Theatre Thursday Set for Akvavit Theatre's THE FROZEN ON THE SQUARE (1982)

Akvavit Theatre, now in its fourth year producing theatrical works that explore the Nordic experience, will present the U.S. premiere of The Frozen on the Square (1982) by Lucas Svensson, translated by Akvavit's Producing Artistic Director Chad Eric Bergman. The show will open October 9 and will run through November 9 at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3PM.

A special performance on Thursday, October 30 has been designated as part of The League of Chicago Theatres' Theatre Thursday series:

BERGMAN BUFFS! Sample The Den Theatre's exclusive aquavit cocktail "The Nordic Pause" and enjoy Nordic-style appetizers during a pre-show talk on the Life and Work of Ingmar Bergman by noted expert (and Akvavit Theatre Producing Artistic Director) Chad Eric Bergman, PhD. Hear how the film and theater work of the Swedish master has influenced - and some would say intimidated! - the work of modern Nordic, international and U.S. artists. After the show, participate in a post-show discussion with the cast, director Breahan Eve Pautsch and translator Chad Eric Bergman, sample more aquavit cocktails and say "skål"!

The event begins at 6:30 PM at The Den Theatre (1333 N. Milwaukee) and the show starts at 7:30 PM. Tickets to the event are $25, and can be purchased on Brown Paper Tickets via akvavittheatre.com.

The Frozen on the Square (1982) will be directed by company member Breahan Eve Pautsch (dir.: Autumn Dream), and the cast features Bergen Anderson*, Rob Cramer, Elyse Dawson, Andrew Fortman, Paulette Hicks, Jordan Scott Johnson, Mark Litwicki*, Melissa Reeves, Ben Schlotfelt, and Dan Wilson.

The design and production team includes Chad Eric Bergman* (set designer), Susan Fay (choreographer), Maggie Fullilove-Nugent (lighting designer), Christina Marcantonio (costume designer), Jeffrey Levin (sound designer), Alan Weusthoff (technical director), and Catherine Connelly (stage manager).

* Denotes member, Akvavit Theatre

Ingmar Bergman returns like a force of nature to his small provincial Swedish hometown to film his masterpiece "Fanny & Alexander." Four locals, extras in the film but principals in this existential comedy, struggle to escape the long shadow their brief encounter with the cinematic master's crowning achievement casts over their lives.

"I really love the intertextuality of the story and how it flips a masterpiece upside down," Chad Eric Bergman, Akvavit's Producing Artistic Director, says, "Instead of looking through the cinematic 'male gaze' of Ingmar Bergman, we have a dark comedy about these ordinary people who experience life in the shadow of the great one - a shadow that, by extension, WE now share."

The Frozen on the Square (1982) is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and will also be part of Chicago Artists Month 2014, the 19th annual celebration of Chicago's vibrant art community presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. For more information about Chicago Artists Month, visit www.chicagoartistsmonth.org.

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