Arts & Entertainment
From a Documentary Grappling With US History to an Irish Dance Show, Here Are 4 Arts Picks for Your Week
"Natchez" (Noah Collier)
Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.
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Now that February is wrapping up, it’s safe to say that we’re fully settled into 2026. Winter is showing signs of thawing (at least in Chicago) and the city’s arts communities have ramped up their cultural offerings and events. Below, WTTW News has compiled a small selection of what you can do in Chicago, from comedy to film, dance and art.
Comedy: Vir Das — Chicago Theatre
This popular comedian was born in India but has some Illinois roots: He attended Galesburg’s Knox College, graduating in 2002 with a degree in theater and economics. Since then, he’s become India’s biggest stand-up act and a Bollywood star who is kicking off his “Hey Stranger” tour in Chicago on Friday. Find tickets here.
Film: “Natchez” — Gene Siskel Film Center
A new documentary from director Suzannah Herbert focuses on a small Mississippi town and its residents, who grapple with its slave-owning past in the antebellum South in drastically different ways. “Natchez” deals with “a deeply troubled history that is so thoroughly ingrained in its present, we’re left to wonder if it’s actually past at all.” Premiering at Gene Siskel Film Center this weekend, director Herbert joins select showings for a post-screening Q&A. Buy tickets here.
Dance: Trinity Irish Dance Company — Auditorium Theatre
St. Patrick’s Day is fast-approaching so why not get into the holiday spirit with a lively dance show in the Loop? Headlined by the Trinity Dance Company, expect jigs, traditional Irish folk music and a charming show throughout. Buy tickets for the Saturday, 7:30 p.m. performance here.
Art: Patrice Renee Washington — Logan Center for the Arts (Hyde Park)
Head to the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts on Monday for a 6 p.m. artist lecture from sculptor Patrice Renee Washington. She’ll be talking about a new retrospective exhibit that spans 10 years of her career. The exhibit recently premiered at Virginia Commonwealth University. For more information, click here.
WTTW News arts coverage is supported by the JCS Arts, Health & Education Fund of the DuPage Foundation.
