Cock and Bull Arts produces contemporary theatre, original plays, and devised and site-specific performances.
Lecherous Honey by Megan Breen
Gunder House Mansion, Chicago, IL
Lecherous Honey was a contemporary adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play Ghosts, deconstructed and written by playwright Megan Breen. The production took place as a site-specific promenade piece performed at Berger Park North Mansion - The Gunder House. Breen skillfully re-imagined the original work, offering a thought-provoking exploration within an immersive theatrical context.
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Description Cast: Isabella Coelho, Curtis Dunn, Meg Elliot, Sarah August Hecht, Noah Lepawsky, and Benjamin Ponce, Laura Barber
Photos by John Jennings and Rebecca Memoli
Production: Chris Garcia Peak (Director), Janie Killips (Asst. Director), Rose Hamill (Stage Manager), Hampton Cade (Asst. Stage Manager),Sarah Jackson (Producer), Mary McGroarty (Asst. Producer), Katie Hemingway (Dramaturg), Margaret Baughman (Asst. Dramaturg), Brandin Hurley (Scenic Designer/Installation Art), Jessica Doyle (Lighting Designer), Robert S. Kuhn (Costume Designer), Matt Reich (Sound Designer), Nick Spindler (Intern/Props Designer), Puppet Design (Chris Garcia Peak) Photo Styling Heinrich Haleytext goes here -
When we’re led outside to the lakefront on a cool autumn night, I’m shuddering with excitement. We’re brought to a woman in white staring out over the water and invited to join her as she looks out over the darkness... She’ll soon lead us inside the Berger Park North Mansion, located in the Edgewater community, in its antique splendor. History oozes from the walls of this beautiful old house as we walk from room to room to watch the play unfold. - New City Stage Standard
Lecherous Honey possesses masterful ambience. It transports us and transforms the rooms we walk into..truly magical and awe inspiring. It was easy to not question their reality with such powerful tools of world-building on display. - New City
VOOLF
Berger Cultural Center Theatre, Chicago, IL
Voolf voraciously explored the fantastical domain of fairy-tales, fueled by the rich tapestry of Isadora Duncan's autobiography "Isadora," the captivating allure of Marlene Dietrich, and Sergei Prokofiev's masterpiece "Peter and the Wolf." This visually striking experimental fairy-tale ingeniously blended puppetry and multimedia, enveloping audiences in an immersive and enthralling journey.
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Cast: Eddy Karch, Sarah August Hecht, Noah Lepawsky, Kristen King, Tuckie White
photos by Lesley Jackson
Production: Chris Garcia Peak (Director/Costume Designer), Sarah Jackson (Assistant Director), Rachel Watson (Scenic Designer/Puppet Designer), Matt Reich (Sound Designer), Toria Gibson (Lighting Designer) -
“you're immediately engulfed in the highly-stylized fantastical interpretation of Peter and the Wolf....the design elements of this show are really tops. costumes, makeup, puppetry set, music, lighting, everything is an actors dream come true....a lovely piece of art directed by Chris Garcia Peak” - PaperBlog
“Voolf portrays several unreal, intersecting stories, but concerns itself less with straightforward narrative than with deconstructing the strange, subterranean landscape of deranged desire between outlandish personae. It’s Peter and the Wolf gone wild, David Lynch does Grimm, a neo-Freudian fairy tale.” - Diego Baez, critic
Voyage
The Chopin Theatre, Chicago, IL
Voyage embarked on an epic devised journey, delving into humanity's profound yearning for healing and the extreme measures taken to find remedies. It unfolded across two significant historical eras: 1799 and 1969, characterized by the immense volume of uncharted territories in medicine and psychotherapy.
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Cast: Meg Elliott, Eddy Karch, Noah Lepawsky, Casey Morris Kristen King, Tuckie White, Laura Resinger,
Photos by Ryan Bourque
Production: Chris Garcia Peak (Director & Costume Designer), Sarah Hecht (Assistant Director), Greg Pisoneault (Scenic/Prop Designer), Scott Pillsbury (Lighting Designer), Matt Reich (Sound Designer), Cristian Esparza (Costume Technician), Janie Killips (Video design), Stephanie Diaz (Puppet Design), Eddy Karch (Fight Choreography), AIden Kent (Stage Manager), Madeleine Lyons (Asst. Stage Manager), Nicholas Jackson (Technical Director) -
“Chris Garcia Peak brings skill to its execution...Voyage is beautifully realized.When it’s over you feel like you’ve woken from a dream: intense, disturbing and yes a little ridiculous” - New City Stage
“The type of play that needs to be seen...stellar acting...two thumbs up”- Chicago Now
“Fans of devised theatre should flock to this experimental, creative and visually intriguing production at the Chopin Theatre “- Chicago Stage Standard
The Legend of Ginger Bred by Chris Garcia Peak
Gorilla Tango, Chicago, IL
The Legend of Ginger Bred: A Tale of Salvation & Baked Goods by Chris Garcia Peak was a high-octane rock musical that unleashed gorilla men, aliens, rabbit boys, booze, and rock and roll. During an electric storm, country singer Ginger Bred was tormented by haunting apparitions from her turbulent past.
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Cast: Jake Carr, Kate Strosahl Johnson, Maggie Graham, Matt Olsen, Samantha Nicodemus, Lisa Pearson, Tuckie White
photos by Katarzyna Matwiejuk
Production: Chris Garcia Peak (Director, Book, Lyrics), Musical Direction and Composer (Dennis Florine), Lindsey Pate (Costume Designer) Heinrich Haley (Assistant Director), Matt Olson (Costume/Lighting Designer/Puppet Designer), Gabriel Paul Gomez (Video Production/Film Design), Lizzie Powers (Stage Manager)
featuring the band - Dennis Florine and The Sunday Brunch -
“Maggie Graham stands out in a talented cast as Ginger, using her leggy charm and impeccable timing to spin hilarity from dark themes. Live music and multimedia projections blend seamlessly into the show, which is structured as a bizarre stream-of-consciousness lounge act.” - The Chicago Reader
“Ginger and her band take you on a bizarre odyssey from East Texas to Hollywood in this off-beat camp musical roller-coaster ride.” - Theatre in Chicago
“Who is Ginger Bred? A local Chicago play picks up Internet buzz”- Brave New Hollywood
Titanic by Christopher Durang
The Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago, IL
It was not a movie or a traditional musical, but an experimental odyssey of catastrophic proportions. Audiences set sail on Christopher Durang's Titanic, a daring theatrical journey. As one of Durang's early plays, it explored the untamed side of family life, embracing the wilder facets of existence.
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Cast: Daniel Dvorkin,Sarah August Hecht, Eddy Karch, Noah Lepawsky, Sarah Jackson, Matt Olsen, Dan
Photos by Lesley Jackson
Production: Chris Garcia Peak (Director),Matt Olson and Heinrich Haley (Scenic Designer), Daniel Carlyon (Sound Designer), Daniel Lazar (Lighting Designer), Eddy Karch (Fight Choreography), Gabriel Benghiat (Stage Manager), Kiley Morgan (Asst Stage Manager), Raphael Schwartzman (Technical Director)tion text goes here -
“Titanic couldn’t be a better fit for this unconventional company. From the drag queen greeting audience members outside the theatre to the strange yet emotional final tableau, Cock & Bull gets it exactly right. A historical shipwreck was never more dysfunctional, and purely hilarious”. - Chicago Theatre Beat
“The Comedic Take On ‘Titanic’ Is A Hit On Chicago Stage” - Brave New Hollywood
“An energetic cast, who breeze through sharp sentences, death-defying fight choreography with the greatest of ease”- PaperBlog
Axe Lizzie
Prop Theatre, Chicago, IL
Drawing inspiration from Le Théâtre du Grand Guignol, Victorian melodrama, Lizzie Borden, and The Wizard of Oz, Axe Lizzie took audiences on a thrilling ride. This mesmerizing production evoked a hallucinatory day that has become a legendary tale in the horror genre. Through puppetry and immersive storytelling, it captivated viewers, leaving a haunting impression.
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photos by Christine Burklin
Cast: Kristen King, Sarah August Hecht, Bruce Speilbauer, Tuckie White, Jake Carr, Sarah Jackson, Carlos Rogelio Diaz, Kate-Strosahl Johnson
Production: Chris Garcia Peak (Director), Lindsey Pate (Costume Designer), Matt Olson & James Ogden (Scenic Designer), James Ogden (Technical Director) Mike Smith (Lighting Designer), Christian Gero (Sound Designer), Stephen Anderson (Fight Choreography, Special F/X), Ariel Welch (Stage Manager), Brett Beavers (Asst. Stage Manager), Sarah Bendix (puppet designer) Lighting Designer Daniel Lazar -
”creepy spectacle mixes song, puppetry, and rich design elements to create a kind of slide carousel of gore--These splatter fests ...couldn't be more scrumptious” - The Chicago Reader
The Possession of Alice
Prop Theatre, Chicago, IL
The Possession of Alice delved into a dark and blood-soaked coming-of-age tale, drawing inspiration from Victorian melodrama. The gripping narrative explored Alice's tumultuous journey as she grappled with her newfound sexuality while questioning whether she was possessed by the devil or embracing her evolving identity. Audiences were spellbound by this riveting exploration of inner demons and sexual awakening.
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photos by Christine Burklin
Cast: Kristen King, Sarah August Hecht, Bruce Speilbauer, Tuckie White, Jake Carr, Sarah Jackson, Carlos Rogelio Diaz, Kate-Strosahl Johnson
Production: Chris Garcia Peak (Director), Lindsey Pate (Costume Designer), Matt Olson & James Ogden (Scenic Designer), James Ogden (Technical Director) Mike Smith (Lighting Designer), Christian Gero (Sound Designer), Stephen Anderson (Fight Choreography, Special F/X), Ariel Welch (Stage Manager), Brett Beavers (Asst. Stage Manager), Sarah Bendix (puppet designer) Lighting Designer Daniel Lazar
Peter the wolf
Dept of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Theatre
Peter the Wolf immersed audiences in a mesmerizing fairytale world, blending bunraku puppetry, multimedia projections, and captivating storytelling. Amidst Papa's absence at war, Peter, Grandmere, and the famous actor Sarah Bernhardt as Red Riding Hood faced their fears of love and longing. The enigmatic wolf loomed, provoking contemplation on its true nature as either villain or victim. A spellbinding production that wove together diverse art forms.
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Presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, a work-in-progress showing of Peter the Wolf by Cock and Bull was a part of the residency series In the Works.
Cast: Noah Lepawsky, Meg Elliott, Sarah Hecht, Eddy Karch
Production: Directed by Chris Garcia PeakDesigned by Daniel Carlyon, Matt Reich, Daniel Lazar, Rachel Watson, Andrew Hilldner
The Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL