Theatre Week is HERE! Join us on the cheap

Strangeloop Theatre is participating in Theatre Week this year, which celebrates Chicago’s world-class theatre scene.

 Presented by the League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago, Chicago Theatre Week is returning for its fourth year and takes place through February 21, 2016. Theatre lovers will again have the opportunity to choose from more than 100 productions (including ballet and opera)  with tickets ranging from $15 to $30 and, in some cases, even less..

Follow this link to get discount tickets to Strangeloop's production of French With Me 6: Le Salon at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, at Vagabond School of the Arts (4001 N Ravenswood Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60613). And while you're there shop around for tickets to other amazing shows all over the city. 

French With Me tickets are ordinarily $25 and include free drink and food. But you can snag a Theatre Week ticket for only $15. Hurry. Supplies are limited!

French With Me 6: Lover's Eclipse

It wouldn't be French With Me without the love-based stories that started it all. So this week, leading up to the gala on Saturday, February 13, we'll be spotlighting the original performance pieces that have been created for this event.

First up, Lover's Eclipse - The Untold Story of the Sun and the Moon conceived by Letitia Guillaud, is the silly, unscientific and unseen love story that unfolds between the sun and the moon during an eclipse.

Performers: Letitia Guillaud, Tim Lee and Miona Lee.

 

French With Me 6: Le Salon takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, at Vagabond School of the Arts (4001 N Ravenswood Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60613). Tickets are $25 in advance or at the door, and are available now through Brown Paper Tickets.

French With Me 6: Spotlight on Arcana

No French With Me would be complete without a musical act. This year, we are pleased to announce, the Chicago-based brass band Arcana will perform at French With Me 6: Le Salon.

Arcana combines the fun and energy of a street brass band with the intimacy of an instrumental chamber quartet. Whether through crusty folk music, undanceable alt rock or brain-melting originals, Arcana endeavors to musically answer life's most important question: What would Werner Herzog do?

The band features the talents of Joe Clark (trumpet), Mark Hiebert (bari sax), Will Russell (tuba) and David Agee (drums).

French With Me 6: Le Salon takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, at Vagabond School of the Arts (4001 N Ravenswood Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60613). Tickets are $25 in advance or at the door, and are available now through Brown Paper Tickets.

Arcana can be heard monthly at the High Hat Club, including on February 18. So if you like what you hear at French With Me on February 13, you only have to wait five days to hear them again.

French With Me 6: Spotlight on Chef Thom Ramirez

Strangeloop is excited to have Chef Thom Ramirez as our French With Me food sponsor! Chef Ramirez has some delectable dishes in store for attendees.

A Chicago native and graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, Ramirez is the executive chef of Four Star Lounge in Lincoln Park and is the executive chef and owner of Chef Thom's Custom Catering.

He is bringing his specialty in upscale urban food to our revamped gala, which will weave the intimate storytelling of Strangeloop seamlessly around the creative cuisine of Chef Ramirez.

French With Me 6: Le Salon takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, at Vagabond School of the Arts (4001 N Ravenswood Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60613). Tickets are $25 in advance or at the door, and are available now through Brown Paper Tickets.

We are elated to have this rising star of the Chicago culinary world join us for French With Me. Come sample his delicious dishes and start your new love affair with food. What you and your hors d'oeuvre do in the dark corners of Vagabond is entire up to you... 

French With Me 6: Spotlight on 525 Executive Sweets

Also returning to this year's French With Me is our dessert sponsor, 525 Executive Sweets, whose divine baking had us all dreaming of red velvet Oreo cookie crust cupcakes all year long. You don't know love until you've had it this heavenly sweet form!

525 Executive Sweets, owned by baker Jenna Douglas, is a Chicago storefront bakery and sweets truck that creates customized branded sweets for businesses and social events. Her company allows clients to create their own flavor blends and toppers.

French With Me 6: Le Salon takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, at Vagabond School of the Arts (4001 N Ravenswood Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60613). Tickets are $25 in advance or at the door, and are available now through Brown Paper Tickets.


We are so thrilled to have 525 Executive Sweets back with us this year. Come sample Douglas's succulent treats and you'll forget about all those other cupcake trucks you've seen around town. But don't blame us if you're sweetie ditches you to elope with a carrot cake cupcake. We don't blame her.

French With Me 6: Spotlight on Finch's Beer

Strangeloop is pleased to announce that Finch's Beer is returning as the beer sponsor of French With Me, providing an array of home-brewed beverages for our gala.

Finch's, a craft brewery that opened in Chicago in 2011, has worked with us since 2013, when French With Me evolved from a Valentine's Day-themed short play festival to the celebration of love it is today. As Finch's has continued to grow into one of the premiere cannery brands, so French With Me has grown, attracting larger and larger crowds interested in celebrating love, community and the arts.


French With Me 6: Le Salon takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, at Vagabond School of the Arts (4001 N Ravenswood Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60613). Tickets are $25 in advance or at the door, and are available now through Brown Paper Tickets.

We are honored to have Finch's along on this journey with us. Come sample their delicious beers at French With Me — drinks, food and performances are included in the price of your ticket — then take the love with you and buy Finch's all year long!

Happy New Year: French With Me is back as part of Chicago Theatre Week

Our popular gala returns for its sixth year, revamped and refilled with love just in time for Valentine's Day.

We'll have all the details for our event soon, but for now save the date. French With Me 6 takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, at Vagabond School of the Arts (4001 N Ravenswood Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60613). There will be performances and food and drinks galore!

Strangeloop is also thrilled to be part of the League of Chicago Theatres' Theatre Week, once again. Chicago Theatre Week celebrates the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago. Returning for the fourth year, Chicago Theatre Week 2016 will be held February 11-21, and includes specially-priced tickets to more than 100 shows, including French With Me. For more information on all the participating shows, visit the Theatre Week website.

Last year, French With Me featured short original works by up-and-coming playwrights and showcased the amazing talents of Chicago storefront actors and directors. This year will be even better. XOXOXO.

Thank you from Strangeloop

Thank you to everyone who made it out to French With Me: A Classic Affaire. We had a lot of fun with all of you and the tubas (if you are wondering what that means, you weren't there and we feel very sad for you).

We'd especially like to thank our event sponsors: Finch's Beer Company, Honey Baby Bakery, 525 Executive Sweets and Cafe Bella.

We'd also like to thank our auction donors: Sarah Satre De Reyes at Salon 833, The Mistress, Second City, MAKA Designs, M Henry, Albina Tritina, Universal Wellness Source, Bollywood Groove, Sweets by Meghan McClure, Good & Honest Natural Soaps, Jaclyn Garland, Your Edible Backyard, The Burlington, Starbucks Coffee, Adriatic Cafe and New England Seafood Company.

And thanks to all our volunteers who helped things run smoothly and all the actors, directors, writers and musicians (We're looking at you, Aces of Basses: William Russell, Aden Beery, Ben Darneille and Chris Smith!) who donated their time to put on such a successful event.

If you missed our fundraising gala, but would still like to donate you can do so through our website,  strangelooptheatre.org. Simply click on the donation button and you'll be able to set up the amount you wish to give. Or you can do it the old-fashioned way by sending us a check to made out to "Strangeloop Theatre, NFP" to 2616 N. Spaulding Ave. #2, Chicago, IL 60647.

*Photos from French With Me: A Classic Affair by Jaclyn Garland

French With Me: Married Bliss

A woman finds herself unable to cheat on her husband even in her dreams — even when the other man is George Clooney. The less-than-satisfactory dream leads to a less-than-satisfactory answer to the real question of "do you think you could be unfaithful?"

Married Bliss stars Strangeloop Associate Company Member Allison McCorkle as Sylvia and Ben Campana as Ryan. The play was written by Jean Koppen and is directed by James Sparling.

The piece is part of French With Me: A Classic Affaire. The gala event begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the The Charnel House in Logan Square, 3421 W Fullerton Ave., with a reception and silent auction. The performances begin at 8 p.m. with live music from Hollywood's golden age and dessert to follow.

Tickets are $25 and available at the door or in advance at Brown Paper Tickets.

French With Me: Purple Girl Faces Reality

Relationships make people forget about friendships all the time. But what if that friendship is the only thing that makes you visible in the real world? Literally. Lenna has one person who can see her and now she's seeing someone else...

Purple Girl Faces Reality stars Kara Charlton as Lenna and Renee Lynn Jackson as Julie. The play was written by Strangeloop Company Member Keith Gatchel and is directed by Dante Charlton.

The piece is part of French With Me: A Classic Affaire. The gala event begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the The Charnel House in Logan Square, 3421 W Fullerton Ave., with a reception and silent auction. The performances begin at 8 p.m. with live music from Hollywood's golden age and dessert to follow.

Tickets are $25 and available at the door or in advance at Brown Paper Tickets.

French With Me: Kitchen Sink Drama

If you think finding true love is hard when you're a healthy, human male walking around on two feet, imagine how hard it is when you're a dirty knife in a sink with a sponge as your matchmaker.

Kitchen Sink Drama stars Max Ryan as Sponge, Ken Miller as Knife and Melanie Kibbler as Fork. The play was written by Seattle-based playwright John C. Davenport and is directed by Kit Ryan.

The piece is part of French With Me: A Classic Affaire. The gala event begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the The Charnel House in Logan Square, 3421 W Fullerton Ave., with a reception and silent auction. The performances begin at 8 p.m. with live music from Hollywood's golden age and dessert to follow.

Tickets are $25 and available at the door or in advance at Brown Paper Tickets.

Strangeloop presents 'French With Me 5' on Feb. 10

Strangeloop Theatre is back in February with French With Me, our fifth annual musings on love presented in vignette form just in time for Valentine's Day. 

The gala event will feature short original works by up-and-coming playwrights including our ever-popular mime romance storyline, and it showcases the amazing talents of Chicago storefront actors and directors. This year, we add un peu de romantisme to the romance for French With Me 5: A Classic Affaire.

This year's pieces include a mix of old favorites (it is a CLASSIC affaire after all) and new works:

• French With Me conceived and directed by Maria Burnham*
• Purple Girl Faces Reality by Keith Gatchel*; directed by Dante Charlton
• OK Stupid by Letitia Guillaud*; directed by Jessica Kent
• Violent Femmes by Joe Janes; directed by Chad Wise
• Married Bliss by Jean Koppen; directed by James Sparling
• Kitchen Sink Drama by John C. Davenport; directed by Kit Ryan

Join us at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the The Charnel House in Logan Square, 3421 W Fullerton Ave. in Chicago, for a reception with food, drink and a silent auction. The performances begin at 8 p.m. with live music from Hollywood's golden age and dessert to follow. 

Tickets are available at the door or in advance at Brown Paper Tickets.

*Denotes Strangeloop Company Member