The Poetry Performance Incubator is seeking poets and other writers to collaborate on the creation of a workshop production of Like Bread, a new theatrical performance about making space for a creative life. We are particularly interested in working with poets from a broad range of aesthetics, backgrounds, ages, and Chicago communities.
Inspired by the Roque Dalton poem “Like You,” Like Bread will explore the relationship between writing and social struggles, the way that writing can transform a life, and how challenging (but joyful) it can be to claim oneself “a writer.”
Noted director (and longtime Incubator artist lead) Coya Paz will facilitate this project. The Guild is particularly interested in working with a multigenerational cast, and writers of all ages are encouraged to audition.
To Audition:
Auditions will be Thursday, July 25, 6:30 PM, at Free Street Theatre (1419 W. Blackhawk St). Audition slots are 30 minutes and will include you giving a 2-3 minute recital of your original written material, on-the-spot writing from prompts, and group theatre exercises. The call back will be Saturday, July 27, and by invitation only. The call back will be a full group audition for two hours.
To schedule an audition, email [email protected] with “Auditions” in subject line, and give your name, phone number, and what time(s) you’re available July 25, 6:30pm-8:30pm. Then we’ll call you back to schedule your audition.
About the Incubator:
The Incubator was founded in 2004 to create work that bridges the disciplines of poetry and theater. Incubator members write collaboratively to create the performance – writing and performing pieces they have written for and with each other. Tour Guides, the Incubator’s first original show (and twice remounted), is an energetic, funny, poignant love letter to the Chicago tourists never see. Unnatural Spaces, the second Incubator production, examines the complexity of environmental living in an urban setting and closed to standing room only audiences. Like Bread will follow the lead of previous productions and result in a fun, serious production with heart.
The Incubator is a significant commitment. Participants will meet 12 hours a week starting in early August, and performances will run at the end of October/early November. Participants in the Incubator receive a modest stipend.
About Guild Literary Complex:
Guild Literary Complex is a community-based literary organization that presents and supports diverse, divergent, and emerging voices through innovative programs including performances and readings. The Guild believes that vibrant literature contributes to society and community, and that people should have access to quality literary experiences that engage them with dynamic juxtapositions of voices and ideas. Guild programs include Palabra Pura (bilingual poetry); the Poetry Performance Incubator (collaborative theatre and poetry); and open-submission writing contests such as the Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Award and Prose Awards for short fiction and non-fiction. Since its formation, the Guild has established itself, in the words of the Illinois Arts Council, as “Chicago’s premier literary center.” Guild Complex has been twice selected as a model literary center by the National Endowment for the Arts.