The relationship between art and social commentary

Theater has a history of making political and social statements. From Shakespeare, to Tennessee Williams and August Wilson, playwrights have used the stage to address issues of public importance. Now, with events in Ferguson, New York and most recently Baltimore - many local theaters are reacting by creating opportunities for audiences to explore issues of race and inequality. Isaac Gomez, Bobby Bierdrzycki, John Conroy and, Anthony Moseley are all involved in the arts and have personal experience crafting social commentary into theater. We bring you this conversation in two parts.

Guests:

• Isaac Gomez is literary manager for the Victory Gardens Theater.
• Bobby Bierdrzycki is the curriculum and instruction associate for the Goodman Theatre.
• John Conroy is a former investigative journalist and playwright.
• Anthony Moseley is Executive Artistic Director at Collaboraction Theater.

Want to know where to find art in Chicago?

A few weeks ago we talked to the General Admission guys about why people DON’T see art. We invited our listeners to join in with their own reasons for not seeing artistic events, and many of you said part of it was you just didn’t know about them. So we had our General Admission podcasters do some research to bring you some great resources for finding art in the city.

You can check out some of the resources we listed, by going to the Storify page linked in this sentence.

Guests:

• Tyler Greene is co-host of WBEZ’s General Admission podcast.
• Joy Powers is a WBEZ producer.

Chicago business with a focus on fair trade apparel

On April 29 -  to very little fanfare - the Cook County Board passed an ordinance which ensures that no county offices would purchase uniforms or other items from garment vendors that employ sweatshop labor. And, in the Chicago, May 7 is the second day of World Fair Trade Day Festival celebrations. Harish Patel is the owner of Chicago-based, ishi vest - a company that specializes in organic and fair trade clothing. He joins us for this installment in our week long series of conversations with local small business owners in honor of Small Business Week.

Guest: Harish Patel is owner of ishi vest.

Englewood residents negotiate the role Whole Foods will play in the community

It’s going to be more than a year before Whole Foods opens a new store in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. The company announced it’s plans for Englewood a year-and-a-half ago. The lengthy timeline doesn’t mean the community is sitting idly by. Residents are actively engaging with Whole Foods about the role of an organic grocery store in a food desert. WBEZ’s Natalie Moore gives us an update.

Guest: Natalie Moore is a WBEZ reporter.

Has summertime finally arrived in Chicago?

It feels like the short but beautiful Chicago summer has finally arrived—but we all know it could feel like winter again in an instant. Joining us to explain this crazy late-spring weather is Gilbert Sebenste, meteorologist at Northern Illinois University.

Guest: Gilbert Sebentse is a meteorologist at Northern Illinois University.

Tech Shift: What thunder looks like

Lightning storms look cool - a brilliant flash of light in the dark, a massive bolt suddenly streaks across the sky. For the most part, we understand lightning. But what about thunder? Scientists from Southwest Research Institute have been conducting experiments to literally get a better picture of how thunder works. Dr. Maher Dayeh is a Space Physicist in the Space Science & Engineering Division at Southwest Research Institute and he joins us with details on the team’s experiment.

Guest: Maher Dayeh is a space physicist in the Space Science & Engineering Division at Southwest Research Institute.

Chicago’s Jimmy Butler wins Most Improved Player

The NBA has announced that the Bulls’ Jimmy Butler has been voted the league’s Most Improved Player. Not only did Butler win that accolade but it was a landslide! WBEZ sports contributor and Bulls aficionado Cheryl Raye-Stout joins us from the Bulls practice at the Advocate Center.

Guest: Cheryl Raye-Stout is WBEZ’s sports contributor.

Curious City: What does the Lincoln Park Zoo do with all of its poo?

In this excerpt from our Fecal Matters! live event, experts explain how studying poo can keep zoo animals happy and healthy.

Cook County chiefs discuss criminal justice issues

The top officials from Cook County’s criminal justice system convened on May 7 for a panel discussion. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Sheriff Tom Dart, State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, and Chief Judge Timothy Evans all sat together politely. But they’ve been known to butt heads and assign each other blame in the past. WBEZ’s Patrick Smith was there and he joins us with a recap.

Guest: Patrick Smith is a WBEZ reporter.