. . . so-LAZE around or choose a To-Do!
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Greetings!
 I'm happy to say that Spring is quickly approaching! Okay - I know it doesn't seem like that's true, but trust me: Spring and Summer events are being etched in stone and will be here before you know it! For that matter, so will 2010 - so where do you stand with your New Year's resolutions? Are you trying to get fit? Read below for the Chicago Park District's offer to get you started. Trying to finally write that novel? Take advantage of some of the courses announced on the Learn To-Do It page!
Looking for more To-Do? I've got a few suggestions in this newsletter, but there's a whole lot more goin' on at www.so-LAZE.com, so come on by! Search by category or keyword, set up automatic reminders by e-mail or text, forward To-Dos to friends, or simply start planning your summer or vaction early. Whatever you decide To-Do . . .
Make it a fabulous weekend!
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| OUGHT TO-DO IT: Bronzeville's Future in a Green Economy |
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TRC has always hosted a breakfast in February in honor of Black History Month. The former Wabash YMCA was the birth place for the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson and three friends, and was thereafter known as the birth place of Black History Month. Each year, in recognition of the historic role that the "Wabash Y" has played in the Bronzeville community, the Board engages the community in a topic of timely significance. This year with so much talk about the energy crisis and global warming, the focus for the breakfast is "Assets & Opportunities: Bronzeville's Future in a Green Economy." There will be a panel of experts in the field, working to make green jobs a reality in Chicago. The panel will be moderated by Leroy Kennedy of IIT.
What opportunities are available to residents of Bronzeville and the City of Chicago? How are we tapping into the assets of the community, (e.g., City Colleges, vocational training high schools, Illinois Institute of Technology, etc.) to ensure Bronzeville will benefit from the "green economy"? What are the current as well as future opportunities and how are we connected to them? Green jobs and 2016 - what is the connection?
Panel Members Include:
· Leroy Kennedy, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) - Moderator
· Dan Biache, Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council
· Naomi Davis, Blacks in Green (BIG)
· Kindy Kruller, LEED Council
· Meghann Moses, Chicago Jobs Council
· Cleophus Lee, North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN)
· Joseph Claire, IIT
Renaissance Apartments & Fitness For Life Center
Grand Ballroom
3763 South Wabash
Chicago, Illinois
February 11, 2009
www.TRCWabash.org
The breakfast will be followed by an Employment and Resource Fair from 10am to 2pm. Both training groups and employers, and service providers will be participating. Positions will be available at all levels, from entry-level to professional management. Some of the participants are Prudential Insurance Company, CTA, City Colleges of Chicago, Hilton Hotels, etc.
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| THEATER REVIEW: Audience 101 |
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True West, by Sam Shepard
topdog/underdog, by Suzan Lori Parks
 Let Brotherly Love Continue
American Classic Repertory
True West Synopsis: "Sam Shepard's most produced play tells the story of two brothers: Austin, an ambitious Hollywood screenwriter working on a potential million-dollar deal and Lee, a vagabond thief with a compulsion for six-packs and toasters. Austin and Lee face off for control while venting demons from their dysfunctional past."
topdog/underdog Synopsis: "Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece explores two brothers: Lincoln, ex-"3-card" player turned legitimate entertainer, and Booth, a petty thief who wants to learn his brother's game. Lincoln and Booth struggle to make a new life that will finally lead them out of poverty."
 Tonight I witnessed something quite innovative to come to Chicago in a long time. American Theater Company, under the artistic direction of PJ Paparelli, and Congo Square Theatre Company, under the artistic direction of Derrick Sanders, collaborated on the first ever (in Chicago) dual company repertory. What's unique about this venture is that American Theater Company and Congo Square Theatre Company will switch the casts after February 5, 2009. This means that the original casts of both productions will take on the other companies' original play. To be able to see an African-American theater company perform Sam Shepard's True West and for a White theater company to take on a Suzan-Lori Park's topdog/underdog will make for an interesting night of collaborations and innovations. [more]
Audience 101: A word to the wise, these plays are not for the faint of heart. It's deconstructive with an arena-styled theater space and no walls. Things began to fly, crumble and burn (just the toast) as the drama unfolds. In these changing times, with a newly elected president, do you think that it's time we see more collaborating cross-culturally? How has this project changed the way you see theater? Will you venture to see a production at American Theater Company after the collaborating has ended? Or is it all a ploy to make more money?
 Sydney
Founder of The Tofu Chitlin' Circuit Theatre Company
SoulLadie@yahoo.com
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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Congo/Women Portraits of War |
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Thursday, February 5, 2009, 5-7pm
Congo/Women is an internationally touring photography exhibition and educational campaign that raises awareness of the widespread sexual violence facing women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is co-produced by the Institute and Art Works Projects, with major funding by UNFPA, the United Nations Populations Fund; Humanity United Fund; and the Leadership Donors of the Institute. The exhibition features powerful photographers by award-winning photojournalists Lynsey Addario, Marcus Bleasdale, Ron Haviv, and James Nachtwey, that convey the strength and courage of Congolese women. Accompanying essays contextualize the impact of the crisis from a range of perspectives. An advocacy partnership with Enough Project's Raise Hope for Congo campaign provides tools to demand action and involvement from the global citizenry. The reality that faces women and children in the DRC must be addressed in order to protect the rights of humanity as a whole. This project will illuminate the global epidemic of gender-based sexual violence that faces women and girls worldwide.
Over the next two years, the project will tour selected venues throughout North America, Europe and Africa, visiting universities and community centers to build awareness among as wide an audience as possible. Throughout the tour at each exhibition venue, local advocacy organizations working on gender-based violence will be engaged as collaborators to contextualize this issue locally as well as internationally. [more]
Artist/Artist Info: www.congowomen.org
Price: Free!
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LEARN TO-DO IT! |
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Keep Your New Year's Resolution by Sampling Free Fitness Classes in February at Citywide Parks
Here's your New Year's resolution check-in! Are you working toward your goals? Have you established priorities and measured your success? Remember - yesterday, tomorrow was today (i.e., if yesterday you told yourself that you would do it tomorrow - tomorrow is now today), so don't procrastinate! You can get your butt in gear today!
 The Chicago Park District helps you stick to your New Year's resolution as the year goes on by varying your workout. From Feb. 2-9, walk into any of the 158 participating Chicago Park District field houses and sample a class for free. For a full list of nearly 600 class offerings, locations and schedules, click here. "Our citywide facilities offer a wide range of classes at affordable prices, and we encourage patrons to boost their workouts by trying something new during this admission-free period," said Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Timothy J. Mitchell.
From Feb. 2-9, the new promotion offers free admission to a variety of fitness classes such as aerobics, circuit training, conditioning, kickboxing, Pilates, stretching, yoga, weightlifting and more.
Classes are available for all age groups from youth to seniors and for all abilities. Courses that encourage parents and children to exercise together are also available, such as MightyfitFamily, which is for families with children ages 3-5. Not only do families discover the benefits of physical exercise, but also get to spend quality time doing fun activities together as part of the program.
For more information, visit www.ChicagoParkDistrict.com or call 312.742.PLAY, 312.747.2001 (TTY). |
| THIS WEEK'S TWEAKS - Party Page |
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Those Pesky Party Pluggers!
I routinely delete e-mails with party announcements because the formatting can be so irritating and so difficult to make fit within the boundaries of the standard To-Do form. So, I've finally cried "Uncle!" and have stopped trying to make the "rectangular plugger" fit in the Soleil's To-Dos "round hole" and I'm quite happy with the result! Visit the Party Page for all the regular hot spots and special occasion parties. If you're one of the party people, then you know where the hottest DJs are, where "the kids" are, where to go without getting frisked, where to go request to be frisked and request the frisker, where to get a good drink, what time to get there and what time to move on. If you'd like to share your insight as a regular contributor - please let me hear from you! E-mail me at Soleil@so-LAZE.com!
If you have any suggestions regarding changes to the website, I'd welcome your input!
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THIS NEWSLETTER COULD BE SPONSORED BY YOUR BUSINESS! |
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Advertise with Soleil's To-Dos!
Whether you seek cultural diversity or target the urban, African-American, Chicago market, by advertising with Soleil's To-Dos, your organization will reach Sophisticates who are active socially and professionally. Whether your organization sponsors events, engages in sales or services, we have a marketing option that will suit your needs. Visit our Advertising Page for information on website and e-mail marketing options! Contact Advertising@so-LAZE.com to discuss a package catered to your needs.
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