vex
news
Text of
article from the Daily Herald
August 1, 2013
"New theater performances highlight annual art show"
By Jennifer Tranmer
IInspiration
can come from anywhere and Cathleen Ann of Palatine got hers after her
friend Taryn Hettlinger-Parise recently complained about the lack of
girls toys that weren't pink. "I wanted to have a play about a princess
that wasn't your typical princess," said Ann, Elgin's Vex Theatre
Company writer. "Her dream is to live a life of action and adventure."
Co-starring
Ann's friend and inspiration Hettlinger-Parise and Hettlinger-Parise's
husband, Tony, both of Elgin, the fractured fairy tale, "Ninja Pirate
Princess," will debut at Elgin's 5th annual Art & Soul on the Fox.
Running
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at DuPage Court
and South Grove Avenue, and throughout downtown Elgin, the annual art
show has expanded this year to include a greater variety of art forms,
like theater performances, said Sandy Kaptain of Elgin, chair of
Elgin's art nonprofit Art for All, which hosts the event.
Music
will fill the air at the Kaleidoscope Music Festival from 12 to 7 p.m.
Saturday, including the Jazz Consortium Big Band, My Lazy Elephant and
more. From 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the main stage, the lineup features
performances by the Jukebox Heroes and a gospel group, and a salsa
lesson.
The Kid's Stage and activity area will host "Ninja
Pirate Princess" performances at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday. Activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days will include
dancing, tumbling, a graffiti wall, face painters, martial arts and
more.
For adults, two plays will highlight the festival. "Muse,"
performed by Vex Theatre Company, will use different comedic skits to
illustrate the creative — and sometimes frustrating — process of
producing art. Shows are 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 4 and 6 p.m. Sunday
at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., and cost $5.
Join
"Walkabout: Jumpers, Thieves, Cops and Spies" put on by Janus Theatre
Company for a tour through the downtown area showcasing different
scenes.
About 75 artists representing a variety of media will
display their work for the juried show. Photographers, painters,
sculpture artists, jewelers, woodworkers and more will display their
work and reproductions of their original work to increase the price
range.
"It's their artwork — they have figured out a way to
produce it at a lower price to make it a little more affordable, so
it's a little more available to the general public," said Bob Almotti,
the fair's treasurer.
The Elgin resident will also be
presenting his paintings in the Art for All tent, which will host about
12 local, up-and-coming artists looking to tap into the art scene.
Increasing the variety of art is "part of Elgin's new focus to do multipurpose events,"
Kaptain
said. Almotti agreed, and he hopes the show will draw a larger, more
diverse crowd into the downtown area by offering something for
everyone, he said.
As for Ann, she's looking forward to having
her company be a larger part of this year's fair. "I hope that when
people come downtown, they will also take time to sample some theater
and see all the different facets of the arts going on in the area in
this unique town," she said.
