Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 01/12 – 1/15
It’s that time of the week, when work is almost over and you want to let loose and unwind. Luckily this weekend is full of fun events to help you […]
ATC’s Men on Boats Surveys the American West and the Gender Landscape
Men on Boats, a regional premiere now on stage at American Theater Company, is the story of the 1869 exploration of the Green and Colorado rivers for the U.S. government. […]
Not Your President? Chicago Creative Community Schedules Anti-Trump Activism Events
Special thanks to the Facebook group Chicago Activist Writers who supplied many of the events and descriptions in this round-up. If you’re looking to attend readings and events surrounding and […]
Winner…of Our Discontent Wins Us Over at Second City
It was back in March that Chicago came out in force to protest the Trump rally and forced it out of town. And while that pushback and protest didn’t precede […]
New Orford Quartet Opens the Northwestern Winter Chamber Music Festival
The Northwestern Winter Chamber Music Festival kicked off its 21st season Sunday night with a performance by the up-and-coming Canadian group, the New Orford String Quartet, at the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall […]
Trap Door’s Phèdre Tells Greek Tragedy 21st Century Style
Trap Door Theatre’s punky, funky production of Racine’s Phèdre is 75 minutes of Greek theater done 21st century style, directed by Trap Door veteran Nicole Weisner. The fanciful costuming and […]
Ian’s Party, 2017, Showcases Chicago’s Underground
To begin, an embarrassing admission: this was my first ever Ian’s Party. I’ve seen the stacked lineups every year for this Ian’s Party, a weekend festival that showcases the best […]
Diane Coffee Dazzles with Modern Vices @ Schubas
Schubas Tavern was yet again graced by the presence of Diane Coffee to ring in the New Year, who spent 2017’s Eve as well as December 30th in the cozy […]
This Week at Harris Theater: SEA–Interview with Director Streb
I interviewed director Elizabeth Streb about her upcoming show SEA (Singular Extreme Actions) at Harris Theater. Streb’s work as a choreographer is groundbreaking (sometimes literally). I asked her what distinguishes […]
Something Wonderful from Something Terrible in Mason Pott’s Solo Show, Post-Diagnosis
When artist Mason Cosmo Pott found out he had histoplasmosis, a life-threatening infection affecting the immune system, he didn’t let it detour his life as an artist. After undergoing rigorous treatment […]
Film Review: Train to Busan, Fueled by Pure Adrenaline
One of the last films I watched in 2016 (and it managed to crack my Top 20 of the year in the process) was South Korean horror thrill ride Train […]
Film Review – Mifune: The Last Samurai, An Exciting Portrait of One of the World’s Best Actors
One of my favorite documentaries of 2016 was also about one of my personal heroes from way back. The film is director Steven Okazaki’s Mifune: The Last Samurai about the […]