Author: WBEZ Chicago

Legendy playwright August Wilson – considered one of the most important Black voices in theater – wrote the story of his life in the play How I Learned What I Learned. Today, that script is coming to life in a one-man show at the Broadway Playhouse in Water Tower Place. And Chicago-bred actor Harry Lennix (The Blacklist, Matrix Reloaded) is stepping into the role of August Wilson himself. How I Learned What I Learned is on a limited run until May 5, and Reset sits down with the actor for more on what audiences can expect. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Producer: Max Lubbers Editor: Meha AhmadWhile anyone can get scammed, older adults tend to face higher fraud losses. Victims over the age of 60 lose a collective $28.3 billion annually to scams or financial abuse, according to an AARP report. Still, people of any age can fall for these and other scams. Reset learns more about how to protect yourself and your loved ones with Chicago Sun-Times’s Stephanie Zimmerman, Wayne State University’s Peter Lichtenberg, and Chicago Fed’s Leslie McGranahan. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset. Mixer: Brenda Ruiz

This week marks the 100 year anniversary of the first radio broadcast of National Barn Dance in Chicago. That's a variety show that predates the Grand Ole Opry and is credited with popularizing country music. And it's high time that the genre writ large acknowledges the history and role of Black musicians and fans in shaping the genre, says Francesca Royster, author of "Black Country Music: Listening For Revolutions." We sat down with her to learn more about the history, the opportunity of this moment and of course, to dig into Beyoncé's latest album, "Cowboy Carter."

MIKE is on tour performing his latest album “Pinball,” produced in collaboration with Tony Seltzer. You can catch him at Metro next week. The 25-year-old artist tells Reset about keeping it real in his music, his friendship with the legendary Earl Sweatshirt and other friends out with new music. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Tensions rise between Chicago’s top cop and oversight agency. City Council delays vote on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s bond plan. Protesters block the road to O'Hare to raise awareness on war in Gaza. Reset goes behind the headlines of those stories and many more in our Weekly News Recap with Brandon Pope of CW26, Alex Nitkin of the Illinois Answers Project for the Better Government Association, and Sam Charles of the Chicago Tribune. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Tensions rise between Chicago’s top cop and oversight agency. City Council delays vote on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s bond plan. Protesters block the road to O'Hare to raise awareness on war in Gaza. Reset goes behind the headlines of those stories and many more in our Weekly News Recap with Brandon Pope of CW26, Alex Nitkin of the Illinois Answers Project for the Better Government Association, and Sam Charles of the Chicago Tribune. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

According to the USDA, about one third of food produced in the United States is never eaten and ends up in landfills, where it produces methane that contributes to climate change. Additionally, all of the fuel, water and resources that went into growing and transporting the food is wasted. Reset hears from local chef Devon Quinn and food writer Lisa Shames on their tips and tricks for creatively reusing ingredients rather than adding to a landfill. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Libraries are a haven of free access to books, movies, magazines, and even social supports. But those spaces have faced attacks and an unprecedented number of book bans – 4,349 instances of book bans across 23 states – in just the last half of 2023. Reset talks with Emily Drabinski, the head of the American Library Association, on why the county is divided between attacking and protecting libraries. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The first episode of the variety show Barn Dance aired on WLS on April 19, 1924. An event honoring this anniversary imagines what an episode of the show would sound like in 2024, with musicians, historical context and performances. It will be broadcast live on WFMT. Reset learns about the history of country music in Chicago, how the scene has evolved and what characterizes the sound today with Chicago historian Paul Durica, author Francesca Royster, Lawrence Peters of the Lawrence Peters Outfit, and musical director Jefferey Thomas. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.