CDE presents:
The Wasteland
&
CIRCA Pintig presents:
Daryo’s All-American Diner
Gallery and Doors Open: 7:30pm
Performance: 8pm
Bar and Concessions remain open 30 minutes before and after the show
Performance: 8pm
Bar and Concessions remain open 30 minutes before and after the show
Take our feedback survey after the performance!
The Wasteland
About this production:
Ellyzabeth Adler returns in her iconic role as the “fortune teller” and ensemble member in the production that began Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble in 2001.
T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland, has a cast of four illuminating “the lost generation” of post-WWI European society and the human soul’s search for redemption using Ellyzabeth Adler’s unique style of danztheatre that blends together dance, theatre, music and video imagery into a visceral theatre experience. Written in a stream of consciousness, it seeks out what humans are looking for, a constant connection in life. Once we accept our future, there is an inner calming that happens to our soul.
The Chicago Tribune wrote, “Adler gently joins artistic forces, even to the point of making the exposed-brick walls of the space speak with a wizened sense of melancholy. When the shadows of the four ensemble members unobtrusively get superimposed on, say an image of a dead tree facing a treacherous sea…conveys in a tactile, aesthetically gorgeous way, the mystical power of fragmented moments weaving through our minds.”
It Began with a Poem
To me, poetry is the essence of language, and dance communicates what the heart knows. Both poetry and dance speak to our hearts and from our hearts; they can bring people together who may not speak the same language to feel, understand and experience humanity. Poetry has been my muse ever since I can remember. It should be read out loud, for the ears to hear and the heart to process.
In undergrad I discovered T.S. Eliot’s poem The Wasteland, and the theater major in me read it as a Shakespearean drama, filled with contemplation, love, and longing, ending with hope for a better world. For a graduate school project, I adapted the first section for the stage. Two years later, on April 20, 2001, four performers took to the stage to perform my adaptation of this famous poem. Every time I hear the soundtrack and the words to this poem, I am taken back to this moment, when I truly did not know that this production was the start of my career and would lead me to form what would become Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble.
As part of our 20th anniversary archival project, we transferred several VHS tapes to an external hard drive. I was excited to see the original production of The Wasteland. I will forever be grateful for the artistic collaboration of Jim Contreras, Allison Farnum, Melissa Lawson and Blake Montgomery who helped make this poem come to life!
In 2014 we included an updated version of The Wasteland as part of our first performance series at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, with original drawings and media from David Sorello, adding another layer to this beautiful poem.
Today in 2023, I’ve decided to visit this poem again. My performance work continues to evolve, and I don’t know yet what the next version might look like. New technology, current events, personal experiences—all this will make a mark on what will be onstage in May 2023. I can’t wait to share it with you.
CDE Funders:
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is supported by The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Innovation 80; smART Growth of the Chicago Community Trust; Farny Wurlitzer Foundation; Mardi Gras Fund and the annual support of individual donors.
Ellyzabeth Adler returns in her iconic role as the “fortune teller” and ensemble member in the production that began Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble in 2001.
T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland, has a cast of four illuminating “the lost generation” of post-WWI European society and the human soul’s search for redemption using Ellyzabeth Adler’s unique style of danztheatre that blends together dance, theatre, music and video imagery into a visceral theatre experience. Written in a stream of consciousness, it seeks out what humans are looking for, a constant connection in life. Once we accept our future, there is an inner calming that happens to our soul.
The Chicago Tribune wrote, “Adler gently joins artistic forces, even to the point of making the exposed-brick walls of the space speak with a wizened sense of melancholy. When the shadows of the four ensemble members unobtrusively get superimposed on, say an image of a dead tree facing a treacherous sea…conveys in a tactile, aesthetically gorgeous way, the mystical power of fragmented moments weaving through our minds.”
It Began with a Poem
To me, poetry is the essence of language, and dance communicates what the heart knows. Both poetry and dance speak to our hearts and from our hearts; they can bring people together who may not speak the same language to feel, understand and experience humanity. Poetry has been my muse ever since I can remember. It should be read out loud, for the ears to hear and the heart to process.
In undergrad I discovered T.S. Eliot’s poem The Wasteland, and the theater major in me read it as a Shakespearean drama, filled with contemplation, love, and longing, ending with hope for a better world. For a graduate school project, I adapted the first section for the stage. Two years later, on April 20, 2001, four performers took to the stage to perform my adaptation of this famous poem. Every time I hear the soundtrack and the words to this poem, I am taken back to this moment, when I truly did not know that this production was the start of my career and would lead me to form what would become Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble.
As part of our 20th anniversary archival project, we transferred several VHS tapes to an external hard drive. I was excited to see the original production of The Wasteland. I will forever be grateful for the artistic collaboration of Jim Contreras, Allison Farnum, Melissa Lawson and Blake Montgomery who helped make this poem come to life!
In 2014 we included an updated version of The Wasteland as part of our first performance series at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, with original drawings and media from David Sorello, adding another layer to this beautiful poem.
Today in 2023, I’ve decided to visit this poem again. My performance work continues to evolve, and I don’t know yet what the next version might look like. New technology, current events, personal experiences—all this will make a mark on what will be onstage in May 2023. I can’t wait to share it with you.
CDE Funders:
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is supported by The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Innovation 80; smART Growth of the Chicago Community Trust; Farny Wurlitzer Foundation; Mardi Gras Fund and the annual support of individual donors.
The Wasteland Direction & Production
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Ellyzabeth Adler (CDE Founder/Executive Artistic Director)
Director, Adaptor, Performer, and Choreographer for The Wasteland Ellyzabeth Adler (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist working in the genre of "Tanztheatre," weaving together theatre, dance, film, spoken word, and music. As founder of Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) she has dedicated herself to forming partnerships with artists of all genres and generations to create unique, dynamic, engaging, and meaningful ensemble performances. She also teaches and mentors the next generation of performers who, in turn, serve as visiting artists and teachers in schools and community centers through CDE’s Books Alive and Poetry Alive to enhance literacy, numeracy, and arts awareness for thousands of underserved children in the Chicago area, as well as teaching traditional dance, theatre and visual art in the schools. Ellyzabeth studied dance at William Reilly Academy of Ballet and danced with the Springfield Ballet Company before earning a BFA in Performing Arts, with a minor in Broadcast Journalism at Roosevelt University. In 2000 she earned a Masters of Arts in Directing and Movement; as her thesis she developed CDE’s techniques for creating multidisciplined, kinesthetic, and socially engaging theatre. She has created and/or collaboratively adapted, directed and choreographed 10 full-length works including: T.S Eliot’s The Wasteland; Ever Your Own; Edgar; The Yellow Wallpaper; This Is Not A Pipe; Bindis and Bruises; and Touch and Mirrors - one-act plays based on the work of the Persian poet, Rumi. She has also created and choreographed over a dozen concert-length works focused on women’s issues, the female body, the human condition, and pathways to enlightenment. Among these works include HOPE based off the letters of incarcerated men, Unraveling Bill about her friend Theresa Blake who's brother Bill committed suicide after returning from Iraq. While these topic might appear heavy, there is alway a ray of hope and healing in every work that Ellyzabeth created. In 2017, she teamed up with long time colleague, Lucy Vurusic Rhiner of RE Dance to create Ethereal Abandonment based on the photography of Chicagoan Candace Casey about a group of friends who explore an abandoned theater and item they find tells a story of long ago. Ellyzabeth is also a published author with her short stories Full Moon Soulmate and Last Chapter. As a domestic abuse survivor, she has spoken at several conferences and activism events including for Between Friends, Light Up The Lakefront, Muslim Women's Association and Columbia College. Ellyzabeth has one very simple goal in life: to change in the world for the better, one person at a time. |
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Joshua Paul Weckesser (Lighting design)
Joshua Paul Weckesser is a lighting designer who's designs have been seen across the US as well as internationally. Josh's relationship with Chicago Danztheatre is stretching into it's second decade. He is founder of Bread & Roses Productions dedicated to providing production support to art-based organizations. TimeOut Chicago said that Josh’s “name seemed to pop up in every program.” Career highlights include lighting the first ever evening-length production of American Tap at the Kennedy Center, working with Karole Armitage in the Netherlands, and the national tour of Gobsmacked. |
Production Photography: Matthew Gregory Hollis
Featuring the illustrations of David Sarallo
The Wasteland Cast:
Performed through text, physical theatre, dance & media.
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Ellyzabeth Adler
See bio above. |
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Peyton Hooks
Peyton (he/him) is thrilled to be making his debut with Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble! Previous credits include: "Ismene" (Webster Conservatory), "Deadly" (Webster Conservatory), and "Krugozor!" (Theatre Evolve). Peyton is a proud graduate of the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University. IG: @p.hooksy |
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Courtney Reid Harris
Courtney Reid Harris (she/they) is delighted to work with Chicago DanzTheatre again after appearing in This is Not a Pipe last fall. After spending the last couple of years as an elementary educator, she is so jazzed to prance around a stage again! When she is not doing arts and crafts with her cat, you can see her around town doing stand up, sketch comedy, or watching films at the Music Box. Much thanks to her loving partner in crime, Kerry, and to the Chicago DanzTheatre Ensemble for this wonderful opportunity to create. |
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Joshua Hogan Josh Hogan (he/him) is a recent Indiana University graduate. This is part of Josh’s Chicago debut with this production and since moving here has been on tour with Alphabet Soup Productions’ Charlotte’s Web (Homer/ Sheep). University credits include Lonely Planet (Carl), Rabbit Hole (Howe), The Goat, or who is Sylvia? (Billy), Universal Robots (Radius/ Radosh), She Kills Monsters (Orcus), Body Awareness (Jared), Playing on the Periphery (Robert), The Weir (Finbar Mack), Sueño (U/S Segismundo, Clotaldo), and The 39 Steps (U/S Male). Outside of performing Josh is an active playwright, painter, acting teacher, lighting designer, and environmental activist. Josh is a proud member of Phi Kappa Beta. |
Daryo’s All-American Diner
Directed by Luis Pascasio, the play finds its strength through a multiracial assembly of
characters creating a montage on which to view the ongoing anti-Asian hate from a perspective
that engages cross-cultural healing and understanding.
About this production:
The pandemic brought the entire world to its knees and the challenges that it poses after a two-year wrath unravels the delicate fabric upon which our moral and cultural values find its true humanity. For its 32nd theater season, CIRCA Pintig, the Filipino American community arts organization, brings to the stage the story of the Daryo family in the fictional town of Lakeside, Illinois and how a tragic incident transforms their sense of humanity and community.
Written by Conrad A. Panganiban, Daryo’s All-American Diner is a new play about resilience seen through the lens of a Filipino family who struggles to keep a family business open at the height of the pandemic. May, the 40-year old daughter who manages the diner is torn between keeping the business afloat despite mounting expenses or sell the business altogether. As she tiptoes on navigating these choices, her mother April and her African American surrogate aunt Alberta suffer the brunt of racial hatred. May is forced to revisit her decision as family and friends redefine what binds them together as a community. The play sets the tone for how a traumatic act of violence can lead to an act of grace when Daryo family and friends find new joy in honoring the legacy of Augusto Daryo, the late father whose culinary prowess makes Daryo’s All American Diner ‘all American’.
CIRCA Pintig Funders:
This production of CIRCA Pintig is supported in part by Asian Giving Circle, Crossroads Fund, DCASE City Arts Grant, Illinois Arts Council, an agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and RESIST.
characters creating a montage on which to view the ongoing anti-Asian hate from a perspective
that engages cross-cultural healing and understanding.
About this production:
The pandemic brought the entire world to its knees and the challenges that it poses after a two-year wrath unravels the delicate fabric upon which our moral and cultural values find its true humanity. For its 32nd theater season, CIRCA Pintig, the Filipino American community arts organization, brings to the stage the story of the Daryo family in the fictional town of Lakeside, Illinois and how a tragic incident transforms their sense of humanity and community.
Written by Conrad A. Panganiban, Daryo’s All-American Diner is a new play about resilience seen through the lens of a Filipino family who struggles to keep a family business open at the height of the pandemic. May, the 40-year old daughter who manages the diner is torn between keeping the business afloat despite mounting expenses or sell the business altogether. As she tiptoes on navigating these choices, her mother April and her African American surrogate aunt Alberta suffer the brunt of racial hatred. May is forced to revisit her decision as family and friends redefine what binds them together as a community. The play sets the tone for how a traumatic act of violence can lead to an act of grace when Daryo family and friends find new joy in honoring the legacy of Augusto Daryo, the late father whose culinary prowess makes Daryo’s All American Diner ‘all American’.
CIRCA Pintig Funders:
This production of CIRCA Pintig is supported in part by Asian Giving Circle, Crossroads Fund, DCASE City Arts Grant, Illinois Arts Council, an agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and RESIST.
Daryo's All-American Diner Direction & Production
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Conrad A. Panganiban (Playwright)
Conrad A. Panganiban is a Filipino-American playwright representing the San Francisco Bay Area. His plays include THE ACT OF CARE, WELGA, and RIVER’S MESSAGE. Conrad’s work has been produced by Bindlestiff Studio, The Chikahan Company, CIRCA Pintig, and MaArte Theatre Collective. Awards include James Milton Highsmith Award Winner (SFSU), National Ten-Minute Play Festival Finalist (Actors Theatre of Louisville), and Bay Area Playwrights Festival Semi-Finalist (Playwrights Foundation). Resident Artist: Bindlestiff Studio. Member: Dramatist Guild of America, and Theatre Bay Area. MFA. San Francisco State University. He's thrilled to be taking another creative journey with CIRCA Pintig. |
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Louie Pascasio (Director)
Louie is a long-time member of Circa-Pintig and has directed many of its productions. He was also a member of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and has served as musical director of several PETA productions. He has completed his doctoral program on media and community activism. Louie has designed our Community Workshop Series, among other programming. |
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Demetrio Maguigad (Music/Sound Design)
Demetrio P. Cardona-Maguigad is a long-time collaborator with CIRCA-Pintig. From his early days leading and facilitating Philippine history and cultural workshops, to volunteering on productions, to designing and composing original sound scores through the years. He is known most recently for composing the music for CIRCA-Pintig’s 2018 musical production of Game of Trolls, but also for composing and designing sound for other productions including Sister Outlaw, Mr & Mrs Laquesta Go Dancing, and more. He is currently the Principal of Design Strategy at LimeRed and an active member of the board of directors for the Chicago Cultural Alliance and the Pilsen Housing Cooperative--where he is also a resident with his wife Adriana, and his children Maria-Isabel and Junot. |
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Larry Leopoldo (Set Designer)
Larry Leopoldo is a founding member of Pintig Cultural Group and played the lead role of Carlos Bulosan in its first production"American is in the Heart." Born and raised in Chicago, he is co-owner of Leopoldo Catering and a Contractor. He has a B.A. in English Literature (DePaul University) and has adapted fiction by Bienvenido Santos and Jose Rizal for the stage and self-published "The Mysteries of the VERM", a sci-fi/fantasy novel on Amazon. |
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Gabrielle Foreman (Stage Manager)
Gabrielle Foreman graduated from The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) in 2013 and later attended Indiana Wesleyan University where she studied Vocal performance. She has performed as the Witch from Into the Woods and Hetty from The Clever Artifice of Harriet and Margeret which she debuted at the National Opera Association in 2016. The Chicago native has also sung with traveling groups and as a soloist, across the United States; Mexico; and Italy. Though Gabrielle has always had a passion for telling stories through music and theater on stage, she is enthused by this opportunity to work behind the scenes. Gabrielle has been on the production team for Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) since the fall of 2021 and is the stage manager for CIRCA-Pintig's Daryo's All-American Diner. She is excited to continue her work with this co-billed production! |
Daryo’s All-American Diner Cast:
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Ginger Leopoldo (Cast: April Daryo & Producer)
Ginger Leopoldo is an educator, actor, director, producer, and community organizer. She is the founding Artistic Director of the Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts (CIRCA), and Executive Director of CIRCA Pintig. Her work includes performing, directing, producing, and facilitating theatre productions and workshops for all ages. Ginger has created youth heritage curricula with techniques that utilize a basic integrated theatre arts workshop methodology as well as Activism & Art workshops, STEAM Education, and programming that support the TEAACH Act for K -12 public school educators and students. Ginger has over 20 years of experience as a teaching artist and literacy coach for public school teachers. In addition, she teaches English to students on a virtual and global platform and is an adjunct lecturer in the ESL program at the University of the Potomac. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in organizational leadership focusing on the pedagogy of the Theatre of the Oppressed, popular education, and diaspora. She received her B.A. and M.A. in theater from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her recent projects include the co-design and facilitation of a UIC-funded program called WAANT - Wellness through Asian American Narrative and Theatre, she is a TEAACH Act PD facilitator with Asian American Advancing Justice Chicago and serves as an advisor for several community boards including the Chicago History Museum, UIC's Global Asian Studies (GLAS) Community and Advisory Board, and Digital Tapestries. Ginger is a proud 1.75-generation Filipino American and lives in Chicago with her husband and three children. |
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RJ Silva (Cast: Augusto "Jun" Daryo & Graphic Design)
RJ Silva is a theatre professional in Chicago, born and raised in Manila. He is a member of the Artist Auxiliary Board for the Chicago Artist Guide, a playwright at this year’s PlayGround Chicago pool, and an artist with 2nd Story. Extremely excited for the opportunity to return to CIRCA Pintig, having previously performed in ALLOS more than ten years ago. Outside of theatre, RJ produces original content for The Ampliverse at theampliverse.com |
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Heather Jencks (Cast: May Daryo)
Heather Jencks is a Chicago-based actor and is thrilled to be working with CIRCA Pintig on this important new play. Previous credits include: Top Girls (u/s, Remy Bumppo), Fast Company (u/s, Jackalope Theatre Co.), Richard III (u/s Promethean Theatre), Not One Batu (NWaC), Nanay (Free Street Theatre), King Lear (Eleusis Collective), The Benchmark (StepUp Productions), Patria Libre (Prologue Theatre Company). Heather is a proud alumnus of Black Box Acting Studio, Second City TC, Annoyance, and iO Chicago; and has had the pleasure of studying at L’Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq and the summer Shakespeare conservatory, RADA. |
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Cary Shoda (Cast: Derek Kim)
Cary Shoda is a Chicago-based actor and graphic designer. His acting credits include The Effect (Strawdog), Cowboy Versus Samurai (A-Squared), Two Dead Guys and a Banjo: A Story of Mourning (Halcyon), The Laramie Project (James Downing), Trial By Water (dueEast/A-Squared), Fish Men (u/s, Teatro Vista/Goodman), A Majority of One (James Downing), and others. He co-founded A-Squared Theatre, an Asian American theatre company for which he served as Producing Artistic Director (2014–2018) and co-curated the A-Squared Asian American Performing Arts Festival with Links Hall and Asian Improv aRts Midwest. On camera, Cary has appeared in the short films Petition for Alien Spouse and 2389: Coming Home in addition to working in commercials and corporate videos. For Helen, Esther, Takeshi, and Carlyle. |
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Amanda Payne (Cast: Alberta Travenia)
Amanda Payne is a Black and Filipina singer and comedienne from Sacramento, California. She started performing as a child, in piano recitals, choirs, and Filipino dance/music theater groups. After decades of training to be an opera singer and navigating life as an ADHD, multi-racial, bi-sexual, retail manager, Amanda has a story (or two) to tell and a song in her heart. She has recently performed with Lyric Opera, Chicago Fringe Opera, and on WFMT. You can find her in the Chicagoland area and beyond with Forte Chicago, Club Asia, Doki Doki Beats, Hair Affair, and Super Rad: Chicago’s Ska Tribute. Amanda enjoys streaming video games, playing the ukulele, and spoiling her dogs. @blkbeltsoprano on The Internet. |
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KC Khan (Cast: Michael Travenia)
Trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts-LA campus, KC was born and raised on Chicago's prominent South Side where he first gained inspiration to act through dance and movies. Also a veteran of the armed forces, KC has lived a dynamic life that serves his creative process with credits such as Frankensteins monster, Othello and currently performing in Dimitriy Yakubov's "Splinter". |
Notes from the Team
Daryo’s All-American Diner
DIRECTOR'S NOTES:
Message from "Daryo's All-American Diner" director, Luis Pascacio:
Watching an assembly of Filipino, Korean, and African American characters in a play is a rarity in American theater. Even more rare is hearing them talk about common issues and shared values about family, friendships and community. Conrad Pangniban's play gives voice to these values with such wit and pathos. It unearths a shared humanity that is given power through drama and through a talented set of actors and crew who bring their own truths and emotion to Conrad's poignant play. To a dedicated assembly of actors and production staff, many thanks for all the hard work and commitment to the process of community healing through the arts!
PLAYWRIGHT NOTES:
Message from "Daryo's All-American Diners" playwright, Conrad A. Panganiban:
Thank you for spending an evening of "Humanity and Hope" with us! With Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble's production, it is a true honor to share DARYO'S ALL-AMERICAN DINER with you. What started as a meeting with CIRCA Pintig has become one of the most emotional and introspective journeys I've ever taken as a playwright. Learning about the violence against some in the AAPI community during the pandemic and looking into the history of violence against Asians in America has run me through the gauntlet of anger, sadness, inspiration, and eventual hope. Channeling all of these emotions, along with some humor, to create the world the Daryo family and its characters will face is something I hope you will be able to reflect upon long after the houselights come back up to share with others. Maraming Salamat! @consplayspace
The Wasteland
DIRECTOR'S NOTES:
Message from "The Wasteland" director, adaptor, performer, choreographer & CDE Founder/Executive Artistic Director, Ellyzabeth Adler:
How do you find humanity and hope in the world when it seems to be falling apart? I wonder if this was Elliot's thesis when he started writing this poem at the end of WWI. Every day we hear another story about a mass shooting, the effects of global warming, and wars around the world. Yet, if we listen closely, we can hear the sound of children playing, see a bird in the sky, and a flower blooming. Death, birth, and renewal. It is up to us to choose what we work towards, destruction or growth, fear or love. Walking down a crowded street, do you feel alone and disconnected or excited overhearing people's conversations? We are only given this one life. It is up to us to choose how we live it.
I fell in love with The Wasteland in undergrad; it read like a Shakespearean play. For a project in grad school, I adapted Burial of the Dead (part I). Post graduation, at the Belle Plaine Studio (2001), a workshop of the poem's entirety was performed. I never thought, 22 years later, this is where I would be. I'm inspired by tanztheatre, "which unites all art media to achieve an all-embracing, radical change in humankind." (Laban's definition). As you will see, all the art forms together in this production of The Wasteland and why we have partnered with CIRCA-Pintig's Daryo's All-American Diner. At Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, we build community through the arts "one story, one voice, one person" at a time onstage and in the classroom.
A few thank you's: to CDE's teaching artists who bring our mission to life in the classroom. Our board (John, Ashley, and Matthew), Managing Director Carly Davis, and Community Engagement Director Naomi Flores, this has been a crazy year; thanks for all you do! Joshua Paul Weckesser, my long-time tech collaborator, I love that we communicate not with words but through art. Finally, you are a voice of reason, Gabby Foreman, Stage Manager.
To my mentor: Jean Parisi, who gave me my first teaching artists gig with ProArts at St. Sabin's Elementary School. This experience changed my life and showed me firsthand the impact of arts in schools. Jean and her husband, Lionel Botarri, encouraged me to start a company. Inspired by their community-based approach with ProsArts in Pilsen, I strive to do the same through arts programming in the schools, a welcoming theater environment, and opportunities for all the artists we work with. Steven Fedoruk, I've sat by your side in many rehearsals learning from you, listening to your words of wisdom, and loving every moment. Terry Spencer Hesser, there are not enough words to describe how much I love you and all the tough love over the years. Thank you, Jean, Lionel, Steven, and Terry, for your encouragement and wisdom. I appreciate you!
To our audience, thank you for returning to the theater and celebrating our 20th anniversary!
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble Mission and Vision
Mission:
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble engages, inspires, and challenges audiences, both onstage and in the classroom, through innovative, multidisciplinary storytelling. We do this in the genre of Tanztheatre, "which unites all art media to achieve an all-embracing radical change in humankind."
Vision:
Residents of Chicagoland are inspired to make their world a better place by exploring important social issues in an artistic setting.
All students have access to arts education and can holistically develop their skills to be proactive, positive members of society.
Equity at CDE:
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble strives to create an equitable and empowering space for our artists, administrators, teachers, and audiences. We aim to build a platform for the voices of the diverse communities we serve. All are welcome!
Artistic Identity in Performance:
Rooted in the tradition of Tanztheatre and in the collaborative process of devising, CDE creates contemporary multidisciplinary performances to address social issues, in a space that allows for community conversation and cultural change.
Artistic Identity in the Classroom:
CDE’s arts education programs create a space in Chicago schools for students to explore their own creativity. Our teaching artists support the holistic development of science, math, reading, and social skills through art and performance.
Land Acknowledgement:
CDE's permanent home, Ebenezer Lutheran Church Auditorium, sits on the traditional homelands of the Three Fires Confederacy: Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi nations, as well as the Fox, Ho-Chunk, Inoka, Miami, Sac, and their descendants. We recognize that Indigenous peoples are the traditional stewards of the land that we now occupy, living here long before Chicago was a city, and still thriving here today. We invite you to join us in offering them our respect and gratitude.
To read more information about CDE and their history, click here!
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble engages, inspires, and challenges audiences, both onstage and in the classroom, through innovative, multidisciplinary storytelling. We do this in the genre of Tanztheatre, "which unites all art media to achieve an all-embracing radical change in humankind."
Vision:
Residents of Chicagoland are inspired to make their world a better place by exploring important social issues in an artistic setting.
All students have access to arts education and can holistically develop their skills to be proactive, positive members of society.
Equity at CDE:
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble strives to create an equitable and empowering space for our artists, administrators, teachers, and audiences. We aim to build a platform for the voices of the diverse communities we serve. All are welcome!
Artistic Identity in Performance:
Rooted in the tradition of Tanztheatre and in the collaborative process of devising, CDE creates contemporary multidisciplinary performances to address social issues, in a space that allows for community conversation and cultural change.
Artistic Identity in the Classroom:
CDE’s arts education programs create a space in Chicago schools for students to explore their own creativity. Our teaching artists support the holistic development of science, math, reading, and social skills through art and performance.
Land Acknowledgement:
CDE's permanent home, Ebenezer Lutheran Church Auditorium, sits on the traditional homelands of the Three Fires Confederacy: Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi nations, as well as the Fox, Ho-Chunk, Inoka, Miami, Sac, and their descendants. We recognize that Indigenous peoples are the traditional stewards of the land that we now occupy, living here long before Chicago was a city, and still thriving here today. We invite you to join us in offering them our respect and gratitude.
To read more information about CDE and their history, click here!
CIRCA-Pintig Mission and Vision
Mission:
In the light of our vision, we will educate, mobilize, and organize community members, primarily immigrants and their families, through community arts-based and community-centered intergenerational programs and services.
Vision:
We believe in the power of the arts for engaging community members in building and nurturing thriving communities that are fully empowered to determine their collective destinies. Our vision of a just and humane society rests upon our core belief that our communities can play a significant role and can contribute meaningfully towards upholding human rights for all and uplifting the human ideals that value life, freedom, justice and nurture individual human potentials to the fullest.
To read more information about CIRCA-Pintig and their history, click here!
In the light of our vision, we will educate, mobilize, and organize community members, primarily immigrants and their families, through community arts-based and community-centered intergenerational programs and services.
Vision:
We believe in the power of the arts for engaging community members in building and nurturing thriving communities that are fully empowered to determine their collective destinies. Our vision of a just and humane society rests upon our core belief that our communities can play a significant role and can contribute meaningfully towards upholding human rights for all and uplifting the human ideals that value life, freedom, justice and nurture individual human potentials to the fullest.
To read more information about CIRCA-Pintig and their history, click here!