The Huffington Post, July 6, 2010 — Did the word puppeteer originate in Chicago? The evidence suggests that it did, although it’s never easy to close the book on any etymological investigation. Read my blog post at the Huffington Post.
Author: Robert Loerzel
Privatize Public Transit? Chicago’s tried it before. Here’s how that went.
Chicago Reader, June 10, 2010 — In December 1898, some Chicagoans began wearing twine—twisted into the shape of a hangman’s noose—in their buttonholes. It was their way of sending a message to the City Council about an upcoming vote. “I will not be surprised to see some hanging done in the streets of Chicago,” said Mayor… Continue reading Privatize Public Transit? Chicago’s tried it before. Here’s how that went.
Record review: Clogs, ‘The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton’
This review by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Signal to Noise magazine’s summer 2010 issue. Clogs The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton The human voice made only cameo appearances on the four previous records by composer Padma Newsome and his Clogs ensemble, but it’s at the center of their latest song cycle. Despite… Continue reading Record review: Clogs, ‘The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton’
Record review: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & the Cairo Gang, ‘The Wonder Show of the World’
This review by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Signal to Noise magazine’s summer 2010 issue. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & the Cairo Gang The Wonder Show of the World Singer-songwriter Will Oldham is credited to Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & the Cairo Gang. Of course, Oldham settled on the Bonnie Billy moniker some years back, and while… Continue reading Record review: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & the Cairo Gang, ‘The Wonder Show of the World’
David Cromer Q&A on ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on April 29, 2010. In the last few years, David Cromer has been one of Chicago’s most critically acclaimed directors, working on plays including “Our Town,” “Picnic” and “The Adding Machine.” After a stint in New York, Skokie native Cromer is back at one of his… Continue reading David Cromer Q&A on ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’
Play review: ‘The Brother/Sister Plays’
The Huffington Post, April 17, 2010 — There are at least two levels in just about every great piece of theater. On one level, we should believe the characters we’re seeing onstage are real. On another level, we’re fully aware of the fact that we’re watching a performance… Read my review at the Huffington Post.
Censorship in Chicago theater
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Playbill magazine in March 2010. Chicago used to be the kind of town where actors were afraid of saying words like “hell” or “damn” on the stage. And taking off their clothes during a play? Unthinkable. These days, smoking a cigarette is just about the only thing that… Continue reading Censorship in Chicago theater
Joseph Dunlop, a newspaper publisher imprisoned for obscenity
Chicago magazine, March 2010 — By the summer of 1895, anyone who glanced through the classified ad section of a feisty young newspaper called the Chicago Dispatch would have noticed a curious phenomenon: Dozens of women used the forum to announce their desire to meet gentlemen. Many ladies specified the sort of men they wanted to see:… Continue reading Joseph Dunlop, a newspaper publisher imprisoned for obscenity
On fight choreography
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Playbill magazine in February 2010. Staging a fight scene for a play is a bit like designing a rollercoaster ride: it should look dangerous, but it needs to be safe. Those swords you see onstage don’t have sharp edges, but they can deliver some serious bruises. Many… Continue reading On fight choreography
Steamer Trunk Diaries
This article by Robert Loerzel was originally published in the December 2009 issue of North Shore Magazine. They boarded grand 19th-century steamships in their finery — well-heeled men and women embarking on what promised to be the adventure of a lifetime. What they saw abroad would inspire them and, in a few cases, would ultimately change the… Continue reading Steamer Trunk Diaries