Arts & Entertainment
From Architectural Gems to ‘Secret Conversations,’ Here Are 6 Arts Picks for the Week
The Chicago Architecture Biennial runs through Feb. 28, 2026. (Tom Harris)
After 37 years, I’m leaving WTTW (amicably, I’m glad to say), but my relationship with PBS started much earlier. In fall of 1969 I was in kindergarten. The teachers gathered all classes into the one room with a TV, and we watched “Sesame Street” early in its first season. Before long I was hooked on “The Electric Company” and “Zoom.” Later I discovered “Monty Python,” “Nova,” “Sneak Previews,” “American Masters,” “Antiques Roadshow” and a thousand others. Take it from a PBS lifer: Public media is absolutely essential in reflecting who we are and shaping what we can be. Support it — our country and culture depend on it. Wishing you happy trails and quality programming…
Chicago Architecture Biennial – Chicago Cultural Center and other locations
The theme and title this year is “SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change.” It’s an opportunity to explore how architecture engages with the profound transformations shaping the world today. Featuring 100 projects from artists and architects around the world, the biennial is centered at the Chicago Cultural Center with other works at the Stony Island Arts Bank, the Graham Foundation and the Museum of Science and Industry. Through Feb. 28, 2026
“Ava: The Secret Conversations” – Studebaker Theater
Evanston native Elizabeth McGovern (Lady Cora in “Downton Abbey”) stars as Hollywood legend Ava Gardner. McGovern also wrote the show. She based it on a series of interviews given by the star that were initially barred from publication. Gardner recounts her complex and turbulent life — including marriages to Mickey Rooney and Frank Sinatra — in this two-hander (theater-speak for “there are only two actors onstage”). Through Oct. 12
Elizabeth McGovern wrote and stars in “Ava: The Secret Conversations.” (Jeff Lorch)
“Big White Fog” – Court Theatre
Court Theatre kicks off its fall season with a nearly forgotten Chicago play from the 1930s. A family drama set on the South Side, it’s a potent dose of American realism. Ron OJ Parson directs a big cast in this Depression-era story of hope and despair. Theodore Ward wrote the play supported by funds from the Federal Theatre Project. Can you believe it? The economy was a wreck, and we had a government that trusted artists and funded them. Through Oct. 12
“Día de Muertos: A Celebration of Remembrance” – National Museum of Mexican Art
Blending Indigenous and Catholic beliefs, the Mexican Day of the Dead is the tradition of celebrating loved ones who have died during the year. This annual exhibition features artwork and ofrendas — offerings on altars that keep alive the memory of those who are gone. This collective tribute is a dependably colorful and moving show that changes year to year. Through Dec. 14
“Rome Sweet Rome” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
A new show from the Q Brothers Collective is always reason to celebrate. This time, it’s a wild satire of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” complete with ‘90s hip-hop beats and tons of onstage energy. Political power struggles and ludicrous executive orders add up to a stabby assassination. If you know a young person that you’d like to introduce to Shakespeare, look no further. Through Oct. 19
“Rome Sweet Rome” runs at Chicago Shakespeare Theater through Oct. 19. (Kyle Flubacker)
“The Disappointed Tourist” - Chicago Architecture Center
Three-hundred paintings depict places that aren’t there anymore. This ongoing project by artist Ellen Harvey is a tapestry of artwork that connects nostalgia, memory and preservation. The sites were nominated by the public and include many Chicago locales (Chicago Stadium, Mecca Flats and the old Prentice Women’s Hospital). While you’re at the center, sign up for a tour to visit places that are still with us. Opens Monday, Sept. 29
Marc Vitali is the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation Arts Correspondent.
