A grassroots initiative promoting storytelling, creativity, and the arts, the Muslim Writers Collective will focus this iteration of its programming on themes drawn from the MCA exhibition Faith Ringgold: American People. This storytelling event will center itself around hearing life experiences from Muslim American and Muslim-adjacent perspectives.
CART Captioning is available on personal devices.
Over the past three decades, writer, curator, and podcaster Helen Molesworth’s singular voice and lively curatorial vision has established her as one of the most dynamic and influential voices in the art world.
At this inspiring event, MCA Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn will join Molesworth on stage for a conversation about her new book Open Questions: Thirty Years of Writing about Art.
Signed books are now available for pre-order at the MCA Store.
Accessibility: Spanish translation, ASL, and CART captioning
https://visit.mcachicago.org/events/talk-helen-molesworth-and-madeleine-grynsztejn/
It’s just another (omg, wtf, lmfao) day at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. When a White House PR nightmare spins into a legit sh*tshow, seven brilliant and beleaguered women must risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble. POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive is a bawdy and irreverent look at sex, politics and the women in charge of the man in charge of the free world. Who knew that global crisis is always just a four-letter word away.
Experience Red: A Crayon’s Story like you never have before! This storybook video features Deaf American Sign Language master signer Crom Saunders signing the words to the animated book, with music and sound effects bringing the story to life. Then we’ll watch and play along with fun interactive games conducted by students and teachers from the Indiana School for the Deaf.
Crom will visit in person and play theater games with the kids after the video. This event will have a live interpreter.
Best for kids in preschool and elementary school and their family and friends.
More information at https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/event/asl-storybook-red-crayons-story
Eurydice is a play about newlywed and newly dead Eurydice arrives in the underworld without memories or language where she struggles to recover her humanity with the aid of the father she lost years ago. When Orpheus arrives to rescue her, Eurydice must choose between staying with her father or escaping with her husband—between life and death. Pulitzer & Tony nominated North Shore native Sarah Ruhl infuses the ancient myth with humor, poetry, hope & sneaky surprises as this classic heroine finds her voice.
Run time: 1 hour and 20 minutes, no intermission
Accessibility: Assistive Listening Devices, Open Captions, Digital Document, Wheelchair Accessible
https://www.writerstheatre.org/eurydice
Join leading intellectual Farah Jasmine Griffin (Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature and In Search of a Beautiful Freedom) to talk about why book bans so often target Black literature. Griffin discusses the censorship of Black authors like Toni Morrison and the effort to preserve and share Black stories. This renowned author and Columbia University professor is joined by WBEZ Race, Class and Communities Reporter Natalie Moore for a chat about Black literature and our complex American history.
A book signing will follow this program
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/farah-jasmine-griffin/
Over the past year, language models have entered the popular consciousness as new apps like ChatGPT attract hundreds of millions of users. Bold claims have been made about the capabilities and future impact of such products. Researchers in the field of natural language processing (the scholarly field in which language models originated) have been somewhat taken aback by these developments; language models have been around for decades. Noah Smith, an expert in natural language processing, takes to the Chicago Humanities stage for a presentation that aims to demystify generative artificial intelligence with a focus on language models. By introducing historical context and a few key concepts and foundational ideas, he aims to narrow the gap between scientific and popular understanding of language models while avoiding the hype.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/language-ai/
Prepare to be dazzled by the transformative power of design with the Emmy-nominated host of Queer Eye, Bobby Berk. Why does the color of a room change how you feel? How can you decide what to get rid of or repurpose? And how can your home boost your mood? Berk’s new book, Right at Home: How Good Design Is Good For The Mind, shows us how the power of exceptional design can ignite joy, elevate our mental wellbeing, and optimize our lives. With practical tips and inspiring anecdotes, Berk sits down with Asad Syrkett, editor in chief of Elle Decor, to share invaluable insights on how to unlock the true potential of your home to create your personal sanctuary of serenity and a happier, more fulfilling life.
To meet and get a photo with Bobby after the event, add “Signed Book + Photo Opportunity” to your cart. Limited number of tickets available.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/bobby-berk/
Budmo!, meaning “cheers!” in Ukrainian, is the first cookbook presented by Ukrainian-born, California-based chef, blogger, and culinary instructor Anna Voloshyna. Celebrating classic Eastern European recipes with a modern, creative twist with bright flavors, Voloshyna presents vibrant ingredients that represent the rich culture and tradition of the people of Ukraine. Join Anna as she sits down with Chicago Humanities favorite award-winning chef Rick Bayless for a conversation on the food of her homeland and the unifying power of cuisine.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/voloshyna-bayless/
When the film debuted in July of 1980, Airplane! had a budget of only $3.5 million, and yet it went on to earn nearly $200 million, gathering a rabid fan-base, inspiring countless comedians, and providing perhaps the most quotable lines of any comedy in cinematic history. In their new book, Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane! , ZAZ (filmmakers David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams) share hilarious trivia and never-before-heard anecdotes about the creation of this classic movie. At Chicago Humanities, Mark Bazar of WTTW’s The Interview Show sits down with writer/director David Zucker (and a special zoom appearance from his brother and fellow Airplane! filmmaker Jerry) for a night of laughter and nostalgia, as we dive into clips, images, and stories from behind-the-scenes of this legendary comedic gem. For a special keepsake, books pre-signed by all three filmmakers will be available for purchase.
This event will have asl interpretation, open captions, and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/airplane/
A Cicero native, Erika Sánchez grew up in a Mexican American household and is a self-described pariah, misfit, and a foul-mouthed, melancholic rabble-rouser. She returns to the literary world with her witty, raunchy, insightful, unapologetic honest memoir, Crying in the Bathroom. She covers everything from white feminism to debilitating depression, and finding a life rich with ideas and self-awareness. Join the Chicagoland native for a night of laughter, comedy, and personal self-reflection that feels like talking for hours with your best friend.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/erika-sanchez/
Throughout history, museums and other cultural institutions have too often acquired their artifacts through conquest, imperialism and colonization. Today, these institutions are re-evaluating this “colonial looting” and facing increasing calls to return these artifacts to their rightful owners, aiming to rectify historical injustices and foster cultural healing. Join Chicago Humanities for a presentation on these stolen artifacts and the importance of returning cultural items to their rightful homes with Patty Gerstenblith, Director of DePaul University’s Center for Art, Museums and Cultural Heritage Law. Following her presentation, Gerstenblith will be joined by esteemed experts Victoria Reed, Curator for Provenance at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Shannon O’Loughlin from the Association of American Indian Affairs, and Dr. Helen Robbins, Repatriation Director at the Field Museum for a conversation about the ethical, legal, and cultural challenges and opportunities museums face when restoring cultural heritage.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/colonial-looting/
What constitutes a meaningful life in a violent world? Join celebrated author and essayist Teju Cole (Open City) as he considers this question through his most recent work of fiction, Tremor. This poetic exploration continues Cole’s masterful examination of colonial atrocities, casual racism, and “history’s own brutality.” Don’t miss this Chicago Humanities experience with one of the most vibrant voices on today’s literary scene.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/conversation-teju-cole/
Academy Award-winning movie Don’t Look Up and the big-budget streamer Extrapolations tell us that humanity is incapable of addressing climate change, even in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence. But is that true? Are human beings incapable of changing our ways to help the planet? Join astronomer and physicist Marcelo Gleiser (The Dawn of a Mindful Universe), climate scientist Michael Mann (Our Fragile Moment), and award-winning Chicago journalist Monica Eng for a thought-provoking discussion about why we need a new Enlightenment to forge a sustainable future for all. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with influential voices who are shaping the discourse around climate change.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/morality-climate-change/
Newark, NJ. Post-9/11. Two teenagers, brought to America as children, now face an unlikely foe: unexpected, unreciprocated love. Their friendship is no longer enough (for one of them) and their adopted country doesn’t love them back. Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok brings light to the sacrifices made by DREAMers, lovers and life-long friends in the heart-stirring and hopeful Sanctuary City—a story that fractures and transcends—crossing boundaries, borders and genres in search of a place to call home.
Sanctuary City will be the first Steppenwolf production that includes both a full membership series run, as well as a full run of student matinees as a part of the Steppenwolf for Young Adults series, providing a synergistic opportunity to cultivate more intergenerational audiences.
Audio-Described and Touch Tour:
Sunday, October 8 at 3pm
(1:30pm touch tour, 3pm curtain)
Open-Captioned Public Performances:
Thursday, October 12 at 7:30pm
Saturday, October 21 at 3pm
ASL-Interpreted Public Performance:
Friday, October 13 at 7:30pm
Relaxed/Sensory Friendly Public Performance:
Saturday, October 28th at 3pm
ASL-Interpreted Student Matinee:
Friday, November 3 at 10am
Spanish Language-Captioned:
Saturday, November 4 at 3pm
https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets–events/seasons-/202324/sanctuary-city/
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow returns to Chicago Humanities to expose the shocking truth behind subversive attempts to undermine democracy and the inspiring tales of those who rose to challenge the insurrectionists. Inspired by the research for her #1 Apple podcast, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra, Maddow’s latest book PREQUEL: An American Fight Against Fascism tells the World War II story of a committed group of public servants and courageous private citizens thwarting the far-right’s attempts to align our nation with the Nazis. Join Maddow as she sits down with historian, author and Northwestern University professor Kathleen Belew to explore the rise of this wild strain of American authoritarianism, the profoundly relevant insights about America today that can be drawn from its history, and her take on our own unprecedented times.
This event will have open captions, audio description, asl interpretation and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/rachel-maddow/
Fox News Channel’s Chief Political Correspondent and New York Times bestselling author, Bret Baier comes to Chicago Humanities to talk about his groundbreaking new biography of America’s first president. In To Rescue the Constitution: George Washington and the Fragile American Experiment, Baier explores Washington’s remarkable decision to come out of retirement to preside over the Constitutional Convention and sacrifice himself to save the country. At Chicago Humanities, Baier sits down with Chicago Tonight’s Paris Schutz for a conversation about our country’s gritty past and the extraordinary divisions of early America that shed new light on the divisions and conflicts still haunting us today.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/bret-baier/
Naperville native and award-winning actor and comedian Bob Odenkirk has teamed up with his talented daughter, illustrator Erin Odenkirk, as they share original poems Bob wrote with his children when they were young, as well as dozens of new ones–beautifully brought to life by Erin’s whimsical drawings. Join Chicago Humanities for a hilarious and heartwarming night of laughter and nostalgia as this father-daughter duo sits down with the host of Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me! Peter Sagal to take us on a journey through Bob’s legendary career, how his daughter felt about her father’s comedy and life in Hollywood and the imaginative and playful pages of Zilot and other Important Rhymes.
A book signing follows this program.
This event will have assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/bob-and-erin-odenkirk/
Why does the United States, one of the richest countries on earth, allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit citizens to live and die on the streets, and continue to pay poverty wages? Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist Matthew Desmond uses vivid storytelling and rigorous research to delve into the heart of wealth inequality in America and to call on all of us to become poverty abolitionists, ushering in a new age of shared prosperity. Join Chicago Humanities to learn about Desmond’s startlingly original and ambitious case for creating a more equitable society.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/matthew-desmond/
Since the NFT (Non-fungible tokens) exploded into the art world a few years ago, artists, collectors, arts professionals, art lovers, and museumgoers are still trying to understand what NFTs are and what they mean for the future. Author, Amy Whitaker, takes readers through the origins of NFTs, the connection to the history of artmaking and art collecting, and their potential to change the art world. Join the writer, artist, and researcher for a conversation on the age of digital records and how we build collaborative and equitable structures for the future.
This event will have assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/nft-art/
Comedian Sarah Cooper rocketed to fame during the pandemic with her lip-synched videos of Donald Trump’s speeches. Her face, his voice–it was social media magic. In her hilarious and honest debut memoir, Foolish: Tales of Assimilation, Determination, and Humiliation, Cooper tells witty and heartfelt tales of growing up as the youngest in a Jamaican family, disastrously using the internet as a marriage counselor, and overcoming a lifetime of oppressive perfectionism to throw herself headlong into the world of comedy. At Chicago Humanities, join Cooper, alongside Chicago Today co-host Cortney Hall, for an evening of uproarious laughter and heartfelt revelations as this iconic comedian proves once and for all that being foolish is actually the smartest thing you can do.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/comedian-sarah-cooper/
How does cancel culture impact our social, cultural, and political lives? With The Atlantic’s Caitlin Flanagan leading the discussion, join Johns Hopkins’ Yascha Mounk, out with his latest book The Identity Trap; and FIRE President Greg Lukianoff and journalist Rikki Schlott, co-authors of The Canceling of the American Mind, for a captivating conversation about the complexities of our current cultural landscape.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/cancel-culture/
During our era of COVID, many of us felt as if we were living through “unprecedented times,” but was our experience really that unique? Pandemics have been around as long as people. Join esteemed historian and bestselling author Simon Schama with author and Richard W. Leopold Professor of History Deborah Cohen for a conversation exploring the profound impact of pandemics on human history. From bubonic plague to COVID-19, Schama uncovers the intricate relationship between disease, vaccines, and the collective health of nations and shares the often-unheard stories of people whose pioneering work has changed the face of modern healthcare in the face of one of our most deadly enemies: the pandemic.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/simon-schama/
As one of the most historical buildings in Chicago, the Governor’s Mansion has hosted many legendary people, including Abraham Lincoln, FDR, and the current First Family. First Lady MK Pritzker and former interior designer for the Obama White House, Michael Smith, have teamed up to restore this iconic building and bring Chicago history to life, a project that is detailed in their book, A House that Made History. Join Chicago Humanities for an inspiring conversation with this duo and hear about their journey to transform the Governor’s Mansion into a timeless symbol of Illinois pride.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/mk-pritzker/
How can art engage people on climate change and environmental issues that are impacting our city and neighborhoods? Join Uzma Noormohamed, Program Director of the Illinois Science & Energy Innovation Foundation, Mike Dimitroff, Manager of Art initiatives at the Chicago Park District, and Cynthia Weiss, Delilah Salgado, and Citlalli Trujillo of the artist collective Rio de Bienvenida, as they discuss Earth Art Chicago, a new city-wide initiative that seeks to harnesses the power of public art as a means to raise awareness about issues related to environmental justice in Chicago while centering voices often left out of the climate conversation.
This event will have assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/environmental-justice-chicago/
In her long career in literature and teaching, Sandra Cisneros has shared her passion for creative writing and expressing her experience as a Mexican woman. After a 28 year break from poetry, she returns to her roots with her most recent collection of songs, elegies, and declarations that chronicle her pilgrimage toward rebirth and the recognition of her prerogative as a woman artist. The acclaimed writer takes the Chicago Humanities stage for conversation on her search for home—in the Mexico of her ancestors and her heart.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/sandra-cisneros/
Oliver Jeffers is an acclaimed storyteller and visual artist. His latest picture book, How We Got Here and Where We Might Go – Our Human Story. So Far., is written for adults and is an artistic exploration of humankind’s impact on itself and our planet. The renowned artist and writer takes Chicago Humanities audiences of all ages on a multimedia storytelling experience that follows humankind on its journey through history, sharing profound, sometimes poignant commentary on our present, while posing the question: Where do we go from here?
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on this link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/oliver-jeffers/
From the author of Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, Einstein and more, Walter Isaacson returns to Chicago Humanities with the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era—a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence—and took over Twitter. For two years, Isaacson shadowed Musk, attended his meetings, walked his factories, and spent hours interviewing him, his family, friends, coworkers, and adversaries. Join Chicago Humanities as David Axelrod, CNN contributor and host of Thee Axe Files, leads a live taping on Musk’s turbulent journey to the top of three worlds: science, business, and the public square. The result is the revealing inside story, filled with amazing tales of triumphs and turmoil, that addresses the question: are the demons that drive Musk also what it takes to drive innovation and progress?
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on the link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/walter-isaacson/
A botanical journey of beauty and botany, myth and mayhem: Bestselling author Jonathan Drori takes a gloriously illustrated trip across the globe, bringing to life the science of trees by revealing how their worlds are intricately entwined with our own history, culture and folklore. His journey includes self-mummifying monks, entrepreneurial resin diggers and the Venetian navy. From the seemingly familiar birch and beech, to the exotic moojar, kauri and gutta-percha, his stories are sometimes poignant, often funny, and always surprising. After the talk, explore the beauty of trees with specially curated a self-guided tour of The Morton Arboretum.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on the link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/morton-arboretum-trees/
Based on their critically acclaimed podcast of the same name, Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key are excited to share their new book with the Chicago Humanities audience: The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey through the Art and Craft of Humor. This book will take readers on a delightful and hilarious journey through the evolution of sketch comedy, stories of other comedic legends, and insights into the creative process behind crafting some of comedy’s most beloved masterpieces. Join Vice President of Second City, Kelly Leonard, for a live taping of his podcast “Getting to Yes, And” as he leads a masterclass in humor alongside the Keys.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets, press on the link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/keegan-michael-key/
Literary powerhouse Zadie Smith is back with a new, highly-anticipated historical novel, The Fraud, which centers around the unforgettable Eliza Touchet and a real-life, explosive trial that divided Victorian England and asks who deserves to tell their story and who gets to be believed. Join Chicago Humanities and experience Smith’s iconic voice in person as this beloved novelist and essayist with novelist and poet Chris Abani discuss the relationship between truth and fiction, fraudulence and authenticity, and the mystery of “other people.”
A book signing will follow this program
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets press on the link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/zadie-smith/
According to renowned social critic and author Naomi Klein, our world today is like a hall of mirrors, made up of conspiracy theories, AI-generated content blurring the lines between truth and fiction, and elusive digital doppelgangers. In this conversation about her newest work, Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, Klein offers a map to this untethered moment in history by combining chilling political reportage, piercing cultural analysis of our modern world, and stories from her own life. Join Klein and award-winning playwright V (Eve Ensler) on a white-knuckled ride into the dark heart of our hyper-individualized culture, and get her thoughts on how we might escape this mirror world and chart a path beyond despair.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box Office.
To buy tickets press on the link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/naomi-klein/
Emmy-nominated actress Millie Bobby Brown can now add author to her list of accolades with her debut novel, Nineteen Steps. Set against the backdrop of World War II London in 1942, Brown’s main character, Nellie Morris, grapples with a world constantly threatened by conflict. Her chance meeting with American airman Ray broadens her horizons, yet tragedy strikes during an air raid, shattering her world. Brown sits down with Greta Johnsen (of WBEZ’s Nerdette podcast) to talk about her creative process both as an actor and writer, her evolving beauty brand florence by mills, and her new novel about a brave young woman who proves the enduring power of love in the face of adversity.
This event will have open captions and assistive listening devices with t-coil available at the Box office.
To buy tickets press on the link below: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/millie-bobby-brown/
Pro wrestling bursts onto the stage in a high-octane, immersive, 90-minute thrill ride.
It’s a night in the theater that you’ll never forget. Experience the heart-pumping action ringside, as the Goodman transforms into a professional wrestling arena—a perfect backdrop for the high drama and rich cultural history of lucha libre. Originally developed with Prism Movement Theater and produced in partnership with CLATA as part of 2023 Destinos Festival, actors and luchadores (wrestlers) in masks representative of Aztec gods play out an exciting wrestling story about family, honor, tradition and redemption.
Touch Tour and Audio-Described Performance
Saturday, October 28
12:30pm Touch Tour & 2:00pm Performance
Use code AUDIO for $30 tickets
Spanish Subtitles Performance
Saturday, October 28 at 7:30pm
Use code SPANISH for $30 tickets
Open-Captioned Performance
Sunday, October 29 at 2:00pm
Use code OPEN for $30 tickets
WORLD PREMIERE BY NAMBI E. KELLEY
DIRECTED BY TASIA A. JONES
Civil rights activist Kwame Ture, born Stokely Carmichael, was a towering icon; a man of immense domestic and international importance. But he was also just that: a man. Blending the historical and the personal, Stokely: The Unfinished Revolution asks: how can you trust someone with a movement when you can’t trust them with your heart? Tasia A. Jones makes her Court directorial debut with playwright Nambi E. Kelley’s evocative world premiere.
This event will have ASL interpretation, assistive listening devices, audio description, and wheelchair accessible seating.
Touch Tour will begin at 12:30pm.
BY SOPHOCLES
DIRECTED BY GABRIELLE RANDLE-BENT,
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
As Antigone mourns her brothers, she must decide if she will sacrifice her life to balance the scales of justice. Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent’s interpretation of Sophocles’ masterwork – featuring Aeriel Williams in the titular role and Timothy Edward Kane as King Creon – renders Antigone electrifyingly alive, situating this tale in our modern conversation about the price of democracy, and asking – crucially – if it’s a price we’re willing to pay.
This event will have ASL interpretation, assistive listening devices, audio description, and wheelchair accessible seating.
Touch tour will begin at 12:30pm.
Aida presents a riveting love triangle, which unfolds in an alluring Egyptian setting. At Lyric Opera of Chicago, each of the five principal artists boasts not only a sumptuously beautiful voice, but also the charismatic presence to bring these characters vividly to life.
This event will have audio description, braille programs, large print programs, assistive listening devices, and is wheelchair accessible.
Cinderella (La Cenerentola) tells the story of the downtrodden daughter of a selfish father, Don Magnifico. When Prince Ramiro (disguised as his own valet, Dandini) meets her, they fall instantly in love, leading — after a few complications — to a heartwarming happy ending.
This event will have audio description, braille programs, large print programs, assistive listening devices and is wheelchair accessible.
https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2023-24/cinderella/
Marie, the lovable, irrepressible spirited heroine — a foundling, raised by soldiers — loves handsome Tonio. Things get complicated when the Marquise carts her off to refine her with a “proper” education. In one exhilarating number after another, Marie throws off coloratura flourishes like shooting stars, while her tenor sweetheart pops out nine high Cs in a single aria!
This event will have audio description, braille programs, large print programs, and assistive listening devices.
https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2023-24/daughter-of-the-regiment/
The Flying Dutchman is the story of a young woman’s obsession. Senta dreams of the Dutchman, who’s cursed to wander the earth. He comes ashore every seven years, searching for a woman who will be faithful to him until death. When she meets him, Senta’s fate is sealed. This new-to-Chicago production at Lyric Opera of Chicago will bring to life some of the composer’s most magnificent and emotional music, including thrilling, spectacular choruses.
Sung in German with projected English Titles.
This event will have audio description and assistive listening devices.
https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2023-24/the-flying-dutchman/
Join us on June 24, 2023, from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. for the inaugural Bronzeville outdoor vendor market and bazaar that will take place on 33rd Boulevard between Michigan Avenue and State Street. Shop among the area’s finest merchants, makers, and artists. Dance to the music provided by Greater Bronzeville musicians and vocalists. Bring the entire family—there is something for everyone including a bouncy house where you will supervise your kids!
The Wildflower Music Festival stage will feature Chicago’s most well-loved and popular musical artists. Senabella Gill, also known as the Bronzeville Diva, will host the events on the Wildflower stage. Gill is a renowned, multi-awarded jazz vocalist, music activist, youth mentor, and founder of The Chicago Living Legacy Awards. The Office of Community Affairs and has partnered with the Cultural Access Collaborative to make this event accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. The equipment is being loaned by Cultural Access Collaborative with special thanks to the Chicago Academy of Sciences and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
https://www.iit.edu/events/bronzeville-vendor-fair-and-wildflower-music-festival
Headlining acts for the Bronzeville Vendor Fair and Wildflower Music Festival include:
Mae Koen
Mae Koen
Mae Koen’s specific harmonic talents took her on the road with Aretha Franklin from 1997 to 2004 and again in 2013 to 2017. Koen appeared with Franklin at her last Chicago performance at Ravinia in September 2017. She has also appeared with Frankin on several television shows including those hosted by David Letterman and Jay Leno in addition to The View, Good Morning America, and the Rosie O’Donnell Show. On the televised limited VH1 series Diva’s Live, you can see Koen not only singing with Franklin, but also offering up support vocals for Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, and Carole King. Franklin has even made special mention of Koen being among her favorite background singers in her 1999 memoir From These Roots. Locally, Koen is constantly sought after to offer her expertise in background and lead vocals on many local projects. You can see Koen with the MAC 180 Band, the Leland Project, the Steeley Dan tribute band Bad Sneakers, Chicago-based jazz vocal quartet Vocal Poynt, and a host of other various and diverse acts.
Band members include June “Obie Copeland on bass, Brady Williams on drums, and Theodis Rogers on keyboard.
Performance time: 12:30–1:20 p.m.
Tony “TOCA” Carpenter—Toca Live!
Tony Carpenter
Tony Carpenter is an urban percussionist who began his percussive journey in the early 1970’s when he began exploring the traditional rhythms of West Africa and performed with African dance troupes such as Julian Swains’ Inner-City Dancers and Najwa Dance Troop. Carpenter has played with many masters congueros including, Mongo Santamaria, Armando Peraza, Alex Acuna, and Giovanni Hidalgo. His performances include playing R&B, gospel, and jazz. The melodious tones of his unit, “TOCA LIVE,” is a sound that is memorable. He has combined rhythms with his favorite jazz classics, which he calls cultural jazz. Carpenter has performed with many great artists of all genres, such as Leroy Hudson, Tyron Davis, The Emotions, Jerry “The Ice Man” Butler, Ramsey Lewis, The Soul Children of Chicago, Kim Stratton, Malachi Thompson, and currently tours nationally with a-list performers.
Band members include Toca on conga percussions, Malcolm Banks on drums, Roger Harris on keys, James Perkins on sax, Kelvin Djembe Olu on dunn dun Uche’ on Shakara percussion.
Performance time: 1:50–2:45 p.m.
The Alan Burroughs and The AB Band
Alan Burroughs
Alan Burroughs is a native of Chicago and has been in the music industry for more than 20 years. He has followed a path that embraces jazz, rock, blues, and a myriad of other musical styles. He has traveled nationally and has shared the stages with artists such as Miles Davis, Art Porter, Phillip Bailey, KoKo Taylor, The Dells, and countless others. Burroughs is currently in the studio recording his second album.
Band Members include Alan Burroughs on lead guitar.
Performance time: 3–3:50 p.m.
D’Erania and Jahari Stampley
Jahari Stampley and D’Erania Stampley
D’Erania Stampley and Jahari Stampley are aptly entitled as a “mother -son duo.” These two are Internationally renowned, Grammy-awarded musicians who play with the most sought out and favored jazz musicians on local and international stages. The two are delighted to join the Wildflower Music Festival stage. Jahari, being the multi-talented musical phenom he is, will be using his musical super powers playing piano, keys, electronic drums, while mom D’Erania will play with him on sax and upright bass. This mother-and-son duet will be a phenomenal addition that is an unforgettably electric, soul-stirring performance!
Band members include D’Erania on upright bass and sax and Jahari on keys and electronic drums.
Performance time: 4:10–5:15 p.m.
Mario Abney and The Abney Effect
Mario Abney
Mario Abney is a singer, songwriter, master trumpeter, and bandleader originally from New Orleans. Last year, Mario Abney & The Abney Effect were featured on Good Morning America for Mardi Gras and became a regular on the HBO series Tremé. He developed his chops in Chicago at Fred Anderson’s legendary Velvet Lounge. Abney has been compared to the genius of Miles Davis and the leadership and insight of Art Blakely. He fuses the art of jazz music with the soul, spirituality, and freedom of New Orleans.
The Abney Effect was established in 2010 and has since produced amazing concerts at well-known establishments all over the country and overseas. The Abney Effect is currently featured at Andy’s Jazz Club every Tuesday night and has upcoming or past performances at Untitled Supper Club, Adorn Bar & Restaurant (Four Seasons),Shedd Aquarium, and private events.
The Abney Effects’ longevity, notoriety, talent, and energy has created a lot of buzz, evidenced by their prominent online presence, concert attendance, and album sales.
Band members include Abney on trumpet, Micah Collier on bass, Frank Morrison on drums, and Josh Atkin on sax.
Performance time: 5:30– 6:35 p.m.
The Frank Russell Band
Frank Russell
Chicago bass guitarist Frank Russell was the recent recipient of the prestigious 2020 Jeff Award for Best Original Music In A Play, in collaboration with the legendary Ladysmith Black Mambazo. To date, Russell is the only bass guitarist to grace the cover of Chicago Jazz Magazine. He has performed with Ramsey Lewis, Wallace Roney, Freddie Hubbard, Alphonse Mouzon, Ken Chaney, Henry Johnson, Robert Irving III, and many more.
Joining Russell on the Wildflower stage will be his star-studded lineup consisting of Irving III on keys, Corey Wilkes on trumpet, Marco Villarreal on lead guitar, Steve “Kwame” Cobbs on drums, and featuring international vocalist Yvonne Gage.
Performance time: 7–8:45 p.m.
DIRECTED BY Uberto Pasolini
SYNOPSIS
Thirty-five-year-old window cleaner and single father John has dedicated his life to raising his son. Given only a few months to live, he traverses Belfast, visiting homes of the working class and wealthy alike. He has a singular goal: to find the perfect family to raise his toddler Michael. How can he carry out this impossible task? Inspired by true events in the UK, Nowhere Special is a tender tale of pure love, profound heartbreak, and parenthood.
https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/nowhere-special/
Accessibility: ASL interpreted, assistive listening devices, captioning, large print program, wheelchair accessible
DIRECTED BY Joseph Amenta
SYNOPSIS
Three friends fall in love with summertime Toronto’s lively nightlife. Young, queer, and unapologetically self-confident, the trio spends their days holding court and plotting to sneak into a nightclub. When one of their caregivers goes missing under suspicious circumstances, reality comes crashing in and their seemingly unbreakable bond is tested. Featuring remarkable performances from its young actors, Soft is a tender portrait of youth, friendship, and life on the city’s margins.
Accessibility: ASL interpreted, assistive listening devices, captioning, large print program, wheelchair accessible
Lyric Opera is prototyping an innovative new experience for audiences who are deaf or hard of hearing called the SoundShirt, built by CuteCircuit. While the orchestra and artists perform on stage, microphones capture the sound. Computer software transforms the sounds into touch data, and the data is broadcast wirelessly to the SoundShirts. SoundShirt wearers experience the feeling of music rendered on their upper body through haptic actuation in real-time in a fully immersive way.
We’re prototyping the experience during our summer musical, West Side Story, and inviting a few outside guests who are hard of hearing and deaf to participate and experience it. There will be a follow-up survey seeking feedback. Seats and shirt sizes are limited, and tickets are free.
For questions, please write to [bdunn@lyricopera.org](mailto:bdunn@lyricopera.org).
https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2022-23/west-side-story/
SYNOPSIS
In Sydney, Gabi and Patricia train to compete in Destructive Steps, Australia’s largest street dance competition. Both are pushing themselves mentally and physically in hopes that winning the contest will open new doors and possibilities for a better life. The film spans seven years and provides viewers with intimate access to the breathtaking artform of street dancing. Keep Stepping illuminates the multicultural, passion-filled subculture and tells a moving story about love, obsession, and the transformative power of dance.
Summer Screenings is Cinema/Chicago’s annual free film series that casts a spotlight on a different country’s national cinema each week all summer. DIRECTED BY Luke Cornish
Cinema has always been fascinated with the city as a “character”— a living, breathing organism that shapes the world around it. This program showcases the myriad ways in which cities are depicted in cinema and how people live, love, move through, and seek connection in urban spaces.
Featuring stories set in cities all around the globe—from the bustling cafes of Bogotá to the seaside cityscapes of Gothenburg and Galway to glittering black and white portraits of Taipei and Seoul to the streets, skyways, rivers, and trains right here in Chicago—these films express the rich, diverse personalities of cities on screen and how they mold and influence how we live.
Films are unrated. Viewer discretion is advised.
Tickets are available to claim 2 weeks before the screening.
SYNOPSIS
Thirty-five-year-old window cleaner and single father John has dedicated his life to raising his son. Given only a few months to live, he traverses Belfast, visiting homes of the working class and wealthy alike. He has a singular goal: to find the perfect family to raise his toddler Michael. How can he carry out this impossible task? Inspired by true events in the UK, Nowhere Special is a tender tale of pure love, profound heartbreak, and parenthood. DIRECTED BY Uberto Pasolini
Summer Screenings is Cinema/Chicago’s annual free film series that casts a spotlight on a different country’s national cinema each week all summer.
Cinema has always been fascinated with the city as a “character”— a living, breathing organism that shapes the world around it. This program showcases the myriad ways in which cities are depicted in cinema and how people live, love, move through, and seek connection in urban spaces.
Featuring stories set in cities all around the globe—from the bustling cafes of Bogotá to the seaside cityscapes of Gothenburg and Galway to glittering black and white portraits of Taipei and Seoul to the streets, skyways, rivers, and trains right here in Chicago—these films express the rich, diverse personalities of cities on screen and how they mold and influence how we live.
Films are unrated. Viewer discretion is advised.
Tickets are available to claim 2 weeks before the screening.
Please join us for a communal dialog with award-winning artist Barak adé Soleil and members of the local Black and Brown neurodiverse and disabled community who are part of adé Soleil’s newly commissioned work SHIFT.
SHIFT, a multidisciplinary project for the MCA’s Frictions series, has two components:
An installation located on the first floor of the MCA during the performance’s run, intentionally next to a spiraling staircase that goes up to the museum’s fourth floor. Barak is creating a film that will be installed and projected onto a diamond-like platform. In this dreamlike video installation, bodies both at rest and as they shift are visible onscreen at life-size and larger-than-life scale. The presence of Black neurodiverse and disabled bodies is amplified from many angles, infiltrating the architecture of the museum’s iconic public stairwell. Whereas these bodies might otherwise be violently misinterpreted as either lazy or near death, adé Soleil offers rest—and the intimacy of everyday gestures—as forms of political resistance for Black people.
A gathering on Saturday, May 6, where members of the Disability community will join adé Soleil in a “promenade” throughout the museum’s public areas; at times they will ascend the staircases and take up space to make visible and apparent the power of community presence. The use of the word promenade is intentional, drawing from its definition: “to take a leisurely public walk, ride, [wheel] or drive so as to meet or be seen by others.”
SHIFT is curated by Tara Aisha Willis, Curator of Performance & Public Practice at the MCA.
Access Information
ASL interpretation, CART captioning, and live audio description are provided. AD devices are available at the museum, and audience members may also use their personal devices to access the audio description through a URL provided on-site.
This event has relaxed viewing protocols and sensory-friendly lighting.
ASL provided.Audio description available.Haptic elements used.
https://visit.mcachicago.org/events/talk-barak-ade-soleil-with-shift-performers/
Pulitzer Prize Finalist Elif Batuman is one of the biggest names in literature. Her newest work Either/Or continues the story of her first book, following Selin Karadag, a young woman exploring adulthood. Join this decorated author in a conversation about Kierkegaard, literary beauty, and the journey of life. Following the conversation, Chicago composer and multi-instrumentalist Macie Stewart will perform a suite of her poetic, baroque-tinged folk songs with saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi. The evening concludes with a special presentation of DJs Brian Case’s and Bobby Burg’s legendary and long-running Smith’s Night at Danny’s Tavern.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/batuman-stewart/
James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef, Sarah Grueneberg knows a thing or two about great ingredients. Drawing on her long love affair with Italian cooking and the methods she uses at her renowned restaurant Monteverde, Sarah begs us to feature veggies as the main attraction in her new cookbook, Listen to Your Vegetables: Italian-Inspired Recipes for Every Season. Join Chicago Humanities as we sit down with this award-winning chef and chef Rick Bayless for an intimate conversation and tips on how to up our vegetable game.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/sarah-grueneberg/
A native of Park Ridge, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s middle-class upbringing taught her the value of hard work, determination, and the importance of public service. Now, she’s returning this spring to talk about how Chicago provided the foundation upon which she built her life and career. Join her for a far-reaching, intimate conversation about her work advocating for civic engagement through Onward Together, her thoughts on current affairs, and her connection to Chicago’s own beloved local activist, Joanne Alter.
This event will have ASL Interpretation, audio description, open captions, and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/venues/riviera-theatre/
Youtube star, author, transgender activist and advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, Gigi Gorgeous, and American drag performer, actor, make-up artist, and the first transgender male to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Gottmik are ready for real talk about their transition journeys. Join these two queer icons as they discuss their newest book, The T Guide: Our Trans Experiences and a Celebration of Gender Expression―Man, Woman, Nonbinary, and Beyond, and discover the knowledge you need to be the best ally you can be and better understand what it means for those who embark on this journey.
Come enjoy dinner and drinks at Chop Shop before or after the conversation with Gigi Gorgeous and Gottmik. A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/gorgeous-gottmik/
Does a job, a home, and a killer wardrobe make you a true adult? Andrew Rannells isn’t so sure. If he’s so successful in his forties, then why does he still feel like an anxious twenty-something? Were the triumphs of his life actually failures? And were his failures his real triumphs? At Chicago Humanities, the Tony-nominated actor will sit down for a witty, fun, and poignant conversation that looks back over his career– from the Broadway stage (The Book of Mormon) to the silver screen (Girls, Big Mouth)–to ask what success and “adulting” really mean and whether he will ever feel like he has enough.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions, audio description, and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/andrew-rannells/
New York Times bestselling author, beloved TV host, and executive producer of The Real Housewives, Andy Cohen is the busiest man in show business. Now, he’s taking on the most important role of his life: dad. With a three-year old son and a baby girl born in May, late-night parties have been replaced by late-night feedings. Join Chicago Humanities for a lively evening with this Watch What Happens Live! host as he reflects on his year filled with housewife drama, a mayoral feud, and a renewed understanding of how family really changes everything.
This event will have open captions, audio descriptions, and ALDs.
There’s no better biographer working right now than Chicago’s own Jonathan Eig. He has helped us understand some of the most monumental lives of our times, such as Jackie Robinson, Lou Gehrig, and Al Capone. Eig’s newest subject is one of the most important figures in U.S. history: Martin Luther King Jr. But what is new to say about MLK? Plenty, it turns out. Join Eig and The Interview Show’s Mark Bazer for a conversation that will shed new light on this extraordinary American life. Following the conversation, Chicago jazz group The JuJu Exchange performs selections from their latest project, JazzRx, and share the emotional journey they and their fans took together to bring this healing music to life.
Come enjoy dinner and drinks at Chop Shop before or after this event.
This event will have open captions, audio description and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/eig-jujuexchange/
In his new book Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything, Kaku attests that this technological breakthrough could allow humanity to do everything from create nuclear fusion reactors that create clean, renewable energy without radioactive waste or threats of a meltdown to unravel the fiendishly difficult protein folding that lies at the heart of previously incurable diseases like Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Parkinson’s. Join Chicago Humanities as we sit down with this renowned scientist as he simplifies this important yet complicated topic in a way only Michio Kaku can.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/michio-kaku/
Longtime New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik investigates a foundational human question: How do we learn—and master—a new skill? In his newest book, The Real Work, Gopnik apprenticed as an artist, a dancer, a boxer, and even a driving instructor to understand the process of mastering new skills, how it happens, and if anyone can do it. Join Chicago Humanities as we sit down with this brilliant writer, for a conversation that seeks to answer the ultimate question about why and how we humans relentlessly seek to better ourselves.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/adam-gopnik/
Real Life by Brandon Taylor (National Book Foundation’s 2023 Science + Literature Selected Title) asks what it means for a queer Black man to pursue a career in academia and science. Join Taylor and award-winning author Weike Wang for a conversation presented in partnership with the National Book Foundation about the real science within Real Life, and the possibilities for better representation—both in science and in fiction.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/brandon-taylor/
You don’t need to be a legal scholar to understand your legal rights. Elie Mystal, The Nation’s legal analyst, justice correspondent and frequent MSNBC guest, makes it easy to digest what rights we have, what rights are being taken away, and how we can protect those rights. Join author Brandi Collins-Dexter (Black Skinhead: Reflections on Blackness and Our Political Future) for an enlightening one-on-one conversation with Mystal who brings his trademark humor, expertise, and rhetorical flair to explain why the Constitution is trash but doesn’t have to be.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/elie-mystal/
#1 New York Times bestselling author, voting rights advocate, and history maker Stacey Abrams returns to Chicago with her latest thriller novel, Rogue Justice. Join Chicago Humanities for an evening with this political leader as we delve into the art of fiction, current issues affecting our democracy, and how we can all use our voices to impact our communities.
This event will have open captions, audio description, ASL interpretation, and ALDs.
Ruth E. Carter is one of the most renowned and celebrated costume designers working today having designed more than 40 films over the course of 3 decades and winning Oscars for Best Costume Design for her work on Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. At Chicago Humanities, Carter will explore the passion for history that inspired her period pieces and her journey into Afrofuturism, as well as what it’s been like working with such film legends as Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, Chadwick Boseman, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, and more.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/ruth-e-carter/
The preeminent African American pop artist of his generation, Chicago-born Hebru Brantley straddles the worlds of fine art, street art, and hip-hop, while he’s name-dropped in rap songs and collected by the likes of Jay-Z and LeBron James. Join Chicago Humanities for an upbeat, life-affirming chat about the work of this painter, sculptor, and designer whose work attempts to restore innocence to depictions of Black youth, normalize images of Black children at play, and suggest an entirely new mythology through the creation of Black superheroes.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/hebru-brantley/
Tony Award-winning playwright of the theatrical phenomenon The Vagina Monologues, V (formerly Eve Ensler) sits down for an unflinching conversation about her newest, deeply personal work, Reckoning. On her travels from Berlin to Oklahoma to the Congo, V has spent her life spearheading global movements to end homelessness, the climate disaster, and especially violence against all women and girls. At Chicago Humanities, V will sit down with author Rebecca Makkai (I Have Some Questions for You: A Novel) to help us all learn how to create change, survive love, and connect to our greater purpose. The conversation will address the meaning and critical importance of personal and political reckoning in a country that is being controlled and destroyed by its past.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/v-eve-ensler/
In the second half of the 20th century, Chicago has grown into a Latino metropolis, boasting flourishing neighborhoods such as Pilsen and Little Village. Despite Mexican Chicagoans facing intersecting forces of wealth-driven gentrification and anti-immigrant policies, Chicago has become a city of refuge, mutual aid, and economic power. Join Professor of History at Georgetown University Mike Amecua and Ivón Padilla-Rodríguez for a conversation on Chicago as Latino metropolis.
This event will have open caption and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/latino-metropolis/
As the former Cook County public defender, Allen Goodman has dedicated his life to defending his clients against routine police abuse, prosecutorial misconduct, and unjust sentencing. We are excited to welcome him to the Chicago Humanities stage for a conversation with Rudi Batzell, assistant professor of history at Lake Forest College, on Goodman’s memoir Everyone Against Us and the human suffering that is at the heart of the American criminal justice system.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/allen-goodman/
When most people think of the history of modern conservatism, they think of Ronald Reagan. This leaves out the current ideals of conservatism, the recent presidency of Donald Trump, and the ambiguous future of the Republican party. Co-founder of The Washington Free Beacon, Matthew Continetti (The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism), American Journalist Mary Katharine Ham, and former aide to Vice President Mike Pence, Olivia Troye, sit down for a conversation led by author and senior writer atThe Dispatch David Drucker (In Trump’s Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP) on the state of the conservative movement – where it started and where it’s going.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event wll have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/american-conservatism/
Miranda July has gained a cult following over the span of her award-winning career as a filmmaker (Me and You and Everyone We Know and Kajillionaire), writer (No One Belongs Here More Than You), and artist (her latest project, Services, is both a sculpture and a book). Chill with July and acclaimed musician, actor, and comedian Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater Kinney) for a chat about art in all of its many forms.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have ALDs available at the Box Office.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/july-brownstein/
Writer and comedian Scott Aukerman’s weekly podcast, Comedy Bang! Bang!, is filled with zany characters, celebrity interviews, and chaotic improv. It’s now available as a book, Comedy Bang! Bang! The Podcast: The Book, and features brand-new anecdotes and opinions from characters of the iconic show. Join Aukerman and Mark Bazer, host of The Interview Show, on the Chicago Humanities stage for a hilarious behind-the-scenes conversation about his new book.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/aukerman-bazer/
Jane Austen is famously a writer of comedy, but many readers turn to her work in times of difficulty and sorrow, not merely to escape, but because Austen, with her wonderful capacity for surprise, seems to make room for these darker times. So author Rachel Cohen found during the period of ordinary joys and sorrows when her children were born, her father died, and she read nothing but Austen. Join Cohen for a conversation about her latest work, the Austen Years: A Memoir, as she explores the surprise mingling of sorrow and joy – in Jane Austen’s life, in Sense and Sensibility, and in what draws us back to Austen through reading and films of our own day.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/rachel-cohen/
One of the greatest tensions in American society exists between preserving freedom of speech and respecting the sensitivities of marginalized communities, and it has been manifesting increasingly in academics, business, and the arts. Ayad Akhtar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, novelist, and President of PEN America, joins Interfaith America Founder and President Eboo Patel in conversation to explore how to hold space for intellectual liberty and creative expression without sacrificing the dignity of individual identities and beliefs.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/akhtar-patel/
With the nominations of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, and the subsequent reversal of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court has taken a dramatic turn to the right. Gain insight into how we got here and the changing judicial landscape with a panel of experts: CNN senior legal analyst Joan Biskupic, whose latest work Nine Black Robes examines the historic consequences of the Supreme Court’s drive to the right, law professors Aziz Huq and Joyce Vance, and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner.
A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/supreme-court/
Democrat Beto O’Rourke rose to national prominence with competitive campaigning in Republican Texas. Now, the former El Paso Congressman is turning his energy toward voting rights, an essential part of a productive democracy. In his new book, We’ve Got to Try: How the Fight for Voting Rights Makes Everything Else Possible, O’Rourke connects voting rights and democracy to the major issues of our time, sharing what he saw, heard, and learned while campaigning throughout the 254 counties of his home state during his Senatorial and gubernatorial runs. Join Chicago Humanities as we sit down for a conversation on just how essential it is that the sacred right to vote is protected and that we each do our part to save our democracy for generations to come.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/beto-orourke/
As Minnesota’s Attorney General, Keith Ellison prosecuted the police officers in the murder trial of George Floyd and grappled with how to deliver justice to the Floyd family while putting an end to police brutality once and for all. Now, in the face of new stories of police abuse filling the news once again, Ellison joins Chicago Humanities to ask the key question: how do we break the wheel of police violence and finally make it stop turning?
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/keith-ellison/
In April 1952 Ralph Ellison published Invisible Man, his first and only finished novel and a work that is regarded today as one of the most important American literary works of the twentieth century and a stark account of America’s racial divisions. Alongside Ellison’s notable written works survives an archive of photographs he took throughout his life, spanning the 1940s–90s. Now 29 years after his death, Ralph Ellison: Photographer is the first book dedicated to Ellison’s photography practice. Join editors Michal Raz-Russo (Gordon Park Foundation), John Callahan (Lewis & Clark College), Bethany Collins and writer Adam Bradly (UCLA) in a conversation on Ellison’s photography, career, and creative.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/ralph-ellison/
Congresswoman Katie Porter is known for challenging those in power and using her iconic whiteboard to demand answers on behalf of the American people. However, few know of her journey from Iowa farm girl to a single mom who had never run for office defying expectations by winning her seat in a historically conservative district in Orange County, California. Join Porter for an intimate conversation about her family, career, her new book, I Swear, and her upcoming run for the US Senate.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/katie-porter/
Comedian Lane Moore wrote the book on How To Be Alone but building real, healthy friendships as an adult is ten times more difficult! In her new book You Will Find Your People: How to Make Meaningful Friendships as an Adult, Moore shares everything she’s learned about how to finally make friends as an adult, how to identify your attachment style, choose better friends, become a better friend yourself, and how to handle friendship breakup grief, which can be even more brutal than most romantic breakups. Join Lane Moore and writer/actor Mara Wilson (Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame, Matilda) for a fun-filled evening full of stories, advice, and sharing as we try and figure out a better way to find our chosen family.
Come enjoy dinner and drinks at Chop Shop before or after the conversation with Lane Moore and Mara Wilson. A book signing will follow this program.
This event will have open captions, ASL Interpretation and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/moore-wilson/
Rainn Wilson–beloved comedic actor, producer, writer–brings his unique perspective and humor to the traumas of our modern world. Wilson is calling for a Soul Boom, a spiritual revolution that could help us solve some of today’s biggest issues, including mental illness, racism, sexism, climate change, and economic injustice. The Office star will sit down with the Vice President of Second City, Kelly Leonard, in Chicago for a chat about spiritual thinking and profound healing, peppered with plenty of Kung Fu and Star Trek references, as only Rainn Wilson can.
A photo opportunity with Rainn Wilson will be available only for audience members who pre-order or purchase on-site pre-signed copies of Soul Boom.
This event will have open captions and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/rainn-wilson/
Susanna Hoffs is a legend in the music industry. As the co-founder of the Bangles, she produced three platinum-selling albums and is the voice behind indelible pop hit after pop hit. Now, this famed songwriter has ventured into a new kind of writing with her debut novel, This Bird Has Flown, a story of music, secrets, and sex. At Chicago Humanities, Susanna will take the stage with the host of The Interview Show, Mark Bazer for an in-depth conversation about her new novel, the music business, and her illustrious life. Following the conversation, Susanna Hoffs will be taking the stage for a brief solo performance.
Come enjoy dinner and drinks at Chop Shop before or after this event.
This event will have open caption and ALDs.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/susanna-hoffs/
Alonzo King LINES Ballet returns to the Harris stage for the first time since 2015. The celebrated contemporary ballet company, whose mission is to nurture artistry and the development of creative expression in dance, through collaboration, performance, and education, will perform in a matinee program for children and families.
Accessibility: ASL interpreter, assistive listening devices, large print programs, sensory-friendly, quiet spaces, wheelchair accessible
https://www.harristheaterchicago.org/alonzo-king-lines-ballet/family
Will Rawls presents a new interdisciplinary work, [siccer], that addresses the relationship between blackness and image-making through a live performance accompanied by a video installation on the museum’s first floor.
Encompassing dance, photography, and sound, [siccer] experiments with stop-motion, a filmmaking technique in which subjects incrementally shift positions between photographs to produce the illusion of movement. Throughout the performance, an automated camera snaps an image every few seconds while the intervals between shutter clicks offer brief interludes when the camera fails to capture the dancers’ movements. As the performers improvise during these gaps between photographs, they rescript the terms through which blackness and queerness are made visible. [siccer] is also being presented as a video installation on the museum’s first floor throughout the duration of the Frictions suite, beginning on April 6.
Accessibility: captioning, ASL interpreted, audio description, assistive listening devices
Shamel Pitts and the Brooklyn-based arts collective TRIBE debut an electrifying new live performance in their ongoing Red Series exploring Black multiplicity and human connection.
The new work, titled Touch of RED, is a duet for two Black men set inside a contemporary boxing ring—a space that might traditionally suggest an aggressive competition between male athletes for entertainment purposes. Yet in Touch of RED, the two dancers imbue this boxed-in site with an intense energy drawn from the power of vulnerability, effeminacy, and the healing that occurs when Black men are allowed to soften, together. During the performance audiences will be seated around the four sides of the ring, which strategically conceals or frames the action. Transforming the space into a pulsing night club dance floor, Touch of RED invites the audience to experience the anticipation, energy, and collective softening that accompanies a good party—and reframe their expectations of time, space, and normative identity.
Accessibility: ASL interpreted, assistive listening devices, audio description, captioning
Don’t miss the 24th annual festival of the best independent films created by Irish filmmakers celebrating diversity and creativity through short, documentary and feature films.
The Chicago Irish Film Festival proudly presents our Opening Night feature “The Sparrow” at Theater on the Lake on March 2, starting at 6:30pm. Enjoy other films at AMC New City from March 2-5 with director chats, and virtual tickets available from March 6-16, 2023.
All virtual films will have subtitle options. In-person captioning will not be available, however is available depending on the theater.
Join us in person for a lecture by distinguished alum Athena LaTocha followed by an audience Q&A.
Location: The Art Institute of Chicago, Fullerton Hall, 111 S. Michigan Ave.
Athena LaTocha (BFA 1992) is an artist whose massive works on paper explore the relationship between human-made and natural worlds. The artist incorporates materials such as ink, lead, earth, and wood while looking at correlations between mark-marking and displacement of materials made by industrial equipment and natural events. LaTocha’s process is about being immersed in these environments while responding to the storied and, at times, traumatic cultural histories that are rooted in place.
Presented in partnership with SAIC Alumni Engagement.
This event is free, non-ticketed and open to the general public.
This event will be live captioned by Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services. The auditorium is wheelchair accessible and hearing assisted devices are available. For additional access requests, visit saic.edu/access.
Accessibility: live captions, assistive listening devices, wheelchair accessible
Join us in person for a lecture by artist Torkwase Dyson followed by an audience Q&A.
Location: The Art Institute of Chicago, Fullerton Hall, 111 S. Michigan Ave.
Working in painting, drawing, and sculpture, Torkwase Dyson combines expressive mark-making and geometric abstraction to explore the continuity between ecology, infrastructure, and architecture. Dyson deconstructs, distills, and interrogates the built environment, exploring how individuals—particularly Black and Brown people—negotiate, negate, and transform systems and spatial order. Throughout her work and research, Dyson seeks to confront issues of environmental liberation, envisioning a path toward a more equitable future.
This event is free, non-ticketed and open to the general public.
This event will be live captioned by Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services. The auditorium is wheelchair accessible and hearing assisted devices are available. For additional access requests, visit saic.edu/access.
Patti Smith is one of America’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters, and she is also a beloved photographer and poet. In A Book of Days, Smith shares over 365 photographs – inspired by her wildly popular Instagram – to take readers through a year in the legendary life of this visionary poet, writer, and performer. Join Patti Smith for an intimate performance and conversation charting Smith’s life, music, and passions.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/patti-smith/
It’s often said that social media is bad for our mental health, and while that can be true, the full story isn’t so cut and dry. At CHF, Nicole Wetsman, Health Tech Reporter for The Verge moderates a panel between Dr. Megan Moreno, a leading researcher on adolescent social media, and Margot Lee, a high-profile young adult influencer about how curating public images affect our well-being.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/verge-social-media/
You probably know that algorithms play a huge role in what we see online, but what happens to society when this type of curated content begins to influence our real lives? Join The Verge Deputy Editor Alex Heath and a special guest for a conversation about how personalized and relatable content on social media is redefining our feeds and creating a new lens through which millions view the world.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/future-feed/
We’ve all been told too much social media is bad for us, but why is that? At CHF, New York Times investigative reporter and author of The Chaos Machine Max Fisher explains how, through the pursuit of unfettered profits and maximum engagement, Big Tech has rewired our minds, and instigated a cultural shift toward polarization and misinformation. Join him and David Pierce (editor at large at The Verge) for a behind-the-scenes look at how social networks prey on psychological frailties, driving people to extreme opinions and actions.
A book signing will follow this program.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
Join Reza Aslan (No god but God and Zealot) for the spellbinding tale of a martyr for democracy. Howard Baskerville was a 22-year-old missionary who went to Iran in 1907 and died fighting in the Persian Constitutional Revolution. Was he the “American Lafayette of Iran” or a naive “white savior”? In this talk, Aslan explores what Baskerville’s story illuminates about how seriously we take our democratic ideals and whose freedom we actually support.
Pre-order your book and gain access to a book signing and meet and greet with Aslan following this program.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
In the wake of the midterm elections, join former presidential candidate, political activist, and spiritual thought leader Marianne Williamson for an intimate conversation with Sen. Nina Turner about the state of American politics. In an era of divisiveness, Williamson comes to CHF with a new vision for American politics built on social responsibility, democracy, and deep human values.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/marianne-williamson/
Despite the isolation, degradation, and cruelties of the criminal justice system, American prisons are filled with the art of the people incarcerated in them. At CHF, Nicole R. Fleetwood (Marking Time) is joined by interdisciplinary artist Maria Gaspar for a conversation about how these artists use limited supplies in harsh conditions to create elaborate works with an important political message.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/nicole-r-fleetwood-maria-gaspar/
In 2010, Chelsea Manning disclosed thousands of classified US military and diplomatic records to the public while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. Since her initial sentencing and conviction, followed by early release, Manning has become a globally recognized whistleblower and activist. Join her in conversation with Nadya Tolokonnikova (of the feminist protest and performance art group, Pussy Riot) for a conversation about Manning’s memoir README.txt; and her journey fighting for institutional transparency, political activism, government accountability, and trans rights.
A book signing will follow this program.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/chelsea-manning/
Jim Jarmusch isn’t just the director and screenwriter for classics of independent cinema, including Stranger Than Paradise, and star studded films like The Dead Don’t Die, he’s also a prolific collage artist. At CHF, Jarmusch chats with writer Jonathan Ames (creator of HBO’s Bored to Death and author of You Were Never Really Here, A Man Named Doll, and The Wheel of Doll) about being a dilettante and art in its many forms.
A book signing will follow this program.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/jim-jarmusch/
You’ve probably seen Devin Allen’s photography on the cover of TIME magazine, featuring images of protests in response to the police murders of Freddie Gray (2015) and George Floyd (2020). At CHF, join Allen—who has spent nearly a decade documenting the Black Lives Matter movement—for a conversation with Michal Raz-Russo, Programs Director at the Gordon Parks Foundation, about No Justice, No Peace, Allen’s latest book honoring the connection between past and present racial justice activism.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/devin-allen/
Picture an art critic, and you probably think of Jerry Saltz: a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer on the importance of art in our cultural lives. At the top of his field, Saltz has a knack for making contemporary art cool and accessible in a way few critics have before. In a conversation with Michael Darling, Saltz looks at how visionary artists have documented and challenged our culture, our times, and our lives.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/jerry-saltz/
Join Saturday Night Live alum, standup comedian, and caricature artist Kevin Nealon for an evening of stories: from backstage at SNL with Chris Farley and Dana Carvey to hanging out in Tiffany Haddish’s vegetable garden. At CHF, Nealon will chat with former SNL castmate Tim Meadows about his new book I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame (Abrams), a collection of original, full-color portraits drawn by Nealon himself alongside endearing personal stories of his famous friends.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
A book signing will follow this program.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/kevin-nealon/
What happens when people get their news from the pulpit? At CHF, Bonnie Kristian (author of Untrustworthy and columnist at Christianity Today), Russell Moore (Editor in Chief at Christianity Today), and David French (senior editor at The Dispatch) unpack this question. Join them for a discussion about the power the evangelical church wields in shaping the political ideologies of its worshippers and the impact of this on America’s already prevalent knowledge crisis.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
A book signing will follow this event.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/church-state-information-crisis/
Heralded as the “best short-story writer in English” by Time, and winner of the Man Booker Prize for Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders is the perfect author to help us make sense of our era through fiction. At CHF, Saunders sits down with Peter Sagal for a chat about his latest collection Liberation Day, featuring timely short stories exploring power, ethics, and justice through his trademark prose.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/george-saunders/
Heralded as the “best short-story writer in English” by Time, and winner of the Man Booker Prize for Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders is the perfect author to help us make sense of our era through fiction. At CHF, Saunders sits down for a chat about his latest collection Liberation Day, featuring timely short stories exploring power, ethics, and justice through his trademark prose.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/george-saunders/
“If a law can’t protect a person from lynching, isn’t lynching the law?” asks Margaret A. Burnham, director of Northeastern University’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, in her new book By Hands Now Known. At CHF, Burnham and Courtney Pierre Joseph (Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Lake Forest College) explain the ways America’s legal system allowed and encouraged racial violence during the Jim Crow era, how those atrocities extend into today, and what we can do to repair a broken system.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/margaret-burnham/
Seymour Hersh has been at the forefront of investigative journalism ever since his Pulitzer Prize-winning exposé of the Vietnam War’s Mỹ Lai Massacre. At CHF, Hersh sits down with David Greising, President of the Better Government Association, to talk about what Hersh has learned over the course of his storied career—from Vietnam to Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison and beyond—and why the public service of a free press is so important to protecting democracy.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/seymour-hersh/