Fran Zell – Splash Magazines

Nova Scotia Through an Artist’s Eyes

December 2, 2022 Fran Zell 0

By Fran Zell Joy Snihur Wyatt Laking is wearing her studio clothes —blue jeans speckled with paint and a sturdy sweater —when I arrive at her gallery, a large gracious space adjacent to her royal […]

National Merit – A Bittersweet Lesson about Test-Taking

September 2, 2022 Fran Zell 2

By Fran Zell There’s an ominous new (to me) parking regulation sign I’ve run across recently on my travels around Chicago. “15 MINUTE STANDING ZONE,” it reads in capital letters at the top. “TOW ZONE,” […]

Hollywood Magic in Nova Scotia

August 13, 2022 Fran Zell 1

By Fran Zell Parrsboro, Nova Scotia (population 1100) is such a little-known treasure of a town that when Itold the Canadian border agent at Bridgewater, Maine where I was headed he said, “Where isthat?” “It’s […]

Middle Passage – A Multi-Layered Epic Adventure

April 28, 2022 Fran Zell 0

by Fran Zell Like the celebrated novel it is based on, Middle Passage which opened this week at Chicago’s Lifeline Theatre, is a multi-layered epic adventure that questions the meaning of freedom and the way […]

Passing the Torch with Chicago Cabaret Professionals

April 8, 2022 Fran Zell 0

by Fran Zell An alliance of vibrant musical talent known as the Chicago Cabaret Professionals gave its first live Musical Monday concert since before Covid-19 this past Monday at the city’s Old Town School of […]

Mipso/Old Town School of Folk Music – Beautiful Songs

March 16, 2022 Fran Zell 0

by Fran Zell Most of the heartbreakingly beautiful songs performed by the North Carolina-bred, fourpiece Mipso can be found online or in one of six albums released since its post collegiate debut in 2013. But […]

Relentless Review – Stories From the Black Victorian Era

January 30, 2022 Fran Zell 1

By Fran Zell These things are always with us: Hatred, violence, and racism. They are Relentless, as embodied in the title of Tyla Abercrumbie’s gripping new play, having its world premiere with TimeLine Theatre Company […]

When Harry Met Rehab – Well Paced and Polished

December 7, 2021 Fran Zell 1

By Fran Zell Did you know? One out of ten drivers on the road at any given time is legally drunk. They will likely drive under the influence 80 times before they receive a DUI. […]

“Princess Diana Exhibition: Accredited Access” – First Ever Walk-Through Documentary

December 6, 2021 Fran Zell 0

By Fran Zell Driving along busy expressways en route to the “Princess Diana Exhibition: Accredited Access” at the Oakbrook Center mall in suburban Oak Brook, I can’t help but think about her tragic death at […]

Hundred Days Review – A Celebration of Life

November 21, 2021 Fran Zell 0

By Fran Zell On a chilly November night when I’m inclined to stay home, as I have done for so many nights since Covid, I instead find myself in a cozy, living room of a […]