April showers have brought an awesome May lineup. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but this lineup will rock your face off. Come what may, just come to The Book Cellar on MONDAY – May 20th – 7pm and see this lineup. You MAY as well. (Ok, I’m done now.) David Boyle is the … Continue reading »
Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar – what did they have in common? All were expert strategists and conquerors… of social media. Having recently invaded Essay Fiesta and claimed its fertile soil and peasant class of storytellers as our own, we (Karen Shimmin and Willy Nast) have decided to give this here blog … Continue reading »
Essay Fiesta is about to celebrate its 3rd year. And it will be a bittersweet birthday as we say farewell to our hosts and producers Keith Ecker and Alyson Lyon. The show’s creators are heading off into the sunset, but the show will remain. That’s right, Keith and Alyson are handing the reigns to two … Continue reading »
Sorry we’ve been a little MIA on our BLOG. But things have been crazy busy in Essay Fiesta land. We hope you’ll join us for our Oct. 15th show, which sports a really amazing line-up of performers. Don’t believe us? Check it out: Our next show is less than a week away! We can’t wait … Continue reading »
If you missed Essay Fiesta’s celebration of Chicago’s 175th birthday last week, you truly missed out. The performers brought their A games. We had tales of sweaty summers, Blago trials, stabbings and more! Did we mention this whole shindig is free? Aaaaand it supports 826CHI! Keith and Alyson are pleased as pickles to announce July’s … Continue reading »
Hello Essay Fiesta fans! We’ll be publishing our July newsletter shortly. If you would like to have a copy plopped directly into your inbox, click here!
Hello Essay Fiesta fans! Our next show is less than a week away. And as usual, we’re spotlighting our readers to give you a bit of context. We are very pleased to welcome for the first time to the Essay Fiesta stage the extraordinarily talented Jason Economus. Jason is an extraordinarily talented actor, director and writer. His … Continue reading »
If you missed May’s Essay Fiesta, you can check out the video highlights set to music by Jason Pettus of the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography. Thanks for putting that together! It’s super-cool! Also, mark your calendars: Alyson and Keith (along with the Chicago Story Collective) at Printer’s Row “Lit After Dark” on June … Continue reading »
One thing that producing Essay Fiesta has taught me is that, when it comes to public readings, the manner in which you read is just as important as your words. Or, as the old adage goes, “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.” A passionate speaker can make even the most ordinary … Continue reading »
Keith’s back from Costa Rica! Take a gander at this! (Yes, that’s a real active volcano.) Although not a volcano, other exciting things are on the horizon in Essay Fiesta land. This Friday is the Chicago Story Collective’s second show ever! High School Horror Stories will feature Keith Ecker, Alyson Lyon, Dana Norris, Jen Bosworth, … Continue reading »
