Don’t-miss picks for January 4 through January 10, 2018
1 Traitor
Theater:Adapted from Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, in which a polluted water supply threatens the lives of those around it, Brett Neveu’s world premiere focuses on a suburban Chicago charter school built on polluted land. With two-time Oscar nominee Michael Shannon in the director’s chair, you’d best get your tickets early.
1/5–2/25. $15–$35. A Red Orchid Theatre. aredorchidtheatre.org
2 B-Side Vinyls Shop + Swap
Music:For one day only, University of Chicago’s Arts Incubator becomes a pop-up record store and trading post. Local vinyl aficionados have curated a selection for purchase or trade, and you can listen to tracks from local DJs Ayana Contreras, Jesse De La Peña, and Mr. Jaytoo.
FREE 1/6 at 11 a.m. Arts Incubator. facebook.com/events/368445663617217
3 Barbara Jones-Hogu: Resist, Relate, Unite 1968–1975
Art:The ’60s and ’70s were a time of liberation for minority groups in Chicago, in both civic life and the arts. Barbara Jones-Hogu, who passed away in November at the age of 79, was at the artistic center of Chicago’s Black Arts Movement, screenprinting bold images of black empowerment for the collective AfriCOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists). This exhibit presents iconic images of that revolutionary period and tracks the evolution of the Chicago Heights artist’s style.
FREE 1/11–3/25. DePaul Art Museum. museums.depaul.edu
4 42nd Street
Theater:Peggy Sawyer gets her Broadway break in this Drury Lane staging of the tap musical, directed by Michael Heitzman with choreography by Jared Grimes.
Through 1/7. $40–$62. Drury Lane Theatre. ticketmaster.com
5 First Monday Jazz: Sam Trump
Jazz:Sam Trump, a trumpeter and singer/songwriter from Houston, moved to Chicago in 2009 to get a music degree and has been a fixture in its music scene ever since. While he’s a member of Sidewalk Chalk, a local jazz collective, he’s developed a following for his solo work, too. Last November he released ‘Purple Skies,’ featuring smooth vocals and trumpet-playing, all performed by Trump.
FREE 1/8 at 7 p.m. Currency Exchange Café. facebook.com/events/166679437274457
6 Claire Hartfield: A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919
History:Nearly 100 years ago, the murder of a black boy who accidentally swam near a “white beach” by a white man sparked a weeklong race riot that left 38 dead and over 500 wounded. Hartfield, who wrote a new book on the episode, will be present at this book launch and discussion, drawing from contemporary accounts to detail one of the most violent weeks in Chicago’s history. Read more on the book.
1/9 at 6 p.m. Free (suggested donation $5). The American Writers Museum. blackbaudhosting.com
7 A Scientist Walks into a Bar: Paleontology Post-Jurassic Park
Museum:If you want to brush up on your paleontology knowledge beyond what you learned from Jeff Goldblum and friends, you might as well do it with a drink in hand. Paleontologist Brandon Peecook of the Field Museum will be on hand at The Hideout to discuss the future of his field over a round (or a few) from the bar.
1/9 at 6:30 p.m. $5. The Hideout. ticketf.ly/2kubFed
8 Boy
Theater:In 1966, when a botched circumcision left infant David Peter Reimer without a penis, doctors advised his parents to castrate him and raise him as a girl. With that, Reimer, reared alongside his identical twin brother, became the object of a decades-long science experiment. Using his life as inspiration, Anna Ziegler probes gender, identity, and the ageless debate over nature vs. nurture.
1/10–3/18. $25–$54. TimeLine Theatre. timelinetheatre.com
9 Chicago Boat, RV and Sail Show
Expo:If you’re in the market for a boat or RV, McCormick Place will be full of them. Even if you’re not looking to take to the seas, you can check out motorboat and sailboat simulator stations, maintenance and repair info sessions, a catch-and-release fishing pond for kids, indoor stand-up paddleboarding and, of course, a bar.
1/10–14. Free–$15. McCormick Place. chicagoboatshow.com
10 Twelfth Night, Unrehearsed
Theater:Shakespeare, unrehearsed, performed at a bar? Seems like an odd fit, but it’s part of the company’s M.O.: recreating the environment in which these plays were first performed. They hold no formal rehearsals; instead of a script, actors receive scrolls that list only their lines, sometimes just a week before they perform; and they use performance spaces where audiences and actors can (and do) freely interact with each other.
1/10, 1/17 at 7:30 p.m. $5. The Atlantic Bar. unrehearsedchicago.com