Review: Family Dysfunction is Comically Functional In Strawdog’s On the Greenbelt
I had to look up the Greenbelt in Boise, Idaho, to see if it was a real place—it is. There isn’t a lot written about Boise in ways that other […]
Kathy D. Hey writes creative non-fiction essays. A lifelong Chicagoan, she is enjoying life with her husband, daughter and three dogs in the wilds of Edgewater. When she isn’t at her computer, she is in her garden growing vegetables and herbs for kitchen witchery.
Review: A Woman’s Worth Revealed in Intimate Apparel at Northlight Theatre
Women in America have long demanded that society appreciate their worth and contributions beyond the confines of a household. Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel, directed by Tasia Jones, mines the history […]
Review: Doňa Perón: An Homage to a Legend by Ballet Hispánico
Eva Perón has had many names and titles. A saint, a first lady, a savior, and a dancehall girl–aka prostitute. There are more names and epithets than I can include […]
Dialogs: “Talking Race at the Opera” by the Chicago Humanities Festival
I gave high praise to Terence Blanchard’s opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones. The opening night performance at the Lyric was filled with excitement and local luminaries. The following […]
Review: The Peculiar Grace of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones at Lyric Opera
My first opera was at age 10 when our parish priest took us to see La Boheme at the Lyric Opera House. I always thought that opera was sung in […]
Review: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater—Passion and Grace Wrought from a World in Chaos
We are living in a time of chaos and war while—maybe—emerging from a plague. There is no better balm for my soul than an evening in meditation on movement by […]
Review: Lost Souls and Collateral Damage in Ruined at Invictus Theatre
When a country is ravaged by war, various organizations publish pictures to horrify the viewer enough to give a tax-deductible donation. Send a check or a monthly donation and get […]
Review: Broken Nose Theatre Asks If the Cure Can Be Worse Than the Illness in This is Only a Test
I have not heard the air raid sirens in years. In the ’50s through the ’80s an air raid siren would blare every Tuesday morning at 10:30. It was heard […]
Review: Ballet Folklórico de México Is a Vivid and Entrancing Look at Mexican History
Spending time on the West Side of Chicago with my grandparents was an introduction to Mexican culture. They lived very close to 26th Street, which is part of Little Village. […]
Review: Powerhouse Voices Lift Mercury Theater’s Women of Soul
True confessions time. When I saw that Mercury Theater was doing a musical called Women of Soul, my curiosity was piqued. Musicals featuring soul music and powerhouse singing are the […]
Review: Queen of the Night Portrays a Healing Journey of a Father and Son
For some, growing up Black in America is to be a stranger to the concept of the All-American. As few as two generations back, a Black father was seen as […]
Review: Sons of Hollywood Reveals Hypocrisy and Defiance in Old Hollywood at Windy City Playhouse
As a fan and amateur historian of the film industry in America, I found Sons of Hollywood to be a heart-rending retelling of the lives of those who entertained millions […]