In west suburban Lombard, inside the corner restaurant Gnarly Knots, Funi McLoughlin is hard at work, making soft pretzels.

Annie Baker’s Obie Award-winning Circle Mirror Transformation is one such play. This production by Next Act Theatre is under the direction of artistic director Cody Estle, who says in his program ...

In an exclusive excerpt from her new book The Book of Alchemy, Suleika Jaouad reflects on how the devastating effects of the disease changed her relationship with her body.