Lightwire Theater Presents 2 Performances of A Very Electric Christmas at ICC on December 9
The Illinois Central College Guest Artists Series presents Lightwire Theater’s A Very Electric Christmas on Saturday, December 9 at 1 pm and 4 pm. The performances take place in the ICC Performing Arts Center, located on the East Peoria Campus.
Lightwire Theater has been featured as semi-finalists on Season 7 of the NBC TV talent show America’s Got Talent in 2012. In addition, Lightwire Theater was the winner of Season 1 of TruTV’s Fake Off.
A Very Electric Christmas follows the story of a young bird named Max and his family, as they begin their journey south for the winter. When Max gets blown off course and ends up at the North Pole…his adventure begins. The performance by Lightwire Theater is a very unique mashup of theater and technology combined to create larger than life stories while in complete darkness.
According to Eleanor Carney, a co-owner, director and performer with Lightwire Theater, because the combination of elements in a performance is so unique, this sometimes makes it difficult to describe in promoting and marketing the show.
“The best thing we’ve come up with is dance, puppetry and technology,” Carney said. “We are glow in the dark, but we’re not blacklight. We’re not traditionally what people think of when they go to see a dark show. All of our puppets are made of electroluminescent wire and they are brought to life by dancers.”
Lightwire Theater uses electroluminescent wire, or “el wire,” as the source of lighting for its shows. El wire is “neon-like in quality,” according to Carney, similar to the lighting in neon signs. However, she said, el wire has the consistency of “half-cooked spaghetti,” which allows the creators to shape and mold the wire into different characters.
Based in New Orleans, Lightwire Theater uses a mixture of technology, music, and theater to create its captivating, innovative performances. The group has been in business in 10 years and has performed in 49 of the 50 United States. In addition, Lightwire has performed shows to audiences all across the world, including Hong Kong, Canada, China, and Abu Dhabi.
From 2 pm to 4 pm between the two performances, the Arts at ICC will host an event in the studio theatre of the ICC Performing Arts Center. There will be activities for children, including a make-and-take craft activity, a decorate-your-own-cookie station and the opportunity for patrons to take their own photos with Santa. Hot cocoa will be served. Attendees must have tickets to one of the Lightwire Theater performances in order to be admitted to this event between shows.
Patrons who attend either show will also have the opportunity to provide input about future shows. Attendees who donate to the highlighted Community Partner for the event–the East Peoria Festival of Lights–will be entered into a drawing for a free pair of tickets to a future event. The Community Partner program highlights a non-profit or community organization with some kind of connection to the performance. Introduced as a part of the ICC Guest Artists Series in the 2011-12 season, more than 30 groups and organizations from the area have been featured as part of the program.
The performance is presented by the Arts at ICC, which has a rich history of enhancing the arts community and expanding education beyond the classroom. Arts at ICC presents more than 500 exhibits, performances, lectures, rehearsals, meetings, master classes, clinics, seminars, receptions, orientations, forums, auditions and tournaments annually.
Tickets to the show cost $25 for the general public and $15 for students and children. Tickets can be purchased online in the Ticketing area of ArtsAtICC.com or by calling the box office at (309) 694-5136.