Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni. ✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
Love knows no age. But when a passionate affair occurs between a 12-year-old girl and a 40-year-old man, love is questioned. Blackbird, written by Scottish playwright David Harrower, is the story of two unlikely lovers reunited 15 years after their forbidden relationship. After six years in prison, Ray changed his name and moved to another area away from Una, the young girl with whom he became sexually involved. When she sees his picture in a magazine, she traces him to where he works. The two are confronted with old feelings, pain, and resentment about their past. The play raises questions and confusion about sexual abuse, as well as the dynamic relationship between these two tormented individuals.
Blackbird received immense praise after its premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2005, and it even won the 2007 Olivier Award, beating out competitors like Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, and Peter Morgan's Frost/Nixon. Now the play is coming to Chicago. And with it the return of Chicago native William Peterson. This is only the second theater production Peterson has done since leaving CSI:Crime Scene Investigation, and now he is joining director Dennis Zacek (The Old Man's Friend) to perform as the guilt-ridden character of Ray. Joining him on-stage as Una is Mattie Hawkinson, a talented actress with a long list of credits in Chicago, including The Snow Queen and Half and Half.
Previews of Blackbird will start this weekend, July 3, at Victory Gardens Theater, and run until July 12. Regular showtimes will begin July 13 and go until August 9. For more information about this play or other productions visit the Victory Gardens website.
Max Grinnell knows if there's one thing that makes a city great, it's its walkability. An urbanologist and Chicago historian (he literally wrote the book on Hyde Park), his latest book chronicles 24 of Chicago's greatest walking tours -- and it's not just for tourists. I asked him recently about how he chose the walks in his guide, how walkability can be measured, and what Chicago's greatest neighborhood is.
How did you go about selecting the routes that appear in these walking tours? What makes a "great walk"?
I knew I wanted to take people into some of the city's less well-known neighborhoods, and I wanted people to have a sense of the historical and architectural milieu in each place. More than a few travel books consist of the well-worn troika of "Buy This," "Eat Here," and "Go to Hackneyed Attraction That Everyone Else Has Already Seen And Buy The Same 'Made in China' Schwag I Could Find Back Home." Pretty formulaic stuff for the most part, and I can imagine that 100 gibbons punching away on laptops could come up with the same stuff, provided they had access to the Internet and strong coffee to stave off utter boredom. This I knew I could not do.
To answer your second question, a great walk is pedestrian-friendly, first and foremost. Two of America's greatest walkers, John Muir and Henry Thoreau, didn't have to contend with these details, as neither of them were big fans of cities. These days, a good sidewalk with relatively few concessions to strip malls (which don't belong in cities in the first place) and high-end condo owners who must have their cars close by at all times, is a must. Jane Jacobs, chronicler of the urban condition and contrarian spirit, always championed this in her books, and she liked to talk about the "ballet of the sidewalk."
It doesn't take much to imagine a play date. Everyone has at least one in their memory.
Depending on where you lived or who was present, several elements might be guaranteed: dress-up, singing, cops and robbers, changing the rules halfway into the game and little regard for tomorrow.
500 Clown and the Elephant Deal, loosely based on Bertolt Brecht's Man is Man, seems also to be based on one of these play dates gone just slightly wrong.
Are you an artist who identifies yourself (or your work) as LGBTIQ? Ever wish for some grant money to put toward your projects? Chances Dances, the popular monthly dance party that seeks to brings together the varied LGBTIQ communities of Chicago and create a safe space for all gender expressions, could grant you this wish--in the form of $500. The Critical Fierceness Grant provides financial assistance to queer artists in order to foster "personal exploration, community development and radical change through art." The application is available here, and be sure to apply soon! The deadline is June 30.
Catch Chances Dances on the third Monday of the month at the Subterranean (2011 W. North Ave.), as well as the spin-off dance party, Off Chances, on the second Tuesday of the month at Danny's (1959 W. Dickens Ave.).
Email chances.dances[at]gmail.com for more information.
Before we dive into this week's offerings, I wanted to tell you about a little movie that you've probably never heard of (or only heard about in whispered tones in dark alleys) that is finally, after six long years of playing almost non-stop in a Los Angeles theater, making its way to a screen in Chicago. The film is called The Room, and that's really all you need to know about it, other than it's playing at midnight shows at the Music Box Theatre June 26 and 27, and July 24 and 25.
I get mad when I see critics attempt to review or even summarize The Room because it's impossible to capture in words just how truly bad this movie from writer-director-producer-star Tommy Wiseau is. I love that Chicago audiences will finally get a chance to watch this movie, one that needs to be seen in the comfort and safety of a crowd. The film is simply too dangerous to watch alone at home. That being said, the only thing greater than The Room as a theatrical event are the extras on the DVD release, which features an interview with Wiseau that is beyond hilarious. Free promo DVDs will be given out to the first 50 people at each Music Box performance.
Wiseau himself has taken to calling the film a dark comedy, which is a load of crap. I firmly believe he thought he was making high drama when he spent what I'm hearing is millions of dollars making this movie. But don't take my word for it. This film has a celebrity endorsement from none other than Paul Rudd, who first brought the film to my attention a couple years ago. More recently, Rudd's I Love You, Man director John Hamburg told me, "I've been in Paul's bedroom. He has a little table next to his side of the bed, and the only thing on that table is a copy of The Room." There you have it. If someone told me today that The Room was an elaborate hoax, made deliberately bad to make people laugh, I'd almost believe it, but not quite. There are things in this film that you just couldn't make this bad on purpose. See it and then see it again. You've been warned and encouraged; the rest is up to you. All else opening this week pales in comparison, but here it is anyway.
The Art Dealers Association of Chicago, composed of fine art dealerships ranging from the antique to the avant-garde, has added a second round of gallerys to their weekly Saturday tours in River North. Beginning July 18th and taking place every 6-8 weeks, the ADAC will take groups through the burgeoning West Loop art community. Stops on the tour include Peter Miller Gallery, Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Carrie Secrist Gallery, and McCormick Gallery. For more information about the new West Loop tour and their longstanding River North tours, see the ADAC website.
Photo of Kim Keever's "Wildflowers," from the Carrie Secrist Gallery website. Click on image for spectacular full-size version.
One of the bittersweet realities of the Chicago comedy scene is that there are constantly performers leaving Chicago looking for their big break. The usual path of migration typically involves a move out to LA or New York to find work, but for Devin Keast it meant moving to Michigan to become a hockey announcer. Though Keast may have spent most of his time at the mic talking about slapshots and penalties, his comedic background did not go to waste. This past season he wrote Sunshineface, his second attempt at a solo show. He will tour the show around the country, with stops at the Philadelphia and Kansas City Fringe Festivals, but his first stop is at The Playground this Friday, June 26, at 10 pm.
The Playrground is located at 3209 N. Halsted and tickets are $10. Reservations can be made online or by calling 773-871-3793.
Chicago's Dance Crash troupe has been wowing audiences and critics alike for the past year, even going as far as to garner the reader's choice award for best dance company in the Reader's Best of Chicago 2009. This week in celebration of Pride Week, KTF is stepping up at the Lakeshore Theater after their blow-out closing performance in for an all-Prince purple revolution. Crash Dance's competitions feature every style of dance, from breaking to ballet, which can only help bring out the madness in style Prince has in his catalog. Renowned Chicago breaker Torsion headlines the dance tribute to the funky man himself.
Chicago Dance Crash continues their late night dance series at the Lakeshore Theatre (3175 N. Broadway). The one-night only show is Friday, June 26th at 10:30 pm. Tickets are $10, and VIP tickets are $15. However, KTF is giving away a pair of tickets to their Friday night show for Gapers Block readers! Email contests@gapersblock.com with "KTF" in the subject line. One winner will be selected at random by Thursday, June 24 at 5 pm. Good luck! UPDATE: Congratulations to Megan, our winner!
Film festivals can be intimidating, even for a seasoned filmophile. There's the stars, the crowds, the fear of not knowing enough to fit in with the "cool kids." Gen Art Chicago makes the concept of a film festival a little less intimidating with it's yearly Gen Art Film Festival. Gen Art is hosting it's third annual screening series at local film houses known for premiering the nation's best in independent cinema. The film festival and Gen Art are known for bringing unique independent art and films to Chicago, coupling bigger name features with short films to expose a mass audience to emerging filmmakers. This year's line-up includes the sure to be summer hit (500) Days of Summer as well as three other up and coming feature movies.
Each screening also has an after-party, hosted at some of the city's hottest bars and clubs. With tickets for the screenings and after parties for only $20 per screening, it's easy to feel glamorous without the price tag attached it to. The festival starts Tuesday, June 23rd and runs until Saturday, June 27th. A full listing for the Gen Art Film Festival can be seen after the jump.
Before I begin my review, I must vent: I just finished watching the hideous incarnation of "At the Movies" with Bens Lyons & Mankiewicz (I watch it purely for scientific purposes, like observing the mating habits of wild slugs). Anyway, these two turd burglars (in particular Mankiewicz) did something I consider something above and beyond the realm of their normal level of assholishness: they spoiled a significant plot point about the Duncan Jones film Moon. Yes, the plot point in question is probably all over the internet for those who love the spoilers, and yes, to a degree, the trailer gives away that something stinky is up in Denmark. But the trailer wisely keeps the film's mysteries cloaked and uncertain; it's actually a magnificent trailer that is even more misleading than you might think and I love it for that very reason. Regardless, the Bens flat out said what the film's only real twist is and they are a couple of dicks for doing it.
That said, I don't think anything could truly ruin the experience of watching Moon, one of the finest works of cinematic science fiction that I've seen in a very long time. I've been telling people that it's the best sci-fi work I've seen in five years, but that timeframe isn't really tied to a particular movie. For all I know, it's the best science fiction film made in 20 years. I keep searching my personal databank to think of a film set in the future that I've enjoyed more, and I have to go back to some major league classic to find one. Like most of my favorite films in this genre, Moon is based on reality. I thoroughly believe that if scientists discovered that the surface of the moon had an energy source stored in it (called Helium 3), it wouldn't take long for a corporation or two to find ways to set up massive mining operations to scrape off the moon's surface, process the material, and ship it back to Earth. I also firmly believe that said corporations would be so cheap that they would use as few employees as possible to man these operations, maybe as few as one worker.
Anyone who has popped onto jezebel.com or a similar lady-centric site in the past few months is probably familiar with Sarah Haskins. Haskins is the genius behind Target Women, a hilarious snark-heavy Current TV series that tackles the most infuriating types of female-centric advertising and broadcasting. This weekend Haskins will be bringing some of that hilarity back to Chicago (she's a Second City and iO alum) as part of the Just for Laughs festival.
Haskins will be performing with improv group American Dream on Friday night at 10 pm at the Playground, and again with beloved late night sketch show The Late Night Late Show on Saturday at Midnight at iO.
Tickets can be purchased on the Just For Laughs website here.
And here's one of my favorite Target Women pieces, where Sarah Haskins worries about the safety of Ann Curry:
Cinema/Chicago, the presenter of the Chicago International Film Festival, is once again teaming up with Chicago's various foreign consulates and cultural organizations to present the sixth annual International Summer Screening Program at the Chicago Cultural Center. Showing a film from a different country every Wednesday, the International Summer Screening program seeks to spread the word about national cinema in the Chicagoland area before the International Film Festival starts in October. This year's selection ranges from cute love stories to twisted thrillers and gory action flicks. From the wide range of genres and subject matters, there's sure to be one film to capture your attention.
Every event is free to the public. A full listing of films can be seen after the jump and on Slowdown, or at the official International Connections page.
Think you could fill a Soldier Field-size stadium with people interested industrial furniture design? Well, you can. For the next three days more than 50,000 people will be descending upon the Merchandise Mart for NeoCon, the National Exposition of Contract Furnishings. It's the largest exhibition of "contract furnishings for the design and management of the built environment" in North America. In other words, a trade show for people looking to furnish (mostly) public spaces.
And it is massive. With over 1200 exhibitors featuring everything from readymade classroom murals to hospital waiting room chairs, the conference will occupy 1.2 million square feet inside the Mart from Monday the 15th through Wednesday the 17th.
As the summer solstice creeps upon us, we look to our neighborhood parks for new games to play and people to meet. But maybe we should all head over to the Gene Siskel Film Center to get an idea of how a real sport is played. Left Field is a documentary about that sport that both terrified and excited us in grade school -- kickball. Played in an almost anarchistic sense of competition, Chicago transplants Sarah Hart and KC Haywood find themselves in the midst of the most spirited kickball league in Illinois and end up loving every minute of it. The league grows larger and these kickball aficionados soon find themselves inundated with rules and competition instead of good old fashion playground fun. Filmmakers Ben Steger and Chris Batte followed the Humboldt Park kickball league that included KC Hollywood's team the Fighting Cocks for over two years, even going as far to join the team later in the shooting. It's a film full of comradery, team spirit, and at times tragedy but the true essence of the game is never lost.
Left Field will be screening at the Gene Siskel Film Center Sunday, June 14 at 5:30 pm and Monday, June 15th at 6 pm. Advance tickets can be purchase on Left Field's official website, which is recommended since this movie sells out fast.
The not-so-big secret about the 1974 version of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (which was the actual title) was that the heist itself was just an excuse to get to know some really interesting and very human characters on both sides of the crime equation. Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw would have been nearly as interesting playing two people checking out library books as they were as a transit cop and subway hostage taker, respectively. Watching that film today, the stakes seem ludicrously low and New York is a very different place.
The 2009 edition of 1 2 3 is a beast of a different nature, but director Tony Scott is wise enough to at least leave the fundamentals the same as he navigates Brian Helgeland's far more dense screenplay. The focus is still on characters, even if the characters aren't nearly as compelling as they were 35 years ago. Much has been updated to this story of group of angry New Yorkers who hijack a subway car filled with passengers and demand a massive sum of money in one hour before they start killing hostages, and for the most part I didn't mind the changes. The head of the criminals, Ryder (played by John Travolta), has motivations behind his actions that seem solid. The film also acknowledges the role that modern telecommunications would play in such an incident — yes, in some cities, you can get a wireless signal in the subway. Above ground is an entirely different story...
In a small two city blocks, two architectural giants expressed their sensibility into two masterworks of building. Gehry utilized technology to create a new, overtly dynamic form, appropriate for the extroverted performing arts. Across the street to the south, Renzo Piano has created an antonymous response of transparent spaces that inspire self-awareness. Even in the smallest of galleries, a view of the city always seems to creep in, reminding one of its presence, even in the most otherworldly of exhibits. Unlike Gehry's explosive sculpture or Anish Kapoor's mirrored blob-like form, Piano relies firmly on a theory of spacial organization that is highly legible, if not outright familiar to the Gothic era.
In these tight economic times, it can be easy to just hole up in your apartment with a box of store-brand cookies and the remote control and claim financial distress as the excuse for you not leaving the house. However, local comedy theatres are taking down that excuse, and giving you a reason to leave the house- at least on Wednesday nights.
At iO (3541 N. Clark St.), Wednesday nights at 8 pm have traditionally been the free night, where comedy-loving patrons looking for some free entertainment can spend the night watching various groups perform the theatre's long-form piece, The Harold. The theatre puts some of its most seasoned teams on display, and generous drink specials make the night even more appealing.
At ComedySportz, they are returning with their second season of the Free Night of Comedy, also Wednesday nights at 8 pm. The Free Night of Comedy features a rotating roster of Comedy Sportz acts, ranging from newer teams to signature ComedySportz performers, and there's even a shot to get up onstage during the improv open mic.
This may be one of most unusual reviews of any movie I've ever written for the plain and simple fact that I saw the film two times, and each time I had radically different reactions to it. Of course, every critic — hell, every human being — has good days and bad days; we bring prejudices into a film, both positive and negative; and we all think we're mature enough to not let those things influence the opinions we put forth in the most unbiased way possible. We go into each film with higher or lower expectations than we did the last one for various reason, whether it be a particular actor in the film or the movie's director, plot, writers, etc. The key to dealing with these prejudices is to acknowledge them and compensate for them when formulating a critique.
The other thing I do, when given the opportunity, is take note of how an audience of non-critics reacts to a certain film. I'm not looking for cues when to laugh or scream or cry; but if I go to a movie aimed at little kids, and I'm not enjoying it but the kids in the audience clearly are, I'll mention that in my review. It won't in any way change my opinion of the film, but parents contemplating taking their kids will at least know that their youngsters might enjoy a movie even if I didn't. With horror films, I'm not easily scared or shocked, but if the crowd seems freaked out by a certain amount of blood or scares, I'll mention that in my write-up, especially if I didn't like the movie. As a rule, I'm not a big fan of watching comedies or scare films in a roomful of critics; the reactions very often seem off and not like those of audiences made up on the general public. I love my Chicago critical peers, but they are a tough audience. If you can win them over, they will love you; but if you can't, it kind of poisons the experience for me. This isn't always the case, but when that Chicago screening room is quiet when it's meant to be filled with laughter, the silence is deafening. Sometimes, the silence is well deserved; other times, I'm less sure. Case in point: The Hangover.
This Thursday at iO (3541 N. Clark St), local improv group 1,2,3, Fag! begins their run of Qweirdo, a totally gay, totally hilarious showcase that features homosexual performers from Chicago's comedy scene. The men of 1,2,3, Fag! are Kellen Alexander, Seth Dodson, and John Hartman, who met at The Playground and began improvising together this spring. Though the members of 1, 2, 3, Fag! are all gay, they do not set out to promote any type of political agenda when they perform. "1, 2, 3, Fag! sets out to entertain the audience and make them laugh, just like any other comedy group," says Dodson. "However, being three young gay men in a scene where we are a minority, our own viewpoints, opinions and feelings are undoubtedly going to be expressed."
Read all about it: The Kriti Festival, a biennial celebration of South Asian and diasporic literature and arts, takes place June 11-14 at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Roosevelt University. Hosted by the national non-profit organization DesiLit, the Kriti (pronounced "kree-thee") Fest offers an action-packed schedule of readings, panels, live performances, writing workshops, and Q&As with literary agents and editors.
Special guests at the 2009 Kriti Fest include acclaimed authors Romesh Gunesekera, Bapsi Sidhwa, and Amitava Kumar. Among the 30 or so participants--including poets, novelists, actors, editors, and agents--are four major Sri Lankan diaspora authors (one of whom is Romesh Gunesekera). These participants will discuss, among other topics, the decades-old Sri Lankan civil war, which ended on May 18, 2009.
This year's fest also includes the Rasaka Theatre Company's performance of a monologue cycle called Yoni Ki Baat (loosely based on Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues) and a performance by Mithya (the Indian Dramatics Group from UIUC) of Chimeras, an adaptation of Shashi Deshpande's short stories.
To register for the four-day literary extravaganza, visit the festival website or email info@desilit.org. You may also call (312) 846-6878. And be sure to follow DesiLit's Twitter updates.
Says the Chicago Reader: "Few shows I've ever seen have sent me into a deeper swoon than TUTA's Uncle Vanya." Translation: TUTA Theatre Chicago puts on an effing good show. Get a peek at their upcoming season, plus hear live music, score some raffle or auction goodness and imbibe some culture at the Mars Gallery (a bona fide energy vortex) this Sunday.
Tickets are $50 for the gala, or $70 for the gala plus a 3pm performance of Uncle Vanya at the Chopin. More info.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
6:30pm - 10:00pm
Mars Gallery
1139 W. Fulton Market (in the West Loop)
Ample free street parking is available.
Don't have anything to do tonight? Do you have a lifeguard uniform just laying around in your apartment collecting dust? Or perhaps do you have a small obsession with the classic television series "Baywatch?" If any, or in the slight chance all, of these things appeal to you then tonight's screening of Riffraff may be for you.
Riffraff is an independent film all about the glamorous job of Chicago lifeguards and to celebrate it's local roots Orange Chair Productions and the Gene Siskel Film Center are hosting a special screening of the film with a life-saving spin. Any local lifeguards are able to see the movie for only $7, and Orange Chair will be holding a lifeguard uniform contest and giving out prizes all night. Grab your floaties, because it's going to be a long night.
Doors at the Gene Siskel Film Center open at 8pm and the screening starts at 8:30. Tickets are $9 general admission, $7 for students, $4 for student and faculty of the School of the Art Institute, and $5 Film Center members. A Riffraff after party will be held at the Emerald Loop at 10:30
