MORGAN PARK — The Frunchroom, a quarterly reading series, will celebrate its second anniversary with a two-night event tonight and Thursday at the Beverly Woods Restaurant in Morgan Park.
Both shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Caravan Room of the restaurant and banquet hall at 11532 S. Western Ave. A $5 donation is requested at the door with all proceeds support the Beverly Area Arts Alliance.
The group helped launch The Frunchroom and also organizes neighborhood art events including the Beverly Art Walk. Members also provide the decor and retro-inspired art for the reading series.
Horse Thief Hollow manager Lizzy Benner will supplement the bartenders at Beverly Woods by serving craft cocktails made just for the events too.
Five different readers will perform each night — all sharing stories about the South Side of Chicago, said Scott Smith, the producer and emcee of The Frunchroom.
“In the past two years, we’ve heard from 40 storytellers, viewed work from more than 15 artists and packed the house each time with a diverse, enthusiastic audience,” Smith said. “In every sense, this is a community-driven event.”
The readers tonight are:
Ayana Contreras, a radio host/producer, DJ and writer
Daniel Kay Hertz, a writer, reader, mapper and spreadsheeter
Rodney Walker, an author, educator and South Side native
Tom Cramer, a blogger, '70s kid, craft beer geek and native South Sider
Ald. Sue Sadlowski Garza (10th), a former counselor with Chicago Public Schools, progressive activist and Southeast Side grandma
The readers on the Thursday are:
Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City
Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer (D-Chhicago), elected in 2010, Gainer has a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago and a strong background in finance.
Lendon Sadler, a local activist, actor, performer and raconteur
Kevin Coval, a poet, community builder and artistic director of Young Chicago Authors
Kim Bellware, a Huffington Post reporter, bike adventurer and full-city wanderer
For more information, visit The Frunchroom's website.
