"Tour Guides" dish up Chicago with reality and love

The full cast in the "transportation" scene

Tour Guides, the Chicago tourists never see is a must see for all Chicago lovers and everyone else who is not sure!  Lively and fast paced, the show is over too quickly. Presented by the Guild Literary Complex, the run time is approximately eighty minutes at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, 777 N. Green St., thru Dec. 18.

Written and performed by seven diverse poets, a series of stories dish up the city, its neighborhoods and its people. It is choreographed, as in a play, formed with a great deal of physical movement around the stage.  Lighting also helps transition from one scene to another.

Sage Xaxua Morgan-Hubbard (l) laughs at StephanieGentry-Fernandez as Jon Cofield and Kimberly Dixon also appear amused

Steven Evans and Morgan-Hubbard have a conversation

The production's program best describes it, "...(the project) has turned into an intimate exploration of what it means to live and work together in a city. In search of common ground in the midst of our diverse writing styles and life experiences, we turned to the place where we all live: Chicago, a city we love with fierce devotion despite hating it form November to March; a city divided into neighborhood after dividing neighborhood; a city that calls us back whenever we've tried to leave. And so we offer this to you, a look at Chicago through our eyes, bits and pieces of poems that offer a lyrical tour of the city, this city, our city."

This ensemble includes Carron Little, Gentry-Fernandez and Dizon

The intimate performance space helps create an environment that has the audience reacting to the dialogue. Some were saying "Oh, yes. Yes. MMM yes." while others were shouting and clapping, laughing or crying.

Sandra Posadas delivers a monologue

One of the pieces about the "cleanliness" of public transportation is totally gross, creepy, funny and all too true! After the performance there were several conversations among audience members that focused on the subject. They seemed to include the word, "Ugh!," followed by a shiver then a laugh.

The writers and performers are: Jon Cofield, Kimberly Dixon, Steven Evans, Stephanie Gentry-Fernandez, Carron Little, Sage Xaxua Morgan-Hubbard and Sandra Posadas.

The show is directed by Coya Paz with movement Director Esteban Andres Cruz, Stage Manager Christian Cruz, Set Designer John Holt, Sound Designer Cristiana de Risi and Lighting Designer Mac Vaughy.

Though this incubator project started five years ago and had a series of stops and starts, the end result celebrates the city, neighborhoods and people and should not be missed.

Only four performances left: Dec. 10, 11, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available online and are $15.