Friday | November 6
U of C alumnus and WWII veteran Edward W. Wood Jr. (Ph.B. ’47) is one of five former soldiers featured in The Good Soldier. The film features the veterans of the past four American wars—WWII, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Iraq—to explore what it means to be a good soldier and how that meaning changes in actual combat. (164 North State Street, 8:15 p.m., $7)
Saturday | November 7
Catch Howard Zinn, renowned historian and author of A People’s History of the United States, at the International House. Zinn will be speaking on the power of common people in changing the course of history and will answer questions at the end of the talk. (International House, 7 p.m., suggested donation)
UT presents its 6th week show, Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things, directed by fourth-year Toby Tieger. Individuality and morality wrestle for dominance in this tale of four college students whose relationships are twisted and crumpled by one man’s attempt at self-improvement. The development of the protagonist, Adam, and his fascination with wild-child Evelyn challenge the boundaries between autonomy and conformity. (Reynolds Club 1st Floor Theater, 8 p.m., $6)
Sunday | November 8
According to author Jonathan Lethem, his latest book Chronic City is about “a circle of friends that includes a faded child-star actor, a cultural critic, a hack ghostwriter of autobiographies, and a city official.” The chronicler of Generation X’s collective angst will be interviewed by radio host Victoria Lautmann as part of the 20th-annual Chicago Humanities Festival. (111 South Michican Avenue, 12 p.m., free)
Monday | November 9
The Renaissance Society presents Joe McPhee’s Survival Unit in a performance at Bond Chapel. The innovative free jazz saxophonist is appearing with Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and Michael Zerang on percussion. (Bond Chapel, 8 p.m., free)
Tuesday | November 10
Join experimental musicians Haptic and video artist Lisa Slodki at an informal gallery talk hosted by the Museum of Contemporary Art. The artists’ collaboration is currently featured in the museum’s 12×12 exhibit, where Haptic and Slodki perform every Tuesday night with live music and a video installation. (220 East Chicago Avenue, 6 p.m., free)
Doc Films is showing a special advance screening of Werner Herzog’s newest film Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. Co-starring Eva Mendes and Val Kilmer, Bad Lieutenant is set in post-Katrina New Orleans and follows Nicolas Cage as a good-cop-gone-bad who, through his relationship with a drug drealer, finds himself involved in the murder of Senegalese immigrants. The film’s producers, Gabe and Alan Polsky, will be at the screening and at a question-and-answer session afterward. (Max Palevsky Cinema, 9 p.m., free)
Wednesday | November 11
Learn about the 2,000-year-old Sea of Galilee Boat discovered in Israel in 1986 at the Oriental Institute’s Members Lecture. The lecture will focus on the fishing boat’s dramatic discovery and excavation as well as its historical significance for Christianity and Judaism. (Oriental Institute, 7 p.m., free)
Thursday | November 12
Watch the winning submissions for the Chicago IN: 60 Seconds video competition at a special screening and reception at the Smart Museum. This year, the contest’s theme was “the heart of Chicago,” which challenges aspiring filmmakers to connect the University with America's heartland and the Midwest. (Smart Museum, 5:30 p.m., free)
New-wave band Devo shows that they can still whip it as the band embarks on its umpteenth national tour to promote its first album since 1990. Twenty years later, the band still performs in yellow jumpsuits and red energy-dome hats. Devo co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh wrote the opening theme for Rugrats. (3145 North Sheffield, 8 p.m., $40)
Have an event you’d like to see in STD? E-mail christineyang@uchicago.edu.
