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Friday, 20 November 2009 01:54 |
By Nancy Backas
If you’ve lived in Rogers Park for more than a decade, you know the saga of the local movie theater located at 6746 N. Sheridan Road now renamed with a nod to its original moniker, The New 400.
When I first moved to the North Side in 1980, there were a number of local movie theaters. I used to spend my afternoons watching double features at The Varsity in Evanston. The 400 was another theater I frequented, as was the Adelphi Theater which was located at Clark and Estes.
While my friends and I enjoyed the cache of the old theaters, they were admittedly shabby, uncomfortable and often dirty. We used to joke that the rats ran over your feet which were sticking to the floor from spilled soda.
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Wednesday, 18 November 2009 20:34 |
 By K.D. Hopkins
Okay, not quite a century but close enough since 1926 when Mae West wrote, produced, and starred in “Sex” on Broadway. She was a woman ahead of the curve and the Prologue Theatre Company’s production is a compelling tribute.
I have been privileged to view another of director Margo Gray’s productions, “The Wonder-A Woman Keeps A Secret,” earlier this year at the Heartland Studio. I recall her agility with the small set and the remarkable cast.
This staging of “Sex” takes place at the North Lakeside Cultural Center (6219 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago) and it is in my opinion a great setting. The Center is a mansion that was occupied at the same time in which the play is set.
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Wednesday, 18 November 2009 20:18 |
 By K.D. Hopkins
There is an adage that drama is easy and comedy is hard. I laughed pretty hard at GayCo Productions “The Audacity of Nope or How I Fell for a Pansy Scheme.”
I grew up watching improvisational theater at places like Second City and Improv Olympics. This kind of comedy calls for some ripped from the headlines subject matter and GayCo hits the nail on the head.
A few days before the premiere, Maine had shot down a gay marriage law and this troop added that into the mix in a hilarious mélange of skits. The premise is that this comedy is gay-themed but they go beyond that.
There are no sacred cows here. In fact, there are some assassin livestock in a riff on H1N1. It comes on the heels of skydiving lesbians trying to land in Iowa. I about fell off of my seat with the denouement of that skit.
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Monday, 16 November 2009 04:17 |
Agencies that help small businesses say they need more assistance, not less, in hard times.
By Aaron Stern
Four years ago Ruth Hoekwater decided to quit her non-profit job and pursue a lifelong dream of owning a neighborhood coffee shop, but she needed help. That’s where the Rogers Park Business Alliance came in. They helped her find retail space, put her in touch with a commercial realtor who helped her negotiate her lease, and even helped her choose the name The Common Cup.
A few weeks ago three customers were assaulted outside The Glenwood, a Rogers Park bar with a substantial gay clientèle. In the wake of that incident the Rogers Park Business Alliance contacted 24th District police to ensure the incident would be classified as a hate crime, then helped Glenwood owner Renee Labrana find security cameras to install outside the bar’s entrance.
“They are the cement behind the businesses in the neighborhood,” said Labrana. “Anytime anybody needs something… they have the ability to come in contact with everybody; they can put people in touch with each other, to do the things they need to get done.”
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Wednesday, 18 November 2009 20:50 |
By Nancy Backas
I take a lot for granted. I came from a loving, accepting home. I always knew that my education would be paid for. Not only was there always food on my table, but it was good food.
I had a typical, middle class upbringing in a suburb of Chicago. I chose to move to the city to experience more diversity than I had while growing up. I was able to choose where I wanted to live. I am more than fortunate.
As caterers, we often work for people with means. Because of our liberal, progressive political leanings, we are grateful when those people with means are also fellow progressives. In fact, a number of our clients are dedicated humanitarians and we often contribute a portion of what receive to those causes that our clients support.
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