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
A.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations—a Chicago-based nonprofit that creates theatre and film for, with, and by individuals with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), is thrilled to return to Chicago Shakespeare Theater with a punk-inspired re-telling of Frankenstein.
The neurodiverse ensemble will transform The Upstairs Studio into a run-down punk club called The Arctic, and trade off playing multiple characters as they bring Frankenstein and the Creature’s stories to life. The production blends music, movement, and scenes devised by the group into a powerful exploration of ambition, isolation, and the balance between the head and the heart. How far would YOU go to chase a dream?
Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission
Content Warning: Frankenstein contains scenes depicting bullying, threats of violence, and death. The production design includes recorded music and animated projection.
ACCESSIBILITY: ASL Interpreted, Masks Required, Open Captions, Sensory Friendly, Wheelchair Accessible
A.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations—a Chicago-based nonprofit that creates theatre and film for, with, and by individuals with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), is thrilled to return to Chicago Shakespeare Theater with a punk-inspired re-telling of Frankenstein.
The neurodiverse ensemble will transform The Upstairs Studio into a run-down punk club called The Arctic, and trade off playing multiple characters as they bring Frankenstein and the Creature’s stories to life. The production blends music, movement, and scenes devised by the group into a powerful exploration of ambition, isolation, and the balance between the head and the heart. How far would YOU go to chase a dream?
Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission
Content Warning: Frankenstein contains scenes depicting bullying, threats of violence, and death. The production design includes recorded music and animated projection.
ACCESSIBILITY: Open Captions, Sensory Friendly, Wheelchair Accessible, Masks Required
CONTACT: Marty McConnell, Blue Hour curator, marty@poetrycenter.org
The Chicago Poetry Center invites you to this year’s final three editions of Blue Hour, voted “Chicago’s best reading series 2025” by the Chicago Reader! Blue Hour is a free monthly in-person reading series paired with a generative writing workshop.
The next Blue Hour will take place on Wednesday, April 16. The writing workshop will run from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by the open mic and featured readers from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Our features for the night are Ayokunle Falomo and Viola Lee.
Ayokunle Falomo is Nigerian, American, and the author of “Autobiomythography of” (Alice James Books, 2024), “AFRICANAMERICAN’T” (FlowerSong Press, 2022), two self-published collections and “African, American” (New Delta Review, 2019; selected by Selah Saterstrom as the winner of New Delta Review’s 8th annual chapbook contest). He is the recipient of fellowships from Vermont Studio Center, MacDowell, and the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program, where he obtained his MFA in Creative Writing—Poetry.
Viola Lee graduated from NYU with an MFA in Poetry. Her book “Lightening after the Echo” was published by Another New Calligraphy. She has published poems in literary journals throughout the US, including Barrow Street, Bellevue Literary Review, and Another Chicago Magazine. Her poems were finalists in the Pleiades Prufer Poetry Prize and the 2022 Mississippi Review Poetry Prize. Her manuscript “The Only Home” was a finalist in the 2023 Switchback Books’ Gatewood Prize, Semi-finalist in the 2023 Perugia Press Poetry Prize and finalist in the 2024 X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize.
Registration for the April edition of the Blue Hour reading is available https://AprilBlueHour.eventbrite.com.
Registration for the April edition of the workshop is available https://april25-bluehour-workshop.eventbrite.com.
The workshop and reading both take place at Haymarket House located at 800 W. Buena in Chicago. The reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets. Pre-registration is free and recommended.
May’s featured poets will be Nadia Alexis and Keith S. Wilson. Information about the series, including upcoming features and the history of the series, can be obtained here.
ACCESSIBILITY: ASL Interpreted, Wheelchair Accessible
Sunday, April 27
8 a.m.–10 a.m.
Lincoln Park Zoo is offering Sensory-Friendly Morning hours to benefit guests of all ages! People with disabilities or chronic illness, or members of the Deaf community, can experience the zoo grounds and animal buildings in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Modifications include limited capacity and muted attractions. This is a free event, but it does require advanced registration.
During Sensory-Friendly Morning, the Gift Shop will be open at 8 a.m. and Eadie Levy’s Landmark Café will sell beverages starting at 8:30 a.m. The Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure will operate with music and noises at lower levels. Not all animal buildings may be open, and some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces.
At 10 a.m., the zoo will be open to the public and begin typical operations.
View the zoo’s accessibility map HERE and its accessibility page HERE to help plan your visit.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo’s social story on iOS or Android
Please enter at the West Gate or East Gate. You must present your registration email to zoo ushers.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine. You may still enjoy the wonderful animal buildings if it rains, and the carousel is covered.
There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for additional guidelines.
Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
For more information, email access@lpzoo.org.
Sunday, July 20
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the zoo without crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes guests with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, and chronic illness. All guests are welcome at Sensory-Friendly Day. This limited-capacity event requires advanced registration.
During Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo, animal buildings may be open—but some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces. Low-sensory activities will be available.
While you may enter before or after your one-hour timed entry window, you are strongly encouraged to come during your assigned timed entry window to help limit crowd sizes. Limited crowd size is one of the most important ways to make this day sensory-friendly. Thank you.
View the zoo’s accessibility map HERE and its accessibility page HERE to help plan your visit.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo’s social story on iOS or Android
Upon arrival, present your registration email to zoo ushers. Please note: This event is only happening at Farm-in-the-Zoo. The rest of Lincoln Park Zoo will operate as usual.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine.
There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for additional guidelines.
Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
For more information, email access@lpzoo.org.
Join us at the Nature Museum for a sensory friendly morning event for guests with disabilities and Veterans to explore our exhibits and experiences in a relaxed and accepting environment with their family members and companions.
Exclusive access for registrants 9:00am – 10:00am. Free tickets include museum admission for the day. Exhibits and experiences modified to be low sensory until noon.
Modifications for our Sensory Friendly Morning include:
Limited capacity with advanced registration
Exhibits modified for lower light and sound stimuli
Sensory friendly critter connections & first flight butterfly release
Accessibility supports available year-round:
Sensory kits
Quiet room for sensory breaks
And more
Join us at the Nature Museum for a sensory friendly morning event for guests with disabilities and Veterans to explore our exhibits and experiences in a relaxed and accepting environment with their family members and companions.
Exclusive access for registrants 9:00am – 10:00am. Free tickets include museum admission for the day. Exhibits and experiences modified to be low sensory until noon.
Modifications for our Sensory Friendly Morning include:
Limited capacity with advanced registration
Exhibits modified for lower light and sound stimuli
Sensory friendly critter connections & first flight butterfly release
Accessibility supports available year-round:
Sensory kits
Quiet room for sensory breaks
And more
Beeping eggs are back this year! A fun audio and tactile alternative, these beeping eggs ensure that children who are blind or have low vision can join in on the traditional egg hunt experience. Beeping eggs will be available in the Green Zone during the 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. time slots.
Learn more about accessibility at Lincoln Park Zoo: https://www.lpzoo.org/visit/accessibility/
Egg Hunts at Your Zoo
Saturday, April 19, 7:45–11:45 a.m.
$20 Members/$25 Non-members, Egg Hunts for Ages 1–8
Tickets are going fast for Spring Egg-Stravaganza, but there’s still time to secure your child’s egg hunt spot! Join us on April 19 to create new memories with your little ones.
All tickets include:
• 🌷 Chats with zoo experts to learn more about what spring means at the zoo
• 🎠 Free rides on the Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure
• 🐇 Outdoor activities and games
• 📸 Photos with the Easter Bunny
• 🎶 Live DJ spinning kid-friendly music
Egg hunt tickets (for children ages 1–8) are timed-entry, so you won’t have to wait in line to enter your egg hunt zone. That means you’ll have even more time to have fun with spring-themed activities on the South Lawn and visit your favorite animals at the zoo.
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
New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award winner, Tony Award nominee for Best Play, and the first play written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is a stunning portrayal of a family’s fight for dignity and the right to dream.
As the Youngers await their recently deceased patriarch’s life insurance check, they allow themselves to imagine a bigger life – a life with room to breathe – until those plans are thrown into jeopardy. Hansberry’s language rings as wise and prescient as ever in her moving answer to Langston Hughes’s question, What happens to a dream deferred?
Staged sixty years after Lorraine Hansberry’s passing, Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent (Antigone) brings Hansberry’s masterpiece home to Chicago’s vibrant South Side and Court’s stage for the very first time.
Approximate Running Time: 2 hours 50 minutes, including one intermission
Accessibility: ASL Interpreted
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. Includes Talk Back after the show.
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.
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.
This touch tour will include the opportunity to touch fabric swatches and accessories created to match the pieces on display, which will give tour-goers additional sensory information about select objects in the Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective exhibition. While this tour can be especially meaningful for visitors who are blind or have low vision, any Museum visitor will enjoy the experience.
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.
How to Be Cool is a solo show, written and performed by Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Neil Bhandari
Bouncing and shape-shifting from monologue and dance to live music and cultural anthropology, exploring themes of insecurity, idolization, identity-making and self-mythologizing- all in the impossible pursuit of COOL under the artificially-muscled arm and flimsy-yet-ever-imposing specter of American masculinity.
Accessibility: ASL interpretation
Once again, we will spend the Saturday morning before the Academy Awards “digging deeper” into some of this year’s most provocative nominees. This year, Oscar’s ballot aligns closely with ChicagoIFF’s programming, not just by sharing several titles in common but by showcasing a lively diversity of international cinema as well as English-language films that dwell in complex ways on ideas of nation and nationality. After an hour or so of clips and commentary, we will shift into 20 minutes of Q&A. Attendees will vote on their own favorites, with winners announced at the end of the session.
Recommended viewing: The Brutalist (in cinemas), Emilia Pérez (Neflix), Flow (multiple streaming services), or The Girl with the Needle (multiple streaming services)
Please note: The discussion does not include screenings of films.
Accessibility: captioned
https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/event/diggingdeeper-oscars/
Join award-winning screenwriter and playwright Virgil Williams (The Piano Lesson, Mudbound) in a Master Class on writing for film and television. Moderated by screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson (The Americans, Respect). Networking event to follow (with cash bar).
A veteran television writer and producer, Williams’ extensive credits include last year’s critically acclaimed adaptation of The Piano Lesson. Other credits include ground-breaking dramas ER and 24, as well as six seasons of CBS’s long-running procedural drama Criminal Minds. In November of 2017, Williams celebrated the release of his feature film debut, Mudbound. He also served as Executive Producer and originally adapted the script from the novel by Hilary Jordan. The critically acclaimed film was named the ‘Best Film of 2017’ by the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post and has earned numerous awards and accolades, including an Academy Award Nomination for Williams and cowriter/director Dee Rees for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also adapted Pulitzer Prize-winner Dana Canedy’s bestselling memoir A Journal for Jordan for director Denzel Washington and starring Michael B. Jordan. Williams was born and raised in Chicago, and his scripts often draw from his experiences growing up as a bi-racial kid in a city with a long history of racial tension.
Moderator
headshot: Tracey Scott WilsonTracey Scott Wilson wrote the teleplay for MGM’s film Respect; served as a co-executive producer and writer on Fosse/Verdon; and was a co-executive producer on FX’s award-winning series The Americans, where she wrote for five seasons and received two WGAE awards, two Peabody awards, and a Golden Globe. Tracey is also a renowned playwright (Buzzer, The Good Negro, The Story), and has received several distinctions, including the 2003 AT&T Onstage Award, the 2007 Weissberger Playwriting Award as well as the 2007 Time Warner Storytelling Fellowship. Currently, she is the Barbara Berlanti Professor in LGBTQ Writing for the Stage and Screen in the Department of Radio/Television/Film at Northwestern University.
Please note the film following the talk will not feature captions.
Accessibility: captions for the discussion only
https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/event/cixlab-virgilwilliams/
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Nate Santana
It’s the graveyard shift at a high-rise, apartment lobby in Manhattan. A rudderless security guard, his demanding supervisor, a rookie cop, and her self-assured partner are forced to navigate the question of whether doing the wrong thing for the right reason can ever be justified. When they look in the mirror what will they see, and what will they accept about themselves as they figure out what kind of person they want to be in their quest for truth? Charm, romance, and humor abound in this darkly comedic drama by the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Manchester by the Sea.
Running Time: 2 hours 25 minutes with intermission
Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible, and all patrons with disability needs are invited to purchase access tickets with the code “ACCESS20”* at Theater Wit’s checkout page. Please also email boxoffice@theaterwit.org to make sure we can reserve the right seat for your access needs!
SGT is happy to have both Touch Tour/Audio Description performances as well as Open Caption performances. Please see the individual show pages for more information.
Theater Wit has Assistive Listening devices available. Please see the box office for more details.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/529/performances
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Nate Santana
It’s the graveyard shift at a high-rise, apartment lobby in Manhattan. A rudderless security guard, his demanding supervisor, a rookie cop, and her self-assured partner are forced to navigate the question of whether doing the wrong thing for the right reason can ever be justified. When they look in the mirror what will they see, and what will they accept about themselves as they figure out what kind of person they want to be in their quest for truth? Charm, romance, and humor abound in this darkly comedic drama by the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Manchester by the Sea.
Running Time: 2 hours 25 minutes with intermission
Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible, and all patrons with disability needs are invited to purchase access tickets with the code “ACCESS20”* at Theater Wit’s checkout page. Please also email boxoffice@theaterwit.org to make sure we can reserve the right seat for your access needs!
SGT is happy to have both Touch Tour/Audio Description performances as well as Open Caption performances. Please see the individual show pages for more information.
Theater Wit has Assistive Listening devices available. Please see the box office for more details.
Accessibility: Audio Description, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/529/performances
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.
Accessibility & Modifications for Calm Waters Include:
Limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration
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
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.
Accessibility & Modifications for Calm Waters Include:
Limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration
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
On Friday, February 7, Full Spectrum Features presents a selection of contemporary trans short films from Ireland presented in person by Dublin-based curator James Hudson: from an artist’s self-destructive spiral to giallo-inspired rape revenge by way of a surreal techno-horror, to a multidimensional dramedy starring an up-and-coming stand-up comedian and more.
James Hudson is a Dublin-based programmer at the forefront of trans Irish cinema, both showcasing international trans filmmaking in Ireland and bringing Irish-made trans films to the world stage. He is traveling to Chicago specifically for this one-night-only event, part one of a trans cinema cultural exchange between Chicago and Dublin.
The shorts program will be followed by a post-screening discussion with curator James Hudson, moderated by Henry Hanson.
Accessibility: All films will be presented with open captions. The post-screening Q&A will have live CART captioning.
Note on wheelchair accessibility: The building and theater are accessible via ramps. The bathrooms are accessible via a heavy door, have a larger stall with grab bars, but are not fully wheelchair accessible.
https://facets.org/programs/hard-done-by-contemporary-irish-trans-films/
ASL Performance!!
Use code: WTASL2425 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.
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.
Sound Bath at LaSalle Hotel Chicago
Join us for a transformative and immersive Sound Bath experience led by Christie, certified sound healer at the stunning LaSalle Hotel in Chicago. Step into an oasis of calm as you’re enveloped by soothing sounds and harmonious vibrations designed to quiet the mind, release tension, and rejuvenate the spirit. In this tranquil setting, allow yourself to drift into a state of deep relaxation and healing, as the tones of crystal singing bowls and other sound healing instruments restore balance and harmony.
After the Sound Bath, take time to explore our vendors, showcasing an array of unique, handcrafted products from talented local artisans. It’s a perfect opportunity to find something special, whether for yourself or a loved one, and support Chicago’s creative community.
Held at the beautiful LaSalle Hotel at 208 S La Salle St, this event promises a blissful day of relaxation, connection, and conscious shopping. Mark your calendars and invite friends to share in this experience of peace and rejuvenation!
Vendors will be available from 6:30pm-6:50pm and 7:50pm to 8:30pm
The sound bath will take place promptly at 7:00pm-7:45pm
What to bring:
A yoga mat (if you don’t have one, mats will be made available)
Support for your head and knees
A blanket if you tend to be cold
Water (if you don’t bring one, bottled water is available)
A friend, the more the merrier
Street parking is free after 6pm along with paid options being available at nearby garages. Uber/Lyft or Spot Hero are options to consider. Give yourself ample time for parking.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Christie Edwards, sound bath facilitator via email christie.r.edwards@gmail.com
Accessibility: For individuals who utilize a wheelchair they can access the space using the side elevator to access the ballroom. They would need to check in at the 21st floor and someone would be able to direct them to the side elevator that leads to the ballroom.
Sound Bath at LaSalle Hotel Chicago + Vendor Pop-Up
Join us for a transformative and immersive Sound Bath experience led by Christie, certified sound healer at the stunning LaSalle Hotel in Chicago. Step into an oasis of calm as you’re enveloped by soothing sounds and harmonious vibrations designed to quiet the mind, release tension, and rejuvenate the spirit. In this tranquil setting, allow yourself to drift into a state of deep relaxation and healing, as the tones of crystal singing bowls and other sound healing instruments restore balance and harmony.
After the Sound Bath, take time to explore our Vendor Pop-Up, showcasing an array of unique, handcrafted products from talented local artisans. It’s a perfect opportunity to find something special, whether for yourself or a loved one, and support Chicago’s creative community.
Held at the beautiful LaSalle Hotel at 208 S La Salle St, this event promises a blissful day of relaxation, connection, and conscious shopping. Mark your calendars and invite friends to share in this experience of peace and rejuvenation!
The sound bath will take place promptly at 1pm-1:45pm
Vendors will be available from 1:45pm-3pm
What to bring:
A yoga mat (if you don’t have one, mats will be made available)
Support for your head and knees
A blanket if you tend to be cold
Water (if you don’t bring one, bottled water is available)
A friend, the more the merrier
Paid street parking is available in addition to nearby garages. Uber/Lyft or Spot Hero are options to consider. Give yourself ample time for parking.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Christie Edwards, sound bath facilitator via email christie.r.edwards@gmail.com
Accessibility: sensory friendly.
Four Athenians run away to the forest in the name of love (reciprocated and otherwise) and unknowingly find themselves in the crossfires of a war between the king and queen of the fairies. In the midst of this conflict, local workers are attempting (poorly) to rehearse a play to celebrate the upcoming nuptial of Duke Theseus to Queen Hippolyta. All the while, the mischievous Puck is guiding events and creating chaos for fairies and mortals alike.
Join us for an evening that brings the soul of Chicago’s neighborhoods to the big screen! Experience the powerful stories of our community through the lens of three talented Chicago residents from the 2023-24 Community Storytellers program:
Alexie Young
Take 290 (15:53; North Lawndale, Westside)
Directed by Sanicole
Written by George Ellzey Jr.
A defeated artist from the Westside of Chicago finds inspiration in the common ground she discovers through a spontaneous interaction with an art curator from the Southside.
Laura Sáenz
Artista (11:23; Little Village)
Directed by Juan Linares
Written by Christian Mejia
An immigrant child uncovers a world of magic and possibility through the arts at their school.
Brian Herrera
Ask A Punk (15:28; Little Village)
Directed by Kevin Contento
Written by Teri Carson
A non-binary queer teen cultivates community, individuality, and resilience through the subculture of the DIY punk scene in Little Village.
From the spirited journey of an artist finding connection in the city, to the magical exploration of a young immigrant’s discovery of art, and the vibrant resilience within the DIY punk scene, these shorts illuminate the unique experiences and voices that shape our communities.
This event not only showcases these compelling narratives but also fosters a sense of belonging and community connection. Join us for a moderated conversation following the screening, featuring all three Storytellers and key members from their film’s respective casts and crews, including:
Sanicole Young (Director, Take 290)
Dayeliz Richardson (Lead Actor, Artista)
Teri Carson (Screenwriter, Ask A Punk)
Together, we’ll dive deeper into the creative process and the importance of telling stories that reflect our neighborhoods.
Please note: Registration does not guarantee entry. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage you to arrive early for prime seating and to engage with fellow attendees, as we celebrate and honor the vibrant narratives that define our community!
Accessibility: The venue entrance has push-button doors. The theater features 3 accessible seats which are paired with companion seats, if needed, and have been set aside next to each wheelchair-accessible area. CART captioning, live English audio description, and Spanish interpretation will be available. For additional accommodation requests, we encourage you to complete your registration at least 72 hours before the event to help ensure we can accommodate them.
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
For FREE tickets, us promo code SEAL2024 at checkout.
Join us for a night of still sounds and static lights at ZooLights.
This ticket is for the zoo’s sensory-friendly visit option on Wednesday, December 4, from 4:30 to 9 p.m.
During this special night, all blinking or moving lights will remain static or turned off, while the music will be turned down or off. Nightly capacity is limited to foster a safe and enjoyable guest experience, meaning there’s more space to enjoy the beautiful lights with your family and friends!
All ticket sales support the zoo’s world-class animal care, global conservation, and innovative learning programs.
Lincoln Park Zoo works to minimize barriers and ensure that everyone can fully experience the zoo. We are dedicated to ensuring zoo programs, spaces, and facilities are accessible to all. Please visit lpzoo.org/accessibility for more information.
For FREE tickets, us promo code SEAL2024 at checkout.
https://tickets.lpzoo.org/events/01920b38-2249-dd1a-38f9-ca9050081886
Accessibility: Sensory-Friendly
KCM welcomes children with disabilities and their families for an afternoon of learning and play focused on them. Our Museum campus is designed for universal accessibility with a purpose to encourage linguistic, cognitive, motor and social skills for all children ages birth to 8. -16 hands-on Museum exhibits. -One-on-one interactive activities with trained, registered therapy animals and other partners. -Quiet room for stimulation breaks. -Museum staff providing play support and guidance. -A free family pass for 4 to return to the Museum.
Accessibility: Sensory Friendly
KCM welcomes children with disabilities and their families for an afternoon of learning and play focused on them. Our Museum campus is designed for universal accessibility with a purpose to encourage linguistic, cognitive, motor and social skills for all children ages birth to 8. -16 hands-on Museum exhibits. -One-on-one interactive activities with trained, registered therapy animals and other partners.-Quiet room for stimulation breaks. -Museum staff providing play support and guidance. -A free family pass for 4 to return to the Museum.
Accessibility: Sensory Friendly
https://www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org/outreach-programs/eap/
Halloween Creepy Crawlies is a family friendly dance production that explores the mysteries of Halloween through a lost ghost’s search for her haunted home. On her way, she is helped by Ballerina Witches, Jazzy Vampires, Modern-Dancing Mummies and even a Jack O’ Lantern named Jake! Join us on October 12 + 13 at Dovetail Studios for this Halloween adventure!
This project is partially supported by an Individual Artists Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and is a part of the Dovetail Studios 16×2 performance program. It is presented in an ADA compliant venue.
This production was created by Mariah Eastman, artistic director of Darvin Dances, a Chicago based modern/contemporary dance company. Along with six professional dancers, there are two young dancers from the Chicago community participating in this production (dancers are based at Dovetail Studios and Dance on Broadway). The choreography was created by Mariah Eastman with Alicia Wilson choreographing for the young dancers. Illustrations were created by Nat Thomas (https://natthomas.work/work) with lighting design by Richard Norwood.
Accessibility includes: wheelchair accessibility, all gender restrooms, and digital documents available.
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.
The Curator Presents, a solo show by Madeline Esterhammer-Fic, is a one-woman play that explores the feelings of isolation, fear, and hope experienced during the height of COVID. Madeline will be playing the Curator, a character who works at the fictional World COVID Museum of Chicago. By providing a platform for discussion and incorporating humor into the narrative, the play seeks to offer a space for healing and reflection on the challenges faced during the pandemic.
Accessibility includes ASL Interpretation.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-curator-presents-tickets-984271441377?aff=oddtdtcreator
MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD is a musical odyssey of imagination. Through vibrant song, expressive dance, and a whole lot of imagination, this magical, musical journey takes us through the mind of a child, as he learns to see the world as it really is. A journey from house to home, this play is a real ride!
Adapted for the stage by Terry Guest
Music by Christian Albright & Christian Magby
Based on the book by Newbery-winning children’s author Matt de la Peña & illustrator Christian Robinson
Directed by Mikael Burke
MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD runs 65 minutes and is recommended for ages 6 & up.
Accessibility includes Audio Description and a Touch Tour.
https://chicagochildrenstheatre.org/event/milo-imagines-the-world/
MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD is a musical odyssey of imagination. Through vibrant song, expressive dance, and a whole lot of imagination, this magical, musical journey takes us through the mind of a child, as he learns to see the world as it really is. A journey from house to home, this play is a real ride!
Adapted for the stage by Terry Guest
Music by Christian Albright & Christian Magby
Based on the book by Newbery-winning children’s author Matt de la Peña & illustrator Christian Robinson
Directed by Mikael Burke
MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD runs 65 minutes and is recommended for ages 6 & up.
Accessibility includes ASL interpretation and Open Captions.
https://chicagochildrenstheatre.org/event/milo-imagines-the-world/
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/
The Neo-Futurists present an ADA-Accessible and ASL-interpreted performance of The Infinite Wrench in partnership with Free Street Theater at Pulaski Park.
At THE INFINITE WRENCH you’ll see thirty original plays in sixty minutes, written and performed by The Neo-Futurist Ensemble.Each play offers something different, be it funny, profound, elegant, disgusting, topical, irreverent, terrifying, or a song; all are truthful and tackle the here-and-now, inspired by the lived experiences of the performers. With new plays every week, THE INFINITE WRENCH is The Neo-Futurists’ ongoing and ever-changing attempt to shift the conventions of live performance and speak to those unreached or unmoved by traditional theater.
The Infinite Wrench will be preceded by a performance from the Free Street Youth Ensemble. Free Street will present a short excerpt from one of their recent works. Since 1969, Free Street Theater has been at the forefront of creating inclusive & accessible theatre in Chicago. Free Street is a femme-led arts and culture organization that centers original performance work by Black, Brown, and Immigrant communities; queer artists; youth artists; and work that is committed to the thriving and well-being of people on the South and West Sides of the city. We believe in the theater as a space to uplift joy and justice, especially racial, economic, and environmental justice in Chicago.
Tickets to this performance are pay-what-you-can. Please reserve them in advance. Masks are required.
Accessibility: ASL Interpreter
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
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.
These shorts, all featured at past Festivals, display the brilliance and variety of our city’s incredible filmmakers. They explore a friendship in crisis (A Real One), the sisterhood bonds (Video Funeral), the inherent comedy of an overprotective mother (Grizzlies), a meditative cab ride (Saya), the meaning of success (Winning in America) and a supernatural animation (Step Into the River).
DIRECTED BY McKenzie Chinn, Linh Tran, Fawzia Mirza, Anam Abbas, Alex Heller, Weijia Ma, and Amrita Singh
Accessibility includes open captions and wheelchair accessibility.
Synapse Arts turns 20! The Birthday Bash is a celebration of Synapse Arts in a welcoming, festival-type environment.
All attendees will get a cupcake and have access to our open events: performances, dance films screenings, games.
But when you donate at the level of your choice, you can add some additional flair to your Birthday Bash experience, including a Interactive Museum tour, pre-registration for dance classes, and more!
Please see accessibility features available at the event:
– Sensory considerations
– ASL events
– Front desk people trained on welcoming service animals
– Spaces accessible for wheelchair users and people with mobility assistance devices
– Rest area (with Maggie Bridger, a sick and disabled dance artist, scholar, and access worker interested in re-imagining pain through the dancemaking process)
– All gender restrooms
– Masks available and encouraged but unable to require due to park
For additional assistance, questions, or to request specific accommodations, please contact info@synapsearts.com or text 947-2CREATE (947-227-3283).
Orientation video with captions: https://vimeo.com/984444567
Birthday Bash – Access and Location Information, also known as “wayfinding”: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qaBNxVdcxQ6lv4MqhQGTsBgXLvW4ASyXqLqgrGm-HJY/
Accessibility includes sensory considerations, ASL events, wheelchair accessible, rest area, all gender restrooms, and sighted guide.
The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to reintroduce this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC’s Poets in Residence Tarnynon Onumonu and Timothy David Rey.
Join us on certain Monday nights in July at 6pm. in this beautiful setting to hear outstanding featured poets perform their work in this partnership between Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal. After every poetry performance, there will be an open mic for any individual that would like to share poetry of their own!
https://www.poetrycenter.org/poetry-the-green-at-320-summer-2024/
Summer Tuesdays come alive on the MCA terrace with free concerts highlighting artists from Chicago’s internationally renowned music community. Enjoy live music while relaxing on the lawn with your own picnic, or savor snacks and drinks available for purchase. Then head inside to catch the MCA’s summer exhibitions—we’re open late on Tuesdays and free for Illinois residents.
In conjunction with the Guatemalan Consulate, this Tuesday we will be joined by Jorge Morataya-Marimba, whose band will grace the MCA stage to serenade us with the sounds of the Guatemalan national instrument: marimba.
Lineup:
Jorge Morataya
Zuleika Díaz
Carlos Ortiz
Ángel de Leon
Please note that this event will be taking place inside the Edlis Neeson Theater and seating will be limited.
https://visit.mcachicago.org/events/tuesdays-on-the-terrace-jorge-morataya-marimba/
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.
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.
Lyric Opera will be offering American Sign Language interpretation as well as the use of Sound Shirts. 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
On Sunday, June 23 from 10am to 3pm, Lincoln Park Zoo will host Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo. Modifications include limited capacity. This is a free event, but it does require advanced registration. Please register HERE.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sensory-friendly-day-at-farm-in-the-zoo-tickets-910936173617
Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the zoo without crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes guests with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, autism, PTSD, and dementia to name a few. All guests are welcome at Sensory-Friendly Day.
During Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo animal buildings may be open, but some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces. There will also be low sensory activities.
Timed Entry Window: While registered guests will be let in before or after their one-hour timed entry window, guests are strongly encouraged to come during their timed entry window to help limit crowd sizes. Limited crowd sizes is one of the most important ways to make this day sensory-friendly. Thank you.
View the zoo’s accessibility map HERE and accessibility page HERE to help plan your visit.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Please download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo social story. iOS Android
Upon arrival guests need to present their registration email to zoo ushers. This event is only happening at Farm-in-the-Zoo. The rest of Lincoln Park Zoo will have typical operations for the day.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine.
There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care.
Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
For any questions, please email access@lpzoo.org.
Join us for 30 glow’d-up, sweat-soaked, lipstick-smeared, gender euphoric™, gay-panic-inducing plays in 60 minutes – all in the name of Queer Community.
100% of proceeds from this show will be donated to Families in Palestine. The performance is ASL-interpreted and will be followed by mask-optional DRAG BINGO and shmoozing.
Performance begins at 7:00 pm. Absolutely NO LATE SEATING.
When purchasing a ticket in advance for THE INFINITE WRENCH: 30 Queer Plays in 60 Straight Minutes you are guaranteeing your seat for the performance and avoiding the need to wait in line outside before our doors open 30 minutes prior to performance. Please note that seating in our Theater is General Admission and if you want the first choice of seat you still need to arrive early, especially given our limited capacity & social distancing measures.
All sales are final. We do not offer refunds, but will exchange tickets for a future performance if you are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or feeling unwell in any way. Please contact BoxOffice@Neofuturists.org for exchanges.
By purchasing this ticket you are agreeing to all terms and conditions listed in our Health & Safety protocols page which are available at https://neofuturists.org/health-safety/. This includes:
https://theneofuturists.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/instances/a0FUn000003bG8vMAE
In these short films from the queer underground, unruly rebels trespass, shoplift, scheme, skate, surf, fuck, and joyfully plot their revenge on a society which seeks to punish deviance. Featuring a live DJ set by easygoingtech at 9pm.
America loves outlaws. Curious paradox: a police state which valorizes those who don’t fall in line, provided they have the right combination of individualism and normative appeal. Our ideal outlaws can transgress for themselves, for family, maybe for a love interest—but never for a group. Never for a community. Above all, our mythic outlaw, whatever his motivations, works alone. The valorized American outlaw-hero could either be a criminal living in bold defiance of the law or an upright citizen forced to tragically buck the rules of society due to unusual circumstances. But what about those who can neither disregard the law nor take temporary hiatus from its approval? Those for whom adhering to the rules of society means destruction?
Stealing testosterone to redistribute to trans men, trespassing to dance, shoplifting to feed your friends, defiling a colonizer’s grave, assassinating a billionaire: these short films find in criminality the potential for new social forms, beautiful acts of love, and collective liberation. The rules are fucked up. Why not break them?
7:30pm show will be followed by a Q&A with “The Beach Boys” writer/director Milo Talwani, moderated by program curator Henry Hanson with Live CART captioning.
THE FILMS
Hormonal (Maz Murray, 2023) 12:22, UK
Young trans guy Gary catches eyes with brooding trans geezer Ian across the square of their Essex hometown, and unwittingly walks into a testosterone heist plot… (Instagram: @maz_murray @chazzamnazza_makesstuf)
Cicada (FRANK/ie CONSENT, 2021) 6:30, USA
A single-take dance video shot in an abandoned industrial lot, set to a radio broadcast switching between music and Trump-era punditry. Used tires, hula hoops, cereal, chalk circles, and a burning mattress. (Instagram: @soysage)
Skate Bitches (Samuel Shanahoy, 2012) 17:10, Australia
A DIY film about an all-girl skate gang who steal each other candy, terrorize the streets and are BFF’s. Will the gang survive the drama of a new girl on the block? (Instagram: @teeveedinner)
FUCK THE FASCISM – The Crossroad of Two Worlds (MariaBasura, 2020) 9:35, Chile
A group of queer activists take revenge on colonizers past and present through guerilla pornography. (Instagram: @basurapandemicx_2.0)
Play Structure (FRANK/ie CONSENT, 2020) 2:28, USA
In this mixed-media music video combining live action and various animation styles, mischief-makers dance in the burning streets of Atlanta. (Instagram: @soysage)
The Beach Boys (Milo Talwani, 2024) 20:32, USA
Two trans surfer bros are on a mission to suicide bomb Jeff Bezos…but not before spending one last, perfect day riding epic waves and smoking dank kush. (Instagram: @autobimbophilia)
https://facets.org/programs/disorderly-conduct/
This salon-style gathering invites attendees to share and discuss artwork, short performances/readings, clips, scenes, and anything else they might be working on. Sharing a project is optional. For those who wish to share, projects in any medium are welcome: time-based work (video, dance, song, spoken word, etc) should be limited to five minutes and any fine art should not require installation.
The event will begin with a short welcome and introduction to the Art/Access Lab series presented by HCL and UDF. The rest of the event will consist of short showings interspersed with time to mingle with fellow artists with disabilities.
Virtual attendees will have the option of attending the showings and discussions in the main zoom space or breaking off into smaller groups through break out rooms.
The event is intended to be relaxed, with attendees invited to come, go, and participate in whatever way feels best for them. The event will wrap with a short announcement of upcoming Arts/Access Labs and information about how to participate in future gatherings, including paid opportunities to show works-in-progress.
We encourage those who would like to share to sign up through the registration form. When possible, we will also accommodate day-of sign ups.
A few more logistics about sharing projects:
Digital files can be submitted in advance to info@highconceptlabs.org or brought to the event on a USB drive.
A projector, mixing board, microphone, and speakers will be available for use.
Small items (visual art, crafts, etc.) may be passed around among attendees.
Other visual art may be free standing or leaned against a wall.
Text-based work may be read aloud by the artist, or another attendee.
HCL and UDF staff are happy to provide additional support as needed.
Who Should Attend
Art/Access Labs are centered around artists with a lived experience of disability including Deaf, disabled, sick, neurodivergent, and Mad artists, and those working through their relationship to these categories, working in all mediums, with anyone who is invested in fostering a vibrant creative ecosystem inclusive of artists with disabilities.
RSVP
Advanced registration is appreciated but not required.
https://highconceptlabs.org/events/art-access-lab-welcome-salon
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
This Mother’s Day weekend, celebrate the art of composers with disabilities from around the world! This program, presented in collaboration with the UIC Disability Cultural Center, is free and open to everyone. It includes the world premiere of “Consolation of Persephone,” created in collaboration with Momenta Dance Company, with choreography commissioned of Connor Cornelius, music commissioned of Karen Brown, and danced by Laddona Freidheim and her daughter Hana Javed! Hear also the world premiere of “In B-Flat” by Brazilian composer Andersen Viana, plus music by composers from Haiti, the UK, South Africa, and the US, including music from the amazing talents of Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins, arranged for Crossing Borders Music by AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa!
Momenta Dance Company cultivates and presents repertory and contemporary dance works that strive to educate, innovate and amplify the artistry of students and professionals, inclusive of artists with disabilities. Momenta was founded by Stephanie Clemens, Larry Ippel and James Tenuta in 1983, and in 2003 expanded its repertory to include physically integrated works for dancers with and without disabilities. Learn more at momentadances.org
Ladonna Freidheim, founder of ReinventAbility, is passionate about inclusion, dance, science, and joy! An award winning leader in the arts, disability inclusion specialist, and formally trained dancer; Ladonna grew up a bun-headed baby ballerina dancing around Chicago. After a degenerative disability ended her ballerina life, she recovered from surgeries with future paralympic athletes who introduced her to disability culture. With the aid of braces and a cane or crutches she is able to navigate the world much of the time, but it is Ladonna’s wheelchair that has restored her dancers soul. She currently performs with the MOMENTA Dance Company. Ladonna is honored to have received a 2023 Leadership in Dance Award and the Rhythm Within Award and has been nominated for 3Arts Awards in dance and education. Ladonna has served on a number of Boards of Directors, currently for See Chicago Dance, and is on the Chicago ArtsEd Leadership Committee.
Hana Angelina Freidheim Javed is a formally trained singer, dancer, and writer who attends the University of Chicago Lab High School. At only 17 years of age, she has performed extensively at the Civic Opera House, Symphony Center, Harris Theater, Navy Pier, Ravinia and Millennium Park music festivals with the Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, MOMENTA Dance Company, and the Chicago Opera Theater. Hana is the much beloved only child of Ladonna Freidheim, an Irish-Catholic Chicago born arts professional (bio above), and Adil Javed, a Pakistani-Muslim born into abject poverty who immigrated to the US at ten years old, going on to earn both an MD and PhD. Hana’s background and status as a person with a disability (a degenerative condition) inform and enrich her arts practice.
Covid safety: Masking is encouraged, and we will have extra masks available. More masking means more safety for immunocompromised members of our community.
Access information:
This season of Crossing Borders Music performances is made possible through the support of the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Music USA Organizational Development Fund, the John R Halligan Fund, and CliffDwellers Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges the support of the Illinois Arts Council. Generous support provided by the UIC Disability Cultural Center through Cripping the Arts, a University of Illinois Presidential Initiative for Expanding the Impact of the Arts and the Humanities.
Pictured: Momenta Dance Company’s Facebook profile picture of two women wearing flowing white dresses, both in wheelchairs, facing one another with arms gracefully lifted.
A work-in-progress sharing, this event will consist of both the movement- and the textual-based research explored over the course of the residency.
ASL is provided for this event.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/dance_residency.html
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
Watch the city breathe life into the stories of ten local young filmmakers. From documentaries to music videos, this program represents the city’s long-term love affair with art and culture.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Virtual Screening
Available to stream globally April 22 @ 12:00pm CT through April 28 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window with Closed Captions.
https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/cineyouth2024-chicagolens/
In partnership with former Technical Director Glenn B. Rust’s Graduate Thesis Project, Keep it Going presents an afternoon of new works that you can watch in the theatre or from the comfort of your own home!
Beginning the afternoon we will have Interrobang by Resident Playwright Arlene Malinowski followed by the final performance of Access Fellow Deb Stein’s HAND, Foot, HAND. Following the performances there will be a thirty-minute talkback and an afterparty!
Keep it Going is designed to highlight technologies and practices that allow for more accessible theatre.
-You can join us at the Russ Tutterow Theatre to see the performances in person or virtually at https://www.youtube.com/@chicagodramatists6747
-Live captions will be provided for both in-person and virtual audiences.
-Additional seating will be available both in the house and on the stage including wheelchair accessible seating.
-The event will be a relaxed performance. House lights will remain at half. Audience members are welcome to exit and reenter the space at any point for any reason. We will asked phones be silenced, but texting is allowed. Audience reaction is also encouraged. If something stirs a response out of you, or if you need to ask a question of the folks you’ve come with, feel free!
-Scent & Allergen Free Space
-Masking Recommended
The in-person performance is Pay What You Will with all payments made going to support the Access Fellowship. The Chicago Dramatists Access Fellowship for Deaf & Disabled Artists is in honor of Charles and Dorothy Malinowski, who were revered storytellers in the Deaf Community. Fellows receive two free classes, one free Script Lab, and more!
The virtual performance is completely free!
Whether you’ll be joining us at the Russ Tutterow Theatre or logging in on our YouTube channel to join the talkback in the chat, we cannot wait to see you there!
Accessibility: All-Gender Restrooms, Captioning, Sensory Friendly, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://chicagodramatists.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/chicagodramatists/event.jsp?event=2064&
Join House of DOV in the Dance Studio for an intimate view of the rehearsal process and participate in the creation of a new work by Drew Lewis with live music by Family Junket.
Drew Lewis (he/him) is a performer, choreographer, composer and educator originally from Oak Park, IL. He graduated magna cum laude from Cornish College of the Arts in 2016. Drew has performed extensively with Sidra Bell Dance New York, C-LS, Project 44, Attack Theatre, The Joel Hall Dancers, The Lyric Opera of Chicago and in projects by Lucy Riner and Erin Kilmurray. In 2020, Drew formed his own small ensemble, House of DOV, whose debut performance was selected as a finalist for the Chicago Reader’s Best of 2021. House of DOV has since performed throughout Chicago, including the full-length Heavy Objects, commissioned and presented by Steppenwolf Theatre, and Drew has created works for many other venues and projects.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/dance_residency.html
Soulfully rooted in playful praise, this Praise House Language workshop will be a creative circle of expression with testimonials, dance, art-making and song. Through a guided process that centers care, participants of all experiences and backgrounds are able to step into the rehearsal process being used to develop “Praise House Ceremony”. The workshop facilitation is informed by Keisha Janae’s spiritual and faith-based experience.
Previously a teaching artist and Alumni of Columbia College Chicago, Keisha taught house dance on the west and southside of Chicago. She is a well-established improvisational movement artist, accompanied as a soloist for “ Black Monument Jazz Ensemble,” “Sebau,” Katherine Davis, and Ben LaMar Gay. She’s also performed for the Instigation Festival, Freedom From Freedom Too, BraveSoul Movement, and Project Tool. Keisha has been honored as the 2021 3arts Make a Wave awardee, 2021/22Links Hall resident artist, BeBe Millers Solo/Duo Dancing Project Mentee, and Featured in Chicago Takes 10. Passionate about community engagement, Keisha is a Housing Case Manager helping the homeless and underprivileged populations stabilize their housing and health and also personally develop. A creative care community facilitator, she encourages her audience to discover themselves and find release through artistic forms of self-expression. Her aspirations are to rebuild the bonds between family and community through the creative arts and the spiritual upliftment of praise.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/dance_residency.html
Soak is a dance-based performance project that emerges from a study of public bathing. This work considers how both dance and bathing practices carve out space to imagine new ways of relating to our bodies and each other. This piece explores the movements of pleasure and leisure, collectively created social space, and the relationship between body, sound, and environment.
Amalia Raye Wiatr Lewis (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist working with living beings, experiences, and objects. Rooted in ecological wonder and an exploration of the sacred, she works with dancers, non-dancers and sound artists to create site-specific performances and public interventions. She holds a BA from Bennington College in Vermont, where she studied choreography, visual art and anthropology, and an MFA from the Trondheim Academy of Fine Art in Trondheim, Norway. She has performed with national and international artists at galleries and museums and has shown her own work in the U.S., Mexico, Norway, France, Germany and Pakistan.
This performance will include ASL Interpretation.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/dance_residency.html
On Sunday, April 28 from 8-10am, Lincoln Park Zoo is offering Sensory-Friendly Morning hours for guests with disabilities, chronicle illness, or Deaf to experience the zoo grounds and animal buildings in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Modifications include limited capacity and muted attractions. This is a free event.
Register for FREE tickets HERE.
During Sensory-Friendly Morning, Gift Shop will be open at 8am and Landmark Café will sell beverages starting at 8:30am. Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure will operate with music and noises muted. Not all animal buildings may be open, and some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces.
At 10am, the zoo will be open to the public and begin typical operations.
View the zoo’s accessibility map HERE and accessibility page HERE to help plan your visit.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Please download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo social story.
Guests may only enter at West Gate and East Gate, and they need to present their registration email to zoo ushers.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine. We have some wonderful animal buildings you can still enjoy if it rains, and the carousel is covered.
For any questions, please email access@lpzoo.org.
Accessibility: Sensory-Friendly
Set sail for an adventure like no other, full of twists and turns. Together we’ll meet indulgent Lotus Eaters and seductive Sirens who test our focus, and face terrifying monsters who test our wit and our courage. As we follow Odysseus on his Journey, the ensemble reflects on choice and agency and the hero in all of us…
A.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations—a Chicago-based nonprofit that creates theatre and film for, with, and by individuals with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), is thrilled to return to Chicago Shakespeare Theater this spring with a re-imagining of the epic classic The Odyssey.
A.B.L.E’s production weaves music, movement, shadow puppetry, and scenes devised by the group into a powerful and joyful celebration of the choices we make, and the challenges we face along our journey. The vibrant adaptation features a neurodiverse cast of 44 performers, including 24 actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The performance in the Courtyard Theater on May 11, 2024 at 2pm will mark the two companies’ 7th collaboration, most recently having co-produced A Midsummer Night’s Dream last spring.
Accessibility: Sensory Friendly, ASL, captions
Join House of DOV in the Dance Studio for an informal showing of a new work-in-progress by Drew Lewis, featuring music by Family Junket.
Accessibility: ASL
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/dance_residency.html
Curiosities of Wellness in Bodies of Grief and Joy
Glimpse into the rehearsal process of building choreography in the round for 7 dancers. While this work currently has several sections from 2 previous iterations, this open rehearsal (with possible audience participation) will focus on a new section. Join us as we stumble along together to sounds written by Lee and arranged and performed by Sharon Udoh on the piano. Laughter and tears are encouraged.
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/
Trap Door Theatre’s 30th Anniversary Season closes with Olwen Wymark’s splendid dramatization of Zola’s Nana: a story of sexual and financial greed in nineteenth-century Parisian society, depicting the rise and tragic downfall of a young courtesan.
Managing Director Nicole Wiesner and Resident Choreographer Miguel Long team up again to direct this reimagination, first produced at Trap Door in 2002.
This Friday, May 3rd performance includes open captioning.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Captioning, and All-Gender Restrooms
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.
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/
Joy-Ann Reid, host of MSNBC’s The ReidOut and best-selling author, chronicles the lives of civil rights icons Medgar and Myrlie Evers. Myrlie Louise Beasley met Medgar Evers in college, forging an instant connection that culminated in marriage a year later, prompting her to leave school to prioritize their growing family. Medgar, an NAACP field secretary, alongside Myrlie, focused their energy on fighting against segregation and discrimination. Despite relentless threats and Medgar’s assassination in 1963, Myrlie carried on their work, writing about Medgar’s activism and assuming a leadership role in the NAACP. Join Reid in conversation with veteran reporter April Ryan (MSNBC, The Grio) at Chicago Humanities as they discuss these towering figures in the civil rights movement, their relationship, and the crucial groundwork they laid for Black Americans, which still reverberates to this day.
This event will have Assistive Listening Devices and Open Captions.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/joy-ann-reid/