Collaboraction takes over more Flat Iron Building space and announces future plans

Partial view of new space

Collaboraction opened its new 2,000 square foot space in the FlatIron Building, Room 300, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. facing Milwaukee Ave., giving the group close to 4,000 square feet on the floor including its office and other performance space.

Moseley stands by the Milwaukee Ave. facing window in the new space

Staff prepares for festivities

"This is going to be used for musical performances and overlap of music, visual art, theater and performance. We'll be doing events on Friday and Saturday nights or renting it out on those nights and then using it for rehearsals and classes during the week," explained Artistic Director Anthony Moseley.

"We're working with Julia Miller as a new  music curator and Jane Beachy as performance curator to help us book the space out as much as possible. Wesley Kimler and Paul Klein are going to help us bring in a new group show which they're calling a Visual Art Discussion on First Fridays, though we are taking August off."  FIAA's Coyote Festival will be Sept. 30 thru Oct 2 and the Fashion Mash will hit the space on Oct. 7."

Another display area in main room.

Moseley's plans for Collaboraction's sixteenth year includes him directing the midwest premiere of Be A Good Little WidowDark Play or Stories for Boys by Bekah Brunstetter, Sept. 8 - Oct. 23, 2011 and Carlos Murrillo's from Jan. 12 thru Feb. 26, 2012. Sixty Miles to Silver Lake by Dan LeFranc will be the third play from Apr. 19 thru May 27 directed by Sarah Moeller.

View of Milwaukee Ave. from the third floor window

Another smaller area of the very large space

The 12th Annual Sketchbook Festival will then be center stage in June 2012 with changes to its format. There will be eight to ten world premiere short plays of seven minutes or less and two to three world premiere full length pieces all running in repertory in Collaboraction's new multi-use space, with discussions, panels and parties throughout the festival.