Teatro Linea de Sombra's AMARILLO to Play Chicago Shakespeare as Part of DESTINOS Festival

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces a World's Stage production in its soon-to-be-completed new venue, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare: Teatro Línea de Sombra's evocative Amarillo, October 17-29, 2017. Devised by one of México's most celebrated and forward-thinking ensembles and directed by Jorge A. Vargas, Amarillo will be the largest international theatrical event of the inaugural Chicago International Latino Theater Festival - Destinos (de-stee-noce).

Amarillo tells the story of a man who departs Mexico for a land of dreams: Amarillo, Texas-but vanishes before reaching his destination. Far away, a woman reconstructs his journey, imagining what might have transpired not only for him, but for the other thousands of faceless men and women who have taken the same path-and for those who were left behind. Combining stunning multimedia projections, visceral imagery and poetic storytelling, the production is a rich theatrical meditation on the harsh realities faced by immigrants and their families. Amarillo is performed in Spanish with projectEd English translation.

The company includes: Jesus Cuevas, Antígona González, Alicia Laguna, María Luna, Raúl Mendoza and Vianey Salina. Joining Vargas on the creative team are Jesús Hernández (Space and Lighting Design); Marina España, Raúl Mendoza and Kay Peréz (Video Design); Jorge Verdín-Clorofila (Original Music); and Rodrigo Espinosa (Sound Design).

Chicago Shakespeare is a proud collaborator in the Chicago International Latino Theater Festival - Destinos, which is spearheaded by the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA). CLATA was created in 2016 by Executive Director Myrna Salazar and a consortium of Chicago cultural institutions, led by the National Museum of Mexican Art, Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, and the International Latino Cultural Center. CLATA aims to celebrate and amplify the voices of Latino theater artists in Chicago. Throughout October 2017, Destinos (translated as destinies, destinations or fate) will feature works by local Chicago Latino theater companies-Aguijón Theater, Teatro Vista, Urban Theater Company, and Water People Theater-along with national and Latin American-based theater groups at additional venues, including Steppenwolf Theater and Victory Gardens Theater, among others.

Amarillo will be presented in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, joining a previously announced line-up of productions that will each transform the innovative and versatile new theater in response to the needs of the work. The Yard will first debut as a large-scale proscenium venue seating nearly 800 for The Toad Knew (September 19-23, 2017), from internationally acclaimed artist James Thierrée and France's La compagnie du Hanneton. For Teatro Línea de Sombra's Amarillo (October 17-29, 2017), The Yard's audience chamber will transition into an intimate configuration of 400 seats-creating an expansive stage space for movement and projections. Early next year, The Yard will take the shape of a Shakespearean-style thrust stage for a newly abridged production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (January 24-March 10, 2018), with additional seating capacity and performances to expand the Theater's service to student and family audiences. Rounding out the season in The Yard is a supernatural new Macbeth (April 25-June 24, 2018) staged by Aaron Posner and Teller (of famous magic duo Penn & Teller), now in conversation with the creative team to devise the configuration best suited to their artistic vision. These productions are joined by programming in the Courtyard Theater to make up Chicago Shakespeare's 2017/18 Season.

Amarillo exemplifies Chicago Shakespeare's commitment to importing the world's most exciting theatrical events to Chicago and exporting CST productions to global destinations through the World's Stage series. To date, the program has featured over 1,000 artists from 22 countries spanning five continents-including artists from South Africa, China, India, Belarus, France, Russia and the UK. Many of the globe's most iconic troupes have made Chicago their stage including: The Abbey Theatre from Dublin, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre from London, the Chekhov International Theatre Festival from Moscow, La Comédie Française from Paris, and The Farber Foundry from South Africa. Chicago Shakespeare expanded the World's Stage programming in 2016 by spearheading the yearlong festival Shakespeare 400 Chicago, the largest international celebration of the playwright's 400-year legacy. Throughout 2016, Chicago welcomed performers from 12 countries, who interpreted Shakespeare in 11 languages.

More information on the production at www.chicagoshakes.com/amarillo.

Amarillo will be presented in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, October 17-29, 2017. Tickets will be on sale in the coming weeks. For more information, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a leading international theater company and a recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, CST is dedicated to creating extraordinary production of classics, new works and family programming; to unlocking Shakespeare's work for educators and students; and to serving as Chicago's cultural ambassador through its World's Stage Series. Through a year-round season encompassing more than 650 performances, CST attracts 225,000 audience members annually. One in four of its audience members is under eighteen years old, and today its education programs have impacted the learning of over one million students. CST is proud to take an active role in empowering the next generation of literate, engaged cultural champions and creative minds. Throughout 2016, CST spearheaded the international arts and culture festival, Shakespeare 400 Chicago, a yearlong, citywide celebration of the playwright's 400-year legacy.

Photo Credit: Sophie Garca

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