Morning Rehearsal: Chicago theater 5/5

Morning Rehearsal: Chicago theater 5/5
Morning Rehearsal: Chicago theater 5/5

Morning Rehearsal: Chicago theater 5/5

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(Getty/Henry S. Dziekan III)

1. This week, TimeOut has an excellent feature on playwright Will Eno. His play Middletown opens at Steppenwolf in June, and Tragedy: A Tragedy opens in previews at the Red Tape Theatre tonight. “There are playwrights who say that every time they set out to write a new play, they have absolutely no idea how to write it, but I feel that to an almost embarrassing degree,” Eno said.

2. The biggest drama in American theater this year has been the debacle that is Spider Man: Turn off the Dark. Director Julie Taymor was rather unceremoniously ousted from the production recently over complaints that it was her distracted vision that was preventing the show from actually opening (it holds the record for most expensive production in Broadway history, as well as longest time spent in previews). Taymor spoke earlier this week, saying that “I think it’s very important to be true to your heart and true to your vision. I am passionate about the projects that I do, and I would hate, even if they fail in certain ways…” at which point, she trailed off, leaving an unfinished thought and lots of wondering.

Get up close and personal with Matthew Morrison

3. Mark your calendars, those of you who have a grand to spare; The Goodman Gala is on May 21. The event is being put on to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Loop location of the Goodman, and is being billed as “One Enchanted Evening.” There’s a cocktail reception, Matthew Morrison of Glee-fame will perform, and this is all followed by a black-tie dinner and dancing accompanied by the Al Sofia Orchestra. Your money will of course be well spent; all proceeds go to the Education and Communtiy Engagement programs run by the Theatre.

4. TEDxMichiganAve (an independently organized TED talk) is this Saturday at the Symphony Center, and the big question is: “How can we make changes to our industry to support the arts? Where do we begin and what will that future industry look like?” There were be several speakers from performance backgrounds, and the conference is hosted by David Zoltan. At the end of last week it looked as though tickets were going fast, so hustle!

5. It appears that though Mayor Daley’s tenure is almost up, his legacy isn’t entirely over. Yesterday, Rahm Emanuel named Daley’s daughter Nora Conroy as the chair the Chicago Cultural Affairs Advisory Committee. Conroy now works at Metropolis Strategies, a business and civic organization, as director of outreach. Additionally, she is the chair of the board of trustees of Steppenwolf. “Our diverse arts and cultural scene is a key part of what makes Chicago a vibrant and dynamic place to live. We treasure our flagship institutions, and we also love living in a city where new music, theater, dance and visual arts are being created every day in hundreds of smaller venues,” Emanuel said in a statement.

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.