July 31-August 2 | Jarvis Square Theater
At the conclusion of America’s 250th anniversary, the inaugural Power Plays festival uses political comedy to ask the question: what happens when we choose not to resist authority? Caryl Churchill’s elliptical one act Drunk Enough to Say I Love You? and Václav Havel’s autobiographical satire Protest are paired with hands-on workshops in a 3-day event providing audiences with a variety of opportunities to explore the intersection of art and activism.
Festival info
Location
All events take place at Jarvis Square Theater, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave.
Parking + Transit
Jarvis Square Theater is located off the Jarvis Red Line stop.
Limited metered street parking is available in the surrounding area.
Ticket information
Combine your festival events into one ticket or purchase tickets for each event separately.
Combo Ticket
Power Hour + Power Plays Combo Tickets are $35
Standalone Tickets
Power Plays Standalone Tickets are $15
Power Hour Standalone Tickets are $25
Please note: Power Hour Combo/Standalone Tickets include pizza, complimentary glass of wine (for participants ages 21+), non-alcoholic beverages and all art materials.
A limited number of free tickets are available for each event. Please reach out to to info@poorplayers.org to request a free ticket.
Power Plays
A double-bill of satirical one-acts exploring themes of resistance under the threat of fascism.
Friday, JUL 31 @ 7:30
Saturday, AUG 1 @ 7:30
Sunday, AUG 2 @ 3:00
Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?
by Caryl Churchill
Guy and Sam walk into a bar, have an affair and live happily ever after, until one of them starts to question if they're prepared to do anything for love. Caryl Churchill’s elliptical one act — part political cartoon, part absurdist epic — puts a literal spin on the patriot's relationship with the nation state.
Trigger warnings: substance use, language and mentions of torture, political violence and sexual violence
Protest
by Václav Havel
Translated by Vera Blackwell
A couple of drinks, a bowl of peanuts* and a sheet of paper in need of a signature. Small things come with big consequences in Václav Havel’s autobiographical satire of revolutionary activism vs liberal collaboration in which two old friends reunite under the shadow of an authoritarian regime.
*Please note: This is a peanut-free production! We’ll be using an alternative for our props to keep the intimate space of Jarvis Square Theatre safe for people with peanut allergies.
This performance will run approximately 90 minutes, including a 10-minute intermission.
Cast + Creative Team
Sandia Coleman | VANEK, Protest
Leo Lacamera | SAM, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?
Sofia Matza | Stage Manager
Kate McDuffie | STANEK, Protest; Sound Design, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?
Erik Schiller | Director, Protest; GUY, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?
Iris Sowlat | Director, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?
Digital Program
Digital program coming soon.
Workshops
Explore the intersection of art-making and activism in hands-on workshops.
Friday, JUL 31 @ 5:30 | Power Hour: Wear/Carry/Display
Saturday, AUG 1 @ 5:30 | Power Hour: Make it, Print it, Share it
Power Hour: Wear/Carry/Display
with Kris Derek Hechevarria
Friday, JUL 31 @ 5:30 | 90 minutes
Create, wear and display your voice in this hands-on workshop where participants transform everyday materials into bold patches, protest signs and textile banners that speak to the issues that matter most.
In this interactive art workshop, participants explore creative ways to express their voice through making. Using accessible materials like fabric, cardboard, paint, and found objects, attendees will design wearable patches, protest signs, and collaborative banners that reflect shared and individual messages. The resulting pieces will not only empower participants to carry and display their perspectives, but will also become part of the festival itself as a visual backdrop, amplifying collective expression and dialogue.
Please note: Power Hours include pizza, a complimentary glass of wine (for participants ages 21+), non-alcoholic beverages and all art materials.
Power Hour: Make It, Print It, Share It
with Kris Derek Hechevarria
Saturday, AUG 1 @ 5:30 | 90 minutes
Explore the power of making multiples by creating bold prints and collaborative zines that share ideas, and spark action.
This hands-on workshop introduces participants to printmaking and zine creation as tools for expression and activism. Participants will learn how to design and carve simple printing plates producing multiples of their own images to share and display. Working in small groups, participants will collaborate to create a zine that responds to a shared topic. These publications can include writing, drawings, resources, poems, and calls to action. This workshop works to demonstrate just a few of the powerful and affordable ways to communicate ideas and build community.
Please note: Power Hours include pizza, a complimentary glass of wine (for participants ages 21+), non-alcoholic beverages and all art materials.
Kris Derek Hechevarria
Kris Derek Hechevarria is a Cuban American teaching artist who was born and raised in Miami Florida. He moved to Chicago to volunteer with Pritzker College Prep through AmeriCorps’ Project YES. This experience led Hechevarria to receive his MA in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2013 Hechevarria was invited to be the founding art teacher for Wolcott College Prep, an independent high school for college bound students with learning disabilities. There he developed a conceptual art curriculum that promoted critical thinking and material exploration. Hechevarria has developed programming for The Chicago Architecture Biennale, The Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art: Chicago, National Museum of Mexican Art, National Veterans Art Museum, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, CAPE, Arquetopia and the Smart Museum. He is currently a lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Teaching artist
Festival Schedule
at-a-glance
Friday, JUL 31
Power Hour
5:30-7:00 PM
Wear/Carry/Display
with Kris Derek Hechevarria
Power Hour
5:30-7:00 PM
Make it, Print it,
Share it
with Kris Derek Hechevarria
A double-bill of satirical one-acts by Caryl Churchill and Václav Havel.
Power Plays
7:30-9:30 PM
Saturday, AUG 1
A double-bill of satirical one-acts by Caryl Churchill and Václav Havel.
Power Plays
7:30-9:30 PM
Sunday, AUG 2
A double-bill of satirical one-acts by Caryl Churchill and Václav Havel.
Power Plays
3:00-5:00 PM
This festival is made possible with support from
the Independent Productions Initiative.
