Brian Shaw

Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department alumnus and faculty member Brian Shaw (BA ’86) will appear in the second part of the “Cowboys and Vikings Across Chicago Trilogy,” Trials and Trails, presented by Erica Mott Productions as part of Chicago’s 2015 Night Out in the Parks Festival. In partnership with the Chicago Park District, the performance will take place Thursday and Friday, September 24-25, at 7:30 PM at the historic Steelworkers Park, 87th Street at Lake Michigan, Chicago. Both performances are free and open to the public.

The “Cowboys and Vikings Trilogy” is a series of multimedia performances that brings into question the contemporary reinvention of historic events such as westward expansion, economic development, and industrialization. Trials and Trails incorporates large-scale video projections, dance, live music, and storytelling. The figures of the “Cowboy” and the “Viking” are dissected and repurposed to challenge societal assumptions about contemporary ideas of masculinity. Erica Mott Productions chose to present this work at Steelworkers Park because of its rich history of labor and production and the diverse communities that shaped the development of the Calumet region. Trials and Trails will be performed in the remaining rubble of the steelyard where the steel that was used to build Chicago’s skyscrapers and railways was manufactured for over 100 years. This performance encourages dialogue around the contemporary reinvention of economy and environment in the post-industrial age so clearly represented by the Calumet region.

Brian Shaw

Bryan Saner

Besides Brian Shaw, the cast includes Bryan Saner, a faculty member in Columbia College’s Art & Art History Department. 

Erica Mott Productions is an ensemble-driven series of unique interdisciplinary performance collaborations bringing together award winning professional artists from the disciplines of dance, theatre, music, sculpture, video, architectural design, and community-based arts.