Strangeloop gets all Dolled up for Fight Night: X this Friday!

This Friday at the Mayne Stage in Rogers Park, Strangeloop brings it darkly humorous tale of violent sex and silicone to Nothing Special Production's Fight Night: X.


A collector of sex dolls brings his new acquisition home, but too late finds out she isn't quite like the rest. With the help of her glassy-eyed sisters, she exacts her revenge on the man who would keep her on a shelf.  

Doll, written and directed by Company Member Maria Burnham, stars Artistic Associates Jean E. Burr and Miona Lee, as well as guest artists Grace DeSant and Nora Lise Ulrey as the Dolls and Mark Edward Penzien as the collector. The piece is co-directed by Artistic Associate John Morrison. Violence is designed by Artistic Associate Justin Martin Fill. The fight captain is Mark Edward Penzien.


Fight Night is a one-night, violent cabaret celebrating the art of stage combat through original storytelling and violence design. Fight Night: X is a night of theatrical violence. No theme, no rules, just fights. 

The event takes place on Friday, September 4. Music by Barker begins at 8 p.m. Fights begin at 8:30 p.m. 
Tickets are $15 online, and $18 at the door. Purchasing in advance is highly recommended as this show always sells out.

Strangeloop returns to Fight Night in September

Strangeloop is excited to once again be part of Nothing Special Productions' Fight Night!

This go round, the 10th installment of the evening of short plays and punches, Strangeloop brings you Doll, written and directed by Company Member Maria Burnham, co-directed by Artistic Associate John Morrison. Violence is designed by Artistic Associate Justin Martin Fill. The fight captain is Mark Edward Penzien.

A collector of sex dolls brings his new acquisition home, but too late finds out she isn't quite like the rest. With the help of her glassy-eyed sisters, she exacts her revenge on the man who would keep her on a shelf. Doll stars Artistic Associates Jean E. Burr and Miona Lee, as well as guest artists Grace DeSant and Nora Lise Ulrey as the Dolls and Mark Edward Penzien as the collector. 

Fight Night is a one-night, violent cabaret celebrating the art of stage combat through original storytelling and violence design.

Fight Night: X challenges eight Chicago theater companies to each create a 10-minute play focusing on violence. No theme, no rules, just fights. The event takes place at 8 p.m. Friday, September 4, 2015, at the Mayne Stage in Rogers Park.

In addition to Strangeloop and Nothing Special, other companies are: Babes With Blades, Honest Theatre, Live Action Theatre, Otherworld Theatre Company, Reutan Collective and Robert Frosty.

Tickets are $15 online, and $18 at the door.

Strangeloop returns to Fight Night!

Strangeloop is excited to once again be part of Nothing Special Production's Fight Night!

This time we bring you Fight of The Bumblebee, conceived and directed by Strangeloop Company Member Holly Robison and starring company members Maria Burnham, Carrie Campana and Michael Houghton Wagman. Violence is once again designed by Justin Martin Fill.

Fight Night is a one-night, (now in prime-time!) violent cabaret celebrating the art of stage combat through original storytelling and violence design...and this time, it’s MUSICAL!

Fight Night: A Little Fight Music challenges eight Chicago theater companies to each create a 10-minute play combining violence design with musical elements.

The event takes place at 8 p.m. Friday, March 20 at the Mayne Stage in Rogers Park.

In addition to Strangeloop, other companies are: Live Action Theatre, To The Point, Walkabout Theater Company, Wayward Productions, Robert Frosty and Bare Knuckle Productions.

The evening also includes the opening act and house band Realife Dinosaurs.

Tickets are $15 online, and $18 at the door.

Alt Fightsgiving poster

This time with more ancient boobs. 

Fight Night: Fightsgiving!

The gloves — and sometimes the shirts — come off this season for Fight Night: Fightsgiving

Strangeloop is once again stepping into the ring (stage) for Nothing Special Production's Fight Night extravaganza!

Fight Night is a one-night, late-night violent cabaret celebrating the art of stage combat through original storytelling and violence design.

Fight Night: Fightsgiving is autumnal themed — celebrating everything that makes this season wonderful — and it takes place at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 8, at The Den Theater, 1333 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622.

In addition to Strangeloop, participating companies include: Red Theater, To The Point, Nothing Special Productions, Live Action Theater, The Reutan Collective, Nothing Without A Company and Walkabout Theater Company.

Strangeloop's contender is a story that details the epic battle between Fall and Autumn to determine once and for all what the season will be called, told in the only way such a mythic story can be told — as a Greek tragedy.

Written and directed by Strangeloop Company Member Maria Burnham, Fall Our Tragic stars Strangeloop Associate Member Miona Lee as Autumn and Jean E. Burr (Cassie Hack in Hack/Slash) as Fall. Chad Wise, Grace DeSant and Vickie Eisenstein also star. Justin Martin Fill is the fight choreographer and Strangeloop Company Member Holly Robison is the assistant director.

Tickets are on sale now. You are highly encouraged to buy tickets in advance as this event always sells out to a standing room only crowd.

FNA: They Fought Like The Rest

Because if there's one thing theater goers can't get enough of it's blood, guts and glory!

Nothing Special Productions' ongoing series, Fight Night — an evening of fight-based scenes and short plays — returns Saturday, July 12, to The Den Theatre to celebrate America's Independence Day with Fight Night: America!

Strangeloop is one of eight contenders for the championship.* Going up against Abraham Werewolf, Wayward Productions, Red Theater Chicago- RTC, Walkabout Theater Company, Some Guys I Know, Rough Company and Nothing Special, Strangeloop presents They Fought Like The Rest, an original work written and directed by company member Maria Burnham.

Inspired by the very real stories of women in the Civil War, They Fought Like The Rest tells the story of two Confederate soldiers captured during the Battle of Shiloh who find they share more than a side and the desire to escape the confines of their Chicago prison.

The piece stars company members Carrie Campana, Holly Robison, Michael HoughtonWagman and Keith Gatchel and associates Miona Lee and Allison McCorkle. The fight choreographer is Beau Forbes.

The Den Theatre is located in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago at 1333 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door, but this production tends to sell out, so get your tickets in advance. Tickets are available here.

More information on Fight Night is available here. The fight begins at 10:30 p.m.



*There is no championship. We made that part up.

Goodbye to fairies, hello to fights

A Midsummer Night's Dream ended to packed houses, lots of laughs and not a few tears from the actors sorry to see it close. Thank you to everyone who came out and made this production so successful and so special.

As Strangeloop finalizes plans for next season, there are still quite a few events that we have our hands in this summer, including Nothing Special Productions' Fight Night: America! at the Den Theatre on July 12.

Fight Night, a periodic evening of fight-based scenes and short plays, returns next month with pieces from Strangeloop Theatre, Abraham Werewolf, Wayward Productions, Red Theater Chicago- RTC, Walkabout Theater Company, Some Guys I Know and Rough Company — this round with the theme of America, in celebration of our nation's Independence Day.

Strangeloop's contender is They Fought Like The Rest written by company member Maria Burnham and starring company members Carrie Campana, Holly Robison, Michael HoughtonWagman and Keith Gatchel and associates Miona Lee and Allison McCorkle.

They Fought Like The Rest tells the story of two Confederate soldiers captured during the Battle of Shiloh who find they share more than a cause and a desire to escape the confines of their Chicago prison.

More information on Fight Night is available here. Tickets are available here.

And check back here all summer long for information about other upcoming events, including a staged reading in July and the return of Loopshop — Strangeloop's annual short play and new works series.