Julia Rhoads and John Musial

Limelight Paradise, a collaboration between scenic designer John Musial and Lucky Plush Artistic Director Julia Rhoads for ART on THE MART, aligned with the 2019 Year of Chicago Theater, a city-wide celebration of Chicago’s theatre community spearheaded by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the League of Chicago.

The work utilized fragmented choreography and script from Julia Rhoads' work with Lucky Plush, a Chicago-based dance and theater ensemble, reimagined within John Musial's layered and evocative projection design. The source material drew from Lucky Plush's Rooming House, in which varied interpretations of personal and mythic storytelling led viewers down a rabbit hole and into the lives of everyday people who do extraordinary things.

John Musial is a Chicago-based theater maker. He has worked with Chicago Children’s Theatre, About Face Theatre, American Theatre Company, and many more. Musial received a Jeff Award for the projection design of Lookingglass Theatre’s production of Nelson Algren For Keeps and a Single Day and was nominated for a Regional Theatre Tony Award for redirecting and editing Nelson Algren... for television with WTTW Channel 11. Musial holds a master’s degree in Architecture from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).

Julia Rhoads is the founding Artistic Director of Lucky Plush Productions, a MacArthur Award- winning ensemble recognized for its unique blend of dance, theater, comedy, and socially relevant themes. Her work has toured to over 55 cities worldwide, reaching notable venues including Joyce Theater (NYC) and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Independent directing and choreography credits include Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Lookingglass Theatre, Redmoon, and River North Dance Chicago, among others. Julia’s work has been supported by major awards from Herb Alpert Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, National Performance Network, National Theater Project and National Dance Project. Julia received her BA in History from Northwestern University and her MFA in Performance from the School of the Art Institute Chicago. She is currently Director of Dance and Lecturer in Theater and Performance Studies at The University of Chicago.