This Is It!
The Complete, Final and Absolutely Last Baudelaire in a Box began its three-day celebration the works of the French poet before it is laid to rest.
Beatnik Café Meets Pablo Picasso Meets Bob Dylan
What a night! The never-before-seen-in-Chicago marathon of the works of Claude Baudelaire (1821-1867) began last night with Theater Oobleck’s performance in Link’s Hall at Constellation. Begun in 2009 by artist Dave Buchen, the poet’s work was illustrated on scrolls of parchment-like brown paper and placed in wood wine boxes for display and performance. Musician Sebastian Paz set the poetry to music and translated the French into Spanish. After premiering in Puerto Rico, the artistic endeavor, “The Wine Cycle,” emigrated to Chicago. From 2010 to 2017 other of Baudelaire’s poems were translated, set to music and illustrated to bring the final count to ten “Episodes” which are being performed over the weekend of August 4th thru the 6th.
The space was filled with an international flavor, melting into a celebration of art that fused English, French and Spanish into a mono-lingual homage to this 19th Century poet. Passionate singing, instrumentation and visual art display encased the “box” of the theater in which the audience gathered. As only four of the Episodes were shared, spectators/participants were teased with a return for Saturday’s day-long, two-meal full showcase. The Sunday performance is to be a wrap up – an “everything else” that will “close the casket” on this decade-long project.
Theater Oobleck Brings This Labor of Love
Those who have the endurance for a festival (and sometimes carnival-like) atmosphere will appreciate the labor of love which this group has brought out. To spend hours with artists who live to express affection and passion to a poet, for poetry; to instrument, in music; to visual expression, through ink and paint – this all is a real gift to those who can immerse themselves in this small enclave for a brief period of time, and then have it all buried…in the hopes that maybe, somewhere, sometime, it will rise again. Thank you Theater Oobleck and all who brought this experience to birth!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
When
Friday, August 4th, 7:00pm-11:00pm
Saturday, August 5th, 11:00am-Midnight
Sunday, August 6th, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Where
Links Hall at Constellation
3111 N. Western Ave.
Tickets
Friday, August 4th $20
Saturday, August 5th $50
Sunday, August 6th $15
Visit Theater Oobleck at theateroobleck.com
Joseph Anthony Rulli is a transplanted Hoosier, living in Chicago since the fall of 2006. A 1987 graduate of the University of Notre Dame (BA, History) and a 1992 graduate of St. Meinrad School of Theology (MDiv) he taught Social Studies, Religion, Philosophy and History at the high school level. He began writing as a career upon his arrival to his second city and has had two short stories published, a stage play performed, an electronic tour book published online and The Chicago Haymarket Affair (History Press/Arcadia Publishing, 2016) his first print book.
