From the Publisher ’ s Desk
Photo by Kipling Swehla Photography
From the Publisher ’ s Desk
One thing that is fairly universal among arts insiders in the Windy City is a zealous passion for what they do . It makes sense , of course . For creatives , passion is the glue that holds the house together . To be honest , it kind of has to be . Only a fervent drive for what you love can often birth the kinds of performances and projects that Chicago ’ s arts and culture venues see each season .
And this spring season is bursting with the kinds of cultural programming that could only spring from that kind of ardent passion for artistic expression .
This May , singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky will make her return to Chicago ’ s Old Town School of Folk Music , where she ’ ll perform songs that hearken back to the fervor of her pioneering grandmother , songs from her acclaimed album , Reunion , that pay tribute to her own lineage and explore the emotional connections from which much of her creativity has sprung . Fred Cummings sat down with Kaplansky this winter to get a dose of the honesty that embraces her audiences the world over each year . Vanguard playwright Young Jean Lee knows a thing or two about a passion for creativity . Lee ’ s unorthodox approach to writing and directing her new play , Straight White Men — receiving its Chicago premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre this spring — underscores an intense passion for challenging herself in her work . Adopting a collaborative line of attack , Lee often arrives at perspectives in her work she might never otherwise be privy to because of her openness to viewpoints that lay beyond the scope of her experience . Leslie Price gets behind that methodology in this issue with a look inside the production of Straight White Men at Steppenwolf this spring .
And , of course , our cover story profiles the
Above : Diana Martinez , director of McAninch 30th anniversary of the McAninch Arts Center Arts Center at the College of DuPage . ( MAC ) at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn , with an interview of the MAC ’ s relatively new director , Diana Martinez . Ms . Martinez is nothing if not an arts administrator with a fervent passion for the people of Glen Ellyn — and for bringing them the best and brightest in arts and culture performances , elevating the profile of both the theater and the community in the process .
Yes , there ’ s a whole lot of passion for culture and creativity brewing here in the Windy City . And the spring issue of Clef Notes Journal is a reflection of our passion for bringing that culture to you . We hope it stirs your own love for the arts and gets you out to enjoy the one-of-a-kind offerings Chicagoans audiences are so lucky to see and hear each season .
Sincerely ,
D . Webb Publisher
Photo BY LORENZO DE GREGORIO
Clef N tes
Chicagoland Journal for the Arts S P R I N G 2 0 1 7
Publisher D . Webb
Editorial
Editor in Chief Patrick M . Curran II
Associate Editors Fred Cummings Scott Elam Christopher Hopper
Editorial Support Rachel Cullen
Staff Writers and Contributors Raymond Benson David Berner Isaac Jacobs Andrew Kowalczyk Leslie Price Jordan Reinwald Daniel A . Scurek
Art & Design Art Director Carl Benjamin Smith
Contributing Photographers Colin Lyons Lorenzo Gregorio
Graphics & Design Chelsea Davis Angela Chang
Social Media Manager Mary Henley
Advertising Jason Montgomery Jason . Montgomery @ ClefNotesJournal . com
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Subscriptions Clef Notes is published quarterly ( March , June , September and December ) each year . An annual subscription to the magazine may be purchased by mailing a check or money order for $ 18 to Clef Notes Publishing , Inc ., 5815 N . Sheridan Road , Suite 1107 , Chicago , IL 60660 . Bulk rates are also available . Credit card purchases may be secured online at ClefNotesJournal . com or by calling 773.741.5502 .
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