You Should Know … Ashley Wheater
The Joffrey has a new man in town—and not even The Nutcracker is safe.
The Joffrey has a new man in town—and not even The Nutcracker is safe.
From Sundance favorite to box-office flop, what the fate of John Cusack’s Grace Is Gone says about us
They all moved here for one reason: Chicago is the place young playwrights come to get a break.
Photographer Lisa Predko shot our April cover story, “Who Makes What,” in early February. There was snow on the ground, frozen nosehairs in our nostrils, and bitterness in our hearts. Winter seems like like a distant memory now, but we feel we must share these photos with you.
Check out our behind-the-scenes look at the photoshoot for Miss Maya Sinstress, a fetish diva whom we interviewed for the salaries article. She brought with her several latex costumes, various fierce whips, and a bottle of lube (you’ll see why in the photos)…
Victoria Lautman chats with author Elizabeth Strout.
After seeing Laurie Anderson in concert last night, I have to say that I’m a convert. Anderson’s blend of performance art isn’t for everyone. Even Anderson herself will admit as much. But in her latest work, Homeland, it’s clear that she’s let go of some of the visual gimmickry of years past. The topics are serious (national security, global warming), but the delivery is, actually, kind of funny. It’s almost a bit Jon Stewart, if Jon Stewart were a pixie-haired, 60ish art rocker…
We chat with art rocker, spoken-word maven, and Glen Ellyn native Laurie Anderson
Just saw Sarah Ruhl’s latest, Dead Man Cell Phone, at Steppenwolf. I loved the Edward Hopper-inspired staging (one of many suggestions that Ruhl makes in her script). The premise isn’t that earth-shattering—a woman answers a stranger’s cell phone and pieces together his life post-mortem—but Ruhl injects enough of her brand of whimsy and magical realism that you’re quickly steered beyond the predictable. OK, so some weird and pretty unlikely things happen (a delish-looking make-out session in a stationery store; a monologue from the grave…
Bright spots on the month’s cultural radar
Indie rock’s zest for horns and strings explained