An Extraordinary Rendition is conceived as a response to Goat Island's first performance, Soldier, Child, Tortured Man (1986), and explores notions of systemic violence through varied references to militarization, spectacle, fraternity hazing rituals, and abstracted cheerleader routines.
Throughout the 23 years of its existence (1986–2009), the Chicago-based Goat Island contributed to the conception of nine major performance works, accompanied by publications, film and video projects, workshops, summer schools, lectures and symposia, inventing a complex institution bigger than the individual works. Freed from prescribed narrative and dialog, the work of Goat Island was built slowly in a creative process informed by repetition, chance and individual perception. The company was known for its sustained collaborative production approaches with work developed over multiple years by Goat Island Members Karen Christopher, Joan Dickinson, Matthew Goulish, Lin Hixson, Greg McCain, Tim McCain, Mark Jeffery, Bryan Saner and Litó Walkey. Their shared activations continue to influence generations of artists, theatre makers, cultural theorists, social philosophers and teachers.
In conjunction with the city's Year of Chicago Theatre, nine national and international performance groups and artists have been commissioned to develop and present new work, each inspired by one of Goat Island's original performances. A tenth performance created from fragments of the nine new responses will be presented in June during a week of concluding events.
All exhibitions and performances, including goat island archive–we have discovered the performance by making it, at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., are presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).
Building hours are Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Saturday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed holidays. Admission is FREE. For information, visit chicagoculturalcenter.org, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ChiCulturCenter.