STILL A QUIET AFTERNOON

Directed by Guilherme Kirchheim and Tara Ostiguy
Performed by Katie Mazzini and Gabriel Thom Pasculli
Dramaturgy by Tara Ostiguy and Desiré Graham. with original text by Katie Mazzini and Gabriel Thom Pasculli

Performances July 14-16, Thurs-Sat 8:00pm
at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater
Ticket price: $15
Run time: 50 min no intermission
Age recommendations:  11 and older

SYNOPSIS

While the fires of Troy burn outside their window, an ancient and utterly familiar couple faces off within the present moment’s epic call to action. As the fires slowly enter the house, a coherent sense of time and place starts to unravel. The duo begin to travel back and forth throughout history, each time-jump informed by the disaster that reveals itself right outside their window. Centuries pass as the couple cycle through moments of both reverie and confrontation – all the while trying to hold onto the thread of urgency. The piece is a comedic and tender exploration of how we sometimes find grace and sometimes find strife in one another. And sometimes, we miss the point.

Based on stories, myths, song and poetry, Katie Mazzini (Her) and Gabriel Thom Pasculli (Him) investigate each character as the protagonist of their own life––and their inner movements as entire worlds––juxtaposed to an endlessly apocalyptic context. In the face of impending calamity, Her and Him struggle to respond to the urgent call to do… something.

This project was made possible in part through the support of the IL Arts Council, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Donnelley Foundation.