ONEDGE, ASSISTANCE, THE JEWELS and More Set for 2014 DCASE Theater and Dance Winter Season

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special events (DCASE) has announced its winter season of theater and dance performances. The DCASE Theater and Dance series showcases critically-acclaimed local, national and international theater, dance and multi-disciplinary artists - often in newly-commissioned works, Chicago and world premieres.

Performance locations include the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.), Millennium Park (Jay Pritzker Pavilion Stage, 201 E. Randolph St.) and the Storefront Theater (66 E. Randolph St.). Admission is FREE or low cost for all DCASE Theater and Dance events. For details, visit cityofchicago.org/dcase.

OnEdge, a new contemporary performance series, will examine deeply personal themes of identity, heartbreak, family and philosophy through in-your-face samplings of contemporary performances by emerging and mid-career artists such as Keith Hennessy (San Francisco), Miguel Gutierrez (New York), Peter Trosztmer (Montreal), George Lewis Jr. and Lewis Forever (Los Angeles and Berlin) and Jeremy Xido (New York). The FREE series will spotlight experimental dance, theater and genre-defying performances and workshops from national and International Artists and companies and will include several Chicago and world premieres.

OnEdge will take place January 11- February 1 at the Chicago Cultural Center and the Storefront Theater. Show times vary; visit cityofchicago.org/dcase for complete details. **Some performances include sexual themes and adult content. Not recommended for children under the age of 15.**

The world premiere of Vision, Faith & Desire II: Dancemakers Inspired by Martha Graham presents Chicago artists who have performed with or been influenced by modern dance icon Martha Graham. The program includes new work by Winifred Haun & Dancers, Leopold Group, Deeply Rooted Productions, Jeff Hancock, Randy Duncan and Paul Sansardo - all inspired by Graham's ground-breaking solo work, Lamentations. Performances will take place February 6-8 at 7 p.m. on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion Stage in Millennium Park. Tickets are $15 and can be reserved at winifredhaun.org.

LiveWire Chicago Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of Leslye Headland's Assistance, a 21st century workplace comedy examining the heavy cost of success and posing the question, if your job is so mind-numbing why do you keep coming back? Executing hilariously pointless tasks every day can drive you to
tears or make you laugh at the absurdity of your actions. Preview performances are February 9 at 2 p.m. and February 10, 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. Performance dates and times are February 14-March 16, each Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Storefront Theater. Tickets are $15 and can be reserved at livewirechicago.org. **Special post-show talkbacks will be presented as part of Chicago Theatre Week on February 15 and 16.**

The Jewels is a world premiere adaptation presented by TUTA Theatre Chicago, written and directed by TUTA Company Member Kirk Anderson and based on the short story by French writer Guy De Maupassant ("The French Chekhov"). Through the use of poetic text and a high level of physicality, The Jewels explores the universal topics of love, money and greed by delving deeply into a six-year marriage and its surprising and mysterious outcome. Preview performances are March 25, 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. Performance dates and times are March 28-April 27, each Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Storefront Theater. Tickets are $15 and can be reserved at tutato.com.

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events: The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago's artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago's non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City's future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City's cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors.

For information on all productions presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, visit our website: cityofchicago.org/dcase and join us on Facebook and Twitter @ChicagoDCASE.

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