Manifest: Imagine, the 2025 edition of Columbia College Chicago‘s annual student-powered Manifest Arts Festival, takes place Friday, May 16, at multiple locations in Chicago’s buzzing South Loop community to celebrate student achievements at the end of the 2024-25 school year. The Columbia College Chicago School of Theatre and Dance is proudly participating, with free performances and exhibitions at the historic Getz Theatre Center of Columbia College, 72 E. 11th St., and the Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan Ave., as well as other venues listed below.
Manifest is Columbia College Chicago’s signature event that showcases graduating senior and graduate student work. As an annual tradition and defining ritual, Manifest brings the entire community together to celebrate our creative spirit and develop long-lasting, memorable relationships and connections.
All events are free! School of Theatre and Dance events include:
Acting and Musical Theater Showcase – 11 AM-noon, Dance Center: Graduating seniors in the Acting and Musical Theatre programs present recorded video auditions that highlight their dedication, hard work, and passion for the craft.
ManiFresh Meet-Up – noon to 3 PM, Columbia College Student Center, 754 S. Wabash: ManiFresh celebrates Columbia College Chicago’s hip hop community, student artists, and alumni, honoring our long-standing community partnerships and collaborations with hip hop practitioners, local artists, educators, and organizations. The ManiFresh Meet-Up brings together our extended community to showcase, recognize, and celebrate our collective achievements, while imagining our future endeavors. Free with registration: click here.
Lost & Found – An Interactive Performance – 1-6:30 PM, Getz Theatre Center, Rooms 602 and 615: Part interactive installation, part audio-storytelling, all a little silly – Lost/Found is a student-created immersive/site-specific experience exploring ideas of loss, memory, and a sense of self by engaging your senses and your imagination led by Tony Award winning faculty member Mikhail Fiksel.
Tech and Design Showcase – 1-6:30 PM, Getz Theatre Center, Studio 404: Students in the Theatre Program’s Theatre Design and Technology and Stage Management programs present innovative projects that blend creativity with technical expertise. From sleek set designs and one-of-a-kind costume pieces to powerful stage management organizational tools, each project highlights the students’ mastery and ingenuity. This showcase serves as a dynamic platform where ideas converge, inspiring audiences for the future of tech and design in theatre, while highlighting the next generation of creators.
Improv in Performance – 1-2 PM, Getz Theatre Center, Courtyard Theatre. Experience the thrill of improvisation as our hilarious students bring spontaneous scenes to life in an afternoon of laughter, creativity, and unexpected surprises.
Combat! – 1-2 PM, Getz Theatre Center, Sheldon Patinkin Theatre: Faculty member David Woolley, a renowned fight choreographer and coordinator of the School of Theatre and Dance’s Stage Combat Minor, guides students through a rip-roaring, high-energy, full-out display of stage fighting! With expert precision and dynamic choreography, David will lead his students in an unforgettable performance that combines strength, skill, and artistry via Unarmed, Rapier & Dagger, Two-Hand Sword, Small Sword, Quarterstaff, and Hollywood Single Sword!. Prepare to witness the breathtaking intensity and captivating storytelling that only stage combat can deliver. This is an action-packed showcase you won’t want to miss. Please note: Maximum capacity is 70. Plan on getting in line early! Space is limited, and registration does not guarantee a seat.
Advanced Playwriting – 2-3 PM, Getz Theatre Center, Sheldon Patinkin Theatre – Over the course of the semester, our students have worked tirelessly to hone their skills, experimenting with various techniques and exploring different writing styles. Today, they will showcase some of their finest work, offering a glimpse into their creativity, passion, and commitment to the craft.
Clown Wars: A New Hope – 2:30-3:30 PM, Getz Theatre Center, Courtyard Theatre: Clown Wars: A New Hope is a parody of the first Star Wars film, but with … well … clowns! If you’re a fan of epic galactic battles, boisterous outfits, wacky music and sounds, and comedy in general, then this show is for you. Don’t forget a red nose!
Playwrights Aloud – 3:30-4:30 PM, Getz Theatre Center, Courtyard Theatre – Six 10-minute plays by talented student playwrights, packed with creativity, emotion, and powerful storytelling.
Solo Performance – 3:30-4:45 PM, Getz Theatre Center, Sheldon Patinkin Theatre: Instructor Stephanie Shaw and her talented students invite you to witness the power of storytelling up close.
Witch – The Remount – 4-5:30 PM, Getz Theatre Center, Classic Theatre: Encore performance of the one-act play Witch, by Jen Silverman, directed by Maya Shandilay. Mischief is afoot in the sleepy village of Edmonton and the fate of the world is at stake in this smart modern fable. When the emotionally conflicted son of the local lord and an ambitious newcomer come into conflict, help presents itself to both of them in the same guise – as the Devil himself!
RENT Cabaret – 5:30-6:30 PM, Getz Theatre Center, Courtyard Theatre: Experience this re-imagined version of Jonathan Larson‘s iconic rock opera Rent in an intimate cabaret style.
From left: Konnie Kakridas, Aly Owens, Kayla Hansen, and Rhianna Young. (Photo: Julie Lucas)
With Incandescence: BFA Capstone Concert – Thursday and Friday, May 15 and 16, 7:30 PM, Dance Center: The graduating class of students in the Dance BFA program present original works. Presenting artists include Kayla Hansen, Konnie Kakridas, Aly Owens, and Rhianna Young. The event is coordinated by faculty member Colleen Halloran. Free with reservation. For reservations, click here.
