Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · 17d

Ooo, I haven't — will check it out!!

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · 17d

Lady Crawley!!

Dogs in restaurants? Chicago ordinance would open door to man’s best friend.

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · 17d

Not sure about the new season of Derry Girls, looks a bit creepy

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · 17d

I like dogs, but this is a terrible idea. It's exclusionary to people with allergies or phobias, plus those who just don't want to share their dining spaces with strangers' animals. Just called my alderwoman to ask her to vote "no."

Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune.com · 18d

Ald. Timmy Knudsen, 43rd, plans to introduce an ordinance Thursday clearing the way for dog owners to bring their pups inside Chicago eateries. Owners of small businesses in pet-dense areas say the opt-in change could be a boon.

Ald. Timmy Knudsen, 43rd, plans to introduce an ordinance Thursday clearing the way for the city’s eateries to allow man’s best friend.

trib.al

From The Office to the Stage: Jenna Fischer on Doing a Play Written By Her Husband

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · 18d

Just saw a kid reading a Cinderella picture book while her mom pushed her in one of those running strollers. That's the kind of running I aspire to (the kid, not the mom).

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · 22d

Escaping into genre fiction, mostly fantasy and murder mysteries

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · 22d

The one where I interview Pam Beesly and her lactation consultant

playbill.com/article/from...

Ashland Avenue , by Lee Kirk, runs at the Goodman Theater in Chicago.

playbill.com

Midway to Home: A Review of The Rockford Anthology - Sixty Inches From Center

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Aug 26

Looking at a map of northern Illinois, you’ll find Rockford halfway between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River; this post-industrial city also represents a midpoint in my coming of age.

My review of THE ROCKFORD ANTHOLOGY, @sixtyinchesfromcenter.org:

sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/midway-to-ho...

A look at Belt Publishing's new book "The Rockford Anthology" through the eyes of a writer reconsidering their relationship to their hometown.

sixtyinchesfromcenter.org

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Aug 19

So sorry to hear this!!

Reposted by Emily McClanathan

Sam Adams @samadams.bsky.social · Aug 19

Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips announces he has taken a buyout and the Trib is eliminating his post. Unless I am missing someone I believe this leaves the nation's third-largest city without a single full-time film writing gig.

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Aug 13

Only wish I had a longer word count to include more of your insights!

Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. paints a portrait of Native Chicago - Chicago Reader

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Aug 13

Such a pleasure to chat with @tvayyyy.bsky.social about his new novel, THE EL! I loved getting to know familiar Chicago neighborhoods as they looked in 1979 through the eyes of Teddy and his friends. (Also, that cover art!) 🔥

My feature for @chicagoreader.com:

chicagoreader.com/books/book-r...

The El, by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., is a semi-autobiographical novel set over the course of one scorching day in Chicago, August 1979.

chicagoreader.com

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Aug 9

In Sandbox Theatre Collective's "Three Sisters," the audience embarks on a journey through the United Church of Rogers Park, an atmospheric stand-in for the provincial Russian household in Chekhov's play. My review for @chicagotribune.com:

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/08/r...

Review: Sandbox Theatre Collective gives Anton Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ the immersive treatment

The audience, limited to 15 people per performance, embark on a journey through the United Church of Rogers Park’s nearly 100-year-old building.

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Aug 7

Thank *you*! Next up: THE EL! (CTA-themed summer reading is the best summer reading)

Explore spooky Chicago history - Chicago Reader

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Aug 7

Very happy that I could review RED LINE: CHICAGO HORROR STORIES. This horror newbie had a great time with it.

Also thrilled to be back in the Reader's pages. Long live the @chicagoreader.com!

From Beyond Press @frombeyondpress.bsky.social · Aug 7

"Red Line’s contributors create a thrilling mosaic of Chicago—past, present, and future—in all its complex, terrifying beauty."

The Chicago Reader loves RED LINE: CHICAGO HORROR STORIES. I can't ask for a better recommendation.

chicagoreader.com/books/book-r...

Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories delves into spooky Chicago history and painful aspects of modern urban life.

chicagoreader.com

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Jul 29

"Billie Jean," a biographical play by Lauren Gunderson playing at @chicagoshakes.bsky.social, highlights many of Billie Jean King’s achievements as a public figure and her private journey toward living as her authentic self and finding love. My feature for @playbill.com:
playbill.com/article/new-...

New Play Billie Jean Celebrates the Prowess of Billie Jean King—On and Off the Court

Lauren Gunderson pens the play which is now running at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

playbill.com

Review: Dystopian ‘Frontieres Sans Frontieres’ by Theatre Y raises provocative questions

Reposted by Emily McClanathan

ctguild.bsky.social @ctguild.bsky.social · Jul 24

Today, @chicagotribune.com laid off five guild staff members in a roughly 10% cut to our newsroom. These layoffs underscore a sad but unsurprising failure of leadership by Alden Global Capital, our hedge fund owner, and local management.

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Jul 24

Phillip Howze’s "Frontieres Sans Frontieres" draws on theatrical traditions of absurdism, burlesque and commedia dell’arte to satirize a slew of Western interlopers, from humanitarian nonprofits to predatory capitalists. My review for @chicagotribune.com:

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/24/r...

Phillip Howze’s experimental, often confounding play, draws on theatrical traditions of absurdism, burlesque and commedia dell’arte to satirize a slew of Western interlopers.

Review: ‘Girls & Boys’ by Griffin Theatre is a devastating solo memory play

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Jul 22

Cynthia Marker gives a hell of a solo performance in "Girls & Boys" at Griffin Theatre, a show that tackles an extremely dark subject while somehow maintaining hope in humanity. Oh, and it's also hilarious.

My ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/22/r...

Cynthia Marker’s solo performance as the unnamed narrator holds the audience in rapt attention for its 100 minutes.

Review: ‘Arthur & Friends Make a Musical’ at the Marriott lets the storybook characters put on a show

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Jul 22

On the heels of funding cuts to public media, a bit of happier news: a beloved PBS character is getting a new life onstage at the Marriott Theatre. My review of "Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!" for @chicagotribune.com:

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/21/r...

The school-age aardvark of Marc Brown’s children’s books and long-running animated series finds his muse in a new musical in Lincolnshire.

Review: New tour of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ lives up to all the expectations

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Jul 19

I've been a PBS member ever since *that* mid-season cliffhanger in Sanditon s3. 🤓 Even if you look at it as just paying for a streaming service, it's one of the best deals out there.

Anna Bell @annabellreads.bsky.social · Jul 18

btw did you know you can subscribe to PBS for only like $5/mo or a $60 one-time for a year donation, and get access to their Passport streaming service? They mail you a little live programming guide and everything, too. The 40-something seasons of NOVA alone are worth it.

joemag @joemag.games · Jul 18

Donate to your local PBS/NPR stations. It's up to us now.

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Jul 11

A lovely new tour of "Beauty and the Beast" just opened at @broadwayinchicago.bsky.social, featuring the voice of the late Angela Lansbury 🥹 and the best version of "Human Again" I've ever seen.

My review for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/11/r...

Is this latest tour up to the task of carrying on a beloved Disney musical? As directed by Matt West, yes, it is.

Review: ‘Twelfth Night’ at Oak Park Festival Theatre is more comedy than love story

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Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Jul 7

Oak Park Festival Theatre's "Twelfth Night" nails some of the comedic moments, especially when the physical comedy ramps up, but the passion is lacking in the tangled romantic mix-ups at the play’s core.

My review for the @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/06/r...

Director Peter G. Andersen’s outdoor summer production leans into the antics and physical comedy at the expense of passion.

Emily McClanathan @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social · Jun 25

Extremely niche writing pet peeve: I find the phrase "Chicagoland area" annoyingly redundant. Just say, "Chicagoland" (overused but concise), "Chicago area," "Greater Chicago," whatever. Am I the only one bothered by this? (Probably, lol)