UPDATE Friday, March 13: this event has been canceled. Refunds available at point of purchase.
It’s not just the establishment figures, represented here by glad-handing Charlie Swibel, head of the Chicago Housing Authority, and crooked First Ward alderman Fred Roti (both played with brio by Thomas J. Cox) who get in Byrne’s way. They want things to continue pretty much as they always have. (At one point Cox’s Swibel laments, “I could make this city beautiful if people got out of my way!”) It’s also the residents of Cabrini, who have tons of reasons to distrust the woman who is just the latest politico to seek their votes on thin vows of “this time things will be different.” Marion Stamps (TaRon Patton), a tenants’ rights activist mentored by both Medgar Evers and Black Panther Fred Hampton and deeply scarred by their assassinations, tosses verbal firecrackers at the mayor at a community meeting, reminding her of all the promises unkept and the role that police violence has played in her community—making the increased police presence that accompanies Byrne to Cabrini less than welcome.
Through 4/12: Wed-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 2 and 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Thu 3/12 and 3/26, 2 PM; Sun 3/22 and 4/5, 7:30 PM, Lookingglass Theatre, 821 N. Michigan, 312-337-0665, lookingglasstheatre.org, $35-$85.
