Friday 3/7 – Thursday 3/13
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Studs Terkel’s 1999 book American Dreams: Lost and Found examines the lives and aspirations of a wide range of Americans, from a Boston Brahmin to a disillusioned former Miss U.S.A. The NYC-based Acting Company will present a theatrical adaptation of the book tonight as part of its “American Century” series, which has also featured productions of Willa Cather’s O Pioneers! and Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson. The show runs tonight and tomorrow, March 8, at 8 at the Beverly Art Center, 2407 W. 111th; there’ll be a reception with Terkel following tonight’s performance. Tickets are $25, $15 for children 12 and under. For more information call 773-445-3838 or see www.beverlyartcenter.org.
8 SATURDAY For years the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian’s public resources have amounted to two shelves of books in its small second-floor reading room. But after today the 26-year-old museum’s collection of 5,000 tomes and 250 videotapes will be accessible in a new 484-square-foot library (a former garage) that features walls painted the colors of a Native American medicine wheel (black, red, yellow, and white), a sky blue ceiling, and brickwork that recalls Navajo rug patterns. There’s a dedication ceremony tonight at 6 at the museum, part of Kendall College, 2600 Central Park in Evanston, and a free open house tomorrow, March 9, from noon to 4. Call 847-475-1030 or see www.mitchellmuseum.org for more information.
12 WEDNESDAY For his photo series Every Playboy Centerfold, The Decades, Jason Salavon used software of his own design to combine and average the characteristics of all the Playboy centerfolds from each decade between 1960 and 2000. The resulting creatures are blurry figures who seem to get lighter in complexion as the decades progress. Three pieces of Salavon’s work (which also includes photo compositions based on portraits from his high school class) will be on display starting today as part of the Midwest Photographers Project at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, 600 S. Michigan. The show, which runs through April 24, is open today from 10 to 5 and admission is free; call 312-663-5554. Work by digital imaging pioneer Paul Berger also goes on display today, and will be up through April 29.
