Join the Links Hall Board of Directors for an unforgettable night as we celebrate 45 years of creating home for independent artists in Chicago.
FEATURING
immersive performances from Chicago’s most exciting artists
music, dancing, and play
wine, beer, and delicious bites
silent auction of one-of-a-kind “live experiences”
live auction to support artist programs
This night promises to galvanize the Links community in support of its crucial role in sustaining Chicago's performing arts landscape. The proceeds will go directly to Links Hall's signature artists residencies, workshops, mentorship programs, and low-barrier space rentals--the critical support systems that Chicago artists rely on.
Please join us for a dynamic night in a dynamic space, as we revel in and generate the very quality that performance gives us: Presence!
TICKETS
We invite you to choose a ticket level that feels right for you.
$200 - Links Legacy Ticket
$125 - Links Supporter Ticket
$75 - Links Community Ticket
$40 - Links Artist Ticket
$1000 - Sponsorship Ticket Package
This ticket level grants host committee credit on all promotional materials, 2 tickets to the event, a public thank you at the event, 2 complimentary tickets to any Links Hall performance, acknowledgement in all Links Hall programs. If you are interested in a sponsorship package contact Mario LaMothe at mario@linkshall.org
SCHEDULE
6:30 - 7:00 Arrival
7:00 - 8:30 Immersive Performances
8:30 - 8:45 Links Hall Spotlight
8:45 - 10:00 Dance Party
FEATURED ARTISTS
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Spring 2023 Co-MISSION Fellow
Erin Kilmurray (she/they) is a Chicago-based dance artist creating genre-straddling, femme-forward performance work that demands aliveness and collectivity on stage, in studio, and with audiences. They facilitate a dance and community practice that relentlessly explores the celebrations and liberations of women, queer folks, and the underdog. Her work embraces mess, play, effort, spectacle, pleasure, and lessons in how arbitrary the line between artist and audience can be.
Erin is the creator / director of legendary queer punk dance and variety performance project The Fly Honey Show. Established in DIY venue, The Inconvenience in 2010, Fly Honey has notably played at Thalia Hall, Lollapalooza, The Den Theater, and named a “Chicago institution” (Chicago Reader 2018).
She is recognized with a 2024 US Artist Fellowship Award in Dance, an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Awardee (2023), a Chicago Dancemakers Lab Artist (2020), and one of 50 People Who Really Perform for Chicago (2023; Newcity). Kilmurray was one of three artists commissioned for the inaugural Chicago Performs program at the Museum of Contemporary Art (2022). Additionally, Erin has made dances for countless independent makers, parties, music videos, festivals, public parks, concerts, film, and theatrical productions. She is on faculty at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.
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Fall 2023 Open House Workshop Leader
Tre Daniels is a multi-discipline artist from Chicago. Primarily focusing on house dance and house culture, this dancer turned dj and beat maker, cultivates dance centered Safe spaces within the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago Teaching, djaying, and advocating against racism, xenophobia, and homophobia.
His career as a professional dancer spans 13 years with notable accomplishments such as being an official judge for RedBull: Dance Your Style Chicago 2023, Official Hip Hop judges for Prelude Midwest 2023, and Choreographing for Hiplet Chicago as recently as this year (2024).
As a dj and producer, Tre (or Salem) has been able to play for music festivals such as MyHouseFesitval 2022 In pilsens lovely, Harrison Park. This year, (2024), he was bestowed the honor of djaying for RedBull Dance Your Style Chicago 2024, An open styles competition that give aspiring dancers the opportunity to compete and travel the US expenses paid to train, compete, and build their brand as independent creatives.
In 2023, Tre or Salem Released their first project entitled ‘D.P.W. (Definitely. Passionate. Whenever)’ which was a compilation of original music, remakes, and edits of existing songs.
Taking some time to reflect and see what house culture in Chicago needed Tre noticed a lack of events tailored towards dancers and decided to create BODY: House Dance and Culture summit. Body is a multiday house culture event focusing on dance and community giving attendees the luxury of dance workshops, live performances, dance competitions and the chance to return the following year as a judge with stay included.
Body is 4 years old and is still a DIY event.
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Fall 2023 Open House Workshop Leader
Kara Brody (she/her) is a Korean American movement artist based in Chicago. She is a performer, educator, arts administrator and collaborator focusing her practice towards community driven spaces. Expanding on a desire for connection, she finds herself in practice through process-based devising and live performance. Most recent projects include Knockout, a collaboration with Erin Kilmurray supported by Lucky Plush Productions’ Embodied Research Project; work around, a dance series curation at Steppenwolf 1700 Theatre for the LOOKOUT series; and has performed with Faye Driscoll, Lucky Plush Productions, The Fly Honey Show, Melinda Jean Myers, Helen Lee, Darling Shear, and The Cambrians. Kara is a Lecturer at University of Chicago and teaches frequently in the Chicago community.
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Fall 2022 Co-MISSION Resident
Rigo Saura graduated from the National School of Modern and Contemporary Dance in Havana, Cuba. Former dancer of Danza Contemporánea of Cuba and soloist dancer of the classic cast in the National Ballet of Ecuador. Resident Choreographer in Ecuador’s Urban Ballet and Composition Master in the Metropolitan School of Art, Ecuador. Since moving to Chicago USA, He’s been part of Ruth Page Center of the Arts and guest artist/instructor for many companies, including the Professional Program at The Hubbard Street Dance Company, Chicago DanceWorks, Thodos Dances, Visceral Dance Chicago, Visceral Dance Center, Reva and David Logan Center of the Art, The Latin School Dance Program, Common Dance Conservatory, Chicago DanceCrash Concert Dance Inc. and Ruth Page Civic Ballet. Currently he is a dancer, teacher, resident choreographer and Artistic Associate at Hedwig Dances. He was selected to participate in the L.A. Contemporary Choreography Lab, awarded a Chicago DanceMakers Forum Production Residency at Ruth Page Center of the Art 2021, served as guest choreographer at Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Dance in the Parks, Links Hall Co-Mission Artists 2022, and named Partner Artist in Residence at High Concept Labs 2023. Also he is currently an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Chicago,IL and Fellow Artist in Residency at High Concept Labs 2024.
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Fall 2024 Co-MISSION Resident
Kevin Michael Wesson (he/they) is a proudly unrepresented puppeteer/playwright based in Chicago, originally from Tampa, FL (B.A. theatre arts, University of South Florida). His recent puppetry credits include: Leonardo! & Christmas Carol (Manual Cinema), Where We Go Together or The Flashlight Play (Theatre Nobody), Dog or Cats; Augmented Body (Steppenwolf LOOKOUT), House of the Exquisite Corpse I-III (Rough House Theater), All is Blue & Yellow (Collective Summ), CHRISTMAS PAGEANT (Hot Kitchen Collective), Elements of Style (The Neo-Futurists), The Dr. Seuss Experience (Kilburn Live). His works have received mention in American Theatre Magazine, NPR, & No Proscenium. Currently, he’s an artistic associate of the Chicago-based puppet theatre company, Rough House Theater, a founding ensemble member of the performance art company, Stop Motion Plant, an ensemble member of the physical theatre company, Theater Unspeakable, and the voice of the experimental free theatre company, Theatre Nobody.
EVENT HOSTS
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Melissa DuPrey is a multidisciplinary performer, comic, educator, producer, musician, and playwright rooted in the Puerto Rican community of Humboldt Park, Chicago. She is a critically-acclaimed solo artist whose self-produced work spans over a decade. Her 5 full-length solo plays (SEXomedy, SUSHI-frito, Good Grief, SEXomedy 2.0, RISE OF THUNDERDOME) highlights the intersections of diasporic Blackness, queerness, healing, liberation, and sexuality. DuPrey is also a community organizer and spiritualist who launched The Good Grief Project in 2020- an extension of the social justice component from her solo play, Good Grief, where communities of color are connected to local, accessible and multidisciplinary mental and spiritual wellness practitioners of color in Chicago. DuPrey’s full-length play, BRUJAJA, was digitized as a theatrical film by UrbanTheater Company for its world premier in 2021. She is a seasoned stand-up comic of 12 years who has performed in Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. She is a regular emcee of The Fly Honey Show and the LatinXt festival at Navy Pier. She was most recently seen as a recurring character on How to Die Alone(HULU/Onyx), “Dr. Sara Ortiz'' for two seasons on Grey's Anatomy (ABC), and on Empire (FOX). She has guest starred on The Resident (FOX), Chicago PD (NBC), and The Chi (Showtime). Her theater credits include works at Teatro Vista, Court Theater, The Goodman Theater, Steppenwolf, Free Street Theater, UrbanTheater Company, Victory Gardens, The Greenhouse Theater, Oracle Theater, and Teatro Luna. She is an ensemble member of Africaribe, a bomba y plena group, and is teaching her own performed narrative curriculum at DePaul University, Randolph College MFA program, and Vagabond School for Acting.
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Mary is a multidisciplinary performer, artist, rodeo clown, and disco ball repairman based in Chicago. She host, writes and directs for The Fly Honey Show, The Cosmic Country Showcase, and The Grelley Duvall Show. Some theatre credits include: Lucy & Charlie’s Honeymoon (Lookingglass Theatre), Mrs. Harrison (Indiana Rep) Engines and Instruments of Flight (The Goodman), Twelfth Night (Writer's Theatre), The Minutes (u/s Steppenwolf), Sender (Urbanite Theatre and A Red Orchid Theatre - Time Out Nomination: Best Actor), Reverb (Red Twist - Jeff Nomination and Broadway World Nomination: Best Actress), Three Sisters (The Hypocrites), and Hit The Wall (The Inconvenience/ Steppenwolf). TV and Film credits include: Chicago Fire (NBC), Chicago PD (NBC), The Red Line (CBS), Shrink (NBC), Our Father, Swipe Up Vivian!, and Rideshare. You can catch her acting and costume/ make up design in several newly released music videos for Chicago mainstays Finom and Minor Moon, and maybe you’ve recently caught her on TV in a new spot for Coca-Cola. She is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University and represented by Grossman and Jack Talent. If you’d like to see her do a strip tease dressed like Dr. Evil, come watch her co-host the cult favorite variety night Ordinary Peepholes at Beauty Bar on 4/29. You can follow all the chaos on Instagram @artisdeadgobears!
VENUE
GUILD ROW | 3130 N Rockwell St, Chicago, IL 60618
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“Chicago’s favorite coworking space & social club for those who give a damn.”
Built around an open air courtyard, the Guild Row campus features a teaching kitchen and a woodshop, a live fire cooking station, a members lounge with a full café and bar, co-working space, a small library, and an ultra-flexible dynamic event space perfect for gatherings of all kinds.
https://www.guildrow.co/
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Free parking is available on the surrounding streets (Belmont, Rockwell, and Fletcher). Rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft are also encouraged. Guild Row is easily accessible from the #77 Belmont bus, the #94 California bus, and the #49 Western bus stop.
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From the Loop, take I-90 W/I-94 W to W Diversey Ave. Take exit 46B from I-90 W/I-94 W towards California Ave. Turn right onto Diversey Ave, then turn left onto N Rockwell St. Guild Row will be on west side of the street to your left.
MORE EVENT DETAILS
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It's a party! Wear whatever makes you feel fabulous.
The venue is indoor/outdoor - please prepare for experimental weather.
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All building entrances offer ramp access and code compliant wide doorways, ramps that connect every space on the campus, and five ADA accessible gender neutral bathrooms.
If you or someone in your party needs accommodations or has accessibility concerns, please contact Katie Collins at katie@linkshall.org.
VOLUNTEER AT PRESENCE
We’re in need of extra hands at PRESENCE. Help us out the night of the event and receive two tickets to any upcoming Links Hall performance as a thank you. Please email Dana Pepowski to learn more or sign up: dana@linkshall.org.
EVENT SPONSORS
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event please contact Mario LaMothe at mario@linkshall.org
Links PRESENCE Committee
Amy Chavasse, Ross Jordan, SK Kerastas, Trevor Martin, Tina Post, Doreen Sayegh, Michael Tokoph, Tara Aisha Willis, Patrick Zakem