The People Want to Read: on the massive budget cuts proposed for Chicago Public Library. What's at stake and what you can do, whether or not you live in Chicago. buttondown.com/wellsourced/...

It was a pleasure to speak with Avery Willis Hoffman, Court Theatre's new artistic director, about her love of the classics and her vision for the Tony Award-winning company. My feature for @playbill.com: playbill.com/article/the-...

I've been thinking the same. Restaurants are closing or doing takeout only, parents are keeping their kids home from school, there's a general sense of unease but also encouraging displays of solidarity.

Yes.

I like dogs, but this is a terrible idea. It's exclusionary to people with allergies or phobias, plus those who just don't want to share their dining spaces with strangers' animals. Just called my alderwoman to ask her to vote "no."

Just saw a kid reading a Cinderella picture book while her mom pushed her in one of those running strollers. That's the kind of running I aspire to (the kid, not the mom).

The one where I interview Pam Beesly and her lactation consultant playbill.com/article/from...

Looking at a map of northern Illinois, you’ll find Rockford halfway between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River; this post-industrial city also represents a midpoint in my coming of age. My review of THE ROCKFORD ANTHOLOGY, @sixtyinchesfromcenter.org: sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/midway-to-ho...

Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips announces he has taken a buyout and the Trib is eliminating his post. Unless I am missing someone I believe this leaves the nation's third-largest city without a single full-time film writing gig.

Such a pleasure to chat with @tvayyyy.bsky.social about his new novel, THE EL! I loved getting to know familiar Chicago neighborhoods as they looked in 1979 through the eyes of Teddy and his friends. (Also, that cover art!) 🔥 My feature for @chicagoreader.com: chicagoreader.com/books/book-r...

In Sandbox Theatre Collective's "Three Sisters," the audience embarks on a journey through the United Church of Rogers Park, an atmospheric stand-in for the provincial Russian household in Chekhov's play. My review for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/08/r...

Very happy that I could review RED LINE: CHICAGO HORROR STORIES. This horror newbie had a great time with it. Also thrilled to be back in the Reader's pages. Long live the @chicagoreader.com!

"Billie Jean," a biographical play by Lauren Gunderson playing at @chicagoshakes.bsky.social, highlights many of Billie Jean King’s achievements as a public figure and her private journey toward living as her authentic self and finding love. My feature for @playbill.com: playbill.com/article/new-...

Today, @chicagotribune.com laid off five guild staff members in a roughly 10% cut to our newsroom. These layoffs underscore a sad but unsurprising failure of leadership by Alden Global Capital, our hedge fund owner, and local management.

Phillip Howze’s "Frontieres Sans Frontieres" draws on theatrical traditions of absurdism, burlesque and commedia dell’arte to satirize a slew of Western interlopers, from humanitarian nonprofits to predatory capitalists. My review for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/24/r...

Cynthia Marker gives a hell of a solo performance in "Girls & Boys" at Griffin Theatre, a show that tackles an extremely dark subject while somehow maintaining hope in humanity. Oh, and it's also hilarious. My ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/22/r...

On the heels of funding cuts to public media, a bit of happier news: a beloved PBS character is getting a new life onstage at the Marriott Theatre. My review of "Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!" for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/21/r...

I've been a PBS member ever since *that* mid-season cliffhanger in Sanditon s3. 🤓 Even if you look at it as just paying for a streaming service, it's one of the best deals out there.

A lovely new tour of "Beauty and the Beast" just opened at @broadwayinchicago.bsky.social, featuring the voice of the late Angela Lansbury 🥹 and the best version of "Human Again" I've ever seen. My review for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/11/r...

Oak Park Festival Theatre's "Twelfth Night" nails some of the comedic moments, especially when the physical comedy ramps up, but the passion is lacking in the tangled romantic mix-ups at the play’s core. My review for the @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/06/r...

Extremely niche writing pet peeve: I find the phrase "Chicagoland area" annoyingly redundant. Just say, "Chicagoland" (overused but concise), "Chicago area," "Greater Chicago," whatever. Am I the only one bothered by this? (Probably, lol)

This was such a fun conversation!!

Excited to catch two-time Tony nominee Amy Morton in YOU WILL GET SICK after speaking with her about returning to the @steppenwolfthtr.bsky.social stage for the first time in eight years. My feature for @playbill.com: playbill.com/article/amy-...

"I'm so glad to be part of a group that is so kind, that is so welcoming and so freaking nice." -Chrysanthemum, founding member of True Colors, a drag troupe created by and for people with disabilities. Full story for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/16/t...

Lifeline Theatre’s "War of the Worlds" is H.G. Wells as campy sci-fi B movie. My review for the @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/03/r...

If Scrooge lived in a post-apocalyptic setting, with no one but his elderly parents and long-suffering servant to haunt his monotonous days, he'd probably behave like Hamm in “Endgame.” My @chicagotribune.com review of @facilitytheatre.bsky.social's revival: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/27/r...

Writers: if you're ever struggling with imposter syndrome, just summon the confidence of this guy. If he can get a book deal, you can definitely do the thing.

Me: "Check, 1, 2, 3." Zoom auto-captions: "F*ck, 1, 2, 3." Same, girl, same.

This is extremely disappointing, to say the least.

"We go on and on and on about how [Shakespeare’s plays] are the universal stories…Well, if they’re everyone’s story, can they also be my story?" -Will Wilhelm, co-creator & performer in "Gender Play" at @steppenwolfthtr.bsky.social Full story for @intomore.com: www.intomore.com/culture/shak...

I adore the Great Lakes, but I also have a healthy fear of them. This horizon-less photo is anxiety-inducing. 😳

Enjoyed a trip to the beautiful Morton Arboretum last week to see "Vivid Creatures," a new exhibition of sculptures inspired by local wildlife. Story for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/12/v...

It was an absolute joy talking Greek mythology with the cast of #Hadestown at the National Hellenic Museum this past Thursday! 🏺🎶 With thanks to @broadwayinchicago.bsky.social for partnering with us and @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social for this great @chicagotribune.com story.

Midwesterners today: "Ope, new pope dropping soon"

Thrilled to share a piece that's been in the works for a few months: a retrospective on A.B.L.E. Ensemble's production of "Frankenstein." Grateful to this wonderful, neurodiverse cast for letting me tag along. For @americantheatre.org: www.americantheatre.org/2025/05/05/a...

"...it’s OK to be scared, but take that and create something with it. You can protest in the streets, but you can also protest on the stage with your art." -David Cerda Honored to be trusted with David's story. Gift link to @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/01/d...

Enjoyed going backstage with @broadwayinchicago.bsky.social to get a close-up look at the costumes of "Moulin Rouge!" My story for the @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/04/12/w...

Wrote a St. Paddy's Day story about an Irish dance workshop taught by "Riverdance" cast members at the Irish American Heritage Center, hosted by @broadwayinchicago.bsky.social in advance of the 30th anniversary tour coming to Chicago. For @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/03/18/r...

Chicago: you have two more weekends to catch the U.S. premiere of "Dummy in Diaspora," local writer-actor Esho Rasho's solo play about family, identity, and growing up as a first-generation Assyrian American. My feature for Playbill: playbill.com/article/in-d...

Left my Twitter account dormant for months and finally deleted it today. #GoodbyeElon

"So there’s reason for long-term optimism even as we know there is no short-term magical victory. And the biggest reason is the most obvious: people are finding their voices. Please use yours." An encouraging read:

My favorite genres are: 5. Woman rebels, writes memoir 4. Anxious and/or neurospicy Brit gives humourous life advice 3. Cozy village sees shocking amount of murders 2. Humanities scholar serves up total mindfuck 1. Food-loving homebodies save world from totalitarian rule

Looking forward to the North American premiere of Teatro La Plaza's "Hamlet" at @chicagoshakes.bsky.social! This production reimagines Shakespeare's play through the lived experiences of actors with Down syndrome. My preview article for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/03/04/c...

More than any Shakespeare production I've seen in Chicago, Redtwist's "Titus" brought me back to my grad school days ushering at Shakespeare's Globe — and it's not only because there's a splash zone for the stage blood. My review for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/26/r...

The furry critters I met at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum were on the front page of the Sunday A&E section yesterday! My story for the @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/11/a...

"Wuthering Heights," but about figure skaters. It’s hard to remember the last time a new novel had a premise more tailor-made for me than "The Favorites" by Chicago author Layne Fargo. And it sure lived up to my hopes. My review for the @chicagoreader.com: chicagoreader.com/books/book-r...

Wishing a happy reopening to Lookingglass Theatre, which begins previews for "Circus Quixote" tonight after an 18-month hiatus. I wrote about the company's restructuring and reopening plans for Playbill last month: playbill.com/article/foll...

It’s easy to see why Scottish playwright David Harrower chose the title "A Slow Air" for his 2011 play, with its unconventional structure, gentle pace, and melancholy tone. My review of Steep Theatre's Chicago premiere: chicagoreader.com/performing-a...

Sharing this PSA. I had to switch my Microsoft account back to "Classic" to avoid being charged an extra $30/year for AI features that I don't want or use.

I wrote a brief appeal about why you should donate to the Chicago Reader to keep my newsroom afloat. Please donate if you can donorbox.org/save-the-chi...