Lookingglass Theatre Company presents new episodes of Keeping Curious, a new lineup of programming free to all audiences. While Coronavirus keeps theaters closed and audiences apart, Lookingglass Theatre has developed a whole host of free digital offerings presented by Lookingglass Ensemble Members and Artistic Associates, including a new weekly podcast, a new weekly free live workshop, and exclusive performances.
The Infinite Room Podcast
The new weekly podcast is dedicated to theater, storytelling and their places in the world. In each episode, hosted by Ensemble Member and Connectivity and Engagement Director Andrew White, Lookingglass artists will ask themselves and others Big Questions—about art and theatre and the planet we live on; we’ll engage in frank conversation—sometimes serious, sometimes decidedly not—about the stories we tell, why and how we tell them, and how they intersect with our city, our country, and our world.
A new podcast will be added every Friday and can be found at: https://lookingglasstheatre.org/the-infinite-room-podcast/ or wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode 005: Theater as Change Agent: a Conversation with David Schwimmer and Alexander Zeldin Airs Friday, May 8, 2020
Plays that grapple with the issues of our times – race, class, gender, civil and human rights, etc. – have been a rich strand of Lookingglass’ history. Productions of The Jungle, Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About The American Obsession, Trust, Plantation!, Beyond Caring and Her Honor Jane Byrne are just some of the company’s works that hold a looking glass to the problems that chronically bedevil our country. But can plays really make a difference in this increasingly complex world? Lookingglass Ensemble Member David Schwimmer and Director and Playwright Alexander Zeldin talk about the plays they have created at Lookingglass and elsewhere, and why they believe theater can change hearts, minds, and maybe even our world.
Episode 004: The Theatre of Spectacle: Lookingglass Designers Take the Stage
Design is part of the theatre experience anywhere, but at Lookingglass designers create a fully immersive, sensory event. Lookingglass is one of the few companies to have designers among its Ensemble, transforming the theatre every time you walk in and helping choose each season. A conversation about why design matters with Ensemble Members: Costume Designer Mara Blumenfeld (Lookingglass Alice, Metamorphoses), Scenic and Lighting Designer Daniel Ostling (The Arabian Nights, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein), and Sound Designer Andre Pluess (The Steadfast Tin Soldier).
Episode 003: Gimme Shelter: Lookingglass Theatre and The Chicago Help Initiative
Mr. Rogers told us when things are hard to “look for the helper.” The Chicago Help Initiative has been bringing people experiencing hunger and homelessness to every show at Lookingglass for three years running. Hear Founder Jacqueline Hayes, Arts and Culture Coordinator Susan Gold, and member of the Arts and Culture group John Riley talk with about the bare necessities: food, shelter, and yes—theater.
Episode 002: Epic Adventures on Small Stages: David Catlin, Mary Zimmerman, and Why The World’s Great Stories Are More Relevant Than Ever
Great stories from around the globe and across millennia have found their way to the Lookingglass stage, comprising almost half of the company’s world-premieres. Hear Ensemble Members David Catlin and Mary Zimmerman talk about what stories draw them in, how they imagine and create them onstage, and why they think these stories, and our need to hear them, aren’t going anywhere any time soon.
Episode 001: Her Honor Jane Byrne and the Past, Present and Future of Public Housing
A playwright, an activist, and a non-profit leader walk into The Infinite Room and talk about the intersection of art and politics, and the way radical imagination can lead to real change. Guests include: Lookingglass Ensemble Member, playwright and director of Her Honor Jane Byrne J. Nicole Brooks, former Cabrini- Green resident, Co-founder and Director of the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign J.R. Fleming, and Executive Director of the National Public Housing Museum Lisa Yun Lee.
Lookingglass Live
Join Lookingglass Artists via Facebook Live every Tuesday at noon for a free 15-minute live workshop. Watch at: https://www.facebook.com/lookingglasstheatre/.
The next episode will air live on Tuesday, May 5 at noon with Lookingglass Teaching Artist Edmund O'Brien, who will instruct students how to create characters on the spot based on suggestions such as an emotion, an activity, or a location. This workshop is best suited for students grades 3-8. Edmund is a Teaching Artist with Lookingglass Theatre, The Second City, Northlight Theatre and Kidprov Chicago, which he founded with his wife Dana. When they're not teaching improv Saturday mornings to children 5-14 at Chase Park (or now online), they perform as a duo, Sheila's Sister.
Among previous editions of Lookingglass Live, available on the Lookingglass Facebook page, include:
- Lookingglass Ensemble Member and Producing Director Philip R. Smith offers audition advice to middle and high school students
- Micah Figueroa with a physical comedy workshop for all ages
- Teaching artist and Lookingglass favorite Adeoye as provides an introduction to yoga for beginners in a 15-minute guided class.
Through the Lookingglass
Step Through the Lookingglass and view timely poetry, stories, and songs Lookingglass Ensemble Members and Artistic Associates have filmed at home, aiming to provide hope, meaning, and fulfillment in this season.
Watch at: https://www.facebook.com/watch/lookingglasstheatre/
Lookingglass continues to expand its artistic, financial, and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Heidi Stillman, Executive Director Rachel L. Fink, Producing Director Philip R. Smith, Director of Community Engagement Andrew White, General Manager Michele Anderson, a 29-member artistic ensemble, 22 artistic associates, an administrative staff, and a dedicated board of directors led by Chair Nancy Timmers and President Richard Chapman. For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.