Fall 2026 Comm Arts Playbook

Fall 2026 Art, dance, film, literary, music and theatre events

Grammy award-winning musicians Dave Pietro and Scott Wendholt Page 2

Pulitzer Prize finalist and NYT best selling author Rebecca Makkai Page 6

MUSIC

50th Annual Guest Artist Concert featuring Saxophonist Dave Pietro Sunday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m.

Mainstage Theater Saxophonist, composer and educator Dave Pietro joins the Monday Night Jazz Ensemble for an exciting evening of big band jazz. Pietro, a multiple GRAMMY award winner, has toured with Harry Connick, Jr., Maynard Ferguson, Ray Charles, Maria Schneider, David Bowie, Michael Feinstein, Rosemary Clooney and Liza Minnelli. He is currently the Director of Jazz Studies at New York University.

Dave Pietro will give a free masterclass on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Room P-101 on the CLC Grayslake Campus. Open to the public.

50th Annual Guest Artist Concert featuring Trumpeter Scott Wendholt Sunday, Nov. 8 at 4 p.m.

Mainstage Theater Trumpeter Scott Wendholt joins the Monday Night Jazz Ensemble for a dynamic presentation of big band jazz. A veteran of the New York city jazz scene, Wendholt has played in the Carnegie Hall jazz band, as well as bands lead by Bob Mintzer, Maria Schneider, Toshiko Akiyoshi and for the past 20 years has been a featured soloist with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (formerly Thad Jones/Mel Lewis). He is also on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.

Scott Wendholt will provide a free masterclass on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Room P-101 on the CLC Grayslake Campus. Open to the public.

Fall Wind Ensemble Concert

Holiday Wind Ensemble Concert

Choral Ensembles Fall Concert

Concert Band Holiday Concert

Sunday, Oct. 11 at 4 p.m.

Mainstage Theatre

Saturday, Oct. 24 at 4 p.m.

Mainstage Theatre

Sunday, Dec. 6 at 4 p.m.

Mainstage Theatre

Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Mainstage

Holiday Choral Concert Saturday, Dec. 5 at 4 p.m.

Mainstage Theatre

Instrumental Music Auditions Open to the Community

Wind Ensemble Auditions Thursday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 pm P-101 Monday Night Jazz Ensemble Auditions for saxes, trumpets, and trombones Monday, Aug. 17, 7:30 pm P-101

Monday Night Jazz Ensemble Auditions for rhythm section (guitar, piano, bass, and drums) Monday, Aug. 24, at 7:30 pm P-101 For information, contact Michael Flack at com422@clcillinois.edu or (847) 543-2566.

“I take great pride in presenting a diverse repertoire of choral music to our community. Music serves as a unifying force that brings together various cultures, allowing us to revel in and share our collective passion for music. This is one of the many reasons I am passionate about my work.”

- Mitch Lewis Music Professor and Director of Choirs

1 Buy Tickets: jlcenter.clcillinois.edu • (847) 543-2300

Book and Lyrics by Robert Kauzlaric Music by Paul Gilvary and William Rush Adapted from the book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith Mainstage Theatre

School group matinees

Friday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m.

Thursday & Friday

Saturday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m.

Sept. 24 & 25 at 10 a.m.

Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m.

Especially suited for grades K-6 Approximate running time: 60 minutes

There are two sides to every story, and when the Big, Bad Wolf takes the stand in Piggsylvania’s Trial of the Century, he finally gets his say. But whether he’ll get a fair trial in a corrupt piggy court is anyone’s guess. Will the pigs’ splashy puppet show make a puppet out of justice, or is the wolf’s catchy song and dance about a sneeze gone wrong all razzle-dazzle? Enter the jury box and decide the fate of Big ‘n’ Bad in this musical adaptation of the hit children’s book.

The True Story Of The 3 Little Pigs! is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

THEATRE

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Clue Based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn Written by Sandy Rustin Additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price Based on the Paramount Pictures Motion Picture Based on the Hasbro Board Game Clue Original Music by Michael Holland Studio Theatre Friday & Saturday, Nov. 6 & 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m.

Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 12, 13 & 14 at 7:30 p.m.

It’s a dark and stormy night, and our cast of oddball characters has been invited to a very unusual dinner party. Each of the guests has an alias; the butler offers a variety of weapons and the host is, well, dead. So whodunit? Join the iconic oddballs known as Scarlet, Plum, White, Green, Peacock and Mustard as they race to find the murderer in Boddy Manor before the body count stacks up. Based on the cult classic film and the popular board game, Clue is a madcap comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist.

Clue is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Dramatists Play Service. www.concordtheatricals.com

Theatre Production Auditions Open to the Community

The True Story of 3 Little Pigs Auditions Aug. 18 & 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Studio Theatre

Clue Auditions

Winter Production Auditions

Sept. 14 & 15 at 6:30 p.m.

Studio Theatre

Nov. 30 & Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Studio Theatre

2 Buy Tickets: jlcenter.clcillinois.edu • (847) 543-2300

DANCE

2026 Winter Dance Concert Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 & 7:30 p.m.

Mainstage Theatre The CLC Dance Company believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to dance and to develop as a professional artist, regardless of experience, background or finances. Auditions are open to all dance-loving CLC students and community members who wish to perform.

Company members are coached by faculty and professional choreographers throughout the semester and present two Mainstage Concerts a year. Dance styles include all variations of the movement arts including contemporary, hip hop, ballet, tap, jazz, Latin, yoga, circus arts and more.

Winter Dance Concert Auditions Thursday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m.

Experimental Theatre Note: Dance shoes are not required, but if you have tap or jazz shoes, please bring them. You do not need to prepare any material ahead of time. Meet new people and have fun dancing with our supportive community.

For information, contact Valerie Alpert at valpert@clcillinois.edu or (847) 543-2432.

“Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”

- Martha Graham

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TICKETS: jlcenter.clcillinois.edu • (847) 543-2300

The Robert T. Wright Community Gallery of Art at CLC offers visual art experiences ranging from community group shows to contemporary artists pushing the limits of creativity. Connect with us by viewing or participating in an exhibition.

The Threshold, work by artists Sheri Rush + Matt Irie Aug. 24-Sept. 22 Reception: Friday, Aug. 28 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

What exists at the boundary of what we see and what we feel? The Threshold brings together the large-scale abstract works of Sheri Rush and Matt Irie—two creators navigating the friction of the modern experience.

While one finds tension in the spiritual pulse of the natural world, the other navigates the disillusionment of our simulated reality.

Through shared palettes and kinetic gestures, this exhibition explores that thin, energetic line where the physical world ends and something else begins.

Sheri Rush, I Don’t Sleep, I Dream, acrylic and oil on panel, 48 x 60 in., 2025

Recent Works 2026 Juried Exhibition of Art from Tri-County Artists Oct. 2-29 Reception: Friday, Oct. 2 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

The gallery is proud to present its 46th Annual Juried Exhibition, featuring all fine art media from talented artists residing or working in Lake, Cook and McHenry counties. Be sure to experience this exceptional display of local artistry.

Matt Irie, Intimate Thunder, Collaged acrylic latex on panel, 44 x 32 in., 2023

Structure, Shadow, and Perception: Art by Anthony Adcock, Andrew Arkell, Darlys Ewoldt and Gary Gronlund Nov. 13-Dec. 10

ART GALLERY

Robert T. Wright Community Gallery of Art

Reception: Friday, Nov. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m.

How do we construct meaning from the world around us? The four artists in this exhibition offer an answer by inviting us to pause and look closer. Merging the physical world with internal memory, design, and shadow, their works elevate the ordinary— whether it is a utilitarian object, a familiar geometric form, or a seasonal transition. Through precise, disciplined techniques that mimic printmaking, architecture, and optical illusion, these artists distort the line between reality and representation, inviting us to celebrate the intricacies of light, form, and structural harmony.

CLC Annual Fall Ceramics Sale Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Presenting unique, handmade pieces created by students from the CLC Ceramics Department. Profits from the sale go to fund the ceramics visiting artist program, field trips, conferences and new equipment for the studio.

Gallery Hours Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday - Closed Hours vary during college breaks Laura LaRue, Bea, encaustic, oil, pastel, 16 x 20 in.

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INTERNATIONAL FILMS

CLC International Film Series All screenings are free and take place at 7 p.m. in Room D100 at Grayslake Campus.

Thursday, Sept. 10

It Was Just an Accident (Iran/France, 2025) We’ve screened Iranian films before, but it’s embarrassing that this is our first from Jafar Panahi, who was arrested in 2010, banned from filmmaking for twenty years, served seven months of his prison sentence and never stopped making movies! His most accessible work, and winner of the Palme d’Or, It Was Just an Accident depicts victims kidnapping a man that they are convinced was their former torturer, then debating next steps.

“Watch it and it will linger in your mind. It’s a movie for Iranians, of course, but it’s valuable for any society hoping to one day mend a divided country.” - Associated Press

Thursday, Oct. 1

Nirvanna: The Band - the Show - the Movie (Canada, 2025) Matt and Jay have been friends forever and have been wanting their band to play Toronto’s Rivoli Club for nearly as long. However, outlandish promotional stunts interest them more than music practice. When a scheme to skydive from the CN Tower into a baseball stadium backfires spectacularly, the cracks in their partnership become hard to ignore. Did I mention this is also an unauthorized gonzo remake of Back to the Future? “[Director Matt] Johnson is nothing if not a punchy ringmaster of deadpan humor and his grab-bag mindset generates enough goodwill to appreciate the DIY brashness of it all.” - Los Angeles Times

Thursday, Nov. 5

The Secret Agent (Argentina, 2025) Brazil, 1977: Marcelo (Oscar-nominee Wagner Moura) returns to Recife, where his young son has been living with grandparents. Gradually, we learn why he left and why his return upsets the military dictatorship. Written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho (Neighboring Sounds), the film is an absorbing political thriller in the style of many ‘70s classics. But it is also self-aware, weaving in subplots on the seductive, nostalgic power of media images.

“Glorious … [it] ignores niceties and genre hierarchies, embraces high and low, and mixes the refined in with the crude, an approach that is at once aesthetic and ethical.” - New York Times

Thursday, Dec. 3

Away

(Latvia, 2019) After our triumphant screening of the recent animated Oscar-winner Flow, we agreed to reconvene a year later to watch the director’s similarly gorgeous, poetic first feature: Away. Spread the word and bring your kids! Like Flow, Away reveres nature and respects authentic animal behavior; this time, a human character is present, hopping on a motorcycle to escape a mysterious, amorphous creature while searching for a way off the island he parachuted onto.

“Somewhere between Hayao Miyazaki and Terrence Malick lies Away, a gorgeously made minimalist cartoon that’s long on beauty and breathtaking scenery.” - The Hollywood Reporter

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Sponsored by the Center for Global Engagement WARNING: Films may have adult content and may not be suitable for children. Subtitled when necessary.

For information, contact Chris Cooling at ccooling@clcillinois.edu or (847) 543-2623.

Reading and Conversation with Rebecca Makkai Thursday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m.

Room A001, Grayslake Campus Join us for a reading and conversation with acclaimed author Rebecca Makkai.

Rebecca Makkai is the author of the New York Times bestselling I Have Some Questions For You and the award-winning novel The Great Believers, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.

Submissions being accepted for Willow Review and Prairie Voices VOLUME LIII

The Willow Review is an award-winning, non-profit literary journal published annually at College of Lake County. We accept year-round submissions of up to five poems or short fiction and creative nonfiction up to 7,000 words. Submissions should include a cover letter and indicate how many manuscripts are enclosed for consideration.

Work must be unpublished and accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Manuscripts will not be returned unless requested. For information contact Miguel Jimenez at mjimenez6@clcillinois.edu.

WILLOW REVIEW

Submissions are due by Jan. 20, 2027, and must be mailed to: Willow Review College of Lake County 19351 West Washington Street Grayslake, IL 60030-1198

LITERARY ARTS

Every semester CLC invites published authors, community members, faculty and students to share their work, be in conversation and celebrate talent across genres. These events are free and open to the public. Join us this fall for engaging literary experiences.

SPRING 2026

WILLOW REVIEW 2026

Prairie Voices at CLC has been recognized as an “Excellent” magazine by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) program. This is the most recent recognition for Prairie Voices and builds on a number of awards the magazine has received over time. It is a collection of works by literary and visual art students and is published annually in April.

View the award-winning Prairie Voices magazine here:

Send submissions along with a brief autobiographical statement to: Dr. Nick Schevera via e-mail at com409@clcillinois.edu by Friday, Dec. 4.

CLC is committed to maintaining an environment free from harassment and discrimination for everyone and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other protected status. Responsibility for coordination of compliance efforts and receipt of inquiries has been delegated to the Title IX and Compliance Coordinator, 19351 W.Washington St., Grayslake, IL 60030 (847) 543-2464.

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Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Grayslake, IL Permit No. 53

19351 W. Washington St. Grayslake, IL 60030-1198 www.clcillinois.edu

Accessibility The James Lumber Center is ADA-compliant. It is wheelchair accessible and offers assistive listening devices, Braille signage and other amenities. For accessible seating, please contact the Box Office. To arrange for other accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter, please contact the Box Office at least two to three weeks in advance at (847) 543-2300.

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