A brilliantly entertaining hall of mirrors. - The New York Times
Re-inventing the New Wave: in this meta-theatrical play, audience members observe a performance of Agnes Varda’s classic French New Wave film, Cleo from 5 to 7. The performance, about a marginally talented singer awaiting the results of a biopsy, is a play about a group of actors making a film about Varda’s script and the real behind-the-scene production of Comme Toujours Here I Stand. Contemplation of mortality, identity, and the nature of film and live theater define this richly constructed feast. New York-based Big Dance Theater returns to the MCA Stage for its third Chicago project.
Read Chicago Tribune’s review.
Copresented with the Chicago Humanities Festival
About the Artists:
Founded in 1991, New York City’s Big Dance Theater combine dance, music, text, and visual design to expand on and refract literary texts. Co-Artistic Directors Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar have created 15 dance-theater works in collaboration with groups of artists, actors, dancers, composrs, and designers. Big Dance Theater received an OBIE award in 2000, and Parson and Lazar received a BESSIE award in 2002. The group has performed in numerous venues and festivals internationally including the Bonn Biennale, The Kitchen, The Guggenheim Works and Process Series, The American Dance Theater Festival, and the Walker Art Center.
* Saturday Speakeasy: Throughout the season, MCA Stage invites Saturday night audiences to stay after the performance to enjoy a cash bar, snacks, and engaging conversation with the artists.
Funding
Support for this performance is generously provided by Lisa Yun Lee.