After a nearly 3-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the A.B.L.E. ensemble is thrilled to return to the stage…and we’re doing it in a BIG way!
To celebrate this occasion, A.B.L.E. is producing our first-ever festival on Saturday, November 19, 2022 in partnership with Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier. RECONNECT will feature the work of 58 members of the A.B.L.E. community - 33 performers with disabilities, 17 volunteer facilitators, 8 Teaching Artists - across 3 different events.
Over the course of a 10 week rehearsal process, each of A.B.L.E.’s 3 ensembles collaborated to develop original monologues, scenes, movement pieces and songs inspired by their own lives, and the ways we connect with ourselves, with our loved ones, and with our community. They have created two distinctive multimedia shows, that will blend live performances with filmed content from A.B.L.E.’s virtual ensemble. Between the shows, the public is invited to participate in an interactive workshop with A.B.L.E.'s Creative Associates and Teaching Artists to experience how A.B.L.E. brings their ideas to the stage.
Here’s the full schedule for the day:
It is hard when your loved ones are far away. Through scenes, monologues, and lots of movement, this multimedia show is built around the letters we imagine sending to our loved ones, sharing the good, the bad, the scary, and the silly along the way.
Run time: approximately 80 minutes
Peek behind the curtain and experience for yourself how A.B.L.E. brings our performances to the stage. In this interactive session, A.B.L.E.’s Creative Associates and Teaching Artists will teach you some of our favorite games for devising. All levels of skill and ability are welcome, ages 10 and up.
Run time: 90 minutes
No matter how much we want to connect, sometimes things get in the way - fear, miscommunication, and our own minds. Through monologues, scenes, movement, and some musical mash-ups, we share reflections from our own lives on the way to finding deeper connections with our friends, our community, and ourselves.
Run time: approximately 80 minutes
How do you want to RECONNECT?
Tickets will be released to the general public on Thursday October 20th. You can join us for just one event, or buy a ticket for 2, or maybe even all 3! Because we believe in making our work accessible, all tickets are pay-what-you-can, general admission. You can pick the pricing tier that works for you:
$15 - I want to CONNECT with the A.B.L.E. community at this event
$30 - I want to CONTRIBUTE a bit extra to support A.B.L.E.’s programs
$45 - I want to help CREATE new opportunities for individuals to share all they are A.B.L.E. to do.
All proceeds from ticket sales come back to our programs, and helps us continue to provide vital social and creative outlets for individuals wth intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Please note that in order to ensure A.B.L.E.’s immunocompromised performers and community members feel safe and welcome, all audience members must remain masked for the duration of their time in the theater complex.
