Director JW Basilo and Poets Lauren Deaton, Osiris Khepera and Dru Smith of Chicago Slam Works explain their newest production, “This Great Nation, Much Enduring,” which follows a “back of the pack” democratic presidential candidate in verse. Osiris and Dru present to you a preview of the show, “UnAmerican.”

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Associate Conductor Nicholas Hersh explains why he is merging indy rock bands with the Orchestra to create PULSE. He then shares the mission of the after-school program, Orchids, and why he picked up the cello.

Rick Kogan visits with Jackie Russell, co-founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago Children’s Theatre, along with Frank Maugeri, Community Projects director and actor Gavin Lawrence, who stars in the theatre’s latest production “Jabari Dreams of Freedom”.   They talk about the play, which deals with a young boy, Jabari, and his father who strives to maintain hope for his son in the face of street violence and racial tension.  Lawrence portrays both Jabari’s father and President Barack Obama, who serves […]

Drinking and Writing Theatre founder Steve Mosqueda and “newcomer” Grace Murphy join Rick Kogan to talk about their newest event, Sensuously Transmitted Drama: Love Poured Neat, which explores the idea of “love” through monologues, music, movement and writings from literary figures.  They also talk about the theatre’s ongoing exploration of the relationship between alcohol and creativity, and the sometimes problematic romanticism of the ‘tortured writer’ type.  

Lawyer/novelist Ronald Balson joins Rick Kogan on After Hours to talk about finding a later-in-life career as an author, the trip to Poland that sparked his creative desire to write historical novels, navigating the publishing industry, the emotional toll of writing about heavy subject matter, and his works Once We Were Brothers, Saving Sophie, and the upcoming Karolina’s Twins.    

Rick Kogan visits with author Fern Schumer Chapman, who talks about her three books that detail her mother’s journey (and her own) back to the German town she grew up in during WWII. Motherland features Chapman’s reluctant trip with her mother, a holocaust survivor, back to the German village of her youth; Is It Night or Day? provides a fictionalized account of the young Edith Westerfeld’s migration to America following an escape from the Nazis and Like Finding My Twin […]

Rick Kogan visits with WGN overnight legends Steve King and Johnnie Putman for a conversation on their book A Little More Les, which takes a look back on their long friendship with guitar innovator Les Paul. They talk about Paul’s legacy as the man who defined the sound of rock guitar, turning the next generation of guitarists on to his work and importance to sound recording, and the significance of incorporating music into their long-running radio show.  

Author Marcus Sakey stops by After Hours for a talk on his latest book Written in Fire, the last installment in his Brilliance series.  He discusses the challenge of telling (and closing out) a story over three parts, his long career and standalone works, transitioning from advertising to creative writing and Chicago as a creative backdrop for his work.  

Rick Kogan visits with Tom Crane, author of Pat’s Tavern, a collection of essays, poems and stories based on his memories of growing up in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood in the 1930’s and ’40’s.  Crane talks about finding the inspiration to start writing these stories and studying composition under legendary director Sheldon Patinkin; he also recounts stories featuring Sam Giancana, Robert Conrad and more.  

Rick Kogan visits with Peter Garino, Charles Stransky, Kendall Zwillman and Ashley Wickett of the Shakespeare Project of Chicago; they discuss the project’s latest production of “Cymbeline” starting February 26 at the Niles Public Library and their collective passion that drives them to keep Shakespeare’s work relevant; they also set the mood for Valentine’s night with readings of a few of the playwright’s romantic sonnets.