ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Compiled by Cora Saddler
You Got A Friend!
Steppenwolf Theatre’s 'Seagull' W hat is Love? W hat is Art? W hen is Lunch? If you’ve found yourself pondering these essential questions, head over to Steppenwolf Theatre’s new in-the-round Ensemble Theater in honor of Helen Zell for ensemble member Yasen Peyankov’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “Seagull” from April 28-June 12. The new Ensemble Theatre is at the heart of Steppenwolf’s new Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center. With only six rows, none of the 400 seats is more than 20 feet from the stage. “Seagull” follows one long summer weekend in the Russian countryside, where three generations collide and wrestle with the things that inspire, consume, and make them celebrate, together, all that makes them grateful for one another. Tickets are $54-66. Performances are Tues-Sun at 7:30 pm and Sat-Sun 2:30 pm (except May 8 and 14) at 1650 N. Halsted St. For more information, see steppenwolf.org. .
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Keeping It Real!
'Let Me Tell You: Stories of Asian American Authenticity' To commemorate Asian Pacific Heritage Month, the Chicago Public Library presents “Let Me Tell You: Stories of Asian American Authenticity” in partnership with Mia Park, 6 p.m. May 2 at Uptown’s Bezazian Library, 1226 W. Ainslie St. The hybrid Zoom and live “Let Me Tell You” will share personal stories of healing, mourning, and remembering, while amplifying the voices of Asian Americans in Uptown and throughout Chicago. The performance is a response to the recent spike in anti-Asian violence. Performers represent mixed race, adopted, immigrant, and American-born individuals from the diaspora (Performers: Hannah Ii-Epstein, Minky Kim, Thavary Krouch (pictured), Sangi Ravichandran, Peter Ruger, Jihar Shah and Giau Minh Truong). FREE. For more information and registration, see miapark.com.
ENTERTAINMENT
Quicker Than A Ray of Light!
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Kinetic Light: Wired The Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., hosts the artists of Kinetic Light—Alice Sheppard, Laurel Lawson, Jerron Herman, and Michael Maag–for the gravity- and assumptiondefying performance of “Wired” on May 5-8. The performance honors histories of race, gender, and disability in America through an exploration of barbed wire told through an immersive and intimate experience of aerial and contemporary dance, light, and sound. At times, the show depicts violence as well as disability-based and racial injustice. Performances are 8-10 pm May 5-7 and 2-4 pm May 8. Tickets are $10 and livestream is available May 7. For more information, see mcachicago.org
The Doctor is Out!
'Rasheeda Speaking' '“Hello, Rasheeda speaking.” For a revival of Chicago writer Joel Drake Johnson’s “Rasheeda Speaking,” directed by Shattered Globe Theatre Associate Artistic Director Amber Mongomery, visit Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Whether it's the doctor’s inability to remember her name or the toxic fumes coming from the lab next door, the story follows Jaclyn Rasheeda as she navigates her place as the only Black woman in the office. W.hen her white co-worker, Ileen, is promoted and asked to spy on Jaclyn, how far will Jaclyn, Ileen, and their boss Dr. Williams go, as fear of difference, racism, and tensions begin to rise. Running through June 4, at 8 p.m. Thurs - Sat, and 3 p.m. on Sun, and 2:30 & 8 p.m. on June 4. Tickets are $15+ at theaterwit.org.
