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2025 Co-MISSION Festival of New Works | Tuli Bera’s “Bangali Meye”

  • Links Hall 3111 North Western Avenue Chicago, IL, 60618 United States (map)

Tuli Bera presents:

Bangali Meye

2025 Co-MISSION Festival of New Works

BANGALI MEYE, the fourth and final iteration.

এই বাঙালি মেয়েটা কী? WHAT IS THIS BENGALI GIRL?

What rituals does it know, what rituals has it forgotten, what rituals will it create and carry forward?

Unlearning is impossible— what is learned will live within us. Always.

How do we negotiate between what is inherited and self-defined?

Let us: Trace the pain, Trace the pleasure, Trace the [              ]

Dedicated to my ma, my portal to this Bangali Meye.


The first Bangali Meye, a solo premiered at Links Hall as part of its 2019 Co-MISSION Residency series, the second at the 2022 Pivot Arts Festival at the Edge Theater with Scott Rubin, and the third iteration at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater in 2023 with Tuli’s younger sibling, Anita. The overarching theme for this series is about acknowledging, exploring, and understanding the experience of inhabiting the body and mind of a [child of immigrants] / [first-generation, settler American], specifically one of [South-Asian] / [Indian] / [Bengali] descent. Each iteration is a sharing of how I connect to a part of my existence. A spectrum of relationships with this part of me, this Bangali Meye, reveals itself in real time.

TICKETS $16-$42

THE TEAM 

Tuli Bera: Performer + Director

Brice Hartmann: Project Manager + Emotional Support

Scott Rubin: Viola + Sound Artist

Bob Garrett: Composer 

Giau Truong: Lighting + Set 

Mira Raven: Vocal Teacher

Maitreyee Bera: Cooking Support

During the last 2-3 months of the fellowship, I invited fellow artists/friends to support me during my rehearsal process. These folks have helped shape the work in ways that I could not have done alone. Their witnessing and feedback allowed the solo work to stay alive outside of my [oftentimes] chaotic brain. I am deeply grateful and feel so held: Thank you, Preeti Veerlapati, Ashwaty Chennat, Darling Squire, Tithi Bera, Helen Lee, and Zach Nicol!

Can’t make this performance of Bangali Meye? Bera also performs on Friday, June 20th at 7pm.

FEATURED ARTISTS

Tuli Bera

SPRING 2025 CO-MISSION FELLOW

Tuli Bera is a Chicago-based performer, choreographer, producer, and dance educator. Their artistic voice is an emulsion of their technical prowess and honest expression of identity. Since moving to Chicago in 2016, they have committed to creating public experiences that foster authentic self-exploration. Bera is informed by various styles of dance, which have led them to feel most comfortable as an improviser. They lead with curiosity and lean into transforming as they navigate through, collaborate, and create within the Chicago arts landscape.

Bera has collaborated and performed with various companies and individual artists, including Ashwaty Chennat, Ayako Kato, Aerial Dance Chicago, Amanda Maraist, Chris Knowlton, Cristal Sabbagh's Freedom-From-Freedom-To, Darling Squire, Erin Kilmuray, Helen Lee, Ishti Collective, Laksha Dantran, Mandala Arts, and Scott Rubin.  Beyond performance, they teach Ballet and Aerial Dance. They are also one of the founding producers of the J e l l o Performance Series for which they are now an advisor. In 2024, supported by the 3arts 3AP program, they curated and produced a series of free ballet classes and workshops called Ballet Unboxed. To learn more about Tuli, you can visit their website: www.tuli.space

COLLABORATORS

Musician/composer Bob Garrett was a sub for the Chicago debut of Hamilton for three years, released a solo album (partially funded by Illinois Arts Council) in 2019, composed and performed the percussion book for the world premiere of Sting's The Last Ship, toured with the national tour of The Lion King for four years, played in orchestra for Mary Zimmerman’s The Matchbox Magic Flute at the Goodman, performed in house band for Alan Parsons’ studio lecture series, a sub for Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s Macbeth, toured/and or performed with: Glen Hansard at Lollapalooza; Chicago Shakspeare Theatre and Victory Garden with director Gary Griffin; S. V. Balakrishna; Trinity Irish Dancers, John Elmquist and Hard Art Group; Redmoon Theatre. He has produced and performed for: Anne Harris, Surabhi Ensemble, Las Guitarras de España, and Chris Siebold plus accompanied and or composed for dance companies/choreographers including The Seldoms, Carrie Hanson, Randy Duncan, Alvin Ailey Dance, Urban Bush Woman, Joe Goode, Bill T Jones, Hubbard Street dance co, and Ishti dance company.

Bob is also co-founder (with Nadine Lollino) of Posterchild Art, a multi-disciplinary art company based in Chicago's art district. They've shown there work throughout the U.S. as well as Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. Currently focussing hie energy on expanding his production credentials, composing for film and commercial placement, and a 'sound healing' concept. garrettsoundart.com

Scott Rubin is a Chicago-based interdisciplinary artist, composer, and improvising violist whose work interrogates relationships between sound and movement through analog and digital means. His recent projects have involved collaborations with musicians and dancers, often incorporating acoustic-electronic improvisation, expanded performance practices, motion-sensors, and live video. In these projects, he engages themes of intimacy, control, and the sublime.

ABOUT THE CO-MISSION PROGRAM

This event is part of Links Hall’s 2025 Co-MISSION Festival of New Works, two groundbreaking weekends of new performance and public events.

Representing some of the most talented makers in Chicago from dance, performance art, installation, and performance as social practice, six artists present works developed while in-residence at Links during the 2024-2025 season. Featured artists include: Links Hall Residents Dani Oblitas, Selena Lasley, Kevin Michael Wesson, and Amanda Maraist; and Fellows Jaquanda Saulter-Villegas & Jacinda Bullie and Tuli Bera.

Previous
June 20

2025 Co-MISSION Festival of New Works | Tuli Bera’s “Bangali Meye”
Next
June 22

2025 Co-MISSION Festival of New Works | Dani Oblitas’ “Un/Rerooted” & Selena Lasley’s “TIMEShit”