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.
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Friday, April 19
With The Amazing Spider-Man opening Tuesday, July 3, I didn't want you to have to wait until next Friday to read my review of it, so I've already posted it on Ain't It Cool News for your perusal. Lots to talk about this week, and most of it's well worth your time and money to check out. Shall we continue?
— Steve Prokopy
— Kelly Reaves
Untitled (Self-portrait), Vivian Maier
Gelatin silver print, no date
3 3/8" x 3 1/4"
Corbett vs. Dempsey, 1120 N. Ashland Ave., 3rd floor, opens an exhibition of more than 50 of Vivian Maier's original photographic prints from the collection of Ron Slattery tonight, June 29, from 5pm to 8pm.
Vivian Maier, as you may recall, was a North Shore nanny whose passion was street photography. Her brilliant artistry only came to light after her death, when large portions of her output was sold at auction and collectors of street and vernacular photography took notice. Slattery was one of the collectors who purchased prints at that auction in 2007, while others have exhibited their collections and produced books, he has kept his stash of photos a secret until now. The vintage prints in this show, all no larger than drug store snapshots, have never been exhibited to the public.
Interestingly, gallery co-founder Jim Dempsey knew Vivian Maier in real life. When he was manager of the old Film Center, she was a regular film-goer. Dempsey nicknamed her "Frau Blucher" for her heavy accent and idiosyncrasies, but over time became a friend.
— Andrew Huff
The idea of an emerging Chicago fashion community has been one of the inhibiting, not strengthening forces for Chicago designers. "Emerging" suggests a path from A to B or steps a community, a city must take to make it established, respected, and part of the crowd. But the true Chicago creatives think differently, if not practically. Chicago can never be the new New York on a logistical (a lack of manufacturing resources) or cultural (a lack of outlets for exposure) level. But Chicago succeeds in its ability to nurture singular designers and talents. One such designer, Anna Hovet, will present a collection of her past work at the newly-launched ROOF Runway series. Hovet's show takes place tonight, with additional shows running once a month through October 11.
— Britt Julious
John Wayne Gacy Jr. The name conjures images of a horrific clown-faced murderer. His legacy is a dark stain on Chicago's history. Gacy sexually assaulted and murdered 33 young men in the 1970's and was put to death for his crimes in 1994. Rarely does "Gacy" bring up the thought of a father, husband, businessman and politician with a congenial chuckle.
The Gacy Play is a re-imagined look at who John Wayne Gacy was. Director Jonathan L. Green said, "What is brave about this script is that there is no real violence in it, no blood, no murder: The Gacy Play is not directly about and does not try to depict the murders committed by John Wayne Gacy, Jr." It still doesn't discount or discredit the atrocities Gacy was responsible for, but takes a fresh perspective on his personal relationships, his view of himself, and the universal propensity for keeping secrets.
Creating a play that depicts the human side of such a monstrous character is no easy task. In researching her subject, playwright Calamity West said she found myriad reasons to be appalled by the man. However, as she delved into his pathology, she found aspects of his person that could be sympathized with.
— Janna Dons
This past month CPS announced the creation of the first district-wide CPS Arts Education Plan. David Vitale, President of the Board of Education shared that CPS would launch a public planning process to gather public feedback towards setting standards and policies for improving and expanding arts programs across Chicago Public Schools. Over the next few weeks CPS is seeking your input to propell them down a more art-conscious path.
Community Engagement Sessions have now been set for all audience groups and the planning process will move quickly. Go to the CPS Arts Plan website to register for a public forum and learn how you can add your voice to this plan (see session dates/information here). Visit Ingenuity Incorporated to learn how you can become involved in improving the educational experiences of our public school children.
In addition to the upcoming CPS Arts Education Plan Community Engagement Sessions, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is conducting upcoming Town Hall sessions to review the draft of Chicago's Cultural Plan. Information and registration links may be found here.
— Kelly Reaves
Sibling squabbles and secrets abound in Paul Oakley Stovall's Immediate Family, now playing at the Goodman Theatre.
Directed by Tony award-winning actress and "The Cosby Show" star Phylicia Rashad, Immediate Family, described as "Modern Family" meets "Soul Food," is the story of the Bryants, a middle-class African-American family who, after being apart for several years, reunite at the family's home in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood.
Shanésia Davis and Phillip James Brannon in Immediate Family; photo: Michael Brosilow.
— LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)
Local actor Jim Irizarry is returning to Chicago for tonight's Broadway In Chicago premier of the Beatles tribute RAIN! The show opens tonight and runs through July 1st; Jim recently took a few moments out of his schedule to talk to me about the Beatles and how it feels to be home in Chicago.
Jim Irizarry as John Lennon in RAN! A Tribute To The Beatles
You are a long-time Beatles fan. How does it feel to be a part of "RAIN!"?
It's fantastic to be part of the cast of RAIN! Having been a Beatles fan from an early age and growing up listening to their music, it's the biggest thrill to be part of what I feel is the ultimate Beatles Tribute show.
Favorite Beatles album of all time?
Like most fans I really enjoy all the eras of the Beatles music and the same goes for all the eras we cover in our show. Portraying John in such a large-scale and exciting show as this has been such a fulfilling job, and with the experience of Broadway in New York City, nothing short of the thrill of a lifetime for me! Favorite Beatle albums? Well if you're talking about vinyl.. I'd have to say Yesterday and Today and Rubber Soul. If you mean the original British releases, A Hard Day's Night and With the Beatles!
What do you think John Lennon would think of the show?
If John had ever been given the opportunity to see our show, and had he taken it, I would think he would have been pleasantly surprised.
How does it feel to be back in Chicago, performing?
It's great to be back in Chicago and I'm so looking forward to finally performing here in my hometown with "Rain". Favorite haunts around town? The usual-- downtown, the lakefront, north Michigan Ave, Little Italy, Chinatown, Taylor St, and let's not forget that pizza! Which one you say? Too many good ones to name!
Tickets for RAIN! A Tribute To The Beatles are on sale now and can be purchased here.
— Nellie Huggins
Crowns.
Regina Taylor's Crowns, now in its 10th year, is the definitive story of the cultural tradition of wearing "crowns" and their significance and symbolism for African-Americans in both the church culture and the community at-large; recently, I sat down with two of the stars, E. Faye Butler and Tony-nominated actress Felicia Fields, to talk about the play, their characters, and what it means to have "hattitude."
— LaShawn Williams
Friday, June 22, Shake, Rattle & Read Bookstore--Uptown
— Mark Addison Smith
— Kelly Reaves
As an artist making my way through all of the art Chicago has to offer I am often overwhelmed, not only by the amount we have to offer, but by the talent we have here as well, it is outstanding. Week after week we get the opportunity to see shows that deserve international attention and this week is no different. As I write this two of the biggest art advocates I know, Linda Dorman and Tom Torluemke, are putting the finishing touches on a great show at the Co- Prosperity Sphere that is comprised of some artists, which, for one reason or another, are flying under the radar.
— MartinJon
Of course, everything about it is ridiculous right down to the title. Yes, it's positively blasphemous to tie the Civil War to vampires needing to keep slavery alive so they will have a constant supply of food. It's downright sacrilegious to turn Harriet Tubman into a soldier in the fight against bloodsuckers. And its positively insane to make Abraham Lincoln a vicious assassin, trained in the art of hunting and killing vampires. And it's because of all of those things that this bit of historical fiction had to be told. People who roll their eyes at the very idea of this story (let alone this movie) have completely lost their sense of fun.
That being said, the elements of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter that are most disappointing have nothing to do with its premise and everything to do with its execution. Almost every second of director Timur Bekmambetov's (Wanted, Night Watch) film seems single-mindedly focused on moving forward as fast and blurrily as possible. Yes, in most cases, the plot should move forward (with the exception of a handful of flashbacks), but the director (working from a script by Seth Grahame-Smith, based on his novel) never lets up. He pushes so hard to get to the next scene and the next scene and the next scene that we never get time to settle in with these characters and actually experience a bit of their lives. Character development is a thing for dreamers here. People become friends because we are told they are friends; Lincoln and Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) fall in love because we are told they do.
— Steve Prokopy / Comments (1)
by Harrison Sherrod
June has been a fine month for experimental film enthusiasts and the events keep on coming with this evening's Onion City Fest premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center. Sponsored by Chicago Filmmakers, Onion City has been going strong for quite awhile, but this year's festival is by far the most extensive yet. Featuring experimental works from across the globe (including many North American and US premieres), Onion City prides itself on presenting an eclectic and diverse selection of films. The highlight of tonight's program may be a long lost film from Chilean director Raúl Ruiz titled La Maleta. Other notable works include Luther Price's Brackage-esque 35mm slides (fresh off the Whitney Biennial) and Robert Todd's Dangerous Light, a distillation of the Star Wars trilogy featuring only the lightsaber battles. The festival moves to Columbia College this weekend for a selection of feature length films. More info can be found here.
— A/C
Opening tomorrow, June 22 at Linda Warren Projects is a much anticipated show of two artists with distinct voices and ideas of process. Juan Angel Chavez presents Gone, which is a collection of pieces that he arrived at, dealing with process as a means of creation rather than attempting to "create" something or another. The other artist, Glenn Goldberg, presents us with masterly crafted canvases of a world created by just as much of what it is as what it isn't.
June 22- August 18, 2012
Gallery Y: Juan Angel Chavez: Gone
Gallery X: Glenn Goldberg: Fables and Other Places
Opening Reception: June 22 from 6-9pm
— MartinJon
Typically known for its burlesque and variety shows, Ties and Tassels is showing audiences what community is all about. In May, one of the performers known as Spiffy Kins (aka Mae the bellydancer) and her partner were victims of a fire that destroyed their home and many of their belongings. In response to the sudden and drastic loss, Ties and Tassels organized a fundraiser event featuring more than 20 performers.
The other performers are donating their time and talents to provide more than four hours of entertainment. The show will include performances by Ammunition, Queerella Fistalot, Rosemary Maybe, Cruel Valentine, Lizzy Von Schtupp, Bella Bathory, Bizarre Sally, Miss Vine, Lady Shana, Lolita Chiquitita, Viva La Muerte, Josephine Shaker, Lee Na-Moo, Dahlia Fatale, Scarlett Deville, Dollface, Sauda Namir, Titty Perkin, Feral, Flambé Bandersnatch, Millie Mae, Dahalia Fatale and Laila.
— Janna Dons
It's not that traditional architectural practices lack a focus on design and the execution of ideas. But after spending time in Tele Vision, the School of the Art Institute's final graduate exhibition featuring works from students in the Architecture, Interior Architecture, Designed Objects, and Fashion departments, it is apparent that like other departments in the school, SAIC students value the complete synthesis of the tangible and conceptual.
— Britt Julious
W. Kamau Bell in The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About An Hour at The Hideout during TBS Just For Laughs Chicago 2012 presented by State Farm; Photographer: Jeremy Freeman.
This past week, comedy invaded Chicago in a major way through TBS's "Just for Laughs"; with a mix of local standouts, as well as veterans, household names and newcomers from stand-up, television, film, and improv, this annual funny festival had something for everyone.
Saturday night, The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, hosted one of the festival's highlights via W. Kamau Bell's The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism In About An Hour, the comedian's one-man show that explores race and racism from various angles including the world of sports (Ben & Jerry's fortune cookie-laced [Jeremy Lin] "Lin-Sanity" ice cream), pop culture (The Hunger Games) and social media; however, it was politics that hilariously served as the central topic and the crowd pleaser, as Bell compared the GOP primaries to a "parade of 'Batman' villains"--with Michelle Bachman and Rick Santorum as "Two-Face" and "Mr. Frothy," respectively.
— LaShawn Williams
Tuesday, June 12, Chicago Orthopaedics--Lakeview
— Mark Addison Smith
The only thing more frustrating that sitting through an overlong, cliche-driven jukebox musical is watching one that has one truly strong performance surrounded by mediocrity. Tom Cruise has forsaken all of us at one point or another over the years, but when he pulls out something inspired, I am compelled to give him credit, and I do so happily.
Rock of Ages is a collection of familiar '80s hard rock songs and power ballads with a plot that is a small part Footloose and a whole lot of familiar, tired music industry stereotypes that have so little to do with actually loving this music (assuming those who go to see this movie based on a stage musical do). People give speeches about loving music and the transformative power of rock 'n' roll. They wear variations on the rock star uniform and pushing forth a very paint-by-number approach to both the acting and the music performances.
— Steve Prokopy
— Kelly Reaves
Brian Henson is chairman of The Jim Henson Company and an award-winning director, producer, writer and performer. His new live show, Stuffed and Unstrung, combines puppetry and improv in a way that has never been seen before, and is in Chicago for this year's Just For Laughs Festival. I spoke with Brian recently about his new show, his father's legacy and the future of improvised puppetry.
What was the impetus for this show?
Initially it was a workshop experiment that we were doing. I contacted Patrick Bristow to come work with me and a group of our top puppeteers on doing improv comedy. This was something new to our puppeteers and not something we'd ever done. We train our puppeteers in the technique of puppetry and character development, but never improv. It just felt like it could be a really great way to find the funniest that puppets can be. Initially it was just an experiment; it was workshops and they were going really really well, so we decided to put our puppeteers in front of an audience, just for fun. That organically grew into a show. There were presenters in the audience who invited us to comedy festivals around the world. So what was an experimental workshop for us to teach our puppeteers to be better improvisers, or as my dad used to call it, ad-libbers, organically became Stuffed and Unstrung.
— Nellie Huggins
Only the truly gifted can successfully make a hamburger from a societal sacred cow -- think Parker & Stone taking the most delicate of subjects, once relegated to tearjerker morality plays, and throwing it into the "South Park" blender. Remember Eric Cartman's afternoon adventure as special guest at the NAMBLA convention? The scene in the movie The Other Guys in which comedic actor Steve Coogan's sleazy hedge fund manager gets caught by police officers Farrell and Walberg (very) briefly watching kiddie porn on his laptop? Yep, grizzly topics, and the most talented staff has to perform a creative smash-and-grab -- get in, make the joke, and get out of Dodge, and fast. If you've got to stop and give the audience stage directions, well, the battle and the war hit the lost bin. I'll admit I wanted to see Exit, Pursued by a Bear, to see how long I could remain squirm-free in the seventy-five minute performance time.
— Alice Singleton
David Hernandez
The Riverfront Theater, one of Chicago's newest entertainment venues, is going strong with its Broadway-style music and dance revues; this week, the theater will feature the second production in its summer series, the ABBA-themed Dancing Queen, starring "American Idol" alum, singer David Hernandez. Here, Hernandez talks about life after "Idol," the famous singer that was his idol, and his thoughts on dancing--in Dancing Queen.
You've been singing for a while now--when did you know performing arts was in your blood?
I was about 6 years old when my grandpa took me to my first audition at Valley Youth Theatre, which was, at the time, a very small theater company Phoenix, Arizona. I got the part and after that, I just kept doing musicals, but because my parents were divorced early on, I never really had the ability to stay in the same place at one time because I went back and forth between them so much. So, I took a break from the arts for about ten years and when I was 17, I started recording and singing hooks for this rapper and I thought, "Oh--I have a really good recording voice--I should really try to do this." I just kept going and then took voice lessons because I realized I wasn't as trained as I needed to be. When I was about 21, I signed to Universal Records, but we decided to part ways. I auditioned for "[American] Idol" a few months later and the rest is history.
— LaShawn Williams
The Make-Up Show (l-r) James Vincent, Danessa Myricks, Orlando Santiago, Jon Hennessey & Esterique Aidan.
The Makeup Show--the ultimate beauty showcase for make-up artists, cosmetologists, photographers and other industry professionals--comes to town this week; read on as veteran professional make-up artist and artistic director, James Vincent, talks about the event, as well as the beauty and business of the make-up industry.
How did your career as a makeup artist begin?
I didn't ever plan it; I call myself "the accidental makeup artist." I didn't even really know makeup was a job, I mean, I knew people did it for movies and stuff but I didn't really know about it.
— LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)
Wednesday, June 6, my living room--Uptown
— Mark Addison Smith
When it comes to Monique Madrid, the phrase "cuttin' up" could refer to her skills as a hairstylist--or her ability to make people laugh--or if you're lucky--both. Read on to learn all about this talented cosmetologist and comedian and her improv show, "Monica Barcelona: Bitch, I'll Cut You," one of the shows featured tomorrow night in the first annual Chicago Women's Funny Festival.
Comedy and hairstyling combine your two talents--when did you know they would make for an interesting show for performing arts? Was it just a given or was there one particular incident that sparked the idea?
Actually, a friend of mine was sitting in my salon chair and I was cutting his hair. I don't remember how it came about but he had the idea of "Why don't you do a haircutting show?" To me, it didn't necessarily seem like the most entertaining thing because that's what I do everyday and I don't even think about it. But he brought up the idea and the more I thought about it, I realized that it actually made a lot of sense because its kind of like "Taxicab Confessions"--people open up to me--I get to know them and they get to know me. We started thinking, "Hey--that might actually be something fun to do onstage." I know that I've never seen it done anywhere, so it evolved from that to become the show that it is now.
— LaShawn Williams
Tom Stoppard's Arcadia merges past and present along the most gorgeous linear arc that can be drawn between two opposite points. It is the story of the quietly sensuous collision of past and present, events that comingle with the past, waiting for the future to provide the tools that will solve the problems, and a present searching for answers that link back to the past. That's the mathematical; the more basic elements presented in Arcadia are emotions unrequited, and what seems to be an eternal search to find the formula that satiates human longing.
Director Jessica Hutchinson seamlessly guides the ensemble through precision pacing, successfully juxtaposing the events occurring at a Sidley Park country estate circa 1809 and present day.
— Alice Singleton
Most people who have reviewed this film have only seen it once, and therefore there is every reason to have a healthy skepticism about the wide array of opinions that have already been voiced about Ridley Scott's return to the world of science fiction, Prometheus. I can't imagine truly grasping some of the concepts at work here after only one viewing. The plot itself isn't confusing, but the amount of philosophy and speculative science at work here makes at least two viewings necessary. And I say that as someone who wasn't particularly impressed with a lot of this film on the first go-round.
Before I dive into the boilerplate, let me digress just a moment on one aspect of Prometheus. One of the elements of the movie that I was riveted by was the idea that Noomi Rapace's character, Elizabeth Shaw, is a woman of faith, something I'm fairly certain we haven't seen in any of the Alien movies. There's a moment in the trailer that I've always found gripping — when her whole world seems to be crashing down on her, Shaw suddenly clasps her hands together in desperation and prays. That's her defense mechanism, her last-ditch move to survive the insanity around her.
— Steve Prokopy
A new work by Chris Bower and Matt Test, Birthday Boy is currently running as part of The Other Side of the Elephant, along with a selection of other short, original works produced by Curious Theatre Branch at the Prop Theatre, 3502 N. Elston Ave. Bower's and Test's voices shine through in the piece; their absurd, dark humor front and center throughout, slapping the audience in the face -- but in a good way, like getting slapped with a bolt of the very finest velvet.
In the opening scene we see Matt Test as Peter, who has just turned 13 and is wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with this fact. "I'm 13!!!!!" It reads on the front. A stuffed goose named Henry hangs on the wall, which just happens to be the same name as Peter's father, played by Chris Bower. Soon we see a half drunk woman in a leopardskin coat, sunglasses, a string of pearls, and red lipstick smudged across her lips stumble into the room accompanied by an attractive young woman bearing a pile of gifts. The inebriated woman is Peter's mother (Cat Jarboe), and the attractive young woman is his nanny (Kevlyn Hayes.) It turns out that the date on the invitation to Peter's birthday party was wrong, so nobody else is coming.
The dialogue is devastating, funny, and cutting: "It's true his cake is going to be terrible," Peter's mother says, "just like everything, just like life." The gifts are all disappointing: a $30 gift card from Restoration Hardware, "you can buy new knobs that look like old knobs for your dresser," Peter's mother says; a $20 gift card from Jo-Ann Fabrics, "you can get some fake fur or a glue gun," Peter's mother says; and a $30 gift card from Aldi,"they have that soup that you like," Peter's mother says. The only decent gift comes from Peter's nanny -- a framed photo of herself in a sexy pose with Henry (the goose.)
— J.H. Palmer
Janeane Garofalo is a standup icon, and is the primary reason that I was drawn to comedy as an adolescent. Her comedic style and her intellect were, and still are, like very few others I have ever seen. It has been a goal of mine to talk with her about standup for almost twenty years.
On June 13, Garofalo will join Chicago native Kyle Kinane at UP Comedy Club as part of this year's Just For Laughs comedy festival and she was gracious enough to allow me to pick her brain for a few moments. We talked about everything from standup to feminism to Lady Gaga. Here is what she had to say.
You are coming to Chicago soon, for Just For Laughs. How did the pairing with Kyle Kinane happen?
I don't know -- it's luck. When I've worked with him before it's because I like his act. But in Chicago, it's just a lucky break. I think somebody else made that choice... I know I didn't. But I think he's really funny.
You two have a similar commentary/storytelling style.
He's more economical with words than I am.
I feel like every time I've seen you live, you've come out with a giant notebook, set it down, and then gone off the cuff for two hours.
Well, I have things that I want to talk about, I just don't have the discipline to sit down and write it. I only hope that it's going to be cohesive and interesting.
— Nellie Huggins
Can the brain lie to itself? The definitive answer is "yes," from taking the obvious and rationalizing it to something else, or completely out of existence, to utter denial of the experience that's had, and having, the brain always lies to itself; it has to, to better serve its host, to keep moving forward. But on occasion, the brain can get stuck on stupid, embedded in an anatomical quagmire where no matter the jumbling of experiences, the jostling of gray matter, memory is faulty, unreliable, manipulative and manipulated. We're "fixed" to enhance to goodness, rationalize away the badness -- or simply forget; three speeds: rationalize, deny, lie -- all set to turbocharged.
— Alice Singleton
Chicago is a city historically-rich in the practice of performance art. But like many artistic practices that were once prominent in the city, it is only now that this history is being recognized on a grander scale. Featuring a mix of 29 local, national, and international performing artists, the first Rapid Pulse International Performance Art Festival aims to address both the city's emerging practitioners of performance art as well as the eclectic array of seasoned performers across the globe. The festival runs through June 10 at various venues across the city.
— Britt Julious
Previous Entry: Riding a bike in the city
Next Entry: Becoming Everything I Am
Number 32: Run three consecutive miles without walking, faking a leg cramp or throwing up
I've never been what you would call an athletic person. I remember once in middle school making an impassioned speech to my gym teacher about why running the required timed mile once a year was by definition "cruel and unusual punishment." I'm not exaggerating; I was that kid.
But as I grew up I realized that exercise, especially in the forms of jazzercise, kickboxing or zumba, could indeed be fun. But I still never fancied myself a running person. And I certainly never thought I would be one of those people who PAID to get up at 6am and run a few miles with some insanely competitive strangers. Races clearly weren't my thing.
And then I found out about The Color Run: a 5k filled with color explosions at every kilometer and a gigantic dance party at the end. It is basically a 3 mile-run/walk/skip/dance all to the background of Rihanna, Ke$ha and Katy Perry. This was something I was willing to spend my $40 on.
— Niki Fritz
by Harrison Sherrod
One of the most exciting (and much needed) grassroots film projects in recent memory is the Chicago 8 film festival, which is devoted to exclusively showing Super 8 and other small gauge format films. After a successful fundraising campaign, the fest is gearing up for its second run in October and currently accepting submissions. I sat down with co-programmer JB Mabe for a chat about the festival's origins, the ongoing analog VS digital feud, and STEP UP 3-D.
— A/C
Red Tape Theatre's Elephant's Graveyard by George Brant with Ensemble Cast (photo by James D Palmer)
What the folks down home won't do for a little excitement -- anything to justify their existence, and everything to prove that they actually exist. Even the risk of being poisoned and suffocated with WWI mustard gas beats staying around a place that even Death forgets to visit sometimes. In a split second you can go from a benign spectator, watching the excitement of, and living vicariously through someone else's minds' eye, to the performer, the chorus, even the ringmaster of events. Just when you think you've got the whole town figured out, cataclysm strikes. The circus comes to town, and nothing or no one is ever the same.
— Alice Singleton
From the boardroom to the breakroom, to relationships and reality television, some African-American women are inevitably stamped with the "angry black woman" label; earlier this year, as a result of the coverage surrounding Jodi Kantor's The Obamas, First Lady Michelle Obama found herself addressing this stereotype that has long plagued black women in society.
But what is the source of the stereotype? Is it solely the media spotlight on the issue? Is the anger real, perceived, or simply misunderstood? What role(s) does the black community play as a whole? These questions and more will be addressed in poet and playwright Larryann Aaron's Angry Sistah, a "dramedy" about the sociology of the "angry black woman," its impact on "relationships, families and communities" and other misconceptions and generalizations that center on the culture of black women.
See Angry Sistah at the Lacuna Artist Loft Studios, 2150 S. Canalport; shows run Friday and Saturday, June 15 and 16 at 7:30pm, Saturday, June 23 at 7:30pm and Sunday, June 24 at 3:30pm. Tickets are $20; for more information, call 708-969-6832.
— LaShawn Williams
As a '90s child and a cynic, I was apprehensive when I sat down in the front row at Gorilla Tango Theater to see Attend The Tale of Danny Tanner: A Full House Musical. The show, which runs every Wednesday through June 27 at Gorilla Tango, takes a creative and twisted look at what it might be like if TV's lovable super-dad had a dark side. When all was said and done, I was able to see the light, and quickly admitted that this show isn't just good, it's pretty brilliant.
Right out of the gate, we learn that Danny Tanner has a secret dark side that includes murder, lying and, like any good musical, singing. Tanner, played by Rob Speer, was delightfully creepy, and nailed the underlying OCD that all of us assumed Danny Tanner must have had. Nobody is that concerned with cleanliness unless they haven't properly dealt with their wife's death.
— Nellie Huggins
Thursday, May 31, corner of Glenwood and Winnemac--Andersonville
— Mark Addison Smith / Comments (2)
As part of the first annual Chicago Women's Funny Festival, Monique Madrid will debut her new show Monica Barcelona: Bitch, I'll Cut You. A mixture of comedy and hairstyling, Madrid's show will combine her talents as a performer and a licensed cosmetologist in a hilarious improvised show in which a lucky audience volunteer will get a makeover (including a haircut!). Madrid has been performing and working as a stylist for over 12 years, so it was a natural choice to combine those passions.
Monica Barcelona: Bitch, I'll Cut You will play on June 10 at 7pm at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont. Tickets can be purchased online at stage773.com or by calling 773-327-5252.
— Dyan Flores
Every once in awhile I walk through Ikea looking for objects that can be repurposed -- planter boxes as storage cubes, napkin holders as book displays and the like. In one such trip, I happened upon the RETRÄTT knife block and thought it would make a nice looking accent lamp. Made of birch and stainless steel, the block has a convenient hole drilled all the way through for a sharpening steel, making it ideal for a lamp hack. The blocks stainless steel bands and exposed knife holders give it a nice modern look.
— Christian Scheuer
When it comes to comedy, Ohio native Gary Owen has brought it in every way; from hosting BET's "Comic View" to sold-out national comedy tours to television ("Tyler Perry's House of Payne" and "True Story") and movies (Think Like A Man), he definitely keeps audiences laughing. Here, the affable comedian and actor, who is coming to town this month as host of "Shaquille O'Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam," talks about his comedy, family and why we can expect to see him at a game for a certain Chicago sports team.
You were in the Navy and in your routines, you've often talked about that time, specifically, how and when you knew you weren't really cut out for the military. Tell us about that experience.
It sounds crazy, but I didn't join the military to serve my country or be some "proud American"; I just lived in a trailer park and wanted to get out. The recruiter came to our trailer and said he could get me out, so I was like, "Cool..." I didn't know where I wanted to go--I just knew where I didn't want to be. So, while I was in the Navy, I always wanted to be a stand-up but I didn't know how you did it--I was under the assumption you had to go to L.A.--I didn't know you could start in any hometown or any city. My whole thing was, "How can I get to L.A.?" And when I got a chance to get stationed in San Diego, I said, "Well, that's close; now I can get to L.A. and start telling jokes." And that's how it happened.
— LaShawn Williams
It's a story we all know well. Hell, we just had it told to us in movie form mere weeks ago in a breezier version called Mirror Mirror. But I can honestly say, I've never seen the Snow White story told in which the heroine puts on a suit of armor, takes up arms, and starts hacking and stabbing away at people. I kind of like that idea, if only to radically alter to familiar story and make it fresh and unpredictable. In theory.
Snow White and the Huntsman gets a lot right in its bleak, surprisingly dark tale, beginning and ending with just how gorgeous the film looks — both the scenery and the special effects. The tale opens with Snow White as a child and her happy parents, the king and queen of this land. But after the mother dies, the inconsolable father meets Ravenna (Charlize Theron), who tricks the king into marrying her and then turns around and kills the poor man and steals his youth. Much like the other recent version of the evil Queen, Ravenna is literally a soul-sucking witch who absorbs youth and beauty to stay young herself.
— Steve Prokopy
Architecture critic Paul Goldberger talks about Frank Gehry's life and work in a new book.
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