Slowgirl at Steppenwolf
If you can overlook one huge improbability (that parents would let their high-school aged daughter in trouble with the law and forbidden to travel actually leave the country by herself for a whole week), then this play by Greg Pierce is actually good stuff, perfectly cast, acted, and directed with the usual Steppenwolf aplomb. The action takes place over one week in Costa Rica, where the above said teenager (young Chicago actress/student Rae Gray) arrives to seek comfort from her uncle (CSI's William Petersen), who "escaped" his own life back in the States and now lives a simpler one in the jungle. Each character's story unfolds precisely and you really grow to love both, warts and all. Minus a needless, uncomfortable kiss, it's a joy to watch the characters connect and learn from each other. Solid work all around!
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Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity at the Art Institute
I skipped this one when I was in Chicago for Lollapalooza because I figured the art on display would be minor at best and I'm just not that into fashion (style yes, fashion no). I'm so glad that the line at the Shedd Aquarium was ridiculously long over the holiday weekend and we instead paid a visit to the Art Institute because the art wasn't minor in the least. Featuring major works from co-presenters Musee d'Orsay in Paris, New York's Metropolitan Museum, and the Art Institute, the exhibit takes the stance that the Impressionists strove to capture not just color and light, but also Parisian fashion, which it appears was just as fleeting. Period dress pieces similar to those depicted in the paintings are displayed alongside the masterworks and actually make for nice counterpoint. Worth an Impressionist lover's attention!
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Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind by the Neo-Futurists
I finally caught up with this show thanks to a free Sunday evening in Chicago (not only are the Sunday evening shows at a normal hour, you can actually buy tickets in advance!). The show is comprised of 30 miniature plays attempted to be performed within 60 minutes, accurately timed with an industrial clock. The lineup of works, written in advance, changes every weekend with each individual play lasting from mere seconds to several minutes. The order is selected by the audience, who shout out numbers as soon as the last play finishes and a cast member says "curtain" (some audience members appeared to have more fun trying to be first to shout out the next number). A few of the most memorable plays from the night we saw it included 24. The Inaugural Meeting of Public School Teachers United for the Re-election of Rahm Emanuel (the shortest play with no words, just "curtain"), 15. Breaking Bad Last Season -- Spoiler Alert (where a cast member went through every major point of the last season so far; this was pre-series finale and David had to put his fingers in his ears and hum to himself since he wasn't caught up), 2. Harnessing the Atom (proven impossible by cast members throwing bowls of super balls against the back wall of the theater), and 18. Starting right now, too much light gets really hot! (they turned off the air conditioning; this one was called way to soon!). The comical plays stood out the most, but some were very serious. Since that night's show was a sellout, everyone was treated to free pizza from a place around the corner. Yep, one pizza cut into a 100+ tiny slices! Another fun thing: when you arrive, seemingly tweaked-out hipsters in trucker hats assign you a name on a "Hello my name is..." tag. Mine: Glitter Vomit, likely thanks to the Bowie t-shirt I had on. Worth a repeat visit!
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