Genesis Ensemble

The Unexpected: Weeks Three and Four

2011-12-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

Oh my, how time flies when holidays happen! I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. I seemed to embrace the festivities a bit too much (how delicious!) and have gotten behind in blogging about our process.

Well, week three went much better than week two at least in terms of my brain not exploding. The ensemble did composition work creating small performances quickly, we talked about the inevitability of death and Maira Kalman’s ability to make seemingly insignificant just as important and all intertwined with the inevitability of death. Life continues on, so it seems.

We cut loose a bit and went on a field trip to the MCA and out for beers afterword. The artwork, space and visitors to the MCA gave us a lot to talk about. Changing pace a bit (and adding beerin a loud pub) enlivened our discussions about our own project. Sometimes it’s so good to mix it up a bit.

Because we had less time working out ideas on our feet I decided to give the group some homework. We also all really liked some of the writing that came out of out workshop with Erika, so I wanted to continue with everyone riffing on chapters and ideas from the book to see where that would take us. My plan was for the homework to give a solid base to move forward
with our in-session compositions. But just because I have a plan, it doesn’t mean that’s how things are going to work out.

As often with devised work, the unexpected leads to new and wonderful things. As hard as I try to keep things organized and on schedule, things pop up that HAVE to be dealt with and worked into the schedule. It is both the blessing and curse of devised work because it can be an endless cycle if you are always following a good idea that sparks up but it can also lead the group to clarity and togetherness in a way that could never be planned. Humph. What a conundrum.

I've tried to account for a certain amount of this in our current process, but honestly, I'm not sure if I've failed at my initial vision for this laboratory phase or have made a wiser decision to move forward in a new way. I won’t go much in to it, but let me tell you, these homework projects were fantastic. I’ll leave it there for now, but in a couple of days I’ll tell you all about how we are
moving forward and what happened in week five.
-Libby

From Our Director: Week Two

2011-11-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

My Brain is Exploding

It has been one of those weeks (and maybe this is always how the
second week of a project goes) where soooooo much has happened
creatively that I am utterly overwhelmed, inspired, exhausted, can't
turn my brain off, nervous and excited. All at once. I had to look
back at my notes just to confirm that all of the feelings I'm
wrestling with were caused by the events of this week because it seems
like maybe it's been two weeks or a month. But, nope, just this one
little week. Here are the things we've done that have me a churning:

Monday: Everyone brought in their version of a map of the book The
Principles of Uncertainty. The results were stupendous. Such
beautiful works of art and such an interesting insight into how we all
see the book in different ways. Then we had a big ole discussion
about what an inter-active tour IS and why we are using this book as a
springboard to create one. I tried (as much as is possible) to keep
my mouth shut and listen to what the ensemble had to say. I could
have mediated on that alone for a week.

Tuesday: We did some composition work on characters from the book
we'd like to see come to life. We met The Humpty Dumpty Man, Sally at
the Lunch counter, Lolita with her British but Brooklyn accent,
Maira's father and two of her aunts and a grandmother, two Vita
Sackville-Wests, and one of my long time favorites, Megan Boyd. It was a hoot and we
made some great discoveries about different way to incorporate some of
these characters, but....it feels like it's just the tip of the
iceberg in terms of what is POSSIBLE to include in our tour.

Friday: I went and saw Liz Lerman's The Matter of Origins at the MCA.
Seeing evocative performance always rattles me a bit, but
particularly when I'm in the middle of creating something. The
second act of the dance performance everyone was invited upstairs for
tea, cake and conversation. And for a dancing scientist. We had tea
and cake in Between Now and Five Billion Years! We did not have a
dancing scientist.

Saturday: We did a writing workshop with the lovey Erika Schmidt. She
guided us through a number of prompts honing in on simple objects,
voice, and family/personal history. As a performance ensemble we
don't usually sit down and write for six hours and instead of being a
bit of a relaxing break from crazy on our feet compositions, it was
mentally exhausting. It did produce some excellent writing that will
give us a great foundation for further expansion on our feet but man
did it tucker me out! Erika did bring a big pot of leftover
Halloween candy so I ate a peanut-butter cup. It was delicious!

It was a tiring and hard week, but man, I really loved that peanut butter cup.

-Libby Hladik, Director

From Our Director: Week One

2011-11-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

Getting Back To It - The Uncertainty Project Renamed

This past Monday we re-started rehearsals for Phase Two of Three on our devised work based on Maira Kalman’s The Principles of Uncertainty. (Check it out, it’s an excellent book!) Some of you may have seen the culmination of Phase One of this project last May when it was titled Between Now and Five Million Years at Elegant Mr. Gallery. The title of this project has actually been a major point of contention, at least in my inner monologue. So guess what? We got a new one!

Before we ever considered a title for the piece, I just started calling the it The Uncertainty Project for a while last spring (often with and exclamation point because they seem so enthusiastic!). When I brought up the idea of collectively coming up with title to the whole ensemble, we almost had mutiny. Actually, if I remember correctly, I think every single person had a solid idea of their own and didn’t really like any of the others. Not in a mean way, but everyone just felt theirs was the strongest and could interpret the others in a vague or even unseemly way. I suppose that’s what’s happens when you are dealing with existential topics and whimsy.

I’m sure I have the list of all of our titles in my notes somewhere, but it was so confusing and overwhelming for me I don’t think I’ll look to hard for them. I tried at first to be the great mediator. Then when that wasn’t working, I tried to return to my initial gut feeling. Well, my gut feeling was never all that clear in the first place which is why I thought a group process would be a good idea. But it just muddled everything even more.

I decided we should go with Lindsey’s suggestion Between Now and Five Billion Years. Lindsey was somewhat more objective than the rest of us at that time, having spend a few weeks on her honeymoon while we experimented in rehearsal and became attached to specifics rather than the whole. The title is a quote from the book about the fact that between now and five billion years the sun will explode. It is both terrifying because it will happen and ridiculous because it might be five billion years from now. That seemed to have the ambiguity and poetry that we wanted.

Unfortunately, the poetry just didn’t stick with me. Maybe it was too ambiguous. When I would think about it this summer while I was road-tripping around the county with my sweetheart and miles away from out work on the project I never thought, “Now whats next for Between Now and Five Billion Years?” It’s possible that it’s just too many words. I always thought of it as The Uncertainty Project.

So this fall in preparation for our rehearsals (or laboratories as I’ve decided is a better name for these fall sessions of experimenting) Lindsey and I tossed around many ideas for a new, stronger title. Lots of variations with “Impossible” and “Uncertain” and working some of our favorite quotes in to something title-ish. Lindsey is much better (patient) about working though these things than I am so I was glad to have her working with me. When I would throw my hands in the air saying, “This is maddening!” She would go back to asking what we want from our title. We want a title that is compelling on it’s own, even though it’s tied to the book we love so much. We want to to be a guide to us as we continue to develop material. We want to to convey some sense of our theme. Here is where we landed: The Rest Unknown.

For this phase of The Rest Unknown, I’ll be posting on the blog about once a week to reflect on our process and give anyone who would like to read about it a bit of an insiders eye. If there is an aspect of our devising process you’d like to know about or a question you have from reading any of Maira Kalman’s work or even if you’d like to tell us your own idea for a title for our piece, please post a comment.

-Libby Hladik, Director

We've missed you...

2011-07-14T08:47:00.001-07:00

As many of you know Genesis has been dark for the past year. We took some time off to think about our process, pursue connections/ collaborations with other artists AND celebrate the marriage of our wonderful artistic director Lindsey Barlag Thornton to Chicago actor/director Michael Patrick Thornton!

BUT NOW WE'RE BACK!

Just last month we held a workshop performance of our new work Between Now And Five Billion Years. Directed by Libby Ford, the piece is based on themes from the book The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman. We had audience members send feedback and will pick back up on devising and refining this fall. STAY TUNED!!

In the meantime, watch Maira Kalman talk about her book/ our inspiration here:

What they're saying...

2010-08-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

"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

2010-06-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-21T06:13:00.001-07:00

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!!!!

2010-04-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-24T05:51:00.001-07:00

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

2010-03-09T05:54:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-03-03T07:56:00.001-08:00

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!

2010-03-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-02-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-18T09:34:00.000-08:00

"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!

Thank you and come again!!

2009-12-01T18:02:00.001-08:00

First off, thank you again to everyone who took time out of their wonderful and busy lives to come see our last production, sweet, half-darkness. As our company grows, and are our process with it, we are so very grateful for all of your continued support. In addition, we would love to hear your feedback on the production. If you have something to say, don't hesitate to e-mail us at Genesis.Ensemble@gmail.com.

Secondly, our company has been selected to perform a small piece at Red Tape Theatre's Chicago Fringe Artist Networking Night (CFANN)!! We will be putting together a small performance piece based on themes from Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.
There will be lots of great art, wine and food... so please, come and join us:
CFANN
Sat. February 6th, 2010
hosted by Red Tape Theatre @ 621 W. Belmont.

what they're saying about sweet, half-darkness...

2009-11-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

The reviews are IN!!

"After her husband’s sudden death, Lucy (a grave and compelling Lindsey Barlag) is not “acting like Lucy”; she dons a blue dress for the funeral and confides that she feels almost happy. Like the character in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening—cited as one of the production’s inspirations—Lucy is bound by expectation but longs to forge a new identity in the crucible of her husband’s demise. We see hints of the other characters’ strictures as well; particularly well-conveyed is Sergio Soltero’s Alex, whose wry discomfort as Lucy’s “lunch friend” from work is delightful and unaffected. "-Megan Powell, TimeOut Chicago

“One of the marvelous things about the Chicago theater scene is the large variety we are offered. Some of the newer companies have come to the forefront in the past few years and I am sure there will be more. The Genesis Ensemble is one of these newer groups..."
-Alan Bresloff, Steadstyle Chicago

"You've got to root for Genesis Ensemble as their second full-length production shows them coming into their own... Director Amanda Jane Dunne gets many things right, from the sincere acting to the spot-on sound design."
-Keith Griffith, The Reader

“very intimate...well staged...bringing stories to the audience that deal with very human experiences and develop their own scripts with input from all involved.”
-Alan Bresloff, Steadstyle Chicago

Thanks to everyone who has already made it out to see the show!!! If you haven't seen sweet, half-darkness yet, THERE ARE ONLY TWO WEEKENDS LEFT!! To reserve tickets, e-mail genesis.ensemble@gmail.com!!

Friday & Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 4pm
(No Show on Nov 15, 2009)
The Menomonee Club at 1535 N Dayton St
(off the North/Clybourne Red Line)
$10 suggested donation

notes from our production team...

2009-11-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

sweet, half-darkness had a successful opening weekend! Here are some notes from the director and designers about the concepts and design elements behind this collaborative creation. Come see it at the Menomonee Club (1535 N Dayton) Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 4pm (no 11/15 performance) through November 22.

Amanda Jane Dunne on Directing sweet, half-darkness:
As Genesis Ensemble embarks on our second production, sweet half-darkness, we find ourselves growing as a company and coming closer to solidifying a process and style uniquely our own. Going from a 5-month creation process for our last venture The Secrets Project, to only 2-months was a huge challenge. But the ensemble and designers trusted me and the mission of Genesis, and what we have here today is truly a collaborative creation.

The idea behind this show has been bubbling in my brain for some time. I had read two texts, The Awakening by Kate Chopin and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. And while these books are vastly different from one another, the idea that these two female characters decided to make unconventional choices in eras where convention was the only option was fascinating to me. I wanted to explore if today we are still as greatly influenced by convention and expectation in our choices, or if we are more willing to break free. And does breaking free sound better than it is in practice?

We want to constantly reinvent ourselves, but it is frightening. Can we really take the steps necessary to do so? Are we willing to make all the sacrifices and follow through with the knowledge that we might fall flat on our faces? And are we really reinventing ourselves or running away from our problems? The answers are personal. I ask you, do you think our protagonist Lucy is selfish in her wants or a woman who desires to live a full life? In The Awakening the protagonist is described as such, “She felt like some newborn creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known.” At the crossroads we find ourselves at, when we see the world in a new way, did we change, can we change, will we change?

Annie Perry on her Light & Sound Design:

Have you ever stood at Adler Planetarium and instead of looking up at the stars, turn your face towards the glass, steel and concrete front door that is our city’s skyline? Have you ever done it as the sunrises over Lake Michigan? If you haven’t, I highly recommend it before the weather gets too cold.

In the fall, Chicago is a beautiful mix of amber and steel blue colors offset by warm reds and light purples. In lighting sweet, half-darkness I have attempted to evoke the undulating moments within dawn and dusk each morning and evening in Chicago. These brief instants provide the semi-light parentheses of the day for each of us dwelling within the City of Big Shoulders.

Lucy is merely existing in Chicago at the start of the play and is undergoing an awakening to living life. In discussing Lucy’s development, Amanda and I felt very strongly that not only light, but also water would be the cleansing and renewal mechanism for her. Water plays a large role in both of the novels that inspired this play and we wanted to bring into the theatre the possibilities water exhibits, ranging from serene to cataclysmic. Each time water is introduced into the space sonically it is a little different, reflecting the points along Lucy’s path to her final decision.

Thank you for attending sweet, half-darkness I hope the atmosphere inspires and entertains.

Catherine Turco on her Set Design:

“There ought, I thought, to be a ritual for being born twice – patched, retreaded and approved for the road…” –The Bell Jar

There are those moments in life when you know you will never be the same. The plates of life have shifted and you cannot return to the life you previously led. We can make the transition kicking and screaming or accept it and keep moving. In sweet, half-darkness, Lucy sheds her past by ceremoniously giving away objects that, in her mind, cannot be associated with the next phase of her journey. Objects, after all, only carry the importance that we assign to them. While Lucy may no longer want them, they have tremendous value to the other people webbed into her life. When the once familiar becomes unrecognizable and the once precious becomes meaningless, the next phase has begun and she must redesign the future.

Emily Rose Goss on her Costume Design:

Please costume this play. But there is no script... or characters... or setting... yet.

The process of designing costumes for a devised piece of theatre is completely different from that of a "normal" play. To start, there is no script; only inspirational text. There are no characters; only ideas. You must work closely with the director to not only make sure your vision aligns with hers, but to know if the play is still taking place in the arctic tundra or if that idea has been abandoned for an exploration of a sunny farmers market.

So for me, costuming my first show with Genesis Ensemble required a huge amount of communication with the director as well as attending rehearsals within the devising process. This allowed me not only to understand what was required of the costumes, but also how each character was developing. It was a large undertaking, but an exhilarating challenge.

The result of my efforts is a palette of different shades and textures of black and white representing what is expected of each of us in life. The one character who questions these expectations wears blue as a visual representation of her desire to move beyond what is conventional and accepted.

a glimpse into the rehearsal room...

2009-10-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Nothing short of thankful....

2009-10-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

We would love to thank everyone who came out and supported us at the FunRaiser at the Spot this past Wednesday!! Not only did we meet our goal, but we had such a great time! It is thanks to people like you that we are able to chase after our dreams, for that we are eternally grateful!

If there is anyone out there who could not make it to the FunRaiser and still wishes to make a contribution, you can visit this website for more details: Support

Thanks again with all the love in the world,
Genesis Ensemble

FunRaiser!!!!!!!!!

2009-09-23T07:53:00.001-07:00

Join us for our 2009 FUNraiser at The Spot from 8:30-10 on Oct. 7th, 2009!! We have appreciated all your support during our inaugural year as a Chicago theatre company, and as we enter into opening our second ensemble created work, we need your help more than ever!

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!!
There will be music, dancing, booze, raffle prizes, and at 9pm A SPECIAL, SNEAK PEAK AT OUR NEW SHOW sweet, half-darkness.

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

Where: The Spot, 4437 N. Broadway
When: Wednesday, Oct. 7th 2009 8:30pm - 10:00pm

add a half a cup of sugar...

2009-09-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

When the founding members of the Genesis Ensemble were in school at Miami University we had the pleasure of working with Sally Harrison-Pepper who likened the process of devising theatre to cooking. Her stance was that much of the success of a new work depended on the right combination of ingredients: a strong ensemble, a good concept and a certain willingness to "go there."

It’s a scary endeavor to try out a new, unfamiliar recipe- much like starting to work with a new ensemble of actors on a completely original, ensemble-created theatre piece…right?

As our third week of rehearsal comes to a close, it is clear that we have a delightful concoction on our hands. Luckily we have put together an ensemble that’s willing to take risks, that’s full of passion and is a delightful mix of personalities with different artistic points of view- and we’d especially like to welcome Jake Carr, Sarah Addison Ely, and Sergio Soltero. As we continue our exploration, we are all looking forward to serving our new piece to Chicago!!

A Word From Our Director...

2009-08-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

Call for Collaborators

2009-08-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

We will be holding open auditions on Saturday, August 22 for our currently untitled fall project- an ensemble created work surrounding the theme of finding yourself at odds with the expectations and conventions of society. Actors will be scheduled for half-hour time slots between 2pm-5pm for a performance-based audition. Auditions will be held at 1802 W Berenice in North Center. If you are interested, send your headshot and resume to genesis.auditions@gmail.com. In the body of your email tell us your availability for Saturday, as well as why you are interested in ensemble created theatre and working with our company.

We will be rehearsing 4-nights a week from August 31 until October 28 and performing 4-weekends from October 29 through November 22.

CINCI!

2009-05-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

...That's right, the Genesis Ensemble will be performing The Secrets Project at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival!

Performers: Amanda Jane Dunne, Jen Leininger, Cece Miller, Kat Paddock and Rebecca Ribich. Directed by Lindsey Barlag, assisted by Annie Perry!

You can see us at the New Stage Collective:
Friday, June 5th at 7:15pm
Saturday, June 6th at 7:30pm

http://www.cincyfringe.com/shows/secrets_project.html

what YOU thought about Secrets...

2009-05-06T06:09:00.001-07:00

Audiences that attended THE SECRETS PROJECT let us know how they felt about the role of secrets in their lives.

Secrets:
Better to know: 73
Better not to know: 60

Secrets:
I should be trusted: 115
I should not be trusted: 45

Video Schmideo

2009-03-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

Reviews Are In!

2009-03-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have already come- THANK YOU!

For those of you we have not seen- Join us this Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.

The Reader says:

"Few things are better for the continued health of the Chicago theatre scene than bands of recent college grads setting up shop here-- especially when they're creating original, idiosyncratic work. Not long out of Miami University, Genesis Ensemble debuts with an installation/ performance at the uber-funky Peter Jones Gallery, combining monologues, movement pieces, music, and audience activities. ...director Lindsey Barlag draws disarmingly candid performances from the seven-member troupe."

Time Out says:

"Secrets and its actors demonstrate a refreshingly lively take on their own grave enterprise."

New City Stage says:

"The group's interactive efforts are successful; they include the audience without intimidating it. ...It's refreshing to see a new troupe try something so ambitious; creating original work can be difficult as a group finds its footing."