Join us for the world premiere of A.B.L.E.’s latest innovative digital project - Into the Underworld. This unique film was created entirely over Zoom, and features characters and settings inspired by Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey in an original story devised by the ensemble. Audiences can watch the film in-person at Landmark Century Cinema in Lakeview on March 20th, 2024 or in a live premiere on YouTube.

Set sail with A.B.L.E.’s Virtual Ensemble to find a mysterious man named Odysseus. On their way, they meet a woman with gray eyes, a creature with three heads, and a goddess with a spring in her step. These characters help guide a group of 10 actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities to a mysterious oar, and an even greater purpose. Co-directed by A.B.L.E. teaching artists Emma MacLean and Melanie Zehner, the film celebrates how sometimes you may start on one path, but wind up somewhere you never expected.

Tickets for the virtual event will be available until showtime. A link will be emailed with your confirmation.

Tickets for the in-person event can no longer be purchased via the website. There will be a limited number of walk-up tickets available at the door starting at 6pm.

Get Tickets for the Virtual Event

Twists & Turns: Into the Underworld is open captioned. The run-time is approximately 35 minutes

There are 2 ways to join the adventure:

Online Live Premiere - Tickets $15

Log in from your own home. With your ticket purchase, you’ll receive access to a private YouTube link to enjoy the premiere starting at 7pm on March 20th, as well as a kit to host your own screening party. A.B.L.E. staff and cast members will participate in a live chat during the screening sharing behind the scenes stories and information about the making of the film. Virtual screening links will stay active for 1 week following the premiere.

In Person Screening - Tickets $25

There will be no online sales on the day of the show. A limited number of walk-up tickets will be available at the door.

The Landmark Century Center Cinema

2828 N. Clark St

Chicago,IL 60657

Event Schedule

Check in opens at 6:00pm for a catered reception including food courtesy of Dom’s Kitchen

Welcome remarks at 6:30pm

Screening at 7:00pm

TRANSPORTATION

BUS: The nearest bus routes are #22, #36, and #76
EL: Brown & Purple Lines to Wellington (0.5 miles) or Diversey (0.6 miles)
PARKING: $6 validated four-hour parking is located in the Century City Shopping Center lot. Enter on Clark Street just north of the theater.

ACCESSIBILITY

Landmark Century Centre Cinema offers wheelchair seating.
In solidarity with the disability community, masks are required for all attendees when not eating and drinking
If you have additional access needs, please note these after your ticket purchase.
Click here to view a social story about what to expect at this event.

Food for this event Donated By:

Vegan and gluten-free options will be available.

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More about Twists & Turns: Into the Underworld

The project was created by A.B.L.E.’s Virtual Ensemble over the course of 10 weeks of online rehearsals and filming sessions. Led by MacLean and Zehner and a team of 4 volunteer facilitators, the actors played devising adventures to build the world of the story. Through acting games, movement activities and character building moments, the group explored different elements of Homer’s epic tale. Each actor chose an Underworld character that resonated most with them, and spent the remaining weeks of rehearsal bringing these characters to life - through physicality, costumes and performance presence. In the finished project, the cast of 10 actors all play multiple characters, ranging from heightened versions of themselves to the various denizens of the Underworld.

Virtual programming allows A.B.L.E. to work with actors who may face various barriers to attending in-person sessions. It has also given the organization a chance to welcome participants and volunteers from outside their homebase in Chicago. The cast and crew of Into the Underworld logged in from 7 different states. To make virtual programming more engaging, A.B.L.E. mailed kits to each actor at the start of the process with craft projects, resources, and sensory support materials. Actors transformed their homes into a working film set, building costumes from their own closets and creating props from found objects. VFX designer and editor Brock Alter draws all the footage together with colorful animation. The Jeff-Award nominee Alter has collaborated with A.B.L.E. throughout the pandemic on a range of digital projects including Romeo and Juliet Remix and The Forms of Things Unknown.