From Our Director: Week One

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...

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...

"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