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THIS WEEK
OLLI EVENTS (Registration required, scroll down for more details.)
OLLI MEMBER NEWS
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Photos from OLLI Spring Study Groups — The Creative Spark and Life, Love, and Laughter: A Nora Ephron Sojourn
OTHER INFORMATION
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Wirtz Center — Cold winter? See what’s warming up the Wirtz stages this winter!
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Northwestern Library information
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National Resource Center for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (NRC)
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OLLI Office information
Scroll down to learn more.
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Free Member Event
Comedy vs. the Apocalypse
Friday, April 4, 1:00pm–2:20pm
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Location: Online via Zoom
Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants the morning of the event.
Nowadays everyone’s inbox is filled with memes, cartoons and jokes about our continuing political, economic and environmental disasters. And even though each joke is another reminder of a horrible situation, we laugh. Why?
Because we have to; laughter is critical in terrible times because it reminds us we can still feel joy, and that the purpose of life is to do more than just survive. No matter the circumstances, people always crave what author Phillip Pullman calls “the value of simple delight.”
The program “Comedy vs. the Apocalypse” looks at how comedy fights tragedy with a different kind of distancing: lightening up frightening things by making them seem ridiculous. And laughter’s benefits are more than just psychological; physicians have long known that humor has real health effects.
Join David Misch, Mel Brooks, Samuel Beckett, Sarah Silverman, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy and Key & Peele to see how comedy laughs at tragedy—from the Black Death to the Holocaust to 9/11; how it’s happening now; and how humor can help get us to tomorrow.
HOSTED BY THE OLLI ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT COMMITTEE
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David Misch has been a comic folksinger, stand-up comedian, and screenwriter; his credits include “Mork and Mindy,” “The Muppets Take Manhattan,” and “Saturday Night Live.” His Funny: The Book has been called “the best book on comedy ever
written by David Misch.” He’s taught comedy and now lectures at many prestigious institutions around the world.
| | This event is free and open to all OLLI members. Registration is required through the OLLI online registration system (Augusoft). | |
OLLI & Wirtz Theater Immersive Experience
Man of La Mancha
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Dates & Times:
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Friday, April 4, 1:15pm–3:15pm: Background and context on Wirtz’s version of the play with guests from the cast and artistic teams. Q&A and discussion.
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Friday, April 11, 1:15pm–3:15pm: Backstage tour and presentation from design and creatives.
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Friday, April 25, 7:30pm: Opening night performance and post-show talkback.
Location: Ethel M. Barber Theater, 30 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston
Cost: $40/person. Includes all three above sessions.
(Attendance at all three sessions is recommended but not required.)
Go behind the scenes at Northwestern University’s Wirtz Center to learn from and interact with artists producing the upcoming production of Man of La Mancha.
Man of La Mancha was originally set during the Spanish Inquisition. This re-imagined version, directed by theatre department chair and Goodman Theatre Resident Director Henry Godinez, is set in a detention center on the US-Mexico border, where a growing group of migrants from across the world are looking for safety and opportunity. The rousing score includes the classic numbers “The Impossible Dream,” “I, Don Quixote,” “Dulcinea,” “I Really Like Him” and “Little Bird.”
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Director Henry Godinez talks about the production, plus rehearsal clips:
Join Us on This Quest
https://youtu.be/zJFYpTH4YJM
A Reimagined Musical Treasure
https://youtu.be/B_fT0gMUuNk
Man of La Mancha: Something for Everyone
https://youtu.be/oX1qDOekI7A
More information:
Man of La Mancha flyer
| | Registration is open to OLLI members and a guest. You will need to log in to the OLLI Online Registration System (Augusoft). | | | |
Registration Now Open
Idea Week for Summer and Fall Study Groups
Dates: Monday, April 7–Thursday, April 10
Location: In-person in Chicago and Evanston with online Zoom access
All Members are Welcome to Participate!
Summer and Fall planning, idea exchange, and connections. Join us as we begin forming and sharing study group ideas, making connections among coordinators, and creating an exciting and creative list of catalog selections. Be a part of the energy for more outstanding terms at OLLI!
Think creatively about your texts and topics. Consider new or under-represented topics like philosophy, economics, religion, anthropology, recent history. Consider podcasts, streaming series', credible YouTube channels, museums, Ted Talks, magazines, journals, books, and more. Find a list of study group resource ideas here.
- Call for Summer Proposals is April 6–April 20.
- Call for Fall proposals is May 4– May 18.
HOSTED BY THE OLLI CHICAGO AND EVANSTON STUDY GROUP COMMITTEES
Please register at the following links if you will participate remotely via Zoom. Zoom meetings will be streamed in Chicago and in Evanston for those who wish to attend and participate in person with fellow OLLI members (room number to be announced, please watch the OLLI newsletter).
Monday, April 7
12:00pm–1:00pm
3:30pm–4:30pm
Tuesday, April 8
12:00pm–1:00pm
Wednesday, April 9
12:00pm–1:00pm
3:30pm–4:30pm
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Second Session Added
From an Idea to a Proposal Workshop
for Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 study group offerings
Date: Friday, April 25
Time: 9:00am–12:00pm
Location: Chicago Wieboldt Hall, 339 E. Chicago Ave.
Interest in this free workshop has been overwhelming and the first date is full, so a second session has been scheduled on April 25. You must register to participate. See below for registration information.
Designed as a hands-on experience on how to turn an idea into a proposal and a successful study group, this workshop is for:
- Members who have an idea for a study group, but are not sure what to do next
- Those who have co-coordinated but did not participate in all aspects of planning, therefore have questions about offering their own study group
We will assist you to write and then refine your study group description, to complete the proposal form, and to construct your syllabus. We will also explore how to identify engaging resources and anticipate potential challenges in implementation.
There is no text for this workshop, but participants are expected to bring at least one idea for a study group that they would like to develop in a collaborative setting. We therefore ask that you come to the workshop with your study group idea and book (or other course material you plan to use), and that you be prepared to describe your study group idea to the group. We will listen to each person’s idea, then as a group we will discuss and offer constructive suggestions to help refine that idea. Next we’ll work through the process of transferring the ideas into the proposal software system. We’ll also discuss ideas for finding a co-coordinator for your study group if you don't have one, as each fall and spring study group is expected to have two coordinators. Our goal is for participants to end the workshop with a fully developed study group plan.
HOSTED BY THE OLLI CHICAGO STUDY GROUP COMMITTEE
This event is free and open to all OLLI members but space is limited. You must register in order to participate. Registration is required through the OLLI online registration system (Augusoft).
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BYOL (Bring Your Own Lunch)
OLLI Brown Bag Lunch Week
Dates: Monday, April 21 through Thursday, April 24
Time: 11:45am–1:00pm
Location:
Chicago, Wieboldt Hall, 339 E Chicago Avenue (please check the digital signage for room number)
Evanston, 500 Davis Center, 7th floor lounge
Meet New Members—as well as Members New to you!
Bring your lunch and your appetite to meet, mingle, and engage with others.
Dessert and drinks will be provided by OLLI.
HOSTED BY THE OLLI CHICAGO AND EVANSTON MEMBER ENRICHMENT COMMITTEES
Members are invited to enjoy as many Brown Bag Lunch dates as they wish to attend, however please register so that we can plan the space (and dessert) accordingly.
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Recordings of Past Guest Lectures
OLLI members may log into their MyOLLINU account to view recordings of past OLLI Special Lectures.
- Go to MyOLLINU.com
- Click on the General Info button
- Click Lectures/Training Tab
- Click the title of the lecture.
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OLLI Spring Study Groups share photos from recent sessions
Top: The Creative Spark study group members with guest speaker Erica Fenton as they celebrate OLLI member Janet Lang's birthday.
Bottom: Life, Love, and Laughter: A Nora Ephron Sojourn study group members enjoy a chat with author Nora Ephron’s sister, Delia, over Zoom.
Do you have OLLI photos or news that you wish to share? Send them to olli@northwestern.edu
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Wirtz Center Winter 2025 Season
Cold winter? See what’s warming up the Wirtz stages this winter!
From comedy, dance to the Chicago premier of an inventive new musical, the Wirtz Center has something for everyone this Winter.
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Northwestern Library holds over 8 million items making it the 11th largest private university library.
Need help finding resources for your study group, or have other library-related questions?
Email Tracy Coyne: tracy-coyne@northwestern.edu
OLLI Research Guide
Additional information: Click Here.
| | National Resource Center for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (NRC) |
The mission of the National Resource Center is to help OLLIs thrive by connecting OLLIs to each other and to resources, collaborating with OLLIs and partner organizations, consulting with OLLI leaders to find solutions, and celebrating the camaraderie and growth of OLLIs and their members. Members can subscribe to their monthly newsletter to find out what is happening at OLLIs across the country.
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Chicago Office:
339 East Chicago Avenue
Wieboldt Hall, 4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60611
312-503-7881
M-F 8:30am–4:30pm
olli@northwestern.edu
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Evanston Office:
500 Davis Street
Suite 700
Evanston, IL 60201
847-467-1523
M-F 8:30am–4:30pm
olli@northwestern.edu
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Are you looking for the links that used to live in this space?
They have been moved to the top of the newsletter for easier access.
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