“Fearless performers… celebrating the inherent beauty of all sorts of human forms. Interesting projection designs… exquisite use of lighting… a polished performance art piece. Recommended.”

— Chicago Critic

Laura enjoys devising highly collaborative pieces and especially loves the places where the line between dance and theater gets blurry, so she couldn’t be happier to be working with The Living Canvas. She’s originally from Milwaukee and has been thriving in Chicago for the past eight years. She looks forward to directing Tony Kushner’s A Bright Room Called Day at Spartan Theatre in the fall. When not making plays Laura brews beer and dotes on her dog.

[This is part of a series of posts introducing the cast of Living Canvas Rx, opening August 1 at the Den Theatre in Chicago. Tickets and details.]

If you told me three years ago that I would end up performing nude using viewpoints to create a movement piece based on drug addiction, I would have died laughing. And here I am creating raw art, that not only excites me but reminds me why I even got involved with theatre to begin with. Working with The Living Canvas has shown me the power a group of people can have to tell a story. By using our whole bodies, we are “exposing” all experiences related to drugs. The concentration on ensemble work, drew me to audition for this company. By trusting and collaborating together we have the ability to create stunning and thought provoking art. By being nude, we have the means to take the audience to various levels by being actual living and breathing canvases. Using your body can be a powerful tool to create art. Currently I am also a member of Gorilla Tango Theatre, that produces parody plays that incorporate burlesque. Within this company we also use the raw body as a means to communicate art. When not performing with Living Canvas Rx, you can find me Friday nights at 10:30pm performing on Milwaukee and Western in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Boobs!

[This is part of a series of posts introducing the cast of Living Canvas Rx, opening August 1 at the Den Theatre in Chicago. Tickets and details.]

Kelly has one more semester left at Illinois State University where she will continue playing in the Improv Mafia. Hopefully this semester will be jam-packed with theatrical endeavors and lasting memories of beautiful friends and colleagues. Then she’ll move to a city (Chicago? Los Angeles? Who really knows!) and continue to act and grow as a human. “The process of working on this show has been very collaborative, exploratory, and honest. Outside of improv, I am very proud to say that this is my first acting experience in Chicago. The fact that we’re all super naked the whole time just makes it all the better. Go big or go home, yes?”

[This is part of a series of posts introducing the cast of Living Canvas Rx, opening August 1 at the Den Theatre in Chicago. Tickets and details.]

I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work on this challenging and brave piece, and to collaborate with such a bold, joyful ensemble. I’m constantly inspired by playing and devising with a group, and am amazed every day at how much wiser my body can be than the rest of me. In the fall, I will be working on Red Death, an original adaptation of the book Phantom of the Opera, with The Runaways Lab Theater.

[This is part of a series of posts introducing the cast of Living Canvas Rx, opening August 1 at the Den Theatre in Chicago. Tickets and details.]

Isaac Samuelson is super excited to show you what he thinks about the color red. Also about drugs and how they relate to the color red. Also about naked bodies and how they relate to drugs and the color red. This bio has been brought to you by the color red. And drugs. And naked bodies. Thank you for indulging me and also thank you for indulging yourself. The process of the living canvas has been full of movement and fun, and of the nagging thought “how will gravity affect me differently when I’m naked.”

[This is part of a series of posts introducing the cast of Living Canvas Rx, opening August 1 at the Den Theatre in Chicago. Tickets and details.]

A student at Columbia College Chicago with an expected graduation of spring 2016 with a B.F.A. in musical theatre, Sarah Smith is the jack-of-all-trades: dancer, biker, singer, and chef — she’ll try anything once. The DIY spirit is alive in her and taking hold of projects from modern art involving mannequins, juggling, building her own stilts, and repairs around the house, to song-writing, teaching herself a myriad instruments, and trying, but failing, to teach her cat that 6 a.m. is NOT an appropriate wake-up time.

Sarah is excited to be a part of the Living Canvas ensemble because of its unique take on the body. A long-time body positive advocate, Sarah believes strongly in the importance of teaching separation of nudity and sexuality, and the focus on the body as a vessel of beauty, and not something to be ashamed of. The Living Canvas explores movement and storytelling in a way that’s never been done before, and she hopes that the relief of bodies, maintained in a pattern of gorgeous art, will fuse the two in the audience’s minds, forever etching the possibility of beauty, strength, and play in the human body.

Sarah will be seen next in Chicago at Columbia College Chicago playing Jack’s Mother in the upcoming production of Into The Woods: directed by world renowned theater director Sheldon Patinkin.

[This is part of a series of posts introducing the cast of Living Canvas Rx, opening August 1 at the Den Theatre in Chicago. Tickets and details.]

[Part of a series of posts introducing the cast of Living Canvas Rx, opening August 1 at the Den Theatre in Chicago]

Growing up I was never a very active person — happily sedentary and such. It wasn’t until studying theatre in college and being forced to use my body more that I began to really appreciate the emotional depths we as actors, and audience members, can enjoy when both mind and body are engaged. I often have to remind myself that the mind is part of the body. I suppose that’s what has captivated me about this piece; it’s emotional and physically thought-provoking. You may feel things watching it and you may not be able to explain or articulate why, and that is lovely and all too rare these days.

If my naked body bugs you but you still like my face, come see The Most Ado: A party play remounted at Theatre Wit Aug 15-24 or wait until October 9-November 9th to see me in Frozen on the Square, 1982 at the Den Theatre.

[Tickets and details available at Brown Paper Tickets]

[Part of a series of posts introducing the cast of Living Canvas Rx, opening August 1 at the Den Theatre in Chicago]

Nicole is a newly inaugurated Chi-towner, having just moved here in May after completing her Master’s in physical theatre at the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. She will be teaching a Commedia dell’Arte workshop in September and hopes to find more teaching opportunities in her new city.

In her spare time, Nicole likes to fosse in the style of velociraptor, take too many photos of her cats, and is an avid consumer of Cuban food. While she is honored to work with the Living Canvas on this production, nothing this good can last forever and, needing to eat, Nicole finds herself in desperate need of a J-O-B. (Theatre professionals – please see attached resume.)

Nicole is thrilled to work with a company that promotes body acceptance and is excited to be devising movement with such a creative ensemble. As every experience with this show is sure to be personal, she hopes you enjoy your own journey through Rx.

[Tickets and details available at Brown Paper Tickets]