This solitude will be broken up by a series of curated pieces from Chicagoland artists and designers, transforming the still-standing set from Court’s canceled production of The Lady from the Sea into a canvas for broader expression in the months to come. Lighting, sound, and video will all be operated remotely to create activated moments during the 24/7 live video feed of Court’s Abelson Auditorium. While initial content may use technical elements of The Lady from the Sea as a jumping-off point, other points of departure could include the display of videos and images from past Court Theatre productions, as well as collaborations with multi-media artists from the South Side, University of Chicago, and greater Chicago community.
“As a theatre maker, one of my most sacred rituals is sitting alone in an empty, dark theatre,” says Jennifer Gadda, Director of Production at Court Theatre and curator of this installation. “There is a sort of hushed energy that activates a quiet theatre, made up of the emotional experiences of all the plays and audiences that have inhabited it in the past.”
“The intimate Abelson Auditorium holds a special place in so many of our artists and audience members’ hearts,” says Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director. “While we aren’t able to currently gather in our space, I’m thrilled about offering the broader community the opportunity to find sanctuary in our auditorium while contemplating the way in which live theatre has impacted their lives through this unique installation.”
The video stream will be accessible beginning June 30, 2020 on Court’s website at www.CourtTheatre.org/theliminalspace as well as the theatre’s YouTube channel. The stream will continue, in perpetuity, until the theatre can begin live performances again.
Court Theatre is the professional theatre of the University of Chicago, dedicated to innovation, inquiry, intellectual engagement, and community service. Court endeavors to make a lasting contribution to classic American theatre by expanding the canon of translations, adaptations, and classic texts. The theatre revives lost masterpieces; illuminates familiar texts; explores the African American theatrical canon; and discovers fresh, modern classics. Court engages and inspires its audience by providing artistically distinguished productions, audience enrichment activities, and student educational experiences.