Amy Ramsey
Mission: Make spring rolls with chef Shawn McClain.
Place: Common Threads, 4945 S. Dorchester Ave. 312-876-1289
Difficulty Level (1-5): 1
Experience: This after-school program started by Art Smith–Oprah’s personal chef–teaches kids about diversity through cooking, courtesy of a big-name guest chef (Spring and Green Zebra’s chef Shawn McClain was there my night). Cooking with children was a perfect start–any fear of looking like an idiot quickly disappeared after I realized everyone knew as much as I did, and helping the kids made it even more fun. While adults are there to assist the kids, I learned plenty during the lesson, which was about one of Thailand’s most popular dishes, spring rolls.
How did I do? Besides getting a chuckle from Shawn at my first attempt to actually roll a spring roll (mine fell apart), I felt I had somewhat mastered the technique by the third try.
Am I glad I did it? Damn straight. How often does someone get a chance to bombard a world-renowned chef (and quite a good-looking one at that) with questions like, “So is that how you julienne?” I was able to learn quite a lot just from talking with Shawn. I also took a small leap from my comfort zone, and my mother’s “Little Miss Picky” not only tried shrimp for the first time, but I also enjoyed it!
Michelle Hyde
Mission: Click at a Flick
Place: Loews Cinema, 600 North Michigan Ave.
Time: 6:30 p.m. mix and mingle; 8 p.m. movie. Every other Wednesday.
Difficulty Level: Conversing with guys at the event: 2. Sitting through “Elektra”: 5+.
Experience: Three tables were set up near the movie screen: Paraphernalia from sponsor Lavalife, an “icebreaker” table with boas and furry handcuffs, and my favorite table of the evening–the bar. I don’t know if it had anything to do with the spandex-clad Jennifer Garner flick, but the male-to-female ratio was about 2 to 1, A-OK with me. The men ran the gamut: 20s to mid-50s, waiters to real estate agents, and every level of intoxication. The man I sat next to during the movie, Englebert, brought his own vodka bottle to keep the party going.
How did I do? Next time, I intend to work on closing the deal. I tend to really bait the hook, get into a good conversation, and then bail when the possibility of a romantic exchange is in the air. Englebert gave me his laminated card, but I wasn’t bold in asking for numbers.
Am I glad I did it? I think it’s a really great experience I’d suggest to all singles. And, if you’re in the situation where you need to see a particularly heinous movie, bringing your own booze is a great way to win friends and influence people.
Sarah Rittner
Mission: Conquer a hip-hop/funk dance class.
Place: Crunch, 2727 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-477-8400
Price: $10
Difficulty Level: 4
Atmosphere: Typical fitness studio: hardwood floors, mirrored walls. Did I mention the pink and orange lighting? Fellow dancers were friendly twentysomethings of all shapes and sizes.
Experience: The class was advertised as a beginner’s course, but pre-class conversations–and warm-up stretches (did you know people can still do the splits?)–made it clear that all of the participants had extensive dance training. Within only a few minutes, the instructor, noted hip-hop dancer Adrian Dela Cruz, led the all-female class though an eight-count combo featuring more than 15 steps. I worried about people seeing me wiggle my butt (and whether I had a wedgie), but that quickly went away as the music started and I had to count, twist, turn and heel-toe, snap. I was too concerned with just getting the steps right. If you didn’t already know how to “drop it like it’s hot,” this wasn’t the class for you (luckily, I did). By the end of the hour-long session, my heart was racing, I had learned an in-depth routine, and I felt as if I may be able to try some of the moves on the dance scene.
Would I do it again? Yes, although I’d have to come equipped with more water, a towel, and some sort of pain reliever. You’ll be shaking muscles you didn’t even know you had!
Dan Han
Mission: Land a role in Arthur Miller’s “Incident at Vichy.”
Place: Steep Theater Co., 3902 N. Sheridan Rd. 312-458-0722.
Difficulty Level: 2
Experience: An audition’s kind of like a job interview, only you’re pretending to be someone else. I prepped with a monologue from “High Fidelity” where John Cusack describes the top five things he misses about Laura. As I practiced, I realized how intimidating auditioning is. I met with director Luke Haddon, but since it’s a non-speaking role, he didn’t ask me to perform. I was disappointed. I mean, after rehearsing for hours in front of the mirror, I was hoping to at least give it a shot. Another point: “Incident at Vichy” is set in 1942 France and revolves around a group of prisoners suspected of being Jewish. Now, the obvious question is can an Asian actor play a suspected Jew? Luke said that the play was very “loosely cast,” so it wouldn’t be a problem.
How did I do? I got the part! I can’t say how I would have done if Luke’s decision was based on an actual audition, but I’m still excited. (The play starts Feb. 23.)
Am I glad I did it? Yes! Now I can add a monologue to my repertoire and I’ll get some real experience with rehearsing and performing for an actual production.
Who are they?
The Resolutionaries are metromix’s new Reader Review crew–hand-picked by you, our readers–to put their New Year’s goals to the test. We’ve giving them coaches, classes, lessons and whatever else they need. Find their bios, pictures and more on metromix.com. Then come back next Wednesday to see where The Resolutionaries have been.
