All-Female Lineup Set For Next 'Frunchroom'

CHICAGO, IL — Five women are set to tell their South Side stories in the next edition of The Frunchroom, the live storytelling series about the South Side of Chicago. The event, normally held on Thursday nights, moves to Tuesday this time with the next show planned to begin at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 25 at the Beverly Arts Center.

"We have a handful of the South Side's most thought-provoking writers and leaders for this upcoming edition, some of whom are making their presence known on a national level," said Scott Smith, founder of The Frunchroom series.

"It's always about the mix of perspectives. Too often, the larger city or even the country thinks it knows what 'the South Side' means but I feel confident that at each edition of The Frunchroom, every person in the audience walks away learning something knew - even those who've lived here for years."

This particular edition of The Frunchroom coincides with the Beverly Art Walk, which is planned for the following weekend at locations throughout Beverly and Morgan Park.

The speakers for the show are:

• Patricia Frazier, Chicago’s National Youth Poet Laureate
• Rayshauna Gray, researcher at Tufts University's Center for the Study of Race & Democracy and writer of the forthcoming book Roseland
• Claire Hartfield, nationally recognized education leader and children’s book author (including A Few Red Drops, the story of Chicago’s 1919 race riots)
• Rebeca Nieves Huffman, executive director of City Year Chicago
• LaShawn Williams, an arts and entertainment freelance writer who has been published by Gapers Block.com, SoulTrain.com, BlackDoctor.org and Comedy Hype among others.

Guests are encouraged to arrive early and see a preview of one of the Art Walk installations curated by Beverly Arts Alliance co-founder Sal Campbell, according to a news release. Also, guests should provide a $5 donation to the Beverly Area Arts Alliance as part of entry to the show.

Occurring quarterly, The Frunchroom continues to be produced as a showcase for original written work in partnership with the Arts Alliance and hosted by the BAC.

Photo provided