The Living Canvas: Eureka (Summer, 2012)
Theatre. Art. Movement. A journey through the mind, conducted by the body.
The Living Canvas is "intriguing and fanciful... feast for the eyes... Recommended" -- Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times
Auditions
Chicago:
Wednesday, May 9 from 6:00-9:00 pm
National Pastime Theater
941 W. Lawrence Avenue, Chicago (new location)
Normal, IL:
Monday, May 7 from 6:00-8:00 pm
Illinois State University (room TBA)
For more information or to schedule an audition timeslot, email casting@thelivingcanvas.com with your preferred time.
Bring headshot/resume and be prepared to move. There will be brief cold readings. We're looking for actors who can move and expressive dancers/acrobats. All body types and ethnicities encouraged.
The Living Canvas is performed with the naked human body functioning as an active and expressive moving canvas for projected imagery. It is about body acceptance - no body type is "wrong" for the show.
There will be no nudity in the auditions (and in fact, most rehearsals are done in movement clothing as well). However, all auditioners should understand that performances require nudity (for those new to the idea, this is built in to the rehearsal process in a very easy, non-threatening way). Here are some pictures of the 2010 production, and 2009 to give you an idea of how the images work with the bodies.
The 2012 production builds on the successful shows of the past four years. This year's production will be light in tone and explore the use of humor, discovery and some new technology (we have a couple of hand-held projectors). There will be lots of movement (acrobatic/dance/improv), and some poetry-slam-style text as well.
Every new production starts with an outline, but is developed and fully realized in the rehearsal process, based on what the performers bring to the process. We are looking for adventurous, imaginative performers who will be able to work with the rest of the cast to create something really special.
Living Canvas productions are usually very physically demanding, involving lots of improvised movement and some specific choreography.
We're looking for a cast of 8-10, mix of male and female.
Artistic Director: Pete Guither
Additionally, a number of past directors/choreographers and performers will be involved in choreographing individual movements within the show this summer, drawing up years of experience.
Rehearsals will be Saturdays between 10 amd and 4 pm (with nobody scheduled the full time) and Sundays from noon to 4 pm at National Pastime Theater, starting May 13. Performances will be Friday and Saturday late-nights (10 pm) from June 29 through August 11 (tentative, may be less)
While this is technically a non-paying gig, all performers will receive a small stipend tied to ticket sales.
For those not interested in auditioning, mark July on your calendars for an extraordinary theatrical experience.
Reviews of past shows:
"...the visual spectacle of dancers bathed in vividly-hued abstract patterns as they execute their kinetic activities unfettered by restrictive garb, the resulting effect being that of nude humans clothed in lighted pictures.... intellectual, as well as sensory stimulation... immersing themselves in an expressive freedom rarely enjoyed by responsible adults long alienated from such primitive joys." - Windy City Times
" ... sensual and visceral performance art piece done with craft and good taste... For the brave who dare stimulating late night entertainment, "Unsex Me Here" is a visual treat that dares you to join them." -- Chicago Critic.com
"Pete Guither's high-def projections of intricate patterns across naked actors is eye candy on the order of a laser-light show..." -- Time Out Chicago
"I didn't know what I attended, but it was definitely one of the most courageous, most creatively uninhibited, most theatrical boundary-pushing events that I saw this year in the city. ... I admired and was very, very impressed, by the risk-taking that the actors, the director, Vanessa Passini, and Artistic Director Guither took. It was a unique, breathtaking production." -- From the Ledge
"Guither, joined by director/choreographer Vanessa Passini and The Living Canvas have brought to the National Pastime Theater a one-of-a-kind theatrical performance powerful enough to make even Shakespeare red in the cheeks." -- Newcity Chicago
"... the only Shakespeare in town where the costume budget was zilch. --UR Chicago
"Pete Guither's vivid, colorful abstract images are projected onto the performers' bodies. The visual effect is mesmerizing... Lots of nice asses" -- Chicago Reader
Stoners, Dali fans, sensualists of every stripe, this show's for you. Sober or otherwise, you'll find the visual pleasures of Guither's idiom considerable, the kinetic sculpture consistently engrossing as choreographer Mark Hackman makes the most of the cast's varying backgrounds in movement and dance. -- Brian Nemtusak, Chicago Reader
intriguing and fanciful... feast for the eyes... RECOMMENDED -- Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times
...intensely peculiar and mesmerizing... It's riveting. -- Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune
“The Living Canvas” Is As Powerful As It Is Beautiful. Pete Guither has once again made his mark on modern theatre, this time pushing the envelope of artistic creativity to new realms with the latest rendition of his own creation, The Living Canvas - Demons. As part of National Pastime Theatre’s Naked July Festival, Guither ingeniously showcases his ability to intertwine the beauty of the naked body with flowing motion, mesmerizing projections and a riveting storyline that invokes a wide range of emotions. -- Ken Payne, Buzz Magazine
“The Living Canvas” is highly regarded not only as a visually striking performance, but as an exciting, interactive experience. -- Zach Freeman, NewCity Stage
Meagan Piccochi's sinuous..choreography and Isaac Mandel's stellar soundscape combine with Pete Guither's stunning digital imagery-projected on the naked bodies of the 10-member cast-to create a garden of psychedelic delights." -Reader
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