Young artists interview seniors, explore the generation gap

 By Kay McKinlay Ford 

Just how big is the gap between a generation that grew up playing jump rope and jacks and one that plays with Wii and iPods? That’s what one ensemble group of young actors set out to find out when they descended on Rush’s Johnston R. Bowman Health Center.  Their challenge was to collect stories from seniors residing at Bowman about their earlier years. The result is a hilarious retrospective of days gone by.

 Stories from the Attic written by and produced by the Lookingglass Theatre Young Ensemble Group was a collaborative effort with the residents of Bowman. The ensemble members, aged eight to18 years, each were assigned a senior to interview in the hope that they would glean some perspective through personal stories of life during the time of the Great Depression, World War II, and the birth of the baby boomers. The twist was the student’s own interpretation of the events.

 Some of the young thespians began their sojourn skeptically, as may be expected. “Well…we might get a few interesting stories, then sit and keep them company until it is time to leave,” thought Caroline Kaplan, 12, "but it was ridiculous how many great stories we got. When we got back together we competed to see who had the best one.”

Residents of Bowman were eager to share their tales of a time not yet forgotten.  “It was so much fun," said Josie Carlson, a Bowman resident. "The kids were so enthusiastic and very good listeners. That’s what made it fun. They [students] also are more aware of things like conservation and the environment than we were. We didn’t even give it a thought.”

An unexpected bond formed between the ensemble members and residents.  “This was a technical exercise to learn interviewing skills, script writing, and the like, but it turned out to be so much more,” said Molly Feingold, a Lookingglass teaching artist. “The younger generation had preconceived ideas about older adults. They thought they would be frail and sickly, but through this enlightening experience, their perceptions transformed. They now celebrate their similarities with the older generation instead of the differences.”

Some things seemed to be timeless, such as family dynamics and school bus rides, but the youngsters found radio shows instead of television and quarter movies a hard world to imagine. Who was "Tyron Powers" anyway and what did he have on Brad Pitt? What seemed to touch the hearts of the young actors most were the letters written during the war. Some residents pulled out their old correspondence between loved ones at a time when their futures were uncertain. It made the differences in electricity, technology, and school less apparent.

“I mostly asked stuff about their childhood but I really liked the letters,” noted Julia White, 10. “World War II stories were my favorite.”

A preview of the play left many of the residents laughing and amused as they looked at their world through the eyes of children. “It’s always good to have the youth around," said senior Fran Zolinski. "I enjoyed them very much; after all they are the future. I wish they would come more often.”

Stories from the Attic will be presented in the Lookingglass Chase Studio Theatre, at the Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Saturday and Sunday mornings through May 31.  For more information and tickets, call the Lookingglass Theatre box office, (312) 337-0665.

 

ART

            Alfedena Gallery, 434 W. Ontario St., offers a solo show by sculptor Yvette Kaiser-Smith entitled Digits through Saturday, May 17. For gallery hours call (312) 944-4340, or log on to www.alfedenagallery.com.

            Allrise Gallery, 1542 N. Milwaukee Ave. Floor 3, presents I Don’t Know Any Other Way to Say This by artist Sighn through Sunday, June 15. The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday noon to 6 p.m.  Call (773) 292-9255 or visit lisaflores@allrisegallery.com.

Around the Coyote, 1425 N. Damen Ave., introduces emerging Chicago artist Sadie Harmon’s whimsical sculptures and crayon, pencil, and ink drawings on paper on Saturday, May 10, at 6 p.m.  The show runs through Saturday, July 5. Call (773) 342-6777 or visit www. info@aroundthecoyote.org for details.

Architrouve, 1433 W. Chicago Ave., is proud to present the solo exhibition Genuine Object, by W.K. Marhoefer. The exhibition consists of mixed media sculptures featuring provocative girls, French bulldogs, and an assorted cast of characters. Call (312) 563-1033 or visit www.thearchitrouve.com.

            Art Institute of Chicago, The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice building, 111 S. Michigan Ave. welcomes The Arranged Flower: Ikebana and Flora in Japanese Prints on Sunday, May 25. The prints are from the Edo period (1615-1868) in Gallery 107.  Also new in May is artist Mario Ybarra Jr. work entitled Take Me Out...No Man Is an Island  beginning Thursday, May 29. For more information on these and other shows visit www.artic.edu/aic or call (312) 443-3600 for details.

            Caro d’Offay Gallery, 2204 W. North Ave., presents the paintings of Friedhard Kiekeben through May. Call (773) 235-7400 or visit www.carodoffaygallery.com for details.

            Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF), 224 S. Michigan Ave., presents Inspired by Nature: The Garfield Park Exhibition Preservation in the Parks Bus Tour on Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Historian Julia Bachrach will lead the tour visiting various architects and designers who have worked on rehabilitation and restoration projects of landscapes and buildings. The day also will include a viewing of Sugar from the Sun, the Garfield Park Conservatory’s newest permanent exhibition. The cost is $45, or $40 for CAF members (lunch included). For further information visit www.architecture.org or call (312) 922-3432, x224 to RSVP. Space is limited.

            Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., presents the work of photographer Dean Sharp through May. The show Photographs of the Chicago Picasso, c. 1967 presents a historical view of the city and its people. Call (312) 744-6630 or visit www.egov.cityofchicago.org for details.

            City Gallery, 806 N. Michigan Ave., presents the work of themed photographs by Chicago photographers. The photography department of Columbia College Chicago curates exhibitions along with the Chicago Cultural Center. Call (312) 742-0808 or visit www.cityofchicago.org. 

            Gallery 400 at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), 400 S. Peoria St., features Thread, Justin Cooper’s first large-scale sculpture/installation. The exhibition also features the work of Noelle Mason and Ross Moreno. The show runs through Saturday, May 31. For more information visit www.uic.edu,  or call (312) 996-6114

Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave., presents an artists’ reception for current exhibitions on Sunday, May 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. A two-person exhibition of new works by Paul Nudd and Casey Ann Wasniewski examines similarities in geology through paintings and sculptures. Admission is free. Call (773) 324-5520 or visit www.hydeparkart.org for details.

            Illinois State Museum Chicago Gallery, Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St., Ste 2-100, presents the work of metalsmith L. Brent Kington entitled Mythic Metalsmith. Call (312) 814-6322 or visit www.museum.state.il.us/ismsites/chicago.com for details.

            Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, 756 N. Milwaukee Ave., invites all to the Life and Art of Chris Hipkiss with Annie Carlano on Saturday, May 17 at 11 a.m. Carlano will provide an insightful look into Hipkiss's complex, large-scale drawings of a post-apocalyptic future. This talk is free and open to the public. Call (312) 243-9088 for hours.

            Linda Warren Gallery, 1052 W. Fulton Market. Exhibiting until Saturday, May 10, is Janet Bloch in Power Play. Then comes Mariano Chavez in a show entitled May Flowers. All are invited to an opening reception Friday, May 16, 6 to 9 p.m. The artist works in acrylic and gouache. Call (312) 432-9500 or visit www.lindawarrengallery.com for details.

            National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St., presents Horns, Hooves, Wings, Fins, and Tails--Animal Imagery through May. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org or call (312) 738-1503.

National Vietnam Veterans Museum, 1801 S. Indiana Ave, exhibits a show entitled A Concrete of Images: Back from Iraq, photos and paintings by three Iraq war veterans, Eric Edmundson, Steve Danyluk, and Bill Smock, opening Sunday, May 18. Call (312) 326-0270 or visit www.nvvam.org for details.

Neleh Galleries Internationale, 3219 S. Calumet Ave, welcomes all to their  location in the heart of Bronzeville’s Historic District. Call (312) 225-5692 or visit www.nelehgalleries.com for gallery hours.

Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., presents Great Chicago Places and Spaces Tours 2008 with two Newberry Library staff scholars, Diane Dillon and Rachel Bohlmann, on a walking tour on Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.  For more information visit www.greatchicagoplaces.us. For library hours call (312) 255-3700 or visit www.newberry.org.

Rhona Hoffman Gallery, 118 N. Peoria St., is showing Simulations, works by Chris Dorland, through Thursday, May 22. Log on to www.rhoffmangallery.com or call (312) 455-1990.

            Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, 618 S. Michigan Ave., presents Imaginary Coordinates through May. Images of antique maps of the Holy Land are juxtaposed with modern maps.  For more information regarding the many events visit www.spertus.edu or call (312) 322-1700.

                        Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, 2320 W. Chicago Ave, offers the world’s largest collections of Ukrainian and Ukrainian-American abstract and minimalist works from the 1950s through the 1970s. Call (630) 240-7112 or visit www.uima-art.org for details.

            Woman Made Gallery, 685 N. Milwaukee Ave., presents All Manner of Glass through May. This is a group show of artists influenced by people in their past. Visit www.womanmade.org or call (312) 738-0400 for gallery hours and details.

 

DANCE

            Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 220 S. Michigan, perform on Wednesday, June 4, through Saturday, June 7 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph St. Ticket prices and times are available by calling (312) 294-3000 or visiting www.cso.org.

 

MUSEUMS

Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr., invites visitors to celebrate National Astronomy Day on Saturday, May 10, 1 to 4 p.m. Enjoy hands-on activities. Also, Phoenix Arrives at Mars on Sunday, May 25, 5 to 8 p.m. Come and watch the event on NASA-TV. Visit www.artic.edu or call (312) 857-7161 for details.

Chinese-American Museum, 238 W, 23rd St., presents Great Wall to the Great Lakes: Chinese Immigration to the Midwest. This exhibition features the history of Chinese immigrants to the U.S, exclusion laws enforced upon the Chinese, and reasons for moving to various parts of the U.S.  Mini replicas of a Chinese restaurant grocery store and hand laundry will highlight the livelihoods of early Chinese immigrants. Call (312) 949-1000 or visit www.ccamuseum.org.

Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., presents Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters. Uncover the causes of natural disasters and find out how people cope and adapt in the aftermath. The exhibit begins on Friday, May 23. For show information call (866) Field-03 or visit www.fieldmuseum.org.

Museum Science and Industry, 57th St. and Lake Shore Dr., presents  Dinosaurs Alive, a captivating adventure of science and discovery in a new giant screen film, narrated by Michael Douglas, the show runs throughout May. For more information call (773) 753-6230 or visit www.msichicago.org.

 

MUSIC

Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., presents Classical Mondays ongoing on Mondays at 12:15 p.m. Also ongoing is Jazz, Blues & Beyond on Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m. in the Randolph Café on 77E. Randolph St. On Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m. enjoy classical music by young musicians. On Sundays at 3 p.m. enjoy more classical music with the Sunday Salon Series. Admission is free. For more information call (312) 744-6630 or log on to www.chicagoculturalcenter.org.

            Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 220 S. Michigan Ave., has a full calendar in the month of May with something for everyone. Enjoy jazz with the Panamanian pianist and composer Danilo Perez on Friday, May 16, at 8 p.m. For a complete calendar and ticket information visit www.cso.org. or call (312) 294-3000.

            Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St. in Millennium Park, hosts George Frideric Handel’s Orlando. The opera is a psychological thriller as a soldier unravels at the discovery of his love’s alleged commitment to another man. The show runs Wednesday, May 28, through Sunday, June 8. All performances are at 7:30 p.m., except Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20; $10 for seniors and students. To order, call (312) 334-7777.

            Pianoforte, Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 825, features Naomi Kudo on piano on Saturday, May 16, at 3 p.m. Admission is $15, or $10 for students. For more information call (312) 291-0000 or toll free (888) 291-6880 or visit www.pianofortechicago.com/blog.

            Sherwood Conservatory of Music, 1312 S. Michigan Ave., will present its ninth annual Scholarship Competition and Gala on Friday, May 9, at the Art Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St. The gala raises tuition support funds and recognizes high achievement in the arts. Tickets include both the reception and concert: $100 for adults and $20 for students under age 18. For more information or to order tickets, please call Rachel Epley at (312) 427-6267, Ext. 110.

University of Chicago, 1010 E. 59th St., Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, invites all to listen to the Rockefeller Chapel Choir & Baroque Band perform Sandstrom’s Magnivicat and Handel’s Dixit Dominus on Friday, May 16, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 17, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 to $30 Visit www.music.uchicago.edu or call the event hotline at (773) 702-7059.

           

THEATER

            Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand Ave., presents The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare and directed by Barbara Gaines in the Courtyard Theater throughout May.  For times and ticket information call (312) 595-5600 or visit www.chicagoshakes.com for details.

DCA Theaters, 66 E. Randolph St., invite all to the Chicago Children’s Theatre production of Hana’s Suitcase through Sunday, May 11. The story is of two Japanese students and their teacher who embark on a worldwide journey to discover the story behind a suitcase from Poland sent to the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center.    For show times call (312) 742-8497 or visit www.dcatheater.org.

            Goodman Theater, 170 N. Dearborn St, presents The Ballad of Emmett Till by Ifa Bayeza and directed by Oz Scott throughout May. The legendary story of Emmett Till is believed by many to be the start of the civil rights movement of the 1950s. For times and ticket prices visit www.goodmantheatre.org or call the box office at (312) 443-3800.

Merle Reskin Theatre of DePaul University, 60 E. Balbo Dr., is showing The Giver by Lois Lowry adapted for the stage by Eric Coble and directed by Ernie Nolan.  Shows through Saturday, May 24. The story is staged in a perfect world without pain, war, fear, or inequality. A young Jonas is selected as the Receiver of Memories and begins to learn some difficult truths. Call the box office at (312) 922-1999 or for online orders visit www.ticketweb.com.

            Redmoon Theater, 1438 W. Kinzie St., presents Boneyard Prayer through Sunday, May 11.  Redmoon explores struggle, sorrow, and salvation in this stunning, imaginative new production from the creator of The Cabinet and Once Upon a Time. Tickets are $15 to $30. For tickets or more information, call the box office at (312) 850-8440 x111 or visit www.redmoon.org.