Warm up this week at one of Chicago’s many events. Here’s some of what we recommend:
Mon 1/15: Langston Hughes’s 1961 poem “Ask Your Mama” is scored by an orchestra, whose sound consists of, “opera, hot jazz, German lieder, cha-cha, patriotic songs, post- bop, Middle Eastern music and Afro-Caribbean drumming.” This performance at Symphony Center (220 S. Michigan) is a tribute to Martin Luther King. 7:30 PM, $10-$62
Mon 1/15: It’s closing night for “Revolutsiia! Demonstratsiia! Soviet Art Put to the Test” at the Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan). The Reader‘s Dmitry Samarov writes, “Each room addresses an aspect of Soviet life, such as home, school, and work. There are re-creations of a period exhibition space, a workers’ clubhouse, and numerous examples of artists’ designs for everyday objects, from chess pieces to dishware to furniture.” 10:30 AM-5:30 PM, $25, $19 students, seniors ($5 discount for Chicago residents)
Tue 1/16: Ian Belknap hosts Write Club, consisting of literary bouts between Sydney Charles vs. Lily Be (Plan vs. Dream); Tom Harrison vs. Claire Stone (Passive vs. Aggressive); and JW Basilo vs. Josh Zagoren (Protest vs. Riot). Tonight’s show is at the Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia). 7 PM, $12-$15
Tue 1/16: The Chicago Moth StorySlam, at Lincoln Hall (2424 N. Lincoln), is open to all. Prepare a five-minute story on tonight’s theme, “visitors and callers,” and enter your name for a chance to speak to the crowd. Experience not required. $8 PM, $10
Wed 1/17: The 1936 classic film The Crime of Monsieur Lange, directed by Jean Renoir, plays at the Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State). The movie takes place at a French publishing house. The Reader‘s Dave Kehr writes, “Jacques Prevert’s screenplay has wit and economy, but the multiplicity of perspectives implied in Renoir’s fluid direction is what lifts the film from propaganda to art.” 6 PM, $11
Thu 1/18: The Awakenings Foundation (4001 N. Ravenswood), which showcases pieces by survivors of sexual assault, commemorates the late Judith Dawn, its first such exhibitor, with a show of her watercolors. Opening reception 5:30 PM, free
Thu 1/18: Alicia Eler reads from her new book The Selfie Generation, which argues that selfies are “more than an image—they’re a mirror into how we live today.” Take your own selfie at Women & Children First (5233 N. Clark). 7:30 PM, free
For more things to do this week—and every day—visit our Agenda page.