Physical Theater Festival Chicago

Physical Theater Festival Chicago returns with a vibrant lineup of award-winning shows from Argentina/France, Peru, S. Korea and the United States—bringing artists from around the world to audiences right here in Chicago. ​ From June 1-7 2026 our stages are home to bold visual and physical theater and stories that move across cultures and languages bringing us together. ​ ​ Physical Theater Festival is a space to experience theater from around the world, gather and connect. Join us for workshops, a Scratch Night featuring works-in-progress, and the second year of our Made in Chicago series, spotlighting local artists and homegrown creativity. ​ The lineup: 6/1 Scratch Night- Featuring the best of Chicago's fringe scene of performing artists in puppetry, physical theater, dance, clown, circus and more. Always a great way to kick off an international festival with a night of local artists! 6/2 Made in Chicago- Two local WIP/Medium length works curated and expanded from previous Scratch Nights. This year, act one: MATADORA (W.I.P) is a devised choreographic work by INSÉKTA that begins with the question: what does rage look like in the body? The work traces the emergence and mutation of suppressed Latiné rage — a force of dignity, agency, and self-possession. Act two: WHAT’S THE NEW F-WORD YOU CREATED? Let’s just say: LegLand’s The New F-Word is a show about fog. Our newest production sucks in the atmosphere of artificial seriousness and blows out mystery’s quickest short cut. Eerie haunted houses and apathetic French men smoking cigarettes shouldn't be the only two genders that get to have fun, so come join LegLand as we explore increasingly absurd vignettes in which fog, and the emotional states it signifies, takes center stage. The New F-Word is a fusion of comedic discomfort & exaggerated theatrical moodiness to ask our audience “What’s really so cool about sitting in a smokey room anyway?” 6/3, 5 & 7 I Think It Could Work- by Company Full Out Formula. Freshly returned from Adeliade, Perth and Edinburgh Fringe where awards were won, the mischievous minds of Full Out Formula brings their seminal creation, “I Think It Could Work” - a daring and playful leap into the unexpected. With bright colors, dazzling acrobatics, and unflinching trust, this Chicago-based contemporary circus collective invites you into a speculative world where your choices decide their destiny. It’s circus like you’ve never seen before—live, improvised, and unforgettable. 6/3,6 & 7 A LIttle Bit Off brings us Beau and Aero What if the Wright brothers went wrong? Beau & Aero is an acrobatic, slapstick, latex-heavy comedy featuring two incompetent aviators on their quest for flight. Pompous pilot Beau & his clueless co-pilot Aero have crash landed. The unlikely aeronautic duo tries everything to get back into the air - from propellers and parachutes, to balloons of all sizes, but to no avail. Distracted by their own imaginations, and the notably unhelpful contents of their emergency supply crate, the two tumble through hijinks and comedic conundrums, before emerging out the other side. The show blends clown with elements of acrobatics, mime, and puppetry, with wordless humor that will tickle audiences of all ages and languages. A strong vintage aesthetic paired with the duo’s ridiculous antics onstage is a nostalgic nod to timeless classics of old American Vaudeville. It’s like Charlie Chaplin meets Amelia Earhardt. Whether or not these bumbling aeronauts Beau & Aero will make your spirits soar. 6/4,5 & 6 From Peru, Compañia de Teatro Físico presents Los Regalos / The Gifts A father and his two sons live in a house. The most routine tasks, such as preparing breakfast, bathing, or housework turn into real adventures when tackled by three inexperienced men and their fear of not knowing what they are doing. The journey that the elder brother needs to make in order to leave home, and the fear of saying goodbye to the ones we love, will be the starting point of our story. 6/4,5 & 6 Straight from Argentiina. APOCALIPSYNC​ ​​​The Argentine actor from Un Poyo Rojo, takes us on an extravagant journey with his one-man show Apocalipsync. Born during the spring 2020 pandemic, this show offers a reflection on isolation, creativity, and a cartoon-like view of our contemporary world. Luciano Rosso brilliantly embodies around forty eccentric and witty characters who accompany him on an endless journey within the solitude of his apartment. On stage, he uses his elastic body to showcase his many talents: dance, clowning, contortion, and especially lip sync. 6/4 & 6 SELL ME: I am From North Korea A sold-out hit at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and performed at the U.S. Capitol Center, this powerful, fast-paced solo piece is inspired by the true stories of courageous North Korean women defectors.

Event Links

Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3612739-0

Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3612739-2

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