Emily McClanathan
@emilymcclanathan.bsky.social
Arts journalist & critic based in Chicago, covering theater, books, music & more
https://authory.com/EmilyMcClanathan
https://authory.com/EmilyMcClanathan
Look, "Amadeus" at @steppenwolfthtr.bsky.social is very good, but Mozart being a freelancer who gets driven mad by lack of gigs is probably gonna haunt my dreams tonight.
November 17, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Look, "Amadeus" at @steppenwolfthtr.bsky.social is very good, but Mozart being a freelancer who gets driven mad by lack of gigs is probably gonna haunt my dreams tonight.
Reposted by Emily McClanathan
The People Want to Read: on the massive budget cuts proposed for Chicago Public Library. What's at stake and what you can do, whether or not you live in Chicago.
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
The People Want To Read: On Massive Budget Cuts Proposed in Chicago
If passed, Chicago Public Library will lose half their budget for acquiring new books and materials.
buttondown.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:03 PM
The People Want to Read: on the massive budget cuts proposed for Chicago Public Library. What's at stake and what you can do, whether or not you live in Chicago.
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
It was a pleasure to speak with Avery Willis Hoffman, Court Theatre's new artistic director, about her love of the classics and her vision for the Tony Award-winning company. My feature for @playbill.com:
playbill.com/article/the-...
playbill.com/article/the-...
The Court Theatre's New Artistic Director, Avery Willis Hoffman, Wants to Focus on Classics and New Work
The Chicago theatre is looking back, while forging ahead.
playbill.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:19 PM
It was a pleasure to speak with Avery Willis Hoffman, Court Theatre's new artistic director, about her love of the classics and her vision for the Tony Award-winning company. My feature for @playbill.com:
playbill.com/article/the-...
playbill.com/article/the-...
I've been thinking the same. Restaurants are closing or doing takeout only, parents are keeping their kids home from school, there's a general sense of unease but also encouraging displays of solidarity.
The vibes in Chicago right now are sort of like during the pandemic except if covid showed up in a random neighborhood every day and had to be driven off by everyone yelling at it
October 26, 2025 at 3:30 AM
I've been thinking the same. Restaurants are closing or doing takeout only, parents are keeping their kids home from school, there's a general sense of unease but also encouraging displays of solidarity.
Yes.
It’s hard to convey just how much Chicagoans are mobilizing against ICE. Don’t want to downplay the harm, or make it seem like a fair fight. But in neighborhoods across this city, ICE is getting chased by people blowing whistles and shouting. People are running TOWARD ICE to protect their neighbors.
October 22, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Yes.
I like dogs, but this is a terrible idea. It's exclusionary to people with allergies or phobias, plus those who just don't want to share their dining spaces with strangers' animals. Just called my alderwoman to ask her to vote "no."
Ald. Timmy Knudsen, 43rd, plans to introduce an ordinance Thursday clearing the way for dog owners to bring their pups inside Chicago eateries. Owners of small businesses in pet-dense areas say the opt-in change could be a boon.
Dogs in restaurants? Chicago ordinance would open door to man’s best friend.
Ald. Timmy Knudsen, 43rd, plans to introduce an ordinance Thursday clearing the way for the city’s eateries to allow man’s best friend.
trib.al
September 23, 2025 at 4:11 PM
I like dogs, but this is a terrible idea. It's exclusionary to people with allergies or phobias, plus those who just don't want to share their dining spaces with strangers' animals. Just called my alderwoman to ask her to vote "no."
Just saw a kid reading a Cinderella picture book while her mom pushed her in one of those running strollers. That's the kind of running I aspire to (the kid, not the mom).
September 22, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Just saw a kid reading a Cinderella picture book while her mom pushed her in one of those running strollers. That's the kind of running I aspire to (the kid, not the mom).
Looking at a map of northern Illinois, you’ll find Rockford halfway between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River; this post-industrial city also represents a midpoint in my coming of age.
My review of THE ROCKFORD ANTHOLOGY, @sixtyinchesfromcenter.org:
sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/midway-to-ho...
My review of THE ROCKFORD ANTHOLOGY, @sixtyinchesfromcenter.org:
sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/midway-to-ho...
Midway to Home: A Review of The Rockford Anthology - Sixty Inches From Center
A look at Belt Publishing's new book "The Rockford Anthology" through the eyes of a writer reconsidering their relationship to their hometown.
sixtyinchesfromcenter.org
August 26, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Looking at a map of northern Illinois, you’ll find Rockford halfway between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River; this post-industrial city also represents a midpoint in my coming of age.
My review of THE ROCKFORD ANTHOLOGY, @sixtyinchesfromcenter.org:
sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/midway-to-ho...
My review of THE ROCKFORD ANTHOLOGY, @sixtyinchesfromcenter.org:
sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/midway-to-ho...
Reposted by Emily McClanathan
Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips announces he has taken a buyout and the Trib is eliminating his post. Unless I am missing someone I believe this leaves the nation's third-largest city without a single full-time film writing gig.
August 19, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips announces he has taken a buyout and the Trib is eliminating his post. Unless I am missing someone I believe this leaves the nation's third-largest city without a single full-time film writing gig.
Such a pleasure to chat with @tvayyyy.bsky.social about his new novel, THE EL! I loved getting to know familiar Chicago neighborhoods as they looked in 1979 through the eyes of Teddy and his friends. (Also, that cover art!) 🔥
My feature for @chicagoreader.com:
chicagoreader.com/books/book-r...
My feature for @chicagoreader.com:
chicagoreader.com/books/book-r...
Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. paints a portrait of Native Chicago - Chicago Reader
The El, by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., is a semi-autobiographical novel set over the course of one scorching day in Chicago, August 1979.
chicagoreader.com
August 13, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Such a pleasure to chat with @tvayyyy.bsky.social about his new novel, THE EL! I loved getting to know familiar Chicago neighborhoods as they looked in 1979 through the eyes of Teddy and his friends. (Also, that cover art!) 🔥
My feature for @chicagoreader.com:
chicagoreader.com/books/book-r...
My feature for @chicagoreader.com:
chicagoreader.com/books/book-r...
In Sandbox Theatre Collective's "Three Sisters," the audience embarks on a journey through the United Church of Rogers Park, an atmospheric stand-in for the provincial Russian household in Chekhov's play. My review for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/08/r...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/08/r...
Review: Sandbox Theatre Collective gives Anton Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ the immersive treatment
The audience, limited to 15 people per performance, embark on a journey through the United Church of Rogers Park’s nearly 100-year-old building.
www.chicagotribune.com
August 9, 2025 at 3:07 PM
In Sandbox Theatre Collective's "Three Sisters," the audience embarks on a journey through the United Church of Rogers Park, an atmospheric stand-in for the provincial Russian household in Chekhov's play. My review for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/08/r...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/08/r...
Very happy that I could review RED LINE: CHICAGO HORROR STORIES. This horror newbie had a great time with it.
Also thrilled to be back in the Reader's pages. Long live the @chicagoreader.com!
Also thrilled to be back in the Reader's pages. Long live the @chicagoreader.com!
"Red Line’s contributors create a thrilling mosaic of Chicago—past, present, and future—in all its complex, terrifying beauty."
The Chicago Reader loves RED LINE: CHICAGO HORROR STORIES. I can't ask for a better recommendation.
chicagoreader.com/books/book-r...
The Chicago Reader loves RED LINE: CHICAGO HORROR STORIES. I can't ask for a better recommendation.
chicagoreader.com/books/book-r...
Explore spooky Chicago history - Chicago Reader
Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories delves into spooky Chicago history and painful aspects of modern urban life.
chicagoreader.com
August 7, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Very happy that I could review RED LINE: CHICAGO HORROR STORIES. This horror newbie had a great time with it.
Also thrilled to be back in the Reader's pages. Long live the @chicagoreader.com!
Also thrilled to be back in the Reader's pages. Long live the @chicagoreader.com!
"Billie Jean," a biographical play by Lauren Gunderson playing at @chicagoshakes.bsky.social, highlights many of Billie Jean King’s achievements as a public figure and her private journey toward living as her authentic self and finding love. My feature for @playbill.com:
playbill.com/article/new-...
playbill.com/article/new-...
New Play Billie Jean Celebrates the Prowess of Billie Jean King—On and Off the Court
Lauren Gunderson pens the play which is now running at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
playbill.com
July 29, 2025 at 12:17 AM
"Billie Jean," a biographical play by Lauren Gunderson playing at @chicagoshakes.bsky.social, highlights many of Billie Jean King’s achievements as a public figure and her private journey toward living as her authentic self and finding love. My feature for @playbill.com:
playbill.com/article/new-...
playbill.com/article/new-...
Reposted by Emily McClanathan
Today, @chicagotribune.com laid off five guild staff members in a roughly 10% cut to our newsroom. These layoffs underscore a sad but unsurprising failure of leadership by Alden Global Capital, our hedge fund owner, and local management.
July 24, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Today, @chicagotribune.com laid off five guild staff members in a roughly 10% cut to our newsroom. These layoffs underscore a sad but unsurprising failure of leadership by Alden Global Capital, our hedge fund owner, and local management.
Phillip Howze’s "Frontieres Sans Frontieres" draws on theatrical traditions of absurdism, burlesque and commedia dell’arte to satirize a slew of Western interlopers, from humanitarian nonprofits to predatory capitalists. My review for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/24/r...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/24/r...
Review: Dystopian ‘Frontieres Sans Frontieres’ by Theatre Y raises provocative questions
Phillip Howze’s experimental, often confounding play, draws on theatrical traditions of absurdism, burlesque and commedia dell’arte to satirize a slew of Western interlopers.
www.chicagotribune.com
July 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Phillip Howze’s "Frontieres Sans Frontieres" draws on theatrical traditions of absurdism, burlesque and commedia dell’arte to satirize a slew of Western interlopers, from humanitarian nonprofits to predatory capitalists. My review for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/24/r...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/24/r...
Cynthia Marker gives a hell of a solo performance in "Girls & Boys" at Griffin Theatre, a show that tackles an extremely dark subject while somehow maintaining hope in humanity. Oh, and it's also hilarious.
My ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/22/r...
My ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/22/r...
Review: ‘Girls & Boys’ by Griffin Theatre is a devastating solo memory play
Cynthia Marker’s solo performance as the unnamed narrator holds the audience in rapt attention for its 100 minutes.
www.chicagotribune.com
July 22, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Cynthia Marker gives a hell of a solo performance in "Girls & Boys" at Griffin Theatre, a show that tackles an extremely dark subject while somehow maintaining hope in humanity. Oh, and it's also hilarious.
My ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/22/r...
My ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review for @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/22/r...
On the heels of funding cuts to public media, a bit of happier news: a beloved PBS character is getting a new life onstage at the Marriott Theatre. My review of "Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!" for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/21/r...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/21/r...
Review: ‘Arthur & Friends Make a Musical’ at the Marriott lets the storybook characters put on a show
The school-age aardvark of Marc Brown’s children’s books and long-running animated series finds his muse in a new musical in Lincolnshire.
www.chicagotribune.com
July 22, 2025 at 2:35 AM
On the heels of funding cuts to public media, a bit of happier news: a beloved PBS character is getting a new life onstage at the Marriott Theatre. My review of "Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!" for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/21/r...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/21/r...
I've been a PBS member ever since *that* mid-season cliffhanger in Sanditon s3. 🤓 Even if you look at it as just paying for a streaming service, it's one of the best deals out there.
btw did you know you can subscribe to PBS for only like $5/mo or a $60 one-time for a year donation, and get access to their Passport streaming service? They mail you a little live programming guide and everything, too. The 40-something seasons of NOVA alone are worth it.
Donate to your local PBS/NPR stations. It's up to us now.
July 19, 2025 at 3:28 AM
I've been a PBS member ever since *that* mid-season cliffhanger in Sanditon s3. 🤓 Even if you look at it as just paying for a streaming service, it's one of the best deals out there.
A lovely new tour of "Beauty and the Beast" just opened at @broadwayinchicago.bsky.social, featuring the voice of the late Angela Lansbury 🥹 and the best version of "Human Again" I've ever seen.
My review for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/11/r...
My review for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/11/r...
Review: New tour of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ lives up to all the expectations
Is this latest tour up to the task of carrying on a beloved Disney musical? As directed by Matt West, yes, it is.
www.chicagotribune.com
July 11, 2025 at 7:44 PM
A lovely new tour of "Beauty and the Beast" just opened at @broadwayinchicago.bsky.social, featuring the voice of the late Angela Lansbury 🥹 and the best version of "Human Again" I've ever seen.
My review for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/11/r...
My review for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/11/r...
Oak Park Festival Theatre's "Twelfth Night" nails some of the comedic moments, especially when the physical comedy ramps up, but the passion is lacking in the tangled romantic mix-ups at the play’s core.
My review for the @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/06/r...
My review for the @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/06/r...
Review: ‘Twelfth Night’ at Oak Park Festival Theatre is more comedy than love story
Director Peter G. Andersen’s outdoor summer production leans into the antics and physical comedy at the expense of passion.
www.chicagotribune.com
July 7, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Oak Park Festival Theatre's "Twelfth Night" nails some of the comedic moments, especially when the physical comedy ramps up, but the passion is lacking in the tangled romantic mix-ups at the play’s core.
My review for the @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/06/r...
My review for the @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/06/r...
Extremely niche writing pet peeve: I find the phrase "Chicagoland area" annoyingly redundant. Just say, "Chicagoland" (overused but concise), "Chicago area," "Greater Chicago," whatever. Am I the only one bothered by this? (Probably, lol)
June 25, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Extremely niche writing pet peeve: I find the phrase "Chicagoland area" annoyingly redundant. Just say, "Chicagoland" (overused but concise), "Chicago area," "Greater Chicago," whatever. Am I the only one bothered by this? (Probably, lol)
This was such a fun conversation!!
New episode! Now with video. @rsokamoto.bsky.social & I spoke to @emilymcclanathan.bsky.social & Betsy Tomszak! www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG-J...
Ep 4: Dystopias, Telepathic Whales & Chicago Pizza Secrets with Emily & Betsy
YouTube video by Let's Talk About Text
www.youtube.com
June 25, 2025 at 12:05 AM
This was such a fun conversation!!
Excited to catch two-time Tony nominee Amy Morton in YOU WILL GET SICK after speaking with her about returning to the @steppenwolfthtr.bsky.social stage for the first time in eight years. My feature for @playbill.com:
playbill.com/article/amy-...
playbill.com/article/amy-...
Amy Morton Returns to the Stage in You Will Get Sick
The play by Noah Diaz runs until July 20 at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
playbill.com
June 23, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Excited to catch two-time Tony nominee Amy Morton in YOU WILL GET SICK after speaking with her about returning to the @steppenwolfthtr.bsky.social stage for the first time in eight years. My feature for @playbill.com:
playbill.com/article/amy-...
playbill.com/article/amy-...
"I'm so glad to be part of a group that is so kind, that is so welcoming and so freaking nice." -Chrysanthemum, founding member of True Colors, a drag troupe created by and for people with disabilities.
Full story for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/16/t...
Full story for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/16/t...
True Colors drag troupe inspires audiences to be their true selves
Founded last year, the True Colors drag group continues to expand both its roster and fan base.
www.chicagotribune.com
June 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
"I'm so glad to be part of a group that is so kind, that is so welcoming and so freaking nice." -Chrysanthemum, founding member of True Colors, a drag troupe created by and for people with disabilities.
Full story for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/16/t...
Full story for @chicagotribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/16/t...