Hot Pink, or Ready to Blow, a satirical take on 80s high school comedies, has showings Mon 3/26 and Thu 3/9. Credit: Austin D. Oie

Video games, dance shows, a parody of high school movies like Heathers—there are plenty of events this week. Here’s some of what we recommend:


Mon 3/26: Lesser-known women like Charlene Mitchell or Kittie Smith (alias “Armless Dynamo”) receive the spotlight at Badass Women of Chicago History at Den Theatre (1331 N. Milwaukee). Comedians, storytellers, and historians share tales of unsung Windy City heroines. A portion of ticket sales go to the Chicago Women’s Health Center. 7-8:15 PM, $10 in advance, $15 at the door

Mon 3/26 and Thu 3/29: Finally! The classic film Heathers receives a Roman retelling. Hot Pink, or Ready to Blow combines the campy fun of 80s high school comedies and the joy of copious amounts of lava. The show, at Den Theatre (1331 N. Milwaukee), is set in the town of New Pompeii, where each year a virgin girl is sacrificed to a volcano to prevent it from erupting. But when this year’s offering proves inadequate (turns out she couldn’t resist her “hunger for sweet, sweet peen”), three friends devise a plan to avoid getting sacrificed. 7:30 PM, $25

Chicago Dance Month kicks off with performances on Tue 3/27.
Chicago Dance Month kicks off with performances on Tue 3/27.Credit: See Chicago Dance

Tue 3/27: Throughout April, Chicago Dance Month hosts 60 to 80 dance events throughout the city, beginning with the Kickoff Celebration in Preston Bradley Hall at Chicago Cultural Center (77 E. Randolph). Enjoy performances by companies like Natya Dance Theatre, Deeply Rooted, Cerque Rivera, and more. 4:30-5:30 PM, free

Wed 3/28: VGA Gallery’s (2418 W. Bloomingdale) Gun Ballet exhibition examines violence in video games through an artistic lens, showing how game designers use different aesthetic styles of violence to tell a story. Wed 5-8 PM, free

The International Museum of Surgical Science offers an after-hours tour of Countiss Residence, Thu 3/29.
The International Museum of Surgical Science offers an after-hours tour of Countiss Residence, Thu 3/29.


Thu 3/29: Join the International Museum of Surgical Science for its Candlelit Historic Mansion Tour of the Countiss Residence (1524 N. Lake Shore) mansion. Equal parts elegant and morbid, the tour shows off the space’s architecture, the lives of its original occupants, and highlights from the IMSS’s permanent collection. A complimentary reception follows. 5:30-8 PM, $25

For more things to do this week—and every day—visit our Agenda page.