Crowded houseAmanda Finnon September 22, 2022 at 4:27 pm

Chicago doesn’t have much in the way of immersive theater experiences like Sleep No More in NYC. So when Windy City Playhouse debuted Leslie Liautaud’s Southern Gothic in 2018 it took the scene by storm. Folks were clamoring to get inside the Coutier home to be one of the two dozen houseguests for Suzanne’s 40th birthday party in Ashford, Georgia, in the early 1960s. Drinks flow, tempers flare, secrets spill out. And we’re privy to all of it as we walk about the house.

Since 2018, I’ve made it no secret that I’m an immersive theater fangirl. So when WCP made the announcement that Southern Gothic would receive a remount downtown in the Goodman-adjacent Playhouse at Petterino’s, I was thrilled. The choose-your-own-adventure style show is the same as its predecessor, with plenty of juicy drama to keep even the noisiest houseguests interested. This time, I followed the men with their financial troubles rather than the romantic tête-à-têtes.

Southern GothicThrough 11/30: Wed and Fri 7 PM, Thu and Sat 3 and 7 PM, Sun 1 and 5 PM, Playhouse at Petterino’s, 150 N. Dearborn, windycityplayhouse.com, $65-$105

Frequent Coutier houseguests will notice the differences between the latest house and the previous one at Windy City Playhouse’s regular home on West Irving Park. The kitchen and dining room layouts are swapped, for example. And now there are countless reminders to not lean against the walls which (as I recall) was a nonissue during the original run. 

However, the biggest difference in this iteration of Southern Gothic (which, like the first, is directed by David H. Bell, with the concept created by WCP’s artistic director Amy Rubenstein and associate artistic director Carl Menninger) is the accommodation for 15 additional bodies. A capacity of 30 compared to 45 feels huge in such a small space. 

Honestly, there are just too many people now for free movement around the house to feel appropriate. It’s hard to avoid actors or being in the way when there isn’t enough space for everyone to feel comfortable. Plus if you’re unlucky enough to have a group of chatty friends in your audience it can be impossible to hear the dialogue even if you’re right next to the actors. 

With so many flies on the wall in this Georgian home, Southern Gothic loses some of the charms it held during its first open-ended run. Perhaps, in time, it will get that back. 

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Crowded houseAmanda Finnon September 22, 2022 at 4:27 pm Read More »

Family recipesSheri Flanderson September 22, 2022 at 4:36 pm

If you’re looking for a play to prepare you for the Thanksgiving season, you might want to check out STEW, staged by Shattered Globe and now playing at Theater Wit. Written by Zora Howard and directed by Malkia Stampley, STEW tells the tale of the Tucker women, all gathering (and bickering) at the family home for one very important meal. Indomitable veteran Chicago actor Velma Austin plays Mama, the heart and the rock of the family, and of the ensemble of actors. She’s a joy to watch at work, and the stage is clearly her home. Austin deftly plays the overconfident matriarch welcoming her brood home. Though she is aging and just might need a little help around the house, she is too fiercely independent to admit it—to others or herself—consequences be damned. 

STEW Through 10/22: Thu-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM; Fri 10/7,6:45 PM touch tour, 8 PM performance with audio description, Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, 773-975-8150, sgtheatre.org, $45 ($35 seniors, $25 under 30, $15 students)

Jazzma Pryor plays Lillian, expertly embodying the quintessential eldest sister, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders alone (regardless of whether or not anyone asked her to). As Lillian watches her younger sister Nelly (a wonderfully flighty Jasmine Cheri Rush) indulge in extravagant levels of irresponsibility, the walls begin to crack. Watching it all is Lillian’s daughter, the adorable Lil’ Mama, (a hilarious Demetra Dee) receiving a firsthand primer on who she will grow up to be. 

While not a perfect play, STEW is a tasty little spoonful of Black family life, and a reflection on how it takes a combination of the salty and sweet flavors of love and grief to make the most delicious memories. 

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Family recipesSheri Flanderson September 22, 2022 at 4:36 pm Read More »

A Natural Turn, Jessica Bardsley, and Cold WavesMicco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julinon September 22, 2022 at 4:37 pm

Chicago has no shortage of free museums, and the DePaul Art Museum (935 W. Fullerton) is one stunning example. While it’s never a bad time for a visit (hello, it’s free!), their new exhibition “A Natural Turn”is worth checking out. Artists María Berrío, Joiri Minaya, Rosana Paulino, and Kelly Sinnapah Mary use surrealism to explore constructions of beauty and identity. How are our individual imaginations influenced by shared experiences like social, natural, and political circumstances, and how can we use them to reshape those situations? How do they/we shape ourselves? In this group show, the artists create a visual journey about metamorphosis and personhood underscored by a critique of colonialism. The museum is open from 11 AM-7 PM today, but if that doesn’t work, the exhibition is on view until February 19, 2023; check out their website to find a time that works for you. (MC)

Conversations at the Edge, a weekly series of screenings, performances, and talks by media and visual artists organized by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Department of Film, Video, New Media, and Animation, kicks off the fall season tonight with an appearance by artist, scholar, and filmmaker Jessica Bardsley. In much of Bardsley’s work, landscapes like images of the desert and camera explorations through caves serve as a metaphor for human emotional states. Bardsley’s films often borrow images from Hollywood (for example, clips from the film Girl, Interrupted are included in Bardsley’s 2013 short The Blazing World) and combine them with original footage to create visual essays. Tonight Bardsley will present five recent shorts and discuss her work and experimental narrative with the audience. The evening starts at 6 PM at Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State) and tickets are $12. (SCJ)

An excerpt from Jessica Bardsley’s 2013 film The Blazing World

It’s day one of Cold Waves, the famed industrial festival that happens in select cities throughout the year. The Chicago edition is hosted at Smart Bar, Metro (3730 N. Clark), the Riviera, and Le Nocturne through Sunday. And while I’m not one to poo-poo the sold out lineup at Metro tonight (TR/ST headlines alongside openers The KVB, Actors, Kontravoid, Leathers, and New Canyons), I’m much more intrigued by the aftershow at Smart Bar. At 11 PM, Andi Harriman will warm up the dance floor with a DJ set followed by a performance by Ritualz. Then Plack Blague, Nebraska’s most exciting disco leather daddy, takes the stage to make you piss yourself with excitement. Trust me, you’ll gladly do it. Tickets are $15 and available to those 21 or older. (MC)

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A Natural Turn, Jessica Bardsley, and Cold WavesMicco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julinon September 22, 2022 at 4:37 pm Read More »

FOCO releases Bears Justin Fields Rising Star Bobblehead

FOCO releases a new Justin Fields rising star bobblehead for 2022 season

The main focus of the 2022 Chicago Bears season is on quarterback Justin Fields as he enters his second year with the franchise. So far, through the 12 starts he’s made, Fields has flashed some potential but it hasn’t been consistent.

And the Bears are hoping things are turned around in 2022.

Our friends over at FOCO have released a new Fields bobblehead that is perfect for any Bears fan to show off in their man cave. The Bears Fields Rising Star Bobblehead features Fields in an action pose atop a Rising Star theme base. The bobblehead will be numbered out of 222 units, retail for $65, and stand at 8in tall.

Check it out below:

Justin Fields FOOC bobblehead

The bobblehead is available for preorder now at FOCO and is sure to sell out quickly.

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Former Bears TE offers advice to a struggling Cole Kmet

What is going on with Bears TE Cole Kmet?

Cole Kmet was supposed to be a big part of the hypothetical Chicago Bears success in 2022. So far through two weeks Kmet has practically been a ghost. Cole Kmet has zero catches and only two targets through week two. This could be due to the fact that the Bears are not throwing the ball, whatever it may be, Cole Kmet literally has not produced anything for the Bears so far in the young season.

Ex Bears TE Zach Miller Weighs in on Cole Kmet’s lack of production

Zach Miller who spent three seasons with the Chicago Bears is a firm believer in Cole Kmet’s potential and ability. Miller who also went through trials and tribulations early in his NFL career offred some advice on The “Under Center” Podcast from NBC Sports Chicago that Kmet may find useful.

don’t listen to anybody because, at the end of the day, that will piss you off even more. I think if he’s confident in his abilities, truly, if he’s confident in himself and what he knows he can do, it’s just a matter of working and grinding until it starts to happen.

And then you basically force them to start using more. Right? You got to force them to say, ‘Okay, he’s getting open, or he’s doing this.’ Even if the ball’s not coming his way right now, you have got to get to a point where you’re saying, ‘Hey, look, I need this here, I need this ball here.’ Start to force them to throw your way and make some plays.

I would have to agree with Miller’s advice to Kmet. The season is extremely young, of course there’s going to be haters calling for Kmet due to his lack of production. But if Kmet sticks to his guns and believes in himself like Miller advised, the stats will start piling up for Cole Kmet.

Matt Eberflus knows the offense can’t succeed without a successful passing game

One of the biggest stories surrounding the Bears in this early part of the season is the failure to get their passing game going. Eberflus acknowledged this in a recent interview on Monday.

In the passing game, let’s highlight our skill, Let’s feed the guys that have skill that can take a short throw and turn it into a big gain, that can go downtown. And we have a good deep ball thrower so we should utilize that too. And we’re going to look at all aspects of that.

In order for the Bears passing game to wake up, they need to find ways to get guys like Kmet and Darnell Mooney the ball. Although Cole has barely been apart of the Bears offensive plan so far, Kmet has kept a rather positive attitude throughout his struggles early on.

I am going to remain optimistic like I always am about it. And we’re just going to keep working every day and keep grinding through it. We have a bunch of guys who work their tails off every day and we’re going to get this thing figured out.

It Sounds like Kmet and the rest of the Bears are confident they will turn this struggle to get the pass attack going around. This is the exact positive attitude you want to see when a young, rebuilding team is going through an early season hurdle. No one is pointing fingers, no one is complaining, everyone just wants to work hard and achieve every football team’s end of the week goal, which is to win the day. There’s no doubt the talent is there for the Bears on the offensive side of the football, therefore the Bears are due for an explosion offensively in the coming weeks.

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High school basketball: Carmel star Jordan Wood, a Michigan State recruit, gives volleyball a try

From the time she first stepped on a basketball court as a kindergartner, Jordan Wood had never played another sport.

Until now.

The Carmel senior’s college future is settled — she’s committed to Michigan State — and she wanted to try something new before turning her attention to defending the Corsairs’ Class 3A state title this winter.

So Wood is bringing her 6-5 presence to the net for the Carmel girls volleyball team.

“I feel like I’m quickly picking it up,” she said, though this sport is understandably still a little less instinctive than her main one.

“When I think about playing basketball, I know the rules,” Wood said. “With volleyball, I can’t hit this way. With basketball it’s easy, if you miss a shot the other team doesn’t get a point.”

Wood and the Corsairs didn’t miss much last season when they won state in the program’s first appearance. They avenged two earlier losses to East Suburban Catholic Conference rival Nazareth by winning the final 43-39.

Wood is one of four starters back from that team (though one is injured and not expected back till January). The motivation this year, Wood said, is to show last season wasn’t a fluke.

“We want to try our best to defend that, to show why we deserved to win last year,” she said.

The Corsairs had a rare luxury last season with four 6-footers on the roster led by Wood and 6-4 Grace Sullivan, the one starter who graduated.

That didn’t mean Wood and Carmel played slow, or that all the offense was funneled into the post.

Besides averaging 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds last season, Wood also led the Corsairs in assists (3.2 per game) and showed the ability to hit a three-pointer when the occasion presented itself.

“I think she’s developed even more of her perimeter skills,” Carmel coach Ben Berg said. “She can go inside or out. If they put a guard on her, she’s developed her low post game with her back to the basket. If they put a big on her, she can step out and shoot the three.”

As for Wood’s passing, Berg said, “she’s always had that vision, even as a freshman. Every year she’s evolved on the offensive end of the floor, making the right read at the right time.”

That’s clearly what Michigan State saw in one of the leaders of Illinois’ exceptional senior class. At No. 57, Wood is one of seven IHSA players in the espnW/HoopGurlz top 100 national rankings. Three others also are committed to Big Ten schools: No. 73 Katy Eidle of Hersey to Michigan, No. 79 Emily Fisher of Libertyville to Maryland and No. 81 Lenee Beaumont of Benet toIndiana.

Michigan State checked off a lot of boxes for Wood, who remained in close contact withSpartans coaches throughout the process and made her campus visit as soon as the pandemic-related recruiting restrictions were lifted.

“My family felt it too: this is home,” she said.

Playing in the Big Ten, with most venues within driving distance for her family to see games, was a big part of her decision.

“I’m very [much a] homebody,” Wood said. “I love being with my family. I could not imagine going super far.”

She has gone far, of course, in a basketball sense. The national ranking, the Power Five commitment and the state title all prove that.

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High school football: Week 5’s top games

Morgan Park vs. Kenwood, 1 p.m. Saturday at Lane

The Red South is the Public League’s best division, and these are two of its top teams along with No. 7 Simeon. Two-way standout Tysean Griffin, a four-star prospect with a couple of SEC offers (Tennessee, Missouri) leads Morgan Park (4-0, 1-0). Sophomore quarterback Marcus Thaxton and junior receiver Chris Durr are two more playmakers for the Mustangs. Kenwood (3-1, 1-0) has as much top-level talent as any program in the state outside of East St. Louis. Division I talents for the Broncos include defensive backs Kahlil Tate (Iowa) and Kiwaun Davis (Western Michigan) along with edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot, running back Davonte Johnson and linebacker K’Vion Thunderbird.

No. 11 Bolingbrook at No. 3 Lincoln-Way East, 7 p.m. Friday

Bolingbrook quarterback Jonas Williams established himself as the state’s best freshman in week one, passing for 407 yards and seven touchdowns in a statement win over Minooka. He had 330 yards and three TDs against previously unbeaten Lincoln-Way West two weeks later. I’Marion Stewart, Williams’ favorite receiver, and Northwestern-bound defensive back Damon Walters are two more to watch for Bolingbrook (3-1, 1-0 Southwest Suburban Blue). Lincoln-Way East (4-0, 0-0) started the season with decisive wins over Crete-Monee and Batavia. Junior quarterback Braden Tischer, senior running back James Kwiecinski and senior receiver Jayden Cook are difference makers on offense for the Griffins.

Cary-Grove at No. 17 Prairie Ridge, 7 p.m. Friday

These two Fox Valley schools, less than eight miles apart, have developed one of the state’s best rivalries based on a legacy of mutual success in Class 6A and their shared belief in option football. Quarterback Tyler Vasey and fullback Nathan Greetham, running behind an experienced line, have led the way for Prairie Ridge (3-1, 3-1), which is coming off a 42-35 loss to Jacobs. Defending 6A champ Cary-Grove (3-1, 3-1) lost a lot to graduation, but has been getting better by the week. The quarterback this year is Peyton Seaburg, whose dad Brad is the Trojans’ coach. Gavin Henriques has three interceptions in the past two games to spark the defense.

No. 24 York at No. 14 Lyons, 1:30 p.m. Saturday

The West Suburban Silver is yet another league on the rise, with a 15-1 nonconference record and three ranked teams including No, 5 Glenbard West. York (4-0, 2-0) is coming off a 24-17 overtime win vs. previously unbeaten Downers Grove North in which Damian Glodz kicked a game-tying field goal on the last play of the fourth quarter and Kelly Watson ran for the game-winning TD. Lyons (4-0, 2-0) has one of the state’s top juniors in two-way lineman Eddie Tuerk along with Yale-bound tight end Graham Smith.

St. Charles North at Geneva, 7 p.m. Friday

The first two weeks of conference play haven’t offered much clarity about the DuKane pecking order. But they have left these two teams playing for the right to be the last unbeaten in league play. Defensive back/running back Drew Surges is a playmaker on both sides of the ball for St. Charles North (3-1, 2-0), which came from 15 down to edge defending 7A champ Wheaton North 22-21 last week. Junior quarterback Nate Stempkowski and sophomore receiver Talyn Taylor have been an effective combo for Geneva (4-0, 2-0).

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Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show

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. 

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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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September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Suicide is an important topic that people are often hesitant to discuss. But the more we talk about it, the more we can break the stigmas, and the more lives we can save. Misinformation surrounding mental health can cause us to downplay the severity of symptoms in friends and loved ones experiencing depression, and perpetuate the myth that seeking help is a sign of weakness. This defies logic when seeking help is among the bravest things a person can do when they are struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide.

While suicides are preventable, they are all too common in our society. According to the 2020 data from the World Health Organization: 

Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the 15th in IllinoisIn 2020, approximately 46,000 people died by suicide1 death occurs every 40 seconds and 130 people die by suicide per dayMen are 3.88 times more likely to die by suicide than women.

Even so, many communities lack adequate mental health resources, especially low-income communities and communities of color. A 2021 study from the CDC showed that while there was an overall decrease in suicides in the U.S. between 2019 and 2020, there were spikes among Black, Latino, and Indigenous populations. 

National Suicide Prevention Awarenss Month was established in 2008, and held in September to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10. Every year since, people around the country gather to remember those lost to suicide, celebrate those who have survived suicidal thoughts or attempts, educate communities about suicide prevention, and show compassion. 

When thinking about suicide prevention, it’s important to remember that mental illness can affect anyone—it does not discriminate based on gender, race, religion, class, age, or any other factor. 

People who are contemplating suicide often exhibit warning signs, some of which might include:

Changes in behavior or moodMaking verbal statements, such as “I want to kill myself”Withdrawal from previously enjoyable hobbies and activitiesIncreased risky behaviorIncreased feelings of guilt and hopelessness

If you or someone you know is battling depression or suicidal ideation, talk about it! And if someone opens up to you about their struggles, give them your full attention and listen without judgment. Help them access resources and mental health services, and always show empathy and compassion. 

 “A seed neither fears light nor darkness, but uses both to grow.”

― Matshona Dhliwayo

Sources:

https://afsp.org/what-to-do-when-someone-is-at-risk

https://www.iasp.info/WSPD/about/

https://nationaltoday.com/national-suicide-prevention-month/

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/darkness-quotes

https://afsp.org/988-suicide-and-crisis-lifeline

Be sure to follow @naturesgraceil on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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