Arts and Home Entertainment Recommendations

Empowering Theater!

Black Teen Lives Matter: Taking a stand

Black Teens Lives Matter returns! Silk Road Rising’s virtual project in four acts draws on monologues and short plays written by Black teens in the EPIC (Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course) program from 2017-2020. “Black Teen Lives Matter: Taking a Stand” is curated by Brianna Buckley, Elena Feliz, Jabari Khaliq, Jarrett King, and Londen Shannon. “Taking a Stand” features four short plays about Black youth and young adults standing up for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. W.hen the pressures of teachers, leaders, and society as a whole work to keep each play's characters in their perceived "places," these newfound heroes snap into action and go toe-to-toe with injustice and erasure. Directed by EPIC Teaching Artist Jarrett King, this collection of student-written plays will premiere on Saturday, April 24 at 2 p.m. Stay and discuss the plays with the creators. An encore presentation and talkback will occur on Monday, April 26 at 7 p.m. The event is free but tickets are required. Purchase tickets for either date at www.silkroadrising.org

Revolutionary!

¡Viva la Libertad!

Newberry Library presents: “"¡Viva la Libertad! Forming More Perfect Unions Across the Americas," a series of programs taking place online and throughout Chicago in 2021 and 2022. Featuring maps, manuscripts, and rare books from the Age of Revolutions, this exhibition returns to the 1820s, when new countries emerged from colonial rule across the Americas—from Mexico to Chile. These countries faced many challenges, including how best to govern, allocate resources, and treat their diverse populations. "¡Viva la Libertad!" explores these challenges while asking questions at the heart of struggles for independence: W.hat does it mean to declare independence? Who is included and who is left out? The exhibit runs through July 24. For more information, visit newberry.org

Inside the Art!

Immersive Van Gogh

The Immersive Van Gogh exhibit has been extended! Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago, a new venue within Chicago’s recently renovated landmark Germania Club Building, will host the event all summer. Immersive Van Gogh is custom-designed for the space, offering a look into the mind of the world’s most iconic impressionist artist, the one and only Vincent Van Gogh. Explore Van Gogh’s most famous masterpieces such as "Starry Night," "Sunflowers" and "The Bedroom," with large-scale projections that animate every inch of the architecture, along with music, storytelling and the opportunity to lay down in a socially distant circle with a pillow to take it all in. Tickets range from $40-$55 depending on when they are purchased. The event runs through November 28, but is sold out through May, you can check availability at vangoghchicago.com and purchase tickets there and at (844) 307-4644.

Local Playwrights!

House Party Series

Slideshow Theatre presents its House Party Series, five readings of plays broadcast over the course of the spring and summer. Next up: Koua is a fast-moving whirlwind. By age 24, she had survived the “American War” in Laos and refugee camps in Thailand. This mother of six is determined to give her children a better life in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she faces her greatest obstacles. Written by Dawn Renee Jones (pictured), this event begins at 7 p.m. on April 23. Find more information at www.sideshowtheatre.org.

Beautiful Classical!

'Poetic Strings'

Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) continues its popular “IPO Reimagined” virtual season with its spring concert, “Poetic Strings,” filmed in IPO’s stunning home venue, Ozinga Chapel at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights. The hour-long, virtual concert features 32 IPO string players performing American modernist composer Ruth Crawford’s “Andante” followed by Austrian- American composer Arnold Schoenberg’s “Transfigured Night.” The event streams April 19-23. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at ipomusic.org

National Poetry Month!

Virtual 40th anniversary for Poetry

East magazine Celebrate April as National Poetry Month with the Chicago Public Library and Poetry East Magazine from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday April 21 on CPL’s YouTube channel and at facebook.com/chipublib/ Founded in 1980, the internationally acclaimed literary magazine is celebrating National Poetry Month with two milestones--its 40th anniversary and its 100th issue. In the notoriously fleeting world of poetry publications, where life-expectancy is typically less than 10 years, the publication's record of sustained excellence is truly remarkable. More impressive still, Poetry East has been edited from the start by the noted poet Richard Jones, an English professor at DePaul University, where the magazine is based. Jones will be in conversation with Miles Harvey, director of the DePaul Publishing Institute and editor of “The King of Confidence.” You will be able to ask questions at the event. Can’t make it? The video will be archived on YouTube.

Portrait of an Artist!

'What time is it?: A Portrait Project by Irina Zadov'

Hyde Park Art Center, the non-profit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, announces “W.hat Time Is It?: A Portrait Project by Irina Zadov,” a digital portrait series to be projected on the exterior of the Art Center building in the Jackman Goldwasser Catwalk Gallery, now through May 1, 5-10 p.m. “W.hat Time Is It?” debuts a rotating series of large-scale digital portraits of some of Chicago’s most influential cultural community members on the facade of the Hyde Park Art Center. These 50 hand-painted portraits, created by Chicago-based artist and organizer, Irina Zadov, highlight contemporary artists, authors, activists and thinkers working now to radically transform our city. Learn more about the artist and the exhibition at www.hydeparkart.org/exhibition-archive/what-time-is-it-irina-zadov/