December 2012 Theatre/Dance Calendar

EVANSTON, Ill. --- A screening of a new film starring Christopher Plummer as actor John Barrymore, one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time, will be hosted by the Theatre and Interpretation Center at Northwestern University Dec. 3.

The screening of “Barrymore” will take place on the University’s Evanston campus, at the Ethel M. Barber Theater. Ticket prices are listed below.

A free “contact improvisation” workshop, a dance form teachers and choreographers use to open the senses, led by School of Communication adjunct faculty member David Lakein, is scheduled for Dec. 5 at the Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center, another Evanston campus venue.

Both events are open to the public. Details follow below, as noted.

CONSTRUCTION ALERT

A three-year construction project under way on the southeast end of the Northwestern University campus has closed the Arts Circle Drive to traffic. Free parking for evening and weekend events remains available but the project will impact handicapped parking and patrons requiring special access to Evanston campus theaters. Visit www.tic.northwestern.edu/construction to learn more.

DECEMBER 2012 THEATRE EVENT

Broadcast of “Barrymore,” 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, Ethel M. Barber Theatre, 30 Arts Circle, Northwestern University’s Evanston campus. Set in 1942, “Barrymore” is a new film that follows acclaimed American actor John Barrymore, a member of one of Hollywood’s most well-known theatrical dynasties. No longer a star by box office standards, the film finds Barrymore reckoning with the ravages of his life of excess. He has rented a grand, old theatre to rehearse for a backer’s audition to raise money for a revival of his 1920 Broadway triumph in “Richard III,” which leads him to look back on the highs and lows of his career and life. Originally written for the stage by William Luce and directed and adapted for the screen by Erik Canuel (“Bon Cop, Bad Cop”), “Barrymore” is a two-person drama starring Christopher Plummer (“The Sound of Music,” “Beginners”) in the role of Barrymore and John Plumpis (“The Lion King” national tour, “’Til There Was You”) in the role of Frank, the Prompter -- the person offstage who reminds actors of forgotten lines or cues. “Barrymore” premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Immediately following the “Barrymore” screening, TIC also will present the behind-the-scenes documentary “Backstage with Barrymore,” featuring Helen Mirren, Julie Andrews and Zoe Caldwell. The combined running time is two hours and nine minutes. Both films are presented in association with BY Experience, an independently owned and operated firm that provides global audiences affordable access to the highest quality cultural events from around the world. General admission tickets are $5 to $16; as a benefit to TIC Mainstage and NT Live subscribers, $12 tickets are available via phone orders only. Tickets for the screening can be purchased through the TIC box office at (847) 491-7282 or www.tic.northwestern.edu.

DECEMBER 2012 DANCE EVENT

Contact Improvisation Jam with adjunct faculty member David Lakein,” 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center, Cellar Studio, 10 Arts Circle Drive, Northwestern University, Evanston campus. Contact improvisation is a dance form used to open the senses, break habitual movement patterns and help dancers become more present in improvising and partnering. It can be slow and intimate or fast and playful, all the while involving the giving, receiving and sharing of weight, and building energetic and spatial connection with one’s partner(s) and surroundings. The two-and-a-half hour workshop will be led by David Lakein, a Berlin- and Chicago-based interdisciplinary artist, director-choreographer, performer and teacher-facilitator, who has had a sustained contact improvisation practice for more than 20 years and been teaching for a decade. Known for his inquisitive nature and experimental methods, Lakein, who is an adjunct lecturer for the School of Communication’s dance program, is a well-respected teacher dedicated to his students and a rigorous collaborative learning process. For more on Lakein, visit www.lakeinworkshops.wordpress.com/davidlakein/. The program will feature live music by Brent Roman and Graham Nelson and begin with a short warm-up. No experience required. Participants should plan on arriving on time. The event is free and open to the public.