Marissa Kates with her daughters.
The Ames Group Chicago Advantage
Real estate is more than a transaction—it’s about trust, strategy, and finding the perfect place to call home. With over 30 years of experience and more than 2,100 successful client journeys, Jennifer Ames leads an award-winning team known for expertise, integrity, and discretion. From luxury condos and co-ops in Chicago to some of the most prestigious homes on the North Shore, we deliver the exceptional results you deserve.
As part of Engel & Völkers, a globally recognized luxury real estate brand, we offer unmatched local expertise with the power of an international network—providing exclusive access, personalized service, and a boutique experience that sets us apart.
8 north shore sports
New backcourt role suits Regina Dominican HS junior Jillian DeFranza well at the start of the girls' basketball state playoffs
LIFESTYLE & ARTS
Meet interior designer Claire Staszak and find out what's trending in her world
12 black bag
Steven Soderbergh’s gripping new spy thriller keeps its secrets close
13 the electric state
Netflix’s dystopian sci-fi odyssey sparks interest but doesn’t fully ignite
NORTH SHORE DOINGS
EDITED BY CHEYANNE LENCIONI THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
NOW THROUGH MARCH 16
FOOL FOR LOVE
WHERE: Steppenwolf Theatre
Fool For Love, a dark and beautiful tale by Sam Shepard, comes to the stage at Chicago’s iconic Steppenwolf Theatre. The ensemble cast features Cliff Chamberlain, Tim Hopper, Caroline Neff, and Nick Gehlfuss. steppenwolf.org
NOW THROUGH MARCH 23
THE ORCHID SHOW INDIA BLOOMS
WHERE: Chicago Botanic Garden
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Chicago Botanic Garden’s The Orchid Show will immerse viewers in the beauty of India. This will include a floor-to-ceiling peacock, a towering banyan tree, and pigment powders representing Holi all made out of orchids. Tickets are available now. chicagobotanic.org
NOW THROUGH MARCH 23
I AND YOU
WHERE: Citadel Theatre
Experience an ode to life, love, youth, and the strange beauty of human connection. This show has performances at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 3 p.m. on Sundays, and 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5 and 19. Tickets are on sale now. citadeltheatre.org
NOW THROUGH APRIL 5
POSTMEMORY
WHERE: The Art Center Highland Park
Postmemory describes how the next generation relates to the personal, collective, and cultural trauma of their predecessors. This describes Nicole Gordon's latest body
of work which is inspired by intimate interviews of her family history of immigration and assimilation from Eastern Europe to South Africa, Cuba, and ultimately to the United States. These stories, while at times rife with displacement and emotional upheaval, are ultimately filled with hope, aspiration, resilience, and pride. theartcenterhp.org
MARCH 1 TO 2
GOLDEN HOUR
WHERE: Lyric Opera
The Joffrey Ballet presents Golden Hour, a radiant, mixed repertoire program of warmth and splendor. Performances will be held at 2 p.m. on March 1 and 2; and at 7:30 p.m. on March 1. Featuring world premieres by Dani Rowe and Yuri Possokhov, the return of Cathy Marston, and an audience favorite by Nicolas Blanc, the curated program welcomes audiences in from the cold to experience the light of these four immersive works. Golden Hour will be presented at Chicago’s historic Lyric Opera House. joffrey.org
MARCH 3 TO 31
JOB CENTER ON THE MOVE
WHERE: Highwood Library
From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Lake County’s Workforce
Development will be hosting its weekly program to help community members find new careers. This program will focus on one-on-one resume development, job training, internships, career transitions, and more. No appointment is necessary. highwoodlibrary.org
MARCH 4 TO APRIL 24
PATTERNS AND POEMS IN NATURE
WHERE: North Shore Senior Center
Chicago Alliance of Visual Arts is hosting a
joint exhibition with the North Shore Senior Center featuring Kathleen Haslwanter, Christine George, Maryse Richards, and Karen Beatty. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. celebrate the spring season and explore the beauty of patterns and repetition in art. The showcase will feature an array of mediums such as oil, watercolor, and acrylic that highlight breathtaking flowers, prairies, and other nature-inspired scenes. wearecava.org
MARCH 7
FAMILY CAMPFIRES
WHERE: Mellody Farm Nature Preserve
Join Lake Forest Open Lands Association (LFOLA) from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at a family campfire! Let these expert LFOLA guides whisk your family away on a moonlit prairie adventure to the legendary Jens Jensen council ring. Prepare for nature tales, all while sipping on hot apple cider and indulging in s’mores by the toasty fire. lfola.org
MARCH 7
SCHOOL’S OUT: MAPLE MADNESS
WHERE: Mellody Farm Nature Preserve
From 9:30 a.m. to noon, get ready to roll up your sleeves and dive into the sweet science and history of maple sugaring. Participants ages 5 to 12 will be tapping trees, trekking through the woods, and spinning yarns of ancient lore about this delectable delight that’s been tickling taste buds since forever. The grand finale involves indulging in some delicious maple syrup. lfola.org
MARCH 7 TO 9
ALVIN AILEY’S DANCE THEATER
WHERE: The Auditorium Alvin Ailey’s Dance Theater returns to the stage with four performances celebrating the life and legacy
of Artistic Director Judith Jamison. These performances include Cry on Friday only, Grace and Finding Free on Friday and Sunday, and Sacred Songs, Treading, and Many Angels on Saturday. Tickets are available now. auditoriumtheatre.org
MARCH 8
BRANCHING OUT: TREES AS SPIRITUAL BEINGS
WHERE: Winnetka Public Library
From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., join the Winnetka Public Library staff for a walk and time to enjoy native trees. Lynn Zaransky, TreeKeeper with Openlands, and Gerald Savage, Chief White Winnebago, Ho-Chunk Nation Elder, will lead a tree identification walk. Attendees will share Native American history and customs. The program will begin with a short presentation in the Lloyd Room. Please dress for the weather and registration is required. wnpld.org
MARCH 8
FAMILY SHAMROCK SCAVENGER HUNT
WHERE: Lake Bluff Park District
Join the Lake Bluff Park District from 10 a.m. to noon for an Amazing Race-style event across town. At check-in, families will receive a list of riddles that will give them clues as to where all eight shamrocks
are hidden. The park district encourages families to bike for this event. The first three families to return to the Artesian Field House with all eight “shamrocks” will receive a St. Patty’s Day prize. Tickets are $10 per person and anyone older than 5 years are required to register. lakebluffparks.org
MARCH 9
SIP RED, GO GREEN 2025
WHERE: Patrician Gallery & Gatherings
Join Go Green Wilmette from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for a glass of wine and great conversation as it raises funds and builds community to continue vital environmental work. This year includes a silent auction. Tickets are available now. gogreenwilmette.org
MARCH 9, 10 & 16
“TO LIFE!”
WHERE: Evanston, Chicago, and Aurora
The Orion Ensemble continues its 32nd season with “To Life!,” which showcases Orion’s core musicians on a program of trios, including a Chicago premiere by Alexander Goldstein and works by Johannes Brahms and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performances take place at three venues: Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston on March 9, where Orion is an Ensemble in Residence; PianoForte Studios in Chi-
cago on March 10; and New England Congregational Church in Aurora on March 16, followed by the annual Spring Benefit. The Chicago performance also will be available via livestream. orionensemble.org
MARCH 9
ARTEMIS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA CONCERT WHERE: Trinity Episcopal Church
A free winter concert will be held at 3 p.m. titled All Bach, featuring Vier Duette, BWV 802-805, Bassoon Concerto in C major, BWV 1053R, and Brandenburg Concert No. 5, BWV 1050.2. The form for registration can be found at artemischamberorchestra.org
MARCH 10
FOOD FOR THOUGHT COOKBOOK BOOK CLUB WHERE: Winnetka Public Library
If you love browsing cookbooks and trying new recipes, join this adult program from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Check out one of the spotlighted cookbooks, try some recipes and bring a dish to share. The books are available for checkout at the library and through Hoopla, when available. Registration is required. wnpld.org
To submit your event for consideration, please email events@nsweekend.com.
Family Campfires at Lake Forest Open Lands
BY BILL MCLEAN
THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY GEORGE PFOERTNER NORTH SHORE SPORTS
Champion ship mettle, along with collective selfassurance in crunch time, figured prominently in a playoff game last week.
The High land Park High School (HPHS) girls’ basketball team— the reigning champion of the Central Suburban League (CSL) North division— relied on both assets to secure a hardfought 50-49 defeat of host Leyden High
JUMPIN’ FOR JOLIE
Composure lifts Giants to playoff win, elates Highland Park High School girls’ basketball coach Jolie Bechtel
School (LHS) in a Class 4A regional semifinal on February 18.
“We didn’t lose our composure in the second half,” HPHS coach Joie Bechtel said, alluding to her squad’s responses to deficits of 34-29 in the third quarter and 47-43 in the fourth quarter. “We made stops when we needed them and we made shots when we needed to make them.
“We won the last eight minutes.”
HPHS junior Reese Crosby came up big at the end of the third quarter, nailing a three-point shot to barely beat the buzzer and knot the game at 37-all. Crosby later praised senior Maddie Reitmayer for delivering the key assist and echoed Bechtel’s take on what helped the Giants advance to the regional championship
game against Maine South High School three nights later.
“It came down to our composure,” Crosby said minutes after her 12-point, five-rebound night. “There was much more intensity in this game than in the one we played against Leyden last month (a 40-37 HPHS victory on January 27).
“Resilience, too, helped us,” the 6-footer continued. “We showed that after our only loss (to Niles West High School) in conference play. We didn’t get down on ourselves; we got right back to work the next day.”
LHS’s Eagles (21-11) struck for a twopoint bucket and a trey to give them that 47-43 fourth-quarter advantage with 2 minutes, 48 seconds remaining. A basket by Reitmayer (14 points, eight rebounds)—at the 4:25 mark—had interrupted what would have been a 7-0 run by the host school.
Unflappable HPHS sophomore guard Kourtnie Halperin (nine points, four rebounds) connected for a trio of threepointers, none bigger than the one that put the Giants up 47-46 with 1:53 left. Fifty seconds later, Halperin got the assist on a
MAT GIRLS
basket by freshman Emily Calub (nine points).
A pair of free throws from Reitmayer widened the visitors’ lead to 50-47. But it was a tenuous cushion, since ninth-seeded LHS had 28 seconds to tie seventh-seeded HPHS (20-8).
The resolute Eagles trailed only 50-49 with 19 ticks left.
Eighteen seconds later, Giants junior post player Miami Martinez (six points) made the defensive play of the game in frigid Northlake, guarding an Eagle closely and carefully and eventually forcing a traveling violation.
“The way we hustled,” Reitmayer said of another contributing factor in the win. “What also helped us tonight, I think, is the target we had on our backs (as the program that shared the CSL North championship last winter) in the regular season. Teams came after us and we still played very good basketball.”
Maine South High School’s Hawks ended the Giants’ season with a 59-20 victory in the regional final on February 21.
The numbers are low, but optimistic Lake Forest High School girls’ wrestling coach Nick Kramer forecasts interest in the program will take flight.
Wrestling is the fastest-growing girls’ sport in the United States. It’s about fourth-downand-inches ahead of girls’ flag football.
Only three Scouts grappled regularly for the girls’ varsity wrestling team at Lake Forest High School (LFHS) in the 2024-2025 season.
But Scouts coach Nick Kramer—a former 103-pound wrestler for the perennially successful program at Grant Community High School (GCHS) in Fox Lake—believes word will get out about the sport at LFHS and the interest in it will steadily mirror what’s unfolding at the national level.
“Our major goal is to build the program, to get more girls to come out for wrestling,” says Kramer, who’s also the varsity boys’ wrestling coach and a special education teacher at LFHS.
“As a coaching staff (Kevin Norman also coaches LFHS female wrestlers),” he adds, “we believe that the sport of wrestling is the most challenging and difficult, yet also the
most rewarding sport, at the high school level. The discipline and dedication acquired during the season is a benefit for anything a wrestler wants to succeed at in the future.”
LFHS junior Bree Hirsch and sophomores Mirabelle Duboeuf and Caitlin Carnow vied for sectional berths at the Round Lake High School Regional meet on February 7-8. Hirsch and Duboeuf advanced to the New Trier Township High School Sectional the following weekend in the 130- and 120-pound weight classes, respectively.
“Bree had never wrestled before when she came out for the sport as a freshman two years ago,” Kramer says of the Scout who earned all-County honors this winter with a third-place showing at the Lake County Invitational. “She was nervous. We weren’t sure she’d stick with it, but she did and she ended up loving it. Bree’s a hard worker, dedicated, and a leader.”
Duboeuf, another all-County wrestler in 2024-2025, was a sailing team member and a
boxer when she chose to give wrestling a try before the start of this season.
“One of the toughest wrestlers in the (practice) room,” Kramer says. “Mirabelle scrapped with the girls, scrapped with the boys. She’s a hard-nosed, old-school wrestler. Her competitive nature will take her a long way in life.
“Mirabelle,” the coach adds, “lost twice at the sectional. The results upset her, but for her to get there, given her lack of wrestling experience before this season, was crazy good, almost unheard of. That was so impressive, what she accomplished.”
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) started recognizing girls’ wrestling as an official sport in the 2021-2022 season, when then-senior Naomi Miles became the first Scout to qualify for the state meet. She won four of six matches at state and competed in the matchup for fifth place at 170 pounds.
The program’s most successful grappler, Annika Cottam (LFHS Class of 2023),
earned a third-place medal at state as a senior, topping Nadii Shymkiv of Glenbard North High School in the bout for bronze at 105 pounds.
“I’ve always had a passion for wrestling because of the lessons it can teach you on and off the mat,” says Kramer, a three-time sectional qualifier in wrestling as a Bulldog at GCHS.
“I’m excited about girls’ wrestling in the state of Illinois in general, as well as the prospects of it here at Lake Forest High School.”
Bree Hirsch
Q & A with Regina Dominican junior basketball player
JILLIAN DEFRANZA
Regina Dominican High School (RDHS) junior captain Jillian DeFranza scored a combined 25 points—in only 24 minutes—in the Panthers’ first two state playoff games last week.
As a member of last year’s fourth-place team at the Class 2A girls’ basketball state tournament, the 5-foot-8 guard played mostly at the ‘two’ (shooting) backcourt position. This winter she’s sharing the point-guard role with classmate Natalia Cerrado and excelling at both ends of the floor.
“Jillian is the heart of our defense and our utmost physical presence who draws every team’s top defender to guard her,” says RDHS coach Bob Newton. “She’s also an old-fashioned gym rat with a motor that never stops.”
DeFranza scored a team-high 11 points and had three assists, three steals, and two deflections in the Panthers’ 64-20 defeat of Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in the RDHS Regional final on February 20. Cerrado and sophomore Judy Fabianski each netted nine points.
Wilmette-based RDHS (19-10) was scheduled to face Latin School of Chicago in a February 25 sectional semifinal at Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School in Chicago.
What has impressed you about your team’s first two postseason wins?
Our number of assists and the efficiency of our passing game. We’re pushing the ball up the floor quickly—something we’ve been working on at practices and in scrimmages.
When did you make your first-ever basket?
I think I was 5 years old, at a half court at Brooks Park in Edison Park. My dad (Dan) is a football coach at Notre Dame (College Prep in Niles), and I’d done football drills with him in our back yard that involved running with the football. Well, on that basketball court, I got the ball and took off—without dribbling the ball—and made a layup. Not my most fundamentally sound moment.
Your coach describes you as a “gym rat,” or someone who jumps on every opportunity to hone their game. Care to expound on that approach to the sport?
That comes from my household. I’m big on work ethic, working out and getting better as a player for my team. My dad (former Division I football player) has a great work ethic, and my mom (Chrissy) always puts other before herself; she’s the best. I have dreams, one being the opportunity to compete as a college basketball player.
You get to go one-on-one with any basketball player in the world. Who’s guarding you?
Caitlin Clark, because I look up to her. I’d never beat her, but I’d love the challenge of facing her.
What do you remember about your first day at RDHS?
Walked into my first class, Art Foundation, and tried to bring energy to the room. I like meeting new people. The first thing I asked to a student sitting next to me was, “Where did you go to (middle) school?’
Three words that best describe RDHS basketball coach Bob Newton? Caring, supportive, and committed.
BY THOMAS CONNORS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Change can come slowly or suddenly. It can be random or planned. It can be minute or monumental. But when it makes us feel better or more fulfilled, there’s nothing quite like it.
Leah Bostrom was staying home with her kids in Wilmette when “as a mom of young kids with food allergies, I was interested in learning more about nutrition,” she explains. It was the catalyst for her to becoming a health coach and healthy snack line creator, developing a brand identity as “Chia Leah.”
However, Bostrom recognizes getting in shape and eating well isn’t always easy.
“First,” she says, “it is imperative that we understand and trust the power of our intuition. Second, to make a successful and sustainable change, we must be specific and consistent.”
Third, she continues, habit change should not be an overhaul of one’s entire lifestyle but a small daily change. And like anything worthwhile, becoming a better you takes work. Sometimes, a
EDITED BY REDDING WORTH
ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL
#ON MY NIGHTSTAND
mental reset is required.
“Most client’s original goal is losing weight,” notes Bostrom. “Instead, if we shift the mindset to an overarching goal of longevity, so we can do the things we want to do now and for a lifetime—like someday lifting up our grandkids, traveling to exotic places—it takes the pressure off of ‘losing weight.’ Focus on what you gain in making changes.”
Bostrom’s foray into nutritional snacks began in 2015 when she debuted an oatmeal breakfast cookie at a farmers market. Vegan and gluten-free, her products are made with a host of healthy ingredients, including quinoa flakes, nutritional yeast, chia seeds, and fruit. In addition to that original breakfast cookie, the Chia Leah Clean Eats line-up includes Sweet & Spicy Granola, made with Himalayan pink salt, cayenne pepper, and organic cinnamon, Sublime Mango, dried mango slices drizzled with dark chocolate and lime, and the Rosemary Clean Cracker. Today, Chia Leah Clean Eats products are available online and at 30 local retailers, including Central Station Coffee & Tea, Sunset Foods, and The Grand. They are also on sale at Bostrom’s space at 3217 Lake Avenue in Wilmette, which she has dubbed Chia Leah Headquarters.
I relish an inspiring memoir. I’m currently reading Ina Garten’s Be Ready When the Luck Happens. I love reading about what it takes to build a successful brand behind the scenes.
#ON MY MOBILE
I love following Dr. Becky on Instagram at @ drbeckyatgoodinside. She gives amazing advice on how to raise healthy, well-adjusted children. I’ve also been following the home renovation of Annie Meyers-Shyer at @thisoakhouse. I’m a sucker for a Nancy Meyers reference, and this is her daughter’s home renovation! I recently met her interior designer, Mike Moser, on an ELLE Decor panel we did together during Design Chicago.
#IN MY EARBUDS
I love the Song Exploder podcast where musicians take apart their songs and explain how they were made. Episode 150: Fleetwood Mac is one of my favorites! Lindsey Buckingham breaks down “Go Your Own Way,” which is the song he wrote about his relationship with Stevie Nicks.
“Our team has worked creatively and collaboratively to build the brand through networking, cold calling, lots of sampling, and learning from other local brands,” explains Bostrom. “My motto in learning about the food business has been, ‘I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out.’”
Figuring things out never ends. That goes double when trying to grow a business.
“It’s time-consuming and stressful,” acknowledges Bostrom, whose latest endeavor is catered wellness workshops for corporations. “I prioritize my mental health by exercising each morning and by setting boundaries with work. I love what I do, but to stay sane, I don’t respond to emails or calls between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.”
She also leans heavily on our Chia Leah team.
“We all care a lot about each other, and our motto is ‘family first.’ If we take care of ourselves and our family, we can come to work focused and dedicated,” she says. “It helps that we always have healthy food here to nosh on.”
For more information on Bostrom’s health coaching services, visit chialeah.com.
CLAIRE STASZAK is a Chicago-based interior designer, known for her holistic design process and expertise in designing and restoring homes while infusing them with soul. She also has a special affinity for crafting timeless and functional kitchens and holds a Certificate of Kitchen and Bath Design from Harper College. Her firm, Centered by Design, was born out of her love of historical architecture, well-trained eye for interiors, and passion for personal wellness. Her work has been featured by Architectural Digest, Traditional Home, House Beautiful, and LUXE magazine among others. In her free time Claire enjoys traveling with her husband Luke and their two children, most recently visiting New Mexico and checking off a bucket list item with a hot air balloon ride. She’s currently working on her own personal historic renovation, a 1920s Mediterranean home on the North Shore, which you can follow along at @centeredbydesign. It’s been a busy year of side projects—launching her first wallpaper collection with French heritage wallpaper brand Isidore Leroy, and designing her new Glencoe studio, The Annex, right downtown on Park Ave. Amidst her whirlwind schedule, she shares how she stays up to date.
#HASHTAG
Breakfast Cookie
Super Food Dark Chocolate Bark
The Rachel Salad
Better Buckeye
BLACK BAG
Steven Soderbergh’s new spy thriller keeps its secrets close in what our reviewer calls one of the genre’s most compelling entries in years.
RUNNING TIME:
127 MINUTES
VERDICT: Black Bag isn’t just a spy thriller—it’s a meditation on trust, identity, and the price of secrecy. With exceptional performances, razor-sharp direction, and a narrative that keeps you guessing, it stands as one of the most compelling entries in the genre in recent years.
There’s something irresistibly thrilling about a great spy film. The tradecraft, the moral ambiguity, the quiet menace of a well-timed pause before someone inevitably says, “Trust no one.” When done right, espionage movies don’t just entertain—they grip, unravel, and haunt. Black Bag, Steven Soderbergh’s latest foray into the genre, understands this perfectly. It isn’t just another shadowy tale of double agents and government conspiracies. It’s a film about trust—how it’s earned, broken, and weaponized.
Anchored by powerhouse performances from Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, Black Bag is a taut, intelligent thriller that eschews bombast in favor of slow-burning tension. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, nor does it try to. Instead, it reminds us why we love it in the first place.
The film introduces us to George and Kathryn Woodhouse (Fassbender and Blanchett), a husband-and-wife team of elite intelligence operatives who have spent their careers navigating the murky corridors of espionage. Their dynamic is fascinating—not the cold, detached professionalism of Mr. & Mrs. Smith,
nor the overwrought melodrama of True Lies. Instead, they operate with the weary efficiency of people who have lived in each other’s shadows for too long.
Their delicate balance is shattered when Kathryn is accused of treason, a charge that sends shockwaves through the intelligence community. George is faced with an impossible dilemma: does he believe in his wife, or does he do his duty? The deeper he digs, the more he begins to question everything—not just about her, but about himself.
Soderbergh’s direction here is razor-sharp, allowing the paranoia to seep in at the edges rather than hammering it home. The film resists the temptation to paint its characters in black and white. Kathryn, played with exquisite ambiguity by Blanchett, remains an enigma until the very last frame. Is she a traitor? A scapegoat? Something else entirely? Every glance, every half-smile feels like a cipher waiting to be cracked.
Michael Fassbender has played spies before, but here, he delivers a performance that is less about brute force and more about quiet devastation. His George is a man coming apart at the seams, trapped in a world where certainty is a myth. Fassbender’s ability to oscillate between control and panic is mesmerizing, making us feel every ounce of his internal struggle.
And then there’s Blanchett, who could read a tax code and make it sound like poetry. She plays Kathryn as a woman who knows exactly how people perceive her and uses it to her advantage. At times, she is a loving wife. At others, she is calculating, opaque, almost unknowable. Blanchett ensures that, like George, we’re never entirely sure which version of her to believe.
The supporting cast is equally compelling. Pierce Brosnan, returning to the genre that made him a star, is an elder statesman of espionage, exuding charm and menace in equal measure. Regé-Jean Page brings a fresh energy as an ambitious young agent caught in the crossfire, while Naomie Harris delivers a performance that crackles with intelligence and restrained fury.
Visually, Black Bag is a masterclass in restrained tension. Cinematographer Peter Andrews (a pseudonym for Soderbergh himself) crafts a world that is sleek but never showy. Shadows linger just a little too long, cityscapes are cold and clinical, and the camera moves with a quiet deliberation that suggests every frame holds a secret.
The action, when it arrives, is brutal but never indulgent. Soderbergh has never been interested in chaotic, over-edited fight sequences. Here, violence is swift, purposeful, and often shockingly intimate. A closequarters struggle in a Berlin safe house is one of the most tightly choreographed scenes in recent memory—efficient, tense, and utterly devoid of excess.
David Holmes’ score adds to the atmosphere, layering the film with an understated, pulsing dread. Unlike the bombastic soundtracks of traditional spy thrillers, Black Bag opts for something more surgical—music that creeps rather than announces itself. Black Bag does something remarkable: it
plays fair with its audience. The film is littered with clues, half-truths, and moments of misdirection, but it never cheats. When the final pieces fall into place, they don’t feel forced— they feel inevitable.
Some may find the film’s pacing too methodical, its reveals too subtle. This isn’t a film that spoon-feeds its audience. It demands patience, attention, and an appreciation for the long game. But for those willing to engage, the payoff is deeply satisfying.
Soderbergh has crafted a film that understands the heart of great espionage storytelling. It’s not about gadgets or explosions—it’s about people, about the choices they make, and the lies they tell themselves to survive.
BY FELIX MCMILLAN, MAN ABOUT FILM ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL
THE ELECTRIC STATE
Netflix’s dystopian sci-fi odyssey sparks interest but doesn’t fully ignite.
RUNNING TIME: 150 MINUTES
VERDICT: There’s a lot to admire in Netflix’s The Electric State—a visually breathtaking world, an evocative sense of loss, and strong performances. But like the abandoned machines that populate its landscapes, it sometimes feels like a collection of brilliant parts that don’t always come together as a fully realized whole. Available on Netflix March 14.
There was a time when a film about a dystopian, machine-dominated future felt like pure science fiction. Now, in an age where AI-generated deepfakes and algorithms know our preferences better than we do, The Electric State feels less like a futuristic warning and more like an inevitability. Directed by the Russo brothers, the film is an ambitious sci-fi
adventure brimming with spectacle, emotion, and an undercurrent of existential dread. Yet, despite its stunning visuals and a compelling lead performance from Millie Bobby Brown, it never quite escapes the feeling that we’ve seen this all before.
Based on the illustrated novel by Simon Stålenhag, The Electric State drops us into a retro-futuristic wasteland where towering machines litter the landscape like relics of a forgotten war. Civilization, as we know it, has crumbled, leaving a few scattered survivors to navigate the ruins of a once-thriving society. At the heart of it all is Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), a young woman on a desperate mission to find her missing brother. Accompanied by an eccentric robot companion and a grizzled drifter played by Chris Pratt, she sets out on a cross-country journey through a world where technology has outlived its creators. It’s a premise that invites both grandeur and intimacy, and to their credit, the Russos handle both with finesse. The film’s landscapes are hauntingly beautiful—vast, empty highways
cutting through ghost towns, remnants of machines rusting in fields like forgotten gods. The visual storytelling is as compelling as anything in Blade Runner 2049 or Mad Max: Fury Road The problem is, for all the film’s grandeur, the emotional core sometimes struggles to match its scale.
Millie Bobby Brown, carrying much of the film on her shoulders, is excellent. She has a knack for portraying characters who are both vulnerable and fiercely determined, and Michelle is no exception. Her chemistry with Pratt is solid—though he seems slightly out of place, toggling between hardened survivor and reluctant comic relief. The film wants to be both a sweeping odyssey and a characterdriven drama, but in trying to balance the two, it occasionally loses momentum.
The biggest issue? The pacing. At two and a half hours, The Electric State has moments where it lingers a bit too long on its own melancholic atmosphere, threatening to lose its narrative urgency. The script, while functional, doesn’t always justify the runtime.
SOUTHERN FRIED OKRA
BY MONICA KASS ROGERS
FOOD EDITOR
THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Among the Southern foods my mom liked to make, fried okra was at the top of the list next to pimento cheese. Sliced and fried into little rounds, okra makes a great shareable snack—with loads more flavor than popcorn and plenty of satisfying crunch. It’s equally good as a side dish paired with etouffee and rice, or maybe some saucy fish. After frying, I like to shake the fried morsels in a paper bag with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, then tear the bag open to share and serve. Pickled peppers go nicely on the side.
NORTH SHORE FOODIE SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
• 3 cups peanut oil, or enough to fill recommended level on your deep fryer
• 2 large eggs, beaten well
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp all-purpose flour
• Fresh okra, sliced into thin rounds to make 2 cups
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 grinds fresh cracked pepper (to make 1 tsp)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• More salt and pepper to taste plus
METHOD
Pour peanut oil into fryer and preheat to 350F. Whisk eggs with milk and pour into a wide, shallow bowl. In a second wide, shallow bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper together. Add several spoons of sliced okra to the egg wash and completely coat. Remove coated okra from egg wash and dredge in cornmeal/flour mixture, rolling around to coat. Remove coated morsels to third bowl.
Continue until you have coated and dredged all of the okra. Place ½ of the okra in the fryer basket and fry until golden brown. Remove fried okra from basket to a rimmed baking sheet that has been thickly lined with paper toweling. Repeat with second half of the okra. Place all of the fried okra in a paper bag. Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika and another ½ tsp or so of salt and pepper and shake to coat. Repeat with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pickled peppers as a snack, or, as a side dish.
DOGGONE APPRECIATIVE
Few admire and embrace Lake Bluff’s compelling history as much as Lake Bluff History Museum Vice President Pam Russell does. The Lake Forest High School graduate has lived in Lake Bluff since 1987.
BY BILL MCLEAN ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT RISKO
If you lived in Lake Bluff four years ago, you’d remember Orby, the name given to one of the 70-plus painted fiberglass dogs displayed in downtown Lake Bluff and in Sunrise Park to celebrate the village’s 125th anniversary.
Orby featured several striking depictions of Lake Bluff’s signature green and blue light orbs.
“I dabble in art,” says the artist of Orby, Pam Russell, also Vice Presidetn of Lake Bluff History Museum and co-chair of the Dogs on the Bluff event.
But she majors in history, with a concentration in Lake Bluff history. Russell essentially declared her post-college “field of study” in 2005, when she joined Lake Bluff History Museum’s volunteer board of directors. For more than a decade she served the museum and promoted its mission—“Preserving, sharing, and celebrating the stories of Lake Bluff”— as its de facto director of marketing and communications, and she’s been its vice president since 2013.
“I spend a lot of time here,” says a grinning Russell, sitting at a lengthy table on the second floor of the museum on Scranton Avenue. “I love what I do and what we’ve done. And I get to work with a fun, talented, and dedicated group of people and put together a lot of educational and interesting events.
“Knowing Lake Bluff’s history,” she adds, “heightens one’s sense of belonging, understanding, and appreciation for the community.”
Among Lake Bluff History Museum’s engaging offerings are a wide range of exhibits and programming, collections, catalog, and events and good times, two of which are the museum’s key fundraisers—Ghost Walk and Holiday Home Tour.
Russell has played a lead role in the development of multiple exhibitions, including Made in Lake Bluff (2018), Wedding Exhibit (2019), Just Imagine (a 2022 puppetry exhibit featuring marionettes by Margaret Lindman of Lake Bluff), and The Lake: Lake Bluff and Michi
Gami exhibit (2023-present).
“All exhibits involved multiple people— board members and members of the community,” says Russell, whose husband, George, had worked as Village of Lake Bluff engineer for 26 years before retiring in 2016. “I also direct cataloging efforts in conjunction with [Lake Bluff History Museum Historian/ Co-founder/Presi dent] Kathy O’Hara and part-time staff member Lyndy Jensen.”
the 2,000 visitors—sometimes as many as 5,000—flooded the village each summer for the Camp Meeting.
No wonder Lake Bluff was home to 30 hotels, including the late 500-room Hotel Irving, from the 1870s to the 1890s. The summer resort/camp meeting transitioned Lake Bluff from the pioneer settlement phase of its development.
“Visitors stayed in tents, cottages, and hotels,” Russell says. “LBCMA built $250 private cottages on 25-foot lots for them, needing no more than 20 days to complete each. Part of that footprint in east Lake Bluff is still
A funny story from one of the worthy keepers of
What pleased me more than anything else about that moment was knowing our museum had reached a new person.
Lake Bluff’s annual summer resort (also known as Camp Meeting) from 1875-1899 fascinates Russell—a Lake Bluffian since 1987—the most. The Lake Bluff Camp Meeting Association (LBCMA), established in 1875 by Solomon Thatcher for the emerging middle class, provided a summer retreat attracting thousands of visitors each summer. It brought like-minded people together to explore cultural, educational, and spiritual ideas in a natural setting.
Thatcher, after having scouted locations for the Camp Meeting, described Lake Bluff, formerly Rockland, as “a paradise.” Thatcher was sold, threefold, when he took in the village’s appealing woods, ravines, and lake.
The population of Lake Bluff today is a tad north of 5,600. Back in the late 1800s, more
Lake Bluff’s quirky and not-so-quirky stories begins with a comment from an enthralled first-time visitor to Lake Bluff History Museum.
“The woman came up to me,” Russell recalls, “and asked if I had known about a certain Lake Bluff story. I listened as she proceeded to tell me more about it, but I didn’t tell her that I had written the account of the story she was sharing with me.
“What pleased me more than anything else about that moment was knowing our museum had reached a new person.”
Parents of the Great Lakes Naval Station cadets regularly check out the charming qualities of Lake Bluff and pop into the museum to view the exhibitions each graduation weekend. Russell hears glowing reviews of the village
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
from the proud mothers and fathers.
“The feedback is always positive,” Russell says. “I’ve heard more than a few times, ‘Wow, we’re glad we came down here.’ It’s a reaction that doesn’t surprise me, because Lake Bluff has this unique feel and look, along with a deep sense of community.
“No matter where you turn,” she continues, “you encounter a friendly person here.”
Russell lived in Park Ridge, Lake Forest, and Chicago before she started calling Lake Bluff home. A self-described quiet student at Lake Forest High School, Russell enjoyed participating in limited pre-Title IX girls sports and various student clubs; playing guitar; and making jewelry, mostly silver and beads.
She majored in Graphic Design at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and worked for a couple of years in direct marketing before earning a graduate degree in Media Management at the University of Georgia in Athens. Her thesis: “The Future of Information Retrieval Systems.”
Keycom hired her to fill a marketing/public relations position. The cutting-edge company in the 1980s was a collaborative venture between Field Enterprises, Honeywell Information Systems, and Centel that delivered information and entertainment into homes long before the internet and streaming services became ubiquitous. Pam’s career in marketing and communications included stops at several other companies before she started the consulting firm she ran for 20-plus years.
Pam first met her future husband while rafting in northern Wisconsin.
Pam and George Russell raised sons Matt and Eric. Matt is an actor living in New York, and Eric is an associate creative director at the advertising agency Doner.
“I have two of the greatest sons ever,” Mrs. Russell says. “They’re so talented, intelligent, and caring.”
Just like their mother.
Lake Bluff History Museum is located at 127 East Scranton Avenue, Lake Bluff. For more information, visit lakebluffhistory.org or call 847-482-1571.
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Michelle Crowe, Erin Donaldson, Dustin O'Regan, Kemmie Ryan, Megan Weisberg
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Monica Kass Rogers
Thomas Connors, Cheyanne Lencioni, Bill McLean, Felix McMillan, Redding Worth DESIGN
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Natalie Phillips ADVERTISING COORDINATOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER PHOTOGRAPHY AND
Maria Ponce, George Pfoertner PHOTOGRAPHY Tom Bachtell, Barry Blitt ILLUSTRATION
“Cha
