (Congolese), "Hans, Who Made the Princess Laugh" (Norwegian), "Mangita & Larina" (Filipino), and "The Crane Wife" (Japanese). Full descriptions and additional background on the stories can be found at http://downthemoonlitpath.weebly.com.

The cast features: Emily Duke, Mari DeOleo, Akua Sarhene, Heather L. Jencks, Nora Lise Ulraey, Taylor Dariarow, Tobi Mattingly, Valerie Lyvers, Wanda Jin, Connor Baty, D?von Roberts, Josh Mattingly, Kevin Bensley, Franco Steeves, Reginald Vaughn, and Romeo Green.

On the production and design team are: Anna Rose Ii-Epstein (Producer/NWaC Artistic Director), Edgar Sanchez (Producer), Jordan Siragusa (Production Manager), Sarah Collogne (Production Stage Manager), Taylor Figura (Stage Manager), Kevin Sparrow (Lead Dramaturg), Gabi Labotka (Dramaturg), Ryan Tang (Choreographer), Will Bennett (Fight Choreographer), Dave Fink (Vocal Coach), Nicci Schumacher (Set Designer), John "Smooch" Medina (Media Design), Whitney Masters (Costume Design), Lolly Extract (Puppet Design), Tim Foley (Sound Design/Engineering), Kenneth Roberts (Animation/Marketing Images Design), Mary Patchell (Animation Design), Cameron Downing (IndieGoGo Film), Kaitlin Carver (Casting Director), Jake Fruend (NWaC Art Director), Rosetta Lane (Producing Assistant), Rose Freeman (Assistant Director), and Philip Brankin (Script Supervisor).

Rachel Staelens (Creator/Director). Rachel recently joined Nothing Without a Company as a company member. She first worked with NWaC as stage manager for the premiere of Alice in 2009; her recent NWaC credits include the Big Bad Spooktacular: Electric Boogaloo, I Will Always Love You at Fight Night, and a slew of 24-hour festivals. Rachel is also the production manager for the Chicago Fringe Festival. More information on Rachel's work can be found at rachelstaelens.weebly.com.

Tate A. Geborkoff (Adapter) is a poet and playwright working and living in Chicago. Most recently his poems have appeared in Curbside Splendor, The Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review and Burningword Literary Journal. His plays have been produced by Step Up Productions and Nothing Without a Company and have been seen at the Chicago Fringe Festival. He was selected as a semifinalist for the Great Gay Play and Musical Contest for 2014 and is a semifinalist for the 2015 National Playwrights Conference. In addition, he is one of the co-founders of electro bureau, a quarterly queer-tinged gaming zine and his articles have appeared on Critical Distance.

DETAILS:
Down the Moonlit Path
Created and directed by Rachel Staelens
Adapted by Tate A. Geborkoff
April 17 - May 2, 2015
The Preston Bradley Center in Mason Hall
941 W. Lawrence Ave.
Previews April 13, 15 and 16 at 7:30pm
Press Opening April 17
Performances Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 9:30pm and Saturdays at 1pm and 7:30pm
Ticket prices General Admission: $25, Student & Industry: $15
For tickets visit nothingwithoutacompany.org

2015 will mark the 11th season for this company specializing in site-specific, original plays. NWaC has produced 24 plays since its inaugural production in 2005. Some of the playwrights whose works have been premiered by Nothing Without a Company include company members Ike Holter, Hannah Ii-Epstein and Anna Rose Ii-Epstein; and Evan Fillion, Zach Geoffroy, Michael Wise, and Matt Rudy.

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