Arts and Entertainment Recommendations

Seasons of Love!

‘RENT’

Porchlight Music Theatre presents the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, “RENT,” at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., October 29 - November 27. Over the last 25 years, “RENT,” based loosely on the 1896 Italian opera “La Boheme” by Giacomo Puccini, has become a cultural phenomenon with millions of fans around the world. Porchlight’s production celebrates this legacy and adds a new page to the story of a year in the life of a diverse group of artists struggling to survive and create in Lower Manhattan’s East Village under the shadow of HIV/ AIDS. In the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City at the end of the millennium, these friends are determined to follow their dreams without selling out. The performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3:30 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with weekday matinees on select days. Tickets start at $41 at porchlightmusictheatre.org

Comic Books Meet Theater!

'The Mark of Kane'

In 1939, two young friends huddled in a Bronx apartment and created a legend – the comic book character Batman. One, Bob Kane, goes on to fame and fortune while the other, Bill Finger, languishes in obscurity. "The Mark of Kane" is the first play of “The Four- Color Trilogy,” a set of plays Mark Pracht is writing for City Lit Theatre, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., that will make their world premieres over the next three seasons and will highlight major turning points in the history of the comic book industry, once a denigrated art form, but now at the center of American pop culture. Preview ticket prices (10/21 – 10/29) $30, seniors $25, students and military $12. Regular run ticket prices $34, seniors $29, students and military $12 at citylit.org

Visionary Cinema!

Festival au Cinéma

Haven Chicago presents its first annual Festival au Cinéma, October 27 at The Den Theatre (1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.) the company’s new platform for visionary and innovative filmmakers and media artists staking their claim in the future of digital storytelling, whether by defying traditional conventions of genre, style or form. Haven’s annual micro film festival spotlights creative media works that intentionally embrace the unorthodox and inspire the next era of filmmaking. The three-day/three-night festival features over 20 short films plus a variety of events, including talkbacks with the filmmakers, an opening night cocktail mixer, a boozy brunch featuring an iconic movie screening and a closing awards party. Films are presented individually or in curated blocks, based on genre, theme and length. All films are eligible for Haven’s filmmaker awards. A variety of ticket packages (Day Passes, Weekend Passes, Silver and Gold Package) are available at havenchi.org/festival-au-cinema

Bittersweet Symphony!

Grieg Piano Concerto and Prokofiev 6

Presented by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center (220 S. Michigan Ave.) Friday, October 28 - Tuesday, November 1. Prokofiev’s Sixth Symphony was a risky undertaking in post-World War II Russia: a personal meditation on suffering and loss that he described as agitated, lyrical and austere. Pianist Simon Trpčeski animates the romantic flourishes of Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Also on the program is violinist/composer Nokuthula Ngwenyama’s "Primal Message," a fantasia inspired by the 1974 Aricebo interstellar radio transmission. Ticket holders are invited to a free pre-concert conversation with Daniel Schlosberg (pictured) in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased at cso.org

A Rich History!

'Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice'

On October 24, immerse yourself in “Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice” and honor the significant contributions of Black writers to American literature and history. Explore racial injustice in America by examining the work of Black American writers from the end of the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement. Featuring original artwork, augmented reality, and other interactive elements to enliven and enrich the experience, Dark Testament brings the work of writers past and present to life in new and exciting ways. At the American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave. Adults $14, Seniors/Students/Teachers $9, Children 12 and under Free at americanwritersmuseum.org. Event runs from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Find the Way!

‘Routes’

Olufemi hopes to return home to his family. Bashir wants to remain in the only home he knows. Kola yearns to find home in a place that’s never felt like one. Rachel De-lahay’s shattering, urgent new play looks through the eyes of immigrants, refugees, and children in conflict with the law as they fight to get home through an impossibly complex system designed to keep them out. It's presented by Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays & Sundays at 2:30 p.m., through November 20 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. $32 / $10 student at theaterwit.org

Classics Re-Imagined!

'Grimm'

"Grimm" weaves well-known fairy tales — "Little Red Riding Hood," "Rumpelstiltskin," and more — into a modern story in a cabaret atmosphere. It is presented by Theatre Above the Law, whose mission is to challenge the norm by producing classic and unique stories in relatable ways, at 7:30 p.m. October 24, 28-30 at the Jarvis Square Theater, 1439 W. Jarvis St. Vax cards and ID required. Tickets are $25, $20 for seniors and students at theatreatrl.org

Film For All!

(In)Justice for All Film Festival

The Trinity United Church of Christ (In)Justice for All Film Festival is virtual again this year and opens October 27-28 with a special presentation of the award-winning, “Let The Little Light Shine.” A high-performing, top-ranked, African-American elementary school in the South Loop with a 100 percent graduation rate is threatened by gentrification when a decision is made to close the school and transform it into a high school for wealthier residents; parents, students and educators fight to keep their school. A special live panel discussion featuring director/producer Kevin Shaw, former and present National Teachers Academy principals and parent activists will follow the 7 p.m. screening Thursday. Film Notes, a conversation between Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, senior pastor of Trinity, and Shaw, will follow both virtual screenings. Tickets can be ordered at www.injusticeforallff.com

Video Games Meets Art!

Art Games by Snow Yunxue Fu

Chicago Gamespace (located at 2418 W. Bloomingdale Ave.) presents a series of art games by New York-based artist Snow Yunxue Fu. Whether running through a placeless city, exploring a treacherous ocean trench, or encountering an imposing cave, audiences gain a palpable and unsettling sense of the size, beauty and danger of the natural and built environments through her bold, colorful worlds. This solo exhibition features three playable games by the artist, including a virtual reality experience, and a series of print selections from her interactive works will be on view as well. Open Sundays 1-5 p.m. through December 11 by advance ticket purchase from www.chicagogamespace.com. Admission is $5. Kids under 12, veterans and service members are free.