Play For All at Chicago Children’s Museum

Play For All at Chicago Children’s Museum

Play For All invites children and families with disabilities and Museum members to come and experience CCM’s inclusive, multisensory exhibits and programs. The museum opens at 10 am for Play for All guests to enjoy an exclusive hour of play, before opening to the general public at 11 am. The first 250 children and families with disabilities who register will receive FREE admission! Pre-registration is required for free admission. Guests can come and go all day.

 

Accessibility: Quiet Spaces, Wheelchair Accessible

Website: https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/play-for-all

Beverly Theatre Guild Presents “Clue” at Baer Theater

In this fun murder-mystery play, based on the popular board game and movie of the same name, a mysterious dinner party in 1954 Washington, D.C. turns into a swift-moving whodunit investigation. Scandal, secret passages, and slapstick comedy collide as weapons drop, fingers point, and bodies pile up. As suspense builds and betrayal abounds, motives are unmasked. Clue will be directed by BTG newcomer Anna Rachel Troy (Chicago), with Assistant Direction by Lewis R. Jones (Riverside). This fan-favorite farce for all ages is being produced by Tanya Harasym (Oak Lawn) and Kenneth J. Krajniak (Orland Park).

Enjoy our $50 Dinner and a Show package via our partnership with Jenny’s Steak and Banquets to celebrate Valentine’s Day Weekend!
For more information on group rates, call our Box Office at 773-BTG-TIXS (773-284-8497).

Looking for ASL seating for opening night? Please email us at tickets@beverlytheatreguild.org or leave a message for the box office with your online order number.

TICKETS:
Adults:$25, Active U.S. Military/Seniors/BTG Members: $23. Student and group rates also available! Prices listed do NOT include a $2 online processing fee per ticket. Don’t wait to secure your tickets as we may sell out! Visit beverlytheatreguild.org/btg-tickets today! 🌐

Accessibility: ASL Interpretation

Website: beverlytheatreguild.org/btg-tickets

Calm Waters at the Shedd Aquarium

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. Family members and companions are welcome.

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 low-sensory animal spotlight with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation
An animal encounter opportunity

 

Accessibility: Sensory Friendly, Low Lighting, ASL Interpretation

Website: https://www.sheddaquarium.org/plan-a-visit/accessibility/calm-waters

Calm Waters at the Shedd Aquarium

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. Family members and companions are welcome.

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 low-sensory animal spotlight with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation
An animal encounter opportunity

 

Accessibility: Sensory Friendly, Low Lighting, ASL Interpretation

Website: https://www.sheddaquarium.org/plan-a-visit/accessibility/calm-waters

Nasty, Brutish, & Short: A Puppet Cabaret at Constellation Chicago

Nasty, Brutish, & Short (NBS) is an evening of contemporary short-form puppet and object-based theater for adult audiences. This special late-night edition of NBS, presented as part of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, brings together out-of-town guests and esteemed local for an evening of performance unlike any other.

The performance on Friday, January 23rd at 10:30pm will be live-described via individual headset. Patrons making use of AD should plan to arrive at 10:00pm for pre-show notes, touch-tour, and early seating. Email info [at] roughhousetheater [dot] com or message @RoughPuppets on Instagram for more information and to let us know you’re coming!

 

Accessibility: Audio Description provided by Claire Saxe, trained audio describer, and Chicago puppetry artist.

Website: https://chicagopuppetfest.org/event/nasty-brutish-short-wknd-1-3/

WHITE ROOSTER – Mask Required Performance at Lookingglass Theatre

WHITE ROOSTER
World Premiere
Written and Directed by Matthew C. Yee

WHITE ROOSTER is a darkly funny tale of love, loss and the strange things we inherit. After a family tragedy, Min is pulled into a world of restless spirits, old curses and mysterious traditions. Her fiancĂ© won’t stay dead, her sister won’t stay buried and a rooster won’t be ignored. Blending spooky folklore with offbeat humor, White Rooster is a haunting tale of grief, family and the messiness of moving on.

March 5 – April 12, 2026

Masks are required for all patrons, staff, volunteers, and crew for the March 3rd performance.

Visit Lookingglasstheatre.org/accessibility for more!

https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/white-rooster/

deCRIPtion presents: Clock Stammer: A Tactile–Acoustic Poetry Workshop

deCRIPtion is a program done in partnership between Bodies of Work and Access Living that offers monthly poetry and storytelling workshops built by and with disability in mind both in-person and virtually.

Clock Stammer: A Tactile-Acoustic Poetry Workshop (in-person)
“Feel the poem, hear time as it crips- tactile and acoustic storytelling for every bodymind.”

What does time feel like when it slows down, speeds up, or moves in unexpected ways? Clock Stammer is a hands-on poetry workshop where we use touch, sound, and everyday materials to explore how our bodies and minds experience time differently, shaped by our disability, mental health, or daily life in general. Together, we’ll make tactile “clocks” or mosaics that map our moods, energy, and daily rhythms. Using simple materials like fabric, foil, or string, we’ll create and share poetic pieces that can be touched, heard, and felt. Open to everyone; no prior art or poetry experience needed.

In addition to kinds of access listed in our event tags, deCRIPtion trains and works with Access Doulas and fosters a space of interdependence. If you need assistance writing, reading, speaking, or with other aspects of a workshop, there will be someone who will do their best to assist you. During the registration process, please let us know what other access needs or barriers you have and we will do our best to ensure you are able to come be fully in community with us. We routinely create image descriptions, larger font materials, or other access tools when requested with enough notice and where appropriate to the workshop.

Registration and more information at the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdPt17MPPRmHB87IvOvhBvd85zob4yGA5ZI5Ouoxj9e9mUjxw/viewform?usp=header

In Andrea’s Shoes at Clarendon Community Center Park

Join us for an evening of fresh works by Synapse Arts and Unfolding Disability Futures at the beautifully rehabbed and fully accessible Clarendon Community Center Park gallery!

Doors and installation open 6pm
Performances 6:30-7:30pm

Two projects will be shown on this shared evening, stemming from U.D.F. and Synapse Arts’ inclusive dance partnership.
Damon’s heartfelt performance project In Andrea’s Shoes is a dance-theater tribute to her lifelong friend, told through Damon’s perspective and created in collaboration with the Halverson family.
Dancers from Unfolding Disability Futures will perform improvisational scores curated by Sydney Erlikh, drawn from her work abroad. These scores focus on community and collaboration, and invite the audience to consider what moving together offers to the self and to others.

Coexisting with the special performance on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Damon is creating a textile installation that invites anyone to contribute a message to or about Andrea Grace Halverson, or to express thoughts on loss and connection. Reflecting on friendship and remembrance, this art piece will be on display at Clarendon Park. The installation is free and open to all in person, with the option to contribute online.

In addition to the in-person program, this event will be live-streamed by the Chicago Dance History Project. A ticket is required to access the live-streamed performances from 6:30 to 7:30 PM (CDT) — reserve yours now to witness this moving tribute and powerful artistic dialogue.

The performance is all ages appropriate – there is no swearing, nudity, or scary moments. Themes around death are referenced abstractly and with love.

The livestream video will be available for on-demand viewing soon after the December 9 event. Everyone who purchases a ticket for the livestream will receive the link to the video recording at no additional cost.

FAQ’s are available at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/176LFs7AeAV9UeQWpgjlx0CG36ZAgAq88HZcr7kIMKEw/edit?usp=sharing

All tax-deductible donations go toward our inclusive dance programming, co-taught and co-presented by Synapse Arts and Unfolding Disability Futures.

 

 

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/in-andreas-shoes

Sensory-Friendly Nutcracker at the Harris Theater

Ballet Chicago presents a Sensory-Friendly performance of The Nutcracker.

This show features:

No intermission, the show will run just over an hour, with a 3-minute pause between Act 1 and Act 2.
House lights will not go dark for the show, just dimmed a bit
Music track will be moderated to diminish louder parts
Flashing, quick-changing lighting effects will be eliminated
Attendees may come and go to their seats as needed during the show
Alternate “quiet space” will be provided as needed for attendees during the show (the Theater’s Donor Room on Level 2)
31 seats are available for those in wheelchairs

All tickets are discounted to $25
The 31 wheelchair seats are also available for our four other public shows that weekend at the Harris Theater, at regular ticket prices.

For more information, contact access@harristheaterchicago.org.

 

Accessibility: Sensory Friendly, Quiet Spaces

 

https://www.harristheaterchicago.org/performance/nutcracker-1

Much Ado About Nothing – Audio Described Performance at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Audio Described performance of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

 

Just in time for the holiday season, Shakespeare’s wittiest rom-com is “as merry as the day is long!”
Beatrice is living it up as a fiercely independent woman who answers to no man. Benedick is an avowed bachelor with no plans to settle down. But when these stubborn singles finally meet their match under the sultry Sicilian sun, who can resist romance? Linguistic fireworks and a hilarious battle of wits dazzle in the original “enemies-to-lovers” rom-com. Staged by famed director Selina Cadell, you’ll be transported on holiday to the warm embrace of the Italian countryside with an exceptionally talented ensemble cast in CST’s Courtyard Theater, considered one of the finest spaces to experience Shakespeare’s stories live in performance. This is Shakespeare at his very best.

Access Pay What You Can tickets starting at $39. Use code: MUCHAUDIO

Email access@chicagoshakes.com for more information.

 

Accessibility: Audio Description

 

https://www.chicagoshakes.com/productions/2526-much-ado-about-nothing/

Much Ado About Nothing – Open Caption at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Open Caption performance of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

 

Just in time for the holiday season, Shakespeare’s wittiest rom-com is “as merry as the day is long!”
Beatrice is living it up as a fiercely independent woman who answers to no man. Benedick is an avowed bachelor with no plans to settle down. But when these stubborn singles finally meet their match under the sultry Sicilian sun, who can resist romance? Linguistic fireworks and a hilarious battle of wits dazzle in the original “enemies-to-lovers” rom-com. Staged by famed director Selina Cadell, you’ll be transported on holiday to the warm embrace of the Italian countryside with an exceptionally talented ensemble cast in CST’s Courtyard Theater, considered one of the finest spaces to experience Shakespeare’s stories live in performance. This is Shakespeare at his very best.

Access Pay What You Can tickets starting at $39. Use code: MUCHCAPTION

Email access@chicagoshakes.com for more information.

 

Accessibility: Open Captions

 

https://www.chicagoshakes.com/productions/2526-much-ado-about-nothing/

The Infinite Wrench at United Church of Rogers Park

The Neo-Futurists are bringing The Infinite Wrench to United Church of Rogers Park. At The Infinite Wrench, you’ll see thirty 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 musical; all are original, 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 this unreached or unmoved by traditional theater.

The United Church of Rogers Park is ADA-Accessible. All tickets are Pay-What-You-Can.

Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible

 

https://neofuturists.org/events/tiw-at-united-church-of-rogers-park/

 

UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY – Open Captioned Performance at Lookingglass Theatre

UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY
World Premiere
Written by Kevin Douglas
Directed by Devon DeMayo

Hilarity (and tragedy) ensue in the World Premiere of UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY when Val, a vampire, is in a new relationship with a mortal, Dom, each having different ideas about where their relationship should go. Rose, Val’s progeny, wants Val to consider leaving the country, and on top of that, Val’s estranged brother has returned, coincidentally, as a serial killer terrorizes the streets of Chicago. UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY explores love, codependency, unwavering convictions and vampires.

June 4 – July 12, 2026

Open Captions on July 1, 2026

Unlock $35 tickets using the code CAPTION online, over the phone, or in-person. Visit Lookingglasstheatre.org/accessibility or contact us for more!

Accessibility: Open Captions

https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/untitled-vampire-play/

UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY – Touch Tour & Audio Described Performance at Lookingglass Theatre

UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY
World Premiere
Written by Kevin Douglas
Directed by Devon DeMayo

Hilarity (and tragedy) ensue in the World Premiere of UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY when Val, a vampire, is in a new relationship with a mortal, Dom, each having different ideas about where their relationship should go. Rose, Val’s progeny, wants Val to consider leaving the country, and on top of that, Val’s estranged brother has returned, coincidentally, as a serial killer terrorizes the streets of Chicago. UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY explores love, codependency, unwavering convictions and vampires.

June 4 – July 12, 2026, accessible performance July 9, 2026.

Unlock $35 tickets using the code AUDIO online, over the phone, or in-person.

The Touch Tour will begin at 1PM and curtain is at 2PM. Visit Lookingglasstheatre.org/accessibility or contact us for more!

 

Accessibility: Touch tour, Audio Description, Assistive Listening Devices, Wheelchair accessible, and All Gender restrooms.

https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/untitled-vampire-play/

Chicago Poetry Center Presents: November Blue Hour Featuring Iain at Haymarket HouseHaley Pollock and Keetje Kuipers

The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our November featured readers are Iain Haley Pollock & Keetje Kuipers.
Each event takes place at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) and includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets. Pre-registration is free and recommended. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style from a hat that goes out at 7:15. The reading starts promptly at 7:30. Each open mic poet reads one poem or for three minutes, whichever comes first.

The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our November featured readers are Iain Haley Pollock and Keetje Kuipers.

Each event takes place at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) and includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets. Pre-registration is free and recommended. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style from a hat that goes out at 7:15. The reading starts promptly at 7:30. Each open mic poet reads one poem or for three minutes, whichever comes first.
EVENT DETAILS FOR November 19:
– Workshop (registration required) begins promptly at 6 p.m., ends at 7 p.m.
– Performance space doors open and open mic sign-up begins at 7 p.m.
– Reading (registration recommended but not required) begins at 7:30, followed by community gathering time.
– Reading registration is free; the workshop is sliding scale with a suggested donation of $10.

About the Reading:
The Blue Hour reading features readings by two poets from Chicago and beyond, preceded by a five person lottery-style open mic and followed by community gathering time.

About the Workshop:
The Blue Hour generative writing workshop is suitable for writers and poetry fans of all levels. We will discuss a poem together, then Marty will guide the group through individual writing on an exploratory prompt that draws on themes from the poem.

About the Space:
Accessibility, Health, & Safety:
– All restrooms at Haymarket House are gender-neutral, including single-user and stalled restrooms.
– Each event includes ASL interpretation. Haymarket House is ADA compliant and fully wheelchair-accessible; email curator@poetrycenter.org to ensure ramp access and with any other accessibility needs.
– Masks are strongly encouraged for all indoor events, and the space is equipped with a professional air filtration system.

FREE ASL DOCENT-LED TOUR at National Museum of Puerto Rican Art & Culture

Join us for a FREE docent-led tour with ASL interpretation designed to ensure everyone can fully enjoy and engage with our exhibitions. This special tour will provide deeper insights into the art and stories on view, while making the experience accessible to our Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.

Play For All at Chicago Children’s Museum

Play For All invites children and families with disabilities and Museum members to come and experience CCM’s inclusive, multisensory exhibits and programs. The museum opens at 10 am for Play for All guests to enjoy an exclusive hour of play, before opening to the general public at 11 am. The first 250 children and families with disabilities who register will receive FREE admission! Pre-registration is required for free admission. Guests can come and go all day.

Accessibility: wheelchair accessible, quiet spaces.

https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/play-for-all

As You Like It – ASL-Interpreted Performance at Writers Theatre

ASL-INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE!

$30.00 TICKETS AVAILABLE USE PROMO CODE: WTASL2526

If you experience any issues with this promo code, please reach out to the box office at 847-242-6000 or email them at BOM@WritersTheatre.org.

Facing exile at home, Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind and niece Celia seek safety and refuge in the Forest of Arden. Lost amidst the trees, these wounded souls end up finding a community of acceptance and transformational love, where all are welcomed and embraced. Featuring an original folk-pop score by Shaina Taub (the Tony Award-winning composer of Suffs), this musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic is an immersive dream-like tale of faithful friends, feuding families and chance encounters.

Accessibility: ASL interpreted, wheelchair accessible, and assisted listening devices.

https://www.writerstheatre.org/events/as-you-like-it

Frankenstein (Audio Described) at Theater Wit

Following a sold-out run at Chicago Shakespeare Theater this spring, A.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations is thrilled to bring their acclaimed adaptation of Frankenstein back to life this fall at Theater Wit for a strictly limited engagement.

Music journalist Roberta Walton (Ryan Foley) has journeyed to derelict punk club The Arctic to cover its demise, but instead finds a disoriented Victor Frankenstein (Marissa Bloodgood and Andrew Kosnik) and a much more interesting story! The neurodiverse ensemble – composed of 9 actors with varying disabilities and a team of facilitators – play multiple characters as they bring Frankenstein and his Creature’s memories to life. This original adaptation blends music, movement, and scenes devised by the group into a provocative and personal exploration of ambition, isolation, and the balance between the head and the heart.

Schedule
Friday October 24th at 7pm
Saturday October 25 at 1pm (Audio Described)
Sunday October 26 at 1pm (ASL Interpreted)

Running time
Approximately 90mins no intermission

Sensory and Content Advisory
Frankenstein includes scenes that depict bullying, threats of violence, and death. The show design incorporates projected animations, some low pulsing light, and loud music. To learn more about what to expect at the show, please refer to our Sensory Advisory Guide.

Accessibility at Frankenstein
All performances are open captioned
All performances are relaxed – you can leave the theatre at any time if you need a break and sensory support tools will be available.
Wheelchair Access
Masks are required for all attendees out of consideration for our immunocompromised community members
The performance on Saturday October 25 will be audio described
The performance on Sunday October 26th will be dual-ASL interpreted

Ticket Tiers:
All tickets are general admission.

A.B.L.E. is committed to removing barriers, and that includes ensuring our work is financially accessible for everyone who wants to attend. Pick the pricing tier that works for you:

$15 – I am ABLE to connect – this level represents ABLE’s commitment to making the arts accessible for all.
$30 – I am ABLE to contribute – this level helps offset crucial production costs like props, costumes, and rehearsal space.
$45 – I am ABLE to create – this level represents the true cost of A.B.L.E.’s programming, and helps to provide access to the arts for those in need.

Cast and Crew:

Co-Directed by: Lawrence Kern & Katie Yohe
The Ensemble: Colleen Altman, Marissa Bloodgood, Rachel Buchanan, Benjamin Collins, Ryan Foley, Erin Harvey, Paige Henderson, Andrew Kosnik, Matthew LaChapelle, Kate McDuffie, Jenna Rapisarda, Haley Schroeck, and Zachary Wandel
Stage Manager: Grecia Bahena
Lighting Design: Billy Murphy
Projection Design: Brock Alter & Alex Sokol
Original Sound Design: Nicholas Pope & Katie Yohe
Makeup Design: MK Papadatos
Prop Supervisor: Anna Katharine Mantz
Audio Description (on October 25th): Jason Harrington
ASL Interpreters (on October 26th): Sabrina Cienfuegos and Mark Motyka
Director of ASL: Peter Wujcik
Key Art Photographer: Joe Mazza/Brave Lux
Production Photography: Vashon Jordan, Jr.
Frankenstein was originally co-produced in partnership with the staff at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

A.B.L.E.’s 2025-2026 Season is partially supported by The Andrew E. Barrer Trust on behalf of The Chicago Lighthouse, The Chicago Community Trust, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, FunFund, Fs Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, and generous individuals like you!

Accessibility: Audio description, wheelchair accessible, and open captions.

https://ableensemble.com/event/frankenstein/

Chicago Poetry Center Presents: October Blue Hour Featuring Rhoni Blankenhorn & Alicia Wright at Haymarket House

The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our October featured readers are Rhoni Blankenhorn & Alicia Wright.

Each event takes place at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) and includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets. Pre-registration is free and recommended. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style from a hat that goes out at 7:15. The reading starts promptly at 7:30. Each open mic poet reads one poem or for three minutes whichever comes first.

EVENT DETAILS FOR OCTOBER 15th:
The workshop (registration required) begins promptly at 6 p.m. and ends at 7 p.m.
Doors open and open mic lottery registration starts at 7 p.m. — the open mic begins promptly at 7:30, followed by our amazing featured readers.
Reading registration is free; the workshop is a sliding scale with a suggested donation of $10.
Register for the workshop here (required, and sells out quickly):
https://BHWorkshopOct2025.eventbrite.com
And RSVP for the reading here (recommended):
https://Oct2025BlueHour.eventbrite.com
View the livestream here:
https://www.youtube.com/@chicagopoetrycenter/streams

ABOUT THE READING:
The Blue Hour reading features readings by two poets from Chicago and beyond preceded by a five person lottery-style open mic and followed by community gathering time.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
The Blue Hour generative writing workshop is suitable for writers and poetry fans of all levels. We will discuss a poem together then Marty will guide the group through individual writing on an exploratory prompt that draws on themes from the poem.

ABOUT THE SPACE:
Accessibility Health & Safety:
– All restrooms at Haymarket House are gender-neutral including single-user and stalled restrooms.
– Each event includes ASL interpretation. Haymarket House is ADA compliant and fully wheelchair-accessible; email curator@poetrycenter.org to ensure ramp access and with any other accessibility needs.
– Masks are currently strongly encouraged for all indoor events and the space is equipped with a professional air filtration system.

OCTOBER FEATURES:
Rhoni Blankenhorn is a Filipina American writer. Her poems can be found in The Slowdown, Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s The Margins, Narrative, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of fellowships and scholarships from Bread Loaf, Saltonstall, and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. Rhoni’s poetry debut, Rooms for Dead and the Not Yet, won the Trio Award, and was published with Trio House Press (July, 2025).

Alicia Wright is the author of “You’re Called By The Same Sound” (Thirdhand Books, 2025) and the forthcoming essay chapbook “A Coin, A Moth, A Literary Journal” from DoubleCoss Press. Her poetry appears in Kenyon Review, Chicago Review, and The Paris Review, among others. She is the editor of Annulet and publisher of Annulet Editions. She lives in Iowa City, where she works as Managing Editor of The Iowa Review.

ABOUT THE HOST:
Marty McConnell is a poet educator and healer based in Chicago. She is the author of when they say you can’t go home again what they mean is you were never there winner of the 2017 Michael Waters Poetry Prize; her first full-length collection wine for a shotgun received the Silver Medal in the Independent Publishers Awards and was a finalist for both the Audre Lorde Award and a Lambda Literary Award. Her first nonfiction book Gathering Voices: Creating a Community-Based Poetry Workshop is available through YesYes Books. She is the co-creator and co-editor of underbelly a web site focused on the art and magic of poetry revision. An MFA graduate of Sarah Lawrence College her work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including Best American Poetry Southern Humanities Review Gulf Coast and Indiana Review.

To learn more about the series and history go here ( https://www.poetrycenter.org/reading-series/)

Accessibility: ASL Interpreted, gender-neutral bathrooms, wheelchair accessible.

https://www.poetrycenter.org/blue-hour-october-15th/

Play For All at Chicago Children’s Museum

Play For All invites children and families with disabilities and Museum members to come and experience CCM’s inclusive, multisensory exhibits and programs. The museum opens at 10 am for Play for All guests to enjoy an exclusive hour of play, before opening to the general public at 11 am. The first 250 children and families with disabilities who register will receive FREE admission! Pre-registration is required for free admission. Guests can come and go all day.

Accessibility: wheelchair accessible, quiet spaces.

https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/play-for-all

HCL Art/Access Lab: Open Lab | Tsehaye Hébert and Terri Lynne Hudson at Experimental Station

Art/Access Lab: Open Lab provides artists in the disability community an affinity space for artists to share emerging projects, test ideas, and gain perspective on their work through community exchange.

Attendees are invited to support the creative process by first experiencing emerging projects that are in the development phase, then participating in a moderated conversation that delves into that work. Guided by the needs of the artist, this conversation may explore the themes presented in the work, invite the audience to ask questions and share critique, or the artist may ask questions to the audience regarding their experience of the work.

*Hybrid Event* Attend in person or via Zoom

Doors at 1:30pm
Event starts at 2:00pm
Event ends at 4:00pm

Accessibility: ASL interpreted, open captions, sensory friendly, virtual or in-person.

https://highconceptlabs.org/events/art-access-lab-october-2025

TEDxChicago 2025: The Future is Human & TEDx Global Idea Search at the Harris Theater

Our future feels uncertain, yet we are resoundingly called to what matters most: You and me. Us. Humanity, itself. At TEDxChicago 2025, we believe the most powerful force shaping tomorrow is our collective agency, imagination, desire for connection and laughter, dignity, and generosity. This year, our speakers and artists arrive on Chicago’s stage to share their ideas, showcasing their fierce commitment to unify science, technology, and sustainability with the essential principles of compassion, justice, and care. This is our love letter to Chicago.

Join us at TEDxChicago 2025: The Future is Human. Grab your tickets now at TEDxChicago.com

Accessibility

TEDxChicago will have ASL interpreters throughout the experience. Additionally, the Harris Theater offers a range of spaces for wheelchair access. Please notify us of your accessibility accommodations in ticket registration.

The TEDxChicago Experience

Join us on Friday, September 26th at the Harris Theater for the TEDxGlobal Idea Search session, featuring talks selected by TED, and two TEDxChicago sessions featuring talks from nine amazing Chicagoans, a number of incredible performances, opportunities to engage and connect over delicious food and beverage from local artisans and chefs, and become part of this massive celebration of ideas about our shared future.

Included in Every TEDxChicago Ticket

A ticket is all inclusive to the TEDxChicago experience: Including the TEDx Global Idea Search session (you must indicate that you plan to join us for this session), and both stage sessions and all break experiences. You’ll enjoy:

Snacks from a variety local food artisans
Hosted beer and wine and other beverages,
9 TEDxChicago talks
3 live performances from the TEDxChicago Stage
10 TEDx Global Idea Search Talks
and many opportunities to engage local art and fellow Chicagoans.
If you’d like to pre-order a subsidized lunch during the TEDx Global Idea Search session, you will be able to purchase an add-on with your ticket.

Additionally, a premium ticket option is available that includes premium access seating, as well as exciting and exclusive Patron opportunities. You can learn more about the TEDxChicago Patron program at TEDxChicago.com/Patron.

Schedule

Your ticket includes all sessions. Attendees are highly encouraged to attend the TEDxGlobal Idea Search Session in addition to the TEDxChicago: The Future is Human sessions.

11:30 AM: Registration
12:30 PM: Session 1: TEDx Global Idea Search
2:00 PM: Intermission & Late Registration
3:00 PM: Session 2: TEDxChicago The Future is Human
5:00 PM: Happy Hour!
6:00 PM: Session 3: TEDxChicago The Future is Human
7:30 PM: Event Concludes

Please see the current list of speakers, performers, and more details at TEDxChicago.com

Accessibility: ASL interpreted, wheelchair accessible.

http://www.tedxchicago.com

Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars – Open-Captioned Performance at Lookingglass Theatre

Motherhood, marijuana, and the multiverse collide in this Chicago-set story of family, immigration, and American identity.

Like millions of Americans, Clara is doing her best to hold everything together—working hard, raising her tween daughter Stella, caring for an aging father, and supporting her under-employed ex-husband. But when she applies for U.S. citizenship ahead of a mother-daughter trip to Paris, her application is unexpectedly flagged, exposing minor infractions in her past and threatening the only home she’s ever known. Blending grounded family drama with otherworldly wonder, this Chicago-set world premiere is a moving and provocative exploration of our country’s most fundamental values.

Originally commissioned by the Chicago Park District’s Theatre on the Lake In the Works project, in partnership with The Chicago Dramatists, previous development of Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars included stagings as part of Goodman Theatre’s New Stages Festival in 2018 and Northeastern Illinois University’s thINKtank Series, co-produced in partnership with Teatro Vista, in 2024.

These performances of Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars will be open captioned with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance. The display is positioned in such a way that it is open for anyone to see in a particular seating area. It is a service you may choose to use or ignore during the performance. Captioning is provided by c2 Inc., www.c2net.org.

Gary Shteyngart: Vera, or Faith

Award-winning Russian-American novelist Gary Shteyngart offers an entirely original literary perspective, merging memoir and satire to create contemporary characters informed by his upbringing in Soviet Leningrad, his Jewish heritage, and his marriage and child with a woman of Korean descent. Join us for a conversation featuring Shteyngart’s signature blend of psyche and style as he discusses his new book Vera, or Faith: a poignant, sharp-eyed, and bitterly funny tale of a family struggling to stay together in a country rapidly coming apart.

Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars – Open-Captioned Performance at Lookingglass Theatre

Motherhood, marijuana, and the multiverse collide in this Chicago-set story of family, immigration, and American identity.

Like millions of Americans, Clara is doing her best to hold everything together—working hard, raising her tween daughter Stella, caring for an aging father, and supporting her under-employed ex-husband. But when she applies for U.S. citizenship ahead of a mother-daughter trip to Paris, her application is unexpectedly flagged, exposing minor infractions in her past and threatening the only home she’s ever known. Blending grounded family drama with otherworldly wonder, this Chicago-set world premiere is a moving and provocative exploration of our country’s most fundamental values.

Originally commissioned by the Chicago Park District’s Theatre on the Lake In the Works project, in partnership with The Chicago Dramatists, previous development of Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars included stagings as part of Goodman Theatre’s New Stages Festival in 2018 and Northeastern Illinois University’s thINKtank Series, co-produced in partnership with Teatro Vista, in 2024.

These performances of Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars will be open captioned with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance. The display is positioned in such a way that it is open for anyone to see in a particular seating area. It is a service you may choose to use or ignore during the performance. Captioning is provided by c2 Inc., www.c2net.org.

Art of Being: Move with Waterways

Along with the Chicago River, sway and dance with the wind, light, and grasses, finding symbiotic nature within and around yourself in a city!! Asian Body Therapist Jennifer O”Hara and award-winning dancer/choreographer Ayako Kato will guide you to sense our physicality with the way of nature! This is a part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks program and will take place at River Esplanade Park between 10 am – 12 pm on Sat, August 23, 2025. We gather at the large water fountain (upon registration, you will receive more detailed info). For more information about the event and free registration, please visit Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/noitp-art-of-being-move-with-waterways-river-esplanade-park-ver-3-2-tickets-1360601398409?aff=oddtdtcreator

Ayako Kato URL: www.ayakokatodance.com

The Meaningful Action Theatre Company Presents A Workshop Reading of “Muffed: A Recounting of Farmington, Maine’s 43rd Annual Chester Greenwood Day Devised by the Members of the Meaningful Action Theatre Company and Produced by David New”

Co-Produced by The Factory Theater and Unheard Of Company, be the first to witness this new devised piece of documentary theater from The Meaningful Action Theatre Company in their debut reading! Despite past rumors of being “unorganized”, “pretentious”, and “Who?”, we have been assured that this New Institution To Watch (2011) will deliver an evening of theatre about Chester Greenwood Day unlike any you’ve seen before. Join us at The Factory Theater for 20 one-night-only presentations that will make you cherish the earmuffs in your life.

Big White Fog at Court Theatre

Theodore Ward’s Big White Fog is the big shoulders on which A Raisin in the Sun stands. First completed in 1938, funded by the Federal Theatre Project, and influenced by the South Side Writers Group that cultivated such iconic talents as Richard Wright and Margaret Walker, Big White Fog drove American realism forward by contending with discontent.

The United States is on the cusp of the Great Depression and, like many, the Mason family is struggling. Between the precarious economy and racial violence on Chicago’s segregated South Side, something’s got to give. As different generations strive to secure the Mason family’s future, catastrophic decisions are made, leading to a heartbreaking twist and a blistering condemnation of America’s Big White Fog.

Resident Artist and the nation’s preeminent director of August Wilson Ron OJ Parson (East Texas Hot Links) opens the 2025/26 season with this rich portrayal of Black life on Chicago’s South Side.

Performance:
Touch Tour: Saturday, October 4 at 12:30pm
Audio Description and ASL Interpretation: Saturday, October 4 at 2:00pm

Accessibility: Touch tour, ASL interpreted, and audio description.

https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2025-2026-season/big-white-fog/

Big White Fog at Court Theatre

Theodore Ward’s Big White Fog is the big shoulders on which A Raisin in the Sun stands. First completed in 1938, funded by the Federal Theatre Project, and influenced by the South Side Writers Group that cultivated such iconic talents as Richard Wright and Margaret Walker, Big White Fog drove American realism forward by contending with discontent.

The United States is on the cusp of the Great Depression and, like many, the Mason family is struggling. Between the precarious economy and racial violence on Chicago’s segregated South Side, something’s got to give. As different generations strive to secure the Mason family’s future, catastrophic decisions are made, leading to a heartbreaking twist and a blistering condemnation of America’s Big White Fog.

Resident Artist and the nation’s preeminent director of August Wilson Ron OJ Parson (East Texas Hot Links) opens the 2025/26 season with this rich portrayal of Black life on Chicago’s South Side.

Performance Sunday, October 5 at at 2:00pm

Accessibility: Open captioning.

https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2025-2026-season/big-white-fog/

 

Hershey Felder’s Rachmaninoff and the Tsar – ASL Interpreted Performance at Writers Theatre

ASL INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE! $30.00 TICKETS AVAILABLE USE PROMO CODE: WTASL2526

Performance on Saturday, August 30 at 2pm.

If you experience any issues with this promo code, please reach out to the box office at 847-242-6000 or email them at BOM@WritersTheatre.org.

Having safely escaped Russia during the 1917 revolution, beloved composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff performed all over the world before eventually making his home in sunny Beverly Hills. Privately longing for the Russia that he knew and loved as a young man, a figure from his past continues to haunt him—Tsar Nicholas II. Hershey Felder’s newest musical play will feature the virtuoso actor/pianist in the role of Rachmaninoff alongside British-Italian actor Jonathan Silvestri in the role of Nicholas II. Featuring the composer’s most beloved works, Rachmaninoff and the Tsar promises to be another mystical musical journey in the inimitable Hershey Felder style that audiences have come to know and love.

Accessibility: ASL interpreted.

https://www.writerstheatre.org/events/hershey-felders-rachmaninoff-and-the-tsar-

Hershey Felder’s Rachmaninoff and the Tsar – Open Caption Performance at Writers Theatre

OPEN CAPTION PERFORMANCE! $30.00 TICKETS AVAILABLE USE PROMO CODE: WTOC2526

Performance on Thursday, Saturday 04 at 7:30pm.

If you experience any issues with this promo code, please reach out to the box office at 847-242-6000 or email them at BOM@WritersTheatre.org.

Having safely escaped Russia during the 1917 revolution, beloved composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff performed all over the world before eventually making his home in sunny Beverly Hills. Privately longing for the Russia that he knew and loved as a young man, a figure from his past continues to haunt him—Tsar Nicholas II. Hershey Felder’s newest musical play will feature the virtuoso actor/pianist in the role of Rachmaninoff alongside British-Italian actor Jonathan Silvestri in the role of Nicholas II. Featuring the composer’s most beloved works, Rachmaninoff and the Tsar promises to be another mystical musical journey in the inimitable Hershey Felder style that audiences have come to know and love.

Accessibility: Open captioning.

https://www.writerstheatre.org/events/hershey-felders-rachmaninoff-and-the-tsar-

A Gathering: Artists Design the Future & Community Of The Arts at Sisters in Cinema Media Arts Center

A Gathering: Artists Design the Future & Community Of The Arts share the journey to accessible, inclusive ETOD work-live development in South Shore.

Imagine how art and culture build community, wealth and wellness and generate dynamic entrepreneurial zones.

Sisters in Cinema Media Arts Center is a fully accessible venue hosting ADtF for this conversation. Inclusivity and accessibility impact our work to center an arts and culture ecosystem in South Shore.

This gathering celebrates Disability Pride Month, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and innovation in arts and ownership.

Accessibility: ASL Interpreted, wheelchair accessible, all gender restrooms.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-gathering-tickets-1493522860079?aff=oddtdtcreator

Chicago Premiere of LIFE AFTER at Gene Siskel Film Center

Sundance-award winning documentary LIFE AFTER, directed by Reid Davenport, is coming to Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center on July 27 at 3:00PM!

The screening, in partnership with FWD-Doc, is followed by a talkback with Reid Davenport and Keidra Chaney of the Disability Culture Lab, moderated by FWD-Doc’s executive director Cassidy Dimon. If you can’t attend the in-person event, you can catch the film virtually in the days following.

From Multitude Films, LIFE AFTER is a gripping personal investigation that exposes the tangled web of moral dilemmas and profit motives surrounding assisted dying. Director Reid Davenport asks a probing question, why is it acceptable to give disabled people the means to die, before supporting them in the chance to live?

Find tickets and more at lifeafterfilm.com/screenings.

Accessibility: Open Captions, Audio Description, and Q&A ASL interpreter provided. See venue website for more accessibility information.

https://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/life-after

2025 Accessible Juneteenth at UIC

Chicagoland DPOCC, UIC Disability Cultural Center, and Center on Racial and Disability Justice Hosts 5th Annual Accessible Juneteenth

For immediate release

2025 Accessible Juneteenth
Wednesday, June 18th, 2025
4 to 7:30 PM CDT
UIC Quad (near the UIC Student Center East Building)
750 S. Halsted St. Chicago, IL 60607

Join the UIC Disability Cultural Center, the Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition (supported by UIC’s Institute on Disability and Human Development), and the Center for Racial and Disability Justice at Northwestern University for the fifth Accessible Juneteenth, where we celebrate the Black disability community! We want to make Juneteenth a fun and accessible experience for all, including disabled people in the African Diaspora. We will have the following at the event:
Food
Performances
Open MicExhibitors
Family-friendly, Non-alcoholic Event

About Accessible Juneteenth 2025

This year, DJ Matt returns to bless us with music fit for our Accessible Juneteenth celebration.
We’ll kick the evening of performances off with Victoria Boateng’s djembe, and Accessible Juneteenth MC Donna will be BACK hosting an Open Mic where you can share your talents in singing, spoken word, playing instruments, and more! Pinqy Ring and J Bambii will headline the performances this year.

Sign up for the open mic now! Sign-ups for spots in person will be limited.Link to sign up for Open Mic: https://forms.gle/vSsJML6wQnXL8CXa8

We are excited to share food from Cook It Mama Café (sandwiches & salads with vegan & gluten-free options).

We’ll have tables where you can meet people from Black-owned and disability-owned/friendly organizations and businesses. If you’re a Black and/or disability-owned/friendly business and organization, and you would like to be an exhibitor, sign up at: https://forms.gle/ECokkvxpo9qqu1UZ9

We are also looking for volunteers to help run many aspects of Accessible Juneteenth; if you’re interested, sign up at: https://forms.gle/rv8thrYGcSxunYcX9

Access Information
ASL and captioning will be provided for the Open Mic and showcase portion. We’ll have tents for shade, and the nearby Latino Cultural Center will be available for a quiet, cool-off space! For the care of immunocompromised people in our community, please wear a mask indoors. We’ll have extras on hand! Accessibility requests, questions, or event inquiries can be sent to dcc@uic.edu

What to Expect
4:30pm Welcome and Announcements
5:00pm Open Mic & Showcase
Throughout: Food! Exhibitors! And more

Getting there
Accessible Juneteenth will be located along the north side of the UIC Quad (behind UIC Student Center East); 750 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL
From Halsted Street, enter Student Center East, and go to the back campus-facing doors. Continue straight between Lecture Centers C and D to the Quad.
From Harrison Street (near Blue Line west entrances), cross Harrison to the east of the tall white dorm with the Starbucks in it, and continue down the main sidewalk through campus. Go between Lecture Center A and B to enter the Quad.
From Taylor Street, go straight through the covered corridor through the Science and Engineering Labs, and continue straight. Go between Lecture Center E and D to the Quad.
From Taylor and Morgan, follow the path from the corner into campus, and veer slightly left to approach the Lecture Centers. Go between Lecture Center E and F to enter the Quad.
Go to a visual map with these access routes
The best address for scheduling pick-ups or drop-offs is Student Center East, a wheelchair-accessible building at 750 S Halsted St.

TRANSIT

Two blocks away from the West exit of the UIC/Halsted Blue Line train station.
The 7-Harrison and 60-Blue Island/26th CTA buses pick up on Harrison, in front of the Behavioral Sciences Building.

VISITOR PARKING LOTS

Halsted and Taylor Lot
Harrison Street Parking Structure (1100 West Harrison Street)

This event is brought to you by: Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition, The Institute on Disability and Human Development, UIC Disability Cultural Center, and Center for Racial and Disability Justice (Northwestern University)
Contact UIC Disability Cultural Center for more information or if you have any questions about the event: dcc@uic.edu.

Bridging The Divide: Making & Mending at South Asia Institute

Join us for a moderated community conversation exploring how artists of South Asia and the diaspora navigate careers at the intersection of art and disability. This event invites participants into a community-building experience that highlights the resilience of artists with disabilities working in creative fields that are often not designed with accessibility in mind. Together, we will engage in critical reflection and discuss how humanities-based institutions can lead the way in fostering more inclusive and accessible spaces.

The conversation will be moderated by Anand Venkatkrishnan, an intellectual historian of South Asian religion and author of Love in the Time of Scholarship: The Bhāgavata Purāáč‡a in Indian Intellectual History.

Featured speakers include:
Pooja Pittie, a Chicago-based visual artist living with a progressive form of muscular dystrophy, whose work explores the tension between a slowing body and an active, curious mind.

Grishma Shah, a self-taught painter and public health professional whose experience with a physical disability inspires her art and advocacy for disability as a valued identity.

Priya Rama, an Ohio-based artist who channels chronic migraines into vivid, expressive work, encouraging creativity as a response to chronic pain and stress.

ASL interpretation and online participation options will be available. Please RSVP to receive a zoom link morning of the event. Mask-wearing is strongly encouraged in person.

This program is supported by a Healing IL grant from the Field Foundation and Illinois Humanities.

Dhaba on Devon Avenue – Open Caption Performance at Writers Theatre

OPEN CAPTION PERFORMANCE on THURSDAY, JULY 10 at 7:30PM! $30.00 tickets with code WTOC2425. *If you are experiencing any issues with applying the promo code, please reach out to the box office at 847-242-6000*

Dhaba Canteen has been a stalwart institution on Chicago’s Devon Avenue since the ‘80s, serving up delicious Sindhi food with the power to transport diners back to the halcyon days of undivided India. Times are changing, however. With the bank threatening foreclosure and Chef Neeraj’s health in decline, the restaurant may soon be cooking up its last meal—unless sous chef Rita can convince her father to let her take over the kitchen. Rich with culinary tradition and dramatic twists, Dhaba on Devon Avenue serves up a searing Chicago-set story of family, legacy, and survival at all costs.

Master Class: Creative Producing with Lucas Joaquin

Chicago Industry Exchange / Workshop

Join Lucas Joaquin, a producer on the recent A24 release Death Of a Unicorn, for an illuminating conversation about producing independent films.
Event will take place in the Claudia Cassidy Theater.

About Lucas Joaquin
headshot: Lucas JoaquinLucas Joaquin is a creative producer in New York City and a founding member, with producer Drew Houpt and writer/director/producer Alex Scharfman, of the production company Secret Engine.

Recent films include Death Of a Unicorn written and directed by Scharfman, starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, with A24, Ley Line, and Square Peg (SXSW 2025); Hold Your Breath directed by Karrie Crouse and Will Joines, starring Sarah Paulson released by Searchlight (TIFF 2024); House of Spoils directed by Bridget Savage-Cole & Danielle Krudy, starring Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, released by Amazon MGM Studios; and Andrew Semans’ Resurrection (Sundance 2022) starring Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth released by IFC Films and Shudder.

He was Executive Producer of Ira Sachs’s Peter Hujar’s Day, starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall (Sundance, 2025); Blow the Man Down, directed by Bridget Savage-Cole & Danielle Krudy (TIFF, 2019), released by Amazon Studios; and Ira Sachs’s Frankie, starring Isabelle Huppert and Marisa Tomei, (Cannes 2019) released by Sony Pictures Classics.

Before co-founding Secret Engine, Joaquin produced several acclaimed features, including Ira Sachs’s Keep the Lights On, Love Is Strange, and Little Men. He was a Sundance Creative Producing Lab Fellow, a member of AMPAS, has taught at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, and worked for several years with the prolific production company Parts & Labor (The Witch, Beginners).

HCL Benefit Performance

A Summer Celebration of Sound, Movement, & Light

6:00 to 7:00 pm: Pre-Show Reception

AI Photobooth by Christopher Knowlton
Video screenings by Carissa Lee, Alexander Stewart & Tirtza Even
Silent Auction
Costa Rican fare from Irazu

7:00 to 9:30 pm: Benefit Performances

Spectralina
Tom Lee
Andy Slater
Helen Lee

Event Co-Chairs
Ayako Kato & Rachel Much

Come support High Concept Labs for an evening of fundraising with experimental, multi-disciplinary, and lovely genre-defying artistic projects, rounded out with delicious food and a silent auction. Artists include many HCL alumni as well as special guest Spectralina, the audio-visual performance project of Dan Bitney and Selina Trepp.

In recognition of HCL’s long-running Open Lab series, a platform for artists to gain perspective on work-in-development through community exchange, Esther Grimm, an artist and arts leadership coach and the founding Executive Director of 3Arts, will moderate a conversation with Andy Slater following his autobiographical performance.

Hosted at the beloved Links Hall, the evening is designed to delight, inspire, and ignite new ideas with performances that incorporate improvisation, audience engagement, puppetry, augmented reality, and more.

Proceeds will support the 2025 Residency, our Strategic Plan, and our Cash Reserve Challenge. Ticket sales and all donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar, with donations from first-time donors matched 3-to-1.

Summer Screenings 2026 – A Date for Mad Mary

Directed by Darren Thornton

Countries Ireland Year 2016

Synopsis
Released after a short stint in prison, Mary finds everything and everyone around her changed. Her best friend Charlene is engaged, but, convinced she’ll never find a date, refuses Mary a “plus one” at the wedding. Incensed, Mary sets out to prove Charlene wrong
 but is she? A tough and tender comedy about friendship, first love, and finding your true self.

Language English
Run Time 82 minutes

Summer Screenings 2026 – Rye Lane

Directed by Raine Allen-Miller

Countries United Kingdom Year 2023

Synopsis
In this visually vibrant, exhilarating modern romance, a chance meeting between Yas and Dom, two twenty-somethings both reeling from bad breakups, sparks an electrifying day of soul searching in South London. The two form an unlikely connection as they help one another nurse their heartbreak, hoping to restore their faith in love.

Art/Access Lab: Incongruent Access at Experimental Station

Join HCL, UDF, and Bri Beck for a facilitated community conversation surrounding the nuanced challenges of cross disability access in personal, professional, and communal spaces.

As disabled people, we often navigate the complexities of self-disclosure, accessibility, and supporting one another—especially when our access needs conflict. How do we balance personal well-being with community care? How can we acknowledge and navigate these tensions while fostering inclusivity?

Facilitated by Bri Beck, a licensed clinical professional counselor, this workshop invites participants into a thoughtful discussion on the realities of conflicting access needs. Together, we will explore expectations, boundaries, and the emotional complexities that arise when our needs don’t align. Through guided conversations and small-group discussions, we’ll reflect on real-life scenarios, share strategies, and consider how to create more inclusive spaces without sacrificing individual support.

All are welcome to join this important dialogue on the nuances of accessibility, interdependence, and the challenges of building truly inclusive communities.

ACCESSIBILITY: ASL Interpreted, Open Captions, Sensory Friendly, Wheelchair Accessible

https://highconceptlabs.org/events/art-access-lab-may-2025

Rebecca Solnit: No Straight Road Takes You There at Ramova Theatre

Award-winning author and longtime climate and human rights activist Rebecca Solnit joins Chicago Humanities to explore how our actions can shape the future and the liberating possibilities of embracing uncertainty. In her latest collection of essays, No Straight Road Takes You There, Solnit dissects topics like climate change, feminism, democracy, hope, and power, and urges us to heed the stories we tell or have been told, and the ways those stories can be, or should be changed. She asks us to embrace unpredictability, slowness, and imperfection in the politics of how to change the world.

ACCESSIBILITY: Assistive Listening Devices, Open Captions, Quiet Spaces, Wheelchair Accessible

Frankenstein (ASL Interpreted) at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

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

https://www.ableensemble.com/events

Frankenstein at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

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

https://www.ableensemble.com/events

Blue Hour at Haymarket House

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

Play For All at Chicago Children’s Museum

Play For All invites children and families with disabilities and Museum members to come experience CCM’s inclusive, multisensory exhibits and programs. The museum opens at 10 am for Play for All guests to enjoy an exclusive hour of play, before opening to the general public at 11 am. The first 250 children and families with disabilities who register will receive FREE admission! Pre-registration is required for free admission. Guests came come and go all day.

Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible, Quiet Spaces

https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/accessibility-and-inclusion#pfa

Sensory-Friendly Morning at Lincoln Park Zoo

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 CafĂ© 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.

Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo

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.

A Tale of Two Cities at Theater Wit

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 at Theater Wit

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

Hands Up! Forgiveness

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.

Hands Up! Forgiveness

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.

Hands Up! Forgiveness

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.

Public Gallery Touch Tour | Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective

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.

Adaptive Play Time at DuPage Children’s Museum

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/

Adaptive Play Time at DuPage Children’s Museum

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

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.

Tellin’ Tales Theatre presents “What’s Yours like?” at IO Theater

Tellin’ Tales Theatre takes its mission “to shatter barriers between the disabled and non-disabled worlds through the transformative power of personal story” to the world of improv. “What’s Yours Like” is inspired by a theme developed by the audience at the start of each show. Then, improvisers with and without disabilities leap into action and develop humorous and unpredictable narratives in real-time. The end result matches the spontaneity and unpredictability of life, making each show a unique experience. “Mine is shriveled.” “Mine vibrates.” “Mine hangs to the left.”… “What’s yours like?”

Accessibility: ASL interpretation

https://tellintales.org/

Lobby Hero at Theater Wit

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

Lobby Hero at Theater Wit

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 at the Shedd Aquarium

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 at the Shedd Aquarium

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

A LIE OF THE MIND – Raven Theatre (Touch Tour & Audio Description)

The full moon over the highway. A pay phone call in the middle of the night. And a terrible act of violence that forever changes the trajectory of eight people’s lives. Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind follows two families, connected by marriage, as they grapple with the pain and fear of loving and living. Famous for his imagery, language, and tour-de-force roles for actors, Shepard’s plays dig deep into the ideas of family, destiny, and American idealism. Raven’s production, directed by Azar Kazemi, deepens the questions at the heart of the play by layering an Immigrant story on top of the already searing critique of the American Dream at the heart of this American Classic.

Our Touch Tour is a pre-show event where patrons can hear a description of the visual elements of the production, hear from the actors about their characters, and interact with a few props. The Touch Tour will begin at 1:30pm before the 3:00pm performance.

Patrons can also reserve an Audio Description headset to wear during the performance and hear verbal descriptions of actions, costumes, scenery, and other visual elements of a performance.

Lastly, we will have trained Sighted Guides available to assist blind and low-vision patrons throughout the building.

Devices and space may be limited, so please contact our Box Office when you make your reservation. Use code LIEACCESS for $30 tickets

Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley – Open-Captioned Performance

Following critically acclaimed runs in New York City and London, TimeLine will create a site-specific, immersive Chicago premiere of the american vicarious’ imagining of the historic debate between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr., on the occasion of the event’s 60th anniversary.

“Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?” This was the topic on February 18, 1965 when an overflow crowd packed the Cambridge Union in Cambridge, England, to bear witness to a historic televised debate between James Baldwin, the leading literary voice of the civil rights movement, and William F. Buckley Jr., a fierce critic of the movement and America’s most influential conservative intellectual. The stage was set for an epic confrontation that pitted Baldwin’s call for a moral revolution in race relations against Buckley’s unabashed elitism and implicit commitment to white supremacy. This historic clash reveals the deep roots and lasting legacy of racial conflict that continues to haunt America.

Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley will feature Teagle F. Bougere as Baldwin and Eric T. Miller as Buckley in the cast. Additional casting and production team members are to be announced.

Frida…A Self Portrait at Writers Theatre

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.

https://www.writerstheatre.org/Frida-A-Self-Portrait

Frida…A Self Portrait at Writers Theatre

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.

https://www.writerstheatre.org/Frida-A-Self-Portrait

Sound Bath at LaSalle Hotel Chicago + Vendor Pop-Up

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.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/relax-renew-new-year-sound-bath-at-lasalle-hotel-chicago-tickets-1107419133439?aff=oddtdtcreator

Circus Quixote

Somewhere in La Mancha there lived a man who read so many books that his brains dried up
Saddle up with Lookingglass as we go tiltingly, acrobatically into the dreamy madness of Don Quijote and his impossible folly-filled quest to bring good-deed doing back into the world— whether the world wants it or not!

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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.

Every Brilliant Thing at Writers Theatre

ASL Performance!!

Use promo code: WTASL2425 for $30.00 tickets! If you run into any problems with this promo code, please call the box office at 847-242-6000 or send an email at boxoffice@writerstheatre.org.

THIS PERFORMANCE IS GENERAL ADMISSION!

“1. Ice Cream. 2. Water fights. 3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV.” This is how a six-year-old child begins a list of all the things that make life wonderful. They’re making the list for their mother, who suffers from depression. As life goes on, and the challenges faced morph from childhood to adulthood, the list continues to grow and take on a life of its own. By shining a hilarious and compassionate light on life’s small abundant joys, this big-hearted play—told in gentle collaboration with the audience—is a loving tribute to resilience and the lengths we will go to for those we love.

 

 

 

World Premiere of Community Storytellers Shorts at Gene Siskel Film Center

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 SĂĄenz
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.

https://2024CSTWorldPremiere.eventbrite.com

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Edge Theater

Four Athenians run away to the forest in the name of love (reciprocated and otherwise). They find themselves in the midst of a war between Titania and Oberon, the king and queen of the fairies, over a changeling boy in Titania’s charge. 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 fae and mortals alike. Come see this magical Shakespeare’s comedy, with a Babes With Blades twist!

Accessibility: Open Captions

https://babeswithblades.org/fall-2024-bwbtc-a-midsummer-nights-dream/

Calm Waters at Shedd Aquarium

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

Sensory-Friendly ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo Presented by ComEd and Invesco QQQ

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.

GET TICKETS HERE

https://tickets.lpzoo.org/events/01920b38-2249-dd1a-38f9-ca9050081886

Accessibility: Sensory-Friendly

Kohl Children’s Museum Everyone At Play

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

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Kohl Children’s Museum Everyone At Play

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 at Dovetail Studios

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.

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/mariaheastman/1306431

Becky Nurse of Salem at Theater Wit

The Midwest premiere of Becky Nurse of Salem, a new dark comedy by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Polly Noonan, promises to bewitch Chicago audiences as the opening production of Shattered Globe Theatre’s 34th season.

Gaze into any crystal ball and it’s clear, Shattered Globe’s Becky Nurse of Salem is sure to cast a spell on Chicago audiences during the fall theater season. Previews start date October 4. Press opening is Thursday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. Becky Nurse of Salem runs through November 16 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets are $10-$52, and on sale now. Purchase tickets online at SGTheatre.org, call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150, or purchase in person at Theater Wit.

Meet Becky Nurse, an outspoken, quick-witted tour guide at the Salem Museum of Witchcraft, where she’s straining to navigate life in post-Obama America. As a descendant of Rebecca Nurse, who was executed for witchcraft in 1692, Becky questions whether things have truly changed for women. As her struggles grow, she turns to a local witch for help. One spell leads to another, spiraling Becky’s life into chaos. In today’s “lock her up” era, this darkly comic play delves into a woman grappling with her family’s past while finding her own voice.

Access: Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible, and all patrons with disability needs are invited to purchase $20 access tickets with the code “ACCESS20” at Theater Wit’s checkout page. Please email boxoffice@theaterwit.org to ensure we can reserve the right seat for your access needs. Please do not use this code if you do not require these services. Go to SGTheatre.org and see the Accessible Ticketing info to find out about our Waived Ticket Program.

Assisted Listening Devices are available for all performances.

Open Captions will be provided at the 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, November 10.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 at Writers Theatre!

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 fiancĂ© 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

Play For All at Chicago Children’s Museum

At the heart of the Play For All initiative is the belief that every individual, regardless of their abilities, deserves an enriching museum experience.

Accessibility: sensory-friendly

https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/play-for-all

“Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller: HBO’s Somebody Somewhere” at Chop Shop

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/

Randy Rainbow’s Low-Hanging Fruit: Pressing Issues From My Gay Agenda at Harris Theater

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.

https://chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/randy-rainbow/

Malcolm Gladwell: Revenge of the Tipping Point at Ramova Theatre

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/

Chicago Humanities: UIC Day Festival

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

Kate McKinnon: Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science at Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture

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/

Abra Berens and Greta Johnsen: From Seed to Market to Plate at Chop Shop

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 Infinite Wrench at Free Street Theater Pulaski Park

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

Access Show with Free Street Theater

Jesmyn Ward: Let Us Descend at Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture

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

https://chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/jesmyn-ward/

Chicago Narratives: Artists Navigating South Asian Identities at South Asia Institute

Join us for an extraordinary fusion of art and narrative in a unique storytelling event, on Saturday, August 31 (2-4 pm) at South Asia Institute.

Eight dynamic South Asian American artists from the highly acclaimed group exhibition, Are Shadow Bodies Electric?, a section of the groundbreaking exhibition, What is Seen and Unseen: Mapping South Asian American Art in Chicago series, will candidly share details of their personal artistic journeys.

This is a unique opportunity to hear them recount their experiences of creating art while navigating the complexities of their intersectional identities, and to celebrate the achievements of the diverse group who have contributed to shaping the South Asian American art landscape in Chicago. The program will be led by Jitesh Jaggi, a Chicago based Moth award-winning storyteller.

Featured artists:
Tara Asgar, Sabba S. Elahi, Brendan Fernandes, Amay Kataria, Shaurya Kumar, Tulika Ladsariya, Udita Upadhyaya, and Kunal Sen

This event and the exhibition ” What is Seen and Unseen” is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.

Going Places: Chicago Short Films at Chicago Cultural Center

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.

www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/going-places/

Synapse Arts Birthday Bash at Berger Park Cultural Center

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.

https://synapsearts.com/on-the-calendar

Chicago Performs | cat mahari, blk ark: the impossible manifestation

cat mahari’s blk ark: the impossible manifestation is an interactive performance and installation, with live, semi-improvisational sound, hip-hop and house dance, and film. By exploring improvisational and Black cultural strategies of play, learned from joanin’ and the soul clap, mahari presents modes of survival and liberation, revealing questions about what it will take to find freedom and map the road ahead for our collective futures.

While the audience is encouraged to interact with the installation before or after attending the performance, the installation and performances may be experienced individually, offering two modes of engaging the ideas central to the project.

Accessibility: English CART captioning is available for the performance on Sunday, September 29, and wheelchair accessible.

https://visit.mcachicago.org/events/cat-mahari-blk-ark-the-impossible-manifestation/

Chicago Performs | Lykanthea, Some Viscera at Edlis Neeson Theater

Lykanthea is a multidisciplinary collective led by artist Lakshmi Ramgopal, whose performances and installations use pop idioms to experiment with traditional South Asian art forms. Her latest work, Some Viscera, is a collection of song and movement accompanied by immersive stage design that explores childhood, kinship, and memory in the contemporary Indian-American diaspora. The project features a multidisciplinary core ensemble starring Asha Rowland, Erica Miller, Johanna Brock, and Ben Zucker. Together, they integrate elements of Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam dance, Sanskrit and Tamil poetry, Baroque chamber music, and free improvisation to perform rich, intimate dance theater.

The premiere of Some Viscera occurs within the frame of the arangetram, a Tamil word meaning “ascending the stage.” It describes the arduous, long-form, solo performance through which students of classical Indian dance and music debut as mature artists—a celebrated but fraught rite of passage. The arangetram of Some Viscera consists of four principal movements. Each invokes avian and floral motifs from sources that include ancient classical dance and music, medieval Sanskrit poetry, the literary culture of India’s independence movement, and Indian films of the late 1990s. By creating this fanciful world, the movements reflect on cultural knowledge and breakdown.

Lykanthea presented an early iteration of Some Viscera in 2019 as a part of the MCA’s In Progress series.

Masks must be worn during the performance per the artist’s request.

English CART captioning is available for the performance on Friday, September 27.

Live plants, including roses and marigolds, are present during the performance. If you are concerned about allergies, please call the MCA Box Office for more information.

Accessibility includes CART captioning (Sept 27th performance only), wheelchair accessibility.

https://visit.mcachicago.org/events/lykanthea-some-viscera/

Millennium Park Summer Music Series – Corinne Bailey Rae and Terrace Martin with James Fauntleroy

Millennium Park Summer Music Series features a wide variety of music from established and emerging artists at the iconic Jay Pritzker Pavilion.

Corinne Bailey Rae
English singer/songwriter/musician Corinne Bailey Rae shot to stardom with her self- titled #1 U.K. debut album in 2006, featuring the global hits “Put Your Records On” and “Like A Star.” Over the course of her career she has released four critically acclaimed studio albums—Corinne Bailey Rae, The Sea, The Heart Speaks in Whispers, and Black Rainbows—and earned two Grammy Awards, two MOBOS, and has been nominated for multiple awards including the BRIT Awards, Mercury Music Prize and BET Awards. Her work for film and television includes the theme to Stan Lee’s Lucky Man (SKY1), “The Scientist” for Universal Pictures’ Fifty Shades Darker opening title and soundtrack which charted globally, and in 2020 her song “New to Me” was performed in the film The High Note by Tracee Ellis Ross. Bailey Rae has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Mary J. Blige, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, KING, Paul McCartney, Kele Okereke, Eric Benet, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Questlove, Salaam Rami, RZA, Tyler The Creator, Paul Weller, Richard Hawley, Stevie Wonder, Tracey Thorn, Pharrell, Logic, Mick Jenkins and many more.

Terrace Martin
A five-time GRAMMY-nominated artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist from LA’s Crenshaw District, Terrace Martin is renowned as one of the world’s leading jazz musicians AND hip-hop producers. This singular standing is captured on his countless influential collaborations including Kendrick Lamar (good kid, M.A.A.D. city & To Pimp a Butterfly), Stevie Wonder, Travis Scott, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Herbie Hancock, and Leon Bridges’ “Sweeter” (performed at the DNC). From his own acclaimed releases like the protest anthem “PIG FEET”, and his GRAMMY-nominated, star studded album, DRONES (featuring Kendrick, YG, Leon Bridges, Cordae, and more) to the GRAMMY-nominated Dinner Party (The musical supergroup of Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder), and his most recent single “Chucks (feat. Channel Tres)”. Among the most versatile creatives in a generation, Terrace’s path is leading him in parallel with the greats like Quincy Jones or Dr. Dre, while also launching his vibrant, progressive, genre-crossing record label record label Sounds of Crenshaw.

This event includes ASL interpretation, wheelchair accessibility, assistive listening devices, audio description, digital programs, and large print programs.

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park9.html

Millennium Park Summer Music Series -Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain with Rakesh Chaurasia

Millennium Park Summer Music Series features a wide variety of music from established and emerging artists at the iconic Jay Pritzker Pavilion.

Béla Fleck
Few musicians in any category seem as uncategorizable as BĂ©la Fleck. After initially making his mark with the progressive bluegrass group New Grass Revival, Fleck proceeded to take his instrument, as New York Times critic Jon Pareles noted, “to some very unlikely places.” He formed the Flecktones, a groundbreaking group whose repertoire ranged from fusion to Bach; the group celebrates its 46th anniversary this year. In addition, he has played jazz with Chick Corea, American roots with his partner, banjoist Abigail Washburn, written concertos for banjo and orchestra, and created a documentary film and album, Throw Down Your Heart, that examined the banjo’s African roots. Along the way, he has won 18 Grammys across 10 categories.

Zakir Hussain
The pre-eminent classical tabla virtuoso of our time, Zakir Hussain is appreciated as one of the world’s most esteemed and influential musicians, one whose mastery of his percussion instrument has taken it to a new level, transcending cultures and national borders. A child prodigy, accompanying India’s greatest musicians and dancers from his early years, and touring internationally while still in his teens, Zakir has been at the helm of many genre-defying collaborations including Shakti, Remember Shakti, Masters of Percussion, Diga, Tabla Beat Science, CrossCurrents, Sangam and Grammy-award winners Planet Drum and Global Drum Project. A revered composer and educator, Zakir is the recipient of countless honors, most recently the 2022 Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy, the 2022 Aga Khan Music Award for Lifetime Achievement, and in January, 2023, the title of Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award.

Edgar Meyer
Aptly described by The New Yorker as “the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument,” double bassist and composer Edgar Meyer is at home in a broad spectrum of musical styles. A MacArthur Fellow and Avery Fisher Prize winner, he is eminently at home within classical music, both performing traditional works and also his significant catalog of original solo, chamber, and orchestral pieces. His 30-year relationship with Yo-Yo Ma has yielded seven recordings together, and his upcoming projects include a duo recording with jazz bassist Christian McBride and a recording of all four of his concertos with the Knights and the Scottish Ensemble, produced by Chis Thile.

Rakesh Chaurasia
Like Zakir Hussain, Rakesh Chaurasia comes from Indian classical music royalty. His uncle, Pandit Hariprasad Chaursia, is widely considered the greatest bansuri player in India, and Rakesh — who started playing at age five — is deemed his most brilliant student. Not only has he mastered the techniques of Indian classical music, he has developed additional techniques allowing him to venture into other styles of playing, particularly with his crossover band Rakesh and Friends. A composer as well as flautist, he has written and performed on numerous Indian movie soundtracks, and in 2007 was awarded the Indian Music Academy Award.

This event includes ASL interpretation, wheelchair accessibility, assistive listening devices, captioning, open captioning, digital programs, and large print programs.

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park9.html

Millennium Park Film Series: Wonka at Jay Pritzker Pavilion

This summer, DCASE is pleased to present the Millennium Park Summer Film Series, presented by Pluto TV, on Tuesdays from July 16 through August 20. Films start at 6:30pm (with the exception of the double feature starting at 6pm). All films are open caption. Gates open at 5pm.

Guests may take a seat at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion or lounge on the Great Lawn as crowd-pleasing movies are presented on the state-of- the-art, 40-foot LED screen. Address for Paratransit is 201 E. Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601. For more information about accessibility at Millennium Park visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park1.html.

In partnership with the Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals (CAFF), each screening will also showcase one of the many independent film festivals that are a part of Chicago’s vibrant film community.

August 13 – Wonka
(116 minutes, PG)

Highlighting the 40th anniversary of Chicago International Children’s Film Festival

Starring TimothĂ©e Chalamet, this 2023 musical fantasy film tells the origin story of Willy Wonka, a character in the 1964 novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl, depicting his early days as an innovative chocolatier.

This event includes wheelchair accessibility, assistive listening devices, accessible seating, open captioning, and large print programs.

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park7.html

Millennium Park Film Series: Barbie at Jay Pritzker Pavilion

This summer, DCASE is pleased to present the Millennium Park Summer Film Series, presented by Pluto TV, on Tuesdays from July 16 through August 20. Films start at 6:30pm (with the exception of the double feature starting at 6pm). All films are open caption. Gates open at 5pm.

Guests may take a seat at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion or lounge on the Great Lawn as crowd-pleasing movies are presented on the state-of- the-art, 40-foot LED screen. Address for Paratransit is 201 E. Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601. For more information about accessibility at Millennium Park visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park1.html.

In partnership with the Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals (CAFF), each screening will also showcase one of the many independent film festivals that are a part of Chicago’s vibrant film community.

July 30 – Barbie
(114 minutes, PG-13)

Highlighting the one-year anniversary the launch of Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals

Nominated for eight Academy Awards, Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

This event includes wheelchair accessibility, assistive listening devices, accessible seating, open captioning, and large print programs.

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park7.html

Millennium Park Film Series: Coco at Jay Pritzker Pavilion

This summer, DCASE is pleased to present the Millennium Park Summer Film Series, presented by Pluto TV, on Tuesdays from July 16 through August 20. Films start at 6:30pm (with the exception of the double feature starting at 6pm). All films are open caption. Gates open at 5pm.

Guests may take a seat at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion or lounge on the Great Lawn as crowd-pleasing movies are presented on the state-of- the-art, 40-foot LED screen. Address for Paratransit is 201 E. Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601. For more information about accessibility at Millennium Park visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park1.html.

In partnership with the Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals (CAFF), each screening will also showcase one of the many independent film festivals that are a part of Chicago’s vibrant film community.

July 23 – Coco
(105 minutes, PG) (Played in English audio with Spanish subtitles)

Highlighting the 40th anniversary of Chicago Latino Film Festival

From Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz, despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

This event includes wheelchair accessibility, assistive listening devices, accessible seating, open captioning, Spanish captioning, and large print programs.

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park7.html

Chicago Air and Water Show at North Avenue Beach

The Chicago Air and Water Show presented by the City of Chicago is the largest FREE show of its kind in the United States. The show can be viewed along the lakefront from Fullerton to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach as the focal point.

This event includes audio description and wheelchair accessibility.

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_air_and_watershow.html