Open Lab:
KT Shivak | Rhynoceron
Open Labs offer a flexible platform for artists to share, test ideas, and develop perspective on their work through community exchange.
Doors at 3:45
Performance at 4:oo
Performance Duration: 1 hour
Rhynoceron is a puppetry piece exploring the parallel between a past when an animal thought to be myth suddenly appeared, and a future where an animal known to be real suddenly vanishes. This piece, currently in development as part of KT Shivak’s residency with HCL, features a lifesize rhinoceros puppet based on the history of this animal that sparked an obsession both to possess it and to consume its image.
Rhynoceron is directed by KT Shivak in collaboration with puppeteers Chih-Jou Cheng, Jacky Kelsey, Fletcher Pierson, and musician and composer Ben Zucker.
An excerpt of this work-in-development will be presented at The HCL Lab on World Rhino Day, and will be followed by a discussion with the artists and an opportunity to interact with the puppets.
Content Disclosure: There may be loud or sudden sounds and lights during the performance.
RSVP
Advanced registration is appreciated but not required.
About the Artist
KT Shivak is a sculptor, puppet builder, and performer working in Chicago. She received a BFA in sculpture from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago where her interests in woodcarving, kinetics, and object performance led her to start working in the puppet theater. Her puppets have appeared in the New York Times, Puppetry International Magazine, the National Puppetry Conference, and at the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. As part of the design collective Chicago Puppet Studio she has designed and created puppets for over twenty five theatrical productions in Chicago and abroad. KT has performed at the National Puppetry Conference, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, and the Art Institute of Chicago as well as in parades, protests, pageants, cabarets, beaches and barnyards. She has been awarded a Chicago DCASE grant in 2020 and 2023 to develop original work.
Access Services
To learn more about the accessibility of our studio, please review our Access Information. For any other questions or requests regarding accessibility, please contact Angee Lennard, HCL’s Accessibility Coordinator, at angee@highconceptlabs.org or 312-374-1117.
Supported by a DCASE Individual Artist Program grant as well as High Concept Labs and Monira Foundation in Joint Residency at Mana Contemporary.