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Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. 

Chicago Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.

Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.

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René Magritte’s 1929 painting La Trahison des images is best known for the text it contains: painted in a curlicue script beneath the curved image of a pipe are the words, “Ceci n’est pas une pipe.” The paradox brings us not to the depth of the pipe but the surface, gleaming with a plastic finish, nothing but paint. (Of course, the words are also only paint; our cultural indoctrination makes us misread them as meaningful.)

This Is Not a PipeThrough 11/19: Fri-Sat 8 PM, Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster, danztheatre.org, $13-$20 (children under 15 free)

The simplicity of this “icon of modern art” has made it an easy joke to repeat. And repetition is at the core of Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble’s 2006 This Is Not a Pipe, directed and devised by Ellyzabeth Adler with the assistance of Hannah Blau. Black suits, blue skies, bowler hats, and apples easily transport viewers to the surrealist world Magritte created. “Molly!” choirs the ensemble like a Meisner repetition exercise, until it vanishes. A duet by Mia Hilt and Mary Iris Loncto questions whether identity is the reason the same steps look different on different dancers. Sigmund Freud (Jenise Y. Sheppard) appears, accusing women of penis envy, before being revealed (by removal of beard and suit) as a woman. “I am enough!” and other self-affirmations become the new chorus before the backdrop falls away, revealing a blood-red rose, from which a woman (Wannapa P-Eubanks), shrouded in a tight red veil and scarlet wedding gown, emerges. However, in a work that claims to resist a one-to-one interpretation of symbols, This Is Not a Pipe can’t resist a commitment to the surface.

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René Magritte’s 1929 painting La Trahison des images is best known for the text it contains: painted in a curlicue script beneath the curved image of a pipe are the words, “Ceci n’est pas une pipe.” The paradox brings us not to the depth of the pipe but the surface, gleaming with a plastic finish, nothing but paint. (Of course, the words are also only paint; our cultural indoctrination makes us misread them as meaningful.)

This Is Not a PipeThrough 11/19: Fri-Sat 8 PM, Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster, danztheatre.org, $13-$20 (children under 15 free)

The simplicity of this “icon of modern art” has made it an easy joke to repeat. And repetition is at the core of Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble’s 2006 This Is Not a Pipe, directed and devised by Ellyzabeth Adler with the assistance of Hannah Blau. Black suits, blue skies, bowler hats, and apples easily transport viewers to the surrealist world Magritte created. “Molly!” choirs the ensemble like a Meisner repetition exercise, until it vanishes. A duet by Mia Hilt and Mary Iris Loncto questions whether identity is the reason the same steps look different on different dancers. Sigmund Freud (Jenise Y. Sheppard) appears, accusing women of penis envy, before being revealed (by removal of beard and suit) as a woman. “I am enough!” and other self-affirmations become the new chorus before the backdrop falls away, revealing a blood-red rose, from which a woman (Wannapa P-Eubanks), shrouded in a tight red veil and scarlet wedding gown, emerges. However, in a work that claims to resist a one-to-one interpretation of symbols, This Is Not a Pipe can’t resist a commitment to the surface.

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Sarah Sapperstein’s Maggie the Cat commands your attention with her act one monologues in MadKap Productions’s mounting of Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Skokie Theatre, directed by Steve Scott. Sapperstein’s costars take her energy and roll with it for the entirety of this show, in which a southern family unravels (and winds back up again) the lies they’ve told themselves and each other. 

Kent Joseph and Caleb Gibson as Big Daddy and Brick, respectively, take the narrative reins in subsequent acts, as Big Daddy tries to get to the bottom of Brick’s alcoholism and the nature of Brick’s relationship with his late buddy Skipper, a relationship that Brick of course hasn’t figured out too well either.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Through 11/20: Fri-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Wed 11/16 1:30 PM, Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln, Skokie, 847-677-7761, skokietheatre.org, $38 ($34 students/seniors)

Joseph exudes Big Daddy’s menace, disgust, and cruelty when he’s both exasperated with his family’s phony birthday and reminding everyone of his control over the family purse strings. But his walls start to crack as he needles Brick more and pokes at truths about both his son and himself. With his character hobbling on one leg throughout the show, Gibson aptly shows us Brick’s sorrow and desire for hiding, seeking solace only in liquor as the long evening unfolds. Add in the delusional Big Mama (Ann James, also excellent) and the schemes of Brick’s brother Gooper (Reid Harrison O’Connell) and sister-in-law Mae (Emilie Yount), and you have all the makings for a sultry, captivating southern evening that will take your mind off the November chill.

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Sarah Sapperstein’s Maggie the Cat commands your attention with her act one monologues in MadKap Productions’s mounting of Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Skokie Theatre, directed by Steve Scott. Sapperstein’s costars take her energy and roll with it for the entirety of this show, in which a southern family unravels (and winds back up again) the lies they’ve told themselves and each other. 

Kent Joseph and Caleb Gibson as Big Daddy and Brick, respectively, take the narrative reins in subsequent acts, as Big Daddy tries to get to the bottom of Brick’s alcoholism and the nature of Brick’s relationship with his late buddy Skipper, a relationship that Brick of course hasn’t figured out too well either.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Through 11/20: Fri-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Wed 11/16 1:30 PM, Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln, Skokie, 847-677-7761, skokietheatre.org, $38 ($34 students/seniors)

Joseph exudes Big Daddy’s menace, disgust, and cruelty when he’s both exasperated with his family’s phony birthday and reminding everyone of his control over the family purse strings. But his walls start to crack as he needles Brick more and pokes at truths about both his son and himself. With his character hobbling on one leg throughout the show, Gibson aptly shows us Brick’s sorrow and desire for hiding, seeking solace only in liquor as the long evening unfolds. Add in the delusional Big Mama (Ann James, also excellent) and the schemes of Brick’s brother Gooper (Reid Harrison O’Connell) and sister-in-law Mae (Emilie Yount), and you have all the makings for a sultry, captivating southern evening that will take your mind off the November chill.

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In Cat McKay’s queer comedy Plaid as Hell, Cass (Reagan James) hopes that a weekend away in the Wisconsin woods will be a fitting opportunity for her best friend Emilie (Cayla Jones) to bond with her new girlfriend Jessica (Ashley Yates)—who Emilie hasn’t been so keen on getting to know, thanks to an unrequited crush on Cass. Their friend Kelly (Alice Wu) is tired of being caught in the middle. If the knotty interpersonal dynamic isn’t enough to jumble the weekend, there’s also a serial killer at large. While the killer’s whereabouts provide massive suspense, the frank humor and raw vulnerability the women display as they come to terms with their ordeal, and their feelings toward each other, are just as powerful. 

Plaid as Hell Through 11/19: Wed-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM; open captions Sat-Sun 11/12-11/13 and Wed-Thu 11/16-11/17, sensory friendly performance Sun 11/13; livestreaming Wed-Fri 11/16-11/18, Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard, babeswithblades.org, $35 ($28 students/seniors), $30 streaming, recommended 18+

Presented by Babes With Blades Theatre Company, Plaid as Hell exemplifies the company’s mission to “develop and present scripts focused on complex, dynamic (often combative) characters who continue to be underrepresented on theatre stages based on gender.” The four women contain multitudes, and their highly realistic relationships with one another reflect their unique perspectives, shortcomings, and strengths. Under the direction of Christina Casano, each actor finds depth in moments of lightness and of devastation. The intricate stage combat, by BWBTC ensemble member Maureen Yasko,demonstrates the characters’ imminent danger without ever being gratuitous.

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In Cat McKay’s queer comedy Plaid as Hell, Cass (Reagan James) hopes that a weekend away in the Wisconsin woods will be a fitting opportunity for her best friend Emilie (Cayla Jones) to bond with her new girlfriend Jessica (Ashley Yates)—who Emilie hasn’t been so keen on getting to know, thanks to an unrequited crush on Cass. Their friend Kelly (Alice Wu) is tired of being caught in the middle. If the knotty interpersonal dynamic isn’t enough to jumble the weekend, there’s also a serial killer at large. While the killer’s whereabouts provide massive suspense, the frank humor and raw vulnerability the women display as they come to terms with their ordeal, and their feelings toward each other, are just as powerful. 

Plaid as Hell Through 11/19: Wed-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM; open captions Sat-Sun 11/12-11/13 and Wed-Thu 11/16-11/17, sensory friendly performance Sun 11/13; livestreaming Wed-Fri 11/16-11/18, Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard, babeswithblades.org, $35 ($28 students/seniors), $30 streaming, recommended 18+

Presented by Babes With Blades Theatre Company, Plaid as Hell exemplifies the company’s mission to “develop and present scripts focused on complex, dynamic (often combative) characters who continue to be underrepresented on theatre stages based on gender.” The four women contain multitudes, and their highly realistic relationships with one another reflect their unique perspectives, shortcomings, and strengths. Under the direction of Christina Casano, each actor finds depth in moments of lightness and of devastation. The intricate stage combat, by BWBTC ensemble member Maureen Yasko,demonstrates the characters’ imminent danger without ever being gratuitous.

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After thoroughly enjoying the shameless perversity of Kokandy Productions’s Cruel Intentions, under Adrian Abel Azevedo’s direction, I found Azevedo’s Rent at Porchlight to bring a stark, often heart-wrenching dose of relevance to his now-known talent for embodying nostalgia. Musicals can be tough when you have the cast recording memorized, but this production of the late Jonathan Larson’s Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical won me over, thanks to its capable cast, memorable set, and impressive ability to be both of the early 90s and jarringly present. The stage is literally a giant VHS tape on which live video of the actors is occasionally projected. (Ann Davis designed the set.) This theme of documentation, memory, and capturing moments in tragic times strikes the nerve we felt in the not-so-distant early days of COVID, as well as the current discourse around monkeypox, which has been disproportionately harmful (both physically and ideologically) to the LGBTQ+ community.

Rent Through 12/11: Thu 7:30 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 3:30 and 8 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Thu 11/10 10:30 AM, Thu 11/17 1:30 PM, and Fri 11/25 3:30 PM; open captions Sat 11/19 and 11/26 3:30 PM;  Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn, 773-777-9884, porchlightmusictheatre.org, $45-$79

Yet Rent is so much more than a snapshot in time of the devastating HIV/AIDS crisis. From Angel and Tom Collins (Eric Lewis) to Mimi (Alix Rhode) and Maureen, Rent portrays queer relationships with joy and complexity, celebrating how unique, though ultimately similar, our soulmate connections truly are. This cast nails the ensemble moments, from the vulnerability of “Will I?” to the radical energy of “La Vie Boheme.” Josh Pablo Szabo is an electric Angel, commanding the stage in life and channeling the cast’s collective passion in passing. Lucy Godínez makes a strong case for Maureen’s performance art to be its own, separate production. Finally, David Moreland as Mark and Shraga D. Wasserman as Roger give the best-friend energy that helps land the plane on hope for the future.

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After thoroughly enjoying the shameless perversity of Kokandy Productions’s Cruel Intentions, under Adrian Abel Azevedo’s direction, I found Azevedo’s Rent at Porchlight to bring a stark, often heart-wrenching dose of relevance to his now-known talent for embodying nostalgia. Musicals can be tough when you have the cast recording memorized, but this production of the late Jonathan Larson’s Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical won me over, thanks to its capable cast, memorable set, and impressive ability to be both of the early 90s and jarringly present. The stage is literally a giant VHS tape on which live video of the actors is occasionally projected. (Ann Davis designed the set.) This theme of documentation, memory, and capturing moments in tragic times strikes the nerve we felt in the not-so-distant early days of COVID, as well as the current discourse around monkeypox, which has been disproportionately harmful (both physically and ideologically) to the LGBTQ+ community.

Rent Through 12/11: Thu 7:30 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 3:30 and 8 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Thu 11/10 10:30 AM, Thu 11/17 1:30 PM, and Fri 11/25 3:30 PM; open captions Sat 11/19 and 11/26 3:30 PM;  Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn, 773-777-9884, porchlightmusictheatre.org, $45-$79

Yet Rent is so much more than a snapshot in time of the devastating HIV/AIDS crisis. From Angel and Tom Collins (Eric Lewis) to Mimi (Alix Rhode) and Maureen, Rent portrays queer relationships with joy and complexity, celebrating how unique, though ultimately similar, our soulmate connections truly are. This cast nails the ensemble moments, from the vulnerability of “Will I?” to the radical energy of “La Vie Boheme.” Josh Pablo Szabo is an electric Angel, commanding the stage in life and channeling the cast’s collective passion in passing. Lucy Godínez makes a strong case for Maureen’s performance art to be its own, separate production. Finally, David Moreland as Mark and Shraga D. Wasserman as Roger give the best-friend energy that helps land the plane on hope for the future.

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The 28th Black Harvest Film Festival, hosted at the Gene Siskel Film Center, invites Chicago to experience a rich selection of films devoted to amplifying Black storytelling and promoting the careers of young filmmakers. But this year, the monthlong celebration differs from the previous 27, following the death of beloved cofounder Sergio Mims, who passed away in October at 67. The 2022 festival will serve as a tribute to Mims’s cinematic legacy, featuring an impressive lineup that includes 19 feature films, four short film programs, and more than 15 filmmaker and cast appearances. 

“The Black Harvest Film Festival has always been a reunion of filmmakers and film lovers,” says Jean de St. Aubin, executive director at the Gene Siskel Film Center. “This year, with the passing of Sergio Mims, it will be bittersweet. But we rejoice in what Sergio has created—a monthlong celebration of Black storytelling that has thrived for 28 years and counting. I look forward to seeing our loyal [Black Harvest] audience, welcoming new friends, and sharing Sergio’s stories along with those on the screen.”

Black Harvest opened on November 4 with a ceremony dedicated to Mims’s memory—one defined by his multifaceted passion for film as an educator, a critic, a curator, and a film lover. During the reception, the festival awarded the Black Harvest Film Festival Legacy Award to Chicago casting director Sharon King and announced the Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Black Harvest Film Festival Prize winners. 

“Opening Night celebration feels like a reunion each year, and is an exciting and joyful kickoff to the entire festival—complete with award presentations, short film screenings, and a reception,” de St. Aubin says. “It is my favorite day of the year at the Gene Siskel Film Center.”

Before the Black Harvest Film Festival launched 28 years ago, the Film Center hosted the Blacklight Film Festival with Floyd Webb; however, mounting economic and personal reasons led to its untimely end. This left Chicago without a film festival dedicated to screening international Black filmmaking, until Barbara Scharres, the former director of programming at the Film Center, called Mims to help create the Black Harvest festival. 

The inaugural Black Harvest festival started as a ten-day event with 22 screenings, and now, the festival hosts 41 screenings and a massive itinerary of events. And Mims’s legacy lives on in the festival, which he helped curate during the last month of his life. The selection represents the robust filmmaking occurring worldwide, highlighting underrepresented stories and giving Chicago a glimpse of what Mims called “lots of Black joy.”

“Sergio’s great enthusiasm and his overwhelming, populist embrace of Black film in all its manifestations are the things that I believe will endure in the spirit of the festival,” Scharres says, sharing Mims’s role in Chicago film. “Black Harvest continues to be a festival that makes wide-ranging selections, and is exceptionally open to considering the work of first-time filmmakers and those in the early stages of their careers.”

Mims’s legacy is defined by his willingness to support emerging filmmakers, and the Black Harvest Film Festival is imbued with this mission. Since its inception, the festival has emphasized the importance of supporting filmmakers of color, especially in the early stages of their careers. The festival provides a platform for filmmakers to engage with their audiences and vice versa. 

“We were seeing careers grow and flourish before our eyes,” Scharres says. “For young filmmakers, Black Harvest often functioned as their very first opportunity to present their work before a live audience and receive feedback. My hope for the future is that Black Harvest will continue to be the very alive and interactive forum for Black film that it has always aimed to be.” 

Black Harvest Film FestivalIn-person through 11/20, virtual through 11/27Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. StateFestival passes $60, Film Center members $30; single tickets $12, Film Center members $6siskelfilmcenter.org/blackharvest

Black Harvest’s selections range from deeply inspiring documentaries to thrilling horror movies, providing any interested film lovers with their genre of choice. The feature films include the psychological horror Nanny (November 15), following a Senegalese immigrant hired by an affluent New York couple; the coming-of-age film Jasmine Is a Star (November 19), telling the story of a 16-year-old girl with albinism; and the heart-wrenching Mars One (November 11 and 12), exploring the bonds of family and love when faced with challenging changes. 

On November 12 and 20, the festival will screen Rewind & Play, a fascinating documentary centered around the famed jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. The film illuminates the casual racism and jarring disrespect the beloved musician experienced on French TV in 1969, alongside his performance at the Salle Pleyel concert hall. 

Accompanying the new feature films, Black Harvest will also host several restoration and anniversary screenings. The revived films include Malcolm X (November 19), screened on 35mm, and the 50th anniversary 4K restoration of Sidney Poitier’s directorial debut Buck and the Preacher (November 9)—a reimagined classic Western. The festival will also revisit the comedy Cooley High on November 16 in memory of Mims, following a tribute to the late cofounder. 

The festival also screens four original shorts programs including Sisters in Scene (November 17), presenting six stories of Black femininity, self-expression, and survival; Cine Lado a Lado (November 10 and 15), featuring complex stories about multifaceted African identities; From the Block (November 11 and 13), promoting Chicago-based filmmakers; and Figures & Guardians (November 12), showcasing emotional stories about guardians, mothers, fathers, and the people who raised us.

Closing out the impressive selection of in-person screenings, the Black Harvest Film Festival will host its annual 90s costume night with a screening of Boomerang on November 20. The essential 90s romantic comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry was handpicked by Mims. Following the in-person screenings, the festival will host virtual screenings from November 21 to 27. 

“The 28th festival is a tribute to Sergio’s dogged determination to suggest the best for our screens, to ensure emerging filmmakers were in the same spotlight as the established auteurs, and his efforts to make local filmmakers feel like stars and our audience to feel like a family,” says Rebecca Fons, the Gene Siskel Film Center’s director of programming. “We will miss him immensely—his bold opinions, his wit, his knowledge, and his camaraderie—and dedicate each moment of Black Harvest to his memory.”

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