Theatre Y to Present World Premiere of THE BINDING

Theatre Y announces the world-premiere of The Binding, by Evan Hill, on October 3 at Saint Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square (2649 N. Francisco Ave.).

With a grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, this production includes a one-month residency with French-Serbian choreographers Denes Debrei and Henri Varga. The Binding will be directed by Melissa Lorraine and assistant directed by Kevlyn Hayes of Found Objects Theater. Lorraine is a critically acclaimed actress, and made her directorial debut in 2011 with Philip Ridley's Vincent River- which was also a critical success.

The six-member cast includes Arch Harmon as the Man, Margaret Kustermann as the Wife, Andrew Schoen as the Son, Joel Moses as the Visitor, and Bill Gordon and Hank Hilbert as the philosophers Heraclitus and Democritus, respectively. Theatre Y also introduces ten-year old Liam and Adrian van der Bijl as The Chorus. Contact lindsay.s.snider@gmail.com for additional photos or biographical information about the artists.

Performances will be held Thursday - Sunday at 7pm from October 3 - November 3. Tickets are $15-20 and can be purchased online at www.theatre-y.com

An original new work by Evan Hill, The Binding is a philosophical-poetic play inspired by theTestament of Abraham, a second century Jewish legend descended from apocalyptic and mystical traditions. The source text was chosen as inspiration for the central themes of its narrative, which chronicles the glorious

death of Abraham at the arrival of the archangel Michael and, finally, of Death himself. As the seminal figurehead of "Western" religion, he is also in many ways the mythical father of Western world history. In an age of opposing nihilisms and fundamentalisms, this play wants to place this hero of faith in the grips of futility, in the context of a world that repeats itself without victory. The Binding is a creation of a new legend with a new metaphysics. Hill's Abraham is transmogrified into archetypical Man, godless and without a proper name.

The Binding is a final knock upon the iron gate of the heart, a quest out of silence, a confession to the

silence. For the Man, the unthinkable must be thought when a Visitor with an empty wagon is welcomed into his home. With an ear pressed to the faint murmurs that pass between life and death, he must hear how to arrive, to stay, and then go away.

With the help of French-Serbian choreographers Denes Debrei and Heni Varga (ethnic Hungarians),The Binding aims to be a highly physical work. Debrei and Varga founded and continue to run the KOBEZ Body Memory Center in Toulouse, France. Decorated and highly trained performers and choreographers, they have performed alongside some of the contemporary greats of dance-theatre, such as Josef Nadj and Min Tanaka.

Melissa Lorraine has received many accolades for her work as an actress. Although she remains, in the words of Tony Adler (Chicago Reader, "Six Stars...of 2012"), "egregiously under-known," she has

covered the Arts section of the New York Times with a rave review from lead critic Ben Brantley and was awarded an Orgie award for "Best Actress" in 2010. Her directorial work has also made end-of-the-year rankings: Vincent River placed in Chicago Stage Review's top-ten best performances of 2011. Pairing her understanding of the actor's craft with the physical intelligence of Debrei and Varga promises to produce a memorable result.