I'll be playing on November 15th and December 6th as part of the Happy Faily Series from the Magpies. Read all about it here.
The Magpies Upcoming ShowsTHE HAPPY FAMILY SERIES | Demonstrations Exploring"Harmonic Antagonisms"
NOVEMBER 13 DECEMBER 6
FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS AT 7:00 pm SUNDAYS AT 3:00 p.m.
VIADUCT THEATRE
3111 NORTH WESTERN AVENUE
(773) 296-6024 FOR TICKETS & INFO
$12 or 3 shows for $30
 
NO SHOWS THANKSGIVING WEEKEND (NOV 2729)
Featuring over thirty artists in three weeks, The Happy Family Series is a brimming collection of big-hearted demonstrations exploring "harmonic antagonisms," the awkward equilibriums, true or false, that we forge with our loved ones/enemies.
With performative lectures, scroll storytellings, multi-media monologues, live music ranging from cabaret to country, one-act plays, videos, puppetry, improvisational bits and more, the series is a veritable vaudeville of delivery systems coming together to tackle a common theme from all theatrical angles: P.T. Barnum's famous American Museum exhibit, "The Happy Family."
According to the official guide book to the museum, Item No. 884 - The Happy Family was "a miscellaneous collection of predators and prey, living together harmoniously in one large cage, each of them being mortal enemy of every other, but contentedly playing and frolicking together, without injury or discord."
Information that exists today about The Happy Family exhibit is conflicting. But what can be deduced from varying reports is that anywhere from 60200 beasts and birds were housed together under one roof. Species that have been cited as part of the exhibit include: doves, owls, rats, cats, dogs, hawks, rabbits, roosters, lions, guinea pigs, raccoons, alligators, ant eaters, porcupines, bears, woodchucks, opossums, armadillos, and all kinds of monkeys.
"We could learn a thing or two from these dumb animals!" Barnum would often blurt out over the pumped in classical music to astonished crowds. But rumor has it, that when the museum closed for the night and everyone had finally gone home, the tamers would sneak into the exhibit with their whips and beat the happiness into the beasts. Many eyewitness accounts state that the animals often looked too exhausted or malnourished to put up much of a fight.
Participants of The Happy Family Series have been given one simple directive, to extrapolate "harmonic antagonisms" from the "The Happy Family" exhibit in any way they see fit. The result is a profound collection of work that includes such topics as The Six Days War, animal husbandry, prison stints, Versailles, Thanksgiving, Noah's ark, President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexy Kosygin, Xanax, Byzantine history, city planning, The Swiss Family Robinson, winter's discontent, drunken romance lullabies, and much, much more.
Curated by Shawn Reddy
Emceed by H.B. Ward A.K.A. "The Tamer"
Featuring work by Martha Bayne, Ian Belknap, Dave Buchen, Chris Bower, Eiren Caffall, Mark Chrisler, Robin Cline, Barrie Cole, Elvisbride Band, Idris Goodwin, David Isaacson, David Kodeski, Jenny Magnus, Brian Nemtusak, Beau O'Reilly, David Pavkovic and Vicki Walden (of DOG), The Lawrence Peters Outfit, Diana Slickman, Edward Thomas-Herrera, and David Wilcox.
**************************************************************************************************