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Columns & Opinion, Staff notes Oct 1, 2020
With a little pluck

There have been some fledgling flashes of how to survive our national nightmare.
- By Kerry Reid
- Tags: Staff notes, Fall Arts Preview, Chicago Reader, COVID-19, hope, working from home, Del Marie, Jack Helbig, We See You White American Theater, We See You W.A.T., BIPOC Demands for White American Theater, Sheri Flanders, theater, Emma Oxnevad, art school, Ariel Parrella-Aureli, comedy, stad-up comics, Irene Hsiao, CounterBalance, Deanna Isaacs, Silk Road Rising, Chicago Reader's 50th anniversary

Arts & Culture, Feature Jun 24, 2020
COVID can't stop the Pride celebration

This year, queer performers dismantle digital boundaries while creating their own spaces.
- By Catey Sullivan
- Tags: Feature, Pride, Queer Performance, Marsha P. Johnson, The Vixen, About Face Theatre, Aimy Tien, UrbanTheater Company, Gwen La Roka, Shakespeare All-Stars, Christine Chang, Kory Wall, Jack Helbig, Cutlass Artiss, Dance For Life, Mark Ferguson Gomez, Hanna Brictson, Randy Duncan, Fr, Pride 2020

Blogs, Bleader Feb 7, 2018
For years the whereabouts of Allen Ross were a mystery—and then the mystery was solved

Jack Helbig told the whole strange story of the filmmaker's disappearance in two installments.
- By Aimee Levitt
- Tags: Archive Dive, Arts, Film, Crime, Allen Ross, Jack Helbig, Chicago Filmmakers, Grandfather Trilogy, unsolved mysteries, Samaritan Foundation

Blogs, Bleader Apr 7, 2017
Tracy Letts’s rebellion against the Jeff Awards is suspiciously woke

What motivated the Steppenwolf playwright to give the Jeffs the cold shoulder?
- By Christopher Piatt
- Tags: Arts, Performing Arts, Theater, Tracy Letts, Steppenwolf, Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee, Jeff Awards, theater, August: Osage County, Superior Donuts, Bug, Jack Helbig, Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, Bruce Norris, Airline Highway, The Christians

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Jun 18, 2014
Recommended
A pilot brings the war home in American Blues Theater's Grounded

George Brant scores a direct hit with his one-woman play.
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Theater Review, George Brant, Grounded, Taliban, Gwendolyn Whiteside, Iraq War, Wyoming, Mojave Desert, Las Vegas, Jack Helbig, theater, Smith Prize from the National New Play Network, The Right Stuff, Lisa Portes, Recommended

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Sidebar Mar 5, 2014
Recommended
With Late Night at Garage Rep, Steppenwolf returns to its roots

A new weekly series promises an eclectic lineup of up-and-coming Chicago artists.
- By Taylor Tolbert
- Tags: Performing Arts Sidebar, Steppenwolf Theatre, Late Night at Garage Rep, James Franco, Salonathon, Say My Name, DJ Swaguerrilla, Jane Beachy, Duo: 1 Is 1; 2 Is Math, Suzanne Petri, Roger Anderson, The 'Go Live: A New School Variety Show, Young Chicago Authors, Kevin Coval, Jack Helbig, Wiggerlover (White Boy + Black Dad = Grey Areas), James Anthony Zoccoli, Italy, Poland, Write Club, Ian Belknap, Bring Me the Head of James Franco, That I May Prepare a Savory Goulash in the Narrow and Misshapen Pot of His Skull, Natural Gas, Garage Rep, Follow the Reader, Chicago Dance Crash, Recommended

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Sidebar Jan 15, 2014
The 25th annual Rhinofest isn't getting old

The fringe-theater festival has been around longer than some of its most noteworthy participants.
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Performing Arts Sidebar, Rhinoceros Theater Festival, Theater Oobleck, Neo-Futurists, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, Curious Theatre Branch, Pigeons With Teeth, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, Jack Helbig, Let's Copy Each Other So We Can Be Copy Cats, Jessica Peri Chalmers, Phonies, Frauds, and Fakes, Elevator Tours, Carolyn Hoerdemann, Colm O'Reilly, The Ruckus, Tell It & Speak It & Think It & Breathe It, Neil Young, Neko Case, The Dangling Conversation, Astonrep Theatre Company, Harold Pinter, The Dumb Waiter, Boygirlboygirl, Cremes and Jellies, Loa to Divine Narcissus, Josh Nordmark, Falling, Jenny Magnus

Blogs, Bleader Jan 9, 2014
Reader's Agenda Thu 1/9: Jay Z, Hellcab, and Punk Rock Karaoke

What's on the Reader's Agenda for Thursday, January 9
- By Drew Hunt
- Tags: Do This, Arts, Jay Z, United Center, Magna Carta, Miles Raymer, Jack Helbig, Hellcab, Main Stage, Paul Dillon, Punk Rock Karaoke, Beauty Bar, the Ramones, Misfits, Rancid, the Clash

Blogs, Bleader Aug 28, 2013
Reader's Agenda Wed 8/28: Model trains, American Variety 2, and Natural Gas

What's on the Reader's Agenda for Wednesday, August 28
- By Tosten Burks
- Tags: Do This, Arts, Chicago Botanic Garden, Model Railroad Garden, Drinking & Writing Theater, Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Jack Helbig, Gift Theatre, Natural Gas

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Sidebar May 15, 2013
Last night I dreamt I went to Indie Boots Theatre Festival again . . .

The inaugural fest presents nine short plays with a curious conceit: all have "Rebecca" in the title.
- By Jena Cutie
- Tags: Performing Arts Sidebar, Indie Boots Theatre Festival, Mudgeonsoul, Spenser Davis, Rebecca Says Be Cool, Rebecca-Crazy, Lucca Suvi, Liz Siedt, Rebecca Back to Life, Rebecca's Broken Less Than Sign Number Three, Ron Burch, Rebecca's Roommate, Amanda Petefish-Schrag, Jack Helbig, Snow White, Who Is Also Called Becky, No, Rebecca. . . and the Frog Prince, Michelle Meyers, Rebecca and Larry Get Stuck in Traffic, Rebecca on the Bus, Jennie Webb, Ian Fines, Rebecca's Laugh

Blogs, Bleader Sep 28, 2012
The Reader's Agenda: Fri 9/28

What's on the Agenda for Friday, September 28, 2012
- By Drew Hunt
- Tags: Do This, The Rubloff Paperweight Exhibit, Art Institute of Chicago, Gorilla Tango Theatre, That Was It: The Tragic Tale of Our King Michael Jackson, Jack Helbig, Psychedelic, Moon Duo, Portland, Leor Galil, Empty Bottle, Circles, Redgrave, Verma

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Review Jan 21, 2010
Before August

Tracy Letts's first play was a canny, nasty black comedy.
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Performing Arts Review, Tracy Letts, Killer Joe, August: Osage County, Rick Snyder, Darrell Cox, Howie Johnson, Kevin Bigley, Profiles Theatre, Sotiros Livaditis, Jack Helbig, in-yer-face, The Alley Stage, Alley Stage

Blogs, Bleader Apr 24, 2009
Reader critics in the news, part II

California responds to The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat--the musical by Reader critic Jack Helbig and Urinetown composer Mark Hollmann.
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Performing Arts, Onstage, Arts, Mark Hollmann, Jack Helbig, Urinetown, The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat, Chance Theater

Blogs, Bleader Apr 17, 2009
Reader critics in the news

A musical by Urinetown composer Mark Hollmann and Reader critic Jack Helbig gets its west-coast premiere.
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Performing Arts, Onstage, Arts, Mark Hollmann, Jack Helbig, Urinetown, The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat, Chance Theater, Dyskolos

Blogs, Bleader Jul 16, 2008
More news on the musical-adaptation-of-a-Greek-comedy front

A musical by Mark Hollmann and the Reader's Jack Helbig gets press in Kansas.
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Performing Arts, Onstage, Arts, musical theater, Mark Hollmann, Jack Helbig, The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat

Blogs, Bleader Jul 9, 2008
Jack Helbig summers in Kansas

Reader theater critic Jack Helbig will see the musical he cowrote with Mark Hollmann produced at Kansas University.
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Performing Arts, Onstage, Arts, Mark Hollmann, Jack Helbig, Urinetown

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There have been some fledgling flashes of how to survive our national nightmare.

This year, queer performers dismantle digital boundaries while creating their own spaces.

Jack Helbig told the whole strange story of the filmmaker's disappearance in two installments.

What motivated the Steppenwolf playwright to give the Jeffs the cold shoulder?

George Brant scores a direct hit with his one-woman play.

A new weekly series promises an eclectic lineup of up-and-coming Chicago artists.

The fringe-theater festival has been around longer than some of its most noteworthy participants.

What's on the Reader's Agenda for Thursday, January 9

What's on the Reader's Agenda for Wednesday, August 28

The inaugural fest presents nine short plays with a curious conceit: all have "Rebecca" in the title.

What's on the Agenda for Friday, September 28, 2012

Tracy Letts's first play was a canny, nasty black comedy.

California responds to The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat--the musical by Reader critic Jack Helbig and Urinetown composer Mark Hollmann.

A musical by Urinetown composer Mark Hollmann and Reader critic Jack Helbig gets its west-coast premiere.

A musical by Mark Hollmann and the Reader's Jack Helbig gets press in Kansas.

Reader theater critic Jack Helbig will see the musical he cowrote with Mark Hollmann produced at Kansas University.

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