The Salon Series at St. John’s in collaboration
with producer Jamie O’Reilly presents
End of Life/Afterlife
a Four Day Arts Festival
October 24 – 27
Art Show Oct 24 – Nov 23
Original art, music, poetry, theater, classic literature
A featured part of Chicago Artist Month
End of Life/Afterlife Series
October 24 – 27, 2014
St. Johns Episcopal Church
Hall, Sanctuary, Garden
3857 N Kostner, Chicago
Admission: $15/$25
(for one or both theatrical program, 10/24 & 10/27)
Other events, art show, workshop, free of charge
PH 773.725.9026. Tickets: www.stjohnschicago.com
Cultural arts producer Jamie O’Reilly continues a year-long collaboration with St. John’s Episcopal Church in Old Irving Park with End of Life/Afterlife, a 4 day arts festival, Friday, October 24 through Monday, October 27. Exploring themes of life and death, the festivals of Sawhain (All Soul’s Day) and Day of the Dead, in original art, poetry, music, theater and classic literature, the events are open to the public. Events range from a juried art exhibition and community ofrenda-making workshop, to a performance of original stories, poetry and music, to a theatrical reading of classic American literature of the 18th, 19th early 20 centuries, performed by Chicago actors. All events will held at the St. John’s Church, sanctuary, hall and garden.
The Series is inspired by and dedicated to O’Reilly’s mentor Susan Wayman,
a major force in the Chicago arts and culture scene for nearly 20 years,
who passed away on her 62nd birthday, October 27, 2013.
Two Events Friday, Oct 24, from 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
6:30 PM Arts Festival Opening
Art Show “Crossing Over: Visual and Poetic Reflections on End of Life/Afterlife.”
A juried art show in the church. Runs til Nov 23.
7:30 PM Theatrical program
“Wonders of end of life,” Theatrical program with music
Roots Community of Voices Women’s Salon
Directed by Catherine Gallogly
Music by Kristin Lems, Willa Moore, Jamie O’Reilly, Stuart Rosenberg. With Maureen Connolly, Maureen Flannery, Catherine Gallogly, Kristin Lems, Jamie O’Reilly, Anne Schultz, Willa Moore. More here.
Saturday, Oct 25 Workshop from 10 AM – Noon, Arts Workshop
The Creation of a Community Ofrenda: A Cross Generational Workshop
More here.
Sunday, Oct 26 Rituals
Feast of All Souls
at St. John ‘s Episcopal Church
Services 8:00, 9:15, 11:00 am
Join the St. John’s community in remembering those who have died. Information sessions on end of life issues follow each service. End of Life Caregiving, with author Willem O’Reilly. Hospice, with hospice nurse and playwright Catherine Gallogly. Home Funeral and Green Burial, with author Maureen Flannery, Funeral preparation, with Pastor Kara Wagner Sherer.
Monday, Oct 27 at 7:00 PM Theatrical Reading with Music
“Epitaphs and Apparitions” American authors of the 18, 19, early 20th centuries. Jamie O’Reilly & Co present Epitaphs and Apparitions, wherein a diverse ensemble of readers from Chicago’s acting community embody voices from the beyond in selections of end of life and afterlife stories as rendered by Masters of American 18, 19 and early 20th c literature and drama. Among the authors: Herman Melville, Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, Willa Cather, Edgar Lee Masters, Edgar Allan Poe, Zora Neale Hurston, Washington Irving, James Agee, Katherine Ann Porter and more. With original music by Michael Smith and Jamie O’Reilly. Among the readers: Zahra Glenda Baker, Belinda Bremner, Dan Flannery, Karen Hoyer, Gary Houston, Nancy Little, Cheryl Kreiman, Jenny Magnus, John Starrs, Vicki Walden, The O’Reillys: Colm, Taran, and Willem. More here.
Listen to CRAZY MARY
PRODUCERS
About Jamie O’Reilly. In 2007 Jamie became Salonniere of Roots Salon, hosting events in her home. Continuing a tradition begun by her creative relations at the turn of the last century, she presents the finest performers and artists on an ongoing basis. In the past several years, Roots Salon presented over 120 artists. In addition to hosting bi-monthly Salons, this summer Jamie produced Rekindling the Salon, an artist retreat and soiree in Lakeside, MI. Fall of 2014 begins “Community,” Season 2 of the Roots Salon member program. Jamie is one of Chicago’s most beloved song stylists and ballad singers. She performs as a concert soloist and with the Jamie O’Reilly Trio, and is often asked to sing tribute concerts and memorials. A graduate of DePaul University School of Music, Jamie’s vocal debut was at Orchestra Hall in Chicago. She toured with the popular folk band Jamie O’Reilly & The Rogues. Jamie is proud to be a member of Celtic Women International, for whom she presents programs several times a year. She is known in the theater and music community for the powerful live productions and recordings she creates, with a stellar crop of collaborators, among them guitarist Peter Swenson and songwriter Michael Smith, with whom she created Pasiones: Songs of the Spanish Civil War, Hello Dali: From the Sublime to the Surreal, Songs of the Kerry Madwoman, The Gift of the Magi (performed with WGN Radio Host Rick Kogan). Recently, Jamie and Michael appeared in Songs of a Catholic Childhood at the Irish American Heritage Center to a capacity crowd. It is with great pleasure she brings the Salons to St. John’s with whom she presented MayDay on May 3, when she appeared with her daughters Meg and Nia (of the band Midnight Moxie), who learned at her knee that with music, art and community we can make a great life. Jamie and St. John’s are currently co-producing End of Life/Afterlife, a four day arts festival. Read more at jamieoreilly.com.
About St. John’s Episcopal Church. St. John’s has a tradition of offering intergenerational
workshops and has hosted art exhibits, concerts and theatre events, most recently “Arts Evolution” (in honor of Darwin Day) in February 22-24, 2013. Their first collaborator with Cultural Arts Producer Jamie O’Reilly was Mayday, May 3 of this year. This October 24-27, St. John’s and Jamie O’Reilly are collaborating with End of Life/Afterlife, a four day Arts Festival as part of Chicago Artist Month. The parish of St. John’s Episcopal Church began as a small Sunday School in 1883 in Old Irving Park. Today the church has three Sunday School classes and an active youth group. A neighbor congregation committed to worship and service, St. John’s is a diverse group of people of all ages, races, abilities, and sexual orientation. Throughout its history, St. John’s has been involved in reaching out to the community and has been most known for a free home-cooked Thanksgiving meal served every year since the 1980s. Currently, the community of St. John’s is involved in a partnership with the Diocese of Southeast Mexico, Hands to Help Ministries, which serves the local homeless population, and is the drop-off site for Genesis Growers, a Community Supported Agriculture organic farm. The church is located on Chicago northwest side, on the corner of Byron and Kostner.
Information www.stjohnschicago.com
Chicago Artist Month: chicagoartistmonth.org
