I-Fest 2008

Kerry Reid, Performink

"Chopin Theatre not only serves as a rental facility for some of the hottest companies in town (the Hypocrites, TUTA, Oobleck), but also provides a rare opportunity to sample solo work from Europe and beyond in I-Fest.

This year’s festival includes Yasser by Moroccan-born, Netherlands-residing author Abdelkader Benali, performed by Egyptian-Sudanese-Turkish actor (and current UK resident) William El-Gardi, which traces the conflicts faced by a young Palestinian actor preparing to play Shylock.

Russian creator Oleg Liptsin and Taiwanese artist Ai-Cheng Ho will perform A Propos of the Wet Snow, based on Dostoevsky’s “Notes From Underground.”

There will be two post-show panel discussions after Wet Snow. On Nov. 2, Liptsin, Gardi and Teunkie van der Slujis will be joined by Columbia College’s Brian Shaw to discuss preparing a one-person show for Edinburgh.

A week later, on Nov. 9, the same group will be joined by Chicago journalist and comedian Ray Hanania on a panel called “Shakespeare Meets the Middle East.”

The mini-UN of experimental theatre runs Oct. 28-Nov. 9 . A complete schedule is at www.chopintheatre.com.