The Infinite Room Lookingglass Theatre Company

In its rave review of The Steadfast Tin Soldier, the Chicago Tribune says “It’s transformational, truly. Barely more than an hour long and does not use a lick of human speech.” But how did the director, choreographer, actors and musicians put together a story without the use of the spoken word? Hear the secrets of collaboration and creation directly from Lookingglass Ensemble members, choreographer Tracy Walsh and actors Kasey Foster and Anthony Irons, as they discuss crafting a story the Chicago Sun-Times calls “gloriously creative and terrifically engaging.”

Her Honor Jane Byrne Revisited: An Introduction to the Radio Play

Live performances of Her Honor Jane Byrne were cut short by COVID-19, but the play now comes to vibrant life as a radio play on WBEZ.  Hear all about the play’s creation, its impact on a former resident of Cabrini-Green, and how the play’s events reflect our ongoing national conversations around race, class, and gender.  Now featuring new interviews with daughters of the two main characters, Mayor Jane Byrne and activist Marion Stamps.


J. Nicole Brooks, Her Honor Jane Byrne playwright and director, Lookingglass Ensemble Member
Kathy Byrne, attorney, author, speaker, daughter of Jane Byrne
J.R. Fleming, former Cabrini-Green resident, co-founder and director of the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign
Lisa Yun Lee, Executive Director of the National Public Housing Museum
Guana Stamps, activist, President/CEO of Keep It Moving Transportation, LLC, daughter of Marion Stamps

Pequeños Milagros en La Villita

Las artes nos ayudan a conectarnos unos con otros, y durante el COVID-19, el parentesco y el bálsamo que el arte ofrece son aún más cruciales. Pero, ¿cómo se lleva el arte a la gente durante una pandemia? La BROCHA lo ha descubierto, brindando oportunidades para la creación artística y el compromiso a las personas de la tercera edad, especialmente aquellos individuos con la enfermedad de Alzheimer y la demencia relacionadas en la comunidad latinx. La narradora, activista y artista docente Jasmin Cardenas presenta una conversación con las fundadores de La BROCHA:


Susan Aguiñaga es profesora asistente en el Departamento de Kinesiología y Salud Comunitaria en la Universidad de Illinois en Urbana-Champaign, y directora del Laboratorio de Equidad en la Salud y Envejecimiento, su trabajo se centra en abordar las desigualdades de salud en la cognición.

Yadira Montoya es Analista de Investigación en NORC en la Universidad de Chicago, fue reconocida en 2019 como Líder de Cultura de Salud por la Fundación Robert Wood Johnson por su investigación y trabajo comunitario con adultos mayores latinos y familias que enfrentan la enfermedad de Alzheimer.

Judith Rocha es trabajadora social clínica licenciada, profesora asistente y directora interina del Programa de Maestría en Trabajo Social de la Universidad Northeastern de Illinois. Su investigación incluye temas sociales relevantes para latinx con un enfoque en el cuidado familiar de latinas y latinos mayores con la enfermedad de Alzheimer o demencia relacionadas.

The arts help us connect with one another, and during COVID-19 the kinship and balm the arts provide is even more crucial.  But how do you bring art to people during a pandemic? LaBROCHA has figured it out, providing opportunities for artistic creation and engagement for people ages 60 years and older, especially individuals living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) in the Latinx community. Storyteller, Activist, and Lookingglass Teaching Artist Jasmin Cardenas hosts a conversation with La BROCHA’s founders:


Susan Aguiñaga is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the director of the Health Equity and Aging Lab, where her work focuses on addressing health disparities in cognition.

Yadira Montoya is a Principal Research Analyst at NORC at the University of Chicago, and was recognized in 2019 as a Culture of Health Leader by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for her research and community work with Latino older adults and families facing Alzheimer’s disease.

Judith Rocha is a licensed clinical social worker and Assistant Professor and the Interim Master’s Social Work Program Director at Northeastern Illinois University.  Her research includes Latinx-relevant social issues with a focus on family care-giving of older Latinas and Latinos with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.

The isolation and loneliness we all feel due to COVID-19 is real, but it's even more dire for our seniors, especially those in under-invested communities.  How can the arts reach into those communities to activate, energize, and connect people -- to one another and to their creative selves that lie ready to be reawakened?  Join this conversation with Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center’s Karen Graham and Janice Layne, RADC’s Manager and Coordinator of Community Engagement.

When 844 people died in the Chicago River in the Eastland disaster, the event devastated Chicago and shook the nation. Lookingglass’ 2012 production of Eastland resurrected the ghosts and events of that day in a stunning folk musical.  Artistic Director Heidi Stillman sat down with playwright Andy White and co-composer Andre Pluess to talk about why they approached this forgotten calamity, and the journey to bring it to fruition in a production TIME called “remarkable.”