The Ten
Don’t-miss picks for May 24 through May 30, 2018
1 Nick Drnaso
Literature:The graphic novelist Drnaso appears at a celebration for the release of his second book, Sabrina, about people coping with the disappearance of the title character.
FREE 5/24 at 7 p.m. Quimby’s Bookstore. quimbys.com
2 Bull in a China Shop
Theater:Mary Woolley and Jeannette Marks have largely vanished from most mainstream history books—the president and a professor, respectively, at Mount Holyoke College, they advocated for women to receive the same level of education as the less-fair sex. But their legacy burns bright: The firebrand duo takes center stage in Bryna Turner’s stiletto-sharp dramedy of radical feminists shaking up the patriarchal status quo.
5/24–6/30. $15–$38. About Face Theatre at Theater Wit. aboutfacetheatre.com
3 Good Libations Beer Fest
Food:Illinois Craft Beer Week winds down with this tropical-themed beer festival. Though smaller than Beer Under Glass—which opened the festivities on May 18—this closing event offers more than 60 craft beer options, snacks, and the spectacular lakeside view from Lincoln Park’s Theater on the Lake.
5/25 at 6 p.m. $60. Theater on the Lake. illinoisbeer.org
4 Going Dutch Festival
Festival:Three jam-packed days dedicated to female-identified dance, theater, music, and visual arts take place in a burgeoning arts mecca on the Fox River.
5/25–27. $10–$25. Professional Building and Side Street Studio Arts. sidestreetstudioarts.org
5 Mole de Mayo
Festival:Just a few weeks after Cinco de Mayo, Chicago chefs try their best to outdo each other in a much-contested mole cook-off, while local bands and DJs score a day of marathon eating and shopping—and colorful-costumed Mexican wrestling—along 18th Street.
5/25–27. $5 donation. Ashland and 18th. starevents.com
6 Father Comes Home from the Wars
Theater:Suzan-Lori Parks’s three-hour epic follows the fate of a Texas slave promised freedom … so long as he signs up to fight for the Confederate army. Parks moves the action from slave quarters to war zones, drawing on Greek tragedy and low comedy to spin an intricate, provocative story.
5/25–6/24. $10–$35. Goodman Theatre. goodmantheatre.org
7 Mordine & Co.
Dance:In its 49th year, Mordine & Company Dance Theater continues its Collisions project, exploring cultural differences through a collaborative process that combines modern dance and street dancing.
5/26–27. $15–$20. Links Hall. linkshall.org
8 Randolph Street Market
Festival:This retail bonanza, with an emphasis on vintage products, enters its 15th year. Vendors hawking everything from used books and records to midcentury modern furniture to couture garments will dot the sprawling market, accompanied by live music in the “Garden Party” event. Kids enter free.
5/26–27. $5–$12. 1341 W. Randolph. randolphstreetmarket.com
9 A Conversation with The Onion
Comedy:In honor of its 30th anniversary, The Onion kicks off its annual comedy festival with several introspective—and, in all likelihood, hilarious—conversations between past and present contributors, moderated by journeyman comic Tom Scharpling (of The Best Show fame).
5/30 at 8 p.m. $20. Lincoln Hall. lh-st.com
10 I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats
Podcast:Fans of the Mountain Goats—the longtime music project of writer-troubadour John Darnielle—tend to be fanatical. Look no further than Joseph Fink, creator of the groundbreaking Welcome to Night Vale podcast, who pores over Darnielle’s oeuvre, exclusively, on his latest show, I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats.
5/30 at 7 p.m. $26. Thalia Hall. eventbrite.com