From our BEST Arts of the decade feature:
Deke Weaver’s Unreliable Bestiary performances are clever, moving, humorous, and devastating. They are transformational: You are not the same person at the end of the performances as you were at the beginning, unless you’re dead inside. Is there a visual and performance artist who utilizes the immense talents and resources of the community better than Weaver? The answer is no. His performances are elaborate works of art that are possible because he has a team of amazing people working with him, most of whom live and work here (or once did). He stages his work in and around C-U: The Stock Pavillions at the University of Illinois, Krannert Art Museum, The Station Theater, Meadowbrook Park, Allerton Park. Each performance transports you somewhere else, and yet you are acutely aware that you’re still home in Central Illinois. Make an effort to see his next show; you won’t be disappointed. (Jess Hammie)
Photo by Scott Wells