From the Ledge

It was another eventful weekend for your roving arts and culture blogger (as they say, no rest for the wicked…and dear readers, as many of you know, I have re-defined “wicked” in many different ways over the years, but that’s for another time).  On Friday night, BFF Camela and I went to the benefit reception of one of the storefront theatres we support, GreasyJoan and Co.  The concept sounded very interesting – staged readings of classic ghost stories in an art gallery loft in the Fulton Market warehouse district. We were excited that the glam factor would be high on this one, which was surprising, since storefront theatres were notorious for having benefit events in bars with stale chips, cold crudites, and really bad wine.  As we motored down Randolph Street, we strained to look for the art gallery and could not find it…looked and looked..then finally we saw, gulp, a tiny door…the bars on the windows…the stacked moving boxes by the entrance…and….gasp…bright, fluorescent lighting! (Why the hell did I leave that concealer at home????).  This was an art gallery???? We hoped the booze wouldn’t run out, since this could be a really long night!  But, initial impressions were deceiving, since once we got up the wooden steps and on to the second floor lofted space, we were transported into a place filled with beautiful art and theatrical magic. 

I have to give props to GreasyJoan’s board of directors and its’ artistic director, the talented Julieanne Ehre, for conceiving a creative alternative to the usual arts organization benefit events.  I have gone to many over the years, and standing around with a wineglass in hand trying to make small talk with artists who were obviously uncomfortable schmoozing and talking about, uhmmm, money, could get really exhausting.  But the Friday event, entitled “boo.scream.thump in the night” was an excellent way of introducing new people to the theatre company as well as solidifying the support of old friends such as Camela and I.  The classic ghost stories, by Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, and Oscar Wilde, were performed in the loft’s freight elevator, a corner of the gallery illuminated by a spotlight, and the ledge of the huge picture windows overlooking Randolph street, respectively. In between the performances, the attendees could get their wine glasses re-filled and mingle with each other (or in my case, skulk by the trash bin next to the buffet table where I met some really HOT actors) and view the phenomenal photographs, paintings, and drawings by emerging Chicago artist, Sarah Stec, in a collection called “Fog in Trees”.  The black and white figures, the Orson Wellesian-like shadings, and the overall feeling of desolation and solitude in the art collection provided quite the stunning backdrop to the event. To get a sense of Sara’s work, check out the picture of the piece below that was used in the event invitation.

Saturday night found me at the Steppenwolf Garage for a preview performance of the world premiere play, “Wedding Play” by AboutFace Theatre’s Artistic Director, Eric Rosen.  I definitely think that Eric is a major theatrical talent, and I especially admired his staging of “Take Me Out” a couple of years ago at the Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre, but “Wedding Play” was, to put it mildly, underwhelming.  Since the play is still in previews, I will withold any further commentary for now out of respect to the playwright and the creative process.

On Sunday, my other BFFs, Linda and Debra, came with me to a night of terrific food and convivial adult conversation in the really exclusive underground restaurant, the Sunday Dinner Club. As a self-styled foodie, this was one of the dining highlights of my year.  I will be posting a separate entry on the experience, the food, the chefs, and how I got on the invite-only list (short of parachuting into the Roscoe Village house where the dinner took place).