1. Julie Taymor will be asked questions about Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark until she dies. Now she says the media propagated misconceptions about the show, but that “I’m very proud of what I’ve done, and I’m proud of the people inside that show.” 

2. It’s “Paint the Town RED Day” according to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, “in honor of Chicago artists, the start of the theater season and the six-time Tony Award-winning play Red at Goodman Theatre. And have you seen the RED MAN running around downtown Chicago?

3. Starting Here, Starting Now by Theo Ubique is at No Exit Café, and BOY does it sound emotional! “A stirring coming of age story that unspools through poignant lyrics, exhilarating music and soaring voices as three young characters find love, lose it and find it again.” It’s dinner theater, but for $20, your meal does not include beverages, taxes, and tips/gratuities.

4. Chicago Shakespeare Theater returns to its roots for the London Olympics. It’ll be part of the “Globe to Globe” international theater festival produced by the Globe in London. It’s a piece of the Cultural Olympiad, which reinterpretes Shakespeare’s work for a modern and global audience. Chicago Shakes will be contributing Othello: The Remix, which will be the play, but “presented in American hip-hop.” The play will eventually be staged state-side, though no indication when.

5. Dan Savage was at Clybourne Park at Steppenwolf on Sunday. At this point, it’s a safe assumption that he’s a fan of Chicago theater, due to the time he spends here because of his brother (who is a lecturere at Northwestern); Savage was last seen attending The Homosexuals in July.

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.