This “convergence of Chicago artists,” presented by Performing Arts Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, runs weekends March 12-April 18. The avant-garde showcase features more than 200 presentations by some of the city’s most adventurous artists working in the disciplines of theater, performance, circus arts, storytelling, dance, music, video, and sound and installation art–including Plasticene, Local Infinities, A Red Orchid Theatre, Asimina Chremos, Sheldon B. Smith, 500 Clown, Mathew Wilson, Lucky Pierre, Goat Island, David Kodeski, Mad Shak Dance Company, Connor Kalista, the Walkabout Theater Company, Carol Genetti, the Bumblinni Brothers, and the Curious Theatre Branch. All activities take place at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport; the sprawling arts complex hosts often simultaneous performances and installations on its main and studio stages and in offices, lounges, hallways, stairwells, and other spaces. The principal performance spaces are the first-floor main stage and Studio 1; Studio 2 and Studio 3 on the second and third floors respectively; and the main-stage balcony lobby on the second floor in the rear of the building. (The second- and third-floor spaces must be reached by stairs.) The fest also offers workshops and panels with participating artists as shown below. Prices for most events range from $5 to $20, though workshops generally cost more and some events and installations are free; see listings for details. For tickets and more information, and to register for workshops, call Performing Arts Chicago at 773-722-5463. Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling 312-902-1500 or logging on to www.ticketmaster.com.
Conceptual artist Mathew Wilson will, according to a press release, “be available for a confidential, one-on-one consultation regarding the client’s need to surrender to any person, object or idea. . . . At a mutually ageed upon time and place, Mr. Wilson will surrender on your behalf, wielding a large white flag and noble demeanor.” Coat check room, 7-10 PM. Free. ¥Wilson and collaborator Adam Brooks will also team up for a weekly stunt on the streets–dates and times to be posted online at www.industryoftheordinary.com. Free.
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Mavens of Video Art
The theater company DOG presents a “rarefied staging of Microsoft’s most current market offering.” Studio 1, 10 PM. $15.
In the Solitude of Cotton Fields
Rock and Roll: Impatience
