ARTS EXPRESS
**** = Gay/les/bi/queer/trans content or interest
Theater
Previews and Opening Nights
Feb 28: The Way We Were (The History of Colored Entertainment) Black Ensemble Thtr, 4520 N Beacon (773) 769-4451
Feb 29: Knowing Cairo, Andrea Stolowitz's critically-acclaimed play set in New York City, deals with complex relationships between Rose, an elderly German-Jewish woman, her grown daughter Lydia and the mother's African-American caretaker Winsome. Under Winsome's care, Rose begins to open up to the world outside her apartment, however at the expense of her daughter's feelings. Explores issues of trust, love, race and family obligations, is funny, moving, disturbing. Jeff-nominated actress Ora Jones. Thru Apr 4. Victory Gardens Studio Thtr, 2257 N Lincoln Ave. (773) 871-3000 www.rivendelltheatre.net
Mar 2: Benefactors traces the intricate relationship of two neighboring couples. Thru Jul11 Nicholas Pennell Theatre, 664 Vernon Avenue, Glencoe (847) 242-6000
****Mar 2: Gary Stereo Raves On Aging hardcore club kid trades in his fabulous gay charm and man chasing fame as a high-end handbag designer in this serio-comic story. Nearing the end of his second decade as resident club host/performer personality of the fictional club Metallic, Gary decides to take a chance meeting with attractive talent scout Bradley to a new level. Rather than pursuing him sexually, Gary decides instead to tout himself as the next big thing in the fashion industry. Developed in part through Stage Left's Downstage Left new play program and at Chicago Dramatists via Lydia Diamond's Writing the One-Person Play. Portion of proceeds donated to Chicago Canine Rescue - www.chicagocaninerescue.com Stage Left Thtr, 3408 N Sheffield (312) 961-0849
Mar 4: Why Black Men Play Basketball The basketball court is the meeting place for a group of men who blend their truths with bravado as they equate their athletic skills with how they play the game of Life. Thru Apr 18 eta Creative Arts Foundation 7558 S South Chicago Ave (773) 752-3955
**** Mar 6: Cirque Du Salacious an event of epic proportions and appetites. Food and drink will be served amidst a sea of dancers, twirlers, body builders, gymnasts, underwear models pulsing with the pent up energy of the late winter months. Includes the esteemed R & D Fight Choreography's Naked Boys Fighting! and the cast of Naked Boys Singing! Choreographers creating works specifically for this event include Brenda Didier, Kristin Folzenlogen, and Brigette Ditmars. Fire eaters, jugglers, and tumblers of all kind celebrate all this sensual in this kinetic blend of theater, performance, carnival, and dance. After, Cirque Du Salacious segues into Strip Search, Chicago's hottest dance party of the winter season.Circuit Night Club, 3641 North Halsted, (773) 883-1090 or www.bailiwick.org
Mar 6: Crowns Tribute to the cultural phenomenon that fuses faith with fashion: Black women and their church hats. Adapted from the books and its stunning portraits, homage to cherished African American custom thru riveting oral histories, glorious gospel music and a generous dose of 'hattitude.": Goodman Artistic Associate Regina Taylor adapts and directs. Thru Apr 28. Goodman Thtr, 170 N Dearborn (312) 443-3800 www.goodman-theatre.org
Mar 7: The Way We Were Black Ensemble Theater 4520 North Beacon (773)769-4451www.blackensembletheater.org
Mar 9: The Marijuana-logues A loving tribute and homage to the Vagina Monologues, it pokes getle fun at the the culture of marijuana, pot smokers and those who love them. Thru Mar 14 Lakeshore Thtr 3175 N. Broadway (773) 472-3492
**** Mar 9: Not a Day Goes By- The Play by E Lynn Harris and starring Jackee Harry from 227 and Sister, Sister,[Trenyce from American Idol and Gary Owens from BET Comic View, tells the story of what happens when lies, deceit, and betrayal meet fear lust and greed. An extravagant wedding has been planned for what looks to be the 'perfect' couple, but just before the marriage ceremony, the dreadful past and the deceitful present jeopardize the ideal couple's future. Thru Mar 14 Arie Crown Thtr 2301 S Lake Shore Dr (312) 791-6190
Mar 11: Heat One front porch, three generations, 105 degrees. The youngest member of an African American family comes home one hot summer to restore her spirits but finds a broken air conditioner and a family heat we to match the temperature. Humor and Storytelling show how a family of women confronts a lifetime of differences. Thru Apr 18, 2004 Chicago Dramatists 1105 W Chicago Aver (312) 633-0630
Mar 19: The Soul Cages Generations of a family have had a friendship with those who live in the sea, the Merrow (Merfolk). Jack befriends a merrow named Coomara and finds their friendship at odds when he decides to free the souls of drowned sailors. Enchanting story inspires all ages with its intelligent humor and understated elegance. Thru Apr 25, 2004 Tireswing Thtr presents at the Loop Thtr 8 E Randolph St www.tireswingtheatre.org . (312) 744-5667
*** Mar 21: Solo Homo Show Bailiwick Thtr 1229 W Belmont Ave (773) 883-1090 www.bailiwick.org
*** Mar 24: Lady Windermere's Fam First performed at the St. James Theatre in London on February 20,1892, a tale of love, temptation, marital infidelity, and high society all centered around the loss of Lady Windermere's newly-acquired fan. Wilde's sublimely clever dialogue perfectly depicts the mores of Victorian England. Northlight Theatre, 9501 N Skokie Boulevard in the Northshore Center for the Performing Arts. (847) 673-6300 www.northlight.org
Mar 27: Proof 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play, with an all African American cast. A quirky, confused young woman who may have inherited her father's brilliance and mental instability offers a fascinating and funny journey into the mysteries of relationships between father4 and daughter,m sister an sister, toucher and student and lover and lover. Goodman Thtr, 170 N Dearborn (312) 443-3800 www.goodman-theatre.org
Mar 28: Parade Preview Party Bailiwick subscribers and donors are invited to attend a special preview performance of Parade, featuring sample performances by the entire 30 member cast. Bailiwick Thtr (773) 883-1090 www.bailiwick.org
**** Aug 22:About Voices: Summer Gay and Lesbian Open MikeFree to performers and readers. $5 in the studio, Bailiwick
Theater Ongoing
**** Gay/less/bi/queer/trans content or interest
A Dinner Party To Die For Interactive murder mystery dinner thtr for group audiences. Open Run; Chgo Performing Arts Ctr 777 N Green, (630) 887-9988
American Dead by Brett Neveu, one of Chicago's most celebrated playwrights, writing on the death of small town America. Lewie can't get over the murder of his sister and struggles to find work and meaning in his hometown. Thru Mar 21. American Thtr Co 1909 W Byron (773) 929-1031 www.atcweb.org
American Girls Revue Young performers bring the stories of the American Girls collection of dolls to life for family audiences. Open run; American Girl Thtr 111 E Chicago Ave (773) 247-5223
Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging, based on the novel by Louise Rennison. Bridget Jones Diary for the younger set, the trials and tribulations of a British School girl in London will be adapted by Jeff Award winning playwright Christina Calvit. Funny and irreverent production directed by Griffin Artistic Director Richard Barletta.Thru Mar 7, 2004 Griffin Thtr Co (773) 769-2228 GriffinTheatre.com
Blue/Orange Race, mental illness and human isolation in this story of two white psychiatrists who come to ideological blows over the treatment of Christopher, a delusional young Black patient in their care. Thru Mar 7. Northlight Thtr 9501 Skokie Blvd www.northlight.org
Burying the Bones World Premiere - A Downstage Left Level IV production One woman faces the secrets of a shattered country as she searches for the truth about her 'disappeared' husband through South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Thru April 3 Stage Left Thtr 3408 North Sheffield (773) 883-8830 www.stagelefttheatre.com
Cruel Accusations an original musical production by diverse Chicago teens from issues in their own lives. Teaches respect for differences and unteaches stereotypes. Presented by City at Peace-Chicago. Vittum Thtr 1012 N Noble St., (773) 271-8324
Far Away The comfort of home, the terror of war are the backdrop as a man and woman fall in love while constructing hats with a shocking purpose. Thru Mar 14 Next Thtr Noyes Cultural Arts Ctr, 927 Noyes St.(847) 475-1875 www.nexttheatre.org
Free Man of Color by Charles Smith A play about race, culture, the difference between education and assimilation in America. University President Robert Wilson was forced to reevaluate his abolitionist views, and John Newton Templeton, an ex-slave who graduated from Ohio University 37 years before the end of slavery, was forced to examine why he was chosen to be the first. Thru Feb 29. Victory Gardens 2257 N Lincoln, (773) 871-3000; www.victorygardens.org
Highest Heaven by José Cruz González. A young boy, one of the thousands forced to return to Mexico during America's Great Depression is abruptly alone and separated from his mother. He follows the path of the monarch butterfly on a haunting search for his past and future. Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences thru Mar 13 at DePaul's Merle Reskin Thtr, 60 E Balbo Drive (312) 922-1999
King of Coons Loosely based on the life of Hollywood's first Black movie start, Steppin Fetchit, thru Mar 7 Congo Square at the Theater Building, 1227 W Belmont (773) 327-5252
**** Late Nite Catechism Sister, the wise-cracking, lovable nun created by Chicagoans Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan, rules over a traditional 1960s catechism classroom, tickling not only those who went thru parochial school but anyone ever taught by an authoritative figure. Tenth year running for this international hit. Open run. Royal George Thtr 1641 N
**** Naked Boys Singing! Now in its second year! Caution and costumes are thrown to the wind! See the new musical that has been a sensation around the globe, as the cast of eight men celebrates the thrill of Gratuitous Nudity' in song and dance. Extended thru June. Bailiwick Arts Ctr 1229 W Belmont (773) 883-1090 www.bailiwick.org
Necessary Targets By Eve Ensler Directed by Jessica Boevers thru Mar 14, 2004 Apple Tree Thtr 595 Elm Place Suite 210, Highland Park, (847) 432-4335 www.AppleTreeTheatre.com
North Shore Fish The story of a struggling frozen fish processing plant in the late 1980s, as big business crushes small operations. The lives of nine characters ( line workers, a foreman, and a government inspector) tell the story. Open Run Paper Moon at the Theatre Building, 1225 W Belmont (773) 327-5252
No Sexit Same three characters and situation created in Jean Paul Sartr's classic No Exit, The Mammals have created a bizzare and sensual new script that toys with the absurdities of sexuality in the afterlife. Thru Feb 27 Bailiwick Arts Ctr, 1229 W Belmont (773) 883-1090 www.bailiwick.org/
Paramount Girl Dolores Hart was an up and coming Hollywood star. Her first onscreen kiss was Elvis Presley and seven years later, she was on the verge of super stardom... But God spoke and she listened. The only problem? How to explain it to her studio boss, Hal Wallis. Thru Feb 29. Live Bait Thtr 3914 N Clark (773) 871-1212
**** Pulp world premiere by Patricia Kane, comedy was a hit of About Face's Festival of New Plays at the MCA with a homage to lesbian pulp fiction novels from the 1950s. Tough, trash-talking Terry Logan takes up residency at The Well, a Chicago club for women who love women, where drag kings rule and forbidden lust lurks behind every innuendo and then the trouble rally begins. Featuring a cast of celebrated actresses and a jazzy score of hilarious drag kind nightclub acts, Pulp promises to heat up the cold Chicago night. Thru Mar 21, 2004 Victory Gardens Thtr (773) 871-3000 www.aboutfacetheatre.com
San Valentino and the Melancholy Kid. Searching for his father's killer, The Melancholy Kid joins a gang of rustlers as they drive their herd along the Goodnight-Loving Trail. The Trick Hearts, a full rock and roll band help the theatrical storytelling of the Great American Western in this epic tale of revenge and redemption. First part in The Valentine Tragedy, Nathan Allen's three-part exploration of American pop mythologies. Thru Mar 6, The Viaduct, 3111 N Western Ave (773) 251.2195
****Stop Kiss lesbian themed play based in New York with a savvy New Yorker and a transplanted Midwesterner who's first kiss provokes a shocking act of violence. Sponsored by the Advocacy Council for Human Rights thru Feb 28 Heartland Thtr, located in the north east corner of Normal in the old Soldiers and Sailors Campus, Bloomington (309) 451-8709 www.heartlandtheatre.org
Tea by Velina Hasu Houston Four women come together to clean the house of a fifth after her tragic suicide upsets the balance of life in their small Japanese immigrant community in the Kansas heartland. The dead woman returns as a ghostly ringmaster. Thru Feb. 29 Loop Thtr 8 E Randolph St. Loop (312) 744-5667
**** WordPlay(s): Gertrude Stein Cubed by Gertrude Stein adapted by Beverle Bloch and The Society for Lost Positives by Melanie Tem. Two new one-act plays about language and love. In Gertrude Stein Cubed three Gertrude Steins examine the nature of art, creativity, knowledge and writing in Ms. Stein's own inimitable language. In The Society for Lost Positives, a dying woman and her former mentor play with words as they move toward understanding, Thru Mar 21, The Heartland Studio Theatre, 7016 N Glenwood (847) 475-5998
Dance
Alvin Ailey American Dance Thtr passion and emotional energy May 19-23 Auditorium Thtr 50 E Congress Parkway (312) 902-1500
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago High-energy, athletic and artistically bold, one of the most innovative forces in contemporary dance. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, HSDC is recognized worldwide for its exuberant and eclectic repertory, which incorporates diverse influences from ballet to American musical theatre to cutting-edge choreography. Four premieres Mar 9 thru Mar 28, 2004. Harris Thtr for Music and Dance, 205 E Randolph in Millennium Pk. (312) 629-8696
Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago For its inaugural performance at The Joan W and Irving B. Harris Thtr for Music and Dance, will feature the world premiere of a major new work. In the Bantu language, muntu means the essence of humanity. It's what the company seeks to express in their work and to touch in their audiences. Apr 2 thru 4, 2004. Harris Thtr for Music and Dance, 205 E Randolph in Millennium Park. (312) 629-8696 .
Music and Dance Thtr Chicago, Inc. celebrates its 2003-2004 inaugural season with a showcase of Chicago performing arts companies including the theater's founding companies: Ballet Chicago, Chicago Opera Thtr, Chicago Sinfonietta, The Dance Ctr of Columbia College Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Lyric Opera Ctr for American Artists, Mexican Fine Arts Ctr Museum, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Music of the Baroque, Old Town School of Folk Music and Performing Arts Chicago. Thru May 30, 2004, Harris Thtr for Music and Dance, 205 E Randolph in Millennium Park. (312) 629-8696.
Art & Photo
Aurora Public Art Commission Faces of AIDS photographs by Harvey Stein 20 E. Downer Pl., Aurora thru Mar 28. (630) 906-0654
Art Institute of Chicago The James VanDerZee Studio opened Jan 24. The Art Institute of Chicago is the sole venue for a survey of works by the legendary Harlem Renaissance portrait photographer. Features images taken by VanDerZee between 1916 and 1982, 105 prints. Thru Apr 25. Faces, Places and Inner Spaces for young people, major woks of art from around the globe and through the centuries. Africa, China, Mexico and more. Scheduled to run thru 2006. 111 S Michigan (312) 443-3600
DePaul U., Lincoln Park Campus Our Culture is Our Resistance Repression, Refuge and Healing in Guatemala Sheds light on the struggle of the largely Mayan indigenous peoples who were uprooted and terrorized during their country's protracted civil war. These images speak of the recent tragic history of Guatemala: the repression and genocide carried out by state security forces in the early 1980's, and the work for justice, truth, and reconciliation being pursued today. Thru Apr10. Cnt for Latino Research in the Schmitt Academic Ctr, 2320 North Kenmore (773) 325-7316
DuSable Museum: Bronzeville: Black Chicago in Pictures, 1941-1943 thru Feb 29, 2004. The Middle Passage: White Ships, Black Cargo An exhibition featuring the drawings of nationally acclaimed African-American artists Tom Feelings from the McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina.Mar 28, 2004 thru July 15. Open Storage: the African Collection The Museum's African collection representing over twenty years of collecting and never-before-seen artifacts. Developed by the DuSable Museum. Jun thru Oct 2004. Permanent exhibits DuSable Treasures: Selections from the Permanent Collection of Art, Harold Washington in Office , Fight To Fly: Blacks in Aviation, Africa Speaks African art often proves to be functional in intent and/or use, like stools, chairs, combs, staffs and vessels, carved to articulate particular events or occasions and comprise much of the art of Africa. 740 E 56th Place. (773) 947-0600 x272
Galería Tinta Roja, Institute of Puerto Rican Arts/Culture Galería Tinta Roja, 2701 West Division St (773) 384.4767 www.iprac.org
Woman Made Gallery International Open with artwork in a wide variety of media by 41 women. thru Mar 25 (773) 489-8900.