The Waste Land by TS Eliot

100 Years Ago

Recently we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the publication of The Waste Land. It is one of the most famous and influential poems of the 20th century. The literary journal The Criterion published the poem in October of 2022. The Dial in the United States published it a month later.

Some of its subject matter needs to be looked at through a 100 year old lens and it is a sometimes difficult poem using many voices. The poem, written at the end of World War I, between 1918 and 1921,  provides images of the death and destruction – and upheaval, – caused by war. The “heap of broken images’ suggest the collapse of Western Civilization. The voices bring in individuals from different cultures and the reader must understand the cultures the voices speak from. That makes the poem perfect for a multi person performance.

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble

To celebrate The Waste Land and their 20th anniversary, the Chicago Dabztheatre Ensemble is putting on a multi-discipline production of this famous poem. An adaptation of the poem was their first production in 2001 and will be their final piece in the two-year long retrospective series.

The production is adapted, directed, and choreographed by the talented Executive Director, Ellyzabeth Adler. They are also collaborating with CIRCA Pintig, the Filipino American community arts organization, for a night of “Hope and Humanity.”

There will be a double feature of The Waste Land and the world premier of Darvo’s All-American Diner written by Conrad A. Panganiban, directed by Louie Pascasio with music by Demetrio Maguigad,

Darvo’s All-American Diner

A new play about resilience seen through the eyes of a Filipino family struggling to keep the family business, Daryo’s All-American Diner, open during the COVID pandemic. The daughter of the late founder, Daryo, is torn between keeping the business afloat and selling the business altogether. As she navigates these choices, her mother April and her African American surrogate aunt Alberta suffer the brunt of racial hatred. The multiracial assembly of characters creates a montage to view anti-Asian hate from a perspective that engages cross-cultural healing and understanding.

The Waste Land Puddin’head Special

Fans of The Puddin’head Press can order tickets on-line at Tickets.   Use the code “POETRY” for half price $10.00 tickets. We will be there on opening night, May 5th. There are only 30 discount tickets available so please order your tickets early before they sell out.

Location and times

The production takes place at the Auditorium at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Avenue. It runs every Friday and Saturday May 5th through the 20th at 8PM. The doors and the attached art gallery open at 7:30 PM.