Wisconsin Holiday

There was lots of cooking, presidents, and icy walk. And funny hats.

Solstice

Work Trip to NYC

What, no theatre? Well, I stayed at the W on Lexington, and food was the non-work focus for some reason. Avra (Greek), Po (for old time sake), and Pampano (Mexican seafood).

Book Club: The Quiet American

Dublin Carol

Happy Holidays everyone!

From Time Out Chicago. "Among Conor McPherson’s dark plays that make you nearly want to kill yourself—an anthology known colloquially as “the Conor McPherson plays”—there exists a shared ethereal quality that inspires producers to keep mounting them and audiences returning for more....

Dublin Carol, now in a tidy, conservative and affecting Steppenwolf production, is no exception. William Petersen plays John, a perpetually if casually drunk funeral director who’s kept his life low maintenance by abandoning his wife and kids and anesthetizing his soul on a slow bourbon drip. When his adult daughter (Wiesner) shows up with the news that his dying, cancer-ridden wife would like him to handle her funeral, he’s forced to pay the emotional piper.

Holiday Party with the Dean

A lovely evening at the Dean's house for his annual holiday party.

Midsummer Night's Dream International

This was completely enjoyable.

From Time Out Chicago:

"After touring the world, this subcontinental take on the Bard’s nicest comedy came to town just as the Mumbai terrorist attacks were erupting. The crystal-ball acuity is one thing, the quality of the productions another, but between the two, Chicago may be on its most relevant theatrical run in some time. This joyous reinterpretation adds a long feather to that cap.

Director Supple’s London-born show slaps polyglot readings of the venerable source into imaginative physical theater. Circus arts tend to undermine their settings, but the cavorting of spirits and fairies in ol’ Bill’s daisy-chain plot is as excellent a match as imaginable for the aerialist stunts on display.

This multitongued, symbol-heavy adaptation is sometimes an ingenious escape from archaic gibberish, but it’s just as often a stumbling block: Following Elizabethan English is hard enough without heavy accents and arbitrary foreign-language insertions. Yet the ritualistic heart of the proceedings, as profound a meeting of Eastern and Western magickal traditions as anything Aleister Crowley ever dreamt of, burns through these barriers, and the athletic cast of Indians and Sri Lankans perform with a skill and immediacy that transcends linguistic (and cultural) boundaries."

Radio Scottish Play

Love Ann Bogart, love SITI company, but this one didn't work for us.

When Hyde Park Rules America

David Brooks at the Gleacher Center.
You can watch the video here.

Thanksgiving in NC

The W's are now in Durham! With lots of space for teenagers! And lots of space for pie and turkey, oh my! We went to the Duke v. Carolina football game, saw Twilight, and visited with Mr. and Ms B and Mr. and Ms. L and their families in Raleigh.

Brothers Karamozov at Lookingglass

Ambitious, but not our most favorite thing we've seen at Lookingglass.

The Dean at the Women's Board

Post election, my Dean was at the Arts Club, talking to the University of Chicago Women's Board.

Kafka on the Shore

From Chris Jones's review in the Tribune:

"In dreams begin responsibilities," observes the hero of Kafka on the Shore, Frank Galati's inestimably cerebral, endlessly complicated, occasionally incomprehensible and quite beguiling new show at the Steppenwolf.

What a terrifying thought! In our world of personal overextension and professional crisis, falling asleep for a few hours is the only chance we get to actually evade responsibility. Now Steppenwolf is telling us that we're on the hook for our dreams? Oy.

But if you know your Freud, Oedipus and Hamlet, you'll know the centrality of the unconscious. Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami (on whose novel the play is based) argues that our dreams must be the moral template for our actions.

If you think hard about it—this show requires you to think hard about everything—that's a timely and potent political observation. Throughout history, plenty of people have claimed to have been innocently asleep while, say, one of their leaders bombed innocent people or looted the treasury. Murakami argues that dreaming ain't no defense.

Kafka on the Shore, which contains multiple, elliptical narratives and includes wild, supernatural characters like Colonel Sanders, Johnnie Walker and a talking cat, is about far more than the division of conscious and subconscious. Little is achieved by arbitrary summation of plot, because the piece has many and they don't all follow through."

Portland

A work trip, but Ms S came along and we had a great time. Saw the Turner clan, on Mr. J's advice ate fabulously well, saw Reggie Miller at our hotel.

Election Night

I will admit, we didn't go to Grant Park. I checked in on a bit of my Dean's elections class, then came home and we fired up the TV and multiple political web sites. A great night.

Ms. L in town

Ms. S's sister was in town. We saw the Halloween parade, took in "Six Years" at the New Leaf Theatre in Lincoln Park, and went to the green building show at the Museum of Science and Industry.




















And posed in the park...

Amadeus and Tricia

Double bill day.

Amadeus at Chicago Shakes and Tricia Brown at the Dance Center.

Dinner with Mr. N

I had dinner with an old college friend, Mr. New, who is hanging out (and hanging in there) in the hedge fund world.

Opera Dinner with the Kiwis

We had a fun dinner with friends on the occasion of family and friends of Ms. MNM visiting from Australia. Apparently, I look like an Aussie TV personality.

Dinner with Tricia Brown

We had a lovely dinner with the choreographer Tricia Brown who was in town for her company's performance at the Dance Center















"On the program at The Dance Center is PRESENT TENSE (2003), featuring breathtaking lifts and raucous partnering that is distinctly Trisha Brown. Foray Forêt (1990) is a collaboration with Robert Rauschenberg in which dancers leap into the air, nearly colliding with one another in a breathtaking sequence dubbed “turnstile,” featuring live accompaniment by a local marching band playing outside the theatre walls. Also on the program is If you couldn’t see me (1994), a haunting and seductive solo, and Accumulation (1971), a study of gestural repetition."

Edward II at Chicago Shakespeare

From Time Out Chicago's review:

"Marlowe’s the only playwright listed in the program. But even casual observers of Chicago theater know that when the director is Graney, an “adapted by” credit is implied. Graney’s textual tweaks have been a Hypocrites hallmark for years, though some of his trials have lacked clarity of purpose. But his bold cutting of Marlowe’s tale of Edward’s tumultuous reign and eventual downfall shows us that the director’s messing around has been building to something. The muscular result is a stunning achievement.

Graney stages the action in the “promenade” style he’s experimented with in such Hypocrites productions as Mud and Miss Julie. Yet Todd Rosenthal’s smartly gritty set allows a geographical fluidity that ensures the audience is part of the action rather than simply wandering observers, making Edward II feel deliciously dangerous."

Work Trip to DC

Not my usual territory, but did a quick trip to DC for work.

Nobel Prize Day: Krugman

Got up early, just in case, but this year's Nobel Prize in Economics went to the New York Times's Paul Krugman.

Hyde Park Day

We spend the day in Hyde Park. First for Chicago Humanities Festival lectures by Gary Becker and Ian Foster and then wen to Caroline or Change at the Court.

Visiting Committee

The Visiting Committee to the Social Sciences Division were in town for their annual fall meeting. Needless to say, many of the economists canceled.

House Opening: Dave DaVinci

Went to the "opening night" of Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe at the House in the new Chopin Theatre digs.

Book Club: Everything is Illuminated

Ms. B-H hosted the book club: Everything is Illuminated.

Cubs, 3 and out

Dodgers sweep the Cubs and I spend a good deal of time removing all the post-season date holds from my calendar...

The End of Summer

The end of regular season baseball is my new "end of summer."

David Dorfman Dance

"On the program at The Dance Center are two socially and politically charged evening-length works. Disavowal, a world premiere inspired by abolitionist and (in)famous “race traitor” John Brown, is a critical examination of white supremacy, racism and alienation. underground is a compelling and provocative exploration of the principles of political activism that asks: When does activism become terrorism? Are killing and destruction ever justified? underground incorporates a community cast of 15–20 local dancers."

Chicago Sinfonietta

Another set of tickets thanks to our next-door neighbor Mr. J. In this case, it was fun because you could actually see him on cymbal, tympani, etc. Program was a very short piece by Shostakovich, a fun Astor Piazzolla piece with guest artist Raul Jaurena on the bandoneon, and then finishing with Carmina Burana, which almost erased the memory (many moons ago) of the disastrous Pilobolus dance to the same music.

Cubs v. Brewers solo

I went by myself to a last game.

"Ryan Dempster picked up his 16th victory -- a career high -- limiting the Brewers to two runs over six frames against second-place Milwaukee. Kerry Wood got the save by fanning Prince Fielder with the winning run at first, lowering the Cubs' magic number to four."

Ms. A in town

Our niece, Ms. A, was in town for "her weekend." The Shedd, Orange, a trip to Chinatown, and Petterino's and Wicked were some of the highlights.

Lehman Takes a Tumble

From NY Times Topics: "On Sept. 10, the investment bank said that it would spin off a majority of its remaining commercial real estate holdings into a new public company. And it confirmed plans to sell a majority of its investment management division in a move expected to generate $3 billion. It also announced an expected loss of $3.9 billion, or $5.92 a share, in the third quarter after $5.6 billion in write-downs.

By the weekend of Sept. 13-14, it was clear that it was do or die for Lehman. The Treasury had made clear that no bailout would be forthcoming. Federal officials encouraged other institutions to buy Lehman, but by the end of the weekend the two main suitors, Barclays and Bank of America, had both said no.

Lehman filed for bankruptcy Sept. 15. One day later, Barclays said it would buy Lehman's United States capital markets division for $1.75 billion, a bargain price. Nomura Holdings of Japan agreed to buy many of Lehman's assets in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Lehman also said it would sell much of its money management business, including its prized Neuberger Berman asset management unit, to Bain Capital and Hellman & Friedman for $2.15 billion.

Lehman’s demise set off tremors throughout the financial system. The uncertainty surrounding its transactions with banks and hedge funds exacerbated a crisis of confidence. That contributed to credit markets freezing, forcing governments around the globe to take steps to try to calm panicked markets."

DNC in Denver

August was the month for "the whole world is watching." Olympics, and then the Democratic National Convention.

Thanks, Hillary, for interrupting the official roll call to move for acclamation.

Cubs v. Reds

Rich Harden continued to impress, dominating an overmatched Reds team with seven strong innings. And if pitching a gem wasn't enough, Harden used his bat to drive in the first run with a sacrifice bunt in the fifth, Harden's first career RBI."

And there was a full moon.

Book Club Movie Night

We hosted, but it was Ms. B-H's choice to watch Hitchcock's 39 Steps.

Superior Donuts at Steppenwolf

Superior Donuts is the new play Tracy Letts which follows August: Osage County which won the Pulitzer. No barn burner, but great engaging performances, and a sweet script. Jon Hill is becoming one of our favorites of the Steppenwolf ensemble.

Olympic opening ceremony

The whole world was watching, and so were we. Wow!

Cubs 11, Astros 7 bleachers

On a day that saw 18 runs and 26 hits, Alfonso Soriano's three-run homer in the seventh broke a 7-7 tie and proved to be decisive. Fresh off the DL, Kerry Wood tossed a scoreless eighth while Bob Howry got his fourth victory.

Goodbye to Mr. S and the stormy night

While a group of workmates were saying a last goodbye to Mr. S, my boss, who is off to DC, there was a truly a historic thunderstorm, with 90,000 thunderbolts hitting northern Illinois (according to the Lightning Detection Network). Spooky, apocalyptic goodbye.

Fajitas with J and J

It was the last goodbye for Mr. and Mrs. B, who are off for their new life in North Carolina.

Ms. S's birthday

Ahhhh...Mirai Sushi. What could be better? And perhaps Angel for the DVD? (And Rollapalooza for lunch, just for good measure.)

Work Retreat in Michigan

We haven't gotten up to Michigan (much/at all), but Mr. P had a work retreat at the Marina Grand Resort in New Buffalo.

20th Wedding Anniversary Festivities

We celebrated our trio of wedding and wedding related anniversaries with Legal Day at Half Shell, Sin Day at Grant Park and the Cityscape Bar and 7/17 with Dinner at Agami Sushi. And we splurged for a very nice tea and sugar service set combining china and platinum.

Coast to Coast

Spent a couple of days at Northwestern for the annual gathering of "we're big powerhouses but we are not the Ivies and Stanford" development folks.

All Star Game

Goodbye to Yankee Stadium. Suuuuuurreeee I stayed up for all 15 innings.

Brunch with Mr. and Mrs. B

Our friends are moving to North Carolina, and they had a Thai barbecue at their place with their cute new baby. The wind was wicked, and we met the sales crowd from Saks--who knew Mr. B had been moonlighting.

Dinner at Mr. R and Mr. C

A lovely dinner with Ms. S's workmates at their home. They are the ultimate home fixer-uppers, and their outdoors space is spectacular.

Goodbye for Mr. S with the Dean

We had a lovely dinner at the Dean's house to say goodbye to Mr. S, who is moving to DC. (And I'm cheating on the photo...this is from Mr. S's facebook, but I like it.)

Dead Man's Cell Phone at Steppenwolf

A little piece of fluff from Steppenwolf, but perfectly fine for something in July.

Bonnie Raitt at Taste of Chicago

Here's a short video.

Fireworks from the T family household perspective

We went to Ms. S's workmate house for our best view of the 4th of July fireworks ever.

Barcelona

We wrapped up our Europe trip with three nights in Barcelona.

Bilbao

After Paris, we spent 24 terrific hours in Bilbao. Full photo link is part of the set in Paris entry.

Paris avec Les W family

We had a lovely time with the W family in Paris. Full photo set is here. Password is our street name.

Summer Visiting Committee Meeting

OK, so for me, the highlight of the this meeting was the 15 minutes beforehand, when the chair of the committee came in to sign a gift agreement for a professorship. My first "start to finish" professorship.

Cool, and for a cool purpose: The Rebecca Anne Boylan Professorship in Education and Society. Great people, great gift.

Comedy of Errors at Chicago Shakespeare

Thought this was a great, fun production. Really fun to see Kevin Gudahl in comic, over the top, different kind of role.

From CST's blurb: "Director Barbara Gaines transports Shakespeare to the golden age of film as an eccentric group of stage and screen actors gather on the fictional English movie set of Shepperton Studios in the midst of the London blitz to film The Comedy of Errors.

It worked for me.