Arts & Entertainment
Vintage Horror Films and a Free Museum Day: 4 Arts Picks for Your Weekend
William Castle’s “The Tingler” (Provided)
Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.
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This summer, it’s been true that sometimes plans don’t work out. Yes, what should be a season for going out has been wetter than normal, smokier than normal and totally unpredictable. We haven’t even mentioned the heat yet! What is a sure bet, as throughout history, is art. Enriching your cultural life is a rain-or-shine-or-smoke-or-heat activity. It’s good for all seasons and good for all weather reports. Below, we’ve compiled a handful of events to keep you busy no matter what might be going on outside.
Film: “The Greatest Showman: Five by William Castle” — Music Box Theatre
William Castle was a wildly influential horror director who specialized in wild marketing stunts, creating genuine scares on a low budget and gimmicks, both on-screen and off. During his breakthrough 1959 film “The Tingler,” theaters would install a “Percepto” buzzer underneath the audience’s seats to go off during the scariest moments of the film. That’s just one example of many that included inflatable skeletons dangling from the ceiling, audience polls about a character’s fate and countless fourth wall-breaking antics. This week, the Music Box is screening five of Castle’s films and is telling viewers to “expect fog, strobe lights, plants in the audience, and surprises every night.” Screenings run from Friday to Aug. 27. For the full schedule and tickets, click here.
Theater: “Good People” — Theater Wit
David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2011 Tony-winning play “Good People” has returned to the Chicago stage for the first time since its 2012 local debut at Steppenwolf. Now at Theater Wit, the revival has been getting rave reviews throughout its run, with the Chicago Reader calling it “quite funny” and “poignant” and noting that “Lindsay-Abaire’s story offers keen insights into how a lifetime on an economic and emotional knife-edge leaves soul-deep scars.” Set in Boston’s Southie neighborhood, the play follows a woman named Margie who loses her job at a dollar store. This run ends Sunday, so buy tickets before it’s gone.
Art: Community Day: IAM a Garden — Intuit Art Museum
On Saturday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., the Intuit Art Museum is holding a special free admission day complete with interactive activities and guided tours. The day begins with a “Garden Chat” with lead museum educator Joshua Willis, which will focus on the “artists who transformed their homes and yards into living works of art.” With artistic tasks and a tour of Emery Blagdon’s Healing Machine, expect a packed but leisurely day of hands-on learning. Register and read more about the schedule here.
Film: ‘Grease’ Sing-Along — Ravinia
“Grease” debuted in Chicago in February 1971 at the Kingston Mines Theatre. It went from stage to screen in 1978 with a classic movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Now, almost 50 years later, the movie is returning to a Chicago-area stage with a sing-along event at the Ravinia Festival on Sunday. Audience members will be encouraged to belt out their favorite tunes from the soundtrack as the movie is broadcast (along with transcribed lyrics) in Highland Park. Buy tickets here.
WTTW News arts coverage is supported by the JCS Arts, Health & Education Fund of the DuPage Foundation.
