Chicago Puppet Fest presents:
— The Stage
— The New York Times
The Sex Lives of Puppets pulls back the covers on puppet sex in contemporary Britain: filthy, funny, shocking and touching…lots of touching. This collaboration between Blind Summit’s puppets and the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles is not so much “birds and bees,” more “nuts and bolts.” Co-writers/directors Ben Keaton (Perrier Award Winner, Father Ted) and Mark Down (Artistic Director, Blind Summit Theatre), took inspiration from real-life responses to lead an impish cast of improviser puppeteers, and a veritable smorgasbord of different puppets, to explore sex and humanity and expose the underbelly of puppet eroticism.
Dates/Times:
Monday, January 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 29 at 5 p.m.
Friday, January 30 at 5 p.m.
Friday, January 30 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, January 31 at 4 p.m.
Saturday, January 31 at 8 p.m.
Location:
The Biograph’s Začek-McVay Mainstage
2433 N. Lincoln Ave.
Cost:
$48 Regular
$40 Students and Seniors
Ages: 18 and up
Running Time: 100 mins (including intermission)
ADA Accessible? Yes
Blind Summit’s unforgettable The Table, starring a puppet made of cardboard and a table, was a smash hit at the inaugural Chicago Puppet Festival in 2015. The Chicago Tribune called it “a puppet show for those who hate such arty affairs, as it also manages to be precisely the opposite for those who love them.” The London based company is one of the world’s leading puppet based theater companies making puppetry at all scales, including giant puppets in the Olympic Opening Ceremony in London.
The Začek-McVay Theater, housed within the historic Biograph Theater, is a cherished part of Chicago’s vibrant theater landscape. It was originally built in 1914 as a movie house, specifically for showing motion pictures. This venue provides an intimate yet comfortable environment for both audience and performers, making it the perfect backdrop for the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. The Začek-McVay Theater honors the legacy of Dennis Začekand Marcelle McVay, two pivotal figures in Chicago theater. Dennis Začek served as the artistic director of Victory Gardens Theater for over 30 years, and under his leadership, the theater became a nationally recognized hub for new and diverse works. Together, these theaters create a rich environment for artistic exploration, making them perfect venues for the festival’s most engaging and cutting-edge puppet performances. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in up-close and personal experiences of the most innovative puppet shows.
