The Pivot Arts Festival is now in its 7th year! This dynamic celebration of contemporary performance entertains audiences from May 31 to June 9 with innovative dance, theater, live music and genre-defying works. Tickets are now on sale, don’t wait until they’re sold out at pivotarts.org/festival.
What’s new this year is that for the first time the festival features all WORLD PREMIERES!! You will have the opportunity to see these works for the first time (outside of a developmental workshop). It also is the first time that Pivot Arts is taking the leap to bring in international artists — Jesse LaVercombe of Canada and Ahmed Moneka, a celebrated actor/musician also from Canada and originally from Iraq. Jesse and Ahmed join forces with esteemed director/adaptor, Seth Bockley, to perform an original adaptation of Gilgamesh.
The festival also features prominent Chicago artists such as Erin Kilmurray, the creator of the enormously popular The Fly Honey Show and Isaac Gomez (Steppenwolf) and Nancy Garcia Loza (featured in New York Times) who curate an evening of Latinx live music, storytelling and comedy. You can see these artists as well as unique works such as a site-specific dance piece by Ayako Kato; a “hip-hopera” by BraveSoul Movement and Chicago Fringe Opera; and a mash up of live music, poetry and dance by rising star, choreographer, Brittany Harlin.
There’s so much to see and do! Check out the festival page and also look for special offers to see multiple shows at a discount. Whatever you do, don’t miss out. It’s going to be a spectacular ten days.
Julieanne Ehre is the director of Pivot Arts and the curator of the Pivot Arts Festival. She was named as one of “fifty people who perform for Chicago” by New City Stage.
Photo of Search Party by Matthew Gregory Hollis