A Tribute To "Mama Brenda" (Editorial)

Mama Brenda Matthews was a speaker who didn't need a microphone. She had a loud, resonant style of presentation which made her words echo days after you heard them. 
When she passed last Thursday at the age of 53, Mama Brenda's friends and family became her echo and continue to keep her memory alive through tributes.

When I first heard Mama Brenda in 2009, I was captivated. I had never heard a poet deliver words in such a passionate manner. She spoke with a sense of urgency but exuded a familiar charisma with the audience. You didn't feel uncomfortable calling her "Mama" because she treated her listeners as if they were family. 

Mama Brenda didn't believe in watering down the truth. She spoke the truth without boundaries and lifted her voice so loud that you could not ignore her.

I will miss her physical presence but I'm glad that she shared a gift that will always live on.

I send prayers and condolences to her friends, family, fans, and supporters. 



*                          *                               * 
Funeral arrangements have been announced:
Friday, November 28, 2014
Visitation 
4:00 to 7:00 p.m. 
Calahan Funeral Home

7030 S. Halsted St, Chicago, IL
1-773-723-4400

Celebration
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Evangel World Outreach Center
4538 West Fullerton, Chicago, IL
1-773-252-5727

Saturday, November 29, 2014
Wake/Funeral
10:00 a.m. / 11:00 a.m.
Evangel World Outreach Center
4538 West Fullerton, Chicago, IL
1-773-252-5727

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ONE BLOCK Prepares For Official Production

Last Saturday, the Zack's TV original series "ONE BLOCK" entered the pre-production phase by filming a screen test with the cast.

Written, directed, and produced by Zack Raz, "ONE BLOCK" chronicles the misadventures of a popular couple-- Walter and Dottie Lockhart-- who finds themselves mediating neighborly disputes while trying to resolve those of their own. 

Ken Caldwell and Aubie Rain make their acting debuts as the Lockharts; rapper Ace B8gie ("Kamal") and model Aubri Ruiz ("Tina") continue moving forward in the industry. 

The first official episode will be shot during the weekend of December 5-7 but specific releases have not been determined yet. 

Check out a special screen test here.

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LATE PASS: 50 Years Of CIFF

For the 50^th year, the Chicago International Film Festival has brought audiences films from around the world. From full-length features to short subjects, films from across the globe screened as part of the 50^th Anniversary celebration.




To help celebrate this momentous milestone, this year’s line-up included bringing key films from the past to celebrate actors who’ve been featured multiple times at the Festival as well as highlight films that made their debut or won awards in the past throughout the Festival’s history. Films like “White Nights”, starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines, and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, starring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, returned for one night only in their since their debuts at the Festival decades ago.

Films like “The Well”, “The Babadook”, and “The Young Kieslowski” brought excitement from the film festivals they premiered in earlier this year to the Chicago International Festival with audiences lining up to purchase their tickets.

 

Big name films such as Oscar contenders “Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtueof Ignorance)” and “The Imitation Game” premiered to audiences in Chicago while films such as “St. Vincent” and “The Last 5 Years” sold out tickets by the end of the first weekend of the Festival.

Winner of the Audience Choice Award “The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Outthe Window and Disappeared” from Sweden and the Gold Hugo Award for Best Film winner “The President” from Georgia, France, Germany, and UK screened one extra time during the “Best of the Fest” final full day of the Festival.

This was a fun-filled year and one can only see what’s in store for the next 50 years of the Festival and beyond!

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Why Chicago Must Learn Polish (#LanguageClub )

It's a sad reality: Chicago folks will eat Polish sausages before they speak the Polish language. In other words, they will chew Polish food before they "spit out" Polish phrases. That's quite ironic given that Polish is the third most spoken language in the state of Illinois-- behind English and Spanish. But Go Zack is going to change that.  

Just like Spanish is considered a major language of the city, Polish should also be given the same attention. Polish residents have made tremendous contributions to Chicago and they should have access to more people speaking their native language. 

Before you come with the "Americans should only speak English" rebuttal, here are a few reasons why Polish can help Chicago:

1) Tourism- While many people in Poland know English, it will still make them feel more about home to visit a city which honors their language. Some might come to visit relatives; others could be exploring the United States for employment opportunities. Whatever their reasons are, Chicago should be prepared to have more Polish speakers around for hospitality. 

2) Job Market- As mentioned in the previous point, Polish corporations could set up headquarters in Chicago to expand their American presence. In turn, Chicago job seekers will have more opportunities to work here or participate in worker exchange programs. 

3) Diversity & Culture- Learning languages can lead to new perspectives and new friendships. Every May, the Polish Constitution Parade draws a large crowd. But a majority of those people are from the Polish community. If Chicago residents knew more about Polish culture, it would help the city to become less segregated. 

Yet there's hope. Chicago activist Jahmal Cole has a project called "My Block, My Hood, My City" which explores the cultural diversity of the city's 77 neighborhoods.  

If you would like to learn more about Chicago's Polish community, visit this website.  

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Review: 'Carlyle' Creates Stir At Goodman Theatre's New Stages Festival

UPDATE 9/18/15:
Carlyle will premiere at the end of Goodman's 15/16 season. (April 2- May 1, 2016)

What you can expect is a show about a black male's journey through the 1980s and 1990s as he searches for his political identity. Carlyle is a show with awkward laughs but major punchlines that will get you thinking.

Don't expect the same actors. (Usually, actors from the staged production find other work by the time the show officially opens.)  If I could cast this project, I would choose actors like Church Lockett (Gill Hayes Talent) or Anthony Irons and Antoine McKay (Stewart Talent). 

One of my top choices for "Carlyle" would be Goodman favorite Tosin Morohunfola (who appeared in Pullman Porter Blues in 2013). 

Please excuse my poorly done review from last year. I let an audience member get under my skin. 

While Nik Wallenda completed his tight rope stunt on "Skyscraper Live" last night, one playwright's work treaded upon the emotions of a live studio audience just a few blocks away. 

"Carlyle" (written by Thomas Bradshaw) is one of three main productions in Goodman Theatre's New Stages festival. Brilliantly casted by Adam Belcuore, the play is centered around Carlyle (James Earl Jones II) as he tries to find his true identity as a "Black Republican" in a world where neither Democrats or Republicans truly accept him. 

I don't want to spoil the plot or ruin the jokes. The best way to enjoy any creative work is to tune out critiques and view it with your own eyes. But I will say that the performance will leave you with questions. 

After each performance, there is a post-show discussion. Last night, the most disturbing moment came when an audience member-- a white man-- said that he felt that black men in the audience should feel offended by the content of the play. Immediately, I gave a rebuttal saying that no one can speak for any group of people. The man instantly shrugged off my rebuttal as if I had said nothing.

Moments later, an elderly African-American gentleman applauded the other man's rude behavior as they walked past me. 

It was a real-life ending which made the lesson of the play resonate more with me. 

But I won't let the man's rudeness get me down. 

Whose opinion are reading right now: his or mine? 

[Enjoy the show!]

Zack's TV Review: Recommended. 3 out of 4 Stars. 

"Carlyle" runs until Sunday, November 16. Click here for the free tickets.

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