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Scratch Night 
February 3, 2020
Links Hall
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Mimecycle

by Henry James Walker

A full-length solo mime show, taking the audience behind the handlebars into the perilous streets of Chicago. The piece is currently in redevelopment and will be all tuned up for a pedal in April 2020; stay tuned!

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DEAR ALBERT

by Aja Singletary in collaboration with Maddy Low

A physical exploration of the love/hate relationship one can have towards their inner shadow

ip one can have towards their inner shadow

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The Shakespeare Project

by Theater Unspeakable

Directed by: Flora Bare

Cast: Xavier Biddings, Cole Festenstein, Rebecca M. Gergely, Josh Levine, Juliet Wolfe

Consultants: Leana Savoie and Claire Kaplan

The Shakespeare Project

This is the beginning of the devising process to create a 50 minute telling of Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and a Midsummer Night’s Dream with 5 actors on a very tiny stage.

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Eulogy for My Father

by Cyan Chernobyl

A butoh piece commemorating the artist’s father (1949-2019), his struggle with addiction and anorexia, and their complex relationship. 

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Portrait of Selves

by Lesley Keller-Reed 

Interweaving the physical to digital and back again, Lesley paints a landscape of internal dialogue into a sensory experience.

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The Visitor

by Vanessa Valliere

The story of an explorer who is sent to find a way to forward the future of her people. Dispatched through a portal from her world to another, she is stalwart and determined. But her journeys to this new and previously undiscovered place and her encounters with the creatures who inhabit it slowly lead her to understand that "home" is a place you can choose.

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The Children of Yes Yes Good

by Abby Pajakowski and Will Sonheim

Consulting Director: Sammy Ziesel

The Children of Yes-Yes-Good aren’t a cult. But we also are not not a cult. So trust us and you’re welcome. Welcome.

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Host:

Breon Arzell

Artist Bios

Abby Pajakowski (she/her, they/them) has been clowning with Will for five years, performing at Physical Theatre Festival, Neo-Futurists, iO, CiC, Logan Square Improv, and other venues around Chicago. You can also see her as 16-year old Dennis in the pop-punk cover band Thanks for Nothing Dad. Upcoming shows: Isle of Sugar (Red Theater) and All-One (Passage Theater).

Aja Singletary (she, her) is an actor, dancer, and choreographer. She has worked with Steppenwolf, Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, The Conspirators, Pegasus Theatre, and Theatre Unspeakable. She enjoys exploring movement styles found in dance and in physical theater. She is excited to explore her work in progress with PTF's Scratch Night!

Detroit native, Breon Arzell (he, him, his) , came to Chicago in 2013, after performing and teaching overseas for 6 years. Actor, Choreographer, Director, Writer, Poet, Stylist, Artist, Activist, Teacher, Creator, Collaborator, Enthusiast, Guru of Hustle; he is constantly striving to deliver love and light into this world. A career spanning 22 years (and counting), his talents have allowed him to perform all across the U.S., Canada, Italy, Germany, Denmark, London, & Singapore. Follow the glow @breonarzell or www.breonarzell.com.

 

Claire Kaplan (she, her, hers) (MFA, European Devised Performance, Columbia Chicago) hails from Long Beach, California, where she joined the Long Beach Shakespeare Company at 14. She creates devised work focusing on personal storytelling, new myths, and joyful noise. She also takes classical or canonical work and blows it up to create more immediate, accessible theatre. Her work has been seen in Los Angeles, San Diego, the Mojave Desert, London, Berlin, and Edinburgh. 

Cole Festenstein (He, him, his) is thrilled to work again with Theatre Unspeakable in this Shakespeare devising project! He was last seen in TU’s production of Moonshot and is so grateful to be working with very skilled and beautiful artists. A proud Chicago native, Cole continues to create and collaborate, and is thankful for every opportunity.

Cyan aka Holly Chernobyl (they/them) has been a working artist for over a decade. They have presented work, held residencies, and received awards both domestically and internationally.Since 2018, they are working indefinitely on a lifestyle art project called BODYCRAFT, incorporating written, video, photography, and performance work.

Flora Bare (She her, hers) is a former USA National Champion and 9-time All-American gymnast. She has her MFA from the London International School of Performing Arts in Lecoq based, physical theater. She has lived, trained and been a theater maker in California, New York, Italy, Uruguay and London. She is an acrobatic instructor at The Actors Gymnasium and will be an adjunct professor at DePaul University in the Spring.

Henry James Walker (he, him, his) is a solo-performer, collaborative deviser, actor, mime, and clown. After studying at the Commedia School in Copenhagen, Henry now brings his zest for movement and comedic takes to Chicago audiences and students. Keep an eye out for workshops co-taught with Fay Steddum in 2020.NNER'S PLAY" this April.

Josh Levine (he, him, his) has called Chicago his home for the past 7 years. In his time here, he has been called an actor, musician, and music director. Josh is an enthusiastic ensemble member of Theater Unspeakable, and just completed his third contract of the TU show:"Moon Shot". 

 

Juliet Wolfe (she, her, hers) is a Chicago-based actor and a recent graduate of Northwestern University’s Theatre program. Juliet’s training has been rounded by Stage Combat intensives, physical and circus training at the Actor’s Gymnasium, and study with the Prague Shakespeare Company. Juliet is represented by Dream Team Talent.

Leana Savoie (she, her, hers) is an actor/devisor specializing in physical performance, clown, bouffon, and grotesque. She studied at The School for Theatre Creators with Paola Coletto, and has performed original work all around Chicago. Leana is a cofounder of Cult(ure) of Clowns, and a teaching artist with Theatre Unspeakable. 

Lesley Keller-Reed (she/her, they/them) is a movement artist and videographer, researching universal human connection through personal truths and shared experiences using and interweaving mediums of written word and visual form.

Maddy Low (she, her, hers) is performer, puppeteer, teaching artist, and costume craftsperson native to Chicagoland. Her object performance work has been seen around the city at Salonathon, Mixtape, Nasty, Brutish and Short, many bars, and even some theaters.  She is a proud ensemble member of Rough House and a co-curator of Nasty, Brutish and Short!

Rebecca M. Gergely, (she, her, hers) is a Chicago theatre artist and teacher with an MFA in Devised Performance from Pig Iron/UARTS and a BA in Theatre Arts from Butler University. She is thrilled to be an ensemble member of Theatre Unspeakable and to continue finding playful ways to share stories. https://rebeccamgergely.wixsite.com/website 

Will Sonheim (he/him) has performed new work at The Neo-Futurists, Write Club, and the Steppenwolf Lookout Series. He is the co-creator of The King, a two-person clowned-adaptation of Machiavelli's The Prince, is developing a new clown piece exploring cults, and will be in "ALL-ONE! THE DR. BRONNER'S PLAY" this April.

Xavier Biddings, (He, him, his)

A Chicago native and Theater Unspeakable ensemble member, Xavier Biddings is thrilled to be apart of The Shakespeare project. Xavier graduated from Columbia College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts for Acting with a concentration on international performance. His previous works include Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, Death & The King’s Horseman, and The Shadow Box with Columbia College. 

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