There's been a question posted in Fuel that asks what you think of Oprah leaving Chicago. Well I think that Chicago will definitely suffer if she leaves.
Not only will hundreds of people lose their jobs, but all the residuals that go along with her presence here will be affected as well. Remember what the West Loop used to look like? It was a bunch of emptying warehouses and decrepit buildings, a kind of no-man's land where parking was plentiful, but restaurants weren't.
Not only did her studio bring about urban revitalization, but it's also increased tourism and enhanced Chicago's exposure. Before, Chicago was known more for the mafia and Al Capone than Oprah. Now we get all sorts of people here who want to see what her "hometown" looks like, and even if their friends and family aren't fans of hers, they at least become curious to see what type of place they've been to.
So as a non-fan of her show (though if I got an invite, I'd gladly go), I'd like to publicly plea that she not leave Chicago because we need her. Otherwise, we might slip back to the Chicago of the 70's, when the city was grim and people stayed away.
— Margaret Larkin /
Art Fri Nov 06 2009
One would not usually consider a silver teapot or a reclining chair to be art. A wooden wine cabinet seems more appropriate in a furniture store than an art museum. But what if it's a teapot from acclaimed manufacturer Christopher Dresser, or a chair designed by Frank Lloyd Wright? Now that is art.
Arts and Crafts are daily labors that integrate art with everyday life. This idea is what the newest exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago attempts to show. Apostles of Beauty: Arts and Crafts from Britain to Chicago features nearly two hundred objects in a wide expanse of media, from ceramics to stained glass, woodwork to embroidery.
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— Vanessa Day /
Column Fri Nov 06 2009
The Men Who Stare at Goats
You can file this under "story so utterly ridiculous that it has to be true." This is one of those tales you may have heard your favorite neighborhood conspiracy theorist mutter about over the years. The idea that the U.S. Army had a small unit of men singled out because they possessed even a hint of psychic abilities seems preposterous, yet if even one such soldier proved to have such abilities, the military immediately attempting to somehow capture and weaponize these powers seems all too believable. And according to newspaper man Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor presumably standing in for source material author Jon Ronson), that's exactly what happened.
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— Steve Prokopy /
Media Thu Nov 05 2009
Gapers Block is one of 12 recipients of Community News Matters grants from the Chicago Community Trust and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, as part of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's Knight Community Information Challenge. The Chicago News Matters grant initiative awarded $500,000 in grants to non-profit and for-profit organizations to spur innovation and growth of new sources of quality local news in Chicago. Gapers Block is receiving $35,000 to expand our original local reporting, with a priority on stories about underserved communities and issues that affect them.
We're extremely honored to have been chosen to receive this award, which will allow us to begin paying staff members to write feature articles and pay the editorial staff a bit more than we do right now. While we're still far from paying everyone for everything they contribute to the site -- with around 100 contributors producing thousands of posts a year, we'd need a lot more than $35,000 to do that -- it's a great first step toward that eventual goal.
We'll be sharing details of our plans for the grant with our staff and the public soon. In the meantime, we'd like to thank the Chicago Community Trust, the MacArthur Foundation and the Knight Foundation -- and congratulate the other award recipients. This is a very positive day for the future of Chicago journalism.
Read the full news release after the jump.
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— Andrew Huff /
Theatre Thu Nov 05 2009
Typically, a mere mention of a teddy bear evokes smiles and happy childhood memories; however, this is not the case for everyone. In Reinaldo Povod's Cuba and His Teddy Bear, we learn the "bear" isn't always cuddly; sometimes, it can be downright grizzly.
"Cuba," a family drama with themes of "redemption, accountability and forgiveness," is the story of the relationship between a son and his drug-dealing father and the challenges they face with keeping their family together.
Although this story is being told via a theatrical performance, it is a harsh reality that exists for many families.
Cuba and His Teddy Bear opens Friday, Nov. 6 and runs through Dec. 13 at The Batey Urbano Performance Space, 2620 W. Division St. Show times are Thursday through Saturday, 7:30pm; Sundays, 6pm. No performance is scheduled Thanksgiving Day; instead, a performance will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10-$20 and can be purchased at the box office or by calling 773.347.1203.
— LaShawn Williams /
Art Wed Nov 04 2009
On Thursday November 5th the Uncommon Ground at 1401 W Devon, in Edgewater, will officially unveil their new exhibit. On display until February 1st, this exhibit features the work of the director of the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, Deborah Maris Lader. Don't be fooled by the whole printmaking thing, the actual amount of prints in the show are fairly scarce, the bulk of the work are described as mixed media photographic paintings, this just means she uses an array of mediums which involves photography to create the work.
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— MartinJon /
Film Wed Nov 04 2009
With Hollywood movies based on board games and ridiculous love premises in production, audience seem to be turning more and more to local independent cinema for their entertainment. The Indie Incubator Film Festival is ready to show Chicago's best short films in it's ninth year and promises to be better than ever. The festival shows anything (within appropriate means of course) from comedy, horror, sci-fi, you name it. The Chicago Film Office and the PBS show "Image Union" both have supported the festival in the past, most likely because of it's unique nature. Unlike a typical film festival, the Indie Incubator's selection is shown in a bar which breaks down the exclusive atmosphere that some of Chicago's other festivals can impress on the common movie goer. There's nothing like booze and movies to make a normal night turn into a great one. Every filmmaker takes home something, but the "Best of the Fest" winner is decided by a judges panel made up of professionals in the film industry.
The Indie Incubator Film Festival takes place at the Original Mother's on November 17th. Doors are at 7 pm and cover is free. This year's festival is hosted by filmmakers and comic book creators Matt Kubinski and Charles Klein. A dance party follows the screenings and awards ceremony.
— Amy Dittmeier /
Film Wed Nov 04 2009
Reeling, Chicago's 28th annual Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival, part of Chicago Filmmakers, begins Thursday, November 5 with more than 150 films showcasing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender films from all over the world from social documentaries and introspective featurettes to fusions of musicals, drama and horror flicks.
There'll be 59 different screenings, 33 narrative feature films, 10 documentaries, 16 screenings of short films and about seven after-parties at venues including Lincoln Park's Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St., the South Loop's Film Row Cinema at Columbia College, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., and Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark St.
Here are a few prime events not to be missed:
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— John Lendman /
Theatre Wed Nov 04 2009
A distinguished member of the dancing world, Isadora Duncan has touched the lives of millions. Known as the mother of modern dance, she rejected traditional ballet and stressed improv, emotion, and human form in her dance techniques. She thought ballet was too strict and focused on form and posture, so she created her own school of dance where her loyal followers could learn from the master.
In a new play from TimeLine Theatre Company, When She Danced is the story of Isadora Duncan portrayed in early 1920s Paris. In this heartfelt and humorous production, Isadora is a struggling artist trying to stay financially stable and figure out what to do when she retires from dance: Her hope is to inspire young dancers with her art. Playwright Martin Sherman mixes the comedic presence of the characters with the importance of art and dance to create an inspiring play that reminds one how influential Isadora was "when she danced."
Previews of the play begin tonight, Nov. 4 and continue through Friday, Nov. 6. The regular run starts Saturday night, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. and ends Dec. 20. Check the theatre's website for ticket and show time information.
— Vanessa Day /
Improv Wed Nov 04 2009
Part of me hesitated even posting this, for fear that the event would sellout and I'd be left weeping outside the ATC Theatre, but I figured it was my duty to share this crazy exciting event with the culture vultures of Chicago. Oscar Nominee Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) will be playing with Chicago improv group Pudding Thank You, TJ Jagodowski, and more this Friday night as part of the regular ATC Improv series. The show begins at 11:00 pm, and for only eight dollars you get to enjoy a night of improv and free beer.
Michael Shannon at ATC Improv. Friday November 6th at 11 pm. Tickets are available only at the door for $8 and include free beer. ATC is located at 1909 W. Byron.
— Dyan Flores /
The second season of "Tabatha's Salon Takeover" opened in Chicago! The salon featured was Orbit Salon in Lakeview, within walking distance from Wrigley Field.
I love this show--I watched the entire first season and was impressed. It's not just about a salon, but about how to run a business, have pride in your work, and take responsibility for even seemingly mundane details. It's entertaining, but I've also come away from the show thinking about how to "step up" (as Tabatha often says) in my own projects and jobs.
There's a really good article in the Sun-Times that talks about some reality behind what we saw: what the stylists had to say compared to what was shown. If you watched the show with the stylists at The Stretch, feel free to talk about it here.
— Margaret Larkin /
Dance Tue Nov 03 2009
What do Adam and Eve, out-of-control goth dolls, Etta James, multiple personalities, and Metallica have in common? Innervation Dance Cooperative has brought them all together in their upcoming dance concert, Our Own Devices. IDC's roots are in theater and contemporary dance, and the many choreographers and dancers come from wildly different backgrounds. These qualities always lead to an eclectic show, and the company's mainstays of narrative dancing and a high-energy, multi-layered aesthetic bring it all together. In this concert, each of the eight choreographers presents the audience with a different struggle and shows us what happens when groups and individuals are left to their "own devices." The subjects range from a comedic and sultry reinterpretation of Eve's relationship with the Snake, to the frustration, bliss, and heartbreak involved in pursuing a man, to a portrayal of a woman whose mind created multiple personalities to deal with childhood abuse, to goth-esque dolls running amok in the dollhouse. There are eye-opening moments of intensity and belly-shaking moments of comedy, thought-provocation and good times guaranteed.
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— Rachel Zanders /
Theatre Mon Nov 02 2009
Family members can be the hardest to love, but the easiest to hate, and performance pieces in The Happy Family Series explore those "harmonic antagonisms." Presented by The Magpies, the pieces all take their cues from P.T. Barnum's controversial American Museum exhibit, The Happy Family, originally sold as "a miscellaneous collection of predators and prey, living together harmoniously in one large cage, each of them being mortal enemy of every other, but contentedly playing and frolicking together, without injury or discord."
Curated by Shawn Reddy and emceed by H.B. Ward (aka "The Tamer"), the lineup showcases more than 30 artists in three weeks. Performances range from multi-media monologues to cabaret and country music to good old-fashioned acting. For a detailed list, click here.
Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 3pm, Nov. 13 through Dec. 6 (except Thanksgiving weekend). Tickets -- $12 each or three shows for $30 -- are available from The Viaduct or at 773-296-6024.
— Michelle Peterson /
Feature Mon Nov 02 2009
It is no secret that Chicago has experienced a major upsurge in youth violence; recently, I sat down with Messiah Equiano, filmmaker and founder of Operation Safe Passage, to find out what he and his organization are doing to address this issue.
Tell me about Operation Safe Passage.
Messiah Equiano: Operation Safe Passage was incorporated in June 2009. I'm also a filmmaker, and I did a documentary about a little girl who was killed in the Englewood neighborhood at her own birthday party. I've been following this youth violence issue for about three years now, which obviously, is continuing to be a problem, especially with hundreds of young people having been shot in Chicago the last two years. Seeing this devastation, I wanted to be a solution to the problem. I would see marches, rallies, etc., but in my opinion, with this generation, those things weren't necessarily working.
You came up with the idea to address this ugly reality through the theatre -- how do you hope to connect to youth in ways the marches and rallies have not?
No offense to anyone, but I wanted to try to reach them differently -- through scholarships, mentoring programs, and life-changing media productions, which is what drove my decision to write a stage play, Dreams Deferred. Also, people like to be entertained, so I wanted to create a message through entertainment.
In an "infotainment" sort of way?
Exactly.
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— LaShawn Williams /
I don't think I'm the only person who has a deep philosophical interest in carny culture. Otherwise, why would the Department of Cultural Affairs organize a month of carny-related arts programming? The DCA, in conjunction with Silent Theatre Company, is putting on a play of sorts, called Carnivale Nocturne, surrealistically recreating the underground world of a traveling carnival. With a live band and physical acts of carnival performance, this original dark fable by the STC ensemble, directed by Tonika Tordova, combines the styles of Tim Burton and Edward Gorey, telling the story of a curse between a group of fire breathers, fortune tellers, bestial tamers and natural freaks.
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— Kelly Reaves /
