Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) continues its 22nd season with Panther In The Sky, May 1 - 18, in the Auditorium at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave. Panther In The Sky, written by Lani Montreal, is directed by Mignon McPherson Stewart and music directed by Chip Payos. Press night/opening is Wednesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.) There will be talkbacks on May 4 and 17 with the playwright, community partners and CDE’s arts education team. The League of Chicago Theatres will host an industry event on May 10. Tickets are $10-$30. For additional information on participants and to purchase tickets visit DanzTheatre.org.
Panther in the Sky is a new play about four mothers who lost their teenage sons to gun violence on the streets of Chicago and the sons who watch over them, guiding them to take action.
CDE will have community activism tables set up at every performance. These tables will be run by local activist groups including Israel's Gifts of Hope, Moms Demand Action, allowing the audience to write a letter or sign a prefilled postcard about topical social justice issues. The postcards were designed by kids in CDE’s after school programs in grades 3rd-5th.These letters and postcards will be sent to local, state, and national politicians to encourage change. This postcard/letter writing campaign is a proactive and effective way to engage the audience and empower them to make a difference. It utilizes the platform of the performances to create a space for dialogue, awareness, and activism, encouraging patrons to actively participate in shaping a better world.
In addition to the weekly performances, CDE will have a gallery exhibition featuring the Conde Art Project (Conde). Conde believes that art is a powerful tool for Resistance, unifying communities, and providing a safe space for dialogue. A “Queer” artist of color, Conde’s art is informed by social and political issues which affect the marginalized. After Trayvon Martin’s killing, Conde created “In The Hood – Portraits of African American Professionals Wearing a Hoodie,” which dealt with “Perception” vs. “Reality.” “The Bang Bang Project” was conceptualized after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. It focuses on “Racism” and “Police Brutality.” “AmeriKKKa – Reflection of a Divided Country” comments on the rise of White Nationalism, Xenophobia, Sexism and Racism in the U.S.
The cast of Panther in the Sky includes Venice Averyheart; Rashaad A. Bond; Aida Palma Carpio; Gustavo Duran; Nina Mae Vidal Howard; Kyle Johnson; James Macapagal; Jamia Amira Taylor; and Amanda Payne
Panther in the Sky’s creative team is Mignon McPherson Stewart (director); Ginger Leopoldo (producer CP); Ellyzabeth Adler (producer CDE); Naomi Flores (community engagement director); Chip Payos (musical director); Rashaan Nance (sound designer); Joshua Paul Weckesser (lighting designer); and Gabrielle Foreman (stage manager).
ABOUT CHICAGO DANZTHEATRE ENSEMBLE
Founded in 2001, Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) is Chicago’s only multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to social justice and socially conscious work that builds community through the arts “one voice, one story, one person at a time.” CDE’s mission is to engage, inspire, and challenge the community, both onstage and in the classroom, through innovative and collaborative multidisciplinary storytelling to illuminate aspects of social issues. We do this in the genre of Danztheatre, "which unites all art media to achieve an all-embracing, radical change in humankind.” Through our school-based art and performance programs, CDE helps students in Chicago schools explore their own creativity, supporting their social and emotional learning. CDE provides a physical and emotional space where community conversation and cultural change can happen.
For our performance series, CDE is dedicated to creating performances that blend together dance, theatre and visual art to tell stories about the human condition. We give an artistic voice to those who are not always heard.
- Dedicated since our founding to diverse casting of age, body type and ethnicity
- Consistently listed as a “Top Theater and Dance Performance to See” by New City and Chicago Reader
- Unique collaborations with the Veterans Art Museum, Poetry Center Chicago, Cantigny Museum, Neighborhood Writing Alliance, Voice of the City and numerous dance and theater companies
- MacArthur Award Grantee for International Collaborations.
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble presents “Panther In The Sky,” May 1 - 18 in the Auditorium at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave. Press night/opening is Wednesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.) There will be talkbacks on May 4 and 17 with the playwright, community partners and CDE’s arts education team. The League of Chicago Theatres will host an industry event on May 10. Tickets are $10-$30. For additional information on participants and to purchase tickets visit DanzTheatre.org.
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is supported by The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Department of Cultural Affairs Chicago (DCASE) The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; Innovation 80; smART Growth of the Chicago Community Trust; Farny Wurlitzer Foundation; Mardi Gras Fund and the annual support of individual donors.