The Five

Don’t-miss picks for Wednesday, April 22 through April 28, 2015

1 The Project(s)

Theater: PJ Paparelli, the artistic director of American Theater Company, uses text from interviews he conducted with residents, administrators, and landlords to try to shed light on both the successes and the failures of public housing.
4/24–5/24. $38–$48. American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron. atcweb.org

2 C2E2

Festivals: The Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo gives comic enthusiasts a showroom-floor-size playground to explore. Actors Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) and Chad Coleman (The Walking Dead) sit on hotly-anticipated panels.
4/24–4/26. $30–$70. McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore. c2e2.com

3 Chicago Improv Festival

Comedy: SNL’s Sasheer Zamata and Orange is the New Black’s Lauren Lapkus are among the comedians in town for this weeklong celebration of improv.
Through 4/26. Various prices and locations. chicagoimprovfestival.org

4 Joffrey Ballet

Dance: Catch Chicago premieres from noted choreographers Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, and Nicolas Blanc at a new venue for the Joffrey, the Cadillac Palace Theatre.
4/22–5/3. $32–$155. Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph. joffrey.org

5 Together

Design: Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi had a vision for modern society that she rendered into minimalist buildings, furnishings, installation art, and films. A touring exhibition from London tells the story of this South American modernist through her creations, some over 60 years old.
4/25–7/25. Free. RSVP for opening reception. Graham Foundation, 4 W. Burton. grahamfoundation.org

What I’m Doing This Weekend

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals—a.k.a. people we like: artist Jessie Mott. What Creature Deserves Such Devotion runs from Sunday, April 26 to Saturday, June 13.

“Friday, I will be probably be working late at TPAN. We’re a not-for profit that provides support services for people living with HIV/AIDS. Every July we have a fundraising event called The Ride for AIDS. It’s a 200-mile bicycling event from Chicago to Wisconsin. After work, I’ll probably get some Le’s Pho noodles. Le’s Pho is newer, crazy good, and not as packed as some of the other Vietnamese places in Uptown.

“Saturday morning, I’ll probably walk to the lake with coffee from Baker & Nosh. They have the best coffee; I don’t know what they do to it. They also have these apricot tarts that I’m addicted to. Then I’ll loop through Andersonville and stop by Marguerite Gardens. They have the most beautiful flower arrangements and it always smells nice. I’ll also probably stop by Lillstreet Art Center to work on some of my clay pieces. For dinner, I’ll go to Parachute. Beverly Kim and John Clark are the most brilliant chefs. They have this amazing dish called bing bread. It’s got bacon, scallions, and sour cream. It’s really good.

“Sunday, I have morning yoga at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center. Then later in the day, I have my opening at Devening Projects + Editions. I’m showing 37 ceramic sculptures and about 40 watercolors on paper. It’s all new work I’ve never shown before. It’s more abstract than my other work, but still focuses on the body.” —As told to Tomi Obaro

Freebie of the Week

Teju Cole

Readings: The perceptive writer and photographer expands upon his 2012 Atlantic article about the White-Savior Industrial Complex.
4/23 at 7. Free. Donald P. Jacobs Center, Leverone Auditorium, 2001 Sheridan Road. planitpurple.northwestern.edu/event/472907