Peruvian Theater Collective Performs ANTÍGONA at Chicago Cultural Center, 3/8-10

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, is honored to present a ground-breaking production of Antígona (Antigone) by Grupo Cultural Yuyachkani (Yuyachkani Cultural Group), an internationally acclaimed Peruvian theater company. Grupo Cultural Yuyachkani performs in reaction to, and in defiance of, politics in Peru.

Antígona will be performed Thursday, March 8; Friday, March 9; and Saturday, March 10 at 7 p.m. in the Claudia Cassidy Theater of the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.ExploreChicago.org/richardharris. The production will be in Spanish with English subtitles.

In Greek Mythology, Antigone, a daughter of the incestuous marriage between King Oedipus of Thebes and his mother, Jocasta, attempts to secure a respectable burial for her brother Polynices, even though he was a traitor to Thebes and the law forbids – on pain of death – mourning for him.

Presented in conjunction with the current exhibition, Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection, Antígona is a re-envisioning of the epic tale set on an empty stage with a single chair and one woman playing multiple roles. Developed by Teresa Ralli of Yuyachkani, Antígona features text by Peruvian poet José Watanabe, adapted from Sophocles’ original with contemporary influences drawn from trauma related to violent civil conflict in Peru in the 1990s.

Since 1971, Grupo Cultural Yuyachkani has been working at the forefront of theatrical experimentation, political performance and collective creation. Born out of a humble wish to change the world, Grupo Cultural Yuyachkani seeks to use art not only as a creative outlet, but a means to get a jaded people to embrace their culture and, perhaps, find the motivation and inspiration to change it. Yuyachkani won Peru’s National Human Rights Award in 2000.

Free events inspired by Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection will take place throughout its six-month run at the Chicago Cultural Center. For the full schedule and updates, visit www.ExploreChicago.org/richardharris, follow us on Twitter (@ChiCulturCenter) or “Like” the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/chicagoculturalcenter.

Morbid Curiosity showcases Richard Harris’s wild and wonderfully eclectic collection of nearly 1,000 works of fine art, artifacts, installations and decorative objects, including creations by many of the greatest artists of our time, which explore the iconography of death across a variety of artistic, cultural and spiritual practices from 2000 B.C.E. to the present day.

Morbid Curiosity is curated by Lucas AnTony Cowan and Debra L. Purden of the Visual Arts Department of the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture. Note: This exhibition contains explicit imagery that may be disturbing to younger or sensitive viewers.

Public programs, exhibitions, and related educational programming presented at the Chicago Cultural Center by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Transportation support is provided by United Airlines, The Official Airline of the Chicago Cultural Center. Lawry’s The Prime Rib is the restaurant sponsor of Chicago Cultural Center exhibitions.

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to promoting and supporting Chicago’s arts and culture sector. This includes, but is not limited to: fostering the development of Chicago’s nonprofit arts sector, independent working artists, and for-profit arts businesses; presenting high-quality, free or low-fee cultural programs accessible to residents and visitors; and marketing the City’s cultural assets to local, regional, and global audiences. DCASE produces nearly 2,000 public programs, events and support services annually, generating millions in economic benefits for the City of Chicago.

Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture
The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture markets Chicago as a premier cultural destination to domestic and international leisure travelers; provides innovative visitor programs and services; and familiarizes visitors and residents with the city’s vibrant neighborhoods, cultural attractions and creative industries. The Chicago visitor industry serves 40 million visitors annually, generates $11 billion in direct spending and $616 million in taxes, and sustains 124,000 jobs. For more information, visitwww.ExploreChicago.org.

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