317 stories from Don Hall
Friday night I went to see Collaboraction's Honey Buns. It was one of those shows. One of those shows that inspires me artistically. A one-clown/mime show that takes the ar…
"The GOP stands for funding the top of the pyramid and expecting the bottom of the pyramid to be sustained through the good will and generosity of the top. It's a horrible, aristocrati…
Saturday night I attended the Annoyance Theater 25th Anniversary. It was surreal and pretty awesome. The place was packed with the past, present and future of Chicago's improvisa…
Our good man Chris Jones gives us a bit of thought on the new Chicago Cultural Plan recently. Overall, it's not a bad plan. Lots for arts education, some matching dough for artists, and mo…
Oh, sure.There is definitely 501(c)(3) status. This designation allows incorporated organizations to avoid certain taxes (not all) under certain guidelines. But no arts organizat…
From an email I received Friday:As many of you know, the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, the organization that staffs the DCA Theater program, is ceasing operations on June 30. While…
That was the saying above the theater that WNEP occupied for a couple of years on the corner of Halsted and Belmont.It meant a lot of things in those six words.You are not not exempt, as an …
...Muppet Theory, a little-known, poorly understood philosophy that holds that every living human can be classified according to one simple metric: Every one of us is either a Chaos Muppet o…
The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de SadeWritten by Peter WeissMusic by Richard P…
Million Dollar QuartetBook by Colin Escott and Floyd MutruxMusic Direction and Arrangements by Chuck MeadDirected by Eric Schaeffer and Floyd MutruxPresented the Apollo TheatreDisclosure: I…
"Hey. We only have $18 in the theater checking account. Wanna sign a lease for our own venue?"WHY NOT?"I'm thinking about writing a sketch comedy piece a day for entire year."WHY NOT?"Let'…
Wow.As the saga of the transfer of Chicago Municipal Arts continues to unfold (Chicago Cultural Affairs and Lois Weisberg being ousted by Chicago Tourism Board and Michelle Boone) we begin t…
This is a repost of the blog I wrote for WBEZ to promote the GAX 2012.Viral Activism: Get Inspired and Make a Difference in Your Own WayApril 20, 2012By: Don HallMy mother lives in the middl…
GeniusIf you really want to know my sense of humor, this is it.I think Kaufman was the funniest, most original comic mind to hit the planet.****Post Racial Society, My Ass****Life LessonsThe…
I'm not much of a rule follower but I like to create my own rules for a personal sense of balance. A code, if you will.Yesterday, a colleague of mine was commenting that her boyfriend (who …
...that who you are online - on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. - is as different from who you are in real time as who you are to your boss is to who you are to your lover. Keep that in mind…
I subscribe to a lot of conservative blogs and websites because if I don't know what the Other Side is thinking out loud, I'm feeling a bit too "in my own Liberal Bubble." In fact, on …
All Girl Moby DickAdapted from the novel by Herman MelvilleWritten by Bob Fisher and Sara GorskyDirected by Bob FisherPresented by The MammalsDisclosure: Comp'd and Bob is one of my best fri…
The Butcher of BarabooWritten by Marisa WegrzynDirected by Shade MurrayPresented by A Red Orchid TheatreDisclosure: I paid full price for tickets. It was worth the dough.The reasons I love …
She listened to me outline things systematically. Elements in my life that had been gradually sapping my enthusiasm for my days, causing me get surly, angry, self pitying and not just a lit…
****Whitehair is at it AgainDo Not Submit: A Storytellng Open Mic For The People. Last Monday of Every MonthTrace (3714 N Clark Street)Sign up starts at 7:30, Show at 8:00FREEClic…
Ted Nugent4008 West Michigan AveJackson MI 49202Dear Nuge,I transferred, as a Sophomore in college, from a private Quaker college in the middle of the Heartland to a State University smack d…
...that, every once in a while, I need to remind myself to NOT perform while drinking. Unfortunately, the only reminder that sticks is performing while drinking. Vicious cycle......that, i…
Grabbed a new leaning desk for the new apartment at Crate & Barrel the other day. It was boxed up, ready to be assembled at home. As I hopped into a cab, the driver asked me …
The MarchAdapted from the novel by E. L. DoctorowBy Frank GalatiDirected by Frank GalatiPresented by Steppenwolf Theatre CompanyDisclosure: I was comp'd for the performance. I haven't seen …
