Dialogs: Jill Lepore’s Book We the People Tells Us Why Our Constitution Needs an Overhaul
I like to think of Jill Lepore sitting down at her desk to plan her new book on the US Constitution. We don’t need just another history, she thinks. There […]
Poetry: Coin of the Realm (1793–2025)
We hardly knew ye Or at the very least we took you for granted Even though your pedigree runs deep Alexander Hamilton gave you birth Despite your modesty You meant […]
Review: The Ghost of Yeats in a Wine Bar: Jessie McCarty’s Pretty Punks
Reviewed by Tori Rego To talk about Pretty Punks by Jessie McCarty, it is necessary to talk about W.B. Yeats. Like many, I’d venture to guess, I had not experienced […]
Review: Tin Drum Theatre’s The Unseen Dazzles and Disturbs
It seems there’s a goldrush for plays people sense might be prescient or “timely.” Which in 2025 means shows that predict devastation and authoritarian nightmares. Tin Drum Theatre Company’s The […]
Avoid Your Oven This Thanksgiving; Chicago Restaurants Are Ready to Cater (or Host) Your Holiday
As we careen full-steam ahead into the holiday season, it can all start to feel like quite a lot. If you’re looking for ways to minimize effort and yet still […]
Review: Starring Joel Edgerton as a Man Confronting Change, Train Dreams Wrestles with Nature, Progress and Loss
I sometimes think about the shrinking of our world. Each leap in transportation—trains, cars, planes—has made trips shorter and less significant, sapping our sense of wonder. Werner Herzog once said, […]
Review: Ego Death Theatre’s Days of Rage Is Ferocious, Funny, and Heart-Wrenchingly Human
Ego Death Theatre Collective successfully hits the mark with Days of Rage by Steven Levenson. A compelling script, following a group of young radicals who are willing to do anything […]
Review: Superior Donuts by Artistic Home Is Warm-Hearted and Entertaining But Needs an Update
Tracy Letts’ 2008 play Superior Donuts is a story about friendship between two unlikely souls—with a good dose of violence added. The story is set in an Uptown donut shop […]
Review: The Joffrey Ballet Delivers Classical and Soul/Funk Ballet in Matters of the Heart
One of the things I love most about humanity is that there are so many paths in tune with spiritual matters. I am not talking about religion. I am thinking […]
Review: The Aces Get a Colorful Thalia Hall Crowd Dancing
This article was written by Wendy Davis. The powerful, energized, girl-powered quartet The Aces has returned to Chicago stronger than ever! Playing at the historic Thalia Hall, this band has […]
Quick Spins: the Mountain Goats, Sadlands, Gina Barcal, MEGG, Pink Fuzz, and The Lemonheads
Quick Spins takes a quick look at recently released albums to make certain you’re listening to all the quality music being released these days. And with today being Bandcamp Friday, […]
Review: Guillermo del Toro Becomes Creator in Finally Realizing His Own Heartfelt, Humanistic Version of Frankenstein
Writer/director Guillermo del Toro has had a vision for his telling of author Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for a couple of decades—not just the makeup and production design but also what […]