The Filament Theatre Ensemble is proud to present the third edition of its popular Crossing Six Corners series. Crossing Six Corners: Bricks And Mortar will be performed on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at 3pm and 7:30pm, and on Sunday, March 30 at 3pm at the Filament Theatre. Admission is free of charge, donations welcome.

Created and curated by the Filament Theatre Ensemble, Crossing Six Corners dramatizes the history of the Portage Park/Six Corners neighborhood. The participants collect memories, anecdotes, and local history facts via interviews and workshops with Portage Park residents. These stories are then brought to life through a diverse array of mediums, including drama, recitations, music, and dance. Past editions have included, among other elements, a dramatic scene about the last farmers in the area, monologues transcribed from residents’ memories of working at Sears, and a Living Slide Show, in which local historical photographs are reenacted. The inaugural Crossing Six Corners edition was produced in February 2013 and attracted a sold-out audience for its entire run. The second edition, subtitled Sears Stories, ran in September 2013. Its popularity continues to grow, and Filament was recently the recipient of a grant from the Illinois Arts Council to produce two editions of Crossing Six Corners per year.

The goal of Crossing Six Corners: Bricks And Mortar is to connect its stories with the physical geography of the neighborhood. “All the pieces presented will relate to a specific building in the area that the event occurred in,” explains Filament Artistic Director Julie Ritchey. “Each of these stories will help us to see familiar landmarks in a different way.” Ritchey is co-directing Bricks And Mortar along with ensemble member Nate Drackett. The cast for this edition includes Ashley Alvarez, Mara Dale, Christian Libonati, Ryan Westwood, and Chris Zdenek. They, along with other past Filament collaborators, were responsible for all of the workshops and interviews that led to the final performance. In previous Crossing Six Corners, the interviewees themselves were present at the performances, and say that watching the actors portray them and reinterpret their stories is one of the highlights of the project.