“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 »

When Wesley’s sassy sister-in-law, Lily, comes home for a visit, her agenda includes more than just reminiscences of familial life with her late father and sister; Wesley’s single widower status and indecision about the fate of his daughters provides more than enough fodder for the chiding of firebrand Lily. As the story of the eta Creative Arts Foundation’s new play “Levee James” meanders along at a pleasant and conversational pace, the two eventually plow up a love that—though appearing ambiguous—seems long deterred. Read the rest of this entry »

As a musician-turned-painter, Robert “Baabe” Irving III is in famous, if not necessarily good, company. A foray into the visual arts seems to be the cool thing for past-their-prime rockers and strummers to do nowadays—Bob Dylan just had his first public exhibition of prints and sketches, Lou Reed’s second photography book was published not so long ago, and even Paul McCartney is contributing to the art market with a collection of lithographs. Talent among these men spans the spectrum, but Irving’s work falls nicely in the middle, as displayed by his show “Generations of Jazz Dreamscapes” at the eta Creative Arts Foundation. Read the rest of this entry »

In some ways, Grand Crossing and adjacent Chatham are like a case study in urban history. Both were originally settled by European immigrants working on the railroads and, later on, in factories. Both neighborhoods prospered during the first half of the 20th century. And starting in the 1950s, both were integrated; but here is where the two diverge. Grand Crossing saw a typical case of white flight, blockbusting by corrupt realtors, and subsequent economic stagnation. Chatham, on the other hand, integrated slightly later and learned from the mistakes of other neighborhoods. The whites still left, but their institutions and community groups were peacefully turned over to the new black residents. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, Chatham “has the distinction of being perhaps the only neighborhood in Chicago that developed from a European American middle-class community into one composed of middle-class African Americans.” To this day Chatham is more comfortable, while Grand Crossing is less well-off. Read the rest of this entry »

eta Creative Arts Foundation’s new play opens on a scene of newlywed bliss, which quickly turns into an argument before marital harmony is restored and the couple rushes off stage to have sex. It is a scene repeated countless times in “Checkmates,” written by acclaimed playwright Ron Milner and first performed at eta in January 1987. Like most of Milner’s previous works, “Checkmates” was a success and toured the country after its initial run at eta. It arrived on Broadway in the summer of 1988 for an extended run that featured a young Denzel Washington as Sylvester, a recently married black man rising through the ranks at a mostly white corporation. Syl (in this production, Keir Thirus) and his wife Laura (Caren Blackmore) serve as stand-ins for a younger generation of African-Americans who, the play implies, have had opportunity served to them on a silver platter. Syl and Laura’s foil is found downstairs in the form of Frank (Willie B. Goodson) and Mattie (Davalie Friend), an older couple who own the two-family house and rent out the upper floor. Read the rest of this entry »

“I always believed that we were doing art with a purpose, not art for art’s sake,” says Director Runako Jahi, “I believe that art should support humanity in some way.” Read the rest of this entry »

It has been seventeen years since Chicago’s eta Creative Arts Foundation first produced “Good Black,” featuring Runako Jahi, the artistic director of this year’s production, as the protagonist. “Yeah, I played the young man, so you can imagine how long ago that was,” he jokes. Indeed, the director, Edward Richardson, says this year eta is in its Sankofa season—the Sankofa, a bird in African culture, symbolizes both reflection on the past and forward movement. Since “Good Black” is one of the most popular plays in eta’s history, both Jahi and Richardson are glad to be bringing it back—and audiences will be glad to have it back as well. “People always call us and they say, when are you going to bring back ‘Good Black’?” Jahi says. Now, in the spirit of the Sankofa season, eta is happy to produce “Good Black” once more. Read the rest of this entry »

South Shore is often the forgotten cousin of Hyde Park, often because of one notable difference: the absence of the University of Chicago. But South Shore may have that to its advantage. While Hyde Park’s image is often dominated by the University’s shadow, South Shore is a middle-class neighborhood that has made its own name and burnished its own image. It also is the first place to go for unexpected finds. And a day at the beach. The site of nigh unparalleled development and one of the most creative protests from the civil rights movement, South Shore remains one of the South Side’s crown jewels. Read the rest of this entry »