Pivot Arts Presents THE MEMORY PLACE This June

Pivot Arts, a hub for adventurous, multidisciplinary performance celebrating its 10th anniversary, presents the world premiere of The Memory Place, a multi-arts experience about cultural memory and hidden histories. Performances take place June 1-11 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago. Tickets are on sale at pivotarts.org.

The Memory Place is a collaborative work amplifying Pivot's multidisciplinary approach, site-specific aesthetic, and goal to be a multicultural organization that builds community between groups from a variety of backgrounds. The project's focus is to tell dynamic, untold stories of cultures, individuals, and/or groups that have been erased, excluded from history books, or hidden from prevalent narratives. Participating artists include:

• Celebrated writer Marisel Vera (Taste of Sugar) and her daughter, director Alyssa Vera Ramos, who present You Can't Cover the Sky with Your Hand, incorporating live music with theater to uplift stories of Puerto Rican women

• IS/LAND, an Asian-American-Pacific-Islander collective offering Invisible Embrace, a dance piece on Japanese internment camps with sound installation by Joo Won Park

• Tap dancer and choreographer Davon Suttles, who explores queer relationships and religion in Past the Heavens, told through original gospel music, tap dance, and mixed media

• Trans and nonbinary director, writer, and performer Lucky Stiff, who performs Jesu Maria, an archaeological journey of identity and gender exploration inspired by Joan of Arc's rallying cry

• Internationally recognized Polish director Wojtek Ziemilski, based in Warsaw, presents The Grounds, a video exploration of his apartment building and the histories that lie beneath the surface

The Memory Place is site-specific to The Edge Theater; audiences will be led through the space as if on a gallery tour and have a variety of experiences. The piece is conceived, curated, and produced by Pivot Arts Director Julieanne Ehre and freelance director Eli Newell with lighting design by Connor Sale, scenic design by Matthew York, sound design by Daniel Etti-Williams, and Andrew Ashley Alexander serving as production stage manager.

"The performance is both a celebration and living monument of memories from groups that have too often been left out of the public narrative about our collective past," said Ehre. "The Memory Place will create a powerful collective experience through stories, dance, music, and interactive events. It serves the goals of Pivot Arts: to be a multidisciplinary, multicultural, inclusive space that brings people of all backgrounds together in community."

Special events
As part of its 10th anniversary celebration, Pivot Arts hosts a fundraiser event on Wednesday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the newly renovated Bridgeview Bank Building, 4753 N. Broadway in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. Visit pivotarts.org for tickets and information.

On Tuesday, June 6 at 6 p.m., popular urban historian and social media sensation Shermann Dilla Thomas will lead a bus tour of Chicago's Edgewater and Uptown neighborhoods. More information about departure location will be available soon. Tickets must be reserved in advance at pivotarts.org.

On Wednesday, June 7 at 7 p.m., there will be a free discussion, "Cultural Memory, Monuments, and Memorials," at The Edge Theater. Among the topics is examining how history is told, which has become a hot-button issue as the 2024 presidential election approaches. Speakers will be announced soon.

On Saturday, June 10 at 5 p.m., director/writer Faith Hart leads a walking tour and oral history of the untold stories of sanitation workers. The Memory Place premieres June 1-11
at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago. Tickets are $35 general admission, $20 for students, available at pivotarts.org.

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