07/27/07

The Fest and the Furious

Street Sweep
Maybe it's August's approach, signaling the beginning of the end of summer, or maybe we're just overdue for our share of turkey legs alfresco. Whatever the reason, street-fest season seems to reach fever pitch this weekend, with enough options to suit any summer-loving Chicagoan. Here, three of our top picks:

For Music Junkies:
Wicker Park Fest (Damen Avenue between North Avenue and Schiller Street; 773-384-2672) hosts continuous indie music on two stages Saturday, July 28th and Sunday, July 29th, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. Headliners include alt-hip-hop's Prefuse 73, Portland punk rockers The Thermals (both at 9 p.m. Saturday), and heavy metal trio High on Fire (9...

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07/20/07

The Brief on Shorts

Letts Takes a Turn
Tracy Letts's new play, August: Osage County, is burning up the stage at Steppenwolf. Those who've seen it and are hungry for more-or those looking for a more affordable introduction-can opt for Cop Show, a TV pilot from Letts and one of Chicago's best-known improvisers, David Pasquesi. The episode screens Friday as part of this weekend's first-ever Chicago Comedy TV Pilot Competition, a contest that aims to inject some life into that pool of unimaginative drek known as TV sitcoms (we're talking to you, Two and a Half Men). The competition screens 12 pilots total, with programs at 8:45 and 10:30 p.m. Friday the 20th and...

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07/13/07

The Space-Time Continuum

Time Is So Outdated
Time and space? Bah, humbug. Teatime at Golgotha isn't inhibited by such pesky constraints. A mixture of three intertwining, century-spanning stories inspired by Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan, Edgar Allen Poe's Al Aaraaf, and the 22nd Psalm, Teatime covers the death of the star chart­–pioneer Tycho Brahe, the crucifixion of Christ, and the killing of a modern-day dog. Co-produced by Prop Thtr and Found Objects Thtr, Teatime is part of the New Play 2007 Festival, which, in past years, has launched such successful works as Hizzoner, the long-running play about the first Mayor Daley. The show opens Friday the 13th at Prop Thtr (3502 N....

07/06/07

Saving the World Through Tap

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's . . . Super Tapper!
Move over, Green Lantern. Stick to your spinning, Wonder Woman. DC Comics heroes may have impressive powers, but not a one of them can tap dance (at least, none that we know of). Meet Hourglass, a superheroine who uses her exceptional tapping prowess to fight villains, including Killjoy, Dance Macabre, and the Conductor, in The Hourglass in the Stop-Time Chronicles. Brainchild of Chicago Tap Theatre artistic director Mark Yonally and comic book artist Andrew Pepoy (The Simpsons, Batman), The Hourglass combines a capella tap with music from female-fronted bands including Siouxsie and the Banshees. The show opens Friday the 6th and runs Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through the...

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