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Akvavit Theatre

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Akvavit Theatre
FormationJanuary 2008 (2008-01)
TypeTheatre group
PurposeScandinavian
Location
Artistic director(s)
Kirstin Franklin
Breahan Pautsch[1]

Akvavit Theatre is a theater company in Chicago with a focus on Nordic and Scandinavian works. It has been active sind 2010.

Jay Torrence as Leni Riefenstahl in Akvavit Theatre's production of 'Hitler on the Roof' by Rhea Leman.[2]

History

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A group of five staged readings from several Scandinavian countries formed the initial production on 8 October 2010. It was born out of the "Nordic Spaces" project funded by the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation.[3] The first reading was God Times Five, a play by Swedish playwright Jonas Hassen Khemiri, directed by Chad Eric Bergman. The four other plays in the sequence were Red and Green, by Dane Astrid Saalbach, directed by Jessica Hutchinson; Kokkola by Finn Leea Klemola, directed by Kevin Heckman; Verkeleg, a reality play by Norwegian Gyrid Axe Øvsteng, directed by Robin Witt; and Óhapp by Icelandic playwright Bjarni Jónsson, directed by Jonathan Berry.[4][5]

In 2015 the company staged the U.S. premiere of Andri Snær Magnason's Blue Planet, based on his book, The Story of the Blue Planet, a "family-friendly" story directed by Wm. Bullion.[6] Also in 2015, the company took part in the annual holiday message from the Chicago theater community.[7]

Akvavit's 2017 production of Hitler on the Roof by Rhea Leman was selected as one of the productions to be produced at the 2018 re-opening season of Theatre on the Lake.[8][9]

References

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  1. ^ Roberts, Michael J. (January 4, 2017). "Akvavit Theatre Announces New Co-Artistic Directors; Associate Company Members". Showbiz Chicago. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  2. ^ "Hitler on the Roof". Akvavit Theatre. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  3. ^ "About Us". Akvavit Theatre. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  4. ^ "Nordic Spirit 2010". Akvavit Theatre. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  5. ^ "No easy choices in 'Red and Green'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 23, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  6. ^ "Icelandic Play "Blue Planet" Makes U.S. Premiere at Chicago's Akvavit Theatre". Iceland Naturally. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  7. ^ "A Holiday Video From the Theaters of Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 30, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  8. ^ "Theatre on the Lake 2018 Program" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Hitler on the Roof at Theater on the Lake | Chicago Park District". www.chicagoparkdistrict.com. Retrieved 2019-01-30.