Panel Discussion: À la rencontre de Pierrot featuring Exhibiting Artist WERIEM

Join us as we continue our journey into the world of Pierrot!

We are delighted to invite you to an intimate discussion featuring visual artist WERIEM, whose exhibition Pierrot: A Visual Story of Poetic Sensitivity is currently on display in the Alliance’s Eleanor Wood Prince Salon. WERIEM will be joined by Sarah Edgar, an expert in seventeenth and eighteenth-century European theatrical performance practice, and Claire Hart Proepper, Executive Director of Laughing Stock Theatre. Together, they will explore the enchanting character of Pierrot, sharing their perspectives and creative processes. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage with their work and delve deeper into the intersections of art and theater.

After the panel, guests will have a chance to meet these talented creators, mingle with fellow Francophiles and art enthusiasts, and discover WERIEM’s exhibition over a complimentary hors d’oeuvres and French wine. Non-alcoholic options will be available.

6:00 p.m. doors, 6:30 program. Please enter via 54 W Chicago Ave.

About Weriem
WERIEM is an artist known for her detailed work, evocative of the performing arts. Her drawings and paintings attract art enthusiasts both locally in Chicago and worldwide. Her work has been featured in commissioned illustrations, been projected during concerts, and graced CD covers.

Before focusing on fine art, WERIEM designed costumes for live performances. Her work has been praised by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Chicago Tribune as “gorgeous and evocative,” “spectacular,” and a “sumptuous array of period-perfect” costumes. Her costume design credits include the Royal Swedish Opera, the Boston Early Music Festival, Haymarket Opera, and Opera Lafayette.

Although always an artist at heart, WERIEM’s journey began with a PhD in biology (Université de Lille, France). Her love for detail and precision infuses her imagery, creating works that are rich in emotion and storytelling.

About Sarah Edgar
Sarah Edgar is an expert in seventeenth and eighteenth-century European theatrical performance practice. She was a dancer and associate director of the New York Baroque Dance Company and until recently the resident stage director for Haymarket Opera Company. She spent a formative creative period in Europe dancing and choreographing in Italy, Belgium, Lichtenstein, Germany, and France. Her work is known for its humor, emotional resonance, and rigorous scholarship.

About Claire Hart Proepper
Claire Hart Proepper is a Chicago-based actress, director, and choreographer and the co-owner and Executive Director of Laughing Stock Theatre, Chicago’s Commedia Dell’Arte company. Claire has been performing and directing Commedia for over a decade and has worked closely with Antonio Fava both in Chicago and in Italy at his Stage Internazionale di Commedia Dell’arte. She has also collaborated with the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago and has taught workshops at universities around Chicago. She received her undergraduate degree in Drama & History from the University of Virginia and her Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship & Leadership from the University of DePaul.