As everyone knows, March 17th marks Chicago’s annual Festival of Sobriety and Solemnity. On this day, brewers cork their barrels and local taverns close their doors to celebrate the purity of body, spirit, and liver. On March 17th, there is no song, no revelry, no urinating openly on the sidewalk. Instead we calm our troubled … Continue reading
Yo, Essay Fiesta fans! It’s Friday! And that means all we have to do now is get through the weekend until Essay Fiesta time. Our final reader to highlight is an essay powerhouse. It’s Andy Bayiates. Andy is a former member of the Neo-Futurists. He also contributes material to the weekly podcast Insects and Robots. … Continue reading
Oh boy! Do you love this weather? Essay Fiesta sure does. And nothing nicer than a good breeze and a bit of sunshine. Well nothing except a big ole serving of essays. And you know who’s bringing a heaping pile of goodness to our show on Aug. 15? The talented Diana Slickman. We are pleased … Continue reading
Essay Fiesta is just a few days away.Can you feel the excitement in the air? Can you?!? Well, we’re very excited to welcome back the delightful Andy Bayiates, who is getting the “Why So-And-So Is Awesome” treatment today. Andy has entertained audiences across Chicago with his sometimes heartwarming, often quirky and always honest essays. He’s … Continue reading
Essay Fiesta has a lot of wonderful returning returns for our October show, including the always entertaining Dina Walters! Dina is a Chicago native (Southside! Represent!). She’s a Neo-Futurist, which means she oozes talent like a salamander oozes slimy secretions. She’s been a company member since 2003 and performed in the long-running show Too Much … Continue reading
Sorry we didn’t post anything to the blog yesterday. Essay Fiesta was busy doing some behind-the-scenes work, and we ended up being too tired to touch our computers. But now we’re back on the blogging wagon, and we’re here to tell you about another one of our fantastic readers: Noelle Krimm! We first saw Noelle, … Continue reading
The weather report says it’s going to rain. Fortunately Essay Fiesta is indoors. Come on out and grab yourself some hot tea or a cold beer and listen to these amazing storytellers do their thing. 2nd Story literary director Megan Stielstra Neo-Futurist alum and playwright Andy Bayiates The Kates producer and stand-up comic Kelsie Huff … Continue reading
We here at Essay Fiesta could go on and on about how amazing Andy Bayiates is. And we will! Andy’s a former Neo-Futurist and current playwright. You can find him around town doing readings at shows like The Paper Machete and the Encyclopedia Show. Andy has read with us before, and let us tell you, … Continue reading
Hey everyone! Give a warm Essay Fiesta welcome to upcoming reader Dina Connolly! Dina is a Chicago native (Southside! Represent!). She’s a Neo-Futurist, which means she oozes talent like a salamander oozes slimy secretions. She’s been a company member since 2003 and performed in the long-running show Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind! … Continue reading
Alyson will be reading an essay at the live magazine talk show Paper Machete this Saturday. Keith and Alyson checked the show out last week and had a blast making Taylor Swift-themed artwork (see below). Oh, and Keith’s review of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind is now live on the Chicago Theater … Continue reading
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