Illinois news

• Men of Soul returns to Black Ensemble Theater

  02-07-2026 16:38
  
  Men of Soul, through 8/2 at Black Ensemble Cultural Center
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• As You Like It delights with Midsommer Flight

  02-07-2026 18:33
  
  As You Like It, through 8/2, Midsommer Flight at various parks (see website for schedule)
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• Reality Detox: The Improv Experience takes Second City back to its roots

  02-07-2026 18:20
  
  Reality Detox: The Improv Experience, open run at Second City e.t.c.
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• Magic is the medium

  02-07-2026 17:57
  
  “On Wonder, Mind, & Magic" through 8/23 at Elmhurst Art Museum
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• St. Nicholas drives a stake in the vampiric heart of a theater critic

  02-07-2026 16:50
  
  St. Nicholas, through 7/26, Black Button Eyes Productions at City Lit Theater
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• Circuit Theatre’s King John is a noble experiment

  02-07-2026 16:19
  
  King John, through 7/10, Circuit Theatre at United Church of Rogers Park
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• A property line symbolizes colonialism, racism, and capitalism in Native Gardens

  02-07-2026 16:07
  
  Native Gardens, through 7/18, Theatre Evolve at the Den Theatre
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• Water park paradise, powered by immigrants

  02-07-2026 16:00
  
  Nellie Kluz’s The Dells takes a headfirst dive into the frothy, aquamarine currents of American capitalism by showing that tourist economies are built on immigrant labor. Set in the Wisconsin Dells, the self-proclaimed “Water Park Capital of the World,” Kluz’s 2024 documentary creates a gestalt portrait of the city via atmospheric vignettes of the international […]
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• The floor-cushion comfort of Kopi Cafe

  02-07-2026 16:00
  
  There’s no WiFi at this 35-year-old cafe, which tends to take you off screens and on to more analog interactions. And wherever that leads you, whether it’s talking to people, or keeping to your thoughts or reading material, the place forms strong associations.  Not enough? Listen in on neighboring conversations, particularly those near the front […]
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• A Little Night Music lacks magic at Marriott

  02-07-2026 15:51
  
  A Little Night Music, through 8/9 at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire
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• Inside the Pritzkers’ ‘Quantum Prairie’

  02-07-2026 14:00
  
  This story is part of Quantum Crossroads, a series examining the impact of the quantum computing megadevelopment in South Chicago. In an April press conference, Governor J.B. Pritzker was asked about some southeast-side residents’ concerns that a large quantum computing development he has championed may negatively impact the local environment, leave them out of jobs […]
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• About aboutism

  01-07-2026 20:00
  
  In developing any kind of novel exhibition program, the presiding question is rarely that of the work itself or the program’s formal and historical bent, but rather that of the audience. Who is this for; to whom do we address? How do we do so? These questions, of course, only trouble one’s mind when there […]
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• House of a million records

  01-07-2026 18:45
  
  I hadn’t heard of Mendota before March, when I discovered a reason to visit. The town is about 90 miles southwest of Chicago and maybe a 30-minute drive north of Starved Rock State Park. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Mendota’s population at 6,894 as of 2025, a 2.3 percent decrease since 2020. Mendota hosts a […]
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• Oak Park Festival Theatre doubles the fun (and challenges) for this year’s outdoor season

  01-07-2026 18:15
  
  Back in the day, rotating repertory was a hallmark of summer theater in the United States. Companies (many located in bucolic outdoor settings) would offer different shows on different nights of the week, often using overlapping ensembles of actors. It’s challenging for the artists, but also a treat for audiences, who don’t have to wait […]
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• Under the sun

  01-07-2026 16:00
  
  Social Fabric is a glimpse into the vibrant lives, objects, and spaces that shape our city, cocurated with community archives and local photographers. On a hot summer night last July, I had the urge to go out and document. The sky was clear, I had a new flash for my camera I wanted to test […]
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• Film (s)trips

  01-07-2026 16:00
  
  The Moviegoer is the diary of a local film buff, collecting the best of what Chicago’s independent and underground film scene has to offer. It’s ironic that, on the occasion of the Reader’s Broke Day Trips package, I’ll be writing about attending the Temenos—the previously ongoing screenings of Gregory Markopoulos’s Eniaios—in Lyssarea, Greece. The only […]
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• Where the paper at?

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  In 2013 I faced a life sentence. As I went through pretrial in Kane County’s jail, I received a heartfelt letter from my dad that reminded me I still had a lot to live for despite my incarceration. That letter became the most important piece of paper that I own, and under Illinois’s new mail […]
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• What to do in Gary, Indiana

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  Gary, Indiana, often gets a bad rap, but the Miller Beach neighborhood is a favorite summer day excursion for my partner and me. About an hour away by car, and accessible by the South Shore train line, Miller Beach is located at the southernmost point of Lake Michigan. The beach itself is clean, uncrowded, and […]
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• Volo Bog State Natural Area’s living, quaking bog

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  Drive about 55 miles northwest of Chicago to find the arcadian Volo Bog State Natural Area, home to what’s called the only open-water quaking bog in Illinois. That means plants, including tamarack trees, actually float (and quiver) atop a mat of moss on the bog. A short boardwalk, itself afloat on the water, explains it […]
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• Unplug with nature, architecture, and pastry in Lake Forest

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  If “all” you do is stroll to the Skokie River Nature Preserve and meander 3.6 miles of trails through prairie, woodlands, sedge meadows, and savanna, Metra fare (or gas—parking is available at all destinations mentioned here) could be the only expense of your broke day trip. When stepping off the train, you might first power […]
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• Time traveling in Sumter, Wisconsin

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  About 35 miles from Madison, Wisconsin, along U.S. Highway 12 between Baraboo and Sauk City, the membrane between parallel universes thins to nothing. Pull off the road at the big steel sphere, and you can walk into a world powered by “level seven love energy” and populated by extraterrestrials, colossal bugs, and an orchestra of […]
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• The Wisconsin boneyard where giant fiberglass mascots go to die

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  Fiberglass isn’t forever, but the apparent corpses in this potter’s field of pop culture detritus will outlast us all. Beginning in 1978 with the 145-foot musky that greets visitors to Hayward, Wisconsin’s Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, the antecedents of the FAST corporation (Fiberglass Animals, Shapes, and Trademarks) built a reputation as a go-to manufacturer […]
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• The McHenry Outdoor Theater is everything a drive-in should be

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  It’s easy to be a cinephile in a city like Chicago. Here, movie-lovers are spoiled with an embarrassment of filmhouse riches like the historic Music Box Theatre, the Siskel Film Center, the beloved Davis Theater, back-to-back Dolby cinemas, multiple dine-in venues, and even a (truly bizarre) seat-rattling, face-spritzing, amusement park ride-like 4DX. But when it […]
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• The Eugene V. Debs Museum is a font of labor history

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  The crisp, early May air tickles my nose through open car windows as I veer off I-94 toward 111th for a quick pit stop. I pass the Walmart Supercenter and the municipal-landfill-turned-private-golf-club before easing to a stop in front of a towering building of glass and bright red brick.  I look up at the Pullman […]
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• Southeast Spotlight: Watson and Watson Dental Association

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  Watson and Watson Association8325 S. Stony Island Ave, Mon, Tue, Wed, and Fri, 10 AM–6 PM, Thu closed, Sat 8:30 AM–1 PM once per month (773) 768-3100, watsonandwatsondental.com, Instagram @watsonwastondental A trip to the dentist should never feel like a clinical chore, but rather like a warm welcome home. At Watson and Watson Dental Association, exceptional […]
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• Shore Land excavates Chicago’s buried histories

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  Being a tourist in your own city offers a chance to look at your world anew. Artist JeeYeun Lee’s Shore Land project takes that premise a step further by delving deep into the contested history of the city’s lakefront. Shore Land looks at six sites along Lake Michigan through audio walks that mix historical documents, […]
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• Reconnect with nature and yourself in the Palos Preserves

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  Humankind has been looking to the skies for guidance and reflection for the entirety of its existence. However, in the course of technological advancement, we’ve sacrificed the stars—in heavily urbanized areas anyway. A night of camping at Palos Preserves goes a long way towards re-establishing that connection to our pre-Anthropocene selves. Established as an official […]
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• Juju’s Vintage is the kitschy Harlem Avenue shop worth the trip

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  Where the city flirts at the borders of Niles and Park Ridge, Juju’s Vintage greets you with a kitschy window display that resembles an animated short brought to life. Inside, bejeweled tiaras, jumbo seashell necklaces, and elaborate fur hats gather in color-coded pockets. I first visited the shop, run by the fabulous Jules “Juju” Breen […]
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• Help support Illinois residents experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness regain their independence with your purchase of a 7X Bingo Multiplier instant ticket

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  The Illinois Lottery has been nationally recognized for its trailblazing work with specialty tickets dedicated to raising awareness and funds for worthy causes affecting our local communities. In collaboration with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), a portion of every dollar raised by the 7X Bingo Multiplier ticket directly contributes to organizations that support […]
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• Graphite love

  01-07-2026 15:00
  
  Encased in protective plastic sleeves is a quartet of letters from my daughter. On the back of each I’ve written the date I received it and my guess for when she wrote it. I reread them often, and they’re separated from the rest of my possessions like fine jewels that I carefully hold The first […]
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