Door Kinetic Arts Festival
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press release: Major artists, including Campbell Scott, Eric Simonson, Rick Cleveland and Lydia Diamond are now confirmed for the debut of the Door Kinetic Arts Festival June 12-19 at Björklunden. Broadway and Hollywood creative artists will collaborate with top Midwest, Wisconsin and Door County artists and performers to develop new plays and dances. Kinetic sculpture and short films will be presented. The community is invited to participate in free classes and enjoy free performances of new works under development.
Conceived and initiated by Simonson, the Door Kinetic Arts Festival offers performing artists the opportunity to come together, collaborate, develop projects, present work and exchange ideas in the process of developing new work in the exceptionally beautiful and serene atmosphere maintained at Björklunden.
Confirmed creative artists include festival founder and Oscar-winning “Lombardi” playwright Eric Simonson, award-winning filmmaker and actor Campbell Scott, best known for “The Amazing Spiderman,” “Big Night” and “Longtime Companion,” Emmy-winning writer/producer Rick Cleveland ("Six Feet Under," "Mad Men," "House of Cards"), Broadway playwright Lydia Diamond and Steppenwolf’s Hallie Gordon. Internationally renowned dancer/choreographers Debra Loewen and Susan Rethorst will collaborate on a new dance piece and leading kinetic sculptor Steven Haas of Green Bay will exhibit a variety of mobiles and large outdoor kinetic sculptures.
The short film block of the festival includes 2016 Oscar-winners “Bear Story” (animated short) and “A Girl in the River” (documentary short), as well as nominees “Everything Will Be Okay” and “Last Day of Freedom” and the shortlisted “Winter Light.”
The artists will begin to gather June 12 to feed off the collective creative energies in different media. Public events will commence Wednesday June 15, with a free movement workshop for dancers 50 and older led by Loewen and Rethorst, followed by the screening of short films Wednesday and Thursday nights. The film shorts will begin with the world premiere of Scott’s festival-commissioned film, “The Fold.” Haas will give a free public lecture on kinetic sculpture Thursday, and Cleveland will lead a TV writing master class Friday afternoon.
Diamond’s “Toni Stone” tells the story of the passionate young woman who broke racial and gender barriers, replacing Hank Aaron on their Negro League team when he went to the Major Leagues. She was called “the best baseball player you never heard of” and “the female Jackie Robinson.” Gordon, a producer and director for Chicago’s famed Steppenwolf Theatre directs the reading, open to the public Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
Loewen’s and Rethorst’s new dance piece “The Uncertainty Principle of Let’s See What Happens” will premiere Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. The piece hopes to answer many questions including these: What happens when the aging body takes the stage? What do we see when older women dance? What moving history remains? Loewen is the founder of Milwaukee’s innovative Wild Space Dance Company, which has made a name for itself with site-specific dance pieces.
Cleveland’s “The L.A. Seven,” a motley crew of superheroes, are being sued for damages resulting from their fight against evil on “Black Hole Day.” This twisted, comic fantasy is directed by festival founder Simonson, who is receiving rave reviews for the opera based on Stephen King’s “The Shining” which he conceived and directed for Minnesota Opera. Broadway actor Chris Coffey will play one of the superheroes. The reading of “The L.A. Seven” runs Saturday night and 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The final performance will be followed by closing ceremonies and awards.
Simonson, a Wisconsin native and part-time Door County resident, has a rich and varied career, including writing, directing and acting in Broadway plays, and directing for opera, film and television. He has been nominated for a Tony, an Emmy and an Oscar, winning the Oscar for his documentary film “A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin.” He is an ensemble member of the renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago and has developed television shows for HBO, Starz, USA, FX, History Channel and NatGeo networks. His teleplay based on Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing Reagan” has begun shooting for the NatGeo network and will air later this year.
Björklunden will also offer a seminar, led by Simonson, titled “The Grand Synthesis.” The weeklong morning classes will focus on works and artists that cross over from one medium to another, and will take advantage of the festival activities going on in and around the Björklunden facilities. The seminar takes place during the festival, June 12-17.
Continuing updates, schedule details and much more information can be found on the festival website www.doorkinetic.com. All events are free, but organizers recommend reservations be sent to dana@doorkinetic.com. The festival is funded by Ministry Door County Medical Center, Lawrence University, Björklunden, and a variety of individuals. Additional funding is still being sought.