WINTER’S DANCE Nutcracker’s VOL 32, NO. 12 DEC. 7, 2016 design team www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com creates Wheeldon’s dream BY LAUREN WARNECKE The 1893 Columbian Exposition brought the best of the best to Chicago, to share the spirit of innovation and imagination with the world, all on an impossible time- line with an impossible budget. The buzz of anticipation and the expectations of what could or might happen were felt throughout the city and the county. This is perhaps something the Joffrey Ballet can relate to right now. With tech- nical rehearsals and previews of Christo- pher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker wrapping up in Iowa City, the company is headed home to prepare for one of the most highly-an- ticipated premieres in Chicago dance his- tory. Wheeldon’s dream team of collabora- tors are the best and brightest from their disciplines, with Tony-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch, Obie and Drama Desk award-winning puppeteer and MacArthur “Genius” Basil Twist, five-time Costume renderings from Christopher Wheeldon’s Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha world premiere of The Nutcracker. Katz and Tony-winning projection designer Courtesy of The Joffrey Ballet BIG TIME Ben Pearcy of 59 Productions. Turn to page 26 Michelle Fire reflects on Big Chicks turning 30. Photo by Kirk Williamson 16 NANCY REIFF CLINIC OPENS WORLD OF CHOCOLATE Former Daley staffer dies. Howard Brown Health inaugurates Rogers Park clinic. Annual event attracts Nancy Reiff (left) with Mayor Daley at a heated 1989 meeting Photo by Hal Baim hundreds to Revel. at Ann Sather on Belmont. Photo by Lisa Howe-Ebright 6 4 Photo by Kat Fitzgerald 13 @windycitytimes1 /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com 2 Dec. 7, 2016 WINDY CITY TIMES WINDY CITY TIMES Dec. 7, 2016 3 NEWS Howard Brown Health clinic opens 4 OBIT: Jimmy Bissonnette 5 PASSAGES: Nancy Reiff, Bliss Frings 6 Art AIDS events 8 Paseo Boricua marks World AIDS Day 9 INDEX Gift World of Chocolate 13 Interesting Castillo-Pennycuff housing project discussed 14 DOWNLOAD Big Chicks turns 30 16 Views: Rudolph; letters 18 THIS ISSUE AND BROWSE THE ARCHIVES at ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS WindyCityTimes Scottish Play Scott 19 www. .com Theater reviews 23-24 Wheeldon’s Nutcracker 26 WINTER’S Writer Ellen Hart receives award 27 DANCE Tig Notaro; Laura Jane Grace book-signing 28 Give the gift worth keeping— Nutcracker’s Field Museum engagement 30 design team VOL 32, NO. 12 DEC. 7, 2016 Film tackles disability cliches 30 Steppenwolf in a whole new www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com creates Wheeldon’s In the Life 31 dream Holiday gift guide, part two 32-35 way with an all-access card BY LAUREN WARNECKE The 1893 Columbian Exposition brought the best of the best to Chicago, to share the spirit of innovation and imagination with the world, all on an impossible time- line with an impossible budget. The buzz NIGHTSPOTS 36 of anticipation and the expectations of what could or might happen were felt throughout the city and the county. to world-class performances. This is perhaps something the Joffrey Ballet can relate to right now. With tech- nical rehearsals and previews of Christo- pher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker wrapping up in Iowa City, the company is headed home to prepare for one of the most highly-an- ticipated premieres in Chicago dance his- tory. Wheeldon’s dream team of collabora- tors are the best and brightest from their disciplines, with Tony-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch, Obie and Drama Desk award-winning puppeteer and MacArthur “Genius” Basil Twist, five-time OUTLINES Costume renderings from Christopher Wheeldon’s Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha world premiere of The Nutcracker. Katz and Tony-winning projection designer Courtesy of The Joffrey Ballet BIG TIME Ben Pearcy of 59 Productions. Classifieds 38 Turn to page 26 Michelle Fire reflects on Big Chicks turning 30. Photo by Kirk Williamson 16 Calendar Q 38 The Black Card is six flexible NANCY REIFF CLINIC OPENS WORLD OF CHOCOLATE Former Daley staffer dies. Howard Brown Health inaugurates Rogers Park clinic. Annual event attracts Nancy Reiff (left) with Mayor Daley at a heated 1989 meeting Photo by Hal Baim hundreds to Revel. at Ann Sather on Belmont. Photo by Lisa Howe-Ebright 6 4 13 Photo by Kat Fitzgerald tickets to use ANY way you @windycitytimes1 /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com online exclusives at want-bring a date, a friend www.WindyCityTimes.com or two, or the entire group— the recipient can create their LIKE A ROCCO own experience. K. Rocco Shields (left) talks about her new film Love Is All You Need? PR photo ALWAYS AMANDA PLUS! If you purchase a Black Card during the holiday season we will include a $25 RESTAURANT GIFT CARD! WCT talks with the ever-candid singer Amanda Palmer. Photo by Shervin Lainez SEASON’S READINGS ON THE MARK Mark It Proud cards are tailor-made for the LGBTQ community. ‘KETTle’ pROD Jason LeClerc talks about his new novel, Black Kettle. THAT’S SHOW BIZ Find out the latest about Bette Midler, Troy Aikman and Jodie Foster. steppenwolf.org plus Looking for the right book to get someone? WCT just may have the 312-335-1650 DAILY BREAKING NEWS answer. 4 Dec. 7, 2016 WINDY CITY TIMES Fidel Castro. Instagram photo Open To Thinking BY NICK PatrICCA Religion and violence against women In the early 1960s, when I was in pas- who are perceived to bring shame on the toral training in Oil City and in Elwood family), Sati (the duty of the widow to Politicians alongside Howard Brown Health staff and board members at Monday’s Rogers Park City, Pennsylvania, I met a woman who throw herself on the funeral pyre of her ribbon cutting. changed my world. husband), Patriarchy (unconstrained male Photo by Hal Baim My task was to conduct in-depth inter- domination of women and children), for views with families in the area to deter- examples, are cultural values made sacred mine their religious affiliations and their by religious authority. spiritual needs. After some preliminary Violence against women, often sanc- Howard Brown Health officially chit-chat, she asked me if it was true that tioned by religion, is a worldwide pan- Catholic doctrine taught that a wife had demic, systematic rather than episodic, opens Rogers Park clinic to submit to the sexual demands of her structural rather than incidental. The husband under any and all circumstances statistics are overwhelming and hard to BY Matt SIMONETTE whether she wanted to have sex or not. I absorb: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ was stunned. I had never in all my years Violence_against_women . Howard Brown Health hosted the grand open- Two hundred million women have under- ing of Howard Brown Health Clark, its Far North gone female geni- Side facility Dec. 5, at 6500 N. Clark St. “His affirmation of my opinion was tal mutilation; 700 The event was host to several local politi- million women were cians, among them U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, small consolation because I realized married as children U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Alds. Carlos and/or forced into Rosa, Harry Osterman, Raymond Lopez and Joe I could not really help this woman. marriages; women Moore. There was no way I could offer and girls constitute The 15,000-square-foot facility, which offi- 70% of human traf- cials say will serve about 6,000 patients a year. Above: The outside of the new HBH clinic in her any real support through the fic victims; at least Remaining in the back portion of the second Rogers Park, a building shared with Gerber/ 35% of women have floor will be Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, Hart Library and Archives. Below: Howard Catholic Church or any other agency endured sexual and which moved there in 2013. Howard Brown Brown Health President and CEO David available to me at that time.” physical abuse. (SEE: Health purchased the building in August, 2016; Ernesto Munar (right) with U.S. Rep. Jan United Nations: End- ing Violence Against total cost of the project, including the building Schakowsky and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin at Women and Girls.) purchase, was about $6 million, according to Monday’s Rogers Park ribbon cutting. of theological training encountered this In Pakistan, honor killings are epidemic Photos by Hal Baim HBH President and CEO David Ernesto Munar. question. Almost without thinking, I re- (BBC 01 April 2016 https://goo.gl/GYZa- The two-story building also now includes a actively said: “That is not sex; it is RAPE.” km ), official data indicates 1,100 such Walgreens pharmacy on the first floor, HBH’s She replied: “My confessor says that I murders in 2015. In Mexico, sexual vio- call center, many offices and clinic rooms, and must have sex with my husband whenever lence is used by civil and military authori- an outdoor parking lot. There are community he wants it.” ties to socially control women (Amnesty rooms that can be used by partner agencies, in- I took this question to my supervisor, an International 28 June 2016 https://goo. cluding a large training room. The clinic hopes old Irish priest, who affirmed my judgment gl/BKI7vW ) to eventually add dental services. on the matter. But, he added: “Unfortu- Violence against women is a political “So much love has been poured into this nately, too many priests believe and teach tool to silence women writers and activ- project and so much good work is going to this justification of sexual abuse.” ists. happen here,” said Munar. “People are going His affirmation of my opinion was small Nov. 25, 2016, International Day for the to remember this site for generations to come.” consolation because I realized I could not Elimination of Violence against Women really help this woman.