In the center of the dark space a woman in black held a silver bowl. Around her stood a circle of seven women in simple dresses, three in dark purple, four in pale blue. Seated around them on the wooden floor of the University of Chicago’s Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Space, a cramped crowd of about a hundred watched quiet and captivated. The woman in black split the circle and moved around the outside. She reached into the bowl and brought out bread, handing pieces to the dancers, who spread themselves across the few feet of the floor to distribute pieces to the crowd around them. Read the rest of this entry »

(Mehveş Konuk)

“Doov, doov, doov, doov. You know that sound? We grew up on that sound,” says Jasson Perez, beat-boxing a juke beat. He is sitting next to fellow band members Michael “Illekt”, Rich “Epic,” and DJ Esquire in the basement of the University of Chicago’s Reynolds Club, where they are waiting to perform at the UofC’s Festival of the Arts. Collectively the Chicago natives form “Bin Laden Blowin’ Up,” better known by the acronym BBU.

The group’s surprise hit “Chi Don’t Dance” pays homage to both juke music and the dance form that has evolved with it—an equally fast-paced combination of steps and upper body shaking. This is footwork, often referred to by Chicago natives as juking. Footwork isn’t new to Chicago, but thanks to recent exposure by BBU and other Chicago talent, juke culture could soon be getting mainstream attention. At the forefront of this will be a generation of high schoolers, who are bringing fresh energy to the music and steps. Read the rest of this entry »

(courtesy of Court Theatre)

Though only two actors command the stage and the set consists of little more than chairs and a backdrop, Court Theatre’s production of “Sizwe Banzi Is Dead” is filled with an energy and charm that belies its spartan setup. Deftly directed by Ron OJ Parson, the play is served well by the intimate nature of the Abelson Auditorium. Although more obscure and seemingly dated than other work by Athol Fugard (best known for “Tsotsi,” which was made into an Academy-Award winning film), “Sizwe” carries underlying themes of alienation and identity that move the piece beyond its 1970s South African setting. Read the rest of this entry »

“The Man Who Saved New Orleans” is the latest play at eta Creative Arts Foundation. Written by Thomas Meloncon, it returns the narrative of New Orleans to the people who were kicked out of the city when Katrina moved in. It tells the story of the Prejeans, an African American family from the Lower 9th Ward who have been relocated to the Houston home of an evangelical cousin. A blind grandfather, a broken mother, a tormented son, and a silent daughter populate the cast list of the family drama that unfolds over two lengthy acts. A host of supporting characters, most notably a snarky, seductive fellow refugee named Eva (played by Ina Houston), add commentary but little complexity to the Prejeans’ struggles. Read the rest of this entry »

Stomping feet, gleeful cries, swinging skirts—the contra dance weekend hosted by the Folk Arts Community is taking over the Assembly Hall at the University of Chicago’s International House this Friday and Saturday. Traditional music, which visiting fiddler Ethan Hazzard-Watkins describes as “similar to bluegrass, old-time, Irish, et cetera,” will set feet tapping, heads nodding, and couples promenading down the floor. For those who have never heard of contra dancing, this weekend is an incredible opportunity to try it out, with a nationally known band and four dances over two days. The International House’s description of the event, calls contra dance “one of the friendliest social situations imaginable,” and the dance weekend promises to be an experience like few others, especially for those just being introduced to this brand of traditional dance. Read the rest of this entry »

(courtesy of Dream Theater Company)

Included in the Dream Theatre Company’s mission statement is the wish to “shatter the barrier between actor and audience.” In their latest production, “Agamemnon”, it was a small barrier to shatter. Only two players act in the tragedy onstage, and last Saturday, only five that people sat in the audience. The lack of attendance may have been the evening’s greater tragedy, because “Agamemnon”, in addition to being superbly written, is a genuinely well-acted production. Read the rest of this entry »

As denizens of the neighborhood nurse their thirsty vehicles at the BP station on East Hyde Park Boulevard, just east of the Metra tracks, they can already hear it. Perhaps they are distracted by the hiss of the frothing pump or are inside buying a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos; but if you pause and look around, they all appear to be swaying to a subdued bass line and a chilling croon with no ostensible earthly source. Around the corner, the street is showered from above with dense light. Clouds and skulls dance before the sidewalk on a monolithic screen, accompanied by a tune that has already become to local residents disarmingly familiar.

This nightly apparition that haunts the corner of East Hyde Park and Cornell every night from 4 to 10pm is only a peripheral component of “Notes to Nonself,” an installation that has been hosted at the Hyde Park Art Center for the past 21 days and will remain until May 2. Read the rest of this entry »