 1500 N. Bell, Chicago |
1500 N. Bell, Chicago |
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Polarity Ensemble Theatre performs in residence at the Josephinum Academy in Wicker Park. The theatre space was created by a partnership between the Josephinum Academy and Frank Merle, whose Keyhole Theatre company had been in residence there for five years. When Merle decided to turn his focus to film-making, he introduced Polarity at the Josephinum.
“We are delighted to have Polarity Ensemble Theatre in residence in our facility,” said Lourdes Weber, Principal at Josephinum. “The ensemble provides artistic enrichment for our students and assists us in producing student productions. By providing this space, we can also give something back to the community. We understand there is a shortage of affordable theatre spaces for small theatre companies, and we at the Josephinum are great believers in the value of the Arts.” “Our first year at the Josephinum was a breakthrough year for us,” said Richard Engling, Polarity's Artistic Director. “We began our season with the Dionysos Cup 2008, a new plays festival, developing four new scripts by Chicago area playwrights. We'll published and presented a world premiere staging of Darren Callahan's The White Airplane, a script we developed in our first Dionysos Cup. And we produced the classic, The Rivals, in an innovative production. We are very grateful to everyone at the Josephinum for this continuing opportunity.” Polarity Ensemble Theatre was founded in 2004 by Engling, Ann Keen and Irv Gorman with the mission of presenting work in the twin poles of the classic and the brand new. It is dedicated to working with Chicago area writers and theatre artists. In addition to producing live theatre, Polarity is also a publisher, having produced its first volume of plays in 2006. To date, Polarity has produced three innovative productions of Shakespeare tragedies, a new adaptation of Sophocles' Antigone, and a new play by Engling, which the company also took through a development process. Its recent production of Hamlet at the Athenaeum Theater prompted the Chicago Reader to name Polarity the “2008 Best Emerging Theatre Company.” Polarity is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres. Josephinum Academy is an academically rigorous college-preparatory school for promising young Chicago women. Its academic program for grades six through twelve is designed to fully prepare students for college with an emphasis on critical thinking, analysis, and writing skills. The Academy strives to empower young women to become leaders by nurturing their talents and instilling within them a social awareness that motivates them to make a difference. An associate of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, Josephinum Academy is a Catholic institution that seeks to make its quality program accessible with a low tuition and an outstanding financial aid and scholarship program. The Josephinum Academy is at 1501 N. Oakley Blvd., Chicago, IL 60622. The entry address for the Polarity Ensemble Theatre space within the Academy is at 1500 N. Bell, Chicago.  |