Displaying items by tag: Chicago Park District’s Night Out
NEJLA YATKIN pop-up Performances of ‘FIREBIRD’ FREE in Chicago Parks throughout June -RECOMMENDED!
As part of Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series, Nejla Yatkin, dancer and choreographer is offering a series of FREE pop-up performances at parks throughout the City. I just saw her at West Ridge Park; there are fourteen more pop-ups between now and July 8 (I’ll get to July 8 in a minute).
Nejla has traveled the globe creating more than simply dance – she generates meaningful experiences for her audiences. She has devoted her long and complex career to exploring questions of freedom and equality, pushing the boundaries of traditional dance forms to explore the beauty and complexity of being human.
She brings all this passion and insight to ‘Firebird’, but even more evident is her warmth and the rapport she weaves round the audience, enclosing and including all of us in the performance. The Park District venue is perfect for this: a small clearing with various stumps and boulders to sit on, and the bells mingle with the songs of resident birds. I was concerned at first about finding the right place (I’m a city girl; tracking is not one of my skills) but I needn’t have been – a trail of ‘breadcrumbs’ (bright flyers taped to the path) was laid to guide me.
Chicago’s motto, “City in a Garden”, is actualized by the Park District’s 600 facilities. Did you know there were so many parks? Me neither! This guide from Time Out Chicago, ‘The 28 Most Beautiful Chicago Parks’ will help introduce you to the wealth of beauty within our city. In the meantime, choose a park to see Nejla dance!
She started about 15 minutes early, drifting around the enclosure with Patrick behind her softly playing the bells. As more people arrived Nejla began distributing feathers, paying special attention to the kids, who ranged in age from twelve months to twelve years.
Then she danced.
The Firebird appears in Slavic folklore as a magical and prophetic bird from a faraway land which turns out to be both a blessing and a harbinger of doom to its captor. Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird portrays the creature as half-woman, half-bird.
Nejla’s dance begins on the small stage, with the bird emerging from its egg. The fledgling becomes stronger and more confident, finally leaving the stage to visit every audience member in turn. Some people – particularly those with children – she enfolds in a cocoon of red silk wings (designed by costumer Katrin Schnab). The dance moves out of sight behind a little rise, remaining long enough that some of the smaller kids begin to worry. She reappears with 3-foot extension poles, expanding her wings enormously and closing the dance with great sweeps and billows of red silk.
But that’s not the end of the performance! Nejla invites the audience to join her, and one by one people move out into the clearing. Ultimately a dozen people, all ages and sizes, are swooping joyously about.
The pop-up performances will continue through June, and on Sunday July 8 there will be a Firebird parade (I told you I’d get back to July 8!). Everyone is welcome to participate in the parade and are encouraged to wear their very own Firebird costume. For any whose couturiere skills have gotten rusty, Nejla is offering a costume workshop on June 14 at Indian Boundary Park, AND a workshop June 28th on Firebird Sound and Movement – in case you need a refresher course in squacks and screeches.
All of this – pop-up performances, workshops, and Parade – is FREE to Firebird-wannabes of all ages and persuasions.
More information, including a schedule of performances, HERE.
A Night to Remember Aboard Marriott Theatre’s Titanic
17 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewAs a lifelong aficionado of the ill-fated ocean liner RMS Titanic, I’ve always gravitated toward any experience that would leave…
The Artistic Home presents CUT TO THE CHASE festival of one-act plays May 1-4 at The Den Theatre
17 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreThe Artistic Home Studio will present the 2025 edition of its annual CUT TO THE CHASE festival of new one…
Chopin Theatre & Gwydion Theatre present "Theatre of the Absurd" festival Eight Darkly Comedic Tales May 2 – May 25, 2025 | Chopin Theatre Studio
17 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreIn an era that often defies reason, Chopin Theatre and Gwydion Theatre launch the first annual Theatre of the Absurd…
Pegasus Theatre Chicago announces cast for its revival of Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery
16 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatrePegasus Theatre Chicago and Director ILesa Duncan proudly announce the casting for the revival of playwright Shay Youngblood's Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery, which follows…
THE LOVE OF THREE KINGS Returns and Kicks Off the Opera Festival of Chicago, May 9 and 11
16 April 2025 in Upcoming DanceThe Opera Festival of Chicago announces the cast and creative team for The Love of Three Kings (L’Amore dei tre Re), with…
See Chicago Dance Announces the Return of Chicago Dance Month, May 31 - June 28, 2025
16 April 2025 in Upcoming DanceSee Chicago Dance, the dance industry's nonprofit service organization celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, is proud to announce that its popular…
Steppenwolf Theatre Announces LookOut's Summer 2025 Season
15 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreSteppenwolf's LookOut Series is pleased to announce its action-packed summer lineup of comedy, magic, storytelling, drag and more! The Summer 2025 Season…
Writers Theater Excels in Brian Friel's Funny, Complicated 'Translations'
15 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewBrian Friel’s “Translations,” now playing at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, IL, shows off the renowned Irish playwright’s signature skill in…
Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces casting for the NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE of a new musical from the producers of SIX - 42 Balloons
14 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces today the cast of the North American premiere of the new musical 42 Balloons. From the multi-award-winning producers Kevin McCollum (Oh,…
Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces a Bold 2025/26 Season of 12 productions
09 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes announce today the 2025/26 Season. As the nation's largest year-round theater dedicated…
Tickets on sale April 11 for A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness
09 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreTickets go on sale Friday, April 11 at 10 a.m. Central time for the world-premiere performances of A Night of Mellon…
TWILIGHT In Concert Comes to Chicago
09 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreGEA Live and Broadway In Chicago in association with Lionsgate, today announced the highly-anticipated 60-city national tour of the first-ever TWILIGHT IN CONCERT ( www.twilightinconcert.com) will visit in…
Layers Unfold in “The Book of Grace” at Steppenwolf
08 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewIn a masterful stroke of programming, Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of "The Book of Grace," Suzan-Lori Parks'…
Theo Ubique and CPA Theatricals to co-produce SENTINELS, a play with music celebrating the contributions of women over the past 80 years, August 1-10
07 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreCPA Theatricals and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre today announced a co-production of the play with music SENTINELS, which imagines a…
KIMBERLY AKIMBO On Sale
07 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreBroadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce individual tickets for KIMBERLY AKIMBO, winner of five 2023 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL and the most…
GDC Spring Program Eloquently Distills the Vagaries and Splendor of Life Through Dance
07 April 2025 in Dance in ReviewDance performances can often be moving events but rarely do they hold the density, breadth and depth of emotions Giordano…
Chicago Shakespeare Theater Presents Lively Production of Sunny Afternoon
06 April 2025 in Theatre in Review“It’s not us… all this mucking about with our sound.” Sunny Afternoon is about many things. This is in…
‘Trial of Themistocles’ Shows Off Best of the Culture of Greece, and Chicago Jurisprudence
05 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewWalking into the Harris Theater for the “Trial of Themistocles,” I was expecting something translated from ancient Greek, togas, masks,…
A Hull Lot of Laughs: Titanique Makes Waves On Stage
02 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewAll hands on deck Titanic fans! Get ready for a lavishly produced musical that boldly reimagines the Titanic story, navigating…
MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL is Now Playing
02 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreWelcome back to the Moulin Rouge! Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce the Tony Award® winning production, MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL is now playing…
Disney's THE LION KING Returns to Chicago
01 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreBy popular demand, Disney’s The Lion King will return to Chicago for the first time since 2023, where the production played a sold-out…
Review: The Listeners at Lyric Opera of Chicago
31 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewTHE LISTENERS has undergone several incarnations since the 2021 novel by Jordan Tannahill. It’s been a full-length movie, a TV…
IDENTITY PERFORMING ARTS: Spring Concert 2025 - 'Instinct' at Ann Barzel Theater (April 26-27)
31 March 2025 in Upcoming DanceIDENTITY PERFORMING ARTS Presents Spring Concert 2025 “Instinct” A captivating performance of four distinct works on April 26 & 27…
Dynamic South Chicago Dance Theatre at The Auditorium in one perf only, May 3
26 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreThe Auditorium (Chicago’s Landmark Stage® at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) proudly welcomes back the eclectic energy of hometown favorite South…
Open Space Arts announces staged reading series and a powerful premiere for April through June
26 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreOpen Space Arts (OSA), who recently won some of the top honors in the Joseph Jefferson Awards for 2024 productions,…
Review: 'it's been ten years since everybody died' at Open Space Arts
26 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewI’ve reviewed a number of shows at Open Space Arts (OSA) – I love the place – so I’m familiar…
Hell in a Handbag Productions' World Premiere of SCARY TOWN By Artistic Director David Cerda Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass April 9 – May 11, 2025 at The Clutch
25 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreHell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to continue its 2024/25 Season with the world premiere of Scary Town, Artistic Director David Cerda's semi-autobiographical…
Definition Theatre Defines the Crisis: 'Splash Hatch on the E Going Down'
24 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewIn Definition Theatre's production of "Splash Hatch on the E Going Down," Kia Corthron's 1997 work feels unnervingly relevant in…
Kokandy Productions Announces Line-Up for CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL Returning April 3 – 6, 2025 at The Chopin Theatre
22 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreKokandy Productions is pleased to announce the official selections for the annual Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, a celebration and showcase of the…
Hive of Hilarity: Copley Theatre’s 'Spelling Bee' is a Buzzing Triumph!
21 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewI’m not holding back—Copley Theatre’s latest offering, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is an absolute winner! I’ve seen…
Latest Articles
-
A Night to Remember Aboard Marriott Theatre’s Titanic
Written by CJ BurroughsAs a lifelong aficionado of the ill-fated ocean liner RMS Titanic, I’ve always gravitated toward any experience that would leave me feeling immersed in that famous moment of an era that nobody any of us knows anymore is alive to… -
Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces casting for the NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE of a new musical from the producers of SIX - 42 Balloons
Written by Buzz Center StageChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces today the cast of the North American premiere of the new musical 42 Balloons. From the multi-award-winning producers Kevin McCollum (Oh, Mary!, Rent), Andy Barnes and Wendy Barnes (SIX), and Sonia Friedman Productions (Merrily We Roll Along), 42 Balloons is an '80s-inspired musical based on the unbelievable true story… -
Pegasus Theatre Chicago announces cast for its revival of Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery
Written by Buzz Center StagePegasus Theatre Chicago and Director ILesa Duncan proudly announce the casting for the revival of playwright Shay Youngblood's Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery, which follows "Daughter", who returns home to eulogize the last of the women who raised her in 1960s Georgia. Shakin' the Mess Outta…
-
Steppenwolf Theatre Announces LookOut's Summer 2025 Season
Written by Buzz Center StageSteppenwolf's LookOut Series is pleased to announce its action-packed summer lineup of comedy, magic, storytelling, drag and more! The Summer 2025 Season includes captivating solo works from some of Chicago's most accomplished storytellers; showcases of comedy, theatre and puppetry artists; and a…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.