The Frunchroom hosts two shows during Beverly Art Walk Week

The Frunchroom, the original live storytelling series about the South Side of Chicago, celebrates Beverly Art Walk Week with two shows in Beverly and Morgan Park.

The first all-new show will be at 730pm on Tuesday, September 24th at Beverly Arts Center (2407 W 111th St, Chicago). The Frunchroom is presented in partnership with The Alliance, the organization responsible for local arts events like The Beverly Art Walk, the Backyard Music Series and the Uprising Market.

Storytellers scheduled to appear at the Beverly Arts Center are Jennon Bell Hoffman (host, Funny Ha-Ha), Adrienne Brown (author, The Residential is Racial: A Perceptual History of Mass Homeownership), Dr. Carla Carter (executive director, Beverly Arts Center), Raych Jackson (host, Big Kid Show), and Adrian Matejka (editor, Poetry magazine).

A $5 donation to benefit The Beverly Area Arts Alliance is requested. Beer, wine, and cocktails will be available at a cash bar.

In a unique twist, a second Frunchroom show will take place at Bookie’s Chicago (10324 S. Western Ave, Chicago) on Saturday, September 28th to coincide with The Beverly Art Walk. Former Frunchroom readers will perform at 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm with two readers performing at the top of each hour.

Scheduled to appear at Bookie’s are Tina Jenkins Bell, Elaine Hegwood Bowen, Sheila Maloney, Evan Moore, Bill Savage, and Angel Simmons.

“Bookie’s represents the same independent spirit that is present at each Frunchroom show,” said Scott Smith, host of The Frunchroom. “Without the Art Walk, there wouldn’t be a Frunchroom. I’m glad to have the opportunity to bring all of these forces together.

“As a bookseller and educator, I have an obligation to promote literacy and the arts in the community,” said Keith Lewis, owner of Bookie’s. “This includes providing a space for people to come together and meet authors, storytellers, and other book lovers.”

The Frunchroom has played to packed houses since it began in April 2015 and has called the Beverly Arts Center home since October 2017. Bookie’s has specialized in diverse new and used books for the South Side of Chicago since 1989.

Previous Frunchroom readers include local residents and business owners; radio and podcast hosts, teachers, poets, politicians and artists. In addition, the show has featured reporters and anchors from the Chicago Tribune, South Side Weekly, Bloomberg News, WBEZ-FM and WGN-TV.

About The Frunchroom: The Frunchroom is a quarterly live storytelling series of, by, and about the South Side, produced by Morgan Park resident Scott Smith in partnership with The Beverly Area Arts Alliance. More information can be found at thefrunchroom.com or at beverlyarts.org.