Collaboraction Presents LET HOPE RISE Variety Show Today

Collaboraction, the Chicago-based theater company with a commitment to incite change, announces its third Let Hope Rise event with the Chicago Park District, today, April 11 at noon at Loyola Park, 1230 West Greenleaf Avenue in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.

Every second Saturday through July, Collaboraction travels to one of three hub locations on Chicago's South, West and North side with its new Let Hope Rise live performance series, an outgrowth of the company's ongoing Crime Scene project dedicated to increasing the peace in Chicago.

Each Let Hope Rise event/happening/show starts at noon with a free community meal sponsored by Connie's Pizza. At 1 p.m., Collaboraction Artistic Director Anthony Moseley will host a fast-paced, interactive variety show dedicated to increasing the peace, art, love, hope and fun in Chicago.

The Let Hope Rise show on April 11 at Loyola Park will feature live appearances by The Glideators, Chicago's top roller skating crew from The Rink on 87th, Taylor Moore, aka The Princess of Percussion, Latasha Melton, Founder and Director of the Compassion Parade (coming to the West Side on April 18), DJ Shon Roka, more inspirational guest performers TBA and the Let Hope Rise House Band.

The 90-minute event ends with a Town Hall Discussion, allowing community residents to share stories and ideas to cultivate sustainable peace throughout Chicago. In addition, residents are encouraged to stay and take part in free workshops such as cooking, painting, stilting, break dancing and entrepreneurism for the whole family offered by Collaboraction.

"We look forward to gathering Chicagoans of all ages and walks of life once a month to share a meal, a laugh, a story, our hopes and dreams for Chicago, and how we can come together to create healing and opportunity in our neighborhoods," said Anthony Moseley, Collaboraction's Artistic Director and the creator of the Crime Scene and Let Hope Rise park events.

"The Chicago Park District has been gracious enough to bring us into these beautiful facilities and our goal is to fill them with great artistic, sharing and learning experiences that reverberate a sense of community and hope," added Moseley. "Our new Let Hope Rise series will deepen the relationships we have already made in these communities over the past two summers of touring Crime Scene as part of the Park District's Night Out in the Parks program."

Upcoming Let Hope Rise events are:

May 9 Hamilton Park in Englewood, 513 West 72nd St.

June 13 Austin Town Hall in Austin, 5601 W. Lake St.

July 11 Loyola Park in Rogers Park, 1230 West Greenleaf Ave.

Visit collaboraction.org for updates and performance line-ups.

Collaboraction's Let Hope Rise series is presented with the Chicago Park District with the support of Mayor Rahm Emanuel to help advances the goals of the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Cultural Plan.

Collaboraction (collaboraction.org) collaborates with artists, community leaders, health professionals and citizens from throughout the city to create original theatrical experiences that push artistic boundaries and explore critical social issues with a diverse community of Chicagoans.

This spring, Collaboraction is premiering Crime Scene: The Next Chapter, a documentary-drama sequel to the show that started it all, Crime Scene: A Chicago Anthology. Crime Scene: The Next Chapter is an updated reaction to Chicago's history of violent crime, and a call to discover what it might take to create lasting change in the city. The show features up-to-the-minute stories of Chicago violence coupled with nonfiction source material in order to raise critical questions surrounding segregation, systemic poverty, news media and popular culture.

Tickets to Crime Scene: The Next Chapter are on sale now. Performances run from May 21 to June 21 at Collaboraction's home location in the historic Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Room 300. Press opening is Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. For tickets and information about Crime Scene: The Next Chapter, visit collaboraction.org or call (312) 226-9633.

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