Gapers Block has ceased publication.
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. ✶
TODAY
Tuesday, April 23
Slowdown
BY DAY
Saturday, December 17 2005
Best of Too Much Light @ Neo-Futurarium
The Neo-Futurists present their annual year-end celebration of their long-running show Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind. This weekend you'll have a chance to see the best material written for TML in 2005 as performed by the current ensemble members (and possibly some Neo-Futurist alumni!). The best-of shows run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings through December 18. Friday & Saturday shows are at 11:30 PM, and Sunday night shows are at 7:00 PM. For more details see the Neo-Futurist site or call their hotline at (773) 275-5255. Neo-Futurarium: 5153 N. Ashland (at Foster).
Antonio Gaudi @ Film Center
The 1985 film about the remarkable Barcelona architect is showing tonight at 3:15 PM, 4:45 PM, 6:15 PM, and 7:45 PM. 164 N State Street. For more information, call 312-846-2600 or visit the website.
Ogtel & Pernod: Closed
A "comic meditation on consumerism and consumption," the eponymously named play follows Ogtel and Pernod as they leave the land of Ognod to pursue their dreams of wealth, power and instant gratification. What they find is a world "littered with used lotto tickets, empty cigarette packets, and other remnants of a consumerist culture." Sounds a little close to home, doesn't it? Erica Mott and Nick Johne are featured in the title rolls, having previously collaborated in the Chicago Improv Festival's educational outreach performance group and as teachers at the Second City Training Center. The play will run for three nights, Friday through Sunday, at Links Hall, 3435 N. Sheffield. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students to the 8pm shows. Call 773-281-0824 for reservations and information.
Handmade Market @ Empty Bottle
From 12-4:30pm, the Empty Bottle is hosting a Handmade Market to introduce their patrons to all the wonderful jewelry, clothing, greeting card and handbag makers -- and more -- that can be found in our city. If this first event goes well, the bar hopes to create a monthly crafter's market. 21+, but the underaged are welcome to attend if accompanied by parents. 1035 N. Western Ave. Contact Erica at 412-654-3775 or ecoslor[at]uchicago[dot]edu for more information.
5 & Dime Comedy Hour
The 5 & Dime Comedy Hour is not your average sketch show. The 5 & Dime Comedy Hour = Megan Bell, Molly Hale, and John Pattavina. These three consider themselves old souls and their comedy comes from a love of "old-timey" pop-culture and painful loneliness. The show is directed by WNEP's infamous Don Hall. This is not the same sketch show you've seen where the lights come up, and punch line occurs and the lights go down. 5 & Dime has orchestrated a night of absurdist theatre that will thrill those new to and veterans of sketch comedy. Saturday nights @ 11pm, November 5th - December 17th @ The Trapdoor Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. (In Bucktown behind Jane's restaurant) $10 and BYOB! $5 for improvisers
Intelligentsia Roasting Works Tour
For over a month now, I've been enjoying making coffee from Intelligentsia Coffee that I watched being roasted on one of their Roasting Plant Tours. It's by far the best three bucks I ever spent. Tours now operate twice a month at 10:30am and 12:30pm on Saturdays at their plant at 1850 W. Fulton Street. Yes, tickets are $3 (less than a latte) but space is limited so make your reservations early. On the tour, you'll get complementary coffee and tea (thank goodness, they're not a tease) and you also get a free (and fresh) 1/2 pound of coffee beans at the end!
Albany Park Workers' Center Anniversary
The Latino Union of Chicago presents the Albany Park Workers' Center One Year Anniversary Celebration tonight at 6pm. The free event features dinner, music, arts, crafts and all sorts of photography, paintings, gift certificates and more available for auction. All auction proceeds go directly to supporting the Center, a "worker-run hiring hall, training site, organizing hub, and cultural space for the im/migrant community." 4174 N. Elston Ave. Email Analia at lurodriguez[at]sbcglobal[dot]net or call 773-588-2641 for reservations and information.
(Last Chance) from Art to Zine Exhibit
Today's your last shot at checking out the very cool from Art to Zine exhibit at the Center for Book and Paper Arts at Columbia College. This exhibit features Chicago zines, the political work of Enrique Chagoya, and other indie art. The Center says: "From the meticulously crafted political art books of Enrique Chagoya to the do-it-yourself rubber stamp art that pervades the 'zine' culture, this exhibition broadens our expectations of how alt-journalism influences culture and the visual language of political art." The gallery is located at 1104 S. Wabash, 2nd. floor. Gallery hours are 10am-5pm, Monday through Friday and 10am-2pm on Saturdays during the semester.
Holiday Wreathmaking
Hey, you're not in Scouts anymore. So join the folks at the Garfield Conservatory for this year's annual holiday wreath making class. Enjoy creating an illusion of spun gold and downpours of jewel-colored ribbons and ornaments wrung around a beautiful natural grapevine wreath. It's just $20! The class will be held at the Conservatory located at 300 N. Central Park Avenue from 1:30 to 3:30pm. Register online.
HotHouse Holiday Market
Come down to HotHouse for their annual Holiday Market and Bizarre Baazar to pick up some cool handmade last-minute gifts. You know you haven't had your fill of craft fairs yet this year, and you've always meant to get down to HotHouse one of these days. Hot House is located at 31 E. Balbo downtown. The fair lasts from 11am-6pm Saturday and Sunday only.
Facets video clearance sale
Facets Multimedia presents a clearance sale of thousands of DVDs and videos. Facets sells and rents a lot of independent and foreign films, so expect to see a lot of titles you won't find anywhere else at discount prices. The sale runs today and tomorrow at 1535 N. Dayton in the Drucker Center of the Menomonee Boys & Girls Club. Hours of the sale are 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on each day. For more information call (773) 281-9075, or visit the Facets Website.
