The Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company’s annual showcase of emerging talent–running Friday-Sunday, August 15-17–features a slew of local fringe ensembles and solo artists. Founded in 1989 to honor the late anarchist author of Woodstock Nation and to commemorate the anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock music festival, this performance marathon offers a steady flow of entertainment while seeking to foster a communal spirit among performers and audience (which may be enhanced by sleep deprivation). A sliding admission-price scale allows audiences to attend a specific show or to come and go throughout the weekend; there are convenience stores nearby for those in need of a snack, the theater is air-conditioned, and there’s indoor plumbing–so you don’t need to use porta-potties like the folks at Woodstock did.
Festival participants and viewers meet at the Richard J. Daley Civic Center, 50 W. Washington, starting at 2 PM; a march north to Mary-Arrchie’s Uptown headquarters begins at 3 PM.
49 Stories About Brian Mackenzie
Experimental Theatre Chicago presents Cheryl Slean’s monologue about “the dangerous consequences of blurring the line between fantasy and reality.” 8 PM.
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The Livingroom Project follows Abbie Hoffman from Woodstock to Dick Cavett’s show to Chicago in this play by Sarra Berry Short. 9:10 PM.
The Frank Monologues: #1 Welts
Arlene Cook’s weirdly wistful portrait of college guys fretting over the draft in 1970–the era of campus protests, guilt-free dope, and sexually segregated dorms–is performed by the Mary-Arrchie Theatre. 10 PM.
