This self-styled “convergence of Chicago artists,” running through April 26, is presented by Performing Arts Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Boasting Chicago first lady Maggie Daley as honorary chair, the avant-garde festival features more than 100 multidisciplinary presentations. All shows take place at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport; the sprawling arts complex is a hive of activity, with simultaneous performances and installations in its four studio theaters as well as lounges, hallways, stairwells, and other spaces. The fest also includes workshops and panels with participating artists at other venues as shown below. Prices for individual events range from $5 to $15, though workshops generally cost more and some events and installations are free; see listings for details. For tickets and more information, and to register for workshops, call Performing Arts Chicago at 773-722-5463. Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling 312-902-1500 or logging on to www.ticketmaster.com.
Sandra Binion’s video installation brings the sights and sounds of Venice to the Athenaeum stairwell. Athenaeum stairwell. 7-11 PM; free.
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The Curious Theatre Branch presents a double bill of world premieres. “The fourth in a series of ‘parables’ created since 1987 by Curious cofounders Jenny Magnus and Beau O’Reilly, [Chumpstrap] juxtaposes his relatively unadorned storytelling with her sly musical accompaniment. . . . O’Reilly tells of his struggles to fit into two male enclaves: first as a kid alongside his older, more athletic, more ‘boylike’ brothers, . . . and second as an adult with a pair of fearless, hard-drinking professional movers. . . . An imposing figure known for his larger-than-life performances, O’Reilly here adopts a quiet, gentle persona that lends his uncharacteristically bare-bones stories a refreshing naivete. . . . Chumpstrap is paired with a brief ensemble piece, Refracting Rainbows, created and performed by Marianne Fieber and KellyAnn Corcoran. While they talk and sing about the losses they’ve suffered . . . a choruslike trio of women play various incidental roles. [The] text is pared to the barest essentials. As a result some sections feel sketchy, but others have a poetic resonance,” says Reader critic Justin Hayford. Athenaeum Studio 2. 7:30 PM; $15.
500 Clown Frankenstein
Theater Oobleck presents Mickle Maher’s new play about “superheroes, telemarketing, and Shakespeare’s The Tempest.” Athenaeum Lookingglass Theatre Company space. 8 PM; $15.
Interference
Bianco Veneziano
