FRENCH CULTURAL EVENTS - SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2010
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FRENCH CULTURAL SERVICES IN CHICAGO
For a listing of the French Cultural Events in the U.S.
check the pages of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.
Monsieur Noir: Henri-Georges Clouzot
September 11- 30 |
The Gene Siskel Film Center presents Monsieur Noir: Henri-Georges Clouzot a tribute to the master of suspense and film noir often referred to as "the French Hitchcock." The series includes five of Clouzot's classics in addition to HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOT'S INFERNO (2009), a new documentary about the director's aborted 1964 production. Clouzot (1907-1977) was a law student, journalist, and screenwriter before becoming a film director in the early 1940s. The worldwide success of his thrillers THE WAGES OF FEAR(1953) and LES DIABOLIQUES (1955) made Clouzot an internationally famous filmmaker. Although Clouzot has been most frequently compared to Hitchcock because of their mutual interest in the psychological thriller, his icy objectivity is comparable to Stanley Kubrick's, and his caustic view of society and human nature evokes such authors as Zola and Céline. Supported by CulturesFrance and the Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France in Chicago.
For complete information and to buy tickets click here.
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La vérité (The Truth) |
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Mademoiselle Chambon directed by Stéphane Brizé (2009)
Opens September 17th
Jean leads a pretty ordinary life: he spends his days happily between his construction sites and his house, with his loving wife and son. He feels confortable in his routine. One day, as he’s picking up Kevin from school, he stumbles upon Mademoiselle Chambon, his son’s teacher. She’s discreet, elegant, mesmerizing, unlike any woman he has ever met before. This chance encounter will be a turning point in his well-organized life. An opportunity to change or a folly to regret? |
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Alliance Française de Chicago
810 North Dearborn Street; Tel: 312- 337-1070.
www.af-chicago.org |
Catherine Deneuve: La Rétrospective
September 22 to May 25, 2011
Muse to Yves Saint-Laurent, the face of Chanel No. 5 in the 70's, national treasure and symbol of France as Marianne, the femme fatale of French cinema has worked in Europe and America with the most illustrious directors and shared the screen - and sometimes her life - with the finest actors of her generation. Rediscover Deneuve in her most classic roles during our year-long retrospective with our guest speakers.
All films begin at 6:30 PM and will be located at 54 W. Chicago Ave. Entrance is $7 and includes a glass of French Wine - Series of 10 movies: $50 for members only |
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Le Dernier Métro directed by François Truffaut (1980)
September 22
Guest speaker : Milos Stehlik from Facets Multimedia
Paris, 1942. The Second World War is raging, there is no local, the winter is cold and people go to theater to keep warm. But if they miss the last metro, they risk breaking the strict curfew imposed by the Nazis. Lucas Steiner, a Jewish theatre dirctor, hides in the cellar while his beautiful wife, Marion, an actress, struggles to direct the company. Then comes a young actor, Bernard Granger, played by Gerard Depardieu, sealing the fate of the theater and its last production... |
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Repulsion directed by Roman Polanski (1965)
October 17
Swinging London, 1962. Left alone when her sister goes on vacation, a sexually repressed young manicurist goes insane with surreal fantasies of seduction and rape. Polanski's first English-language feature is a masterpiece of the psychological thriller genre where Deneuve portrays the character archetype for which she would be nicknamed the "ice maiden". |
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Ciné-club Serie: C'est Rigolo (ree-go-low)
La folie des grandeurs (Delusions of Grandeur) by Gérard Oury (1971)
October 9 at 1:30 PM
A star-studded farce à la Laurel and Hardy, and a French blockbuster hit, it is visually stunning with period sets and costumes. Filmed in the Almaria region of Spain, the location of many spaghetti westerns, the nobility of the sixteenth century is portrayed as reminiscent of current day politicians.
Part of a serie exploring the rich history of French Comedy. Presented by Randy Williams. $7 including a glass of French Wine. |
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From Paris: le Théâtre du Rond-Point @ The Alliance Française de Chicago
Saturday, October 16 at 1:30 PM
The screening is free for parents with kids, all-day pass: $10. Movies in French with subtitles, talk in English.
Located in the Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées in the 8th arrondissement, Théâtre du Rond-Point is one of the most innovative and successful venues for contemporary theater in Paris.
From Paris: le Théâtre du Rond-Point is an all-day celebration of contemporary French theater with a series of 3 films by and about artists and companies, never been screened before in the U.S. It will offer a rich and intimate look at the complexity of the Théâtre du Rond-Point's most successful productions.
Pierre Notte, author of acclaimed drama Me Too I am Catherine Deneuve, will be in conversation with director Valéry Warnotte on Saturday, October 16th at 6 pm. Pierre Notte's work premieres at Chicago's Trap Door Theater on October 14th. |
Schedule:
1:30 pm La symphonie du hanneton, by James Thierrée (Charlie Chaplin's grandson, a wonderful one man show).
3:30 pm Xu, by Grégoire Oestermann, Christine Murillo and Jean-Claude Leguay (a funny and poetical performance playing with French language).
6:00 pm Pierre Notte in conversation with director Valéry Warnotte, preceded by a vin d'honneur.
7:30 pm Musée haut, Musée bas, by Jean-Michel Ribes (Théâtre du Rond-Point's Executive Director wrote an exhilarating comedy about contemporary art and museums, which became a film, with some of the most successful French actors of the decade).
Supported by the Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France in Chicago, Théâtre du Rond-Point, SACD and the France Chicago Center at the University of Chicago.
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Each year, the Chicago International Film Festival scours the globe to find new, unconventional voices in film and bring them to Chicago. Nothing quite compares to the electrifying sense of discovery you get when seeing something fresh and exciting for the first time. And you even get the chance to meet some of the artists who helped create those experiences. Stars like Willem Dafoe, Uma Thurman, Martin Landau, and Patrice Chéreau were on hand last year for the premieres of their latest films. Who knows what famous faces you’ll see this year? Complete Film Schedule coming September 22! |
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This fall French theatre season in Chicago offers a unique opportunity to discover for the first time in English an eclectic array of France’s most representative playwrights and contemporary dramatic expression. |
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Chicago Premiere! EMPIRE (Art & Politics) by Superamas @ the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
October 2-3 at 7:30 PM
Part of the MCA Global Stage series, EMPIRE (Art & Politics) is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Luc Tuymans.
One of Europe's most celebrated young theater companies, Superamas re-enacts a Napoleonic battle and plays upon the subjective nature of how stories are spun to control popular opinion.
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Superamas, Empire. Photo by: Giannina Urmeneta Ottiker |
This startling, often hilarious meta-narrative plays upon the subjective nature of how stories are "spun" to control popular opinion, and how power in the art world has parallels in politics.This Vienna and Paris-based performance company broke out internationally with their first theatrical production, Building, in 1999. Since then, the company has performed in a variety of different international cities including Berlin, Paris, and Frankfurt.
Supported by Etant donnés: the French-American Fund for the Performing Arts, a program of FACE (French American Cultural Exchange) and the Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France in Chicago. Additional support provided by the Austrian Cultural Forum NYC.
See also Lectures for a symposium in conjunction with the performance and the exhibit.
Complete information |
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Chicago Premiere! Scorched (Incendies) by Wajdi Mouawad presented by Silk Road Theatre Project
All Performances at The Historic Chicago Temple Building
October 6 - November 7 |
Not recommended for children
Inspired by classical Greek tragedy and the devastating effects of the Lebanese civil war, the play Scorched (Incendies) makes its Chicago debut in a production by Silk Road Theatre Project (SRTP) this fall. Originally written in French by the acclaimed Lebanese French Canadian playwright Wajdi Mouawad, SRTP’s English-language production, translated by Linda Gaboriau and directed by Dale Heinen, unfolds in a dreamlike atmosphere connecting the origins of one family in startling and unforgettable ways. A brother and sister raised in Quebec must return to their mother's war-torn country to carry out her last wishes - finding the father and brother they never knew they had.
Supported by Etant donnés: the French-American Fund for the Performing Arts, a program of FACE (French American Cultural Exchange) with additional support from the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.
See also Community and Educational events for the seminar in conjunction with the play. |
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US Premiere! Me Too, I am Catherine Deneuve (Moi aussi, je suis Catherine Deneuve) by Pierre Notte and directed by Valery Warnotte @ Trap Door Theatre
October 14 – November 20
Straight from Paris, director Valery Warnotte commands the vision of the U.S. premiere of Me Too, I am Catherine Deneuve by French playwright Pierre Notte. This witty, imaginative and grotesque family drama reveals the liberating and destructive elements that occur as each member suffers the varying effects of an identity crisis. The play asks the audience to explore, alongside the characters, the potent relationship between self-definition and self-determination. |
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Originally from Belgium, director Valery Warnotte is both an actor and director who works in France, Belgium and the USA. His recent works include Microfictions, by Regis Jauffret in collaboration with Charlie Windelschmidt at Théâtre du Rond-Point in Paris (with subsequent performances throughout France, with over 250 actors) and an adaptation of Valere Novarina’s text, The Sacrificing Actor in partnership with Emory University in Atlanta and Georgetown University in Washington DC.
French playwright Pierre Notte is also a director, journalist, novelist, poet and arts consultant. He was named Secretary general of the Comédie-Française in 2006 and left the position in 2009 to devote himself to his artistic work. Since August 2009, he has been the resident playwright at Les Déchargeurs. He is also an associate playwright and author at the Théâtre du Rond-Point. His play Moi aussi, je suis Catherine Deneuve staged by Jean-Claude Cotillard, won the 2005 Theatre Prize from the Fondation Diane et Lucien Barrière, and the Molière award for Best Private Theatre Production in 2006; Notte was also nominated for Best Playwright. The play has been staged in Tokyo, Rome and Sofia.
Following the Chicago run, the production will tour to Washington DC, Atlanta, and Theatre du Rond-Point in Paris. |
Supported by Etant donnés: the French-American Fund for the Performing Arts, a program of FACE (French American Cultural Exchange) with major support from the Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France in Chicago, The Alliance Française de Washington, the Consulate General of France in Atlanta, the France-Atlanta festival, and CulturesFrance. Additional support provided by the Alliance Française de Chicago, la Fédération de l’Alliance Française aux Etats-Unis, France Chicago Center, Franke Institute for the Humanities, Norman Wait Harris Memorial Fund, as well as the University of Chicago’s Office of the Deputy Provost for the Arts, Office of the Dean of the College, and the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.
See also Cinema and Lectures for others events in conjunction with play. |
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The Bald Soprano and The Lesson by Eugène Ionesco @ University of Illinois - Urbana
October 7-17
Translated from the French by Tina Howe, Tom Mitchell, director. In two plays that escape the boundaries of reality, playwright Eugène Ionesco indulges in absurdity. In The Bald Soprano, a proper English dinner party dissolves into comic mayhem as language fragments and identities fracture. In the hands of the American playwright Tina Howe, who translates this new adaptation, the evening is made fresh and funny. As absurdly violent as The Bald Soprano is funny, The Lesson reveals the differential in power between student and teacher. An ordinary tutorial becomes a Twilight Zone journey into maintaining control. These two classics of the modern stage offer a roller coaster of theatricality and a funhouse of meaning. Studio Theatre, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. |
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Poetry on Stage: The Misanthrope by Molière, Christiansen Studio at Victory Gardens
October 24 & 25 at 7:30 PM
Translated by Richard Wilbur and organized by the Poetry Foundation. Hardly a year has gone by in over two centuries that has not seen numerous productions of The Misanthrope, making it one of the most enduring comedies of all time. Richard Wilbur's translation of Molière’s comic masterpiece is in rhymed verse. We meet afresh Alceste (the title character), his friends, and his fiancée. The outspoken Alceste finds them all vain, hypocritical, and insincere, while his own comic flaw lies in considering himself flawless. Bernard Sahlins directs a cast of talented Chicago actors in this staged reading. Complete information. |
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The Dø @ Schubas
September 13 at 8 PM
After spending the past several months in their French studio working on a follow-up to their much lauded debut A Mouthful (Six Degrees), vocalist and guitarist Olivia Merilahti and multi-instrumentalist Dan Levy return to North American for a highly anticipated run of 12 tour dates, their first on this side of The Atlantic in nearly a year. Already the first French act to score a #1 record in France with an album sung in English, The Dø run the full musical gamut. The duo deftly incorporate the melodic and vocal stylings of Romy Croft (The XX), the bouncy jangle of Camera Obscura, a touch of Charlotte Gainsbourg’s intimacy and wistful hints of balmy Tropicalia. Complete information. |
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Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Riccardo Muti, Gérard Depardieu, Mario Zeffiri & Kyle Ketelsen
September 23- 25 at 8 PM & September 28 at 7:30 PM |
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Riccardo Muti’s inaugural concert as music director, which officially open the CSO’s 120th downtown season, feature two seminal works by French composer Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique and Lélio. Conceived as a sequel to his Symphonie fantastique, Lélio is a semi-theatrical work that combines music and narration to express the idea of returning to life after a profound traumatic experience. With scenic and lighting effects, these performances feature world-renowned actor Gérard Depardieu as narrator, tenor Mario Zeffiri and bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen.
For complete information and tickets click here. |
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John Cage/ Philippe Manoury by Third Coast Percussion Ensemble
September 18 at 7:30 PM |
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Each year, Third Coast Percussion presents 4-5 concerts of percussion music in their hometown of Chicago. In concert halls, theaters and art galleries, the ensemble joins with world-renowned performers for programs that include premieres of new works for percussion alongside modern classic percussion music. Third Coast Percussion opens their 2010-11 Chicago Concert Season with masterpieces from two great composers : American John Cage and French Philippe Manoury. Born in 1952, Philippe Manoury is one of the world's leading French composers. He defines himself as a “musical OVNI”. Most significant is his long association with the famous center for computer music research, IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique), founded in Paris by Pierre Boulez.
The program explores the connections between music and architecture. |
Supported by the French-American Fund for Contemporary Music, a program of FACE with additional support from the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, SACEM, CulturesFrance and the Florence Gould Foundation.
Merit School of Music - Gottlieb Hall - 38 South Peoria Street - Chicago. Complete information. |
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Ensemble Alternance @ Northwestern Universy - Pick-Staiger Concert Hall
October 11 at 7:30 PM
A French chamber group of soloists devoted to performing contemporary music, Ensemble Alternance was founded in 1983. The ensemble is particularly well known for performing such composers as Boulez, Cage, Ligeti, and Crumb and has premiered works by Philippe Hersant, Philippe Schoeller, Bruno Mantovani, Fabien Lévy, and Mark André. They play for the first time in Chicago a stricking program which includes a world premiere piece by French composer Raphaël Cendo, called Untitled. Regenstein Recital Hall.
Supported by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.
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Carmen by Georges Bizet @ the Chicago Lyric Opera
October 13-29 |
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What could make a man cheat on his fiancée, drive his mother to tears, and ditch a good job? One woman — Carmen! She's the sex-bomb, gypsy seductress who loves them and leaves them — tossing egos and hearts in the dust. To the tune of some of the most memorable music ever composed (the Toreador Song, the Habanera, and more!) her story unfolds in the sultry Spanish sun: Corporal Don José arrests Carmen for knifing another cigarette girl — but he's the emotional prisoner! So how can he possibly let her live when she dumps him for a famous matador? As Carmen, Kate Aldrich and Nadia Krasteva — two drop-dead gorgeous mezzos who've made this role their own in major European theaters. As Don José, Yonghoon Lee and Brandon Jovanovich — two tenor sensations everyone wants to hear. Kyle Ketelsen, Nicole Cabell, and Elaine Alvarez complete this red-hot cast! Complete information. |
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For information on performances by French jazz singer and bass player Cécile Savage in the Chicago area, please visit www.cecilesavage.com.
For information on performances by cabaret chanteuse Claudia Hommel in the Chicago area, please visit www.cabaret-paree.com. |
Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century @ The Art Institute of Chicago - Regenstein West
Through October 3 |
Henri Cartier-Bresson. Juvisy, France, 1938. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the photographer. © 2010 Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photos, courtesy Fondation
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris
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Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) is one of the most original, accomplished, and influential figures in the history of photography. His celebrated work of the early 1930s helped to define the artistic potential of modern photography. This exhibition of more than 300 images is the first full retrospective devoted to Cartier-Bresson in three decades. It includes both his formally groundbreaking early images and his historically significant postwar work—in India and Indonesia during struggles for independence, in China during the revolution, in the Soviet Union following Stalin’s death—that redefined the field of photojournalism.
The retrospective, organized by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, shows the rich interplay between Cartier-Bresson the artist, gifted at capturing the flux of life, and Cartier-Bresson the photojournalist whose lens shaped our understanding of seismic political and cultural changes across the second half of the 20th century. This retrospective is the first to draw upon the extraordinary resources and cooperation of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris. After its Chicago showing, the exhibit travels to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. |
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Pierre Huyghe: Les Grands Ensembles (The Housing Projects) @ The Art Institute of Chicago
Through October 19
Noted French artist Pierre Huyghe uses diverse media—including large-scale installation, public events, and video—to delve into the uncertainties of representation and investigate how narrative models affect our sense of reality. Huyghe’s 1994/2001 video installation Les Grands Ensembles (The Housing Projects) is featured as one of the many provocative works in the special exhibition Contemporary Collecting: Selections from the Donna and Howard Stone Collection. Shown in the Stone Film and New Media Gallery, the work presents a fixed view of two residential towers in a bleak urban landscape, swathed in fog at night. Lacking any signs of human activity, the buildings appear to take on lives of their own as the video’s buzzing electronic soundtrack, composed by Pan Sonic and Cédric Pigot, builds in intensity. |
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Gray Collection: Seven Centuries of Art @ The Art Institute of Chicago
September 25 - January 2, 2011 |
One of America’s foremost art dealers, Richard Gray, and his wife, art historian and author Mary Lackritz Gray, have gathered an unparalleled collection of paintings, drawings, and sculpture spanning the 15th century to the present. This exhibition features more than 120 of the couple’s most dynamic and important works on paper, including Renaissance- and Baroque-era treasures by Guercino, Tiepolo, and Rubens; 19th-century works by masters such as Delacroix, Degas, and Seurat; and stellar examples by acclaimed 20th-century artists Picasso, Matisse, and Miró.
Galleries 124–127 - Complete information.
Photo: Giuseppe Porta, called Giuseppe Salviati. Bearded Man with His Right Arm Raised, 1562/64. Promised gift of Richard and Mary L. Gray and the Gray Collection Trust. |
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Jacques Ferrier, a French Architect in Chicago
Jacques Ferrier’s works are based on a philosophical approach: the creation of architecture for a sustainable society. He designed several prestigious cultural buildings in France and is the author of the French Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010. In parallel, he has developed an innovative research activity in partnership with industrial companies which include the Concept Office and the ecological Hypergreen skyscraper. He initiated a reflection on the future role of architecture that takes into consideration the challenges represented by megalopolises.
Supported by the Alliance Française de Chicago and the Alliance Française de Washington D.C., the Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France in Chicago, and the Illinois Institute of Technology. |
Jacques Ferrier @ the Illinois Institute of Technology
September 21 from 12 -1 PM
Crown Hall, Lower Core
A brown bag lecture followed by a workshop with students.
Jacques Ferrier @ The Alliance Française de Chicago
September 21 at 6:30 PM
In English
A talk at the Alliance Française de Chicago. Brian Lee, from the architectural firm SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL LLP, introduce the guest. |
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Un Français qui vit le rêve américain
September 20 at 1 PM
A guest lecture at the Wilmette Public Library Auditorium, in French, with Mr. Pascal Berthoumieux, a native of Bordeaux, France, proprietor-owner-manager of the Bistro Bordeaux restaurant of Evanston, and former manager for One sixtyblue and Kiki's Bistro, both in Chicago. Mr. Berthoumieux earned his culinary and management degrees in Bordeaux. He then moved to Paris and worked at two-star Michelin restaurant La Maison Blanche on Avenue Montaigne before heading to May Ray, a restaurant formerly owned by Johnny Depp, Sean Penn and other celebrities. During that time he met his future wife, an American student learning French at La Sorbonne in Paris and moved to Chicago in 2000. AF du NS members admitted free; non-members pay $10 cash at the door. Organized by the Alliance Française du North Shore. Complete information. |
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Jean-Christophe Valtat reads from his book Aurorarama @ Quimby’s Bookstore
September 22nd @ 7 PM |
Set in the glittering Arctic city of “New Venice,” Aurorarama imagines an intricate “steampunk” society populated with anarchists, hypnotists, rock stars, drug-addled bohemians, dapper secret police, and a secret society of subterranean garbage collectors. French author Jean-Christophe Valtat has drawn on a wealth of research about Arctic exploration, Victorian mysticism, and 19th-century technology to create a truly unforgettable literary adventure tale that calls to mind Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the graphic-novel classics of Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman, and such genre-bending literary sensations as Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell or Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. Smart, playful, sexy, and surreal, Aurorarama marks the first book in an enchanting new trilogy from Melville House Publishing.
Supported by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York.
Complete information. |
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Magnum Photographer Josef Koudelka in Conversation @ The Art Institute of Chicago
Event in conjunction with the exhibit Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century
October 1 from 6-7 PM
Czech-French prize-winning Magnum photographer Josef Koudelka discusses his work with Matthew S. Witkovsky, curator and chair of photography, including a few references to the work of his colleague Cartier-Bresson. A selection of Koudelka's powerful images are projected on screen. Free with admission. |
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History, Violence, Disquiet @ The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago - MCA Theater
Event in conjunction with the performance EMPIRE (Art & Politics) by Superamas
October 2 at 1 PM
How do we reckon with modern history's traumas? How do the arts confront the fragmented and distancing narratives of violence presented in mass-media? And how does art today conjure a psychic state that allows us to sense, question, and re-envision the collective stories of the present and past century? This afternoon symposium explores these questions through literature, experimental theater, and visual art. Opening with an introduction by MCA Pritzker Director and Luc Tuymans co-curator Madeleine Grynsztejn, the program features a reading by writer Aleksandar Hemon; a conversation with members of the performance group Superamas; and a conversation with Belgian artist Luc Tuymans led by curator and writer Hamza Walker.
A book signing takes place immediately following the program. |
| Photo: Luc Tuymans, Leopard, 2000; Collection of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; © Luc Tuymans; photo by Ben Blackwell; courtesy David Zwirner, New York. |
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From Paris: le Théâtre du Rond-Point @ The Alliance Française de Chicago
Saturday, October 16 at 1:30 PM
The screening is free for parents with kids, all-day pass: $10. Movies in French with subtitles, talk in English.
Located in the Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées in the 8th arrondissement, Théâtre du Rond-Point is one of the most innovative and successful venues for contemporary theater in Paris. From Paris: le Théâtre du Rond-Point is an all-day celebration of contemporary French theater with a series of 3 films by and about artists and companies, never been screened before in the U.S. It will offer a rich and intimate look at the complexity of the Théâtre du Rond-Point's most successful productions.
Pierre Notte, author of acclaimed drama Me Too I am Catherine Deneuve, will be in conversation with director Valéry Warnotte on Saturday, October 16th at 6 pm. Pierre Notte's work premieres at Chicago's Trap Door Theater on October 14th. |
Schedule:
1:30 pm La symphonie du hanneton, by James Thierrée (Charlie Chaplin's grandson, a wonderful one man show).
3:30 pm Xu, by Grégoire Oestermann, Christine Murillo and Jean-Claude Leguay (a funny and poetical performance playing with French language).
6:00 pm Pierre Notte in conversation with director Valéry Warnotte, preceded by a vin d'honneur.
7:30 pm Musée haut, Musée bas, by Jean-Michel Ribes (Théâtre du Rond-Point's Executive Director wrote an exhilarating comedy about contemporary art and museums, which became a film, with some of the most successful French actors of the decade).
Supported by the Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France in Chicago, Théâtre du Rond-Point, SACD and the France Chicago Center at the University of Chicago.
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The Politics and Aesthetics of Contemporary French Theater @ The University of Chicago
October 18 from 3:30-5:30 PM
A wide range of experts from both sides of the Atlantic gather to discuss current trends and new directions in French Theatre. With the participation of Pierre Notte (playwright), Valéry Warnotte (Director, Paris), Gérald Garutti (TNP de Villeurbanne and Sciences-Po Paris), Beata Pilch (Trap Door Theater, Chicago), moderated by John Ireland (UIC). Wine and Cheese reception to follow. Wieboldt Hall, Room 408.
In partnership with the Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France in Chicago, Théâtre du Rond-Point and the Alliance Française de Chicago. Complete information. |
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Story-telling: Chat et souris by Tomek Bogacki (Ages 4-8) @ The Alliance Française de Chicago
September 25 from 2:30-4:30 PM
A "curious little mouse" and a "curious little cat" who become fast friends. Neither one pays attention when their mothers are teaching them about the world, and so, when they meet, they do not know they should be ennemies. Feed your children's imagination with humor, mystery and magic while exposing them to French language (all levels are welcome). Traditional as well as contemporary French tales are staged with puppets and drawings. Side activities will facilitate comprehension and make them active. A rich and fun experience! Free admission.
Complete information. |
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Ciné-Kids @ The Alliance Française de Chicago
Le chien, le général et les oiseaux, by Francis Nilesen
October 2 at 2-4 PM
A long time ago, a young Russian general chose to sacrifice hundreds of birds to burn Moscow and save his motherland from the troops of Napoleon...
A snack is part of the program. Parents are welcome for this fun family event which will expose your kid to a new culture! Free Admission Ages 4-7
Complete information. |
Les aventures de Tintin by Hergé
October 9 at 2-4 PM
The Seven Crystal Balls begins on a light note, as Captain Haddock tries to adjust to his new life as gentleman following the events of Red Rackham's Treasure. He wears a monocle and frequents the music hall, where in a not-unusual coincidence he and Tintin happen to find General Alcazar (The Broken Ear) and dreaded diva Bianca Castafiore. However, it's the act of fakir Ragdalam with Madame Yamilah, the amazing clairvoyante, that reveals the central adventure: the scientists excavating the tomb of Racar Capac have incurred the curse of the Inca. A snack is part of the program. Parents are welcome for this fun family event which will expose your kid to a new culture! Free Admission Ages 8-11. Complete information. |
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2010 US Open Squash Championships
September 25 – October 2
Since 1954, the US Open Squash Championships has drawn the top professional players from around the world including France. This fall it's coming to Chicago. Men’s and Women’s Professional Draws feature the top players in the world playing 82 matches for purse of $100,000 in combined prize money. The best in the world will fight for the US Open title outdoors in Jay Pritzker Pavilion in the first event of its kind held in Millennium Park. The event also feature an educational exposition for over 2,000 Chicago Public School students and their families. All event proceeds will go to support METROsquash, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit after school program, and Chicago Public School students. Last but not least, hundreds of local, out-of-state and international squash players — and METROsquash students — will have the opportunity to compete in one of the country's largest and hotly contested Skill Level Events. With a projected attendance of 10,000 live plus television and internet spectators, you don't want to miss it. Come to cheer the French delegation !!! Complete information. |
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Bank of America Chicago Marathon
October 10
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is the pinnacle of achievement for elite athletes and everyday runners alike. Runners from all 50 states and more than 100 countries including France will set out to accomplish a personal dream. |
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| COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS |
Scorched Play Reading Seminars offered in English and French
September 13, 20, and 27, from 6:30 to 9 PM
In anticipation of the Chicago premier of Scorched (October 6 - November 7, 2010), a play by Lebanese French Canadian dramatist Wajdi Mouawad, Silk Road Theatre Project together with Act One Studios are proud to offer two three-session seminars, one to be taught in English and the other in French. Led by professionals from Act One Studios, the seminars will provide in-depth explorations of Mouawad's riveting text, which was originally written in French and translated by Linda Gaboriau. SRTP will be producing the play in its English translation. Seminars will be held at Silk Road Theatre Project's performance venue at Pierce Hall in The Historic Chicago Temple Building, 77 West Washington Street, Chicago. The enrollment in the seminar includes: the choice to study Scorched in its English translation or in the original French (Incendies), 1 ticket to see SRTP's production of Scorched (Oct. 6-Nov. 7) and privileged access to production design materials. Cost: Just $80 to enroll. Complete information. |
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RFI IN THE UNITED STATES - UPDATE
RFI has signed an agreement with AudioNow to broadcast its French programs on the telephone network. RFI’s French program is currently available 24/7 in several cities in the United States including Chicago where the audience continues to grow and register the most listeners in the country. |
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NEW. Since March 1st, listeners all across the United States can tune into RFI by dialling a single number (212) 401-4554. Press release. |
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Union des Français à l’Etranger
For more than 30 years, UFEC organized monthly gathering and dinner with mainly Francophones. More information about UFEC at www.ufechicago.org.
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The Oak Park French Club
Tuesday evenings from 7:15 to 9 PM at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - 611 Randolph St., Oak Park.
The Oak Park French Club promotes fluency in the French language and appreciation of French culture through both formal and informal learning activities in a guided social environnment. The club is open to anyone who can speak at least basic conversational french. The Oak Park French Club meets weekly on. Meetings take place at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Oak Park Illinois. For more information, please contact the Oak Park French Club at oakparkfrenchclub@gmail.com |
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Alliance Française of Chicago: please visit the website for detailed information on the monthly discussion groups Café Conversation, Café Littérature, Café Poésie, Café Théâtre, French Blues Café and Café Philosophie: www.af-chicago.org Wednesdays from 6:15 to 10:00 p.m. Informal gathering of Francophiles and Francophones at Portillo restaurant, 100 W. Ontario. Information at 312-255-0567.
Groupe Professionnel Francophone. Francophones from various professions meet for cocktails, French conversation and networking in French. Great Street Restaurant, Renaissance Hotel, 1 W. Wacker Drive. The last Thursday of every month, starting at 5:30 pm. Tel: 773-275-7407 www.gpfchicago.org;
Alliance Française of the North Shore. Two monthly café conversation groups http://alliancefn.wlkcommunity.com.
For further info visit http://alliancefn.wlkcommunity.com or e-mail the club at alliancefn@yahoo.com.
September 6 from 10 AM to 11 AM: «Café Conversation en français» at Panera-Downtown Wilmette, 1199 Wilmette Avenue, just east of Green Bay Road. No Membership Required. "Alliance Française du North Shore" offers this opportunity to meet fellow francophones for relaxed conversations on the first Monday of every month. Listening in French is encouraged. We usually have a group of 18 to 24 francophones. Look for the pulled-together tables. For further info visit http://alliancefn.wlkcommunity.com or e-mail the club at alliancefn@yahoo.com.
September 13 from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM: «Café Conversation en français - Evening Edition» now meets at Panera-Downtown Evanston (1700 N. Sherman at Church). Membership not required. Listening in French is encouraged. Look for the pulled-together tables with a small French flag and 6-12 participants. "Alliance Française du North Shore" offers this opportunity to meet fellow francophones for relaxed conversations on a Monday evening each month. For further info visit http://alliancefn.wlkcommunity.com or e-mail the club at alliancefn@yahoo.com
Alliance Française of DuPage County. Please visit www.afdupage.com for a listing of conversation groups, outings, lectures and other social activities in French.
"Les Bavards," a monthly francophone dinner and conversation group in DesPlaines. Information: lesbavards@yahoo.com or http://lesbavardsfrancophones.blogspot.com/ Tel: 847-921-7864.
"Les Bavards du Nord,” An association that gathers every month in a restaurant in order to speak and exchange in French. This is an informal conversation group with ability to converse in a basic French.
For more information: lesbavardsdunord@yahoo.com Tel: 847-921-7864.
L'Institut Francophone. Weekly francophone gathering, every Monday at Latitude, 4500 North Lincoln Avenue, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Contact groupe.de.lundi@gmail.com to be on the mailing list.
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