Clik here to view.
What I saw (and ate) as a judge at the Hamburger Hop
The official photographer looked a little miffed that I kept taking photographs of the photographers, especially with my $100 pocket camera, but I got a kick out of it. The most amusing thing, though,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do-Re-Mi-Ha? Laughingstock belts out a third year of musical comedy
Three years in, the Laughingstock musical-comedy festival expands to 26 acts and three stages. by Brianna Wellen Comics Mike Barton and Josh Dunkin—both Second City alums and both founding members of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rocks in My Pockets and the challenge of representing mental illnesses onscreen
"People want to see representations of themselves," said New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis in an interview a few years ago, reflecting on what inspires casual viewers to go to the movies. This...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Franklin, a backyard gallery in East Garfield Park
Artists Edra Soto and Dan Sullivan have a gallery in their East Garfield Park backyard. by Andrea Bauer"I always had the desire to create an exhibition space," conceptual artist Edra Soto says....
View ArticleClik here to view.
The time David Bowie called Chicago home
As much as David Bowie exuded his own charisma, he understood how fashion could be harnessed to magnify his power and presence: an Alexander McQueen Union Jack coat, faux-punk finery dotted with...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Scandal returns with the perfect amount of wine and melodrama
Scandal flew below my radar for its first three seasons. When the show's popularity really hit, I was all caught up in Breaking Bad and Mad Men and turned up my nose at any network drama like some...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John Darnielle masters unreality with Wolf in White Van
Mountain Goats singer John Darnielle's first full-length novel, Wolf in White Van, deserves its place on the National Book Awards long list. by Janet Potter John Darnielle, the singer, songwriter, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
DePaul Art Museum exhibits rare Works Progress Administration-era prints
Works Progress Administration-era prints at the DePaul Art Museum: Art from a time when artists were considered essential. by Aimee Levitt The Works Progress Administration was an anomaly in American...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Reader's Agenda Tue 9/30: Fall Dinner Crawl, Il Sogno del Marinaio, and Don...
Looking for something to do today? Agenda's got you covered.…[ Read more ][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
View ArticleClik here to view.
If a joke helps you vent politically, does it matter if it makes sense?
A few decades ago, Americans were a lot more careless about the company they kept. Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein, writing for Bloomberg, recalled the other day that back in 1960, just "5 percent...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Family Guy/Simpsons crossover is a TV 'd'oh!n't'
I'd like to know exactly who was clamoring for the Family Guy/The Simpsons crossover that Fox aired on Sunday night. By all accounts (my social-media feeds), there isn't a ton of overlap in their...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Did you read about White House security lapses, Sheldon Patinkin, and Bugsy...
Reader staffers share stories that fascinate, amuse, or inspire us.Hey, did you read:• About protests in Hong Kong?…[ Read more ][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
View ArticleClik here to view.
Don't overlook Shabazz Palaces' Lese Majesty
It took me a while to get around to listening to Shabazz Palaces'Lese Majesty, this year's follow-up to 2011's Black Up. I'm not sure why: Black Up was my favorite album of that year, and I've been a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Siskel Center revisits a transformative era in the career of Japanese...
Chris Marker's Level Five (which screens again tomorrow at 6:30 PM at Columbia College) features a cameo by director Nagisa Oshima, who shows up to share his critical view of postwar Japan. Seen here...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In claiming a balanced budget, what is Rahm smoking?
The mayor's recent claims on taxes and marijuana just don't add up. by Ben Joravsky The main thing you need to know about Mayor Emanuel's recent comments on marijuana and the city budget is that most...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tonight: Lyric Opera's Don Giovanni
The announcement that Robert Falls would be directing Don Giovanni , the opener for Lyric Opera's 60th season, was reason to hope that this 18th-century staple of the repertoire would get a shakeup...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Street View 221: African beauty at the Bean
Street View is a fashion series in which Isa Giallorenzo spotlights some of the coolest styles seen in Chicago.I'm just so crazy about African textiles! I wish I found more garments with such exuberant...
View ArticleClik here to view.
God calls the righteous to heaven, leaves Nicolas Cage
An agnostic airline pilot tries to navigate the End Times in Left Behind. by Ben Sachs For some time Nicolas Cage seemed capable of enlivening any lousy film. No matter how routine it felt, you never...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Revisiting the Brooklyn bank robbery that inspired Dog Day Afternoon
The Dog tells the sad story of a man trapped by his criminal past. by J.R. Jones"Were you Al Pacino in the movie?" a man on the street asks John Wojtowicz, whose botched robbery of a Brooklyn bank in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Steppenwolf stage is alive for The Night Alive
Conor McPherson's play The Night Alive may not be great, but it's superb in its goodness. by Tony Adler Tommy's life is a mess and so are his digs. He occupies what was probably once a garden room in...
View Article