Manual Cinema

Manual Cinema MANUAL CINEMA is a performance collective, design studio, and film/ video production company based in

Happy Opening Night to the cast and crew of Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol! We're thrilled to be back at the beautiful ...
12/12/2025

Happy Opening Night to the cast and crew of Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol! We're thrilled to be back at the beautiful Studebaker Theater through Dec. 28th! Don't miss out on this holiday tradition 👻

Tickets: https://rb.gy/qnknow

Photo by Marc Perlish

12/12/2025

Opening night has entered the chat 😏🎄🎻✨️

Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol opens TONIGHT at Chicago's historic Studebaker Theater, blending live performance and cinematic visual storytelling with a sweeping live score.

Two-week run, limited seats, maximum holiday spirit 🤩✨️

🎟️ This is the show people will be talking about. Get your tickets now before it sells out!

Tickets: https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/christmas-carol/

📅 Dec 12–28, 2025
📍 Studebaker Theater, Fine Arts Building • Chicago, IL

12/11/2025

We all wait until the last minute during the holidays…so here’s your nudge. 🎄✨

Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol opens TOMORROW and it’s only running for two weeks, so don't miss your chance to catch this one-of-a-kind holiday experience!

🎟️ Grab your tickets now before they're all gone! (You don't want FOMO, do you?)
Tickets: https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/christmas-carol/

Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol runs December 12 - 28, 2025 at Chicago's historic Studebaker Theater.

12/10/2025

The new trailer for Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol is here and we open THIS WEEK! 🎄✨

From hundreds of handmade puppets to a sweeping live score, this is Dickens like you’ve never seen it before!

Catch the magic at Chicago's historic Studebaker Theater December 12–28, 2025.

Grab your seats before they’re gone! 🎟️
Tickets: https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/christmas-carol/

12/09/2025

🎉 The countdown is on, Chicago!

Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol hits Studebaker Theater THIS WEEKEND and it is truly unlike anything you’ve seen before. Get ready for handcrafted puppets, live music, and pure holiday magic ✨️🎻🎄

We run Dec 12–28, but opening weekend is your chance to be first in the door 😏

Opening Weekend Showtimes
Fri Dec 12 - 7:30pm
Sat Dec 13 - 3:00pm
Sat Dec 13 - 7:30pm
Sun Dec 14 - 2:00pm

Grab your seats now!
🎟️ Buy Tickets: www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/christmas-carol/

12/03/2025

The spirits are waiting… 👀👻🎄

Step into a world of shadows and ghostly visitors as Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol haunts Chicago's Studebaker Theater Dec 12–28, 2025.

Featuring hundreds of handmade puppets and an original score performed live, trust us, this is Christmas Carol like you've NEVER seen before.

Reserve your seats now! 🎟️ 🎄
Tickets 🎟️: www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/christmas-carol/

Hello Friends! We wanted to thank you for making 2025 a banner year. This year marks our fifteenth year as an artistic c...
12/02/2025

Hello Friends! We wanted to thank you for making 2025 a banner year. This year marks our fifteenth year as an artistic collective (!!!). In that time we've created 18 live performances, 27 video projects and toured to 24 countries across 6 continents! Every year brings a unique combination of joys, surprises, and challenges.⁠
⁠
Next year we are facing unprecedented challenges. Drastic cuts to federal government arts funding are being felt across our industry and we have significantly less opportunities to tour and create our work. Manual Cinema faces an existential crisis in 2026. We need your financial support to help us continue making creative work this coming year. ⁠
⁠
If you're in the position to support the arts this Giving Tuesday, please consider a tax deductible donation to Manual Cinema. Your one time donation will continue to fuel the magic we've been lucky to make these 15 years. Thank you for your continued support! ⁠

To donate: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/manual-cinema

- Drew, Sarah, Ben, Julia & Kyle (Manual Cinema Co-Artistic Directors)

Chicago, get ready! Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol is coming back to the historic Studebaker Theater for the holiday se...
11/29/2025

Chicago, get ready! Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol is coming back to the historic Studebaker Theater for the holiday season! ❄️🎄🌟
⁠
From December 12–28, 2025, experience a holiday tradition unlike any other: a bold, inventive reimagining of Dickens’s classic told with Manual Cinema’s signature artistry.
⁠
Expect live shadow performance, hand-crafted paper puppets, cinematic techniques, and an original score performed by a live ensemble, all coming together to create a show that feels intimate, magical, and entirely unforgettable.
⁠
🎟️ Tickets are available now - grab yours before they’re gone!
https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/christmas-carol/

11/28/2025

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…which means Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol is making its way back to Chicago’s historic Studebaker Theater! 🎄✨
⁠
From December 12–28, 2025, Chicago audiences can once again experience this beloved holiday tradition - an inventive, heartfelt reimagining of Dickens’s classic tale.
⁠
With live shadow performance, hand-cut paper puppets, cinematic visuals, and an original score performed live onstage, this production transforms the familiar ghost story into something wholly fresh, intimate, and breathtaking.
⁠
🎟️ Tickets are officially on sale! Be sure to secure your seats early!
https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/christmas-carol/

It’s almost time for Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol to return to Chicago’s historic Studebaker Theater! 🎄👻🌟Running Dece...
11/26/2025

It’s almost time for Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol to return to Chicago’s historic Studebaker Theater! 🎄👻🌟

Running December 12–28, 2025, this can’t-miss holiday tradition brings you an awe-inspiring, one-of-a-kind reimagining of Dickens’s classic.

Live shadow performance, handcrafted paper puppets, cinematic techniques, and a live ensemble performing an original score converge to create an experience that’s both intimate and utterly magical.

Tickets are on sale now, so be sure to grab yours before they’re gone!
🎟️ https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/christmas-carol/

Berkeley, we’re so excited to see you! 🤩🌙Join us for an unforgettable night at Cal Performances on Saturday, November 22...
11/19/2025

Berkeley, we’re so excited to see you! 🤩🌙

Join us for an unforgettable night at Cal Performances on Saturday, November 22 at 8:00pm as we bring our newest show, The 4th Witch, to the stage.

Filled with live shadow play, original music, and stunning visuals, The 4th Witch is a dark and cinematic retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. 👑🗡️🩸

📍 Cal Performances, Berkeley, CA
🗓️ Sat, Nov 22 @ 8:00pm
🎟️ Tickets: https://calperformances.org/events/2025-26/illuminations-exile-sanctuary/manual-cinema-the-4th-witch/

The story follows a young girl who escapes war and finds shelter in a dark forest. There, she’s rescued by a witch who takes her in as an apprentice. As her powers grow, her grief and fury lead her on a haunting path toward vengeance against the warlord who destroyed her home: Macbeth.

Hey Chico! ✨ We can’t wait to see you!We’re bringing our newest feature show, The 4th Witch, to Chico Performances on Th...
11/17/2025

Hey Chico! ✨ We can’t wait to see you!

We’re bringing our newest feature show, The 4th Witch, to Chico Performances on Thursday, November 20 at 7:30pm!

Get ready for a haunting night of live shadow play, music, and storytelling - a dark and magical retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. 👑🗡️🩸

📍 Chico Performances, Chico, CA
🗓️ Thu, Nov 20 @ 7:30pm
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.chicoperformances.com/artists/2025-2026/fourth-witch.php

The 4th Witch follows a young girl who escapes war and finds refuge in a dark forest. Taken in by a witch, she begins to learn the ways of magic, but her grief and rage soon set her on a chilling path of vengeance against the warlord who destroyed her home: Macbeth.

See you there!

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2203 W 21st Street
Chicago, IL
60608

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Manual Cinema

MANUAL CINEMA is a performance collective, design studio, and film/ video production company founded in 2010 by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller, and Kyle Vegter. Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive visual stories for stage and screen.