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BOX OFFICE EXPLORE A PRODUCTION

Sketchbook 2008 - Program B
Collaboraction presents

Sketchbook 2008 - Program B
By Various Authors

A Steppenwolf Visiting Company Initiative
In the Garage Theatre
Thu. May 15, 2008 — Sun. June 15, 2008

A lively celebration of staged theatrical works, music, and fine art. Also, don't miss Sketchbook 2008 - Program A.

Overview

Featuring 14 world premiere short plays written by a combination of emerging and established playwrights, Collaboraction's annual Sketchbook Festival has, during its 8-year history, grown into one of Chicago’s most electrifying annual events.

Sketchbook 8 is comprised of two programs, performed in rotating repertory in an immersive environment, which arranges the 14 fascinating short plays into separate not-to-be missed evenings.

The Sketchbook Festival breaks down the walls that divide theater, music, visual art, video and the Internet, transforming the Steppenwolf Garage into a singular world where audiences can be both spectator and artist, contributing to the dynamism of each performance. Selected from thousands of submissions, the Sketchbook Festival presents what the Chicago Tribune calls "a surprisingly rich and emotional tapestry of life, pondering death, childhood, parenthood, innocence, stupidity, grief [and] community".

Sketchbook features the collective talents of more than 150 innovative directors, designers, actors, musicians and artists from Chicago and around the country. This year, the roster of playwrights includes such critically acclaimed authors as Academy Award nominee Jose Rivera, Sean Graney, Greg Allen, Emily Schwartz, Itamar Moses and more.

The plays for Program B are:

  • R UNHO ME TE DDY by Jesse Weaver; directed by Cecilie Keenan
  • Cowboy Birthday Party by Emily Schwartz; directed by Amanda Berg Wilson
  • Hackneyed by Greg Allen; directed by Jen Ellison
  • Pie by Mara Casey; directed by Marika Mashburn
  • Dated: A Cautionary Tale For Facebook Users by Ira Gamerman; directed by John Gawlik
  • Chicago Summer by Cassandra Sanders; directed by Scott Illingworth
  • Yellow by Jose Rivera; directed by Adam Belcuore

    • Reviews

    "For all those who bemoan the graying of theater audiences and the difficulty of attracting young recruits to the theatergoing ranks, there can be one loud response: Collaboraction."
    -Chicago Sun Times

    "Sketchbook is a "happening" that attracts what many theaters would consider a dream audience- enthusiastic theatergoers in their early 20's and 30's"
    -Chicago Tribune

    "The obvious comparison here is with Actors Theatre of Louisville…but in the last couple of years…the Louisville 10-minutes have felt flat, pretentious and trapped in the limitations of their form. Not only does Collaboraction do fresher, more diverse plays, but it presents them in high style with interludes for live music and conversation."
    -Chicago Tribune

    "Anthony Moseley and the other producers aren't kids anymore, and it shows. They've put together a surprisingly rich and emotional tapestry of life, pondering death, childhood, parenthood, innocence, stupidity, grief, community."
    -Chicago Tribune

    "Collaboraction is a cultural institution."
    -Chicago Tribune