Silent Theatre has proven to be amorphous throughout its existence. Since the company was founded to produce the black-and-white silent play, LULU, our mission has been based on physical theatre: using body language, gesticulation, and facial expressions to tell stories. The inaugural production emulated old celluloid films, our sophomoric effort echoed film noir, and usually, we used genre-specific aesthetics to get away with using sparing voiceover or do away with language altogether.
When asked about our devising style, the answer can be nebulous. It largely depends on the participants. If you are new to our project, the process can be seen as chaotic and frustrating. Mostly, because we’re willing to entertain most ideas, even if they sound bonkers, at first. We value collaborative efforts and there isn’t a director that tells us what to do, only a director that assures all elements fit within the scope and vision of the play. An actor who studied “acting” (put into quotes, because the idea of studying how to authentically lie is itself a weird concept), can find this to be a challenge.
Part of the challenge is finding nuance: after all, how can you have any subtext, if there is no text? But it’s also because, unlike most roles where an actor relies on emotional or cerebral methods, in Silent Theatre, you are asked to jump in feet first and leave the heart and brain out of it. With ensemble members who have been around for a while, this becomes second nature, a shorthand communication that is only learned through doing.
In 2009, Columbia College Chicago, the alma mater of most STC members, invited us to collaborate with a few students to create a piece based on the prints of Warrington Colescott. As the grandfather of the style, then in his 90s, he was invited to the institution as a special guest, and Silent Theatre would present a play in which his art would come alive as a surprise. No pressure.
Taking two-dimensional art and breathing life in it was no easy task. Not only did the four STC members rise to the challenge, but we, somehow, lucked out by casting the four Columbia College participants blindly out of an audition who had several hidden talents that came of great use. We also partnered up with some DePaul students who came to be our life band and absolutely nailed the vibe. So much young talent in Chicago willing to take risks!
The above video is the recording of that effort. Three characters guide through the different phases of the artist’s work: a Chaplinesque Tramp, John Dillinger, and the artist, Warrington Colescott, himself. Although the vignettes exist in a linear continuum, the play is a multi-dimensional, multi-media medley where characters can exist not only in their natural environment but also in different time periods. Every vignette is a different portal. They range from the Vaudeville era to a fantastical nightmare, but the yin-yang of tragedy and comedy, “the transmitting of screams into laughter...where the rules are no rules” add up to 45 mins. of sublime whimsy. Slightly edited to add digital filters echoing each genre, this is The Thin Line Redux.
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To round up month one of our 20th-year anniversary, included below are links to our social media posts. Click on the image to read the descriptions for each day.
Legend:
“Caption This” Mondays
“AI” Tuesdays
“BTS (Behind the Scenes)” Wednesdays
“Throwback Tour” Thursdays
“Flashback” Fridays
“Wild Party Variety Hour” Saturdays
“Wrong Answers Only” Sundays
Celebrate Silent Theatre’s 20th anniversary by subscribing or making a one-time tax-deductible donation to help kick-start our live presentations post-hiatus. #cureforthecommonbore
For more social media fodder, you can follow us on IG, YT, or FB.
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