Teatro Vista Presents 'Dreamlandia'

On March 31st Dreamlandia by Octavio Solis will open at Victory Gardens Theater (The Greenhouse) directed by Cecilie Keenan. Crisp and Comic, Dreamlandia is where dreams and reality collide for a family living on the US/Mexico border as they deal with NAFTA, narcotics and illegal immigration. Epic, inventive and full of "street-cred," this vibrant play is witness to a clear and potent political voice.

Octavio Solis is a playwright and director living in San Francisco. His works Man of the Flesh, Prospect, El Paso Blue, Santos & Santos, La Posada Mágica, El Otro and Dreamlandia have been mounted at theatres nationwide. Solis has received an NEA Playwriting Fellowship, two playwriting grants from The Kennedy Center, the Will Glickman Playwright Award, the 1998 TCG/NEA Theatre Artists in Residence Grant, the 1998 McKnight Fellowship grant from the Playwrights Center in Minneapolis and the 2000-2001 National Theatre Artists ResidenCy Grant from TCG. He is the recipient of a grant from the Pew Charitable Trust for a new project with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Solis is a member of the Dramatists Guild and New Dramatists.

Cecilie Keenan (Director) has been a freelance director and producer in the Chicago Theater Community for over 20 years. Cecilie most recently directed Another Part of the House for Teatro Vista and The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow for Collaboraction. Cecilie is a Resident Director and Grants writer for Teatro Vista and has been instrumental in the growth of that company. She has been a director at many Chicago Theaters, including ATC, where she was a company member and helped build their current theater and Bailiwick where she was Artistic Director during their transition into their current home. At ATC she directed Living Out (co-pro with Teatro Vista), Toys in the Attic and Bus Stop. Bailiwick is where she started the Director's Festival, 11 Minutes Max, and with David Zak, the Deaf Artists Program. Her directing work at Bailiwick includes: Our Town (a deaf/hearing/movement version), Nagasaki Dust, Shanghai Gesture, Dark of the Moon and Prometheus Bound/UnBound. Cecilie also directs in Minneapolis for Theater Mu where she directed 99 Histories and Falling Flowers. Other work includes adapting the novel The Messenger by Mayra Montero for Teatro Vista presented at the International Latino Festival at the Goodman Theater.  Cecilie has worked on staff with many theaters in Chicago including Producing Director at Chicago's Apple Tree Theater where she directed Anna Christie, The Birthday Party and Private Eyes and as Assistant Artistic Director for Northlight Theater. Cecilie has received many awards for directing and ensemble work, a TCG Observership to Mexico and several NEA & Foundation Grants to develop or produce new works. Cecilie is a frequent teacher at area acting centers including Victory Gardens and the Actor's Center.

Dreamlandia will run from March 31st through May 4th in the Downstairs Mainstage at Victory Gardens Theater, 2257 N Lincoln Chicago, IL. Opening night is Monday, March 31st and features Craig Spidle, Jessica Camacho, Troy Martin, Mitch Salm, Sandra Delgado, Tony Sancho, Marcus Castillo and HB Ward.

Tickets to Dreamlandia are $20 - $35. Tickets may be purchased at the door or reservations can be made by calling (773)871-3000. Reservations are recommended.

The performance schedule for Dreamlandia is as follows:

Previews: Sunday, March 23rd at 3PM,  Wednesday March 26th at 8PM, Thursday March 27th at 8PM, Friday March 28th at 8PM, Saturday March 29th at 8:30 PM, and Sunday March 30th at 3PM.

Opening night is Monday March 31st at 7PM.

Regular Run: April 3- May 4, 2008 , Thursday–Friday at 8PM,  Saturdays at 8:30PM, and  Sundays at 3PM.

SPECIAL EVENTS–on April 6th directly following the show Teatro Vista will host a panel discussing the topic of immigration–panelists to be announced. On April 10th we will be holding a Theater Thursday with The League of Chicago Theaters. Coffee and dessert will be provided prior to the show and there will be a post show discussion immediately following the event.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.