Sideshow Theatre Company will present a one-night-only streaming revival of its 2018 hit Tilikum on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m. CT.
It will be a benefit for the #LetUsBreathe Collective in honor of Juneteenth and the Black Lives Matter movement, and in solidarity with the protests in Chicago and around the world for an end to state-sponsored violence against Black bodies. The presentation will include remarks and conversation with some of the artists who created it.
Written by Kristiana Rae Colon and directed by Lili-Anne Brown, Tilikum features Gregory Geffrard, Sigrid Sutter and Sideshow ensemble member Matt Fletcher. Tilikum was nominated for seven 2019 Jeff Awards and won the awards for new play, original music and projection design.
The plot is as follows: Tilikum was a king, and the oceans of the world were his. Now, he is a captive in a marine amusement park, doomed to live as an opportunity for profit. Alone behind bars he forgets the feel of freedom, but when fellow prisoners ignite the fires of his memory, he starts down a path that threatens to consume everything.
Tickets are pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of at least $10; however, all are welcome and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. To donate, visit SideshowTheatre.org/liberation any time before the event. Patrons will be linked to YouTube Live or Facebook Live to view the production.