Tuesday, October 16,2012 | Section 4 + ARAETS+ENTERTAINMENT

FOCUS CHICAGO CULTURAL PLAN Absurdity comes out at night in ‘Graveyard’ Online comedy series begins second season

By Christopher Borrelli Tribune reporter

People do ridiculous things in the middle of the night. Question- able things. Like decide they will shoot the entire season of a Web series — all 14 episodes, with 50 pages of dialogue — before the sun comes up. In fact, when director Ron Lazzeretti thinks about “Grave- yard,” the clever postage stamp of asitcom that he created with Chicago actors David Pasquesi and Christian Stolte — and indeed shot in a single night, from dusk to dawn — a line from “The Sun Also Rises” floats in his brain: “It’s awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing.” Meaning (in this case, anyway), it’s easy to question the logic of making 14 short films in nine hours. But not while you’re doing it. The Season 2premiere of JOSÉ M. OSORIO/TRIBUNE PHOTO “Graveyard” (which goes online Dancer Damian Woetzel, from left, soprano Renee Fleming and cellist Yo -Yo Ma take part in a school assembly Monday. Tuesday at thegraveyard show.com and on YouTube), the remaining 13 new episodes (which will be posted every other week) — everything was shot last summer on a Saturday night in a nondescript Downers Grove office park so undistinguished that it would be hard to identify shades of gray. The production Class action was the only anomaly for blocks, a thicket of filmmaking equipment Cultural plan emphasizes arts in schools, but funding an open question glowing beneath stage lights erected in a lobby that looked out on an empty parking lot. The By Mark Caro is “Reinvigorating arts education and But with a total of $1 million allocat- space was theirs until sunrise. and Heather Gillers creating new opportunities for lifelong ed for both plans in the city’s $6.5 The six-member crew darted Tribune reporters learning.” billion budget proposal for 2013, it’s about, adjusting and dusting and “During the planning process, arts unclear how many of the recommen- prepping. While Stolte rehearsed Flanked by arts superstars Yo-Yo Ma, education consistently emerged as the dations might be put into practice. The his movements, Pasquesi sat Renee Fleming and Damian Woetzel at No. 1 concern of Chicagoans, and with- Cultural Plan offers cost estimates for behind a desk, the script splayed aPilsen elementary school, Mayor out fail it was the most discussed issue each of its recommendations that add open before him, reading his Rahm Emanuel placed the Chicago at every one of our community meet- up to tens of millions of dollars per lines, rereading his lines, then Public Schools at the forefront of the ings,” Cultural Affairs and Special year. staring into the middle distance. long-awaited Chicago Cultural Plan Events Commissioner Michelle Boone The newly released “abstract” for Abuilding supervisor stopped by 2012, unveiled Monday. told students, educators and arts lead- the Arts Education Plan, slated to be to see if everything was OK. As had been discussed in drafts and ers assembled in the atrium of Manuel completed in December, states as its Producer Ed Amaya assured numerous community meetings that Perez Jr. Elementary School. “So for “guiding principle” that “every student him it was, but then, looking began in February, the Cultural Plan, the very first time, the Department of will receive a quality arts education — about, added with a nervous the city’s first since the Harold Wash- Cultural Affairs and Special Events will meaning that every student receives a chuckle: “Maybe the math isn’t in ington administration’s from 1986-87, collaborate with Chicago Public comprehensive and sequential study of our favor on this one.” Later, emphasizes boosting the arts in the Schools to launch a new Arts Educa- every art form, including visual art, Lazzeretti said: “We made the city’s neighborhoods. But the No. 1 tion Plan as the cornerstone of the first season of ‘Graveyard’ this initiative among 10 laid out in the plan Chicago Cultural Plan 2012.” Please turn to Page 4 way, we’re making the second season this way. And maybe we’ll

Please turn to Page 5

‘Iceman Cometh,’ ‘Follies’ big Jeff Award winners By Chris Jones also won six Jeff Awards. Tribune critic Top acting honors in a play went to Larry Yando for his intoxicating perform- Two of the most accomplished produc- ance as Roy Cohn in the Court Theatre tions in the history of Chicago theater — production of “Angels in America” and “Follies” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater Diane D’Aquila for her work in the title role and “The Iceman Cometh” at the Good- of “Elizabeth Rex” at Chicago Shakespeare. man Theatre — shared top honors at the Bruce Arntson of the country spoof “Doyle Joseph Jefferson Awards, presented Mon- &Debbie” (which had a very good night) day night at the Drury Lane Theatre. The got the Jeff for best actor in a musical six Jeffs for “Iceman” (including a best (something of a surprise in a competitive director Jeff for Robert Falls and a best category), while Caroline O’Connor won a supporting actor nod for Brian Dennehy, Jeff for her work in the musical “Follies.” even though this was a role far bigger than The two so-called “midsize” produc- most leads) ended the Goodman’s recent tions to score Jeff Awards for productions drought at the annual awards honoring the were the play “The Pitmen Painters” at best Equity-affiliated Chicago theater. TimeLine Theatre and “Doyle & Debbie,” a And “Iceman” took home, unsurpris- Brian Dennehy, left with Nathan Lane in “The Iceman Cometh,” won the Jeff Award for ingly, the Jeff for best ensemble.“Follies” Please turn to Page 5 actor in a supporting role in a play. ”Iceman” received five additional Jeffs.

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FOCUS CHICAGO CULTURAL PLAN Expanded coverage in the A+E report

JOSÉ M. OSORIO/TRIBUNE PHOTOS Cellist Yo -Yo Ma rehearsed two songs with fifth-graders Monday at Manuel Perez Jr. Elementary School. The cellist weathered a slip on the floor at the close of the program. Arts action in the classroom

Continued from Page 1 music, dance and drama from pre-K through 12th grade.” One key goal is to “make arts a core subject by dedicating 120 minutes of arts instruction per week for elementary schools.” In a news conference preced- ing an assembly for the Perez students, faculty and visitors, Emanuel said the city had “short- changed our kids” before he pushed for an expansion of the school day and year. Renee Fleming flew to Chicago for “We were making choices the cultural plan unveiling in be- between math and music,” he tween performances in New Yo rk. said. “We were making choices, in my sense, between reading and recommendation of the Cultural recess. We were making all sorts Plan is an “adopt-a-school arts of choices that were wrong for education program” for corporate our kids, wrong for our teachers and nonprofit businesses. and wrong for our city. And be- Monday’s visits enabled Perez, cause of the full day … we will which calls itself “a fine and per- have arts education in our schools forming arts school,” to present a to make sure that our children get kind of idealized version of how afull education. In addition to arts and education can be inte- that, this Cultural Plan will make Fourth-grade students at the fine and performing arts school follow along in a ballet steps demonstration by grated. Not only is Ma depicted in sure that our neighborhoods get Aspen Institutearts director/ex-ballet-star Damian Woetzel. a“Dream Band” school-wall the type of economic develop- mural that also shows Elton John, ment that we saw downtown.” Ludwig van Beethoven, Bob For a cultural center such as way forward for us as a communi- Marley and Gene Simmons, but Chicago, Emanuel said, “to not ty.” the renowned cellist got a chance have the basics in our neigh- The plan by the numbers But Laura Weathered, the Near to laugh at his caricatured self borhoods and in our schools is a The city released its 2012 cultural plan Monday suggesting more Northwest Arts Council’s execu- before heading into a music class- big hole, and that hole just got than 200 initiatives and 36 recommendations. In the works since tive director who attended three room and appreciating the les- filled.” October 2011, here is what went into forming the plan. public meetings on the plan, sons lining the walls. In addition to requiring 120 PUBLIC INPUT expressed concern that city pri- “‘Don’t try to create and ana- minutes of arts education per Twitter followers orities might override the opin- lyze at the same time,’ ” Ma read. @ChiCulturalPlan week, the Arts Education Plan 8 Town halls ions of ordinary citizens when it “Good.” recommends allowing drama and comes time to decide what to Fifth-graders gave the 57-year- dance classes to count toward 1,500 fund. old Chicago Symphony Orchestra CPS’ high school graduation “The city, they’re on a fast track creative consultant a school T- requirement. Currently there is 20 People reached in person to whatever they have in mind,” shirt, which he wore as he re- no minimum requirement for the Neighborhood conversations said Weathered, whose advocacy hearsed two songs with these arts in elementary school, and 4,700+ group was founded during the students and then took part in the students typically must take one Downloads of draft plan meeting process for the city’s news conference and assembly. In year of visual art and one year of previous cultural plan. another classroom, soprano music to graduate high school, a 50+ 16,000+ Lyric OperaGeneral Director Fleming and Aspen Institute arts CPS spokeswoman said. Some Additional cultural Anthony Freud, who said he met director/ex-ballet-star Woetzel conversations and meetings district schools lack a certified art People reached online with Boone frequently during the worked with four children pre- teacher on staff; the plan suggests Cultural Plan’s formulation, said paring a poetry reading for the requiring either one such teacher 35,000+ he’s happy to see Chicago boost- assembly. per school or one for every 350 + ing culture in such an official way. The presentation included students. “I think it’s absolutely great Fleming and CSO woodwind and “We’ve not always done a great 10 PRIORITIES OF THE PLAN that the city is embracing the horn players leading the school in People job with respect to arts in the 1 Foster arts education and lifelong learning. importance of culture from so “America the Beautiful;” Woetzel schools,” Chicago Board of Edu- many different perspectives: directing the audience in a ballet cation President David Vitale said 2 Attract and retain artists and creative professionals. social, economic, technological routine; and Ma duetting with at the news conference, later and just embracing the fact that it obviously thrilled music teacher Places adding: “We know that arts edu- 3 Elevate and expand neighborhood cultural assets. is unthinkable for culture not to Linda DeGuzman as the kids sang cation strongly correlates to bet- 4 Facilitate neighborhood cultural planning. be a central part of why Chicago’s “It’s a Small World” in English, ter student performance in all agreat place to live and a great Spanish and Mandarin. subjects, and that’s the overall Policies 5 Strengthen capacity of cultural sector. place to visit,” he said. “A generation that grows up goal of the Arts Education Plan. The plan cost $250,000 to without arts actually lacks imagi- We want to create better students 6 Optimize city policies and regulations. formulate, with the vast majority nation,” Ma said afterward. “You through arts education.” coming from private funders, a can feel that in the political dis- The daughter of two music Planning 7 Promote the value and impact of culture. Cultural Affairs spokeswoman course, the lack of civil discourse, teachers, Lyric Operacreative said. A city contract shows that because what the arts do is actu- Strengthen Chicago as a global cultural destination. consultant Fleming flew to Chi- 8 $230,000 of that went to Toronto- ally create conversations and cago between her performances 9 Foster cultural innovation. based consulting firm Lord Cul- create organic growth, and I think of Verdi’s “Otello” at the Met- tural Resources, which coor- without that we will have more of 10 Integrate culture into daily life. ropolitan Operain New York to dinated about 30 public meetings afractious, fractured population, support the push for more arts SOURCE: City of Chicago TRIBUNE and helped assemble the plan. which is not what a better union education. The mayor’s office said half of is all about.” “The bottom line is that focus- the $1 million 2013 budget alloca- Asked why he has spent so ing on core subjects has not proposed 120-minute art require- as Uptown or Bronzeville as an tion will go to public schools and much time working on initiatives worked as a strategy for improv- ment “an excellent start,” but she economic development tool. The half to other goals in the Cultural in Chicago, Ma said, “Because I ing schools and improving per- noted: “Arts studies must be fully prospect of using art to draw Plan. Boone said Monday that think if anything is going to formance, and I believe firmly supported and cannot be left to traffic and business excited Phil- more than one-third of the plan’s change in our country, the best that integrating the arts into even the vagaries of funding sources.” lip Thomas, president and CEO of proposed initiatives will cost place for it to start is in Chicago core education helps children CPS already faces a budget eta Creative Arts Foundation, $50,000 a year or less to imple- because this is a great city with retain and understand and really shortfall it estimates will reach $1 which runs a gallery, theater and ment and can be achieved over strong shoulders and great will- absorb what it is that they’re billion next year. musical performance venue in the next two years. But the major- power and a constituency that learning, besides enriching their The broader Cultural Plan also the Greater Grand Crossing ity are pricier. Plan estimates really wants to make things hap- lives, besides enabling them to calls for re-examining zoning, neighborhood. note, for example, that expanding pen.” develop as individuals,” Fleming permitting and licensing rules “Here on the South Side, Chicago Public Library evening said. that affect people who sell and there’s a dearth of economic hours could cost between [email protected] In an emailed statement Mon- make art, and using city resources opportunities, and we certainly $250,000 and $1 million annually. [email protected] day, Chicago Teachers Union to help foster and promote arts have a lot of cultural assets,” The city is hoping for assist- Twitter @hgillers President Karen Lewis called the offerings in neighborhoods such Thomas said. “So that’s really the ance from private partners; one Twitter @MarkCaro