The Five

Don’t-miss picks for Wednesday, October 14 through October 20, 2015

1 Joyce Carol Oates

Readings: The prolific writer—53 novels and counting—reads poetry in support of her new memoir, The Lost Landscape. Get there early. Seats will fill up fast.
10/16 at 7. Free. The Poetry Foundation, 61 W. Superior. poetryfoundation.org

2 Chicago International Film Festival

Film: Watch the Chicago premieres of some of 2015’s most anticipated films, including Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth, starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, and I Smile Back, a Sarah Silverman showcase that has critics screaming Oscar.
10/15–10/29. $14–$20. AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois. chicagofilmfestival.com

3 Evgeny Kissin

Classical The big-name, big-haired pianist pounds out Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, one of the Russian’s most popular pieces.
10/15 at 8. $50–$299. Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. cso.org

4 A Dream Deferred

Art: In partnership with fellow artist Cara Megan Lewis, Cuban conceptualist Alejandro Figueredo Diaz-Perera comments on the United States’ complicated relationship with its neighbor with this video installation depicting children—both undocumented immigrants and American-born—playing a game of soccer.
10/16–11/21. Free. Aspect/Ratio Gallery, 119 N. Peoria. aspectratioprojects.com

5 Hubbard Street Dance

Dance: See the Chicago premiere of N.N.N.N., a dance for four men created by living legend William Forsythe, famous for his challenging, cerebral choreography.
10/15–10/18 at 6. $30–$109. Harris Theatre, 205 E. Randolph. hubbardstreetdance.com

What I’m Doing This Weekend

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals: actress and Chicago Slam Works ensemble member Shelley Geiszler. The ensemble’s latest show, Handsome Animals, runs Fridays through November 6.

“Friday I’ll do Handsome Animals. The show combines traditional theater, performance poetry, and music to examine gender and bodies.

“After the show, I’m going to get as many cast members as possible to go to the L&L Tavern in Lake View, one of my favorite bars in Chicago. There’s always something weird that happens there.

“On Saturday, I’m hoping to check out this art exhibit at the Ed Paschke Art Center in Jefferson Park. It’s called La Palette: The Chicago Palette. It’s photographs of Chicago artists and their palettes next to their finished work.

“I really love LD Pho, which is right by the Kedzie Brown Line stop and has the most amazing Vietnamese food. I always leave way too full. I’ll go there for dinner, and then I’m going to see Peaches at the Metro. I’ve loved her since I was a teenager. I’ll probably end the evening at the Oakwood 83, which is the best 4 a.m. bar in Chicago.

“My boyfriend just bought a house, and we’re kind of still in the process of putting it together, so on Sunday we’re going to go check out the Rebuilding Exchange. They sell repurposed and refurbished furniture, a lot of stuff from schools or businesses that have closed or remodeled.

“I’d really like to go to the Green Mill poetry slam Sunday night. It’s one of my favorite things to do in the city.” —As told to Hannah Nyhart

Freebie of the Week

Persepolis: Images of an Empire

Museums: Explore the afterlife of the first Persian Empire through photographs, a multimedia display, and satellite imagery from the Institute’s excavation the in the 1930s.
10/13–9/11/16. Free. The Oriental Institute at University of Chicago, 155 E. 58th. uchicago.edu