Chicago Performance Collective Manual Cinema Brings To Life Icon Gwendolyn Brooks

No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks brings to life the story of one of Chicago’s most beloved figures. She was an icon, a poet laureate, and a Pulitzer Prize winner. But she was also a treasured educator and mentor to the countless writers and children. They simply called her as their very own “Miss Brooks.”

Manual Cinema featuring Gwendolyn Brooks

Explore the beloved city of Gwendolyn Brooks through No Blue Memories

Weaving together poetry, storytelling, sound design, original music, and striking visuals,
No Blue Memories is an exploration of Brooks’s beloved city. Be engrossed in a story of how she navigated identity, craft, and politics over the course of one of the most remarkable careers in American literary history.

The performance combines intricate paper puppetry, live actors working in shadow, and an original score for an unforgettable multi-media experience.

No Blue Memories

Manual Cinema transforms the experience with theatricality and ingenuity

A Chicago-based performance collective, Manual Cinema uses vintage overhead projectors, multiple screens, puppets, actors, live feed cameras, multi-channel sound design. Plus, a live music ensemble to transform the experience of attending the cinema, imbuing it with aliveness, ingenuity, and theatricality.

No Blue Memories featuring a live jazz combo

No Blue Memories also features a live jazz combo to accompany the performance. Buy your tickets now. See you there!

Share This Event
Event Details
The Latest
La Valencia Hotel celebrating 100 years in La Jolla
La Valencia Hotel – La Jolla’s beloved Pink Lady – is turning 100 in 2026, and the centennial celebration is already underway. A full calendar...
Weaving Nets installation arts district liberty station
Arts District Liberty Station is bringing one of the most visually striking public art moments of the year to the North Promenade. Tejiendo Redes –...
Stella Jean's Ice Cream x Summer Fridays Collaboration
Stella Jean’s Ice Cream is teaming up with Summer Fridays for a three-day collaboration that turns the beauty brand’s new Sweet Summer Minis collection into...
Families Enjoying Shark Summer at Birch Aquarium
Shark Summer is back at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, running from early July through early August. The month-long program dives into the...
Moonshine Flats Cassie B
Check out the exciting moonshine flats moonshine beach summer lineup featuring diverse live music and entertainment throughout the season.
Community Gathering at the Switchfoot Bro-Am Beach Fest
Twenty-two years in, the Switchfoot Bro-Am has earned its place as one of Southern California’s most meaningful annual traditions. What started as a grassroots local...
Event Details
Upcoming Events
Bird's Eye View of Mission Bayfest
October 16, 2026
3:00 pm
  • Mariners Point
Mission Bayfest is heading back to the waterfront this fall, bringing three days of reggae, rock, and SoCal vibes to Mariner’s Point Park along the...
Tori Amos San Diego
August 26, 2026
7:30 pm
  • San Diego Civic Theatre
There are artists who put on a show, and then there’s Tori Amos – a force of nature who turns every performance into something genuinely...
RESET Beach Wellness Event
August 2, 2026
8:00 am
  • Mission Beach Park
SSBD and Almost Nakey are joining forces for RESET, a brand-new beachside event happening at Fit Social Club. It’s a full day of movement, recovery,...
Taste of Eastlake
July 24, 2026
6:00 pm
If you’re looking for a summer night out that actually means something, this one’s worth circling. The EastLake Educational Foundation is hosting its annual Taste...
Cinbarella Il-Tabarrosite
July 19, 2026
3:00 pm
  • California Center for the Arts
If you’ve never seen an opera and a ballet tell the same story back to back – in the same afternoon – this is your...
Event Search: