23 FRIDAY Before he died in 1997, Chicago imagist Roger Brown willed his studio and home–and the contents therein–to the School of the Art Institute. Among other things, the Roger Brown Study Collection at 1926 N. Halsted boasts an impressive array of artwork (including imagist, folk, and outsider art), furniture, textiles, and travel souvenirs, plus an archive of Brown’s work and personal effects, including his ’67 Mustang (in the garage). Brown and the building’s previous inhabitants are the inspiration for the new exhibition 1926–The History of the Space Before the Space, which includes site-specific work by Lisa Stone, Garrett Eakin, John Kurtich, Sarah Feinstein, Jeanne Lambin, Mary Richards, Rebecca Targ, Steven Juras, and Steven Hendricks. The free opening reception is tonight from 6 to 8 at 1926 N. Halsted; call 773-665-4802.
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24 SATURDAY In his autobiography, Only the Strong Survive: Memoirs of a Soul Survivor, Jerry “the Iceman” Butler says that he was originally slated to sing “Moon River” at the 1961 Academy Awards. But in the end it was white performer Andy Williams who did the honors and wound up with the more enduring rendition of the old standard. “We did not set out to write a book about race relations in America,” writes Earl Smith, Butler’s brother-in-law and collaborator, in the book’s introduction. “[But] it definitely is unavoidable when discussing or writing about America’s musical heritage.” Butler, now serving a fourth term as a Cook County commissioner, will discuss the book today from 2:30 to 4:30 at African American Images, 1909 W. 95th (773-445-0322). It’s free.
25 SUNDAY Israel’s Law of Return, which allows anyone of Jewish descent to settle in that country, seems simple enough. But the traditional matriarchal descent laws directly conflict with Reform Judaism’s acceptance of patriarchal descent–which can make definitions of Jewishness murky. Today Menachem Kellner, author and professor of Jewish religious thought at the University of Haifa, will discuss contemporary Jewish identity at a free lecture called Contemporary Crisis: Who Is a Jew? According to Whom? It’s at 2, following a free reception that begins at 1:15 at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, 618 S. Michigan (312-322-1769).
1 THURSDAY Darryl Maximilian Robinson’s one-man show A Bit of the Bard had its original run in 1987, when its Reagan-era commentary was more timely. The premise is still fresh, though–Robinson’s character, 17th-century actor Sir Richard Drury Kemp-Kean, gets struck by lightning and catapulted 327 years into the future, landing in contemporary Washington, D.C. He gets a job serving as the double for the Senegalese ambassador, and whenever things get rough he pulls out the Shakespeare. Robinson’s new, improved version of the Jeff-winning show includes swipes at the Clintons and the Bushes elder and younger. A Bit of the Bard: 2001 opens tonight at 7:30 and runs through April 22 in its “Chicago area farewell engagement” at the Harrison Street Galleries Studio Theatre, 208 Harrison in Oak Park. Tickets are $15, $12 for students and seniors. Call 773-533-0285.
