What they're saying...

"In Love’s Bright Coils belongs to realm of performance art and plays like a live installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art, yet surprisingly, a very tangible and engaging narrative emerges along with the catharsis a profound work of art is able to convey." -Theatre World Internet Magazine

"...a study on how we have expressed our love throughout the past 300 years, to how we express it today...This show plays more like a 50 minute poem, rather than a cohesive story...The actors in the Genesis Ensemble deliver the emotion in the letters of the past quite well, and conversely, add comic relief to some of the digital communication foibles of today.For the $10 price of admission and the brevity of the performance, it’s worth checking out to expand your horizons." - Chicago Critic

"Overall, it’s nice to see Genesis taking these risks. This is a hugely unique show, which is a good thing.... by not playing it safe, the ensemble is free to explore new territory, making some very impressionable discoveries." - Chicago Theatre Blog

"All in all, "In Love's Bright Coils" was a fascinating glimpse into the similarities and juxtapositions of the past and present passions, communications, and hopes of humanity. A little voyeurism into other people's love affairs on a Sunday afternoon never goes amiss." - Center Stage

"Less an epistolary play than a show that plays around with epistolary conventions, Genesis Ensemble's group-devised piece about love letters in America has some undeniably touching moments." - Chicago Tribune


IN LOVE'S BRIGHT COILS
Now Playing through August 30th
Fridays and Saturdays 8pm
Sundays 3pm
The Charnel House
3421 West Fullerton
Chicago, IL
to reserve tickets e-mail genesis.ensemble@gmail.com

Livin' La Vida Verde

Genesis Ensemble has been out on the streets of Chicago promoting Greenheart's June 19th event, Livin' La Vida Verde. The event kicks off at the Ohio Street beach for a clean up from Ten AM to Noon. After, everyone will head to back to Greenheart for workshops, food and so much more!!!

For more info on the event: Click Here

We Begin Again

This summer, Genesis will be producing a bold, new, full-length piece in August and remounting our production of sweet, half-darkness for Chicago's first annual Fringe Festival!

Genesis relies on your generosity. Now more than ever we need you to support our creating exciting ensemble-driven, devised work. Because at Genesis, a donation not only supports our company, it helps create our show.

Help us begin.


Donate Here.

Meet Sergio Soltero

Sergio Soltero moved to Chicago in the fall of 2008 after having recently graduated with a BA in Theatre from Florida State University. While in Chicago, Sergio has been lucky enough to work with such wonderful theatre companies as Consortium Project, Wishbone Theatre Collective, The Side Project, Chicago Dramatists, and, of course, Genesis Ensemble. Most of his early career was spent in the south Florida area where he helped start three improv troupes, taught improvisation and show-building at Palm Beach Community College, and performed in many local theatrical productions including recurring stints with the Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival.

Moving to Chicago was a hard decision to make but one he is happy he made! Especially since recently Sergio was asked to become an artistic associate with Genesis Ensemble, an invitation he felt deeply honored to receive. His first collaboration in 2009 with Genesis Ensemble's sweet, half-darkness was one of the most fulfilling experiences he's ever had as a theatre artist.

Sergio has also grown to love his adopted city and the rich theatre experiences here. Recently, Consortium Project's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was praised by Chicago Reader saying, “supporting roles are nicely acted and [Sergio] Soltero is impressive as tormented Chief Bromden.” Genesis' sweet half-darkness was also well received by Chicago critics and TimeOut Chicago called Sergio's performance “delightful and unaffected”. He plans to build on these first few successes with a new play works project slated to go into production in mid-2010 and with ongoing collaborations with the wonderfulness that is Genesis Ensemble.

FUNraiser!!!!

Dear Friends,

We are so thankful for your love and support over the past two years. And now we need you more than ever as we continue our commitment to creating ensemble driven, devised work and head into an ambitious summer. Genesis will be producing a new full-length piece in August as well as work-shopping and re-mounting our production of sweet, half-darkness for the Chicago's first annual fringe festival.

Please join us for Genesis Ensemble's 2010 FUNraiser!

Let's break in Chicago's summer with a great party....
there will be karaoke, music, dancing, booze and raffle prizes!

It will be FUN. We PROMISE.


Where: The Spot, 4437 N. Broadway
When: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 8:30pm - 10:00pm
From 8:30pm-10pm just $15 for ALL YOU CAN DRINK selected beer, well cocktails and house wines... so get there EARLY and drink up!!

It's gonna be a blast, so invite your friends and spread the word! We can't wait to see you there!

Thanks and Love,
Genesis Ensemble

Call for Collaborators

Call for Actors/Collaborators

Genesis Ensemble will be holding open auditions on Sunday, April 18th for our currently untitled summer project that will run the month of August. This project will be an ensemble-created work investigating the evolution of communication and technology in relation to romantic love.

Auditions will be held at the Theatre Momentum Studio located in the Cornelia Arts Building (1800 W Cornelia) from 10pm-2pm on Sunday, April 18th. Actors will be scheduled for hour-long time slots in which they will present a one-minute dramatic monologue, as well as participate in some ensemble exercises.

If you are interested, send your headshot and resume to genesis.auditions@gmail.com. IMPORTANT: In the body of your email tell us your availability for April 18th, as well as why you are interested in ensemble-created theatre.

SEEKING actors of all types and ages including- one male over 35, one female over 35 and two African American actors.

Please pass this along to anyone you know who might be interested!!

Meet Jake Carr

Jake Carr moved to Chicago last summer after graduating from Miami University of Ohio with a BA in Theater and a BA in Psychology. While in Chicago, he has worked with Redmoon Theater extensively, participating in two performance internships (one of which focused on the medium of shadow puppetry), performing in their spectacle production Last of My Species, and acting in their for-hire party services. He was delighted to get to create art with the Genesis again after meeting and studying with them at Miami. He originated the character of Ben in Genesis Ensemble's production of sweet, half-darkness and looks forward to reprising the role this coming summer when Genesis participates in the Chicago Fringe Festival. Jake recently became an Artistic Associate with GayCo, and LGBT-centered sketch and improv comedy troupe where "gay" is the given, not the punchline. In preparation for his future with the company, he will soon begin sharpening his improv skills at Second City. He can next be seen in the original comedy Ricky the Cat Cassio--directed, written by, and starring several Miami alumni-- at Gorilla Tango Theater.

Jake's current show, The Legend of Ginger Bred with Cock and Bull Theater, opens this coming Thursday, March 11th (six shows only so get tickets NOW!). The darkly comedic piece is loosely based on the Gingerbread Man fairy tale and tells the story of a drug addicted former porn star who is recounting her life's travels to the patrons of a sleazy lounge bar. Through flashbacks, Ginger Bred meets up with a hilariously vulgar cast of characters from her past that have helped to shape her into the woman she is and the woman she can choose to become. In this campy, pseudo rock-opera production, Jake plays six different roles including a nine year old boy who thinks he's a rabbit, a schizophrenic pimp from Los Angeles, and a card shark Trekkie with a penchant for fetishistic fantasies. The show, set to live music, promises to be a wild evening of comedy for all involved! For tickets and more information, head to http://www.cockandbulltheatre.org/

Meet Christopher Acevedo!

Christopher Acevedo is a founding member of Tympanic Theatre Company and an Artistic Associate with the Genesis Ensemble. He moved to Chicago in 2007 and since has appeared in Pavement Group's fracture/mechanics, the Genesis Ensemble's The Secrets Project, Red Tape Theatre's inaugural and second CFANN Festival (with Genesis Ensemble), Drangoncello's And Time Runs On, Dramatis Personae's Feats of Strength and The Side Projects Splayed Verbiage (Cut to the Quick Festival). With Tympanic Theatre Company, he has appeared in Splintered Crosses, The House of Weird Death, Gregor & the Squonk, Bastards of Young and most recently in And Then It Burst. Next he will be appearing in Tympanic Theatre's Ozma & Harriet, in March. He earned his B.A. in Theatre from Florida State University.

Go see his show Ozma and Harriet:
From March 25, 2010 8:00 PM
Through April 25, 2010 7:00 PM
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/102529

WE GOT IN!

We are excited to announce that Genesis Ensemble will be performing sweet, half-darkness at the very first Chicago Fringe Festival!
Chi Fringe will be taking place in the Pilsen Neighborhood September 1-5, 2010.

Don't miss it!!

A Reimagination...

For this year's Chicago Fringe Artist Networking Night the Genesis Ensemble composed a performance short entitled The Wood Demon, a deconstruction of Act Three and Four of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. In this piece we aimed to explore the relevant and transcendent quality of this classic theatre piece through the lens of contemporary performance.

Thank you so much to Red Tape for hosting such a marvelous event and giving an us the opportunity to not only debut our work but also share in the creation of other chicago fringe artists.

In other news, check out artistic associate Jake Carr in Cock and Bull Theatre's production of The Legend of Gingerbread.
March 11th-20th

AND
artistic associate Chris Acevedo in Ozma and Harriet
Runs March 25th-April 18th, at The Side Project

Scientist Frank Younger has constructed Ozma, the world's first fully functional android. All goes well until Frank's wife Harriet develops a bond with Ozma, secretly spending her spare time watching television with the android, which becomes his primary learning tool. When tragedy strikes, Ozma finds himself alone, embarking on a TV-fueled quest of sex, death, and revenge in this dark fable for the digital age.

Our New Eyes

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."-- Marcel Proust


The Genesis Ensemble is excited to announce our new artistic associates: Christopher Acevedo, Jake Carr, Amy Diller, Cecilia Miller, Annie Perry and Sergio Soltero!!! As our company continues to evolve we believe it is important to bring new artists into the family, artists offering different paradigms and "the new eyes" we need to continue on. These wonderful people all offer a fresh and unique perspective on art, life and creation and we feel so lucky to have them on our team!

Right now we are quite busy with many exciting things! Genesis is applying for grants, our 2010 CFANN submission, The Wood Demon, is in full swing (come see it Feb 6th) and we just had our company photo taken by lovely Chicago photographer Michael Litchfield. We'll have updates on all that great news coming to you soon! Until then we hope that everyone is enjoying the new year!