A group of Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department and Columbia College Chicago Music Department alumni have partnered to form the Bittersweet Arts Company, described as “a collective of multi-talented artists whose unique ambitions and spirits are brought together through their love of experimentation and creative expression.” The interdisciplinary group, launched on July 1, will debut its first event, Good Zoo, on Saturday, July 29, at 8 PM (doors open at 7:30 PM). Good Zoo is a variety show made up of theatrical work, poetry, film, live music, and performance art created by the collective. For more information, including the location of the event, click here.
Mary Lumley
Ross Krakow
The collective’s co-artistic directors are Columbia College alumni Mary Lumley ’16, a graduate of the Columbia College Theatre Department’s BA Program in Comedy Writing and Performance with a Minor in Marketing, and Ross Krakow ’17, a graduate of the Columbia College Chicago Music Department’s BA Program in Music Composition with a Minor in Playwriting from the Theatre Department. “We are proud to be an organization which is rooted in the relationships and processes many of us developed at Columbia,” says Krakow.
Alexis Allotta
Dylan Barlowe
Alec Silver
Henry Weisel
David Stobbe
Alex Fortune
Other Columbia College alumni company members include: Alexis Allotta ’16, Dylan Barlowe ’17, Michael Samarie George ’16, and Alec Silver ’17, all graduates of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Acting; Henry Weisel ’17, a graduate of the Acting BA program with a Minor in American Sign Language Studies; Ted Dayton ’16, a graduate of the Acting BA program with a Minor in Playwriting; Aurora Beckett ’16 and David Stobbe ’16, both graduates of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Musical Theatre; and Alex Fortune ’17, a graduate of the Musical Theatre BA program with a Minor in Playwriting.
Sebastian Jimenez-Galindo
Lesley Keller
Bo Kinney
Other company members include Columbia College Theatre Department students Sebastian Jimenez-Galindo, Lesley Keller, Bo Kinney, and Molly Madden.
The Bittersweet Arts Company’s purpose, in part, is “to generate an inclusive, supportive and prolific atmosphere with a strong emphasis on process and synergy,” “to strive to be innovative, imaginative and accessible,” and “to speak honestly and with conviction about the things that make us different, with the hopes that offering ourselves in a true way will inspire thought, feeling and action from the audience.” Defining its work and activities, the group says: “We are focusing on nurturing an intimate and developmental artistic environment while pushing the individual and the group toward progressive and experimental themes.” Also: “We are constantly incorporating alternative mediums and messages into our work to make our content uncomfortable, provocative and fresh.” And: “We are supporting our members through a unique and tribal economy.”
