Entertainment

I hear myself using some of the same words over and over. Words like nice, cool, wow, and pretty. Maybe the guy is nice, but there’s a plethora of words that may better describe him. Maybe he’s good-natured, pleasant, friendly, hospitable, cordial, amiable…

I feel privileged sitting in the small Chicago Greenhouse Theater with an intimate group invited to see the first professional staging of a new play, My Whorizontal Life by Sephe Haven. OK, the title is a giveaway. This is a solo recollection of her life…

“He says there are too many syllables in my name. ‘Ste-pha-nie Pe-zott-a.’ He’s right, Ma. You should’ve picked something short, like Dove.” Arlene clamped her mouth shut as she finished loading the dishwasher while her daughter leaned against…

Video games can help dementia patients to combat boredom and stay mentally active. It is important for seniors with dementia to engage in activities that help ease the feelings of anxiety and provide social and mental stimulation…

It was a very ordinary night. I was undertaking a very ordinary activity. I had gone into the bathroom to get my pyjamas, which were hanging on the back of the door. My mind was completely elsewhere, as minds can be when you’re doing a routine task…

My family is from St. Louis, so a nice road trip from Chicago to St. Louis (five hours with one potty stop) was in the cards for my opera friend, Betsy, and me. Opera Theater of St. Louis is known for excellent productions, many of them commissioned premiers…

Spontaneous traveler? How about a Fall trip that will bring the beautiful colors of nature and the joy of excellent theater? It’s prime season to visit Wisconsin and Ontario. Unconsciously, I’m cruel to my sister-in-law Norah and myself…

Used to be that smaller live theaters did not run year-round. That changed in the last five years. Ok, there is nothing scheduled for August, but Chicago keeps producing excellent theater while drumming up season subscriptions for 2023/24…

Austin, Texas. What do you associate this deep in the heart of Texas city with?
It’s a destination people think of as bachelor or bachelorette parties, the ubiquitous SXSW Film, Music and Tech festival, ACL – the live music event spread over two weekends…

Endings are fiendish things. In the old days, fictional endings were clearly defined, wrapped up, tied with ribbon and fastened in a neat bow. Shakespeare’s endings were unambiguous: tragedies ended in mass death, comedies ended…