BRIAN J. HURST

Why Free Art For All?
We live in a magnificent city where there are the Haves and the Ain’t Got Shits. Free Art For All levels the playing field between these two camps and makes the work we produce accessible to EVERYONE who wants to participate. And if a person wants to experience what we do but is unable to come to us, we take it to them through the Outreach Program. That is a beautiful thing!! I firmly believe that Art is a cultural commodity that belongs to everyone and shouldn’t be restricted by the contents of an individuals’ wallet.

What do you do at Oracle?
In the realm of performing arts, I like to think of myself as a mad scientist. I love getting into a room with other like minded folks and engaging in the sheer joy of demented exploration. The rehearsal space transforms itself into a laboratory with Bunsen Burners and pyrex beakers. Oftentimes, the experiment goes awry and spontaneously combusts or re-animates an awkward Frankenstien’s monster. Those are the best kinds of failure, I find. When you dare to go so big and off the wall even though you know it’s wrong, the knowledge gained is worth Frank’s weight in gold.

Biography:
I graduated from Kent State University with a BA in theatre in 2003. Worked for a Columbus, OH based sketch comedy and rock’n’roll club called Shadowbox for a few years, then moved to Chicago in the summer of 2008.  Some of my favorite work in this great city of Chicago has been in Road (Ka-Tet Theatre), In The Jungle of Cities (Ka-Tet Theatre), Laer’s Last Prayer (Ghostlight Chicago) The Rorsky Plays (Oracle Productions), Emma (New Suit Theatre), Accidental Death of An Anarchist (Oracle Productions) and currently in production for Comrade’s Mine (City Lit). Since 2010 I’ve studied at Black Box Studio, Old Town School of Folk Music and will dive into a Level 1 class with 500 Clown this Spring. In addition to my work as an actor, I like to put my thing down as a DJ, auxiliary percussionist and slam poet.