More than 3,000 women from across the country met in Chicago to create the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) back on March 23-24, 1974. Today, the organization has a network of 36 chapters with members from 70 international and national unions. Learning more about this 50th anniversary at www.cluw.org is just one of the ways to salute Women’s History Month.
Here are a few more…
The Chicago History Museum is honoring women on March 30 with family-friendly activities from designing mini megaphones to playing the “Who Am I?” in history game. The museum also offers links to online exhibitions such as Democracy Limited: Chicago Women & the Vote.
Thanks to the pen of “The Handmaid’s Tale” author Margaret Atwood and the direction of Susan V. Booth, Chicago audiences can see The Penelopiad at Goodman Theatre (through March 31). The feminist makeover of Homer’s The Odyssey retells the ancient poem from the viewpoint of Odysseus’s wife Penelope (Jennifer Morrison), who waits 20 years for her husband to return from the Trojan War.
“When you think about stories of journeys, there is always someone left at home — and their story tends not to be told,” says Booth, who is Goodman’s first female artistic director. “I devoured Margaret Atwood’s funny, subversive novella on a plane ride, immediately struck by the paradigm shift of a story I thought I knew well.”
In addition to Morrison, the all-female cast features Aja Alcazar, Demetra Dee, Maya Lou Hlava, Noelle Kayser, Elizabeth Laidlaw, Helen Joo Lee, Tyler Meredith, Ericka Ratcliff, Andrea San Miguel, Laura Savage, Allison Sill, and Hannah Whitley.
“As a kid who grew up in Chicago, I was in awe of the productions at Goodman Theatre. It’s truly a childhood dream come true to return to my home town and perform here,” notes Morrison, whose credits include roles on film (Bombshell, The Report, Warrior) and television (Once Upon a Time, House, How I Met Your Mother).
Choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter and costumes by Kara Harmon also grace Goodman’s Albert Theatre stage. For tickets to The Penelopiad, visit GoodmanTheatre.org.
Choreographer Jessica Lang brings a modern touch to the dance sequences in Giuseppe Verdi’s classic opera Aida (through April 7) at Lyric Opera of Chicago, while Michelle Bradley steps into the shoes of Czech spinto soprano Teresa Stolz who first portrayed the fictional Ethiopian princess in 1872. Music Director and Verdian expert Enrique Mazzola conducts Francesca Zambello’s production which is sung in Italian with projected English titles. Click here for details.
In a tribute to women, the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago presents performances (March 22-23) by renowned flamenco dancer and Premio Desplante winner Irene “La Chiqui de Málaga” Lozano via its Flamenco Festival. Since Women’s History Month overlaps with World Theatre Day (March 27), the Instituto is also hosting Creating Women/Mujeres Creando with Water People Theater. The theatrical series (March 27-April 25) for human rights showcases six new works by female playwrights from Latin America and Spain. Each presentation will be in Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is free, however reservations are required at waterpeople.org/mujeres-creando.
WNDR Museum is celebrating Women’s History Month with a special After Dark event (March 21) that features a lineup of all femme-led brands and artists. Beverages from Catena Wines and BroVo Spirits, small bites from Funeral Potatoes, and a temporary tattoo station add to the fun as guests peruse the museum’s 20+ interactive installations. Visit wndrmuseum.com for tickets.