Introducing Stories Connect Us: A Cross-Community Story-Sharing Event, a collaboration between The Connecting Routes Project and Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble!
The Connecting Routes Project is recognized as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN: 85-1775758), so any donation is tax-deductible!
Please consider supporting us and our artists, and help bring accessible theater to communities across our nation's railway network!
WHAT IS THE CONNECTING ROUTES PROJECT?
The Connecting Routes Project (www.connectingroutes.org) is America's railway touring theater company, uniting communities across the nation through shared storytelling!
We do this by touring a variety of big hearted and innovative productions by train from Chicago to towns connected to us by regional and national rail lines. Traveling by train, we keep our productions accessible, bringing free theater for all ages directly to communities while traveling on a more sustainable mode of transportation.
The Connecting Routes Project believes that Stories Unite Us, Stories Inspire Us, and that "Stories Connect Us" - and it's more important than ever to reconnect with each other: one story, one community, and one train stop at a time.
WHAT IS STORIES CONNECT US?
In our largest project to date, we’ve partnered with Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble (www.chicagoplaybacktheatre.com) to create Stories Connect Us, the first phase in a new multi-year story-sharing program. Created through the shared ideals of The Connected Routes Project and Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble, this ambitious and exciting project will become our flagship production.
Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble is a group of performing artists dedicated to building community using Playback Theatre, an interactive improvisational theatre form that brings true audience stories to life on stage. Unlike other improvisational theatre in Chicago, Playback Theatre focuses on capturing a wide range of human experiences—whether joyful, sorrowful, or somewhere in between—without emphasizing comedy. The goal is to honor and reflect these stories, creating a moving experience that can be both healing and perspective-altering for the storyteller and the audience.
The program offers an engaging story-sharing event with multiple components:
- PERFORMANCE: Everyone has a story to tell. What if you could see that story come to life before your eyes? Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble’s performance of Together We Rise invites the audience to share stories about what it means to come together as a community, then see those stories performed on stage through improv, movement, and music. Through personal stories, the ensemble of seven will reflect on the beauty and complexity of community with the audience - exploring how we rise together in moments of strength and rebuilding.
- POST-SHOW SOCIAL / RECORDING STATION: Following the performance, community members will have two opportunities to continue sharing their stories - (1) in conversation with the cast and crew during a post-show social and/or (2) at a recording station, where those stories can be added to our Story Archive. (We are currently looking into a partnership with StoryCorps for this component!) In this project’s next phase, these archived stories will be transformed into a new piece of theater we’ll bring back on tour!
- ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES (Optional): We will also offer two Story Circles and an Intro to Playback Theatre Workshop throughout the tour. Please let us know if you’d like more information about these additional opportunities.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION SUPPORTS:
- Free Admission: The Connecting Routes Project believes in keeping admission free for all public performances in order to keep our work as accessible as possible. Your donation will help us keep our performances free for all communities to enjoy.
- Artist Stipends: We believe in fairly paying all artists who work with us. For this upcoming tour, the approximate cost for all artists is $6000.
- Transportation Costs: Whenever feasible, we will travel by Metra and Amtrak. On longer tour days and out of town stays, we also provide per diem towards food for all artists on tour. When an overnight stay is required, we also provide accommodations.
This project has been partially funded by a grant from the League of Chicago Theatres and ComEd Powering the Arts to present 4-6 performances to communities on Amtrak and Metra routes within ComEd’s service area. All funds raised will be used towards remaining operating costs and future development planned for "Stories Connect Us."
More information about this project and our current tour plans can be found at www.connectingroutes.org/storiesconnectus.