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Rivendell Theatre Presents Danielle Pinnock's BODY/COURAGE
By: Sally Henry Fuller Jan. 27, 2016
Created from more than 300 interviews conducted worldwide, Body/Courage is a rich, humorous and poignant exploration on coming to terms with body acceptance, as we share in acclaimed actor, playwright and solo performer Danielle Pinnock's transformative journey to discover her own beauty through the voices of others-interspersed with her own personal journey.
This 90-minute production features more than 20 interviews which explore what it means to grow up in an "unpopular" body; how skin color, shape, illness, disability, aging, societal pressure, gender transition and more impact self-image; and how the mirror does not reflect our inner truth. Portions of the show have been performed (some as The Body Image Project) Off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse, The Greenhouse Theater, and the 2014 Chicago Fringe Festival; on Chicago Public Radio's "The Morning Shift; and for the Chicago Foundation for Women.
The design team includes RTE Ensemble members Diane Fairchild (lighting design), Regina Garcia (scenic design) and Janice Pytel (costume design) with Jerre Dye (properties and lobby design) and Robert Hornbostel (sound).
Danielle Pinnock is a graduate of Temple University and received her MFA in Acting from the Birmingham School of Acting (United Kingdom). She has studied with famed solo performer and documentary theater playwright Anna Deavere Smith and is a 2015 Bob Curry Fellow with The Second City. Danielle has recently appeared in Twist Your Dickens, The Second City and Goodman Theatre's 2015 comedic holiday production; The Second City's 2015 NBC Universal Break Out Comedy Festival; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 with The Other Theatre Company; and as an understudy in the Goodman Theatre's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark. Her written work about body awareness has been featured on BuzzFeed and other publications.
Danielle is the winner of the Chicago Fringe Festival's 2014 "Fringe Pick" award as well as the 2013 Best Actress award at the NYC Strawberry Theatre Festival, where her performance of The Body Image Project also garnered Best Director and Best Play nominations.
Includes four tickets to use in any combination for the season.
Box Office: (773) 334-7728 or www.RivendellTheatre.org
Parking and transportation: Free parking is available in the Senn High School parking lot (located a block and a half from the theatre behind the school off Thorndale Avenue). There is limited paid and free street parking in the area and the theatre is easily accessible via the Clark (#22) or Broadway (#36) bus and is a short walk from the Bryn Mawr Red Line El station.
Body/Courage is the kick-off production in Rivendell Theatre Ensemble's 2016 season: "The Body Politic," which features bold stories about women choosing to take matters into their own hands. Rivendell fills an important role in the Chicago region as the only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women.
Town Hall conversations with the audience will take place after the matinee performances on 2/13, 2/20, and 2/27. These moderated conversations will include select speakers to discuss the process and diverse perspectives on the themes in the play.
Body/Courage is being presented in association with Waltzing Mechanics. Waltzing Mechanics creates original documentary theatre inspired by real people telling stories about their lives. Using methods of performance ethnography, Waltzing Mechanics facilitates dialogues among audiences and within the community.
Body/Courage is sponsored by The Reva and David Logan Foundation and The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.
In celebration of Body/Courage The Reva & David Logan Foundation is offering a special match grant where any amount donated to Rivendell (up to $5,000) will be matched. Donations may be made online at www.rivendelltheatre.org/donate.
About Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Founded in 1994, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble advances women's lives through the power of theatre. Rivendell cultivates the talents of women artists-writers, actors, directors, designers and technicians-
by seeking out innovative plays that explore unique female experiences and producing them in intimate, salon environments.
Rivendell fills an important role in the Chicago region as the only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women. After years of being an itinerant company, we moved into our own theater space in 2010 in Edgewater. As new members of the neighborhood, we are focused on becoming an integral community partner and serving as a catalyst to engage our audiences in a discussion of local social issues.
For more information about Rivendell Theater Ensemble, visit http://rivendelltheatre.org. Follow RTE on Facebook at Facebook.com/rivendelltheatre and on Twitter @RivendellThtr
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is supported by generous grants from 3Arts; The Allstate Insurance Company; The Alphawood Foundation; The Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development; The Chicago Community Trust; The Chicago Foundation for Women; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; The Reva and David Logan Foundation; The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust; The University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement; A Cultural Outreach Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; and the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Rivendell is also grateful for the support of 100 Women Who Care.
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