Hideout Block Party, Splatter Theater, and more of the best things to do in Chicago this weekend

[View this message as a web page]( [Reader Recommends]( Friday, September 22 - Sunday, September 24 Time to plan the weekend. Here's some of what we recommend: Fri 9/22: In [Breathe: A True Story](, Brennen Reeves tells a compelling and humorous tale of how a double lung transplant saved his life. Before his final show tonight at iO Chicago (1501 N. Kingsbury), [read our preview]( about how he found the funny in his condition. 6:45 PM, $10 Fri 9/22: Head to Garfield Park (100 N. Central) for nice weather and fun flying facts at [the Power of the Monarch Butterfly](. 3-7 PM, free Fri 9/22: Día de los Muertos is almost upon us, so the National Museum of Mexican Art (1852 W. 19th) opens ["Day of the Dead: Tilica y flaca es la calaca,"]( its annual showcase of traditional skulls, paintings, and sculptures associated with the spooky holiday. Opening reception: 6-8:30 PM, free Sat 9/23: Choreographer [Shen Wei](, best known in the West for the opening of the 2008 Summer Olympics, makes his Chicago debut with Folding and Rite of Spring at the Auditorium Theatre (50 E. Congress). 8 PM, $15 Sat 9/23: The white walls of the Annoyance Theatre (851 W. Belmont) brace themselves each Halloween season, because [Splatter Theater]( lives up to its name. In this parody of classic gore, fake blood sprays all over the place, leaving the walls red and the audience members in the front row drenched. 10 PM, $20, $15 for students Sun 9/24: Steve Albini curates day two of the [Hideout Block Party](, which doubles as a 20th anniversary party for his studio Electrical Audio. Among the performers at the Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia) are Man or Astro-Man?, Screaming Females, and Dianogah. Noon, $20-$40 Sun 9/24: Erasing the Distance theater collective runs its inaugural [Sparkfest](—a weekend showcase of its works at the Filament Theatre (4041 N. Milwaukee). The company's goal is to destigmatize mental illness, and this festival highlights its methods using, in the words of the Reader's Justin Hayford, "two kinds of magic"—verbatim interviews turned into scripts, and actors who eloquently honor their roles. Check [erasingthedistance.org]( for a complete list of showtimes. Various times,$15 in advance, $20 at the door, passes $33-$72 For more stuff to do this weekend—and every day—check out our [Agenda]( page. --------------------------------------------------------------- [In this week's Issue]( [No small Plan for Transformation]( Over the last decade, photographer David Schalliol has been diligently [documenting the demolition and reconstruction of the city's public housing](. Selections from the series are now on display as part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial. The [Amazon HQ2 deal]( could sell Chicagoans down the river. How Chicago prepared [Jordan Klepper]( for Comedy Central The [Growing Concerns Poetry Collective]( asks all races to fight racism. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Banned Books Week gets entertaining]( posted by Tony Adler [Drew Peterson murder conviction upheld by Illinois Supreme Court, and other Chicago news]( posted by Kate Shepherd Copyright © 2017 Sun-Times Media, LLC. This email was sent by: Chicago Reader, Sun-Times Media, LLC., 350 N. Orleans, 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654 [Unsubscribe/update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To change or update your newsletter subscription preferences, or to unsubscribe from all Chicago Reader and Straight Dope newsletters and promotional communications, [click here](. Please allow 72 hours for this change to take effect.