Prospera brings a sci-fi perspective to Shakespeare
Otherworld’s latest tackles The Tempest through a futuristic (and feminist) lens.
PERFORMING ARTS
A Gorey good time
The Uncanny Attic Chapters E-H provided a delightfully disturbing kickoff to Steppenwolf’s 2026 LookOut series.
Green Corridors at Trap Door captures the plight of refugees
Natalka Vorozhbyt’s drama is set during the current Ukraine war, but has echoes of numerous crises.
Latest Stories
Public Works pulls together a replay for Play
The beloved weirdo dance-music night at Danny’s, gone nearly 20 years, returns as a monthly at a Wicker Park gallery.
Masked UK rapper EsDeeKid makes music that’s more interesting than who he might be
Tue 2/3 at Avondale Music Hall
Review: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple deftly moves the franchise from outbreak horror to folk nightmare.
Review: H Is for Hawk
Philippa Lowthorpe’s H Is for Hawk is a perfect ode to mess, death, and birds of prey.
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The legacy of America’s traqueros
A National Museum of Mexican Art exhibition highlights the little-known history of Mexican railroad workers.
Hannah Sandoz, DIY touring musician
“I’ve started managing my artist act as a business through things like tour managing and online daily content creation.”
The Reader is going monthly
We’ll return to print in early February 2026 shiny, thicc—and free and freaky as always.
Bier Omakase is the social lubricant beer drinkers need right now
Jenny Pfäfflin and Shana Solarte’s sudsy storytelling series is restoring connection and conversation to the craft beer scene.
Fred Hampton Jr. keeps the revolution alive in Chicago’s music scene
Through the Black Panther Party Cubs and the Hampton House, he builds on his father’s linkage of art and activism.
News & Politics
‘An impossible situation’
Beginning January 1, the City of Chicago will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on public buses and trains.
Greg Bovino is back
Plus: city budget negotiations come down to the wire and the chief judge’s plan to “humanize” Cook County’s youth jail.
Droning on
Chicagoland law enforcement agencies fly surveillance drones outside the public eye.
Music
Angel Tapes helps emerging musicians take wing
Jon-Carlo Manzo’s Fire Talk imprint embodies the values of the underground by investing in artists long before they’re sure bets.
Chicago posthardcore band Mail deliver a toothy debut
Plus: Redux Radio throws a Podlasie dance party, Mark Grusane spins at the Brain, and more.
Duke Tumatoe puts serious work into his irreverent blues
He’s played in REO Speedwagon and worked with John Fogerty, but after 60 years he’s still making most of his fans one gig at a time.
Film & TV
Review: The Testament of Ann Lee
Mona Fastvold’s idiosyncratic musical The Testament of Ann Lee is among the strangest American films in recent memory.
Hot and cold
Juarez (1939), the films of Barbara Stanwyck, and new releases
Shouldering Sanctuary documents Chicago under siege
The ongoing Truth & Documentary film project depicts Chicago at the epicenter of the Trump administration’s recent anti-immigrant crackdown.
Theater, dance, comedy
Wonder and wiseassery
Justin Purcell’s Magic Is People combines wry commentary with mind-boggling tricks.
The Unknown Variable takes a personal look at immigration and family separation
Nahal Navidar’s thoughtful and moving one-act finds a home with Momentary Theatre.
The Vivero celebrates new Latiné voices at City Lit
“This is our way of saying, ‘We want to help you with your art.’”
Visual Arts, books
The multigenerational group show ‘Talisman’ is filled with magic
The show, curated by Hindley Wang, gathers a selection of inscrutable two- and three-dimensional works.
Maggie Queeney reflects on a decade building the Poetry Foundation’s adult education programs
As the Poetry Foundation sunsets its adult education programming, the poet and educator remains committed to facilitating communal poetry spaces.
CITY LIFE
The Reader is going monthly
We’ll return to print in early February 2026 shiny, thicc—and free and freaky as always.
The frenzy and magic of birding
Chicago BIPOC Birders creates inclusive opportunities for year-round bird-watching and community building.
Food & Drink
Step into Chloe Gould’s Bronzeville home at DixiePura Kitchen
Inspired by her grandmother, Gould cooks American southern–southeast Asian cuisine while giving back to her community.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
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Southeast Spotlight: A Southeast Chicago Chamber Special
Shining a light on local businesses to support this holiday season
The season of giving and gratitude is here. To acknowledge and honor another busy year, the Southeast Chicago…
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Empower Illinoisans affected by breast cancer and reduce stigma with your purchase of a 7X Bingo Multiplier Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery
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An excerpt from TAXI GIRL, a novel by Maria Schreiber
“All About Yogurt,” a four-minute read.
“All about Yogurt” Four-minute read On Monday, June 3, 1974, Tania and Dan began selling cartons of yogurt…
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At the California Clipper, everyone is welcome
The newly relaunched Humboldt Park lounge champions community, inclusivity, and fair labor practices Since the 1820s, Chicago’s pubs…
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Support local students pursuing higher education with your purchase of a 7X Bingo Multiplier Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery
The Illinois Lottery is nationally recognized for its pioneering work with specialty lottery tickets dedicated to raising awareness…
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Demystifying Acupuncture provides answers for the curious skeptic
Acupuncture is a form of Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM) that involves the placement of hair-thin needles into…