Nose Green: #267: TheatreLanglab's 24 Hour Play

Today features a special guest post by Yael, a west coast-turned-midwesterner who understands all things theater and theatre...

If you think you have to go to Chicago to see eclectic theatre, think again. TheatreLanglab is once again at “play”, in their home near the South Bend Farmer’s Market. Langlab itself inspires invention. What was once an abandoned factory building has become a local hotspot for the arts, education, and community organizations. TheatreLanglab did its first 24-hour production, The Jacket (see video below), at the Lab last summer and will head back into their gigantic playground at the end of July for another round of raucous fun.

This year’s farcical tragicomedy is called Burned! It’s a loose adaptation of Frisch’s The Firebugsand is about what happens when politeness usurps honesty in a city threatened by arsonists. The catch is that TheatreLanglab will create the entire play in 24 hours: they’ll stay up late to design lights, costumes, sets, and sound. They’ll play, workshop, rehearse and attempt to memorize lines overnight. And then they’ll share their artistic handiwork, in whatever form it takes, with an audience. For one night only. The event, more about process than product, will be suitable for all children (although not crafted for those under 10) with a suggested donation of $10 at the door.

Burned! will serve as the first fundraiser for ULTREIA, a new independent non-profit established to support the arts and arts education in South Bend. ULTREIA, meaning ‘onward’ or ‘forward’, will sponsor more art with the money it raises at this performance - a win-win for patrons and for the city.

Langlab will also mark the closing of its first gallery exhibition, Cuba Inside/Out, on July 29. This thoughtful show, with stunning photographs of Havana and Santiago de Cuba by local artist Christopher Stackowicz, wrestles with theatre in Cuba and the drama of everyday Cuban street life. The gallery will be open for its final night of viewing and a small reception will follow the performance of Burned!Where else in town can you enjoy a boisterous performance, intriguing photos, and a social gathering all in one evening out?

THE ESSENTIALS:

TheatreLanglab concocts play in 24 hours:

Burned! A morality play without a moral.

Sunday night, July 29 at 7:30 p.m.

$10 suggested donation

Langlab South Bend

1302 High Street

South Bend, IN 46601