Alison Bechdel is known for her pioneering comic strips Dykes to Watch Out For and the modern classics Fun Home (as well as the Tony-Award winning musical adaptation), Are You My Mother?, and The Secret to Superhuman Strength. But her acclaim doesn’t stop there — her last name is synonymous with the “Bechdel Test,” a way to assess how women are portrayed in media. Join us as she explores her newest work of autofiction, Spent: A Comic Novel, which makes the case for seizing what’s true about life at this moment, before it’s too late.
ACCESSIBILITY: Assistive Listening Devices, Open Captions
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/alison-bechdel/
Acclaimed author Ron Chernow, of Hamilton fame, is one of the most renowned voices in history and politics. Recipient of the 2015 National Humanities Medal, Chernow has dedicated his life to telling the stories of some of the most notable figures in history. Join us as Chernow discusses his newest work, Mark Twain, a nuanced portrait of “the father of American literature.” Chernow draws on thousands of letters and hundreds of unpublished manuscripts to capture the exuberant genius whose career reflected the country’s westward expansion, industrialization and foreign wars, and became the white author of his generation who grappled most fully with the legacy of slavery. Hear from Chernow as he sheds light on the often maddening life of Mark Twain — from his start as a brash journalist to his days as the most notable political pundit in the U.S.
ACCESSIBILITY: Assistive Listening Devices, Open Captions
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/ron-chernow/
Jeffrey Seller is one of the most successful Broadway producers of our time — and the only one to have mounted two Pulitzer Prize-winning musicals: Hamilton and Rent. From his early days as an office assistant, to meeting Jonathan Larson and experiencing the triumph and tragedy of Rent, to working with Lin-Manuel Miranda on In the Heights and Hamilton, Seller joins us to completely pull back the curtain on the joyous and gut-wrenching process of making new musicals, finding new audiences, and winning a Tony Award — all the while finding himself.
ACCESSIBILITY: Assistive Listening Devices, Open Captions
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/jeffrey-seller/
A New Adaptation by Mickle Maher
Based on the graphic novel by Jason Lutes
Directed by Charles Newell
Development and Dramaturgy by David J. Levin
Berlin is an unforgettable mosaic of intersecting narratives set amidst the decline of Weimar Germany. This original commission brings Jason Lutes’s exhilarating and acclaimed graphic novel to life.
Fascism is taking hold; revolutionaries are organizing; creatives are trying to capture the ineffable nature of their changing city; and – as everything falls apart – everyone is faced with a choice: abandon Berlin or fight to survive.
May 10, 2025 at 2:00pm (ASL-Interpreted and Audio Description Performance). Touch Tour at 12:00 PM
Food planning shouldn’t be hard. New York Times Cooking editor in chief Emily Weinstein and food writer Melissa Clark join us to help you take the stress out of cooking and chat about all things food. They’ll share quick and easy recipes, tips, and tricks for busy people who still want something good to eat. Their newest book Easy Weeknight Dinners, features 100 favorite dishes that you can make in as little as 10 minutes. Whether you’re seeking a standout meal for one, crowd-pleasers for picky kids, or something special for company, Weinstein and Clark have got you covered.
ACCESSIBILITY: ASL Interpreted, Assisted Listening Devices, Open Captions
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/melissa-clark-emily-weinstein/
Award-winning author and longtime climate and human rights activist Rebecca Solnit joins Chicago Humanities to explore how our actions can shape the future and the liberating possibilities of embracing uncertainty. In her latest collection of essays, No Straight Road Takes You There, Solnit dissects topics like climate change, feminism, democracy, hope, and power, and urges us to heed the stories we tell or have been told, and the ways those stories can be, or should be changed. She asks us to embrace unpredictability, slowness, and imperfection in the politics of how to change the world.
ACCESSIBILITY: Assistive Listening Devices, Open Captions, Quiet Spaces, Wheelchair Accessible
Twenty years since its Broadway musical debut, The Color Purple is reborn in Lili-Anne Brown’s revelatory production—“perfection on every level!” (Chicago Sun-Times).
It’s a celebration of life, hope and the healing power of love! The musical stage adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novel is a heart-rending, yet ultimately joyous, story of a young woman’s perilous journey of personal awakening in the American South. Come ready to shout in church, stomp at the juke joint, laugh and cry with unforgettable “come-to-glory gospel hymns, down-and-dirty bump-and-grinds, jazz that stutters, dips and dives, and gorgeous alto arias” (Chicago Sun-Times).
Twenty years since its Broadway musical debut, The Color Purple is reborn in Lili-Anne Brown’s revelatory production—“perfection on every level!” (Chicago Sun-Times).
It’s a celebration of life, hope and the healing power of love! The musical stage adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novel is a heart-rending, yet ultimately joyous, story of a young woman’s perilous journey of personal awakening in the American South. Come ready to shout in church, stomp at the juke joint, laugh and cry with unforgettable “come-to-glory gospel hymns, down-and-dirty bump-and-grinds, jazz that stutters, dips and dives, and gorgeous alto arias” (Chicago Sun-Times).
The #1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman dives into his newest work — an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later. Backman helps us see that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship, and art.
Philosopher and University of Chicago professor Agnes Callard brings us back to the days of Socrates, reviving his ideas for our time. While we call him the “father of Western philosophy,” what exactly are his philosophical views, and how can we use them to better our lives in the 21st century? In Open Socrates, Callard argues that the true goal of the famous “Socratic method” is to reveal what one human being can be to another. Callard is joined by scholar William Baud to discuss why Socrates’s ideas are still the way to a good life, giving us nothing less than a new ethics to live by.
What happened since Chicago closed 50 public schools in 2013? Join us for a screening and panel discussion on the documentary Beyond Closure, created by Borderless Studio and On the Real Film, which retraces the history of the largest mass school closures in U.S. history, highlighting the intertwined issues of inequity, racism, and injustice. Through the voices of community members leading the repurposing of three closed schools, this film reflects on community impact, their setbacks, and wins towards redevelopment. Join us as we dig into the work of Creative Grounds, the initiative focused on the community and urban role of Chicago’s school grounds, and ask the question: How might art, design, and architecture create a more inclusive process for repurposing these schools?
Experts have warned that the U.S. is lagging behind other countries when it comes to our infrastructure – whether it be roads, railways, bridges, or public transit (and don’t get Chicagoans started on potholes). However, Deborah N. Archer, President of the ACLU and professor and associate dean at New York University School of Law, warns that we can’t repair our infrastructure without first coming to terms with the troubling history behind it. She shares that while government-sanctioned racism was finally deemed illegal after the successes of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, officials across the country turned to infrastructure to protect segregation. Archer joins us to uncover the hostility built into our everyday environments and explain why existing Civil Rights law is insufficient to address the challenges we face today.
Journalist Jonathan Capehart is one of the most recognizable faces in cable news. Join us as the award-winning writer, editor, and TV host takes us on his journey from learning to embrace his identity as a gay, Black man; to his decision to come out to his family; and finally his move to New York City, where time and again he stumbles and picks himself up as he blazes a path to become the familiar face in news we know today.
Leslie Odom Jr. burst onto the scene in 2015, originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical phenomenon Hamilton. Since then, he has performed for sold-out audiences, sang for the Obamas at the White House, and won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. But before Hamilton, Odom put in years of hard work as a singer and actor, from debuting on Broadway in Rent at 17-years-old to attending Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious School of Drama to landing the role of a lifetime. Odom joins us to share what he has learned in life so far, tapping into universal themes of starting something new, following your passions, discovering your own potential, and surrounding yourself with the right people.
The #1 New York Times bestselling, National Book Award-winning author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi joins us to discuss his groundbreaking narrative biography of Malcom X for young readers. In Malcolm Lives!, Kendi expertly crafts a telling of Malcolm X’s life, providing context for both Malcolm’s choices — and those around him — not just painting an intimate picture of a famous figure, but of the social and political landscape of America during the civil rights movement. In collaboration with the Malcolm X Estate, Kendi provides a thoughtful and accessible look into Malcolm’s journey toward anti-racism, just one day before what would have been Malcolm X’s 100th birthday.
One of the most influential activists (and now astronauts) of her time, Amanda Nguyen is a force for resilience. The Nobel Peace Prize nominee and TIME’s 2022 Woman of the Year joins us to detail her healing journey and groundbreaking activism in the aftermath of her rape at Harvard. She discusses her memoir Saving Five, weaving together the story of her activism — which resulted in Congress’s unanimous passage of the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act — with an adventure of her younger selves at ages five, fifteen, twenty–two, and thirty as they navigate through the emotional stages of her path toward healing. Nguyen sheds light on her moving journey toward acceptance and hope.
What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first?
The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern was elected the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand at the age of thirty-seven, becoming the country’s youngest Prime Minister in more than 150 years. Ardern exemplifies a new kind of leadership — proving that leaders can be caring, empathetic, and effective. After becoming a global icon, she’s ready to share the remarkable story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt made political history and changed our assumptions of what a global leader can be.
Joined by special guests, Ardern will reflect on the struggles, triumphs, and deeply personal experiences that shaped her leadership style and what she’s learned along the way.
As Michigan’s Secretary of State and chief election official, Secretary Jocelyn Benson has overseen several of the highest turnout, most secure elections in the state’s history. But her life changed in December 2020 when armed protesters descended onto her doorstep, threatening her family. Her only crime: certifying a fair and accurate Presidential election in which the protesters’ preferred candidate — Donald Trump — did not win. Benson stood her ground, spoke out louder, and helped expose and defeat a coordinated national effort to overturn the 2020 election. Join us as Benson challenges us all to think about what we are willing to be warriors for in our own lives, and shows us how to turn fear and frustration into a fight for our own purpose, vision, and future.
Catherine Coleman Flowers, one of the leading environmental justice activists of our times, has dedicated her life to fighting for the most vulnerable communities who have been deprived of the basic civil right to a clean, safe, and sustainable environment. Drawing inspiration from her newest book, Holy Ground, Flowers illuminates the most pressing issues of the moment: climate justice, human rights, rural poverty, reproductive justice, and racialized disinvestment in the South. Flowers equips us with clarity, lights a way forward, and rouses us to action – for ourselves, our communities, and our planet.
Pulitzer Prize-winning and #1 New York Times best-selling author Rick Atkinson joins us for a conversation about Fate of the Day, the second volume of his acclaimed Revolution trilogy. According to famed documentarian Ken Burns, with this volume, “the battles and struggles that created our country now have clarity and meaning.” Timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the Revolution, Atkinson dives into the lethal conflict between the Americans and the British, offering not only a deeply researched and spectacularly dramatic history, but also a new perspective on the demands that a democracy makes on its citizens.
Accessibility: open captions, assistive listening devices
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/rick-atkinson/
Actor, comedian, writer, and producer Ed Helms is perhaps best known for his roles as Andy Bernard on The Office and Stu Price in The Hangover film trilogy. His newest project is the book SNAFU, based on his hit podcast, which brings you an absurdly entertaining look at history’s greatest screwups. Spanning from the 1950’s to the 2000’s, Ed Helms steps in as unofficial history teacher with a loving tribute to humanity’s finest faceplants, diving into each decade’s craziest SNAFUs. From planting nukes on the moon to training felines as CIA spies to weaponizing the weather, Helms joins us to unpack the incredibly ironic decision-making and hilariously terrifying aftermath of America’s biggest mishaps. They’re the kind of stories that not only entertain but offer fresh insights that just might prevent history from repeating itself again and again.
Accessibility: open captions, assistive listening devices
A Tale of Two Cities
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Brendan Pelsue
Directed by Mikael Burke
It’s still the best of times and the worst of times. In a society where the gap between the rich and poor widens, and the cries for revolution grow louder, one can relate. This bold reimagining of Charles Dickens’s classic tale of revolution shows us that while a story may be 165 years old, some things never change. Or, can they?
Audio-Described and Touch Tour:
Friday, May 23rd at 7:30 pm
(6:15 pm touch tour, 7:30 pm curtain)
Accessibility: audio-described and touch tour
https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/530/performances
A Tale of Two Cities
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Brendan Pelsue
Directed by Mikael Burke
It’s still the best of times and the worst of times. In a society where the gap between the rich and poor widens, and the cries for revolution grow louder, one can relate. This bold reimagining of Charles Dickens’s classic tale of revolution shows us that while a story may be 165 years old, some things never change. Or, can they?
Open-Captioned Public Performance:
Sunday, May 25th at 3 pm
https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/530/performances
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking safety and prosperity. Weaving together the stories of Central Americans whose lives have been devastated by chronic political conflict with those of American activists, government officials, and politicians, best-selling author and New Yorker writer Jonathan Blitzer illuminates the country’s immigration crisis. Join us as Blitzer dives into this vital and remarkable story, as told in his newest book Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here, that has shaped the nation’s politics and culture—and will almost certainly determine its future.
Accessibility: open captions and assistive listening decvices
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/jonathan-blitzer/
Many see a crisis in American democracy. Dr. Timothy Snyder, acclaimed historian and best-selling author of such works as On Tyranny and On Freedom, argues that Americans are less free now than they were two decades ago. But he also offers a much needed light in this dark moment, showing us the lessons to heed, the warning signs to look out for, and ways to be vigilant in order to preserve our democratic ideals. His newest book, On Freedom, is a culmination of his decades of scholarship and brings together the themes and big picture analysis for which he is known—crafting a work of political philosophy filled with hope. Join us as Snyder provides a combination of anecdotes, deep reflections, and a nuanced examination of our current political and cultural moment, inviting us to create a democracy that can be freer and more fulfilling than what we have known.
Accessibility: open captions and assistive listening devices
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/timothy-snyder/
David M. Rubenstein, New York Times bestselling author of The American Story and How to Lead and host of PBS’s History with David Rubenstein, joins Chicago Humanities to give us an inside look into the American presidency. From his interviews with living U.S. presidents, including Joe Biden, Donald Trump, George W. Bush, to conversations with top historians and journalists like Maggie Haberman and Ron Chernow, Rubenstein has unique insight into one of the most important positions in the world. His newest work, the New York Times bestseller The Highest Calling, blends history and anecdote to chronicle the journeys of the presidents who have defined America as it exists now. Renowned journalist and author Walter Isaacson leads a conversation with Rubenstein about our country’s most prominent leaders, what they envision for its future, and their legacy on the world stage.
Accessibility: open captions and assistive listening devices
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/david-rubenstein/
Chicago-based klezmer band Upshtat Zingerai has emerged over the last several years as a central force in the continuity and evolution of klezmer music and Yiddish dance — the traditional music and folk dance of Eastern European Jews — in Chicago. Join us as Upshtat Zingerai performs soulful klezmer melodies that have traveled where Eastern European Jews have lived over time, infusing additional cultural music traditions and stories that ensemble members have collected along the way. Experience the joy, connection, and resilience created through this rich cultural tradition, giving us a window into Jewish cultural history and diasporic living traditions.
Dancing will be led by a dance leader; no prior dance experience is necessary to join in this celebratory fun.
Ethan Aronson – octave mandolin
Emma Blau – trombone
Hannah Mira Friedland – fiddle
Jonah Lazarus – percussion
Max Lazarus – alto saxophone, woodwinds
Qi Yang – accordion
Accessibility: assistive listening devices, open captions.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/upshtat-zingerai/
In Hands Up! Forgiveness, seasoned performers bring profound and deeply moving stories to life. Storytellers with and without disabilities share real-life experiences that reveal the transformative power of compassion, wisdom, and kindness in the face of pain and betrayal. These stories illuminate the difficult choices people make to let go of hurt, reminding us that forgiveness is a choice, not an obligation. It is sometimes less about absolving others and more about healing for oneself. The show will incorporate the uplifting and transformative djembe drumming performed by Victoria Boateng. In addition, the theme will be explored through the movement, music, and expressions evoked by the dances of ReinventAbility. This show invites us to see forgiveness not as an act of weakness, but as a courageous, self-nurturing choice that teaches us about the depths of empathy and strength we carry within.
Kenneth Roth led Human Rights Watch for over three decades. During his leadership, he conducted investigations in 100 countries to uncover abuses and pressured offending governments to stop them. Roth joins Chicago Humanities to share his ongoing fight to take on the biggest villains and toughest autocrats around the world and how he persuaded leaders from around the globe to stand up to their repressive counterparts. He has traveled the world to meet cruelty and injustice on its home turf: from the Rwandan Genocide and Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait to Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians, the Chinese government’s persecution of Uyghur Muslims, Russian war crimes in Ukraine, and more. Grappling with the worst of humanity, Roth tells us the story of wins, losses, and ongoing battles in the fight against injustice.
Support the work of Human Rights Watch by attending or donating to their annual benefit on April 10, 2025.
This event will include open captions and assistive listening devices.
DuPage Children’s Museum (DCM) is dedicated to being an accessible, inclusive environment for children to thrive through extraordinary learning experiences. Adaptive Play Time provides a modified environment for families with disabilities and/or those who may need a calmer experience to enjoy the Museum.
At DCM, kids are inspired to be curious, creative, and full of wonder. Designed for children ages 0-10 years, the Museum invites families to explore hands-on exhibits where learning happens through play.
Imagine building towering structures with giant blocks, experimenting with gravity, discovering the properties of air and water, and so much more. From babies crawling through soft play spaces to young inventors problem-solving in engineering exhibits, there’s something to captivate and engage every age.
Plan your visit: dupagechildrens.org/adaptive-play-time/
DuPage Children’s Museum (DCM) is dedicated to being an accessible, inclusive environment for children to thrive through extraordinary learning experiences. Adaptive Play Time provides a modified environment for families with disabilities and/or those who may need a calmer experience to enjoy the Museum.
At DCM, kids are inspired to be curious, creative, and full of wonder. Designed for children ages 0-10 years, the Museum invites families to explore hands-on exhibits where learning happens through play.
Imagine building towering structures with giant blocks, experimenting with gravity, discovering the properties of air and water, and so much more. From babies crawling through soft play spaces to young inventors problem-solving in engineering exhibits, there’s something to captivate and engage every age.
Plan your visit: dupagechildrens.org/adaptive-play-time/
Play for All invites children and families with disabilities to come and experience Chicago Children’s Museum’s inclusive, multisensory exhibits and programs free of charge with pre-registration. The museum will open at 10 am for pre-registered guests with disabilities and CCM members, before opening to the public at 11 am. Guests are welcome to come and go all day.
CCM‘s Play for All initiative creates a community where play and learning connect for visitors of all abilities. For accessible accommodations call (312) 321-6551 or email us at customersupport@chicagochildrensmuseum.org.
After years of refusing to build sufficient housing, the entire country has a national housing crisis. After years of slashing immigration, we don’t have enough workers. The list goes on. The twenty-first century so far has been full of growing unaffordability and shortage. And in the last few decades, our capacity to see problems has sharpened while our ability to solve them has diminished. Bestselling authors and popular podcasters Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson join Chicago Humanities to trace the political, economic, and cultural barriers to progress and how we can adopt a mindset directed toward abundance, and not scarcity, to overcome them. Drawing from their latest book, Abundance, they ask us to rethink big problems that seem mired in systemic scarcity: from climate change and housing to education and healthcare.
Accessibility: Open captions and Assistive Listening Devices.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/ezra-klein-and-derek-thompson/
When Dylan Mulvaney came out as a woman online, she was a viral sensation almost overnight, emerging as a trailblazing voice on social media. Join Chicago Humanities as Mulvaney pulls back the curtain on her personal coming-out story and how it blossomed into a platform for advocacy and empowerment for trans people all over the world. In this conversation, Mulvaney discusses her debut book Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer, giving us an inside look into her “Days of Girlhood” series, how she handled scandals and cancellations, and her first big break in theater — all while never shying away from discussing the transphobia she faced online. No large bags will be permitted at the event or post-event photo op.
Dylan Mulvaney Post-Event Photo Op – Get your photo with Dylan. A member of house staff will take the photos.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/dylan-mulvaney/
It’s no secret that society is consumed with the concept of “gossip”—is it good, bad, or somewhere in between? Kelsey McKinney, host of the massively popular Normal Gossip podcast, joins Chicago Humanities to explore our obsession with gossip, weaving together journalism, cultural criticism, and personal stories. McKinney’s newest book You Didn’t Hear This From Me considers the murkiness of everyday storytelling. Why is gossip considered a sin and how can we better recognize when gossip is being weaponized against the oppressed? Why do we think we’re entitled to every detail of a celebrity’s personal life because they are a public figure? And how do we even define “gossip,” anyway? She dishes on the art of eavesdropping and dives deep into how pop culture has changed the way that we look at hearsay. With wit and honesty, McKinney unmasks what we’re actually searching for when we demand to know the truth—and how much the truth really matters in the first place.
Join us early for a free pop-up experience complete with interactive components, knick-knacks, and, of course, plenty of gossip. (A bar will also be available on-site!) This will take place from 6:00pm–7:00pm in the Paradiso room, located just off the main atrium upon entry.
Accessibility: Open captions and Assistive Listening Devices.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/kelsey-mckinney/
We all feel it — the distraction, the loss of focus, the addictive focus on the wrong things for too long thanks to our phones, computers, tablets, and more. Chris Hayes, host of MSNBC’s show “All In” and “Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast,” argues attention has become a commodified resource extracted from us, and from which we are increasingly alienated. This assault from attention capitalism has reordered our politics and the fabric of our society. In his newest book The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource, Hayes offers clarity and guidance so that we can wrest back control of our lives, our politics, and our future.
A book signing will follow this program.
Accessibility: Open captions and Assistive Listening Devices.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/chris-hayes/
Following critically acclaimed runs in New York City and London, TimeLine will create a site-specific, immersive Chicago premiere of the american vicarious’ imagining of the historic debate between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr., on the occasion of the event’s 60th anniversary.
“Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?” This was the topic on February 18, 1965 when an overflow crowd packed the Cambridge Union in Cambridge, England, to bear witness to a historic televised debate between James Baldwin, the leading literary voice of the civil rights movement, and William F. Buckley Jr., a fierce critic of the movement and America’s most influential conservative intellectual. The stage was set for an epic confrontation that pitted Baldwin’s call for a moral revolution in race relations against Buckley’s unabashed elitism and implicit commitment to white supremacy. This historic clash reveals the deep roots and lasting legacy of racial conflict that continues to haunt America.
Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley will feature Teagle F. Bougere as Baldwin and Eric T. Miller as Buckley in the cast. Additional casting and production team members are to be announced.
This performance features narration about visual elements of the production around the dialogue, available for individual patrons via headphones.
Please note: Touch Tours can be arranged for patrons attending the audio described performance of Debate. Please reach out to Kellyn Henthorn at kellyn@timelinetheatre.com to request a Touch Tour.
Following critically acclaimed runs in New York City and London, TimeLine will create a site-specific, immersive Chicago premiere of the american vicarious’ imagining of the historic debate between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr., on the occasion of the event’s 60th anniversary.
“Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?” This was the topic on February 18, 1965 when an overflow crowd packed the Cambridge Union in Cambridge, England, to bear witness to a historic televised debate between James Baldwin, the leading literary voice of the civil rights movement, and William F. Buckley Jr., a fierce critic of the movement and America’s most influential conservative intellectual. The stage was set for an epic confrontation that pitted Baldwin’s call for a moral revolution in race relations against Buckley’s unabashed elitism and implicit commitment to white supremacy. This historic clash reveals the deep roots and lasting legacy of racial conflict that continues to haunt America.
Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley will feature Teagle F. Bougere as Baldwin and Eric T. Miller as Buckley in the cast. Additional casting and production team members are to be announced.
Open Caption Performance!!
Use code: WTOC2425 for $30.00 tickets!
If you experience any difficulties with redeeming this promo code, please contact the box office directly at 847-242-6000 or at boxoffice@writerstheatre.org.
Iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was a woman who lived boldly, loved wildly, and painted prolifically in order to see herself and the world around her more clearly. Witness this extraordinary figure come to life onstage through playwright and performer Vanessa Severo, who brings breathtaking physicality and raw honesty to this stunningly creative production. With music and movement, Vanessa cracks open a powerful portal between herself and Frida, uncovering insights into the painter’s physical limitations, complex love life, addictions, and, of course, the beauty in her art.
ASL Performance!!
Use promo code: WTASL2425 for $30.00 tickets! If you run into any problems with this promo code, please call the box office at 847-242-6000 or send an email at boxoffice@writerstheatre.org.
THIS PERFORMANCE IS GENERAL ADMISSION!
“1. Ice Cream. 2. Water fights. 3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV.” This is how a six-year-old child begins a list of all the things that make life wonderful. They’re making the list for their mother, who suffers from depression. As life goes on, and the challenges faced morph from childhood to adulthood, the list continues to grow and take on a life of its own. By shining a hilarious and compassionate light on life’s small abundant joys, this big-hearted play—told in gentle collaboration with the audience—is a loving tribute to resilience and the lengths we will go to for those we love.
Legendary celebrity and rock-n-roll photographer, Lynn Goldsmith has captured the biggest stars with her skilled lens. She’s chronicled the careers of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, and her longtime friend and collaborator, Patti Smith. A Chicago Humanities favorite, Patti Smith is one of America’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters and a beloved photographer and poet. Reserve your copy of Goldsmith’s deeply personal visual book about Smith, Before Easter After, and become a lucky fly on the wall with your ticket to witness this chat between two icons of music and photography, as well as an exclusive performance.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/patti-smith-lynn-goldsmith/
Hoop Dreams was famously called “the great American documentary” by Roger Ebert. It’s also, of course, a quintessentially Chicago film. Hoop Dreams turns 30 this year, its story of two young Chicagoans (Arthur Agee and William Gates) trying to become professional basketball players as resonant as ever. Arthur and William, along with director/producer Steve James and director of photography/producer Peter Gilbert, join Chicago Humanities and Kartemquin Films to look back at the film that changed their lives while reflecting on what has — and hasn’t changed — for young men and women chasing their dreams on the basketball courts of Chicago.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/hoop-dreams-30th-anniversary/
As part of our fall festival examination of movement, we explore the primal human expression of physical movement and the artistic and cultural foundations of dance with leading choreographer Kyle Abraham. With his company, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, he creates a body of dance-based work that is galvanized by Black culture and history and features the rich tapestry of Black and Queer stories. Hear the inspiring insights of Abraham, who has been commissioned to create works for premiere dance companies like Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/kyle-abraham/
Former fifth-ranking leader in the US House of Representatives, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and senior associate counsel to President George W. Bush, Christopher Cox leads a discussion on President Woodrow Wilson’s profound and disturbing influence in the fights for women’s voting rights and racial justice, accentuating the importance of historical awareness for contemporary social discourse. Wilson’s decades of opposition to the 19th Amendment, his segregation of the federal workforce, and his sympathy for Jim Crow laws have deeply influenced the course of American history. Obtain a fresh perspective on the enigmatic 28th president and explore how Wilson’s complex legacy in racial equality and women’s suffrage continue to impact America today.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/christopher-cox/
Language is constantly changing. Linguist and veteran English professor Anne Curzan is here to help us decipher its “rules.” Written with lively humor and humanity, Curzan’s newest book Says Who? is a pragmatic and accessible key that reveals how our choices about language can be a powerful force for equity and personal expression. Join Chicago Humanities as Curzan shows us how we can care about language precision, clarity, and inclusion all at the same time. Curzan makes nerding out about language fun — for both proud grammar sticklers and self-conscious writers alike. A book signing will follow this program.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/anne-curzan/
Tegan and Sara are indie-pop royalty, twin sisters, and bestselling authors of a young adult graphic novel duology. Crush, the second book in this autobiographically-inspired series, explores the teenage world of crushes, crushing it, and being crushed by life — all wrapped in a queer lens. Join Chicago Humanities in conversation with Tegan and Sara as they talk about their popular book series and iconic musical careers.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/tegan-and-sara/
Join us as we experience poet and Yale professor Claudia Rankine and choreographer Shamel Pitts in conversation and performance. Rankine is not only the New York Times bestseller of Citizen: An American Lyric, but a MacArthur Fellow, playwright, and author of the newly released Dont Let Me Be Lonely. She brings her unique perspective on race and racism in America to Chicago Humanities and joins Pitts for a dynamic discussion.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/claudia-rankine/
What’s it like to write for the most popular late-night comedy shows in America when the news already feels like a satire of itself? Second City’s Kelly Leonard sits down with Chicago-bred talent who have written for the hottest shows in late night: Ali Barthwell (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), Peter Grosz (The Colbert Report, Late Night with Seth Meyers), and John Lutz (Late Night with Seth Meyers, Saturday Night Live). They will discuss the power of creating comedy in a time of social and cultural crisis.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/political-comedy-writing-panel/
The Edith Farnsworth House, one of the most famous residences in modern architectural history, was legendary long before it could be widely accessed. Michelangelo Sabatino brings to life the house’s original design by Mies van der Rohe and discusses periods of neglect, flooding, and new ownership by Lord Peter Palumbo in his latest book, The Edith Farnsworth House: Architecture, Preservation, Culture. Now publicly accessible and celebrating 20 years of being owned and administered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Sabatino joins Thomas Leslie to discuss this icon of modern architecture, featuring a reading of Edith Farnsworth’s memoir.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/michelangelo-sabatino/
John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, The Anthropocene Reviewed) and Rebecca Makkai (The Great Believers, I Have Some Questions for You) are two of our most beloved contemporary writers. They’re also long-time admirers of each other’s work. For the first time, the two best-selling authors will come together to discuss their books and their lives. They’ll also share why they chose to write fiction in the first place and the role that novels can—and can’t—play in today’s short-attention-span world.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/john-green-rebecca-makkai/
The legendary director of Men in Black, Get Shorty, and The Addams Family dishes out a delectable mix of insights and true tales that escalate from outrageous to unbelievable in his new memoir, Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time. From battling with studio executives and producers to bad-script-solving on set to coaxing actors into finding the right light and talking faster, Sonnenfeld will provide an entertaining masterclass in how to make commercial art in the face of constant human foible. You’ll never see Hollywood the same way again. A book signing will follow this program.
Open captions, ASL interpretation and ALDs will be provided.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/barry-sonnenfeld/
Immerse yourself in the lyrical world of legendary artist and activist, Joan Baez. Sharing decades of personal poetry for the first time publicly, join us to discover how Baez has weaved her verse with experiences, activism, and her musical legacy. Bask in the inspiring stories of her childhood and poetic reflections on fellow friends and icons like Judy Collins, Jimi Hendrix, and her complex relationship with Bob Dylan. You will cherish this discussion and celebration of one of America’s most beloved voices exploring the power of her words beyond music. A book signing will follow this program.
Open captions and ALDs will be provided.
Calm Waters is an exclusive event for guests with disabilities and Veterans to explore Shedd Aquarium’s exhibits and experiences in a comfortable and accepting environment. Modifications for this event will include limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration.
Modifications for Calm Waters Include:
Limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration
A sensory friendly app
A low-sensory animal spotlight with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation
An animal encounter opportunity
Complimentary 4D Experiences during the event
Family members and companions are welcome.
https://www.sheddaquarium.org/plan-a-visit/accessibility/calm-waters
Politics of Poetics is a series of readings and workshops that highlights influential contemporary poets whose practices traverse the political through writing, teaching, and activism. This fall, poet Heid E. Erdrich reads new work and selections from her award-winning book of poetry, Little Big Bully (2020) and Curator of Ephemera at the New Museum of Archaic Media (2017). Following the reading, Erdrich is joined in conversation with artist Andrea Carlson, whose work provides the cover art for Little Big Bully, and is the current artist in our Chicago Works series.
Prior to the talk, Erdrich gives an intimate poetry workshop at the Center for Native Futures. Registration for the workshop is required; tickets are available through the Center for Native Futures.
ASL interpretation and English CART captioning are provided for the talk.
Two lost souls meet at a crossroads, in the dead of night, deep in the Mississippi of it all. They laugh, they flirt, they make sweet music. Together, they conjure a familiar sound from long ago, one of wondrous deals and dangerous aspirations. In this sultry world premiere inspired by the myth of musician Robert Johnson, the Delta Blues fills the air, and every strum has the chance to change your life.
Leroy and Lucy will be performed in Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theater.
Accessibility: Assistive Listening Devices, Open Captions
https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets–events/seasons-/2024-25/leroy-and-lucy/
Two lost souls meet at a crossroads, in the dead of night, deep in the Mississippi of it all. They laugh, they flirt, they make sweet music. Together, they conjure a familiar sound from long ago, one of wondrous deals and dangerous aspirations. In this sultry world premiere inspired by the myth of musician Robert Johnson, the Delta Blues fills the air, and every strum has the chance to change your life.
Accessibility: Assistive Listening Devices, Open Captions
https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets–events/seasons-/2024-25/leroy-and-lucy/
The Midwest premiere of Becky Nurse of Salem, a new dark comedy by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Polly Noonan, promises to bewitch Chicago audiences as the opening production of Shattered Globe Theatre’s 34th season.
Gaze into any crystal ball and it’s clear, Shattered Globe’s Becky Nurse of Salem is sure to cast a spell on Chicago audiences during the fall theater season. Previews start date October 4. Press opening is Thursday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. Becky Nurse of Salem runs through November 16 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets are $10-$52, and on sale now. Purchase tickets online at SGTheatre.org, call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150, or purchase in person at Theater Wit.
Meet Becky Nurse, an outspoken, quick-witted tour guide at the Salem Museum of Witchcraft, where she’s straining to navigate life in post-Obama America. As a descendant of Rebecca Nurse, who was executed for witchcraft in 1692, Becky questions whether things have truly changed for women. As her struggles grow, she turns to a local witch for help. One spell leads to another, spiraling Becky’s life into chaos. In today’s “lock her up” era, this darkly comic play delves into a woman grappling with her family’s past while finding her own voice.
Access: Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible, and all patrons with disability needs are invited to purchase $20 access tickets with the code “ACCESS20” at Theater Wit’s checkout page. Please email boxoffice@theaterwit.org to ensure we can reserve the right seat for your access needs. Please do not use this code if you do not require these services. Go to SGTheatre.org and see the Accessible Ticketing info to find out about our Waived Ticket Program.
Assisted Listening Devices are available for all performances.
Open Captions will be provided at the 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, November 10.
ASL performance of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 at Writers Theatre!
$30.00 Tickets! Promo Code: ASLNatasha
(Please enter code before selecting seat. If you run into any issues please give the box office a call at 847-242-6000)
“There’s a war going on somewhere out there, and Andrey isn’t here.” Young and impulsive, Natasha Rostova arrives in Moscow to await the return of her fiancé from the front lines. But when she falls under the spell of the roguish Anatole, family friend Pierre must push through his existential crisis to help Natasha pick up the pieces of her shattered reputation. Based on a scandalous slice of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel War and Peace, this innovative musical spectacle took Broadway by storm with its “electropop opera” score, earning 12 Tony Award nominations. Katie Spelman and Matt Deitchman, the inspired creative team behind WT’s hit production of Once, reunite to bring this modern spin on a literary classic to Chicago for the first time.
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com
Accessibility: open captions, ASL interpretation, assistive listening devices
https://www.writerstheatre.org/natasha-pierre-and-the-great-comet-of-1812
Expect unfiltered stories and insights as these two friends and collaborators take the stage to discuss their rise in New York’s alt-cabaret and improv comedy scene to starring roles in HBO’s Peabody Award-winning, critically acclaimed comedy series, Somebody Somewhere. After a short screening of the Season 3 premiere episode, Everett and Hiller will share behind-the-scenes stories from the new season and career anecdotes with the witty charm for which the series is known. Don’t miss this opportunity to see these larger-than-life personalities and stars up close and personal in an intimate, no-holds-barred discussion.
Accessibility includes wheelchair accessibility and assistive listening devices.
https://chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/bridget-everett-jeff-hiller/
The New York Times bestselling author and adored comedian Randy Rainbow has a few things on his mind that he wants to talk about in his newest essay collection, Low-Hanging Fruit. As a savvy social commentator who is keenly attuned to the public discourse, Randy’s unfailing intuition tells him that the perspective everyone in America is clamoring for is that of a privileged white male complaining about a bunch of stuff. So join Chicago Humanities as Randy tackles the most pressing issues facing the U.S., from dancing TikTok grandmas to Elon Musk, the GOP, and Donald Jessica Trump.
Accessibility includes wheelchair accessibility, open captioning and assistive listening devices.
It has been twenty-five years since publication of bestseller, The Tipping Point. Let’s join Malcolm Gladwell as he reveals a fresh reframing of his groundbreaking first book in a startling new light. Hear the always provocative Gladwell revisit the phenomenon of social epidemics and the ways in which we have learned to tinker with and shape the spread of ideas, viruses, and trends—sometimes with great success, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Don’t miss this thought-provoking discussion skating on the double-edged sword of viral phenomena in our world.
This event will have Open Captions and ALDs onsite.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/malcolm-gladwell/
Spend the day with us at UIC Forum! Check out the event link to see the full festival lineup. Please note that ticket prices and accessibility offerings vary by event; visit our event pages or call our box office for specific details.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/?sort=venue&view=day&fromDate=2024-10-05
Join us for a thrilling evening with two-time Emmy Award-winning comedian Kate McKinnon as she unveils her debut novel and a new series for quirky tweens and young adult readers aged 8-12, The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science. The former SNL cast member, no stranger to creating wonderfully wild characters, digs into her creative process and how her childhood love of adventure and the natural world inspired this years-in-the-making imaginative literary expression. Don’t miss this uproarious opportunity to witness Kate’s hilarious intersection of maniacal genius and proper etiquette!
This event will have open captions and ALDs onsite.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/kate-mckinnon/
Join Abra Berens in conversation with Greta Johnsen for delicious insights into innovative recipes with simple and sustainable ingredients. With a background in Midwestern farming, the celebrated author and chef shares her farm-to-table approach with tips for the climate and your own kitchen. Walk away with a packet of seasonal recipes and inspiration to start conversations around your own table!
This event will have ALDs onsite at the Box Office.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/abra-berens-x-greta-johnsen/
Acclaimed author Jesmyn Ward is a MacArthur Genius Grant winner and the first woman and Black American to win the National Book Award for Fiction twice. Join moderator Natalie Moore for an evening with this literary powerhouse as she dives into her latest novel, Let Us Descend. Set in the antebellum South during the early 1800s, the story describes a haunting journey of a young slave girl from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans. Landing on Oprah’s Book Club and several best book of 2023 lists, Ward’s lyrical prose and unflinching narrative confront the brutal realities of enslavement. Join a rigorous discussion on Ward’s contribution to the African American literary canon.
Accessibility: Assistive Listening Devices, Open Captions, Audio Description
Millennium Park Summer Music Series features a wide variety of music from established and emerging artists at the iconic Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
Corinne Bailey Rae
English singer/songwriter/musician Corinne Bailey Rae shot to stardom with her self- titled #1 U.K. debut album in 2006, featuring the global hits “Put Your Records On” and “Like A Star.” Over the course of her career she has released four critically acclaimed studio albums—Corinne Bailey Rae, The Sea, The Heart Speaks in Whispers, and Black Rainbows—and earned two Grammy Awards, two MOBOS, and has been nominated for multiple awards including the BRIT Awards, Mercury Music Prize and BET Awards. Her work for film and television includes the theme to Stan Lee’s Lucky Man (SKY1), “The Scientist” for Universal Pictures’ Fifty Shades Darker opening title and soundtrack which charted globally, and in 2020 her song “New to Me” was performed in the film The High Note by Tracee Ellis Ross. Bailey Rae has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Mary J. Blige, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, KING, Paul McCartney, Kele Okereke, Eric Benet, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Questlove, Salaam Rami, RZA, Tyler The Creator, Paul Weller, Richard Hawley, Stevie Wonder, Tracey Thorn, Pharrell, Logic, Mick Jenkins and many more.
Terrace Martin
A five-time GRAMMY-nominated artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist from LA’s Crenshaw District, Terrace Martin is renowned as one of the world’s leading jazz musicians AND hip-hop producers. This singular standing is captured on his countless influential collaborations including Kendrick Lamar (good kid, M.A.A.D. city & To Pimp a Butterfly), Stevie Wonder, Travis Scott, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Herbie Hancock, and Leon Bridges’ “Sweeter” (performed at the DNC). From his own acclaimed releases like the protest anthem “PIG FEET”, and his GRAMMY-nominated, star studded album, DRONES (featuring Kendrick, YG, Leon Bridges, Cordae, and more) to the GRAMMY-nominated Dinner Party (The musical supergroup of Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder), and his most recent single “Chucks (feat. Channel Tres)”. Among the most versatile creatives in a generation, Terrace’s path is leading him in parallel with the greats like Quincy Jones or Dr. Dre, while also launching his vibrant, progressive, genre-crossing record label record label Sounds of Crenshaw.
This event includes ASL interpretation, wheelchair accessibility, assistive listening devices, audio description, digital programs, and large print programs.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park9.html
Millennium Park Summer Music Series features a wide variety of music from established and emerging artists at the iconic Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
Béla Fleck
Few musicians in any category seem as uncategorizable as Béla Fleck. After initially making his mark with the progressive bluegrass group New Grass Revival, Fleck proceeded to take his instrument, as New York Times critic Jon Pareles noted, “to some very unlikely places.” He formed the Flecktones, a groundbreaking group whose repertoire ranged from fusion to Bach; the group celebrates its 46th anniversary this year. In addition, he has played jazz with Chick Corea, American roots with his partner, banjoist Abigail Washburn, written concertos for banjo and orchestra, and created a documentary film and album, Throw Down Your Heart, that examined the banjo’s African roots. Along the way, he has won 18 Grammys across 10 categories.
Zakir Hussain
The pre-eminent classical tabla virtuoso of our time, Zakir Hussain is appreciated as one of the world’s most esteemed and influential musicians, one whose mastery of his percussion instrument has taken it to a new level, transcending cultures and national borders. A child prodigy, accompanying India’s greatest musicians and dancers from his early years, and touring internationally while still in his teens, Zakir has been at the helm of many genre-defying collaborations including Shakti, Remember Shakti, Masters of Percussion, Diga, Tabla Beat Science, CrossCurrents, Sangam and Grammy-award winners Planet Drum and Global Drum Project. A revered composer and educator, Zakir is the recipient of countless honors, most recently the 2022 Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy, the 2022 Aga Khan Music Award for Lifetime Achievement, and in January, 2023, the title of Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award.
Edgar Meyer
Aptly described by The New Yorker as “the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument,” double bassist and composer Edgar Meyer is at home in a broad spectrum of musical styles. A MacArthur Fellow and Avery Fisher Prize winner, he is eminently at home within classical music, both performing traditional works and also his significant catalog of original solo, chamber, and orchestral pieces. His 30-year relationship with Yo-Yo Ma has yielded seven recordings together, and his upcoming projects include a duo recording with jazz bassist Christian McBride and a recording of all four of his concertos with the Knights and the Scottish Ensemble, produced by Chis Thile.
Rakesh Chaurasia
Like Zakir Hussain, Rakesh Chaurasia comes from Indian classical music royalty. His uncle, Pandit Hariprasad Chaursia, is widely considered the greatest bansuri player in India, and Rakesh — who started playing at age five — is deemed his most brilliant student. Not only has he mastered the techniques of Indian classical music, he has developed additional techniques allowing him to venture into other styles of playing, particularly with his crossover band Rakesh and Friends. A composer as well as flautist, he has written and performed on numerous Indian movie soundtracks, and in 2007 was awarded the Indian Music Academy Award.
This event includes ASL interpretation, wheelchair accessibility, assistive listening devices, captioning, open captioning, digital programs, and large print programs.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park9.html
This summer, DCASE is pleased to present the Millennium Park Summer Film Series, presented by Pluto TV, on Tuesdays from July 16 through August 20. Films start at 6:30pm (with the exception of the double feature starting at 6pm). All films are open caption. Gates open at 5pm.
Guests may take a seat at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion or lounge on the Great Lawn as crowd-pleasing movies are presented on the state-of- the-art, 40-foot LED screen. Address for Paratransit is 201 E. Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601. For more information about accessibility at Millennium Park visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park1.html.
In partnership with the Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals (CAFF), each screening will also showcase one of the many independent film festivals that are a part of Chicago’s vibrant film community.
August 13 – Wonka
(116 minutes, PG)
Highlighting the 40th anniversary of Chicago International Children’s Film Festival
Starring Timothée Chalamet, this 2023 musical fantasy film tells the origin story of Willy Wonka, a character in the 1964 novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl, depicting his early days as an innovative chocolatier.
This event includes wheelchair accessibility, assistive listening devices, accessible seating, open captioning, and large print programs.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park7.html
This summer, DCASE is pleased to present the Millennium Park Summer Film Series, presented by Pluto TV, on Tuesdays from July 16 through August 20. Films start at 6:30pm (with the exception of the double feature starting at 6pm). All films are open caption. Gates open at 5pm.
Guests may take a seat at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion or lounge on the Great Lawn as crowd-pleasing movies are presented on the state-of- the-art, 40-foot LED screen. Address for Paratransit is 201 E. Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601. For more information about accessibility at Millennium Park visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park1.html.
In partnership with the Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals (CAFF), each screening will also showcase one of the many independent film festivals that are a part of Chicago’s vibrant film community.
July 30 – Barbie
(114 minutes, PG-13)
Highlighting the one-year anniversary the launch of Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals
Nominated for eight Academy Awards, Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
This event includes wheelchair accessibility, assistive listening devices, accessible seating, open captioning, and large print programs.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park7.html
This summer, DCASE is pleased to present the Millennium Park Summer Film Series, presented by Pluto TV, on Tuesdays from July 16 through August 20. Films start at 6:30pm (with the exception of the double feature starting at 6pm). All films are open caption. Gates open at 5pm.
Guests may take a seat at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion or lounge on the Great Lawn as crowd-pleasing movies are presented on the state-of- the-art, 40-foot LED screen. Address for Paratransit is 201 E. Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601. For more information about accessibility at Millennium Park visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park1.html.
In partnership with the Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals (CAFF), each screening will also showcase one of the many independent film festivals that are a part of Chicago’s vibrant film community.
July 23 – Coco
(105 minutes, PG) (Played in English audio with Spanish subtitles)
Highlighting the 40th anniversary of Chicago Latino Film Festival
From Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz, despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
This event includes wheelchair accessibility, assistive listening devices, accessible seating, open captioning, Spanish captioning, and large print programs.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park7.html
Vocalist Michelle Coltrane, daughter of Alice Coltrane, and harpist Brandee Younger come together for An Oral History of Alice Coltrane. Part conversation, part performance, the event features oral histories and biographical stories of Alice Coltrane interwoven with performances and demonstrations from Brandee Younger, bringing the stories to life.
Through creative works and masterful performances, Alice Coltrane’s pioneering practice has changed the music world. She grew up playing music in her Baptist church, and by the 1950s established herself as a proficient bebop pianist in the Detroit scene. She met John Coltrane in 1963 and was his primary musical collaborator until his death in 1967. Prolific in her creation, Alice’s innovative style incorporated both gospel and jazz, leading to iconic works like Journey in Satchidananda (one of Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums). Once a profound musician, beloved spiritual leader, and pragmatic businesswoman, Alice Coltrane is now remembered as deeply giving human, known for her emphasis on charity work, education, and spiritual guidance.
MCA Music Talks pair powerhouse musicians with artists, activists, writers, and thinkers to take on big ideas in art and culture. These intimate evenings of performance and conversation reveal art world anecdotes, shared ideas, and creative inspirations.
This program is organized by Laura Paige Kyber, Assistant Curator of Performance, in partnership with The John & Alice Coltrane Home.
English CART Captioning and ASL are provided.
https://visit.mcachicago.org/events/music-talk-an-oral-history-of-alice-coltrane/
Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, the renowned composer/librettist team, tell the story of Claire, who is driven nearly mad by an unending, low-frequency hum that she hears. In desperation, she joins a community organization, “The Listeners,” formed to discover the origin of the noise and destroy it. The group becomes frighteningly cult-like, ultimately leading to catastrophic consequences.
Audio Description and Sound Shirts will be available.
Touch tour will begin at 12:00pm before the performance at 2:00pm.
https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2024-25/the-listeners/
In the setting of Count Almaviva’s castle, his servants, Figaro and Susanna, conspire to get the better of their willful employer, joined by his long-suffering wife, the Countess. Also on hand is opera’s most lovable pageboy, Cherubino.
Audio Description will be available at this performance and a touch tour will begin at 12:00pm before the performance at 2:00pm.
Sound shirt will also be available at this performance.
For more information go to lyricopera.org.
https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2024-25/the-marriage-of-figaro/
Rigoletto, tragically obsessed with avenging his daughter Gilda’s dishonor. The score’s highlights are unforgettable, from Rigoletto’s hair-raising denunciation of the Duke of Mantua’s courtiers, “Cortigiani,” to the immoral, philandering Duke’s “La donna è mobile,” to Gilda’s ecstatic “Caro nome.”
Audio Description & Sound Shirts are available at the performance – more information at lyricopera.org.
Touch tour will begin at 12:00pm before the event at 2:00pm.
https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2024-25/rigoletto/
Co-produced by Lyric, The Glimmerglass Festival, and Washington National Opera, the opera presents the moving story of a Black middle-class family in Harlem whose hopes and dreams for their teenage son are shattered when he is shot by a white police officer.
Audio Description will be available and a touch tour will begin at 12:00pm before the event at 2:00pm.
Sound Shirt will also be offered on this date.
Please visit lyricopera.org for further information.
Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, the renowned composer/librettist team, tell the story of Claire, who is driven nearly mad by an unending, low-frequency hum that she hears. In desperation, she joins a community organization, “The Listeners,” formed to discover the origin of the noise and destroy it. The group becomes frighteningly cult-like, ultimately leading to catastrophic consequences.
This performance will have both ASL and Sound Shirts, please visit lyricopera.org for more information.
https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2024-25/the-listeners/
Leonore, who disguises herself as a young man in order to work in the prison, hoping to rescue her husband.
Accessibility: SoundShirt, audio description, and touch tour.
Touch tour starting at 12:00pm before the performance at 2:00pm
A showcase of The Second City’s Victor Wong Fellows. The Victor Wong Fellowship is an intensive program at The Second City that mentors & trains talented Asian / Asian American identifying artists.
Accessibility: ASL Interpreted, assistive listening devices, and wheelchair accessbile.
https://secondcityus.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/instances/a0FTP000000Gh932AC
Days after the February 1848 revolution, Fryderyk Chopin is teaching a piano lesson in Paris. Set in the Polish pianist-composer’s intimate salon, Chopin shares with his students secrets about the piano and secrets about himself—as well as playing some of his most beautiful and enduring compositions. In a tour de force performance, virtuoso actor/pianist Hershey Felder brings to life the romantic story and music of the man once called the “Poet of the Piano.”
https://www.writerstheatre.org/hershey-felder-s-chopin-in-paris
Days after the February 1848 revolution, Fryderyk Chopin is teaching a piano lesson in Paris. Set in the Polish pianist-composer’s intimate salon, Chopin shares with his students secrets about the piano and secrets about himself—as well as playing some of his most beautiful and enduring compositions. In a tour de force performance, virtuoso actor/pianist Hershey Felder brings to life the romantic story and music of the man once called the “Poet of the Piano.”
Accessibility
Opened Captioning available on Thursday, April 25th, 2024. Assistive listening devices, wheelchair accessible, and ASL interpretation available upon request. For information about scheduling an ASL Interpreter for your performance, contact boxoffice@writerstheatre.org or 847-242-6000. We ask for at least 2 weeks prior to scheduled performances in order to prepare ASL interpreters.
https://www.writerstheatre.org/hershey-felder-s-chopin-in-paris
Michael Ondaatje is one of the most influential writers of his generation. He won the Booker Prize for his successful 1992 novel The English Patient, which was made into the nine-time Academy Award-winning film, including for Best Picture. Critically respected for testing the limits of the genre of poetry with playful experimentation, Ondaatje makes a long-awaited return to the medium with his latest A Year of Last Things, an exploration of memory, history, and the act of looking back. At Chicago Humanities, Ondaatje presents a reading and then sits down with Srikanth Reddy, Professor of English at the University of Chicago, for a conversation about his sometimes witty, or moving, but always brilliant poetry.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/michael-ondaantje/
What guardrails do artists need in a new age of artificial intelligence? As artists voice concerns about AI replacing their work or using their creative intellectual property to train AI models without proper consent or compensation, lawmakers are beginning to take notice. The essence of this debate — what artists seek and how regulations should adapt — often remains overshadowed by broader discussions on copyright law and regulation. Join The Verge AI reporter Emilia David as she leads Chicago Humanities through a crucial and timely conversation with one of the plaintiffs in the ongoing Andersen v. Stability AI case, Kelly McKernan, on the current legal challenges working through the courts and the impact of generative AI systems on the art world.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/verge-ai-art/
The proliferation of artificial intelligence tools has created a flood of AI-generated content online, much of it spammy, inaccurate, or even abusive. In her coverage, The Verge reporter Mia Sato documents how generative AI is being used to accelerate the production of junk online and entrench existing disparities around art and labor. She’ll offer primers on how to spot this kind of AI-generated content — but is there another way forward to harness AI?
Artists and technologists are exploring fascinating ways to use AI that probe creative limitations and cut at the very question of what “human-made” can look like. Join The Verge journalist Mia Sato and pioneering artists and thinkers in the field to examine where AI-powered content appears today, and how automated tools could be used in the future.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/verge-ai-human/
Cultural historian and video gaming specialist, Dr. Carly Kocurek from Illinois Tech Lewis College of Science and Letters moderates a discussion with game and interactive experience designer Caro Murphy. Caro is leading the vanguard in the emerging field and art form of interactive, experiential, and live-action game design. Caro has produced award-winning work as the Immersive Experience Director for Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser exhibit. Serving as a game adjudicator for the Academy of Arts and Sciences, Caro is also the Founder and CEO of the Boston Festival of Indie Games. They are a Visiting Associate Professor at Northeastern University in Boston and create immersive theater experiences as Chief Creative Officer of Incantrix Productions.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/caro-murphy/
Renowned multi-hyphenated artist and Chicago Humanities favorite, Miranda July has gained a cult following throughout her award-winning career as a filmmaker (Me and You and Everyone We Know, Kajillionaire), author (No One Belongs Here More Than You), and visual artist. Her perfect comic timing, unabashed curiosity about human intimacy, and palpable delight in pushing boundaries shine in her latest novel, All Fours: A Novel. Part absurd entertainment, part tender reinvention of the sexual, romantic, and domestic life, the story follows one woman’s quest for a new kind of freedom in her drive cross-country from LA to NY. One of the most inspiring creative artists of our time, July and author Jessamine Chan comes to Chicago Humanities for an afternoon on storytelling, creativity and finding a new life.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
Over a century ago, MSNBC host Ali Velshi’s great-grandfather sent his son to live at Gandhi’s ashram in South Africa. That tough decision forever changed his family story. Velshi’s grandfather became focused on public service, social justice and the equality of all people. These beliefs evolved through generations as his family escaped apartheid, emigrated to Kenya and ultimately settled in Canada and the United States. In Velshi’s most recent book, Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy, he explores his family legacy and takes notes from social justice warriors Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as a guide to how small actions of those who fought for democracy and freedom have profound political impacts. Chicago Humanities welcomes the famed author as he explores 125 years of family history and how social justice is a living, breathing experience―a way of life more than an ideology.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
A Professor of African American studies at Princeton University, Ruha Benjamin brings a unique and interdisciplinary perspective to social justice and technology. In her latest work, Imagination: A Manifesto, Benjamin argues that imagination gives us the power to challenge systems of oppression, such as hierarchies created by racism, sexism, and classism. She highlights educators, artists, and activists reflecting new ideas to challenge these worldly problems. Join the famed thinker for a conversation on how imagination can create a world where everyone can thrive.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/ruha-benjamin/
Award-winning graphic novelist James Spooner comes to Chicago Humanities for a chat on punk, comics and Black Identity. Spooner is a leader in the Black punk community. His works include the seminal documentary Afro-Punk (2003), creation of the Afro Punk Festival, and a graphic memoir, The High Desert. In this book, Spooner shares his experience being Black in small-town California and finding salvation in punk music, winning the American Library Association Alex Award and the Cartoonist Studio Prize. The artist and activist returns as an editor for his latest book, Black Punk Now. This anthology shares the voices and stories from the Black punk community. It is filled with contemporary nonfiction, fiction, illustrations and comics that collectively describe punk today and give punks—especially the Black ones—a wider frame of reference.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
Former South Carolina State Representative and CNN Political Analyst Bakari Sellers passionately asked live on-air the question that many Black Americans had in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020: “We have black children. I have a 15-year-old daughter. I mean, what do I tell her?” Four years later, Sellers has an answer to the question he raised on CNN. Discover his answers as Chicago Humanities grapples with this difficult question and learns about Barkari’s journey for personal and public policy solutions that impact Black families across the country. Sellers examines the inequalities in healthcare and education, and policing gaps, drawing from discussions with key thinkers like Rev. William Barber and attorney Ben Crump. Using these legends as jumping off points, Sellers deftly expands on his powerfully persuasive New York Times bestseller My Vanishing Country and latest book, The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn’t and How We All Can Move Forward Now.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/bakari-sellers/
The legendary “Swans of Harlem” ballerinas take the stage with Brandis Friedman (co-anchor, WTTW Chicago Tonight / host, Black Voices) and author Karen Valby to reclaim and lift up the trailblazing contributions to the dance world by these Black artists whose stories have been marginalized, devalued and forgotten by history. Stay after the chat for a live dance performance tribute to the Swans by the Chicago-based dance company Move Me Soul.
At the height of the Civil Rights Era, Lydia Abarca was a star prima ballerina leading international performances for the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the first Black ballerina with a ballet company to grace the cover of Dance Magazine. Abarca formed an unbreakable bond with fellow pioneering dancers, including Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells. At a time of intense racial and gender inequality, these remarkable women performed for the Queen of England, at the White House and beyond. Decades later, however, their story was still missing from history. This groundbreaking group of friends reunite at Chicago Humanities to discuss Valby’s new book, The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History. Their enthralling saga celebrates resilient Black women, the enduring power of female friendship, and reveals the hidden history of Black ballet, kept secret for far too long.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/swans-harlem/
Renowned Princeton University professor and New York Times best-selling author Eddie Glaude Jr. is one of the world’s most prominent scholars of African American Studies. Through the iconic interpretations of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Ella Baker, Glaude Jr. urges fellow Black Americans to focus on personal growth and individual empowerment to reshape our democracy. At Chicago Humanities, Glaude Jr. combines his reflections from We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For with insights from legendary writers Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Dewey, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison. Led in conversation by Chicago natives and co-hosts of the Pushkin podcast Some of My Best Friends Are, Khalil Gibran Muhammad and Ben Austen, Glaude makes a passionate call for a stronger democracy through grassroots movements, not a hopeful reliance on political figures.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/eddie-glaude-jr/
Frank Bruni, renowned New York Times columnist, guides Chicago Humanities on an incisive exploration of our cultural obsession with grievance that has permeated both political spectrums. Grievance dominates our unpredictable political landscape as all sides label disappointment or dissent as personal injury, fueling blame and rage. In his latest work, The Age of Grievance, Bruni acknowledges the historical importance of grievance, yet questions the contemporary fusion of authentic and fabricated grievances. Through vivid political, cultural and personal examples, Bruni and Interfaith America Founder and President Eboo Patel confront the roots and consequences of our polarized society, offering crucial insights and a roadmap toward restoring civic unity.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/frank-bruni/
MacArthur Fellow and Professor of Photography at Columbia College in Chicago, Dawoud Bey, is one of the most celebrated photographers in American history. Fellow photography colleague Kelli Connell is an artist who investigates sexuality, gender, identity, and the relationship between photographer and subject. Natasha Egan, Executive Director at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, moderates a discussion for Chicago Humanities on re-engaging with and reimagining history through photography. Both Bey (Elegy) and Connell (Pictures for Charis) draw on references from their latest books that span their recent work and present how photos help us reconsider our perceptions of history.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/history-photography/
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham is a New York Times bestselling author of a long list of acclaimed presidential biographies. He presents Chicago Humanities with his latest work, The Call of Serve: The Life of An American President, George Herbert Walker Bush: A Visual Biography. In this recounting, gleaned from a lifetime of Bush family scrapbooks, Meacham curates a balanced personal view into an American president and man who was more than politics. With over 450 never-before-published photos and intimate memories to reference from his visually stunning book, Meacham frames the forty-first president’s vision of leadership as a service to his country.
Judith Butler’s groundbreaking work, and their theory of gender performativity, has had a vast influence on contemporary scholarship in feminism and gender studies. In Butler’s latest work, Who’s Afraid of Gender?, they tackle the global rise of right-wing movements that seek to nullify reproductive justice, undermine protections against sexual and gender violence and strip trans and queer people of their rights. Butler draws upon an array of approaches to gender to expose how authoritarian and fascist politics rely on a frightening phantasm of gender. Chicago Humanities welcomes this iconic thought leader for a timely discussion that offers rigorous analysis, hope, freedom and solidarity in confronting the reactionary politics that seek to intensify marginalization and inequality.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/judith-butler/
Honorably serving for twenty-eight years as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer challenges the textualist philosophy of the court’s supermajority with insightful analysis and arguments for a more nuanced view of Constitutional interpretation. Emphasizing the consequential impacts of major legal decisions, Breyer upends the prevailing textualism approach as outlined in his book Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism. Former Justice Breyer and CNN senior Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic connect with Chicago Humanities to expand on his views for a flexible, evolving Constitution. Breyer asserts that pivotal cases like Dobbs and Bruen were incorrectly decided. They underscore the importance of considering the intent and repercussions of legal statutes and offer a compelling case for a more balanced interpretation of law.
Accessibility: ASL Interpreted, Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair accessible.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/breyer-biskupic/
Chicago Children’s Museum’s Play for All initiative creates a community where play and learning connect for visitors of all abilities. Play for All invites children and families with disabilities to come and experience CCM’s inclusive, multisensory exhibits and programs.
The museum will open at 10 a.m. for pre-registered children and families with disabilities and CCM members before opening to the public at 11 a.m. The first 250 children and families with disabilities who register will receive FREE admission! Pre-registration is required for free admission.
Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible, Accessible & All-Gender Restrooms, Sound-reducing Headphones, Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, Quiet Spaces.
There will be two certified sign interpreters to interpret all dialogue and lyrics at the Paramount Theatre on March 22nd, 2024 for Billy Elliot: The Musical.
See the show for $30 each. Purchase online using instructions below, or email mariew@paramountarts.com.
Click the performance you wish to purchase:
Enter promo code: ASLPARAMOUNT
Click on the ASL Interpreted Section
Select your seats and click PROMO $30
Add to order and proceed through checkout
You must enter promo code to unlock ASL Interpreted section and special $30 price.
Accessibility: ASL Interpreted.
Children’s author and illustrator Arnold Lobel’s beloved characters hop from the page to the stage in the Tony-nominated musical A Year With Frog And Toad, based on his popular children’s book that follows two best friends – the cheerful, popular Frog and grumpy, but lovable Toad – through four fun-filled seasons.
A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD was originally presented on Broadway by Bob Boyett, Adrianne Lobel, Michael Gardner, Lawrence Horowitz and Roy Furman. The play had its world Premiere at The Children’s Theatre Company Minneapolis, Minnesota.
ACCESS Weekend |Sat, April 27th (9:30am: Sensory Friendly, 11:30am: ASL & Open Captions) and Sun, April 28th (9:30am: Sensory Friendly, 11:30am: Audio Description & Touch Tour – must confirm attendance two weeks prior to performance)
A trailblazing feminist icon, Kathleen Hanna changed the punk scene in the 90’s with her bands, Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. This rebel girl is back with her electric, searing memoir that takes us into her tumultuous childhood, her early years on the scene, and her connections with other music icons like Kurt Cobain, Joan Jett, and the Beastie Boys. Join Chicago Humanities with Women & Children First, Chicago’s feminist bookstore since 1979, for an evening with the music legend who shares how both the hard and the joyful times fuel her revolutionary art and music.
This event will have Assistive Listening Devices and Open Captions.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/kathleen-hanna/