THE DREAMLESS PATRON to be Presented as Part of RhinoFest at Chicago Dramatists

Maybe dreams really do come true.

When a wealthy businessman announces he will pay any amount of money to whoever can help him have dreams when he sleeps, a team of artists decides to script and perform "dreams" for him in hopes he will mistake them for the real thing. A creative challenge becomes a high-stakes swindle as the dreamers get in over their heads.

Strong Branch Productions will present the world premiere The Dreamless Patron, a semi-scripted, semi-devised magical realist comedy that explores dreams, art, money, and the relationship between the three.

The show will appear as part of RhinoFest at Chicago Dramatists with performances May 30, May 31, June 1, and June 2.

Says playwright Alex Kingsley, "The Dreamless Patron is an examination of dreams, both literally and figuratively. What does it mean to dream? Is it possible to intentionally recreate the sensation of dreaming? This show bridges the gap between scripted and devised work by combining ensemble-generated scenes with the pre-existing text. The ensemble dreams together, thus creating a dream more believable than any of us could have created on our own."

Written and directed by Alex Kingsley. Performed by Grace Griego, Alexander Sheldon, Baneet Chawla, Benjamin Jouras, Riley Lamarre, and Dane Larson.

Strong Branch Productions is an experimental anarchist media collective founded by alumni from Swarthmore College. It started during the pandemic with sci-fi comedy podcast The Stench of Adventure, and has expanded from audio drama to tabletop games and live performance.

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