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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Much like the memoir that inspired it, Notes on Blindness (from co-directors James Spinney and Peter Middleton) attempts the seemingly impossible, especially for a visual art form: to capture the […]
There are children’s films, and then there are films with children in them that seem more geared toward adults. Spanish-born director J.A. Bayona seems to specialize in the latter, with […]