The Alcyone Festival 09
June 11 through July 18, 2009
For this years Alcyone Festival, we decided to play with the notion that women only write small domestic dramas, picking a theme as far away from that as possible: terrorism, the cult of martyrdom and its effects upon the innocents. The Alcyone Festival 2009 features six phenomenal writers from across the globe in rotating repertory.Performances were at the Lincoln Square Theatre.
Black Eyed
The Black Eyed
by Betty Shamieh
Four Arab women from across the ages meet in the afterlife. The group: the Biblical Delilah, a victim of the crusades, a suicide bomber and a contemporary architect, struggle to come to terms with their lives and their choices, in this surprising funny play that challenges traditional views on sex, family, and terrorism.Chicago Premiere
Blessed Child
The Blessed Child
by Astrid Saalbach
Women rule the world, and men are reduced to pathetic house-slaves. No children have been born for decades, and humanity faces extinction. Then a female servant gets pregnant, apparently by divine intervention. She gives birth to the blessed child, who is half man and half beast. The play is a grotesque satire about a generation of adults so obsessed by their careers, ridiculous alternative lifestyles, and the pursuit of personal growth, that they no longer notice their children.Saalbach is the most popular Danish dramatist of her generation. This was the first US production of her work.
Bounty of Lace
Bounty of Lace
by Susan Merson
In Tel Aviv, four women gather to drink tea while violence surrounds them in the streets. Judith, a young Jewish girl had an Arab lover, and is preparing to marry a Rabbi's son before her secret is discovered. The women try to escape to the beach for a few days and come to terms with the lives they've chosen.Chicago Premiere
F-ing Parasites
Fucking Parasites
by Ninna Tersman
Forced to flee their homelands with their persecuted parents, two teenagers are in New Zealand seeking asylum. Playing with dirty toys in a detention center, they are forced to deal with the complex issues of immigration and lost hope. It is a coming of age story through the eyes of teenaged refugees.World Premiere
Heads
Heads
by EM Lewis
A British Embassy worker, an American engineer, a network journalist and a freelance photographer are held captive in Iraq; as death draws close, each hostage must decide what he'll do to survive.Chicago Premiere
Toymaker's War
The Toymaker's War
by Jennifer Fawcett
In 1995, Sylvie was an idealistic young journalist who went to Bosnia to launch her career. Stumbling upon an isolated village of children, she met Milan, a young Bosnian Serb toymaker turned soldier, and his little sister, Lejla. Now, years later, Sylvie is a world-famous journalist being called to the Hague to testify in a war crimes trial. Her career in ruins and haunted by memories of the past, she must finally face what really happened.A developmental production.
Season Three 08-09
Alcyone 09 Shows
The Alcyone Festival
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