The Ultimate in Audience Participation

It is a long-standing tradition with Living Canvas productions to allow any and all interested audience members to experience for themselves what it is like to be a “living canvas”. Free spirited individuals of all ages and sizes get the opportunity at the end of each performance to shed their clothes while the theater is still dark and then step down onto the stage and join the cast for a few minutes as they move through a series of richly colored projections that will cover the entire performing area. 

This year, the directors of Living Canvas – Demons have once again integrated the audience participation segment into the final portion of the show in a way that will make it very easy for interested and curious audience members to join in the fun. At the conclusion of the curtain call at the end of the performance, cast members will invite people to undress while the house lights are still down and then move onto the stage that will already be bathed in colorful patterns. The performers will guide them through some basic movements as rhythmic music adds to the experience. Some people may want to simply stand and watch in amazement as the colors play over their skin. Others will feel totally liberated as they play and dance like children under the cover of the projected images.

Sound outrageous? Perhaps to some, but many people from the audience participate after every show and they all seem to agree that they never really feel exposed on stage since the intricate projected patterns cover their naked bodies like clothing. It’s like body paint without the mess!

At the end of this segment, those audience members who ventured on stage will be able to return to their seats, put on their clothes again in the darkened theater, and then take their seats for an informative question-answer session to end the evening. The performers and directors will take questions from the audience and explain all aspects of the artistic concept and the challenges of staging a Living Canvas production.

So this year, as you watch the energetic performers bring Living Canvas – Demons to life, remember that you too can be part of the experience. It’s easy and it’s fun, and it is definitely an experience you will never forget.

A Tumultuous Tale

This year's Naked July Festival features two adaptations of "The Emperor's New Clothes," a familiar tale most commonly associated with the fable by the Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. But even though the two new plays are based loosely on this classic story, they are unique in many ways. On July 8th, David Denman's play titled The Tumultuous Tale of the Tragically Transparent Tunic directed by Phil Canzano will open on the National Pastime stage with an original take on the familiar story. Much is left to the imagination of the audience since the story is set in an unnamed land and in a time that is vaguely identified as a “post war era.”

In this modern adaptation, a naïve emperor faces many challenges, but he clings to memories of a beautiful relationship with a woman named Moon Beam in the hippie era of the ‘60’s. His present life is far more complicated than that peaceful summer of love, however, since he is surrounded by people who seek to swindle him or plot to take his life. In this photo shot during a weekend rehearsal, the Emperor played by Mike Brown sits on his throne while actors Jen LaTurner, Mallory Schuh, and Ben Zisk vie for his attention.

In a later scene, Mallory Schuh and Arch Harmon work to refine their dialogue as they rehearse a scene from the play. Other actors appearing in The Tumultuous Tale of the Tragically Transparent Tunic include Megan Brown, David Denman, Shawn Goudie, Erin Robinson, and Hubertus Van Lonzenoaer. Some of these versatile actors play more than one character in the play, and the action is fast-paced as they move from role to role.

So what is the emperor’s fate? Will his enemies succeed in their evil plots and schemes or will the forces of good prevail in the end? One thing is certain—this tumultuous tale will leave you with entirely new interpretation of Andersen’s classic tale.


The Art of the Living Canvas

As soon as the house lights go down and the first of a series of projected images fills the stage, you know immediately that you are in for a mesmerizing experience that will delight your senses. The concept of the Living Canvas begins with the notion that the human body is innately beautiful and made even more remarkable when bathed in rich patterns of light and color. The performers are nude, and their bodies become art as they move gracefully through projected images or subtle patterns of light and shadow that fill the stage. Few spoken words are required here since, like many thought-provoking stories told on stage, the details are more effectively revealed through expressive dance movements and compelling music.

This year's show is titled Living Canvas - Demons and it tells a deeply moving story of a young woman named Lily who is drawn away from the world she knows into the unknown mysteries of another world filled with fanciful creatures and amazing adventures. Her sister tries desperately to bring Lily back, but Lily seems to be more fulfilled and happy in this strange new land and resists her sister's efforts to be reunited. It is a voyage of self-discovery for both young women, and the emotional closing scene will linger in your thoughts long after you leave the theater.

What makes The Living Canvas such a remarkable experience is the fact that the audience is first able to watch this extraordinary symphony of light and music on stage and then have an opportunity to find out what is feels like to be a "living canvas." Audience participation opportunities and question-answer segments with the cast are integral parts of all Living Canvas performances, and the directors of this year's show have devised some exciting new ways to allow the audience to be a part of the experience. Living Canvas - Demons opens at 10:00 pm on Friday, July 2, at the National Pastime Theater. Pete Guither is the Artistic Director for this show and Lisa Adams is the writer and director. More information about the show and this unique artistic concept can be found on The Living Canvas web site.

New Clothes for the Naked July Festival

Everyone knows the story of "The Emperor’s New Clothes,” a fable told across many cultures over the years but most commonly associated with the tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The story of an arrogant and selfish leader who is easily duped by a group of swindlers has become a symbol for the hypocrisy and self-delusion that have defined the persona of some politicians or other celebrities. So what does a beloved children’s tale have to do with the Naked July Festival? The answer rests with two new original plays that will premiere at the National Pastime Theater this summer—The Emperor’s New Clothes, adapted by Keely Haddad-Null, and The Tumultuous Tale of the Tragically Transparent Tunic, adapted by David Denman.

In a bold new adaptation created for the Naked July Festival, The Emperor’s New Clothes tells the story of a mayor of Los Angeles, a power-hungry leader whose administration is tainted with scandal and corruption. Like Andersen’s foolish and gullible emperor, this mayor is an easy target for the scheme of a self-serving tailor and ends up standing before the people he professes to serve wearing only a “garment” that he believes can only be viewed by enlightened people like himself. But this time, the leader is not the only one to be blinded and exposed by his own conceit—his wife and advisors also have appointments with the tailor in this modern adaptation of the classic tale.

Under the direction of Carolyne Anderson, the bold and confident cast is coming together quickly while facing a dauntingly short rehearsal schedule. Some of the cast members are new to the Naked July Festival while others performed in shows last July and are also appearing in other Festival shows this summer.

So what will you see when you come to watch The Emperor’s New Clothes on the National Pastime stage? Are you enlightened and sophisticated enough to see the grandeur of the “clothes” that the mayor, his wife, and his advisors are “wearing” during the big parade? Or will you be like the young boy in Andersen’s story who makes his simple and candid observation that they are not wearing any clothes?

The Emperor’s New Clothes kicks off the Naked July Festival with the opening performance at 8:00 on July 2. It will be performed every Friday and Saturday night in July at 8:00.

The Essence of a Chicago Storefront Theater

Anyone who has visited the National Pastime Theater venue or enjoyed watching a performance in the old ballroom space knows that there is a great deal of history associated with this location. Built as the Buena Park Hotel in the late 1920’s in the midst of the Prohibition era, it now serves a contemporary theater audience with reminders of a glamorous though sometimes notorious past. The original marble clock dominates the main wall of what is now the performance space, and the missing hands on the face of the clock seem to instill a sense of timelessness in the room. Those actors and directors who work in this space insist that they feel the magic and energy that seem to emanate from all corners of this historic space.

Given this history, it seems fitting that this location serves as the home for the Naked July Festival for a second summer. During the Prohibition years, revelers sought a private refuge in the “speakeasy” here so that they could assert their personal freedoms as they willfully disregarded the federal ban on alcoholic beverages. In that same spirit, the artistic directors who have created the Naked July Festival are determined to challenge the views of those individuals in today's society who would have us believe that simple nudity in dance or the performing arts is somehow wrong or distasteful or immoral. As NPT founder Laurence Bryan pointed out in a Chicago Tribune article a few years ago, “We are in this place for a reason. We have had a very anti-Establishment theme here and I think it fits the history of the place. This is the perfect place to produce the plays that we do.”

It certainly seems like a perfect place to stage the four performance pieces that make up the Naked July program this summer. The shows are sure to amaze you and challenge your sensibilities. This bold and innovative concept is the essence of storefront theater in Chicago. Don’t miss it.

The Naked July Collection

There is more to the Naked July Festival than live performances, as visitors to the National Pastime Theater will notice as soon as they step into the lobby of the storefront theater on Broadway. The walls are covered with artwork done in a variety of media created by several local artists. The festival planners have created this gallery in part to showcase the work of these talented artists, but also to help prepare the audience for the live performances.

The gallery of art in the Naked July Collection will continue to grow in the weeks ahead, but here is a sampling of the artists and works on display:

Gary Schirmer is an instructor in the Art Department at the College of DuPage and also has experience with the development of museum exhibits and the production of the scenic designs for television and film. His web galleries feature several figure drawings similar to the work displayed in the National Pastime lobby, but he also has a strong interest in the Chicago urban landscape.

Nude figure studies constitute an important segment of Schirmer’s work, and he explains his philosophy in this way: ”I consider the human figure, as well as portraiture, to be an important staple of my artistic development and inspiration, stressing personal depiction, empathic response, anatomical fundamentals, and the expressive uses of both color and medium application.” For more information about Schirmer’s work or to learn how to purchase paintings or drawing that he has created, please click here to visit his web site.

David Denman is the founder of Clock Productions. This production company located in Chicago includes a staff of actors and artistic designers and has been producing theatre and video productions since 1997. Denman is the director of one of the performance pieces in the 2010 Naked July Festival, and several of his paintings are featured in the collection in the theater lobby. Like the example shown here titled Hallway, Denman’s use of colors and stark settings invite comparison to the works of Edward Hopper and they challenge the viewer to reassess familiar surroundings. More examples of Denman’s work can be viewed by clicking on this link to the Clock Productions web site.

Pete Guither has been amazing audience members for years with a unique and captivating art concept that he calls The Living Canvas. Guither works from the premise that the human form is beautiful in all shapes and forms, and then uses the nude bodies of his performers and models as “living canvases” on which to project colorful patterns of light. The first live performances of The Living Canvas took place on a stage at Illinois State University in 2001, and in more recent years, Guither has staged performances in the Chicago area at the Strawdog Theater, Chicago Actor’s Studio, Boxer Rebellion Theater, Victory Gardens Theater, and last year at the National Pastime Theater.

Some samples of Guither’s still photography work are on display in the theater lobby and will give audience members a glimpse of what is in store for them when they step inside the performance space to see The Living Canvas: Demons this summer. Whether he uses colorful projected patterns or the subtle use of light and shadow, Guither challenges the viewer to consider the beauty of the human body in a new way. Be sure to visit the Living Canvas web site to learn more about this unique art concept.

Look for the works by these artists and many more when you visit the National Pastime Theater this summer to experience Naked July in Chicago.

Welcome to Naked July 2010

The Naked July Festival is back. After a very successful debut event in 2009, the creative team at National Pastime Theater is putting the final touches on the details for a new Naked July event this summer.

Once again, the program is filled with stunning performances that have one unifying theme--the celebration of the beauty of the human form.

Shows this year include:

The Emperor's New Clothes
Living Canvas: Demons
The Tumultuous Tale of the Tragically Transparent Tunic
Eros

Information about shows and tickets can be found on the Naked July Festival web site or at the theater venue:

National Pastime Theatre Ensemble
4139 North Broadway Ave.
Chicago, IL. 60613
Phone: 773-327-7077 | 733-327-7422
E-mail: nationalpastime@sbcglobal.net