1. Polly Carl has left Steppenwolf, where she was the director of artistic development. She’ll go to Arena Stage in Washington; her new position will be Director of the American Voices New Play Institute. Her position at Steppenwolf was a new one, but previously she had been the Producing Artistic Director of the Playwrights’ Center of Minneapolis.

2. Mary Houlihan Curtain of the Sun-Times talks to Andre De Shields about The Gospel According to James, an interpretation of the true story of James Cameron, a black man who, as a teenager, survived being lynched in 1930. He eventually became a civil rights activist. Based off of Cameron’s book A Time of Terror: A Survivor’s Story, De Shields said that he was capitivated by “this horrific tale about love and politics and romance and brutality and this still-festering wound we call racism in America,” he said. “I immediately accepted the role of James.”

3. Christopher Tucker and Brenna Pierson-Tucker (yes, they are indeed husband-and-wife) have started Esoteric Dance Project, and their company is performing origins/revealed tonight and tomorrow at Links Hall. Their will be four short works, and ten dancers, if you’re into keeping track of numbers.

4. Katsura Kan has been visiting and teaching Butoh (a form of dance performance thought to have originated in Asia; Kan is from Japan) at the DEFIBRILLATOR this week. He’ll perform this weekend, and after Saturday’s show, will talk about his life, work, and travels. Bring questions. 

5. CHF’s Stages, Sights and Sounds ends this weekend. Saturday is Family Day, which means probably means hanging with the kid above, a performance by Barrel of Monkeys, and lots of crafts. Perk: It’s all free.

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.