Paige Eight Blog

                                                                                                                                                      The weekend of June 7 th   and 8 th  was an extremely eventful one for Roseland Ceasefire as they held both their “Anti-Violence Basketball Tournament” and “Stop The Violence: Gospel  Choir Concert” as fundraisers for, and in support of their anti-violence initiative. The non-profit committed to reducing and preventing violence (particularly gun violence) throughout Chicago’s far South Side kicked off the summer with a free community basketball tournam...

Dan Brown’s  The Da Vinci Code  has been the subject of controversy ever since the bestseller's initial publication in 2003. It has received criticism for its commentary on religious faith and going too far with the liberties it takes in its depiction of Christianity (most notably in its treatment of Jesus’ mortality and divinity). However, what is not contentious is that it is a well-spun, enthralling tale of intrigue that has  translated into an impressive play now onstage at Drury Lane Theater. It is undebatable that the Oak Brook staple of the arts community not only esteems but elevates the material and all its symbolism with its interpretation of the piece. It relates the gripping quest to solve not only the mystery of a murder but one’s own truth in a way that remains loyal to much of the author’s original text whilst delivering new discoveries in this exciting live translation. With an exceptional cast and creative team and awe-inspiring technical design that blur...

         Corn. Yes, I said and I’m talking corn, as that’s what the hit comedy   Shucked  that has just planted itself here in the Midwest is chock full of in every sense. Direct from its acclaimed Broadway run, this musical enraptures audiences with the story of what happens to the unspoiled slice of Americana that is Cob County upon facing its first-ever crisis when their corn inexplicably starts perishing; and heroine Maizy decides to be the first to leave the provincial paradise in search of a way to save the vegetation. The shenanigans and fallout that ensue supply ample amusement and inspire as much growth in Maizy, her cousin Lulu, Beau and his brother Peanut, and all the rest of the Cob County crew as it does the corn crop and the theatergoers’ whose lives this “barn yarn” touches. It may be a superior horse sense of humor, it may be fearlessness in creating something so distinct from what commercial theatre has traditionally churned, it m...