Chicago, IL

The family of Nailah Franklin has turned from the task of searching for their missing relative to mourning her death. Police confirmed today that a body found in Calumet City is indeed that of Franklin, who last contacted her family on September 18th.

The badly decomposed body was identified through dental records. The cause of death has not been determined and forensic evidence is still was being processed. I will post any updates regarding the investigation when they become available.

source

Chicago, Nailah Franklin, Chicago, Calumet city

If I weren’t going to be glued to my television set watching So You Think You Can Dance tonight, I would be heading down to the Hidden Shamrock Pub on Halsted and Diversey. Why? Because Your Little Ponies are playing. I had an awesome run-in with this up-and-coming Rock-Comedy Group at the Acme Art Works improv night a couple of weeks ago, and they blew me away. They are two very talented musicians busting out very hip comedic songs, such as “Pangea,” and “Dude.” You can listen to some of their songs HERE.
If you can’t make it to their weekly Wednesday night gig at The Hidden Shamrock Pub, but you want to support them, you should make sure to attend the release of their third CD at Silvie’s Lounge (1902 W. Irving Park) on Friday July 27th.
Man, maybe I’ll just record SYTYCD. Who knows…

Your Little Ponies, Musical Comedy, Chicago, The Hidden Shamrock Pub

The results of the Chicago TV Pilot Competition will be announced at the Chicago Short Comedy Video & Film Festival July 20-21.
They also need volunteers to help run the event. Not only is it a way to get to see all of the shorts and TV pilots free, but it could be a really cool networking event, or in the very least, an interesting college essay mention for a High School student applying to film school. So, if you are interested, here’s all the nitty-gritty…

WHEN: July 20 & 21; Video and Film Festival screenings at 7 p.m., TV Pilot Competition screenings at 8:45 and 10:30 p.m
WHERE: Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport
COST: $10 per show or 3 shows $25; Advance tickets available from TicketWeb at (866) 468-3401 or www.ticketweb.com
A festival line-up can be viewed at www.witsendshorts.com

Volunteers are needed for this event! Volunteer duties include handing out programs, directing crowds, and sign-in. There is no pay, but volunteers can view the very funny films for free (approx. 27 films per evening). Please contact Adrienne Cook at adriennereads@yahoo.com, or call (312) 642- 2156 for more information. Please indicate if you are interested in volunteering on July 20 or July 21. Thanks!

*NOTE: Originally, I mentioned that each short cost $10, but I guess it’s really just $10 per night, per person, unless you get 3 people together, then you can all 3 get in for $25. My confusion was that they said “3 shows for $25,” and they call each evening a “Show,” but there are only two “Shows.” Can you see where I became confused? No? Ok. Well, it was ambiguous to me. So, there you go.

Chicago Short Comedy Video & Film Festival, Short Films, Comedy, Volunteer

I had the somewhat rare opportunity of spending a semester in college in Ghana. For those of you who are geographically challenged, Ghana is a beautiful Country in the heart of West Africa. It was the first African nation to gain independence from European colonization (in the 1960’s). It is also home to one of the world’s most awesome football (soccer) teams.
When I was at the Taste of Chicago on Friday, I noticed that they had a booth from an “African” restaurant. It wasn’t just “African” food, it was WEST African food! For those of you that don’t know the difference, African food comes in many varieties. An Ethiopian Restaurant is going to be extremely different from a Morroccan restaurant. In my opinion, West African food is the most terrifying to American patrons, and is, therefore, the least common kind of restaurant. Anyway, I got curious as to whether I could get real Ghanaian food in Chicago. So, on Sunday, I went on a quest. In the morning, I googled “West African Restaurant Chicago,” and I got a bunch of matches. Most of these were on websites with “user review” sections. This prompted me to come up with the following list of tips.
What to expect when eating at a West African restaurant
(1) Your food is not going to come quickly. In fact, the longer the food takes, the better the restaurant! No one knows why the food takes so long. It’s part of the experience! Sit back. Read a book. Talk to some of the people around you. Watch TV. Learn not to be so stressed out about time. It will be therapeutic.
(2) “Soup” is a relative term. Ghanaian “Soup” will look reasonably like what American soup may look like, but usually more stew-like. Nigerian “Soup” looks nothing like American soup. It looks like mashed okra with pepper sauce on top. That’s because soups from these countries are really more like a sauce to be eaten with some kind of starchy dough, like Fufu or Banku. If you don’t know how to eat them, just ask! The wait-staff may seem like they are laughing at you, but they are happy to help.
(3) THE FISH WILL HAVE BONES IN IT! Beware. Don’t choke.
(4) Most of the food is intended to be eaten with your hands. They will bring you a bowl of water to wash your hands off at your table, so just go with it. What’s the worst that will happen? You’ll have messy hands. Then you wash them. No loss.
(5) If you are going to branch out and try something new, don’t be so picky. People in different parts of the world eat different things! Guess what? That’s a good thing. Don’t expect them to have French fries. Don’t expect them to tailor make you a meal. Be flexible for once in your life. It will be a good experience if you let it be a good experience.
(6) Don’t trust the internet. Some of the places listed online are now closed, and others that do exist aren’t listed online. When in doubt, check the phone book.

I hope some of these tips are helpful. I highly recommend hitting Bolat African Cuisine on Clark street in Wrigleyville. It is a beautiful restaurant with mostly Nigerian food (some Ghanaian!), a big plasma screen TV that was playing Football (soccer) on Sunday, and it seems to be a meeting spot for West Africans in the area. On one side of me was a family from Nigeria, and on the other was a family from Ghana. It was a great afternoon with yummy, reasonably priced food. They also deliver, but that way, you miss out on half the fun.

Bolat African Cuisine
3346 N. Clark St., Chicago,
(773) 665-1100

Bolat African Cuisine, Ghana, Nigeria, African Food, Taste of Chicago, Wrigleyville

So, I’m not going to write about the Taste of Chicago. Why? Because everyone else in the entire world is. Instead, I decided to talk about my life. The last few weeks for me have been what I would call…philosophically stretching.

I went to the 6th Annual Lottery Reunion show at iO last week. Basically, the Lottery is a show where iO draws the names of some random students out of a bucket, and they get to perform with amazing and legendary improvisers in a regular show. If that sounds unpredictable to you, you should see the Lottery REUNION show. Sheesh. Each of the last 6 casts did a 10-minute piece. Each team had about 4 people I would call “Headliners” and 2 or 3 students. So, in an hour, I got to see 24 diverse veteran improvisers, and about 15 students trying to keep up. Amazingly, there were students on stage that were performing seamlessly. Others were struggling. But, that’s beside the point. The great part about the show was that each team had their own personality, and it was extremely interesting to see the range of style in such a back-to-back way. One that stood out to me in particular was the “Annoyance” set, starring Mick Napier among others. Now, I have heard of Mick Napier. He is one of the founders of the Annoyance Theater and has essentially achieved Improv God Status. But, I had never before seen him perform. Basically, my brain exploded. In a mish-mosh of intersecting scenes and non-linear storytelling, I realized that I am a very vanilla improv fan. But, I was told not to judge the “Annoyance style” based on that show, because it was done, after all, with students.

Then, on Saturday, I had the extreme pleasure of having Joe Bill, another Annoyance founder and cast member of Bassprov, fill in for another teacher at my improv class. (He. Is. Awesome.) And, at one point, half of the class did a montage of the most obnoxious, irrationally arranged, crazy-person scenes that I have ever seen. Then, Joe starts talking to us about leaving aside our style preferences. Maybe watching improv isn’t about what we “like” or “don’t like,” but maybe it’s about expression and art. Then, he looks at me, and apparently, I had a gross look on my face, because he said, “Ok, Miss Linear Thinker, what was wrong with that?” HA! Then, I debated with him for a few minutes, because that’s what I do. But, really, I’m open to comedy that breaks rules. I’m open to Improv being about art and expression. Maybe I’ll try to not only judge something based on whether I “like” it or not.

Perhaps.

Last night I went to a show at Acme Art Works, and one of the performances was a guy reading screenplay treatments written by a person that was clearly either on drugs or in some other way mentally incapacitated. For all intents and purposes, it was a guy, on stage, reading for half an hour. I LOVED IT. So, in light of all that I have been thinking about for the last few weeks, I’m trying to appreciate it from a non-preferential standpoint, but I’m at a loss. I guess I have a lot to learn.

In any case, I think I’m going to start checking out more things at Annoyance. I still haven’t seen Messing with a Friend, which apparently makes me a horrible person. When people talk something up as much as they talk up Susan Messing, it sort of makes me want to avoid it. And every time I say that to an improviser, they die a little bit inside. Because Susan Messing has also achieved God-Status. Ok. I’ll go. Soon. I promise.

Annoyance Theater, Mick Napier, Joe Bill, Susan Messing, Acme Art Works, Chicago Improv, Comedy

So, I went to the Jewel Osco today, and there were a lot of people buying food - which I expected. So, I got in a semi-short line to check out, and in front of me was a 30-something lady behind a Latino man buying baby formula in large quantities. There was some confusion with the Latino man. Apparantly, he was using government assistance to buy the baby supplies, and he didn’t quite understand what was covered. A short time later, the problem was resolved and he went on his way.

Then, the 30-something lady moves up to the front of the line and begins to talk to the cashier. I wasn’t REALLY paying attention until I heard, “I just think if you can’t even speak english, why are MY TAX DOLLARS paying for your food.”

WOH!

Wait.

WHAT?

This lady goes on to make other comments that I consider to be HORRIBLY RACIST.
These comments included the following: “I’m all for helping people, but please.”

Ok. So, I didn’t say anything. But I was FURIOUS. And I been fuming about it all afternoon.
I’m sure that lady thought that all the rest of the people that count (read: white, English-speakers) agreed with her, but I do not.

I think it’s both disgusting and sad to divide the human race up into groups. I think it’s self-important to demand white-privelege. And, I personally, am proud to know that there are people of every race, color, ethnicity, native-tongue, gender and sexual orientation in this country. It sickens me to think that there are people out there that think that they deserve more than others. Guess what? You don’t. Even if you were born here, you don’t deserve more than someone that was not.

Why do you have to treat people badly? You DON’T.

Imagine what the world would be like if, instead, you just treated every person you met with love and kindness regardless of their station in life. It would be amazing.

That is my hope for the future.

Independence Day, Racism, Jewel Osco

I don’t know how many of you ride the brown line, but I ride it every day. One of my favorite things is seeing all the new graffiti on the buildings close to the train stations. One particular piece of art caught my eye last week, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It’s on the S-curve near the Steppenwolf theater, and who-ever did it must have had to literally climb up the L-track to get to that spot. It’s really kind of amazing. It is written in almost girly scripted pink spray-paint, and it reads, “I ruined your life, sorry Sarah.”
What else can you say? “I climbed the L-track in the middle of the night and vandalized private property so that you (and all 60,000 brown line riders) can know that I’m sorry that I ruined your life.”
I wish I got apologies like that.

Brown Line, CTA, Chicago, Graffiti

So, awhile ago, I wrote about a smaller-cast version of Ragtime: the Musical that was playing at the Theater Building. Well, as it turns out, that production was a booming success, and it has re-opened at the Apollo! Wahoo! The upside is that it is a great show, and it’s playing in town. The downside is that the tickets are $41.50 - $46.50. Ugh. So, I guess you should go see it, if you have cash to burn.

Opened June 16.

Open End

Sundays : 3:30 p.m.
Thursdays : 7:30 p.m.
Fridays : 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays : 7:30 p.m.

Price: $41.50-$46.50
Ticketmaster: 312-559-1212
Box office: 773-935-6100
Produced by: Porchlight Music Theatre

Ragtime, Chicago, Apollo Theater

Last night I went to the preview of the new Thursday 8pm show in the Del Close Theater at iO featuring BUST and Indra’s Net, two new improv teams that promise big and exciting things. It’s a tough time slot at iO, because downstairs in the Cabaret, the legendary team The Reckoning has been an installation for what seems like forever. Maybe, though, because some of The Reckoning’s team members are off traveling, and they have been inviting others to join them that just don’t have the same chemistry…maybe it’s time to check out what’s going on upstairs at the Del Close Theater.
BUST is a two-woman improv team that to me, felt like the female version of the Nogoodniks in a lot of ways. Obviously there were only two of them, so the limitations of that dynamic are ever-present. I feel like these two are going to be really awesome once they find their grounding. This time felt like they were trying to cram every character they could think of into one show. My advice, as an audience member: Slow down.
Indra’s Dream made a good first showing. It’s a very cool concept. Read their show description HERE. Some of their players seemed to make a lot of common mistakes - repeating the same character one too many times, or entering the scene and shouting something pseudo-preposterous. But, overall, it was a good show with a lot of really promising elements. I saw a few cast members that seem to have been team-hopping recently. I, personally, enjoyed this combination. Most pointedly, I love seeing Kate Duffy, especially when she seems like she’s good-naturedly mocking her teammates. Also, I’m a new fan of Lisa Linke. I think she is smart and interesting to watch with an advanced wit. It always seems like she’s taking the scene in a direction that I didn’t expect. Love it. Plus, Joe Burton is always masterful and smart. It often seems like one or two people pick up his uber-cerebral references, but not everyone as a whole. But, you have to love an improv show that has a scene in which he gives an astonishingly thorough explanation of Avagadro’s Number. Well played.
Sad you missed it? Well, don’t miss iO’s line up tonight. A little bird told me that Seth Meyers is bringing SNL producers to scout for new talent. Charna Halpern is lining up some of the best for a great showcase. The Improvised Shakespeare Company’s regular 8pm show will be followed by a command performance by Moist. Then, at 10:30, downstairs will be The Reckoning and Bullet Lounge, while upstairs Dave Pasquesi is teaming up with Tracy Letts for what hopes to be a memorable experience. It’s a great opportunity to see some extremely experienced improvisers put on their A-game for the scouts.

iO, Chicago, Improv, Bust, Indra’s Net, The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Moist, The Reckoning, Bullet Lounge, Dave Pasquesi, Tracy Lords, Seth Meyers, Saturday Night Live, Charna Halpern

So, I was walking on Lake Street yesterday, and as I was crossing the street, a car almost backed into me! As I jumped out of the way, the car that almost hit me and another car started honking and shouting at each other. Then, from the sidewalk, this young guy shouts something that I feel is the best thing ever shouted.

“HEY! Why don’t you learn some patience!”

Chicago, traffic

It’s still not too late to do something fun tonight. I was going to go to a Women in Film - ONLY advance screening of Evening, but I don’t have any clean clothes, so it looks like I’m stuck doing laundry! Lame! If you don’t know anything about it, Women in Film Chicago is a great networking organization for women involved in film and television in the area. They put on great events and have a lot of advanced movie screenings. Check out their website: HERE.

If you aren’t a WiF member, you could hit Tuesdays on the Terrace to see free evening jazz concerts on the MCA’s Anne and John Kern Terrace overlooking Lake Michigan. “Enjoy cocktails and light dinner fare while listening to Chicago’s finest jazz musicians, hosted by local radio personalities. In addition to a dinner menu, Puck’s cafe also offers boxed meals and blankets, perfect for those who prefer to relax on the sculpture garden lawn.”
Dinner reservations are recommended, call 312.397.4034
In case of rain, the event takes place in Puck’s.
Check out the website: HERE

Women in Film Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Jazz

So, I don’t know how many of you have ever been to a Roller Derby. That’s right. I’m talking about a Roller Derby. Tough, loud and crazy women flinging themselves around a track on rollerskates - smashing into each other - scoring points in an almost indeciferable manner. It’s almost like the illegitimate child of Hockey and Speed-skating…and it’s SUPER FUN!
Chicago is home to several kick-ass teams. You can check out the Windy City Roller’s website here: WHAM!
If you are up for something a little bit crazy and a whole lot of fun, on June 16th, starting at 6pm, you can see two matchups - Hell’s Belles vs The Fury, and Manic Attackers vs. Double Crossers.
They even have a Party Bus that meets at The Cobra Lounge for a pre-party at 4. For $8, you can get transportation to and from the match, and make it back to the Cobra Lounge in time for the after-party.

Admit it, it sounds fun!

Roller Derby, Chicago, Windy City Rollers, Hell’s Belles, The Fury, Manic Attackers, Double Crossers, The Cobra Lounge

I’m sure you’ve heard of The Second City. Practically every great comedian in the last 20 years has been affiliated with this theater in some way. Maybe something you didn’t know is that The Second City is also a training center for up-and-coming comedians. Hundreds of students go through the training center every year studying writing and performing comedy. A great place to catch these rising stars for a great price is at Donny’s Skybox Theater. It’s located at the top of Piper’s Alley (hence - Skybox), and it houses various works by independant groups of local comedians all having some kind of affiliation with Second City.
Here are some of the shows you could see this weekend.

The Couch of Comedy’s Baadasssss Revue
Friday, June 8th
7:30pm

Students of The Second City Training Center’s Writing Program aim their pens at MySpace, desperate lurches at finding love, epic adventures to save princesses and the state of the news media and the middle management of life.

Recent Developments / The Evidence
Thursday, June 7th - Final Performance!
10:30pm

Recent Developments is a work-in-progress sketch show created through improvisation. Over a six week run, several of the elements in the show (sketches, songs, blackouts and monologues) will be improvised and re-improvised based on audience feedback and suggestions. New sketches will be rotated into the running order each week and preview some material that is being developed for a fully scripted sketch show later this summer. The Evidence is a very patient, character-based improvisation set. It’s a very fun show while it is also honest, grounded and well acted.

Easy Clean Up
Friday, June 8th
9:00pm

Graduates of The Second City Training Center’s writing program present Easy Clean Up: Solutions to life’s problems are simple when you just don’t care. Directed by Glenn A. Earich.

Tickets range from $5 to $12.
For tickets, call 312.337.3992 or visit their online box office HERE.

The Second City, Chicago, Comedy, Donny’s Skybox, Easy Clean Up, Recent Developments, The Evidence, The Couch of Comedy’s Badass Review

The Grindhouse Double Feature is playing at the Brew & View at the Vic right now. The innovative bar/movie theater, to many people, is the combination of the century. In my opinion, it would take 6 beers to get through Grindhouse (because I thought it was REALLY boring). So, I guess it’s the perfect movie for this theater. I, however, am waiting for something more interesting to come along… Ok, maybe I should just say this - having a gun for a leg is a funny concept, especially for a spoofy-slasher movie like this, but it is really quite impractical. Who points their leg at people?
Try it.
It’s not easy.

You must be 18 or older (21+ to drink, obviously).
Admission is $5.
Get the movie showtimes here: GONK!

The Vic is located on Belmont and Sheffield - right around the corner from the Belmont Brown/Red Line stop.

Brew and View at the Vic, Movie Theater, Grindhouse

Have you been looking for a new painting for your living room? Maybe a sculpture for the hallway near the bathroom? Me too. Clearly, we need to be at the 33rd Annual Wells Street Art Festival this Saturday and Sunday (June 9th and 10th).

I remember going to these art shows as a kid and just wandering through tables and booths filled with photography, glass sculptures and weird abstract paintings. There were always some hippies selling jewelry and a place you could get your face painted. I guess it contributed toward some kind of appreciation for art, but mostly I just remember having a lot of fun.

If you aren’t that interested in art, The Wells Street Art Festival also boasts a main music stage featuring continuous live rock, jazz, and top-name, nationally-renowned headline entertainment. And, of course, you’ll get access to a vast assortment of Chicago’s best food, live musicians along Wells Street, and a silent auction. For the first time ever, there will be an art tent where School of the Art Institute faculty and students offer art advice, lessons and demonstrations.

Entertainment schedule:

Saturday
1:30 p.m.: BMR4
3 p.m.: Linsey Alexander
4:45 p.m.: Jesse White Tumblers
5:15 p.m.: Weber Band
7:30 p.m. American English

Sunday
1:45 p.m.: Happiness Club
3 p.m.: Lisa Rene Band
4:45 p.m.: Jesse White Tumblers
5:15 p.m.: Lynn Jordan & The Shivers
7:30 p.m.: The Buckinghams

Jun. 9: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Jun. 10: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Price: $7-$10 donation benefits Old Town Merchants and Residents Association
Phone: 773-868-3010

Wells Street Art Festival, Chicago, Art Institute, BMR4, Linsey Alexander, Jesse White Tumblers, Weber Band, American English, Happiness Club, Lisa Rene Band, Jesse White Tumblers, Lynn Jordan & The Shivers, The Buckinghams