Free Street Theater Archive

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Why is Free Street Theater's Archive on NeuroKitchen Arts website?

The artists who founded NeuroKitchen began their work at Free Street Theater.  This is our history.  In 2018, Free Street created a history timeline to celebrate their 50th anniversary but that timeline omits everything between the years 1989 (when founding director Patrick Henry died) and 2014 (when the current staff began.) When I discovered that omission,  I decided to honor and preserve that history.

The art we made was ephemeral. This archive is a reminder that it all actually happened The work left an indelible mark. For those of us who created the art, it also created us. For those of us who worked together, working together made life long friendships. The ideas and ideals we pioneered reverberate in the multitude of arts integration projects, the multitude of teen theater ensembles, and the genre of community-based arts organizations. The version of Free Street that continues to evolve today is part of this legacy.

This archive is just the remnants. The history lives on in the people who made the art, embody the process and continue to grow.  This is website is dedicated to them and to whatever they make happen next.

I continue to be inspired by and grateful for what I learned in the studio creating with you. Keep living, keep learning.  Take the studio with you.  

​- Anita Evans
  Free Street  1995-2011 / NeuroKitchen onward

Links to the
​Free Street Theater Archive

Personal Stories
Performances (1992-2012)
Newsletters (1996-2008)
Press
Videos

Ensembles - teens creating original theater
P.A.N.G - teens producing theater seasons
Arts Lit  - workshops in CPS classes
Act/Write - with Columbia College & CPS 
Parenteen - for pregnant & parenting teens 
Arts Connect - arts in hospitals
Park Kids- workshops and performances in Chicago Parks
International Tours
 
40th Anniversary Celebration
Abe Mendoza Memorial Page
Preventing Nonprofit Theft

Harold Washington Library Archives
Current Free Street Theater website

"Because of them I’m fearless. Because of them I’m open to whatever the universe puts in front of me. Because of them I’m open to love. And because of them I’m an award-winning screenwriter." - Stanton Long

"Free Street helped me to live in the present and acknowledge the power of stillness. I learned the power of my breath to control my focus and attention, a strategy I use everyday." -Araceli Arroyo

"It is hard to describe the deep satisfaction and joy of working with youth who are fearless and open. The room breathes deep and wide when an ensemble of youth are completely focused and writing. It is a fine and sacred space." - Bryn Magnus

"The years I've worked with Free Street were an oasis in the desert of isolated thoughts of my subconscious loneliness. I thank the directors of Free Street for seeing potential in me that I couldn't see in myself." - Stanta'sha Howard

"They treated the teens like the brilliant, creative, imperfect human being they were, who through that combination could upset the order of the world & shake anyone who paid attention to their core." -Chris Worthman

"Free Street hosted workshops with international dance companies, including Japanese Butoh artists. We became trees, got rooted & exploded in a lightning storm. Wow! Slow quiet kids, growing internally & busting out!" - Debi Buzil

"When Bump was performed, you could hear a pin drop. The actors really owned it. And the story burned with an authenticity. It felt true. It may not have been the story anyone was expecting, but it was really theirs. " - Cindy Henkin

"To be a great teacher you got to be a great student. As a student I embraced my artistic openness. That happened during my stint at Free Street and I’m forever thankful." ----- D-Nick Stockman

"I told them that I had no desire to be stage or act, I just wanted to write. The first play I was in I had to be on stage the whole time." - Roceial Leonard

" Each new ensemble of students starts with us defining what is creativity and talking about how do we get to that heightened creative place." - Ron Bieganski

"I learned to not judge my first thoughts, just accept them and see where they take me. I still take this approach when I write now. And I never, ever get writer's block." - Ola Faleti

"Oprah. That’s why Free Street didn’t close. ​" - David Schein