Genesis Ensemble premiers 

Phenomena 

at Chicago Fringe Festival!

ONLY THREE PERFORMANCES! 

GET TICKETS HERE!

Phenomena is a devised investigation into the intersections of science, spiritual faith, and UFO sightings. Structured by the convention of a congressional hearing,  the ensemble embodies the personas and believes of scientists, theologians, theorists, witnesses, and themselves. Mashing choreography with sourced text, pitting the theoretical against the hypothetical, and examining both the personal and the universal, Phenomena is an encyclopedic exploration with poetic license. 

Come out to Jefferson Park to join us for an amazing Fringe Festival! And, join us for a drink after the show at Fischmans!

Chicago Fringe Festival

Spilled Milk Stage, 5320 W. Giddings

at the Congregational Church of Jefferson Park

Thursday, August 29th at 10pm

Friday, August 30th at 7pm

Sunday, September 1st at 2:30pm

Directed by Lindsey Barlag Thornton

Dramaturgy by Libby Hladik with Erika Schmidt

Choreography by Kristyn Hegner

Featuring Alexis Atwill, Amanda Dunne Acevedo, McKenzie Gerber, Ellen Girvin, Sergio Soltero

More from our music man....

Here is Part II of our interview with Uptown Opera's composer, Phil Maniaci!  

Q: Who would you name as your greatest musical inspiration?

A: The people in my life who feed me creatively and spiritually.  People who have stuck by me through the tough moments in my life. Like my friend Bob Ness, who just invited me over for a drink the week before he moved. Those people.

Q: What is your favorite Bluegrass song?  Why?

A: There is a track on “The Bristol Sessions”, an album from 1927 my buddy Joe gave me. It’s called “Witter’s Fox Chase” recorded by Henry Witter playing harmonica and howling and yelping into it as he plays. It so perfectly captures the fusion of Irish Reel and Cherokee wildness that I like in Appalachian music. Very unique piece of American music, and for the time, and a great recording.

Q: What is your favorite song in the Opera thus far?  Why?

A: Tough to say. I’m still getting surprise songs out of nowhere. I think that something is just going to be a transition, and then it develops into a fully realized idea with a good melody and lyrics that I don’t hate!

Right now I love “Big Ol Train” – I think most of us like that one – when Sally leaves Appalachia and comes to Chicago. There is so much optimism and hope in that song. That will probably be the most produced track on the album as well.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the musicians you've been working with to create the music? What has it been like working with Zebulun Barnow and Jordan Lewis?

A: Two very talented dudes. Zeb and I play in Blue Man together and have know each other since 1988 (sorry, Zeb) he’s played in his bands - The Sentinels, and his Tom Waits band called B1G T1ME as well as a host of others. Jordan was one of the first we auditioned for mandolin and we liked him right away. He’s a Columbia student (like Zeb and I were) and came in really enthusiastic about the project, which the directors and I couldn’t help but respond to. He’s studying film scoring too, so I felt a kinship with him there, as well. They are from very different backgrounds, which I think only makes the product we are making for this even richer and more layered. There is no shortage of ideas in that room for sure!

One thing I love about the band so far is that none of us is a bluegrass musician by trade so we’re all learning the vocabulary together. I didn’t want a bluegrass band, as such. I wanted rock, jazz, classical music, too. These are all genres that were very much alive at the time and I wanted to reflect that.

Q: How would you describe the process of jamming and writing music for Uptown Opera? 

A: I have written most of the material for the opera on my own in my studio. There have been some jam sessions for the songs where I brought in Zeb and/or Jordan to play through with me and some things developed from that which could later be used. We’ve just started getting into the group devising process we will use for writing the incidental music – we just wrote 2 scenes together and they turned out great!

Q: What is your usual process to write?

A: Get direction. Look at my ideas I get in the first 20 minutes. If they suck, move on to sourcing from the best possible places. Throw it all against the wall and see what sticks, maybe check in with someone who I’m talking to about it, whose opinion I value.

Then, I open up ProTools and Word and work…and work...and work.

Q: Since you’ve began working on this project,  what has been an unexpected musical discovery you've made?

A: That I actually LOVE restrictions. I always knew that they help in getting started on any project, because they help bring the big picture more quickly into focus. But they have been especially helpful in this project.

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: I’ve heard of the concept.

Grateful. Thankful. Inspired.

Genesis Ensemble wants to say THANK YOU to all of the people that helped us reach our goal on our Indiegogo fundraiser!  We had 74+ funders that helped us raise $3,640.  We feel so fortunate to be creating art we love, with people we love, in the city we love.  Thank you to all of the online donors, everyone that attended our Hoedown, and everyone that posted our Indiegogo link on Facebook and Twitter.  Your generous spirit, kindness, and endorsement are inspiring.

 

Thank you to...
Anonymous (6), Amanda Dunne Acevedo & Chris Acevedo, Danny Ahlfeld, Alexis Atwill, Frank & Sandy Barlag, Ara G. Beal, Heather Grover Bella, Jay Berger, Susan Bowen, Rachel Buck, Sarah Butke, Kate Cares, Michael Carnow, Jake Carr, Kelsey Chigas, Sarah Corner, Dean Corrin, Casey Cunningham, Missi Davis, Andrea Dennis, Amy Diller, Lara Dossett, B. Scott Dunne, Eric Evenskaas, Taylor Fenderbosch, Abigail Ford, Claire & Gary Ford,  Amanda Frank, John Gawlik, Lisa & Pat Gerard, Justin Gerber, Hannah Gomez, Kelly Gregory, Lawrence Grimm, Polly Heinkel, Andrew Hinderaker, Stuart Hoffman, Jennifer Leininger, Julie Lemieux, Elizabeth Lovelady, Elise Mayfield, Cecilia Miller, Karie Miller, Rebekah Mock, Michael Nameche, Keith Neagle, Patrick De Nicola, Nicole O’Connell, Kat Paddock, Ruthie& Jeff Paddock, Annie Perry, William & Julie Perry, Regina Potenza, Isaac Ramsey, Sam & Ashley Roberson, Casey Lee Ruberg, Sophie Scanlon, Erika Schmidt, Justine Serino, Allison Shoemaker, Lisa Stern, Brian Thomson, Rita Thornton, Dietrich Tullos, Catherine Turco

Check Out Uptown Opera!

Please help make this project happen! Donate HERE!

 

 

Get to know our music man!

Recently, we got to take a quick break from the process of creating UPTOWN OPERA, and had the pleasure of interviewing the Composer and Music Director, Phil Maniaci.  This is part one of our two part conversation with him.  

Genesis Ensemble: How did you come to be in Chicago?

Phil Maniaci: I was born at Edgewater Hospital, a few blocks away from where our opera is set.

GE: When did you start writing music?

PM: Around 9 years old. I grew up hearing all these great songs my parents played in the house on the piano (in my mom’s or uncle’s case) or on the stereo (in my dad’s case) or in the car – The Beatles,  The Stones, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, Chopin, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Tchaikovsky, Steely Dan, Carole King, Chicago, David Bowie, Elton John, The Police – I heard all of this stuff and kinda just got the bug. I figured “Man, I want to do that. I want to make someone feel the way these songs make me feel!” In the beginning, it must’ve been very interesting for my mom, who was home most of the time when I was. I think I played the same things over and over, put them on my little reel-to-reel my step dad gave me until I found a new thing, and then that would be in rotation for the next week.

Like, constantly, when I wasn’t practicing.

GE: How many instruments do you play?

 

PM: I sing and play piano, organ, bass guitar, string bass, guitar, harmonica and Blue Man Zither – a strange, cool, electric instrument we use in the Blue Man show.

GE: Which is your favorite instrument and why?

PM: Probably the zither, because I haven’t completely figured it out yet!

GE: What is it like operating your own music production company, Central Park Sounds?

PM: I think of that old Army Commercial: “It’s the toughest job you’ll ever love.” It’s the hardest and most fun job I ever had. There are some difficult clients who don’t know what the hell they want, which can be a little frustrating. 80% of people have some sort of intimate relationship with music because of just simply liking/loving it. But the problem is this doesn’t give them any of the vocabulary necessary to describe things in musical terms. This is the double-edged sword for me.  

I hate talking about music - other than when I’m in the room with the people I’m producing it with.

And sometimes the music budgets for some of the TV and video projects I do aren’t the best. I scored a film for a friend (pretty much for free) and spent a lot of time and energy on it only to find out a year later that it won’t be released. So there are challenges and let-downs.

And then, once in a while, it all comes together like magic. The creatives tell me what they want in language that I can use. We agree on a fair price. I hand it in. They’re happy. The client is happy. And they pay on time. This is rare, but it’s great when it happens.    

GE: Where do you draw inspiration from when composing music?

PM: I have a great circle of friends with great taste in music and great record collections. My girl friend has really great taste in music and a really good feel for what is right for a project. If I don’t get enough direction, she’s helped me get unstuck on more than one occasion. My friend, film-maker Joe Losurdo, used to own a record shop and has a massive collection of vinyl. He helped me gather the material for the opera to cull from. I didn’t know much about bluegrass and Appalachian music. But he had these great records I ripped to mp3s and just started listening to and shared with my musicians and our cast.

GE: Do you consider Chicago home?

PM: I grew up in Park Ridge (once we left the city proper - when I was little) which is just a few blocks outside of city limits. So Chicago is part of who I am on a very genetic level. My friends and I would go into the city to places like Medusa’s on the weekends and get drunk, take psychedelics, chase girls and do all that typical, mid-80s-suburban-pseudo-counter-culture Chicago teenager stuff…wear black…you know. So I had a pretty typically local upbringing for the education I had and the scene I was in. Chicago was the backdrop for all of that.

GE: What fascinates you about Uptown Chicago in 1957?

PM: I never knew about the “hillbilly migration” that happened here from the 30s – 70s that gave Uptown its bad reputation until I started reading about it for this project. I’m amazed by how an industrial and urban place like 1957 Chicago could still have an enclave of these wild people who did things their own way.

Port of Entry: aka, we're making an Opera!

Hi.  Welcome to Uptown.  I’m glad you are here.

This is what I expect to be the first of many updates on our latest project, Uptown Opera.  First though, please allow me introduce myself. My name is Annie Perry and I am coaching the process of creating our Bluegrass score and libretto.  I am a company member with Genesis Ensemble and with each passing day the details of our story become more and more exciting!  But...I don’t want to give away too much, too soon.

Back in October I approached Phil Maniaci, one of the most amazing composers and musicians I have ever known and had the pleasure of working with, about this project and here’s what I told him about what we want to accomplish with this process.  I said, “Hey Phil, man, I want to do something that is eye opening and inspiring.  How would you like to sonically tell the story of Appalachian migrants to Chicago somewhere in the time from 1930 to 1960?  Mostly bluegrass music, but we’ll definitely want to have some rock and roll in there.”  And you know what he said?  “I’m in.”  And that is really how all of this began.  

We have been guided often by what feels like providence in our research and I will let Phil tell you in an upcoming blog about the composing process from then to now, but suffice it to say that when we originally picked 1957 as a year to begin researching as a potential year in the world of this play we had no idea that over and over again we would be shown that historically, this is a super pivotal year for change in consciousness in the U.S. and the migration habits to Uptown particularly.  Due to mechanization of agriculture and coal mining industries, shifts in the the economy, generally, along with the lure of a better life, many white southern migrants began moving North to industrial cities such as Detroit, Cincinnati, and Chicago. Often southern migrants encountered many difficulties adapting to urban life. It is these difficulties we have begun to explore.

This subject is particularly near and dear to my heart as I am a Southern transplant myself from Knoxville, TN and when I moved to Chicago in 2007 my first apartment was on Buena at Broadway, in Uptown.  I had followed in the footsteps of so many others and not known it until I began reading an article in the Encyclopedia of Chicago, which can be found here.  

It is now March and we are two weeks into rehearsals and crafting the libretto (or script) of this opera. It is so very exciting to work with cast members Ali Delianides, Claire Biggers, Dennis Frymire, and Pete Navis.  To hear them sing together is a pleasure and to watch them take huge artistic risks in the rehearsal room so early tells me that we really have something on our hands.  Libby Hladik, Genesis Ensemble’s newest company member is providing divinely timed dramaturgical support and feedback in the process and Artistic Associate Sergio Soltero absolutely asks the best questions in rehearsal as assistant director/process coach.  Check back in on the blog to get their perspectives on the process of crafting this musical love letter to the neighborhood and Chicago.

So Welcome, again, to Uptown and Uptown Opera.  I look forward to writing you again.
-Annie

We're looking for....

GUYS!  We're looking for a Banjo Player, Mandolin player and Fiddler for our newest project, an opera set in Uptown. Musician needed for a two week jamming session with the Composer, Director and Assistant Director. Opportunity could lead to the possibility of playing in the "orchestra" during show summer run. Jam sessions will be experimental and conducted for two weeks in early December. Total time commitment of 10-15 hours.

This is a great opportunity to practice with a professional composer, meet fellow bluegrass musicians in the city, and collaborate on original work. You will receive credit for your contributions.

Auditions will take place Tuesday, December 4, 2012 from 6:30-9:30pm with callbacks on Thursday, December 6 from 7:00-8:00pm.

Interested? Please submit a short resume along with an mp3 or link to an example of your playing to genesis.ensemble@gmail.com no later than Sunday December 2, 2012. In email please list time slot preference: 6:30-7:15pm, 7:30-8:15pm or 8:30-9:30pm. Please write MUSICIAN CALL in the title of the email.

We look forward to seeing (and hearing) you!!!!

Tip your bartender!

Genesis Ensemble is pleased to announce that Ensemble Member, Annie Perry, will be guest bar tending at Cheers for Change this Friday August 24th at the Owl Bar in Logan Square from 6-10 PM to help raise money for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

 You are invited to attend!

As a company based in Chicago, where we create and develop work throughout the city, Genesis Ensemble takes very seriously the impact we have on our community. Our summer 2010 production, In Love’s Bright Coils was produced in Logan Square, so we are thrilled to support Annie in her endeavor to give back to Chicago in this great neighborhood.

Friday, August 24 
@ The Owl 2521 N. Milwaukee
6pm to 10pm 
Not sure you can attend? You can still support her efforts with a virtual tip that will go to the cause! https://chicagohomeless.ejoinme.org/annie


Stay tuned for more news to come your way about our upcoming productions!

THE REST UNKNOWN IS EXTENDING AGAIN!

RECOMMENDED! "Whimsical and often funny."
Julie Thiel, Chicago Reader


"What can those attending expect? To be surprised, which is more than half the fun."
Leanne Star, Chicago Splash Magazine


We are pleased to announce the second extension of The Rest Unknown: how to live and how to die inspired by Maira Kalman’s idiosyncratic blog turned book The Principles of Uncertainty.

Because each tour is limited to an intimate number of only twelve people and due to enthusiastic community response, The Rest Unknown is now playing 9 more times! Chicagoans with fond memories of many winter hours marveling at the Art Institute or discovering neighborhood details on spring afternoon walks have the chance to relive their halcyon days with this production.

The space inhabited on each step of the tour is alternatively airy and light or cheerfully curated chaos. The transforming storefronts offer a dance studio, a gallery featuring work of local artists, a cozy nook of maps, an exhibit of personal collections (including a collection of audience members’ voices that is simultaneously uploaded to tumblr), an afternoon tea party, and a few more surprises along the way.

JOIN US!
Wednesday, April 11th at 8pm
Mondays and Tuesdays, April 16th-May 8th, 8pm
Tours are at 5344 West Lawrence Avenue which is conveniently located one block west of Milwaukee and Lawrence; available by the Blue Line and the Lawrence and Milwaukee buses.

SPACE IS LIMMITED! We strongly encourage buying tickets in advance!
BUY TICKETS HERE!

For now, click HERE to listen to our audience voice collection!

We hope to see you soon!

What's my story?

Maira Kalman loves a good bundt cake and so do we. This is her family's favorite recipe. It was passed to her by her aunt who lived in Tel Aviv and who swam in the ocean everyday.
Behold:



MAIRA'S HONEY CAKE RECIPE

Take a bundt pan.
Smear with butter and fine coat of bread crumbs.

Ingredients
4 Jumbo or Large Eggs
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Corn Oil
3/4 cup Dark Honey
3 cups flour
1 level Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in Tablespoon of water
1 1/2 cups of very strong (3 bags) tea -do this first so tea can cool down
3 teaspoons each of: Ground Cloves, Cinnamon, Ginger, Coaco (adjust amounts to taste)

With medium speed mixer, mix sugar and eggs--add one egg at a time until blended.
Slowly pour in oil. Add Honey.
Mix baking powder into flour.
Slowly alternate some flour and some tea into batter.
Mix spices together and pour into batter.
Add baking soda. Gently mix.
Bake at 350 degrees for approx 45 minutes.

If you would like to join us for a tour, tea and to taste this bundt cake, please come to our world of whimsy and wonder at The Rest Unknown.
Tours Friday at 8pm
Saturdays at 1pm, 3pm & 5pm
Click for Tickets
Remember SPACE IS LIMITED!

See you there,
Genesis

The Rest Unknown...

THE REST UNKNOWN: how to live and how to die
Directed by Libby Hladik
Devised by Genesis Ensemble
Featuring: Amanda Jane Dunne, Kat Paddock, Annie Perry and Lindsey Barlag Thornton
with Sergio Soltero and Jake Carr


Genesis Ensemble has created an interactive tour for you. This exhibit of visual art and performance, inspired by Maira Kalman's book The Principles of Uncertainty, takes you on a journey of whimsy and wonder which examines the familiar world around us in a new way.

Tours: March 16th- 31st
Fridays at 8pm
Saturdays at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm
Storefront 5344 Lawrence Ave. (block west of Lawrence and Milwaukee). Available by public transportation: Jefferson Park Blue Line, Lawrence Bus or Milwaukee Bus. Street parking available on Lawrence.

SPACE IS LIMITED

Click Here to Reserve Tickets!

Looking forward to seeing you there!!!

get whimsical with us...

HELP KICK OFF OUR SEASON WITH
"A Night of Whimsy!"
Enjoy four readings, a silent auction, the musical stylings of Sarah Jane Goldstein and a preview of our new work The Rest Unknown.

Feb 22, 2012
10$
8 pm
Hamburger Mary's Attic
5400 N. Clark


Love,
Genesis Ensemble

The Unexpected: Weeks Three and Four

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

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

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