A Safe Place!
Girls Mini-Summit: Secure Your Self + Rights Secure Your Self + Rights will provide an opportunity for young women, girls, trans, and gender nonbinary individuals ages 13-24 from across Chicago to share their concerns around threats to their safety. They will have the opportunity to ask panelists how they can protect their rights to an education, to a future free from discrimination, inequality, and abuse. Featured panelists are: Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disablities Rachel Arfa, Owner & CEO of Asutra Stephanie Morimoto, Chairwoman of the Cook County Young Democrats Chakena Perry, U.S. Senator Tammy Ducksworth, 17-year-old activist Zoe Weinstein, Vice President - State and Local Government Affairs at Verizon Nina C. Mathis, and moderator Sophia Eisenberg. May 18, 5 p.m. Register for FREE at chigirlssummit.com
One -on -One Play!
‘Where the Air Meets the Water” "W here The Air Meets the Water" by Alexander Utz is a pair of intersecting one-on-one walking plays for one actor and one audience member on the Chicago lakefront. It's the third anniversary of AJ and Cara's friendship, and they've reached a fork in the road. Taking the form of conversational monologues about memories, aspirations, and art, the audience will walk with Cara or AJ through Chicago as they prepare to confront the future, whatever it holds. This intimate, one-of-a-kind theatrical experience, concluding at the shore of Lake Michigan, is live performance reimagined for a post-pandemic world. The last block of shows are May 20, 7 p.m.; May 21, 5:30 & 8 p.m.; May 22, 2 & 7 p.m. $30 at avalanchetheatre.com .
Unigue Voices!
‘Tellin Tales Theatre presents: Divercity’ Nine writers, actors and advocates with a range of disabilities tell their stories, ranging from touching to hilarious, in "Tellin’ Tales Theatre Presents: Divercity" which is being presented virtually through May 23 at tellintales.org/divercity-2021. Closed captioning and audio description will be available. “Though Tellin’ Tale has had to pivot due to the pandemic, the virtual platform works well for performers with disabiliites. It also creates an intimacy that facilitates going deep within to share our experiences,” said director Tekki Lomnicki. The stories were developed and directed in a six-week Zoom Master Class taught by Lomnicki. The performers come from Chicago and suburbs, northwest Indiana and Georgia and include Brian Heyburn, Brianne Coleman, Jack Gehringer, Whitney Hill, Michele Lee, Ben Saylor, Terri Thrower, Molly Wiesman and Nate Woogen. Ticket prices: Regular: $15; Disabled: $10; I love Tellin’ Tales ticket/donation: $20; add $2 ticket fee for each. Links will be sent to ticket holders for the show and the Zoom talkback, which takes place after each performance. The mission of Tellin’ Tales Theatre is to shatter the barriers between the disabled and non-disabled worlds through the transformative power of personal story. (Photo from 2019 show.)
Helping Howard Brown Health!
'Belting for Life' Jeff Award-winning director and HIV+ activist Christopher Pazdernik presents the 6th annual “Belting for Life” (formerly known as “Chris’ Birthday Belt Fest”), an annual benefit concert for Howard Brown Health, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ organizations. “Belting for Life” will be available to stream through Monday, May 31. This performance is suitable for all ages and runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are available with a tax-deductible donation of $20 at HowardBrown.org. Belting for Life features 30 award-winning musical theatre artists performing music theatre and pop songs with music direction by Jeff-award winning music director Dr. Michael McBride.
Adventurous Performances!
Pivot Arts Festival A celebration of contemporary performance in theater, dance, music, video/film, puppetry and multi-genre events. The 2021 Pivot Arts Festival theme is “Reimagining Utopia” with a mixture of live performances presented safely for the pandemic, in-person video installations and streaming events all responding to the need to create a better world post-pandemic. Multiple performances with tickets ranging from $10 – $30 will be held May 21 - June 6. Check website for complete listings pivotarts.org/festival.
-Compiled by Dave Hamilton
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