The Five
Don’t-miss picks for Wednesday, June 17 through June 23, 2015
1 Judy Blume
Readings: All hail the teen lit queen! The superstar of young adult lit discusses her new adult novel, In the Unlikely Event, with Tribune columnist Heidi Stevens.
6/17 at 7. $15. Francis W. Parker School, Diane and David B. Heller Auditorium, 2233 N. Clark. chicagohumanities.org
2 All Our Tragic
Theater: If you missed the debut of Sean Graney’s 12-hour adaptation of every single extant Greek tragedy last year, now’s your chance to catch the glorious, messy, and consistently enthralling epic. Don’t worry: There are plenty of meal breaks built into the whole shebang.
6/20–8/9. $100–$150. The Hypocrites at Den Theatre, 1329 N. Milwaukee. the-hypocrites.com
3 Dana Hall
Jazz: The skills of this Philly-cut drummer and Chicago transplant are as versatile as they come, whether he’s racing through hard bop or flowing through free jazz. Here, he’ll premiere new work that reimagines Richard Wright’s Native Son for the book’s 75th year.
6/19 at 8. $24–$76. Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. cso.org
4 Pilsen Stand Up Comedy Show
Comedy: Get your yuks on at this monthly stand-up showcase at Simone’s. Reliably funny comics performing this week include Matty Ryan, Rebecca O’Neal, and headliner Gwen La Roka. Bonus: there’s karaoke afterwards.
6/17 at 8:30. $5. Simone’s, 960 W. 18th. pilsenstandup.com
5 Journey to Art
Art: In this superstar artist exchange, masterpieces by the legendary painter Ed Paschke are on view at the art center in Bridgeport normally presided over by the Zhou Brothers. In turn, their large, expressive canvases fill the new Ed Paschke Art Center in Jefferson Park. Consider it an act of neighborly goodwill.
6/19–8/2. Free. Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th. zhoubartcenter.com
What I’m Doing This Weekend
Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know culture vultures—a.k.a. people we like: comedian Liz Magee.
“Friday night I’m performing on Kick Punch, a free stand up show that is BYOB and at a comic shop (G-Mart Comics in Logan Square at 8 p.m.). I’ve read Watchmen and used to watch the Adam West Batman, so I feel very prepared for this. Then I’m headlining the 11 p.m. stand up slot at the Chicago Women’s Funny Festival. Holy eggbeater, Batman!
“Saturday, my friend Tina Fey recommended I try the sweet potato fries at Heartland Cafe. (Well, she mentions them in Bossypants.) That night I’ll be performing at the Two Hour Comedy Hour (at Gallery Cabaret at 7 p.m.) and then at the Laugh Factory for The Nasty Show at 10 p.m.
“Sunday I board a plane back to NYC. I’ll probably call my mom at some point. The flight was my birthday gift from her after all. Thanks, Mom!” —As told to Tomi Obaro
Freebie of the Week
Chicago Pride
Parades: Chicago’s world-famous festival and parade in celebration of the LGBT community is on for a 46th time.
6/20–6/21. Free. Halsted between Addison and Grace. chicagopride.gopride.com