Alison Cuddy

25 years of 'weird plays' in Chicago

By: Alison Cuddy | Jan. 31, 2013

Jan. 31, 2013

Theater Oobleck has been creating strange plays about strange people for 25 years now.

At this stage of the game, the troupe and their productions generally get a good critical reception, whether they open in Chicago or elsewhere (their plays have been produced in places as far-flung as Houston, Los Angeles, London and Helsinki).

But founding member and playwright Mickle Maher says it wasn't always all hearts and roses. Back in the day, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, getting started was rough going. Maher likens it to a boxer with his teeth knocked down his throat – a defeat on the verge of disaster. 

Still, the company figured it out. Their first play did succeed. And Oobleck found its identity.

"It was the first time I really thought we can do this, we can pull this off," Maher said.

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Classical musician follows inaugural with MLK event

By: Alison Cuddy | Jan. 18, 2013

Jan. 18, 2013

Chicago native and classical clarinetist Anthony McGill comes home this weekend to perform with the Chicago Sinfonietta, at their 25th annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This year, the concert coincides with the second Inauguration of President Barack Obama. So it's fitting that McGill is part of the Sinfonietta line-up: After all, he got the gig of a lifetime when he performed at the previous Inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009.  

McGill played with an all-star line-up of classical musicians that day: Violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela  Montero. Together they performed John Williams' "Air and Simple Gifts," live on the Capitol steps.

Well, sort of.

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Jodie Foster and the midlife crisis of pop culture

By: Alison Cuddy | Jan. 14, 2013

Jan. 14, 2013

Call it baffling, call it brilliant. Whatever: On Sunday night’s Golden Globes awards, Jodie Foster bared it all.

She trumpeted her age. She embraced her sexuality (sort of). She reconciled with her mom, embarrassed her kids and hailed a rather dazed looking Mel Gibson as the wind beneath her wings.

In short, Foster had a midlife crisis, live and direct, for all the world to see.

It was a paradoxical move for a woman who also used her moment in the awards ceremony spotlight to slam reality television and champion privacy.

But it wasn’t just Foster melting down last night. The Golden Globes provided one opportunity after another to ponder another midlife crisis: the one happening around women in pop culture.

Sure, it was definitely a night to celebrate women, especially the young ones. Lena Dunham, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence all won awards for fine performances in challenging roles.

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Prentice avoids demo, for now

By: Alison Cuddy | Jan. 11, 2013

Jan. 11, 2013

Preservationists seeking to prevent the demolition of the former Prentice Women's Hospital were dealt a severe if not final blow today.

Cook County Judge Neil Cohen dismissed a lawsuit brought by two plaintiffs: the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois (LPCI). 

Judge Cohen said a previous ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court does not grant him the power to overturn a decision by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, even if, as the Judge appears to believe, the Commission violated its own rules in making that decision.

The Judge also dismissed the Landmarks Preservation Council as a plaintiff in the case, but gave the National Trust 30 days to file an amended complaint. 

Michael Rachlis is one of the legal representatives for the preservationists.

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Advocates regroup after Violence Against Women Act stalls

By: Alison Cuddy | Jan. 7, 2013

Jan. 7, 2013

The 112th Congress may have avoided diving off this mythical "fiscal cliff" we've all been hearing about. But legislators left behind some serious unfinished business: They failed to re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

The Act provides federal money to protect women and children in abusive situations. That protection varies from support for kids in abusive homes, to help for women seeking restraining orders or divorces, to education for law enforcement.

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Preservationists argue re-use rather than demolition

By: Alison Cuddy | Jan. 4, 2013

Jan. 4, 2013

Preservationists who want to prevent demolition of the former Prentice Women's Hospital seem to be an unstoppable force.

They've argued for the architectural merits of the Bertrand Goldberg-designed building. When that didn't pan out, they went to court.

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Religious relics signify neighborhood unity

By: Alison Cuddy | Dec. 28, 2012

Dec. 28, 2012

 

This Sunday Holy Family Parish on Chicago’s west side marks a milestone: their 155th anniversary. 

Holy Family is Chicago’s second oldest church. Historically it has been a gateway church, for immigrants ranging from Irish to Mexican. The church is also a survivor of sorts. It escaped the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the threat of demolition in the 1980s after attendance declined.

Father Jerry Boland says these days his parish is strong.

"With all the development on the near west side, it’s like here come’s everybody! There is a large diverse parish community," he says.

So the pews are likely to be full this Sunday mass.

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Escape Christmas at the movies!

By: Alison Cuddy | Dec. 24, 2012

Dec. 24, 2012

 

Christmas celebrations are already in full swing at homes in and around Chicago. But not everybody marks the holiday. If you’re Jewish or Muslim or just prefer to skip it – there is another, time-honored way to enjoy the night before Christmas: head out to see a movie.

The two big, brand new releases are "Les Misérables," the film version of Victor Hugo's epic historic novel (which has undergone epic adaptations, for film, television and most famously Broadway), and "Django Unchained," the latest ultra-violence from Quentin Tarantino.

Christmas-time viewing is also a good opportunity to catch up any of the big films that might end up in the "best picture" category at the Academy Awards (which will be announced January 10th).  

Adam Kempenaar co-hosts WBEZ’s Filmspotting.

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