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| Second City |
In addition to the inspiring conference, I had the pleasure of experiencing the great city of Chicago! Part of this was attending two different, but A M A Z I N G theatrical experiences in Chicago. The first was a performance at Second City, a famous comedy club which great comedians like Tina Fey and Stephen Cobert started out in. The show entitled "South Side of Heaven" was two part semi-scripted hilarious comedy show which included skits about living in the South Side of Chicago, racial and class conflicts, and other taboo issues. The last act was completely improvisation based on audience suggestions. Even though I was in Chicago for Theatre of the Oppressed, this show reminded me that I have sooo much to learn about the different aspects of theatre. A lot of the jokes had to do with Chicago, so it taught many of us, out-of-town guests, about their home, this vibrant city. This is something I have always try to remind my students-- use what you know. Even though it wasn't completely interactive, they made fun of audience members and the jokes had my mind stimulated and my mouth laughing every second. It gave me ideas to add to my improvisation and comedy units for my drama class. The set was basic, but the music, lighting, and props all equaled the most entertaining three hours at a comedy club. Highly recommended!
The second show, "Beauty and the Beast", was completely opposite, but was just as entertaining. The theatre was beautiful. The lighting, the set, the costumes, the music was masterfully orchestrated. It is a great introduction musical for the kiddies because the characters are so animated, and it follows the plot just as we remember from the movie. One day when our district and/or school can afford to fund a project like this, I would love to put a full on musical production like this! Until then, I think mediums like improvisation/sketch comedy and forum theatre are great places to start. Just as powerful!
Other highlights from Chi-town:
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| Cloud Gate aka "The Bean" |
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| Millennium Park |
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| Marriage with Children Fountain! |
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| Willis Tower, used to be known as The Sears Tower |
The second show, "Beauty and the Beast", was completely opposite, but was just as entertaining. The theatre was beautiful. The lighting, the set, the costumes, the music was masterfully orchestrated. It is a great introduction musical for the kiddies because the characters are so animated, and it follows the plot just as we remember from the movie. One day when our district and/or school can afford to fund a project like this, I would love to put a full on musical production like this! Until then, I think mediums like improvisation/sketch comedy and forum theatre are great places to start. Just as powerful! 
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