An actor rehearsing for ‘Other Desert Cities’
A FAMILY AFFAIR A tell-all memoir threatens to reveal a dark family secret in
Other Desert Cities

THE FIVE

Don’t-miss picks for Wed 1.9.13 through Tue 1.15.13:

1

theatre Other Desert Cities
August: Osage County star Deanna Dunagan returns to the Goodman Theatre as the acerbic matriach of the Wyeth clan in Jon Robin Baitz’s Tony-nominated, darkly funny play about one family’s toxic secret.
GO: 1/12–2/17; $25–$86.Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn. goodmantheatre.org
2

art Terry Adkins
Much like local art favorite Theaster Gates, Adkins, an East Coast-based artist, explores the stories of under-known black historical events by re-purposing relics, artifacts, and daily life detritus.
GO: 1/11–3/24; free. Block Museum, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston. blockmuseum.northwestern.edu
3

comedy The Funny Story Show
A hybrid comedy show, Caitlin Bergh’s monthly showcase is exactly what it sounds like—a night of funny stories. This month Bergh puts herself center stage, debuting new standup material.
GO: 1/13 at 7; $7. Studio Be, 3110 N Sheffield. thefunnystoryshow.tumblr.com
4

new music Third Coast Percussion
Who besides the new music ensemble Third Coast Percussion would combine pots, pans, gongs, and metal keyboards? Clangor awaits in the program featuring four pieces written for metal instruments.
GO: 1/11 at 7:30; $10–$15. International House, U of C, 1414 E 59th. thirdcoastpercussion.com
5

jazz Sing the Truth!
It’s ladies night at Symphony Center. The inimitable Dianne Reeves joins fellow vocalists Lizz Wright and Angelique Kidjo for a program dedicated to the South African music trailblazer Miriam “Mama Africa” Makeba.
GO: 1/18 at 8; $37–$133. Symphony Center, 220 S Michigan. cso.org

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND

Ellen Alderman
Ellen Alderman

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals—a.k.a. people we like: Ellen Alderman, the owner of the West Loop gallery Alderman Exhibitions and program coordinator at the Graham Foundation.

“I’m looking forward to ending the work week and starting the weekend with my partner Garry at Maude’s Liquor Bar. I always tell out-of-town guests that Maude’s has the best Old Fashioned in town. I love one (or maybe two) paired with the chicken liver paté on thick toast with onion jam. After Maude’s, we’re planning on heading over to threewalls to see Mathew Paul Jink’s new moving image work, The Unreliable Narrator.

“On Saturday we’re planning on taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather with an early morning bike ride on the lakefront to test out one of Garry’s new frames. We’ll spend the rest of the day in the gallery talking to visitors about Night of the World, our current exhibition of work by Irena Knezevic.

“Sunday we’ll meet Joseph Grigely and Amy Vogel for a late morning studio visit. If all goes according to plan after that, we’re planning on heading over to McCormick Place to check out the boat and RV show. Those crazy contraptions are really interesting studies in super efficient (and sometimes totally over the top) living spaces.” —As told to Elly Fishman

FREEBIE OF THE WEEK

film The 3-Penny Was Here
It's the Dude vs. the Geek at this time-honored movie tradition: back-to-back free screenings of The Big Lebowski and High Fidelity—with $5 White Russians on hand, natch.
GO: 1/9 at 7. Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln. lincolnhallchicago.com

 

Photograph: (Other Desert Cities) Liz Lauren