Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 7/13 and Beyond
Its gonna be a rainy weekend but don’t let that stop you from enjoying everything that Chicago has to offer! From markets to concerts, movies to festivals, and so much […]
Review: Jenny Lewis Brings a Whole Lot of Joy’All to the Salt Shed
Coming off the heels of her latest album Joy’All and a set at Summerfest, Jenny Lewis was more than prepared to impress at the Salt Shed. Despite that aforementioned festival […]
Toya Wolfe’s Last Summer on State Street Wins $25,000 Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award
Most readers are familiar with the more prestigious annual book prizes out there, among them the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the PEN America Literary Awards. A new […]
Review: A Father and Daughter Navigate the Passage of Time in Classical Fable Scarlet
Originally titled “L’Envol” (or, Flight), the more ravishingly named (for English audiences) Scarlet is a sweeping, romantic story of the passage of time, a young woman’s coming of age and […]
Review: Tom Cruise Returns with More Action, Heart and Humor in Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One
In the two weeks leading up to my screening of Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One, I did something I rarely do leading up to seeing a sequel of a long-running […]
Review: Midsommer Flight Sorts Out Cymbeline‘s Screwball Plot for a Charming Theater Experience in the Park
Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare’s late and rarely performed plays. but with a trimmed-down script and engaging movement and music, Midsommer Flight overcomes the Bard’s many plot complications and creates a […]
Review: A Distinct Society at Writers Theatre Shows the Collateral Damage of Bigotry
The Muslim Ban. Those words still make me angry about the 45th president creating borders to keep the “undesirables” from entering the United States. Most sentient people are still unpacking […]
Review: A Harrowing Novel of Resilience in the Face of Racism, Last Summer on State Street, by Toya Wolfe
Toya Wolfe’s debut novel Last Summer on State Street is a harrowing, poignant, and visceral evocation of life and death in the Robert Taylor public housing development in its final […]
Review: Ronit Bezalel’s Portrait Photography Captures the Essence of Human Nature
One of the most popular genres throughout the history of photography is portraiture. Even though it has been popular since the mid 1800s, it’s safe to say that in the […]
Review: Another Marriage at Steppenwolf Theatre Portrays a Marriage That Could Be Yours or Mine
You may recognize aspects of your own marriage or that of a friend or relative in Another Marriage, Steppenwolf Theatre’s world premiere play. The script by actor Kate Arrington succeeds on many […]
Review: The Lesson Offers a Few Surprises in a Sharp Noir Thriller
Class warfare and family drama are at the heart of first-time feature director Alice Troughton’s The Lesson, which centers on young, aspiring writer Liam (Daryl McCormack, Good Luck to You, […]
Review: Adam Sandler Produces a Lackluster, Overly Broad Heist Comedy in The Out-Laws
I don’t want to spoil anything up front about how I feel about the new Adam Sandler-produced Netflix comedy The Out-Laws, but it stinks to high heaven. Your reaction may […]