From the bored housewife and the determined workingwoman to the philandering businessman, the television drama “Mad Men” explores a cast of 1960s archetypal characters, and displays them warts and all. This Friday, Feb. 19, the wildly popular show will serve as a catalyst to look back at the pivotal decade during the symposium, “Mad World: […]
Marissa Monson
Marissa Monson, former Illinois Times staff member, recently received her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois.
Posted inArts & Culture
Urbana’s grand stage
Mike Ross, director of Urbana’s Krannert Centerfor the Performing Arts, is hard-pressed to name his favorite place to be inside the University of Illinois’ celebrated arts space. Ross could pluck Foellinger Great Hall from the list, the center’s largest performing space. He could choose the lobby, home to the opening performances of the biennial guitar […]
Posted inMusic
Fall concerts
The fall season is upon us, and for bands across the country it’s the perfect time to tour. Hopping in the bus — musicians from David Crosby and Graham Nash to Talib Kweli and Nas, will hit the road this fall — is never easier than when the weather is temperate, and rocker-types don’t have […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Double the pleasure
Untitled Document Champaign-Urbana, just about an hour-and-a-half away, has added or upgraded some new attractions that make the twin college towns a great day or weekend trip this summer. • Snack — In fall 2007, a little breakfast diner got a facelift and was transformed into one of Champaign’s most interesting eateries. The only recognizable […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Hot time in the city
Untitled Document Music fans don’t want to hear this reporter wax ecstatic about Loretta Lynn’s classic coo (she’s scheduled to play Sangamon Auditorium on June 28) or the return to the summer stage of Springfield favorite the Micah Walk Band (performing at the SOHO Music Festival on June 7). No, capital-city rockers, Illinois Times knows what […]
Posted inNews
Soldiers’ stories
Untitled Document Veteran Mike Mlekowski’s disillusionment with the Iraq War didn’t begin when he set foot on Iraqi sand in 2003, during the initial invasion. It started after the government called off the search for weapons of mass destruction. From that point on, he says, a question kept “eating away” at him: “If we’re not […]
Posted inNews
Playmates
Untitled Document At first glance, Eric and Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson don’t betray their years lived on the stage and in the director’s chair. They don’t pepper conversations with Shakespearean monologues or obscure theater lingo. No spotlight shines on the couple. Small details betray the seasoned theater veterans’ identities: Eric and Missy refer to most jobs as […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Hello, neighbor!
Untitled Document Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, director of the University of Illinois-Springfield theater department’s fall production, Picnic, held rehearsals five nights a week for more than a month before opening the William Inge romantic drama this Friday. She’s ready for a little shut-eye. “I think I’m putting a bed in my office,” Thibodeaux-Thompson says. “The last couple […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Leaves are ch-ch-changin’
Untitled Document Corn and soybean fields aren’t all Illinois has to offer in the landscape department. Pockets of magnificent foliage are scattered throughout the Land of Lincoln. This autumn, take advantage of the state’s scenic back roads and nature preserves as their trees’ leaves change colors. Hop into the car, fill up the tank, and […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
On the road again
Untitled Document On the road again Hop in the car and make music your destination By MARISSA MONSON If you’re willing to put mileage in this fall, your options for seeing live music are endless. Here’s a list of shows in an array of genres happening around Illinois this fall. ST. LOUIS Sept. 8 — […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Fall Guide 2007 Calendar
Untitled Document Here’s our quick guide to our favorite fall celebrations, festivals, and events in Springfield and Illinois. Look for additional information in weekly editions of Illinois Times. By MARISSA MONSON Through Oct. 27 Our Town: A Visual Journey: Celebrating the 175th anniversary of State Journal-Register, the Springfield Art Association displays more than 70 photographs […]
Posted inNews
Art works
Untitled Document Psychedelic collages pop from the wall. Slashed cardboard, tape, wire, spray paint, and charcoal are rendered into cascading waterfalls, a scrapyard, a glowworm. Down the street, photos and other works are on display; one shows a man, a typewriter chained to his ankle, peering into a tavern window. The new galleries and art […]
