The IAE Welcomes Norwegian Ensemble Free Theater Program to The US This Fall

Norway Free Theater Group Collaborates with The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship to Offer 12-Week Program in Chicago

The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship welcomes the Norway-based Ensemble Free Theater (EFT) to Chicago for a 12-week residency that will feature courses in directing, playwriting, movement and composition. Artistic director Brendan McCall in collaboration with the IAE and its founder, Lisa Canning, will lead the program, which starts this fall. Students from Norway also will be creating and developing original works to premiere on the Chicago stage at the Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln, Chicago and Gorilla Tango Theater, 1919 N. Milwaukee, Chicago.

“We’re thrilled to be able to accept the invitation of an organization on the forefront of arts education like the Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship.” McCall said. “The opportunity to bring our students to the U.S. to experience Chicago’s culture will be immensely helpful to their creative development and we’re looking forward to bringing our own experiences to the community, as well.”

McCall is an actor, director and choreographer whose work has been presented internationally. He has taught at the Yale School of Drama, New York University, New School for Drama and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, among others.

The Ensemble Free Theater company is a new program that emphasizes the importance of true collaboration among theater artists. While the curriculum is primarily focused on theatrical works, the EFT encourages interdisciplinary projects that include film, dance, photography and music.

“Collaborating with the EFT was a no-brainer,” Canning said. “Brendan McCall’s work is so relevant to the mission of the IAE. Like the EFT, we encourage provocative new works and creative career paths with a focus on an interdisciplinary curriculum.”

EFT classes will be conducted primarily at the Greenhouse Theatre Center and will be held Monday through Friday during the day for approximately 25 hours a week. The total tuition cost for the 12-week program is $4,500. Courses will be taught by McCall in conjunction with guest artist workshops conducted by IAE founder and musician Lisa Canning, musician, composer and author David Cutler; actress Amanda Leigh Cobb; actor and playwright Aaron Landsman and filmmaker and playwright Laura Lynn MacDonald.

“The IAE has offered us a great opportunity to encourage artists on the rise by premiering the new works of the Ensemble Free Theater program,” says Jenifer Kincaid, General Manager of the Greenhouse Theater Center. “We truly believe in the development of artists and the effect they can have in the community.”

For more information on this residency and all of the workshops and programs offered by the Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship, visit www.theiae.com. For more information about the applying for the Ensemble Free Theater program, contact lisa@theiae.com or call 773-756-2163.

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