For Immediate Release
Contact: Anita Evans (773) 719-1669
[email protected]
NeuroKitchen Arts Collective presents the Galaxy Premiere of
Tin Can
a misadventure in spacetime
Directed by Ron Bieganski
March 3-12, 2017 at the Prop Thtr
Chicago - Criminal runs away in her escape pod. At the edge of a black hole she encounters the Professor and Princess. Professor, a “pathological truther,” tries to get her to understand the reality of spacetime before she passes the event horizon. Past, present and future are only a stubborn illusion. A live band, the Singularity - headlined by Alicia “Ya Yah” Townsend - conducts this trip across the galaxy.
This misadventure in spacetime will run at the Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston, Chicago. Tickets are currently available at neurokitchen.org/tincan. Performances are on Fridays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm from March 3 - March 12.
Tin Can will be enjoyable for adults, teens, and sophisticated children over the age of 8 who like to philosophically explore conundrums of theoretical physics, human behavior, and don’t mind the odd curse word here or there.
Tickets available online at neurokitchen.org/tincan
$15 general / $8 student
This performance is developed and performed by artists age 12 - 50ish years old. It is partially supported by After School Matters.
Production Details
Title: Tin Can
Playwright: NeuroKitchen Ensemble
Director: Ron Bieganski
Musical Direction: Stone Damon and Alicia “Ya Yah” Townsend
Stage Manager: Anita Evans
Cast: Christina Alagna, Axel Almanza, Violet Bryant, Debi Buzil, Chance Damon, Mark D’Neal, Vincent Deamon, Rodrigo Gudino, Abigail Henkin, Stanta’sha Howard, Jerrell Johnson, Krissa Kocur, Christina Lee, Roceial Leonard, Christine Meinders, Brandon Ortiz, Morgan Pack, Dru Pozek, Jescaya Romero, Natalie Simon, Amber Smith, Alicia “Ya Yah” Townsend
Location: Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston, Chicago IL 60618
Dates: March 3 - 12
Showtimes: Friday March 3 at 7 pm
Saturday March 4 at 2 pm
Sunday March 5 at 2 pm
Friday March 10 at 7 pm
Saturday March 11 at 2 pm
Sunday March 12 at 2 pm
Tickets: $15 general / $8 student available at neurokitchen.org/tincan
Creative Biographies
Ron Bieganski (director) has been a teacher and director for over 35 years which includes being Artistic Director at Free Street (1995-2011), Steppenwolf Theatre’s Education Director (1995-97), instructor in Steppenwolf Theatre's Professional Training Program (1995-1997) and guest instructor at UNLV, DePaul University, Columbia College, and NYU.
Ron has developed theater training that is recognized for its ability to instill acting skills as participants learn about their deeper selves. He is most proud of his student’s creative energy and how they have transferred that ability into wherever their lives have taken them.
Since 1986, Ron has instructed art teachers and theater students in 10 countries and 20 universities. He has been a driving force for changes in youth art work such as non-autobiographical, non-victim art, serious training instead of drop-in, experimental work with youth in form/language and long-term workshops over short term experiences.
Ron has facilitated over 55 non-autobiographical performances with youth (12-19 years olds), which toured to over 60 European festivals, had 3 shows produced at Steppenwolf Theatre and 4 performances picked as “Best of Year” in Chicago theater.
The bravest, most self-actualized event Ron has ever seen was the founding of the NeuroKitchen Arts in 2011. “I live each day in awe of the bravery of those founders.”
Alicia “Ya Yah” Townsend (musical direction and lead singer) is a Chicago native who has a wide range of influences from The Beatles to Kanye West, which has provided her opportunities to open up all kinds of artists including Too $hort and Sly and the Family Stone. Ya-Yah's songs are written with heartfelt warmth, sung with an electric sophistication and executed with the charm of a cobra.
Ya Yah has had the privilege of singing at the world-renowned House of Blues numerous times, and once alongside co-founder and ABC’s According to Jim’s James Belushi. Townsend's persistence for giving back to the under privileged communities led to her involvement with the Free Street Theater Company in Chicago. This prompted her professional theater and dance career. Ya Yah's talent and generous work led to amazing opportunities enabling her to travel New York City, Germany, Holland and Poland.
Quite simply, Alicia “Ya-Yah” Townsend does what she does, the way she wants to do it—and if you need to box her into a general category to understand that, then you'll miss her adaptability as an artist. Her new single, Chocolate Kisses, is out now!
Stone Damon (music direction) (a.k.a. Winston Damon) is possibly best known for his “world music” one-man-band which he expanded to the full band “ULeLe!”, receiving critical acclaim since their debut in 1995.
Stone has also performed and recorded with Liz Carroll, Billy Corgan, The Drovers, Sonia Dada, Sugar Blue, Tiny Tim and Nicholas Tremulis to name a few. His commissions for dance include the Chicago Moving Co., The Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble, Thodos Dance Chicago, Bob Eisen, Hedwig Dances,Trinity Irish Dance co., and Eddy Ocampo and his choreography has been seen with Jellyeye Drum Ensemble, Lucky Plush Productions, The Sock Monkeys, and Cheng Da Percussion Ensemble. He has toured internationally as a featured artist and appeared in the New Line Cinema feature film "Blink" as himself.
Stone is currently recording solo, and with his band ULeLe, and serves as Musical Director and board member for NeuroKitchen Arts Collective, an inter-disciplinary, cross-demographic performance group founded in 2011.
About NeuroKitchen Arts Collective
NeuroKitchen Arts Collective was founded in 2011 by youth and adult artists to build a creative community. The process the ensemble learns develops open emotional flow and healthy habits of mind to be immediate, intimate, and spontaneous. NeuroKitchen nurtures the potential in people to be the most authentic, awake and effective they can be. Interested teens can join the ensemble to learn creative writing, acting, music, and performance creation skills. Kids can sign up for the Curiosity Club summer camp. This summer’s theme will be Codes (including computer coding.) Kids will also write, shoot, direct, and act in their own movies.