1 Politics of Plenty

Bestselling journalist-authors Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson discuss their new book, Abundance, which tackles America’s systemic scarcity mindset. Apr. 1. chicagohumanities.org

2 Native Tongues

Writers Theatre mounts one of Irish dramatist Brian Friel’s lesser-known works, Translations, concerning the conflict of English versus Gaelic. Apr. 3–May 4. writerstheatre.org

3 Return of the Righteous Babe

Alt-rock hero Ani DiFranco drops into town for a pair of concerts on her Unprecedented Sh!t tour. Apr. 10–11. thaliahallchicago.com

4 Cosplay Capital

Geekdom converges at McCormick Place for C2E2, whose big-name guests include everyone’s favorite hobbits, Elijah Wood and Sean Astin. Apr. 11–13. c2e2.com

5 Building Blocks

In her exhibition Cornerstone, local multimedia artist Yasmin Spiro uses giant sculptures to reflect on architecture. Apr. 19–Nov. 9. hydeparkart.org

6 Police Blues

A new play by Pulitzer finalist Zora Howard, Bust begins with a driving-while-Black setup and veers into surprising territory. Apr. 19–May 18. goodmantheatre.org

7 Here They Go Again

Known for mind-blowing videos, the endlessly inventive OK Go throws a great live show too. The band returns to its birthplace to play the Riviera. Apr. 25. okgo.net

8 Global Art Pop-up

Top galleries from 36 countries converge on Navy Pier for the contemporary art fair Expo Chicago, including a large new Korean contingent. Apr. 25–27. expochicago.com

9 Saved by the Bell

If anyone can get you to smile through life’s absurdities, it’s comedian-filmmaker-activist W. Kamau Bell. Apr. 25–26. thedentheatre.com

10 She Already Done Had Hearses

The Story Theatre remounts its 2019 hit At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, a two-hander written by and starring Terry Guest. Apr. 26–May 11. thestorytheatre.org