Press Releases

Jan, 6, 2009
Moraine Valley Community College Fine & Performing Arts Center Calendar Announcements: January-February
Jan. 12-Feb. 5
Steven Labadessa Gallery Exhibit
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
Reception: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2-4 p.m.
The artist’s work marks explorations of contemporary visual aesthetics and languages in both popular and fringe cultures. Drawing inspiration from forms of expression throughout the world, it aspires toward a devout pursuit of a severe beauty, as well as pursuing virtuosity in practice that seeks ever-greater complexity in simplicity.

Jan. 17
Tamburitzans of Duquesne University
7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: $20 adults; $15 seniors; $10 students
America’s longest-running multicultural song and dance company, the Duquesne University Tamburitzans is a unique ensemble of talented young folk artists dedicated to the performance and preservation of the music, songs, and dances of Eastern Europe and neighboring folk cultures. This performance is made possible by a grant from Arts Midwest.

Jan. 24
Russian American Kids Circus
7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: $20 adults; $15 seniors; $10 students
Children ages 6 to 16 will fill the stage with a blur of spangles, dazzling audiences with soaring acrobatics, synchronized unicycling, black-light juggling, clowning, and acts of precision balancing in the hallowed tradition of the circus. This performance is sponsored by Palos Fine Arts.

Feb. 7
Theater for Young Audiences
Steal Away Home by Aurand Harris
11 a.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: $8 adults; $6 children
Two young slave boys escape from a South Carolina plantation, and with the help of many good people, both black and white, make their way north to join their freed father in Pennsylvania. This performance is perfect for all family audiences and is funded in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Feb. 9-March 5
Gregory Joseph Blair Art Exhibit
Fixed Growth
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
Reception: Thursday, March 5, 2-4 p.m.
The artist’s work explores the tenuous and delicate relationship between nature and consumer society. The integration of nature into our culture has co-opted nature as a product. Through this work, he attempts to express the manifestations of this trend.

Feb. 12
Princely Players
7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: $20 adults; $15 seniors; $10 students
The Princely Players deliver gospel performances with superb voices and exceptional stage presence. The centuries old struggle for freedom by Africans in America stands as a shining example of the power and dignity of the human spirit, embodied in the music that was a part of the experience. This performance is made possible by grants from Arts Midwest and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Feb. 21
River North Chicago Dance
7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: $20 adults; $15 seniors; $10 students
Over their 17-year history, River North Chicago Dance Company has created a varied, eclectic, and entertaining repertoire that constantly challenges and enriches dancers and audiences. This performance is funded in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Feb. 25
Moraine Valley’s Workforce Development and Community Services Department presents
Chris Vallillo: Abraham Lincoln In Song
7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: $5 general public
Singer-songwriter Chris Vallillo plays music that portrays the joys and sorrows, ups and downs of Midwestern life. Abraham Lincoln in Song helps shed light on one of history's most beloved figures who knew and loved many of these very songs himself. Special emphasis is placed on showing Lincoln's unique bond with the common man and his desire for reconciliation, not revenge. It is an extensively researched, historically accurate program. Chris uses period music Lincoln may well have known and sung, and Lincoln's own stories to illustrate his life and put it into context. For more information, visit www.ginridge.com.

Feb. 26-March 1 and March 6-7
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
John and Angeline Oremus Theater
Tickets: $12 adults; $10 seniors/students
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and one of America’s greatest playwrights, comes Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece The Glass Menagerie. Set in 1930s St Louis, this semi-autobiographical “memory play” tells the story of the Wingfield family and their desire to escape the world in which they live.

For tickets or more information on any performance, contact the Box Office at (708) 974-5500, or visit www.morainevalley.edu/FPAC.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Jan, 6, 2009
Eastern European song, dance company to perform at Moraine Valley
The Tamburitzans of Duquesne University is America’s longest-running multicultural song and dance company dedicated to the performance and preservation of the music, songs, and dances of Eastern Europe and neighboring folk countries. These talented young folk artists will perform at 7:30 p.m., on Saturday, January 17, in Moraine Valley Community College’s Dorothy Menker Theater, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students.
Each year the Tamburitzans of Duquesne University present a new family-friendly show featuring several ethnic regions. The cultures that will be represented in song and dance are: Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Moldavia, Poland, Roma, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Transylvania, Ukraine, and Vojvodina.

This colorful group’s stage is a kaleidoscope of sight and sound. Songs are sung in many languages and dialects, footwork is articulated in hundreds of styles, and folk instruments such as the bandura, gadulka, and cimbalom are played. During the performance more than 400 original and authentically reproduced costumes are worn by the performers. Each costume design is researched for authenticity and created for the stage.

This presentation is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, with additional contributions from the Illinois Arts Council, General Mills Foundation, and Land O’Lakes Foundation.

Tickets for the Tamburitzans of Duquesne University and other upcoming performances can be purchased online at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) 974-5500, or at the Box Office, located on the south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Dec. 1, 2008
Moraine Valley to host first Winter Craft Show
Finish holiday shopping at Moraine Valley Community College’s first ever Winter Craft Show on Saturday, December 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the College Center, Building C, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The entrance fee is $2. Ample parking is available on-site.

Attendees can purchase last-minute gifts from crafters selling homemade wares and home show vendors who will have commercial products for sale. The Winter Craft Show is sponsored by the Student Government Association. Money raised at the show will benefit the student scholarship fund. All attendees will receive a raffle ticket upon entry. Prizes donated by the crafters and vendors at the show will be raffled off every hour.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Dec. 1, 2008
Moraine Valley Art faculty to showcase ‘Innerview’
The Art Department faculty members at Moraine Valley Community College are more than just teachers—they’re also artists who create and show their own work. These artists are currently on display in the Moraine Valley Faculty Art Exhibit in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The exhibit runs through January 8, and an artists’ reception is scheduled for Thursday, December 4, at 2 p.m.

The show is entitled “Innerview” and is a collection of autobiographical works and self-portraits. Faculty members who will display work in this exhibit are Tyler Hewitt, assistant professor of Studio Art: Photography and Design; Irene Swansiger McCauley, associate professor of Art and coordinator of Digital Art/Design; and Lynn Peters, assistant professor of Sculpture and Ceramics. Adjunct faculty members participating in this exhibit are Pamela Badzginski, Jeff Krantz, Chris Matusek, Tom McDonald, Susannah Papish, Kathy Schonauer, and Lloyd Wassenaar.

The Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free and available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. The Art Gallery will be closed December 24 through January 4.

For more information, call Melissa Csoke, the Gallery director, at (708) 608-4231, or visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Dec. 1, 2008
Academic music shows at Moraine Valley inspire a festive spirit
Enjoy the rum-pum-pum of the drum, the jingling of the bells, and the heralded angels singing at Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, where a December program of holiday music will add to the season’s joyful spirit.

Swing in good tidings at the Jazz Ensemble’s Holiday Concert in the Dorothy Menker Theater Friday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m. This spirited program will feature selections from Duke Ellington, Oliver Nelson, Sammy Nestico, Pat Metheny, Mel Torme, and “jazzy” holiday selections sung by guest vocalist Meredith McGuire of the a cappella singing group An Octave Above. Guest saxophonist Carl Coan, a professional musician and composer, also will accompany the ensemble. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

Bells will be ringing in the Dorothy Menker Theater Saturday, December 6, at 7:30 p.m. during “Merry Christmas Music!” performed by the Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers. The 70-piece choir and 12-piece orchestra will bring the bell theme to life with holiday songs including Carol of the Bells, The Sound of a Bell, Jingle Bells, Nutcracker Jingles, Jumble Bells, and Seasonal Sounds, a medley of holiday favorites. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

Warm up your winter evening during the Concert Band’s performance of holiday selections, marches, a Broadway medley, and classic marches by Henry Fillmore and John Phillip Sousa on Sunday, December 7, at 3 p.m., in the Dorothy Menker Theater. The band also will pay a two-song tribute to former Southwest Community Band leader Leo Henning, who died in August. Joe Collins, traffic reporter on WBBM-AM, is tentatively scheduled as a special guest. Admission is free.

The Little Drummer Boy has some competition this year. The Moraine Valley Percussion Ensemble will perform an eclectic mix of music in the John and Angeline Oremus Theater Thursday, December 11, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Tickets for these and other upcoming performances can be purchased online at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) 974-5500, or at the Box Office, located on the south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Nov. 24, 2008
Tickets to a Moraine Valley show make the perfect family gift
Give the gift of live theater this holiday season by purchasing tickets to a performance at Moraine Valley Community College’s Fine and Performing Arts Center. Many of the upcoming shows in the Dorothy Menker Theater are a perfect way for families to get out of the cold and warm up to each other.

Moraine Valley’s resident Theater for Young Audiences company will perform its production of Babes in Toyland on Saturday, December 20, at 11 a.m. The rip-roaring musical tells the tale of Simple Simon and Mary Contrary’s attempts to save Widow Peep’s shoe from the evil Silas Barnaby and his attempts to force Bo Peep to marry him. The fun show is perfect for pre-K through fourth grade. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children.

The Tamburitzans will perform on Saturday, January 17, at 7:30 p.m. America’s longest-running multicultural song and dance company from Duquesne University is a unique ensemble of talented young folk artists dedicated to the performance and preservation of the music, songs, and dances of Eastern Europe and neighboring folk cultures. The show is a carousel of style and color from the first note to the final stomp. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students.

It’s not quite the Big Top, but the Russian American Kids Circus will create a circus spectacular on Saturday, January 24, at 7:30 p.m. Children ages 6 to 16 will dazzle the audience with soaring acrobatics, synchronized unicycling, black-light juggling, clowning, and acts of precision balancing. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students.

These performances are made possible in part by grants from Arts Midwest, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. The Russian American Kids Circus is sponsored by Palos Fine Arts.

Tickets for these and other upcoming performances can be purchased online at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) 974-5500, or at the Box Office, located on the south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Nov. 24, 2008
Sister’ to solve Christmas mystery at Moraine Valley
The infamous Sister of Late Nite Catechism is back and on the case at Moraine Valley Community College on Saturday, December 13, at 3 p.m. Sister’s Christmas Catechism will be in the Fine and Performing Arts Center’s Dorothy Menker Theater, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students.

The show is CSI meets Bethlehem. Sister will solve the greatest story never told: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold. With special forensic tools and audience participation, Sister solves the mystery in a hilarious evening of fun. She will be joined by the Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers. Audience members are encouraged to bring their cameras. Everyone who attends will receive a gift from Sister.

This program is sponsored by Moraine Valley Foundation board member Barry Gaw of Remax “10.” It also is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Tickets for Sister’s Christmas Catechism and other upcoming performances can be purchased online at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) 974-5500, or at the Box Office, located on the south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

November 6, 2008
Auditions set for Moraine Valley’s Steal Away Home

Moraine Valley Community College will hold auditions for its Theater for Young Audiences production of Steal Away Home on Saturday, November 22, from noon to 4 p.m., in the John and Angeline Oremus Theater, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The date for callbacks has yet to be determined.

Dramatized by Aurand Harris from Jane Kristof’s novel, Steal Away Home is a moving drama of escape from slavery and flight to freedom. Two young slave boys escape from a South Carolina plantation, and with the help of many good people, both black and white, make their way north to join their freed father in Pennsylvania.

The college is auditioning for two African-American males who are in their early- to mid-teens, one African-American male age 20 to 40 to play various roles, three white men ages 20 and over to play various roles, one African-American woman age 30 and up who will sing a-cappella spirituals, and one white woman age 20 to 40. To audition, actors must prepare a monologue no longer than two-minutes, and African-American women should prepare an appropriate short a-cappella song.

Steal Away Home performances will be February 3-13, weekdays at 10 a.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m., in the college’s Dorothy Menker Theater. Rehearsals will begin in January. Actors will be paid for rehearsals and performances.

To register for an audition, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500 or e-mail henselt2@morainevalley.edu. For more information, call Tommy Hensel, manager of the Fine and Performing Arts Center, at (708) 974-5492.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

November 3, 2008
Moraine Valley Fine & Performing Arts Center Calendar Announcements: November-December

Nov. 15
Unforgettable: A Tribute to Nat King Cole
Dorothy Menker Theater
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $25 adults, $20 seniors, $15 students
Take an unforgettable trip down memory lane. Boston cabaret artist Gordon Michaels’ powerful baritone voice, effortless delivery, and diverse stylistic range is perfectly suited to the classics recorded by Nat King Cole. Michaels will be joined by Moraine Valley music faculty member Doug Bratt on drums, and Chicago-area musicians Jo Ann Daughtery on piano and Larry Grey on acoustic bass.

Nov. 17- Jan. 8
Faculty Art Exhibit
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
Moraine Valley Community College Art faculty share their insights and recent artwork with the college and community.

Nov. 21
Cherryholmes
Dorothy Menker Theater
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students
America’s new first family of bluegrass, Cherryholmes has stormed to the top of the bluegrass world and stayed there. The Cherryholmes sound is made up of hard-driving instrumental virtuosity and explosive vocal harmonies, featuring a mixture of original songs written by members of the band and carefully chosen classics.

Dec. 4
Leahy’s Celtic Christmas
Dorothy Menker Theater
7:30 p.m.
SOLD OUT!

Dec. 5
Jazz Ensemble Holiday Concert
Dorothy Menker Theater
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $12 adults, $10 students/seniors
Swing into the holiday season with the Moraine Valley Jazz Ensemble and special guest vocalist, Meredith McGuire, as they perform music by Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Oliver Nelson, and swingin’ holiday classics!

Dec. 6
Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers “Merry Christmas Music”
Dorothy Menker Theater
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $12 adults, $10 students/seniors
Join Chorale Director Nicholas Thomas and the Chamber Singers as the theater comes alive with Christmas songs. Don’t miss this annual holiday tradition.

Dec. 7
Moraine Valley Concert Band Holiday Concert
Dorothy Menker Theater
3 p.m.
Free admission
Ring in the holidays with the Moraine Valley Concert Band and music by the Canadian Brass, John Philip Sousa, Leroy Anderson, and Warren Barker. Tap your toes and hum along with medleys of Broadway show tunes, Christmas classics, and much more.

Dec. 11
Moraine Valley Percussion Ensemble Winter Concert
John and Angeline Oremus Theater
7:30 p.m.
Free admission
Pa-rum-pa-pa-pum! The Moraine Valley Percussion Ensemble will perform an evening of music by the Mario Gaetano, Bill Cahn, Vince Guaraldi, and the Beatles. Don’t miss this unique concert of percussion prowess.

Dec. 13
“Sister’s Christmas Catechism”
Dorothy Menker Theater
3 p.m.
Tickets: $25 adults, $20 seniors, $15 students
It’s CSI meets Bethlehem! The infamous Sister of “Late Nite Catechism” is back and on the case, solving the greatest story never told: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold. With special forensic tools and audience-participation, and joined by the Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers, Sister proceeds to solve the mystery in a hilarious afternoon of fun. Don’t forget the camera!

Dec. 20
“Babes in Toyland”
Dorothy Menker Theater
11 a.m.
Tickets: $8 adults, $6 children
The rip-roaring musical tale of Simple Simon and Mary Contrary’s attempts to save Widow Peep’s shoe from the evil Silas Barnaby and his attempts to force Bo Peep to marry him. A fun show packed with many chases and charming music presented by our own resident professional company, Theater for Young Audiences. Perfect for ages pre-K through fourth grade.

For tickets or more information on any performance, call the Box Office at (708) 974-5500, or visit www.morainevalley.edu/FPAC.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

October 23, 2008
Cherryholmes bringing ‘renewed’ bluegrass to Moraine Valley

Cherryholmes, America’s new first family of bluegrass, will perform its hard-driving instrumental virtuosity and explosive vocal harmonies at Moraine Valley Community College on Friday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m. The band will take the stage in the Fine and Performing Arts Center’s Dorothy Menker Theater, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, and $20 for students.

Cherryholmes is breathing life back into bluegrass, a form of American folk music and a sub-genre of country music that is inspired by jazz and blues. In bluegrass, each instrument takes a turn playing and improvising the melody, while the others play accompaniment. The Cherryholmes band members pool their creative ideas to form their own new brand of bluegrass music. Their live shows include twin fiddles, Irish step dancing, classic country yodeling, and old-time claw hammer (banjo).

The six members of Cherryholmes the band also make up Cherryholmes the family. Until April 1999 when the band was formed after attending a bluegrass festival, half of the children members hadn’t even picked up an instrument. Bandleader Jere (the father) plays the upright bass hard and fast; his wife, Sandy, plays a hard-hitting mandolin and clawhammer banjo and yodels; their eldest daughter Cia Leigh, plays a fast, powerful banjo; B.J. is a fiddle player; Skip, a Hank Williams look-alike, picks the guitar; and Molly Kate rounds out the family with an aggressive fiddle. All members sing.

In five years, this high-energy, Nashville-based band was named the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainers of the Year. The group also received a Grammy nomination in 2006, and their second album opened up at No. 1 on the BillBoard Charts in June 2007. Cherryholmes also are regular performers on the historic Grand Ole Opry.

This performance is partially supported by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets for Cherryholmes and other upcoming performances can be purchased online at morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) 974-5500, or at the Box Office, located on the south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

October 15, 2008
Gordon Michaels to perform ‘Unforgettable’ show at Moraine Valley

The powerful baritone voice of Gordon Michaels is nothing like the relaxed sounds of Nat King Cole, but his performance of “Unforgettable: A Tribute to Nat King Cole” at Moraine Valley Community College will take audience members on an unforgettable trip down memory lane. The tribute show will be Saturday, November 15, at 7:30 p.m., in the Dorothy Menker Theater in the college’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students.

Michaels will be joined on stage by Moraine Valley faculty member Doug Bratt on drums and Chicago-area musicians Jo Ann Daughtery on piano and Patrick Mulcahy on acoustic bass. Bratt is an instructor of Music and the director of the college’s Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Percussion Ensemble.

A Boston cabaret artist, Michaels’ effortless delivery and diverse stylistic range is perfectly suited to the classics recorded by Cole. He infuses gospel, soul, and Broadway into his music, often leaving audiences feeling as if they have landed in the pews of a Baptist church. He engages the audience with history about Cole and jokes about his own theatrical experiences.

Michaels has performed with Patti Labelle, Aerosmith, Rod Stewart, and other legendary artists. He was awarded first place in the 2000 Encore Silver Note Sing Off and has been nominated twice for best male vocalist for Jazz and Gospel by the Boston Music Awards. He also is the creator of the popular Gospel Brunch at the original House of Blues in Harvard Square Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Tickets for “Unforgettable: A Tribute to Nat King Cole” and other upcoming performances can be purchased online at morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) 974-5500, or at the Box Office, located on the south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

October 15, 2008
Moraine Valley to host ‘Suitable Delineations’ art exhibit

Moraine Valley Community College will host “Suitable Delineations” by artists Adrian Hatfield and Joe Meiser in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The exhibit will run October 20 to November 13. An artist’s reception will be Thursday, November 13, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Art Gallery.

Hatfield’s work examines the visual language science uses to make huge amounts of information digestible. He focuses his examination primarily on the visual language of paleontology and astronomy because the information and understanding of these areas are so limited and because the public’s imaginings of them are so clear.

“When I paint a prehistoric scene, I want it to be fantastic as possible without becoming obvious fiction,” said Hatfield. “The piece should operate not only as an alluring image, but also as a metaphor exposing our most trusted systems.”

Hatfield is an assistant professor of painting at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting/drawing from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He also has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting/drawing and a Bachelor of Education degree from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He has received several fellowships and has shown his work in solo, two-person, and selected group exhibitions across the country. For more information, visit www.adrianhatfield.com.

Meiser’s sculptures, performances, and dioramas form a personal mythology that draws upon a diverse range of sources from parapsychology to Plato to world religion art. His art ranges widely in scale and form, but consistently focuses on questions about the nature of reality.

“My interest in sculpture is a result of my acute awareness of the physicality of my existence,” said Meiser. “Sculpture provides a means for me to solidify my thoughts materially.”

Meiser is currently creating art and teaching in Bowling Green, Ohio. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He has exhibited his artwork widely in the United States from Chicago to Waterloo, Iowa, to Brooklyn, New York. For more information, visit www.joemeiser.com.

Moraine Valley’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free to the public and are available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Between The Emperor’s New Clothes and Unforgettable: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, there’s something for audiences of all ages at the Moraine Valley Community College Fine and Performing Arts Center this year—a season made possible with help from two Illinois Arts Council grants totaling $13,720.

The Performance Series grant of $11,700 underwrites operational expenses for the Spotlight Series that will feature artists such as Paula Poundstone, Cherryholmes, Celtic rockers Leahy, and the Russian American Kids Circus; and the Chicago Artist Series, which includes River North Chicago Dance, iO Theatre: Improvised Shakespeare, and the improv troupe The Second City.

The second grant for $2,020 has been designated for the college’s Theater for Young Audiences productions, which produce quality live theater that entertains and educates more than 10,000 children between the ages of 3 and 14 each year. The theater produces three affordable, day-time performances that are targeted to specific age groups. This year’s productions are Babes In Toyland, Steal Away Home, and The Emperor’s New Clothes.

For more information about the Fine and Performing Arts Center or the 2008-09 season, call Tommy Hensel, managing director, at (708) 974-5492 or visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

September 16, 2008
Moraine Chorale, Jazz Ensemble perform fall concerts

The spiritual sounds of the Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers, and the smooth notes of the Jazz Ensemble will warm the first autumn nights of October when both academic music groups perform concerts at Moraine Valley Community College. Jazz-lovers also will enjoy a special bonus set by the Stone/Bratt Big Band, which will play the second half of the jazz concert. Both performances will be in the Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. General admission tickets for each concert are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

The Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers will kick off their 11th season with the first of five concerts this year on Saturday, October 4, at 7:30 p.m. The 70-member group will perform spiritual and folk music, some of which will include narration. The singers will be accompanied by a 12-piece instrumental ensemble.

The Jazz Ensemble will perform its first of four concerts this year on Sunday, October 5, at 7:30 p.m. The performance will feature works by big band composers Oliver Nelson, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Dizzy Gillespie. Following the Jazz Ensemble’s act, the Stone/Bratt Big Band will play a set of original selections written by Doug Stone and other members of the band, including Moraine Valley adjunct music instructor Kevin Fort. The 17-member group, formed by Stone and Doug Bratt, director of the Jazz Ensemble at Moraine Valley, explores, creates, and fosters the growth of new music for the traditional big band format.

Tickets for these concerts and other upcoming performances can be purchased online at morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) 974-5500, or at the Box Office, located on the south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

September 10, 2008
Famed Second City comes to Moraine Valley, leads improv workshops

See the best sketches, songs, and improvisations from The Second City’s 45-year history when The Second City On Tour brings its trademark wit and satire to Moraine Valley Community College on Saturday, October 11, at 7:30 p.m. The Best of The Second City will be in the Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students.

The Second City also will offer one improv workshop to area high school students and one improv workshop to students at Moraine Valley during the week prior to the show. A maximum of 15 students will be allowed into each free workshop. The dates and times have not been scheduled yet, but the workshops will be on the Moraine Valley campus. To reserve a spot or for more information, call Tommy Hensel, managing director of the Fine and Performing Arts Center, at (708) 974-5492.

Audience members attending Saturday evening’s show will not only get the chance to see comedy stars in the making, but they also will rock with laughter during hilarious satire and cutting-edge improvisation. No topic or subject matter is off limits for The Second City. If it’s banned at the dinner table, chances are it will be made fun of on stage.

Founded in Chicago in 1959, The Second City has become the premier training ground for the comedy world’s best and brightest. The alumni list reads like a Who’s Who of American Comedy, including Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, George Wendt, Martin Short, John Candy, Bonnie Hunt, Tim Meadows, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and countless others.

For more information on The Second City On Tour, visit www.sctourco.com.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Tickets for The Second City and other upcoming performances can be purchased online at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) 974-5500, or at the Box Office, located on the south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

September 10, 2008
Moraine Valley to host ceramic exhibit by adjunct faculty members

Moraine Valley Community College will host “Tri.Spective” by artists and adjunct faculty members Nikki Renee Anderson, Chris Matusek, and James Mitchell in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The exhibit will run September 22 to October 16. An artist’s reception will be Thursday, October 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Art Gallery.

The objects Anderson creates have a whimsical quality that suggests imagery related to fairytales. Her inspiration came from the many hours she spent at her father’s bakery as a child. The project reflects the beauty and delight she saw and experienced at the bakery, as well as the gluttony and shame of her body. It also reflects cultural expectations and stereotypes about the female body. Anderson currently teaches at Moraine Valley, McHenry County College, and Harper College. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She also studied at the Institute of Italian Studies, Lorenzo d’Medici, in Florence, Italy and did a residency at AIR Vallauris, in Vallauris, France. For more information, visit www.nikkireneeanderson.com.

Matusek’s digital media and ceramics work explores topics related to gender, identity, desire, sexual politics, and duality of experience as it relates to her personal experiences. The impetus for her exploration of these topics began with the ideas of pin-up posters, burlesque, peepshow, and play. She is interested in boundaries, liminality, space, and the fluid constant of memory and time. Matusek is an associate instructor in the DART Department at Indiana University in Bloomington, and is an adjunct faculty member at Moraine Valley, where she also works for the college’s theater. She is a freelance graphic designer working in the area of media design. She is a Master of Fine Arts degree candidate at Indiana University, and has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 3D studio from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Mitchell’s artwork references his life experiences through narratives. Raised in the urban areas of Chicago, Mitchell was exposed to a diverse culture that particularly during his formative years included art forms such as graffiti and break-dancing. These experiences are often the central concept behind his sculptures, which gives a viewer room to place his or her own perspectives somewhere within his idea of how experience is represented. Mitchell is an adjunct faculty member at Moraine Valley and the gallery director at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago. He has a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics sculpture from the Rochester Institute of Technology, the School for American Crafts, in Rochester, New York, and a Bachelor of Arts in K-12 art education from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He completed a residency at the Clays Studio of Missoula in Missoula, Montana.

Moraine Valley’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free to the public and are available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

August 29, 2008
Paula Poundstone brings award-winning stand-up comedy to Moraine Valley

Appearing on stage with a stool, a microphone, and a can of Diet Pepsi, Paula Poundstone will showcase her razor-sharp wit and spontaneity at Moraine Valley Community College’s Dorothy Menker Theater on Saturday, September 27, at 7:30 p.m. This event is Poundstone’s exclusive stand-up performance in the Chicago area this fall and is the gala opener for the 2008-09 performance season at the college’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, and $25 for students.

After the show, Poundstone will autograph copies of her book in the Fine and Performing Arts Center lobby. She will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the book sales to Friends of the Library, the national organization for which she is the spokesperson.

Poundstone never does the same show twice since much of her routine is garnered from her interaction with the crowd. Her innate ability to create humor on the spot, along with her honesty and off-kilter view of the world, have earned her the reputation of being one of the funniest comics today. She is so quick and unassuming that audience members often leave complaining that their cheeks hurt from laughter.

The Emmy Award winner got her start traveling across country on a Greyhound bus stopping at open mic nights as she went. She has since starred in several comedy specials for HBO, the first of which led to her being the first woman to receive the Cable ACE for best standup comedy special, hosted her own talk shows on HBO and ABC, appeared on Saturday Night Live, and was the first woman to perform at the White House correspondents dinner. Poundstone can be heard regularly on NPR’s weekly news quiz program, “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me.”

Tickets for Paula Poundstone and other upcoming performances can be purchased online at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) 974-5500, or at the Box Office, located on the south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

August 4, 2008
Moraine Valley announces open auditions for ‘Grease’

Actors of various ethnicities, ages and backgrounds are invited to audition for a role in Moraine Valley Community College’s upcoming production of the musical “Grease.” Auditions will be on Wednesday, September 3, from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Callbacks (including movement/dance) are scheduled for Thursday, September 4, from 6 to 10 p.m.

To audition, performers should prepare 32 bars of a song in the style of the show and a one- to two-minute modern monologue. Optional cold readings from the script and songs from the score will be available. Performances will be October 30 through November 2.

To register for an audition, call Craig Rosen, director, at (708) 974-5432 or e-mail him at rosen@morainevalley.edu.

For more information about Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center or its 2008-09 season lineup, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

July 22, 2008
Moraine Valley to host painting exhibit by Benjamin Duke

Moraine Valley Community College will host “Imaginary Cities” by artist Benjamin Duke in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The exhibit will run August 18 to September 18. An artist’s reception will be Thursday, September 18, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Art Gallery.

Duke currently teaches at Michigan State University. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Maryland Institute College of Art, Hoffberger School of Painting in Baltimore, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in painting and drawing from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He also studied at the Yale University Summer School of Music and Art at Norfolk. He has been published, and his award-winning work has been exhibited in several states. For more information, visit bendukeart.com.

Moraine Valley’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free to the public and are available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, coordinator of College and Community Relations, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

The Moraine Valley Community College Fine and Performing Arts Center’s 2008-09 season will take audiences on a world tour without leaving their seats. Performances will feature Eastern European dancing, a Russian circus, Cape Breton fiddling, African gospel music, bluegrass from the Deep South, Chicago improv comedy and modern dance, and much more.

The Fine and Performing Arts Center has assembled new membership and subscription packages that will go on sale August 11. Individual tickets can be purchased through a new online ticketing system beginning August 25, and Box Office sales will begin September 2.

The Spotlight Series features world-class artists on the Dorothy Menker Theater stage.

• Paula Poundstone Sept. 27
• Unforgettable: A Tribute to Nat King Cole Nov. 15
• Cherryholmes Nov. 21
• Leahy’s Celtic Christmas Dec. 4
• Tamburitzans Jan. 17
• Russian American Kids Circus Jan. 24
• Princely Players Feb. 12
• In the Mood—a 1940s Musical Revue March 22

Enjoy the top-notch Chicago Artist Series without the hassle of going downtown.

• The Best of The Second City Oct. 11
• Sister’s Christmas Catechism Dec. 13
• River North Chicago Dance Feb. 21
• iO Theater: Improvised Shakespeare March 28

A new Family Series includes three Theater for Young Audiences productions that are fun for the whole family.

• Babes in Toyland Dec. 20
• Steal Away Home Feb. 7
• The Emperor’s New Clothes April 25

Academic Music Series
Nicholas Thomas, Moraine Valley choral director and assistant professor of Music, produces four concerts featuring the Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers.

• Fall Concert Oct. 4
• Merry Christmas Music! Dec. 6
• Opera—Again and Again! March 7
• Broadway/Pop/Motion Picture Spectacular May 2

The Moraine Valley Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Doug Bratt, will perform four concerts.

• Fall Concert Oct. 5
• Holiday Concert Dec. 5
• Winter Concert March 6
• Spring Concert May 3

The Percussion Ensemble will perform in the John and Angeline Oremus Theater.

• Winter Concert Dec. 11
• Spring Concert May 7

Academic Theater Series
The Academic Theater Department will feature three performances not to miss!

• Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey Oct. 30-Nov. 2
• The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Feb. 26-March 1, March 6-7
• The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler April 24-26, May 1-2

To be placed on the mailing list for a season brochure or for more information on these performances, call the Box Office at (708) 974-5500 or e-mail MillerB@morainevalley.edu.

Tickets can be purchased online, in person, by mail, or over the phone. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and one hour prior to all performances. Summer and holiday hours may vary. Additional information, updates, and new performances can be found at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

July 8, 2008
Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center announces summer shows

The Hot Summer Jazz concert will be Thursday, July 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the Dorothy Menker Theater. Special guest artist Matt Lewis will accompany the Moraine Valley Jazz Ensemble on trumpet and vocals. The ensemble will celebrate the sounds of Kansas City jazz with music by Count Basie, Benny Moten, Sy Oliver, Benny Carter, Oliver Nelson, and more. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

The Patriotic Chorale concert will be 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 25, in the Dorothy Menker Theater. Directed by Nick Thomas, assistant professor of Music, the Moraine Valley Concert Chorale, along with a 12-piece instrumental ensemble, will perform an evening of patriotic music. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

Moraine Valley’s Academic Theater will present Theater Under the Stars: The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged) July 31-August 2 at 7:30 p.m. Directed by Dr. Craig Rosen, assistant professor of Theater and coordinator of Moraine Valley’s Academic Theater Department, the informal play is a whirlwind rollercoaster tribute to the immortal bard. During this hilarious comedy sensation, three actors will take on the daunting task of performing 37 plays and 154 sonnets in less than two hours. The free outdoor performance will be on campus in the grass courtyard between Building A and the Library ramp. Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets and a picnic to enjoy during the show. In the event of inclement weather, the production will be held in the Dorothy Menker Theater.

For more information on Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac. To order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at
(708) 974-5500.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

July 7, 2008
Moraine Valley announces its 2008-09 performance season, ticket sales

The Moraine Valley Community College Fine and Performing Arts Center’s 2008-09 season will take audiences on a world tour without leaving their seats. Performances will feature Eastern European dancing, a Russian circus, Cape Breton fiddling, African gospel music, bluegrass from the Deep South, Chicago improv comedy and modern dance, and much more.

The Fine and Performing Arts Center has assembled new membership and subscription packages that will go on sale August 11. Individual tickets can be purchased through a new online ticketing system beginning August 25, and Box Office sales will begin September 2.

The Spotlight Series features world-class artists on the Dorothy Menker Theater stage.

• Paula Poundstone Sept. 27
• Unforgettable: A Tribute to Nat King Cole Nov. 15
• Cherryholmes Nov. 21
• Leahy’s Celtic Christmas Dec. 4
• Tamburitzans Jan. 17
• Russian American Kids Circus Jan. 24
• Princely Players Feb. 12
• In the Mood—a 1940s Musical Revue March 22

Enjoy the top-notch Chicago Artist Series without the hassle of going downtown.

• The Best of The Second City Oct. 11
• Sister’s Christmas Catechism Dec. 13
• River North Chicago Dance Feb. 21
• iO Theater: Improvised Shakespeare March 28

A new Family Series includes three Theater for Young Audiences productions that are fun for the whole family.

• Babes in Toyland Dec. 20
• Steal Away Home Feb. 7
• The Emperor’s New Clothes April 25

Academic Music Series
Nicholas Thomas, Moraine Valley choral director and assistant professor of Music, produces four concerts featuring the Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers.

• Fall Concert Oct. 4
• Merry Christmas Music! Dec. 6
• Opera—Again and Again! March 7
• Broadway/Pop/Motion Picture Spectacular May 2

The Moraine Valley Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Doug Bratt, will perform four concerts.

• Fall Concert Oct. 5
• Holiday Concert Dec. 5
• Winter Concert March 6
• Spring Concert May 3

The Percussion Ensemble will perform in the John and Angeline Oremus Theater.

• Winter Concert Dec. 11
• Spring Concert May 7

Academic Theater Series
The Academic Theater Department will feature three performances not to miss!

• Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey Oct. 30-Nov. 2
• The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Feb. 26-March 1, March 6-7
• The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler April 24-26, May 1-2

To be placed on the mailing list for a season brochure or for more information on these performances, call the Box Office at (708) 974-5500 or e-mail MillerB@morainevalley.edu.

Tickets can be purchased online, in person, by mail, or over the phone. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and one hour prior to all performances.

Summer and holiday hours may vary. Additional information, updates, and new performances can be found at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

May 21, 2008
Swing into summer with Moraine Valley Jazz ensemble

The Moraine Valley Community College Jazz Ensemble is recruiting new members to play during the summer session. Prospective members ages 16 and over should be experienced jazz instrumentalists who play saxophone, trombone, trumpet, guitar, piano, acoustic bass, or drum set. Trombone and trumpet players who can improvise over written chord changes are especially needed.

The ensemble will meet Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. in Room F127 in the college’s Fine and Performing Arts Center on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The first rehearsal will be Tuesday, June 10, and the concert performance will be Thursday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Participants may enroll in this course for college credit (MUS 151-200) or take it as a noncredit course (MU4-308-200). Tuition is $69 plus a $14 fee, and the noncredit course fee is $25.

Registration for summer classes is underway. Students who have applied to the college can register in person at the Admissions, Records and Registration Office, located in the College Center on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, by calling (708) 974-2110 (TTY for the hearing impaired 708-974-9556), or online via the college’s Web site at www.morainevalley.edu.

For more information about the Jazz Ensemble, call Douglass Bratt, director, at
(708) 974-5215 or e-mail him at bratt@morainevalley.edu. Information on all credit and non-credit classes is available in the summer 2008 class schedule or online at www.morainevalley.edu.For new media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

May 6, 2008
Moraine Valley Fine & Performing Arts Center Calendar Announcements

Through May 16
Juried Student Art Exhibit
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
An exhibition showcasing the breadth and depth of emerging art students who are either currently enrolled in or have taken art classes within the past year at Moraine Valley.

Saturday, May 10, 1 p.m.
Aladdin
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: Adults $8, Children $6
The Arabian Nights come to life with AlphaBet Soup’s wild and wacky adaptation of the story about a poor boy named Aladdin who wins the heart of the princess. Aladdin is not alone in his adventures as he is aided by his trusted monkey, Yazoo, and channels the ghost of Elvis. Recommended for preschool-third grade.

Monday, May 12, 6-9 p.m.
Open auditions for The Compleat Wrks of Wilm Shkspr (abridged)
By Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield
Room F150
Callbacks: Wednesday, May 14, 6-9 p.m.
Comic monologue preferred. The outdoor performances will be July 31-Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m.
For more info, contact Dr. Craig Rosen at rosen@morainevalley.edu or (708) 974-5432.

May 27-Aug. 6
Gallery 2008-Juried Community Art Exhibit
Reception/Awards Ceremony: Saturday, May 31, 2-4 p.m.
Mon.-Thurs.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Area residents are invited to share their artwork in a juried exhibition celebrating local artists.
Entries due Monday, May 19 or Tuesday, May 20 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Entry form available at morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For tickets or more information on any performance, contact the Box Office at (708) 974-5500, or visit www.morainevalley.edu/FPAC.

May 2, 2008
Moraine Valley art students display winning work

Art students at Moraine Valley Community College submitted their best artwork for judging in the college’s Juried Student Art Exhibit, which is on display through May 16 in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills.

The Best of Show Award was presented to Katya Hervatin, of Chicago, for her silver gelatin print “Sally #2.” First place went to Joana Bueta, of Oak Forest, for her ceramics piece “Man vs. Machine.” Kevin Sullivan, of New Lenox, won second place for his untitled infra-red silver gelatin print, while Cole Reynolds, of Oak Lawn, took third place for “Death of a Dead Day,” a linoleum print. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Ewa Mrugala, of Palos Hills, for her oil on canvas “Compilation Inspired by Remedios Varo” and Kohei Imai, of Tinley Park, for “Screwed,” a mixed media piece.

The Moraine Valley Community College Purchase Award went to Jeremy Studencki, of Orland Park, for “Some,” a hand-colored silver gelatin print that also will become part of the college’s permanent student art collection.

The Moraine Valley Juried Student Art Exhibit showcases the breadth and depth of art students who are currently enrolled in or have taken art classes within the past year at the college. This year, 22 students entered artwork into the exhibition.

The Student Art Exhibit was juried by Rafael Vera, a local artist who teaches at Northeastern Illinois University and College of DuPage. He has Master and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides the community an opportunity to view both locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits are free and available for viewing Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www.morainevalley.edu/FPAC.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

The Arabian Nights will come to life at Moraine Valley Community College with a wild and wacky adaptation of “Aladdin” on Saturday, May 10, at 1 p.m., in the Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children.

This Theater for Young Audiences performance portrays a poor boy’s adventures to win the heart of the Princess. Aladdin is aided by his trusted monkey, Yazoo, and the ghost of Elvis. The show is presented by Chicago-based theater company AlphaBet Soup Productions, and the book adaptation, music, and lyrics are by Mark A. Pence.

This performance is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

To purchase tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. For information on upcoming shows, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

March 27, 2008
Moraine Valley Foundation gala features Las Vegas theme

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…unless it’s the Moraine Valley Community College Foundation’s annual fundraising gala, Starry, Starry Night, whose Las Vegas-themed event includes a performance by legendary Chicago entertainer Ron Hawking, a silent auction, and food and drinks. The 14th annual event will be Saturday, April 12, at 6 p.m. in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $100 per person, and proceeds will benefit the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

Hawking will star in “The Men and Their Music” at 8 p.m. in the Dorothy Menker Theater. His performance will be a celebration of the greatest male vocalists of all time and will include a repertoire of iconic numbers from music legends, a live orchestra, and back-up vocalists.

Guests will enjoy delicious cuisine, prepared by area restaurants, representing some of the well-known casinos, drinks, and entertainment from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in classrooms that will be converted to Las Vegas hotel rooms. Get “All Shook Up” with Elvis impersonator Bob West and American-style cuisine at the Hard Rock Hotel. Be astounded by Mr. D’s Magic while eating Italian food at MGM Grand, and enjoy the Nick Thomas Trio and a silent auction at the Bellagio. Other options include Asian food at Mandalay Bay, Caribbean food at Treasure Island, and desserts and coffees at Paris.

Starry, Starry Night also will feature a raffle for roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations in Las Vegas for two, a $1,800 piece of jewelry from Tiffany’s, and six months of a digital starter from Comcast. Raffle tickets cost $15 for one or $50 for four. They will be available for purchase at the event or can be bought in advance in the Foundation’s office, Room B240, Building B.

Starry, Starry Night is sponsored by Pepsi Americas.

For more information about Starry, Starry Night or to purchase tickets to the event or raffle tickets, call Christine Bennett, Foundation coordinator, at (708) 974-5480.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

March 27, 2008
Moraine Valley to exhibit “Constructed Realities” by Tyler Hewitt

Moraine Valley Community College will host “Constructed Realities” by artist Tyler Hewitt in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The exhibit will run through April 17. Hewitt will give a demonstration and talk about the exhibit on Wednesday, April 16, at 12:30 p.m.

As a culminating end to his fall sabbatical, Hewitt, an assistant professor of Photography and Design at Moraine Valley, will exhibit his work on alternative printing processes in photography. The exhibit reflects an interest in how information is organized and presented and how the display of information affects people’s interactions with and understanding of that information. From museums to shop windows, displays are created to guide thoughts, feelings, and interactions with these created spaces. They strip away some aspects of the world while heightening others. “I photograph these spaces not as a straightforward documentation of how materials are used or displayed but as an examination of an expressive manner or subtle subversion of their intended function,” said Hewitt.

Hewitt has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan. His award-winning work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions in several states.

Moraine Valley’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free to the public and are available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

March 13, 2008
Thodos Dance Chicago to grace Moraine Valley stage

Thodos Dance Chicago, one of the elite contemporary dance companies in Chicago that exclusively presents the work of American choreographers, will perform at Moraine Valley Community College on Saturday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine and Performing Arts Center’s Dorothy Menker Theater, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy, Palos Hills. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.

In addition to performing some of the company’s favorites, the audience will witness recently premiered works, including “Camarilla,” a fast-paced athletic work following the journey of three couples through relationships set to music by the White Stripes and the Black Keys, and “Cascade,” a beautifully lyrical work set to Maurice Ravel’s “Jeux d’eau,” commissioned by Ravinia Festival as part of its 2007 One Score, One Chicago programming. The dance company was founded in 1992 by Melissa Thodos, an Evanston native who has combined her extensive classical and modern dance background with gymnastics training to create a unique style of dance that is fast paced, highly athletic, and entertaining. The ensemble is composed of well-rounded artists who teach, choreograph and perform to bring contemporary dance to a wider audience. Their appealing unique style incorporates a variety of dance forms created and performed with innovative flair.

Thodos Dance Chicago was the only American dance company invited to the International Istanbul Dance Festival and the Ankara Music and Dance Festival and has toured in Scotland. It also performs annually in Chicago’s month-long Fall Festival of Dance and for audiences about 50 times a year. For more information, visit thodosdancechicago.org. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

For more information or to order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Feb. 21, 2008
The Count Basie Orchestra to headline at Moraine Valley

The Grammy Award-winning Count Basie Orchestra, featuring bandleader Bill Hughes, will perform its swinging jazz on Saturday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the Dorothy Menker Theater in Moraine Valley Community College’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Limited tickets are still available and cost $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors.

The Moraine Valley Jazz Ensemble has been invited to open for The Count Basie Orchestra and will perform on stage prior to the headliners.

Bandleader Bill Hughes has played with The Count Basie Orchestra since 1952, taking only a six-year break in the late ’50s. A self-taught trombonist, he leads 18 performers who are committed to upholding Basie’s “American Institution,” including a core group of musicians who were selected by Count Basie himself.

Additional information about this and other upcoming performances can be found at morainevalley.edu/fpac. To order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Jan. 15, 2008

Moraine Valley to host multimedia art exhibit by international artist Jeremy Drummond

Moraine Valley Community College will host selections from “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” by Canadian artist Jeremy Drummond in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, located in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The exhibit will run February 4 to March 7. A reception will be held Thursday, February 7, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Drummond’s “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” is a look into the transformative nature of contemporary North American suburban culture – one that often upholds tradition over recognizing transition. This body of work employs various media such as sound, video and photography to reveal diversity, humor and irony within this often generalized context. “For the past few years I have focused primarily on issues relating to contemporary suburban environments,” said Drummond. “Rather than reiterating stereotypes, I attempt to introduce issues of diversity and difference within this seemingly ubiquitous context.”

Drummond teaches Digital Media at the University of Richmond in Virginia. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Art Video from Syracuse University in New York. He also has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario. His work has been exhibited in festivals, galleries and museums throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Drummond’s videotapes are distributed internationally through several video companies.

Moraine Valley’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free to the public and are available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Dec 21, 2007
Moraine Valley Fine & Performing Arts Center Calendar Announcements: January-February

Lloyd Wassenaar Art Exhibit
Through Jan. 31
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
Wassenaar captures Chicago through the eyes of a tourist with his head bent skyward to view the tops of buildings through the lens of a camera. The often distorted and disorienting views of Chicago buildings are animated through his photographs.

Late Nite Catechism 2
Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: seating is very limited
See Sister for more memories and instruction on Latin mass and meatless Fridays. Beginning with an overview of heaven and hell as a Catholic version of Chutes and Ladders, Sister tells us where we have gone wrong. No one is excused from her firm belief that “sometimes we feel guilty because we are guilty.”

Natalie MacMaster
Jan. 27, 3 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: seating is very limited
Fiddler Natalie MacMaster is considered one of the most versatile and exciting young musicians on both the Celtic and folk music scenes. MacMaster’s performances are a testament to her incandescent musicianship and boundless energy, featuring foot-tapping rave-ups, heart-rendering ballads, and world-class step dancing.

Jeremy Drummond Art Exhibit
Feb. 4-March 10
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
Jeremy Drummond’s work deals with the relationship between people and their environment, both on an intimate level and a grand scale. In Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, factual documents serve as a point of departure in the investigation of perception and representation within contemporary suburban environments. Through painted works, sound, video and photography, Drummond blends cultural and visual information to reveal humor, irony and diversity within this often generalized, seemingly ubiquitous context.
 

The Diary of Anne Frank
Feb. 9, 11 a.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: adults $8, children $6
Adapted from The Diary of a Young Girl, this play is the story of a 13-year-old Jewish girl and her family who are forced into hiding by the Nazis during World War II. For over two years, Anne commits to her diary her experiences and fantasies while the world around her crumbles.
Recommended for grades 5-8.

The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Sacred Music, Sacred Dance
Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: adults $20, seniors & students $15
Dressed in magnificent costumes and playing traditional Tibetan instruments, the Tibetan Drepung Loseling monks perform ancient temple music and dance for world healing. The multiphonic singers have perfected the art of overtone singing, and their performance brings their ancient culture alive on stage. The public also is welcome to observe the monks construct a mandala sand painting, listen to lectures, and enjoy a photo exhibit, all free of charge, in the week leading up to this performance.

Barefoot in the Park
Feb. 29-March 2, March 7-8
John and Angeline Oremus Theater
Tickets: adults $12, seniors & students $10
At the heart of this romantic comedy is a newly married couple from opposite upbringings: Paul Bratter, a conservative young lawyer, and Corie, a free-spirited soul. This Neil Simon classic play follows this young couple as they encounter the complex reality of their differences.

Dec. 18, 2007

Late Nite Catechism 2 coming to Moraine Valley, almost sold-out
Donned in her full-length habit, Sister will return to “class” in the sequel to last year’s hit presentation of Late Nite Catechism at Moraine Valley Community College. See Sister take on the new sins of the Millennium during Late Nite Catechism 2 on Saturday, January 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the college’s Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. A few tickets still remain, and the cost is $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors.

Catholics and non-Catholics alike will laugh their sins off during Late Nite Catechism 2 part stand-up routine, part catechism class. Audience members, or “students,” will join Sister for a hilarious lesson on Catholicism in which they are encouraged to ask and answer questions.

Additional information about this and other upcoming performances can be found at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac. To order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Dec. 18, 2007
Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster to perform at Moraine Valley

Limited tickets are still available for world-class fiddler and step dancer Natalie MacMaster’s whirlwind performance of Celtic and folk music at Moraine Valley Community College on Sunday, January 27, at 3 p.m. MacMaster will take the stage in the Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets cost $30 for adults and $25 for students and seniors.

Considered one of the most versatile and exciting young musicians on both the Celtic and folk music scenes, MacMaster’s performances are a testament to her incandescent musicianship and boundless energy. Featuring foot-tapping rave-ups, heart-rendering ballads, and quick jigs and reels, she is equally adept at setting the house on fire with her exceptional band as she is at hypnotizing a crowd while alone in the footlights.

MacMaster hails from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where she first picked up a fiddle at age 9. She fronts a top-notch orchestra that includes instrumentalists who play guitar, bass, piano, bagpipes, whistles, and drums. She has performed with Paul Simon, Luciano Pavarotti, Alison Krauss, Carlos Santana, and more. She has recorded and released seven albums in the U.S. and Canada and has received a Grammy nomination and Canadian Juno Awards.

Additional information about this and other upcoming performances can be found at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac. To order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.
For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Nov. 26, 2007
Moraine Valley announces open auditions for ‘Barefoot in the Park’

Actors of various ethnicities, ages and backgrounds are invited to audition for a role in Moraine Valley Community College’s upcoming production of “Barefoot in the Park” by Neil Simon. Auditions will be from 6 to 10 p.m., Monday, December 10, in the John and Angeline Oremus Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Callbacks are scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m., Wednesday, December 12.

To audition, performers must prepare a contemporary monologue. Optional cold readings from the script will be available. Roles are for actors between the ages of 18 and 60. Performances will be February 29 through March 3 and March 7 and 8, 2008. To register for an audition, call Craig Rosen, director, at (708) 974-5432 or e-mail him at rosen@morainevalley.edu.

For more information about Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center or its 2007-08 season lineup, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

Nov. 26, 2007
Young audiences to ‘rock’ during Schoolhouse Rock Live! at Moraine Valley

The Emmy Award-winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math, science, and politics through clever, tuneful songs will appear live on stage at Moraine Valley Community College on Saturday, December 15, at 11 a.m. The Theater for Young Audiences musical presentation of Schoolhouse Rock Live! will light up the Dorothy Menker Theater stage in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children.

Schoolhouse Rock Live! introduces a whole new generation to various characters that help a nervous school teacher, Tom, teach his students through imagination and music. The audience will enjoy such beloved Schoolhouse Rock songs as “Just A Bill,” “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly” and “Conjunction Junction.” Children just discovering the pop-culture phenomenon and “Generation X-ers” seeking a taste of nostalgia alike will delight in this sure-fire entertainment that is simply good, clean and educational fun.

Schoolhouse Rock Live! has received rave reviews locally, Off-Broadway and internationally since its inception in 1993. It was developed for the stage by Theatrebam Chicago, which was founded in 1992 by theater professionals, educators and alumni from Northwestern University and the Theatre School of DePaul. Their mission is to create dynamic theater productions that attract and engage new and young audiences by creating new works, reinterpreting familiar texts, and building educational programs.

Details about this and other performances at Moraine Valley are available at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For more information or to order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

Nov. 16, 2007
Moraine Valley announces holiday shows

Moraine Valley Community College will help usher in the holidays with a variety of music and theater entertainment at its Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills.

The Jazz Ensemble’s Winter Concert will kick off the season at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 30, in the Dorothy Menker Theater. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

Come back at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, December 1, for the Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers performance of “Merry Christmas Music!” The theater will come alive with Christmas songs including “Little Drummer Boy,” “Swing We Now of Christmas,” and the choral medley of “Christmas on Broadway.” Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

On Sunday, December 2, at 3 p.m., celebrate the season with the Concert Band’s Winter Concert featuring classic band selections, marches, holiday music, Broadway show tunes and more. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

The Moraine Valley Percussion Ensemble will perform its Winter Concert at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, December 6, in the Angeline Oremus Theater. Enjoy an evening of clapping, drumming, sound effects, mallet melodies and more. Admission is free.

Rounding out the college’s holiday presentations will be the Theater for Young Audiences’ production of “School House Rock” at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 15, in the Dorothy Menker Theater. The Emmy Award-winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught Generation X history, grammar, math, science, and politics through clever, tuneful songs is back to instruct a new generation. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $8 for children.

For more information or to purchase tickets to any of the above-listed events, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

Nov. 14, 2007
Moraine Valley to host photography exhibit by Lloyd Wassenaar

Moraine Valley Community College will host “Chicago City Views” by local artist Lloyd Wassenaar in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The exhibit will run December 12 to January 31.

Wassenaar uses a camera with a poor plastic lens to capture a distorted view of Chicago’s tallest buildings. A sense of the tourist can be found in his color photographs, which seldom show the street level, as if the viewer is always walking with his or her head bent skyward to view the tops of buildings for the first time. “The lack of building support is important because it is easy to become disoriented when looking up and feeling as if both yourself and the buildings are animated,” said Wassenaar. “This contradicts what the viewer knows to be the truth about buildings—that they are solid, straight and secure.”

Wassenaar is an adjunct faculty member in the Art Department at Moraine Valley and Joliet Junior College. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree and a Master of Science degree in Studio Arts from Illinois State University in Normal. He also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been published, and his award-winning work has been exhibited in Illinois, New York, North Dakota, and China. He also shows a collection at Benedictine University in Lisle.

Moraine Valley’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free to the public and are available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

Oct. 18, 2007
Second City to perform famed comedic improv at Moraine Valley

A traveling troupe of six lively and talented Second City comics will deliver an evening of cutting-edge, topical humor during its newest theatrical tour “One Nation, Under Blog” at Moraine Valley Community College on Saturday, November 17, at 7:30 p.m. The performance will be in the Dorothy Menker Theater, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.

Founded in Chicago in 1959, The Second City is famous for its hilarious and intelligent sketches and musical and improvisational acts. In “One Nation, Under Blog,” the company’s satirical skits are mined from the day’s headlines and the worlds of politics, entertainment and media. The skits are guided by the audience and performed spontaneously, making the evening an unmapped adventure sure to lead its spectators to uproarious fits of laughter.

The Second City has produced an assortment of professional humorists, including such stars as Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, George Wendt, Martin Short, John Candy, and Chris Farley, as well as current comic entertainers Rachel Dratch (currently on Saturday Night Live) and Ryan Stiles (from The Drew Carey Show and Whose Line Is It Anyway).

Details about this and other performances can b