Spotlight: Physical Theater Fest goes virtual, 'Sweet Home Chicago' video raises money for local artists

Physical theater fest

Since the COVID-19 pandemic prevents theater artists from gathering in person for Chicago's annual Physical Theater Festival, organizers shifted shows and workshops online. The Era Footwork Crew opens the festival with an examination of oppression titled “The Testament.” Other productions include Brazilian ensemble Cia de Teatro Manual's “The Woman Who Dreamed,” which combines narration, animation and audiovisual elements; “Scratch Night,” showcasing new visual and physical theater works by local artists; Single Shoe Productions' “#TakeUsThere,” in which artists re-create places they miss with household objects; and “The Pandemic Project,” developed through the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Performances take place Friday through Sunday, July 17-19, via Zoom. Some events are free, others are $3. See physicalfestival.com for the schedule.

Artists for Illinois

Chicago-area musicians, dancers and theater artists teamed up for a video performance of the blues anthem “Sweet Home Chicago” to raise money for the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund. The fund assists Chicago-area artists struggling financially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has shuttered theaters, music venues and other arts/entertainment outlets. Participants include: E. Faye Butler, Kurt Elling, Jessie Mueller, Felicia P. Fields, Rachel Barton Pine, Rhymefest, Jeff Perry, members of the Joffrey Ballet and the M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Dance Collective, George Wendt, Joe Mantegna and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The Arts for Illinois Relief Fund is a collaboration between the state of Illinois, the city of Chicago and local philanthropies to provide grants to individual artists and artisans — including stage and production crew members and part-time cultural workers — as well as arts organizations unable to work during this temporary shutdown. Since its launch April 1, the fund has awarded more than $5 million to more than 1,600 individual artists and institutions. However, more than 7,300 applicants still await relief. Viewers are encouraged to donate at artsforillinois.org/sweethomechicago.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed her gratitude for the “heartwarming production of our hometown anthem and very worthy cause.”

“If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it's the nourishment and joy the arts brings to our lives,” said Lightfoot in a prepared statement. “However, our artists have also been among the most impacted by the fallout from this disease. Since its inception, the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund has served as a critical resource to help our arts community stay afloat during this crisis.”

Virtual party time

Chicago Children's Theatre premieres a virtual puppet show “Doll Face Has a Party!” Writer/illustrator/director Brian Selznick created the 10-minute play about a doll who throws herself a party with her friends knife, fork, spoon and plate. It's based on a 1994 picture book by Pam Conrad illustrated by Selznick, who directed the show remotely from his California home. The show stars Chicago puppeteers Will Bishop and Grace Needlman, who designed, performed and filmed the show from their apartment. Actor James Lecesne voices the characters. Watch the video at chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

Steel Beam short takes

Steel Beam Theatre's second YouTube showcase features veterans performing original limericks, a song from “She Loves Me,” a monologue from Paul Rudnick's “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told” and Janus Theatre artistic director Sean Hargadon reciting Walt Whitman's “When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer.” The performances are part of the theater's efforts to raise funds and stay connected to subscribers during the shutdown. To access the video, type “Steel Beam Theatre short takes” on youtube.com.

In other news

• Citadel Theatre's interactive theater event continues online at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, with part 1 of a discussion based on a viewing of Todd Logan's “Defamation” about an African American business owner from Chicago's South Side who is accused of stealing an heirloom watch belonging to a wealthy Jewish man from the North Side. The twist is that the audience serves as the jury. Part 2 of the post-play discussion takes place Thursday, July 23. See citadeltheatre.org.

• Chicago Shakespeare Theater's digital platform Shakes@Home continues with scenes from past productions, question-and-answer sessions with directors, theater artists discussing their craft, and discussions on Shakespeare's poetry and his use of the aside, among other content. Additionally CST has added a downloadable coloring book “All the World's a Coloring Page.” See chicagoshakes.com.

• Unable to perform live at Highwood's Miramar Bistro, Short Story Theatre is showcasing audio versions of tales by Chicago-area storytellers on Facebook. See shortstorytheatre.com for information on featured stories and how to submit stories for consideration.

• Filament Theatre founding managing director Christian Libonati will step down from the position he has held for 13 years to pursue his own artistic pursuits, according to a prepared statement from the theater. “Christian is an extraordinary collaborator and leader whose impact on our company and community cannot be overstated,” said board president Jackie Intres in a prepared statement. “It is a tribute to his dedication and skills that Filament is in a strong position to withstand and innovate during these unprecedented times in theater.” Filament will conduct a national search for his successor.

• Raven Theatre's 2020-2021 season — revamped in response to the COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdown — will begin Feb. 11, 2021, with Jonathan Harvey's 1993 coming-of-age tale “Beautiful Thing,” about high school boys from southeast London who “find solace from their mundane yet overwhelming lives with each other.” That's followed by Naperville native Mat Smart's “Eden Prairie, 1971” (May 6-June 20, 2021), which was to have premiered this season. The play is about a draft-dodger who returns to his Minnesota home where he confronts his choices and the consequences. The three-play season concludes with the Chicago-area premiere of “The Luckiest” (June 17-Aug. 1, 2021). Melissa Ross' nonlinear play is about a woman who receives a diagnosis that upends her life and how that impacts her relationships with her mother and her best friend. Raven's 2021-2022 season will commence on Sept. 30, 2021, with the premiere of “The Last Pair of Earlies,” Joshua Allen's play about childhood sweethearts who, after two decades, begin to wonder if they really belong together. Performances take place at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. Subscription packages for the amended season range from $45 (for patrons younger than 35) to $100. (773) 338-2177 or raventheatre.com.