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Since 2004 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place.

“I’m the mother and the grandmother of the blues,” Johnnie Mae Dunson declared in a 2005 interview with the Chicago Tribune, and I won’t argue. “When I first started playing in Chicago, in the ’40s, people said ugly things about a woman who plays the blues,” she recalled. “They said, ‘She must not be a woman if she plays the drums.’ They’d call me names. If they hit on me and I wouldn’t respond, they said I must be a lesbian.”

There’s nobody else in music history quite like Dunson, a no-nonsense drummer and singer who also wrote hundreds upon hundreds of songs. Women aren’t just rare as blues drummers; they often get short shrift in the genre across the board. Chicago blues scholar Dick Shurman called Dunson “one of the few ‘gutbucket’ blues women,” and pianist Jon Weber, who’s played with her, described her as “a walking history book, a real important person who, unfortunately, has been somewhat neglected.” 

Dunson was a vivid, unvarnished talent, raw and prolific and utterly uncompromising. She deserves to be more widely remembered, and that’s what the Secret History of Chicago Music is all about. 

Dunson was born Johnnie Mae Hudson near Bessemer, Alabama, in 1921. At age two she contracted rheumatic fever, which weakened her heart. “I was a miracle child,” she told Neal Pollack for a 1998 Reader story. “I been living on death row all my life.” 

“When I was 10 years old, I heard the doctors tell my mama, ‘She won’t live to be 14 years old.’ So my mama got a group of people to come to our house and they prayed for me,” Dunson explained to the Tribune. “And I believe at that time God gifted me with the music I have because He knew I wouldn’t be able to do any other kind of work.” 

Dunson left school at age ten due to her heart condition. She’d been singing gospel as long as she could remember, but she also soaked up the blues of Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, and Ma Rainey, which her mother liked to play on the Victrola. As she grew stronger in her teens, her singing style evolved into something rougher and grimier. 

Dunson’s mother liked fresh spring water, and when Dunson and her sister went to fetch it, Dunson would thump on the washtub they were carrying. She’d give her sister half her lunch to let her do it. “In that way,” Dunson told Pollack, “I am a self-taught drummer.”

In 1943, encouraged by visiting churchwomen from the Windy City who’d heard her sing, Dunson moved to Chicago. Back in Alabama, she’d taught herself how to treat hair, and to make money she pressed her west-side kitchen into service as a salon. Within a year she was also hanging out at the famed market on Maxwell Street, performing however she could. She remembers taking over the drum kit of veteran bluesman Eddie “Porkchop” Hines. “He had this little set down there, and he looked so tired,” she told Pollack. “He said, ‘Girl, you gonna mess up my drums.’ Then I played, and he told me to never stop.” 

Dunson started a hard-gigging trio named after Globetrotters Lounge on the west side, which often played clubs along Madison Street. For nearly 30 years, she played steadily on the south and west sides, in any combo she could. She played in the band of guitarist and harmonica player Jimmy Reed, and they became friends—she wrote songs for him and even managed him for a spell. Her rough, powerful voice and fierce drumming made a big impression everywhere she went.

“She could hold her own with anybody—nobody gave Johnnie Mae a hard time,” harmonica ace Charlie Musselwhite told the Tribune. He crossed paths frequently with Dunson when he lived in Chicago in the 60s. “People just looked at her, and they would think, ‘This is somebody I’m not going to mess with.’”

Dunson was no less formidable as a songwriter. She was known for carrying around a massive notebook of her compositions, and in her late 70s she claimed she could still write 25 songs in a day if left alone to do it. She said she’d written “Evil” for Muddy Waters (no relation to the even more famous Howlin’ Wolf song), and though BMI lists Waters as its author, the blues business famously suffers from more than its share of attribution issues. The many songs she wrote for Reed over the years include “I Wanna Be Loved,” “I’m Going Upside Your Head,” and “Life Won’t Last Me Long.” 

Dunson’s own recordings from this era are much thinner on the ground, unfortunately. She put out a single on Checker Records in 1965, “You’re Going Out That Door,” which is now next to impossible to find. In 1972 she and Reed released a couple 45s as a duo for the short-lived Magic label. Within a year or so, though, Dunson had all but vanished from the scene, and by the time Reed died in 1976 she’d withdrawn from performance completely.

The music business had never provided Dunson with much of a living anyhow—she usually didn’t control her copyrights, and she didn’t get much in the way of royalties when other artists recorded her songs. In the 60s and 70s she made money buying buildings to fix up, sometimes working demolition jobs—she could take down an interior wall by herself with a sledgehammer. At some point after that she ran a Madison Street diner, but I can’t find any details.

In 1992 bluesman Jimmie Lee Robinson, who’d retired from his job as a security guard, tracked Dunson down. By then Dunson’s home was in dire condition, and her health had declined steeply. She’d been in a wheelchair since ’88, and she relied on other people to bring her groceries. At first she was distrustful of him—she was holding a grudge because she’d heard he’d insulted Jimmy Reed, and he had to persuade her she’d been misinformed. But eventually they became friends and began playing music together in her backyard. 

Dunson’s ride canceled on her, and she arrived so late (having finally charmed a cabbie into driving her for free) that no one expected her to show. She arrived in black slacks and a black wig, carrying a gold sequined cane—but she hadn’t been able to get out to buy new shoes, so she was wearing house slippers. “As soon as she started singing, a lot of older black women started coming up to her and sticking dollar bills into her hand,” photographer and filmmaker James Fraher told Pollack for his Reader story. Fraher, also a member of the Maxwell Street coalition, had been making a documentary about Robinson. “She just knocked people out. It turned into a party on the street.”

Dunson later mentioned that the benefit jam was the first time she’d left her property in ten years. Her husband Andy Smith had died there in 1991, and she planned to do the same. Sadly, within weeks the city condemned her house and boarded it up with her things still inside—Pollack listed just some of them, including an antique icebox, a pump organ, two sets of drums, a Coca-Cola vending machine from the 1950s, and original copies of more than 600 of her songs. 

Fortunately Dunson was supported by her late husband’s military pension, and fellow blues vocalist Katherine Davis took her in temporarily. She’d seen Dunson at a second Maxwell Street benefit gig and started bringing her food and listening to her sing her songs, eventually offering her a room in her apartment.

Dunson’s house wasn’t saved, and by the time of the 2005 Tribune story, she was living in a small apartment of her own on the north side. She made several appearances at the Chicago Blues Festival after the release of Big Boss Lady, but on October 4, 2007, she died at age 86 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital of complications from intestinal issues.

At her first Maxwell Street appearance in 1998, Pollack quoted her speaking from the stage. “I’m gonna holler loud,” Dunson said, delivering a boast that makes a fitting epitaph for a tough, fearless blueswoman who survived for decades in a scene made for men. “You see, I’m a she-wolf, and I prowl all night long. . . . Ain’t gonna hang my head and cry.”

Read More

Since 2004 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place.

“I’m the mother and the grandmother of the blues,” Johnnie Mae Dunson declared in a 2005 interview with the Chicago Tribune, and I won’t argue. “When I first started playing in Chicago, in the ’40s, people said ugly things about a woman who plays the blues,” she recalled. “They said, ‘She must not be a woman if she plays the drums.’ They’d call me names. If they hit on me and I wouldn’t respond, they said I must be a lesbian.”

There’s nobody else in music history quite like Dunson, a no-nonsense drummer and singer who also wrote hundreds upon hundreds of songs. Women aren’t just rare as blues drummers; they often get short shrift in the genre across the board. Chicago blues scholar Dick Shurman called Dunson “one of the few ‘gutbucket’ blues women,” and pianist Jon Weber, who’s played with her, described her as “a walking history book, a real important person who, unfortunately, has been somewhat neglected.” 

Dunson was a vivid, unvarnished talent, raw and prolific and utterly uncompromising. She deserves to be more widely remembered, and that’s what the Secret History of Chicago Music is all about. 

Dunson was born Johnnie Mae Hudson near Bessemer, Alabama, in 1921. At age two she contracted rheumatic fever, which weakened her heart. “I was a miracle child,” she told Neal Pollack for a 1998 Reader story. “I been living on death row all my life.” 

“When I was 10 years old, I heard the doctors tell my mama, ‘She won’t live to be 14 years old.’ So my mama got a group of people to come to our house and they prayed for me,” Dunson explained to the Tribune. “And I believe at that time God gifted me with the music I have because He knew I wouldn’t be able to do any other kind of work.” 

Dunson left school at age ten due to her heart condition. She’d been singing gospel as long as she could remember, but she also soaked up the blues of Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, and Ma Rainey, which her mother liked to play on the Victrola. As she grew stronger in her teens, her singing style evolved into something rougher and grimier. 

Dunson’s mother liked fresh spring water, and when Dunson and her sister went to fetch it, Dunson would thump on the washtub they were carrying. She’d give her sister half her lunch to let her do it. “In that way,” Dunson told Pollack, “I am a self-taught drummer.”

In 1943, encouraged by visiting churchwomen from the Windy City who’d heard her sing, Dunson moved to Chicago. Back in Alabama, she’d taught herself how to treat hair, and to make money she pressed her west-side kitchen into service as a salon. Within a year she was also hanging out at the famed market on Maxwell Street, performing however she could. She remembers taking over the drum kit of veteran bluesman Eddie “Porkchop” Hines. “He had this little set down there, and he looked so tired,” she told Pollack. “He said, ‘Girl, you gonna mess up my drums.’ Then I played, and he told me to never stop.” 

Dunson started a hard-gigging trio named after Globetrotters Lounge on the west side, which often played clubs along Madison Street. For nearly 30 years, she played steadily on the south and west sides, in any combo she could. She played in the band of guitarist and harmonica player Jimmy Reed, and they became friends—she wrote songs for him and even managed him for a spell. Her rough, powerful voice and fierce drumming made a big impression everywhere she went.

“She could hold her own with anybody—nobody gave Johnnie Mae a hard time,” harmonica ace Charlie Musselwhite told the Tribune. He crossed paths frequently with Dunson when he lived in Chicago in the 60s. “People just looked at her, and they would think, ‘This is somebody I’m not going to mess with.’”

Dunson was no less formidable as a songwriter. She was known for carrying around a massive notebook of her compositions, and in her late 70s she claimed she could still write 25 songs in a day if left alone to do it. She said she’d written “Evil” for Muddy Waters (no relation to the even more famous Howlin’ Wolf song), and though BMI lists Waters as its author, the blues business famously suffers from more than its share of attribution issues. The many songs she wrote for Reed over the years include “I Wanna Be Loved,” “I’m Going Upside Your Head,” and “Life Won’t Last Me Long.” 

Dunson’s own recordings from this era are much thinner on the ground, unfortunately. She put out a single on Checker Records in 1965, “You’re Going Out That Door,” which is now next to impossible to find. In 1972 she and Reed released a couple 45s as a duo for the short-lived Magic label. Within a year or so, though, Dunson had all but vanished from the scene, and by the time Reed died in 1976 she’d withdrawn from performance completely.

The music business had never provided Dunson with much of a living anyhow—she usually didn’t control her copyrights, and she didn’t get much in the way of royalties when other artists recorded her songs. In the 60s and 70s she made money buying buildings to fix up, sometimes working demolition jobs—she could take down an interior wall by herself with a sledgehammer. At some point after that she ran a Madison Street diner, but I can’t find any details.

In 1992 bluesman Jimmie Lee Robinson, who’d retired from his job as a security guard, tracked Dunson down. By then Dunson’s home was in dire condition, and her health had declined steeply. She’d been in a wheelchair since ’88, and she relied on other people to bring her groceries. At first she was distrustful of him—she was holding a grudge because she’d heard he’d insulted Jimmy Reed, and he had to persuade her she’d been misinformed. But eventually they became friends and began playing music together in her backyard. 

Dunson’s ride canceled on her, and she arrived so late (having finally charmed a cabbie into driving her for free) that no one expected her to show. She arrived in black slacks and a black wig, carrying a gold sequined cane—but she hadn’t been able to get out to buy new shoes, so she was wearing house slippers. “As soon as she started singing, a lot of older black women started coming up to her and sticking dollar bills into her hand,” photographer and filmmaker James Fraher told Pollack for his Reader story. Fraher, also a member of the Maxwell Street coalition, had been making a documentary about Robinson. “She just knocked people out. It turned into a party on the street.”

Dunson later mentioned that the benefit jam was the first time she’d left her property in ten years. Her husband Andy Smith had died there in 1991, and she planned to do the same. Sadly, within weeks the city condemned her house and boarded it up with her things still inside—Pollack listed just some of them, including an antique icebox, a pump organ, two sets of drums, a Coca-Cola vending machine from the 1950s, and original copies of more than 600 of her songs. 

Fortunately Dunson was supported by her late husband’s military pension, and fellow blues vocalist Katherine Davis took her in temporarily. She’d seen Dunson at a second Maxwell Street benefit gig and started bringing her food and listening to her sing her songs, eventually offering her a room in her apartment.

Dunson’s house wasn’t saved, and by the time of the 2005 Tribune story, she was living in a small apartment of her own on the north side. She made several appearances at the Chicago Blues Festival after the release of Big Boss Lady, but on October 4, 2007, she died at age 86 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital of complications from intestinal issues.

At her first Maxwell Street appearance in 1998, Pollack quoted her speaking from the stage. “I’m gonna holler loud,” Dunson said, delivering a boast that makes a fitting epitaph for a tough, fearless blueswoman who survived for decades in a scene made for men. “You see, I’m a she-wolf, and I prowl all night long. . . . Ain’t gonna hang my head and cry.”

Read More

All of the most important people associated with the Chicago Bears were in attendance on Tuesday to welcome in the new Team President Kevin Warren. He is going to be the now-former Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference. Now, he will be moving to this role in the NFL.

Warren has learned his trade well as his time that proceeded the Big Ten was spent with several NFL teams including the Minnesota Vikings who he helped build a new state-of-the-art stadium for them to play at. It sounds like doing the same is a top priority for the Bears now.

That is wonderful news for Bears fans. Soldier Field is hard to get to, hard to find parking once you do get there, and hard to use the bathroom or grab a drink mid-game. The team that helped invent the NFL deserves to give its fans a much better experience than what they are.

It is on Ryan Poles (the general manager) and his staff with Matt Eberflus (the head coach) to get the product on the field right. It is on Warren to help guide them while getting this team where it needs to be in other areas. Getting a new stadium is a great start.

The Chicago Bears introduced Kevin Warren on Tuesday afternoon.

George McCaskey was the first to speak as he introduced Kevin Warren. He made some kind comments about him and his ability to lead this franchise. He also made it clear that he believes that “Papa Bear is smiling today”.

The Chicago Bears drafted Justin Fields in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Of course, he is the most important player in the organization so naturally, he was asked about Fields and what he thinks of him.

You might remember when Kevin Warren tried to shut down the entire Big Ten season during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. His intentions were to protect the players and nobody can ever say anything bad about that.

However, Justin Fields led the committee of people to try and get the players on the field in a timely and safe manner. This led to politics getting involved and eventually they played enough games to qualify as a league eligible for the College Football Playoff.

Fields and Warren have seemed to develop a relationship from that time of their lives. There is a good amount of respect there between the two people. Now, they will try and be important pieces for this franchise as they work toward winnings championships.

It also seems as if Kevin Warren is confident in his new team led by himself. He believes that the Chicago Bears have the best fans in the world and they are going to deliver championships for them. It was awesome to hear the passion that he has for the whole thing.

There is no doubt that Kevin Warren made a great first impression with his new team. They have a long way to go before they are good again but that is for Ryan Poles to worry about.

Between a plan to get a new stadium, a plan to rebuild the team, and some fresh new ideas that we’ve never seen from the Bears before, things are looking good right now. Hopefully, this all works out well.

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Adult cam sites are all the rage. There has never been a better time to interact with a live cam girl. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we all feel so isolated, and connecting with a live model is more satisfying than watching prerecorded videos.

These days, most adult actresses and models offer their services via virtual camming platforms. There are quite literally hundreds of thousands of cam girls you can video chat with, so how in the world do you choose? These cam sites deliver the goods in terms of adventurous women, seamless camming experiences, and sexual gratification. But each site is unique in its own special way. From private shows to free options and special performers, there is a lot to digest.

We’ve taken the time to break down which cam sites are best and why. Stick to this guide and you’ll certainly have the best cam experience possible.

The Best Adult Cam Sites of 2023

RankSiteBest For1.JerkmateBest modern cam website2.Sl*trouletteBest cam/chat hybrid3.ChaturbateBest overall cam site4.Flirt4FreeProfessional cam models5.ImLiveInnovative features6.Live Free FunBest sign up process7.MyFreeCamsBest free option8.Cherry.tvBest newcomer9.LiveJasminMost gorgeous models10.CamSodaBest for specific fetishes11.Cams.comTeledildonic features12.XcamsMost diverse cam models13.StreamateThousands of streams at any given time14.Lucky CrushRandom one-on-one cam shows15.StripchatBeautiful live stripteases16.BongacamsEasiest cam site to navigate17.BabestationBiggest UK cam site

1.  Jerkmate: Best modern new cam site

Jerkmate is a really unique cam site because it allows its users to filter the models they search for by personal preference. You can specify your preference in gender, kink, and even body type. It’s a matching system between viewers and cam girls, which makes it feel pretty special. Once you match with someone, you have the option of also becoming a cam model. You can stream a video of yourself watching the cam girl, which is pretty nice. Think of it as if Chatroulette, Tinder, and Chaturbate had a love child. Most people enjoy watching private cam shows because they are longing for a connection, sexual or otherwise. Jerkmate delivers that in spades.

Jerkmate also hires actual pornstars and professional cam girls to stream live. Going one-on-one with one of the pros is unlikely and really expensive. However, if you prefer your cam girl to be an actual pornstar, you can view their live shows with other users on the site. These women will expect you to give them tons of tokens if you want them to do anything specific, but this is pretty normal for camming websites.

Beyond the two unique and exciting options that Jerkmate provides, it’s also very easy to use. It’s got a modern feel to it and selecting a show to watch could not be easier. If you don’t love who you’ve been matched with, you can also browse the expansive list of categories that Jerkmate has to offer. Those categories range from BDSM to Sex Toys and everything in between. As far as pricing goes, it’s up to the model. Expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $100 per hour watching one of the Jerkmate shows.

Pros:

Models can see you if you want
Intuitive search function
Advanced personalized features

Cons:

This is a pricey option

2. Sl*troulette:Best chat/cam combo

Sl*troulette may not have quite the reputation as Chaturbate, but it’s been around quite some time—since 2010, in fact. That means they’ve got more than ten years’ experience in the cam game. And they deliver.

Sl*troulette is the X-rated version of Chat Roulette. Like Chat Roulette, Slut Roulette randomly pairs you up with another videocam. There’s no pressure—if you’re not feeling it, you can just keep clicking.

Overall, Sl*troulette is a fun spin on traditional cam sites given the randomness innate to its design. This may or may not appeal to you personally, however.

There are two main downsides to Sl*troulette. One, the sign-up process feels spammy and can be annoying. Two, there are a lot of pop-up ads on Sl*troulette, often even covering the video of the cam performer you’re trying to watch. That can get frustrating, as you might imagine.

Pros:

Worldwide camgirls 
Hottest categories 
Great private shows 
Previews pictures/photos of camgirls

Cons:

Basic tipping features 
Need to tip to access full nudity show

3. Chaturbate:Number one cam site in the world

There’s a good chance you’ve heard of Chaturbate. Not only is the name genius for a camgirl site, but Chaturbate has managed to stand the test of time. We can’t believe it’s been ten years since it was created back in 2011! It’s hailed as the best cam site available by millions of users because it has the most diverse and explicit portfolio of models who use the platform to stream.

When you get to the Chaturbate home page, you’ll be greeted with various thumbnails of women or scenes. That’s your sneak peek for what is to come when you actually click on one of these images. Immediately you’ll be launched into a wonderfully raunchy cam show completely free of charge. At first blush, it looks like most of these cam girls are doing solo shows, but once you take a deeper dive, you’ll find couples, threesomes, and other unique and interesting live shows to choose from. You can also search for shows by filtering by the huge list of categories or tags. Though busy looking, Chaturbate is very easy to navigate and explore with so many live feeds to watch for free.

You’re probably wondering if Chaturbate is completely free. The answer to that is both yes and no. While you can enter any live show for free, you are really walking into a teaser of sorts. The women on Chaturbate are trying to get you to eventually pay for a private show, which is what most people want anyway. We will admit though that the teasers are often very explicit and can usually get the job done before you even grab your wallet.

You likely will reach for your credit card though, because Chaturbate is famous for delivering satisfying one-on-one shows. They operate on a token system. As you spend more time watching the show, your tokens will begin to dwindle.

Pros:

Affordable
Best cam site available
Great one-on-one performances
You get a lot out of a free account

Cons:

Most models need to reach a certain token amount before they fully perform

Check out our complete Chaturbate review if you’re looking for more info.

4. Flirt4Free: Intuitive search function available

Boasting nearly 3 decades of sex cam savvy, Flirt4Free has really carved a niche for itself as the cam site for gentlemen of refined tastes. While some freemium sites might offer a grab bag of amateur models, F4F shines for fans who yearn for a premium, top-shelf experience.

Their homepage is populated by elite-level camgirls from all over the world who know how to cater to your every desire. They’re virtually all “hair and make-up ready” and dressed to kill in gorgeous lingerie. But while Flirt4Free boasts a premium experience, premium does not necessarily imply “vanilla.” Finding the fetish models to feed your kink is easy using an intuitive category filtering system.

The “Free” in Flirt4Free might seem like something of a misnomer at first glance. While there’s always something hot going down in any number of public chatrooms, the real spank-bank-worthy action is saved for pay-per-minute private shows. Judging from many of the model reviews, Flirt camgirls tend to appeal to fans who want to go deeper on their fantasies. The top models tend to be surrounded by devout followers who crave repeat performances.

But while pay-per-minute shows may seem be daunting cost-wise, many models offer cost conscious options like semi-private “multi-user” and “group shows.” Some even allow members to negotiate their private show rates before a performance.

Pros:

Premium quality cam girls
Great variety of fetish models
Easy to filter categories

Cons:

Can be pricey
Fewer models compared to freemium sites

5. ImLive: Old-school cam site with innovative features

ImLive is the granddaddy of cam sites. It’s been around for almost 20 years and has managed to continue to captivate viewers with the changing times. ImLive is a streaming site where models and couples perform sex shows for their audiences. There’s not much more to it. However, not all sex cam sites offer couples shows, so if you like watching two people get it on then ImLive is your best bet.

The pay structure at ImLive gives you options, which is a definite plus. You can either pay by the minute or send models tips. There are also plenty of models and shows to choose from, so you’ll never have a dull moment on this popular cam site.

From amateurs to professionals, members will find the girls online and ready for a great time 24/7, and purchasing credits (the site’s currency) is fast and easy.

ImLive has several innovative features, including share screen where members and the model can watch video or play an online game together.

Yes, ImLive dubs itself a free cam site, but we know what that really means. You can watch archived shows for free, but the live goods are going to cost you. The shows are usually worth it, but don’t expect a ton of interaction from the models. They tend to fall short in their personal relationships with viewers and fans; however, the shows themselves are a treat to watch.

Pros:

Great for watching couples
Different payment options
Free archived shows
Free amateur videos

Cons:

The models can be a little cagey at times

6.  Live Free Fun: Easy sign up

Live Free Fun calls itself “the secret guide to free live sex.” Let’s break that down a bit.If you’re willing to submit your email, then you can get a free account and start watching erotic webcams in no time. Since a lot of cam sites require memberships and/or paying the cammers through tips to get true X-rated content, Live Free Fun is a way to get good content for free.

The registration is straightforward, and you don’t have to worry about giving up sensitive information like a credit card. So, the benefits definitely seem to outweigh the risks.

This is a solid cam site with quality models.

Pros:

Free with email sign-up
Simple registration
Erotic webcams without having to tip

Cons:

Interface is a bit clunky

7.  MyFreeCams: Actual free shows

For those of you shopping for cam sites on a budget, there’s no better site for you than MyFreeCams, also known as Jerk N’ Cum. Yes, the shows on this site are actually free. This is obviously the biggest perk that MyFreeCams has to offer.

Because it’s free and the models don’t charge you to watch their shows, you might be skeptical of the quality but you truly have nothing to worry about. The women on MyFreeCams are as skilled as they are gorgeous. They are also down to get into some very kinky activity, which is why you’re watching cam girls in the first place!

The one thing that you can’t really access on this site is private chat or one-on-one video sessions. But what can you really expect from a cam site that doesn’t cost you a dime? You can of course purchase tokens on MyFreeCams and try your luck asking one of the models for a private show, but it’s not very likely to happen. These models are used to the dynamic of the site and aren’t normally willing to make an exception for anyone. These models also aren’t the most responsive to requests in their chat box. That’s potentially because it’s oversaturated with guys like you asking them to do a million different things. If you’re OK with just being a voyeur for free, MyFreeCams is a fantastic budget-friendly option for you.

If you decide that you’d like to pay for MyFreeCams because you can afford to or you’ve got extra cash lying around, you will be given the keys to their entire library of cam girl archives. You can check out their old videos. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but there are folks out there wholove it.

Pros:

Genuinely free
Fantastic performances

Cons:

Can’t view private shows

8.  Cherry.tv:Best new cam site

Cam sites such as Jerkmate and Chaturbate may have the lion’s share of attention, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of other sites popping up all the time. While many of these aren’t worth your trouble, some of them may turn out to be major competitors.

One such site is cherry.tv, from the people over at Cherry Models. The site has only recently gone live and is still in Beta mode, which means for now they only have cis-women and trans women cam girls. That said, the platform will be opened up to everyone in the next version. 

One cool thing about Cherry.tv is that it isn’t just another cam site like any other. They’re attempting to introduce more “gamification” to the concept, so cherry.tv allows models to “level up” by gaining experience points (xp). Streaming gets cammers XP as well as receiving certain gifts from fans. 

Cherry.tv won numerous awards in 2021, such as “Best Emerging Company” and “Emerging Web Brand of the Year.” They are also one of the best sites out there in terms of compensating streamers. So, if you want the vast majority of your hard-earned money to go to the actual cam model, then cherry.tv is a great option for you. 

Pros:

Relatively affordable
Fun, game-like interface
Streamers receive almost all of the tips

Cons:

In beta mode (no male models or couples)
Just started so not a ton of active models yet

9.  LiveJasmin: Known for having stunning models

The most noteworthy thing to say about LiveJasmin is that the women on this site are drop dead gorgeous. They are diverse, in shape, stunning, manicured, and all around perfect cam girls. You will notice this the minute you hop onto the home page. It looks extremely put together, modern, and professional.

These women don’t seem to be filming themselves from dimly lit bedrooms. Instead, it feels like a whole studio operation with professional porn stars. This is a pro for most, but some viewers enjoy that amateurish feel. If you are into the amateur stuff, then steer clear of LiveJasmin because it’s all top notch here. LiveJasmin is full of very recognizable and famous cam girl faces. That’s what makes it one of the best cam sites around.

Other than the beautiful stars and modern interface, there’s not much about LiveJasmin that makes it stand out (except for the fact that they have a nice mobile option, but who wants to watch a cam girl on their cell phone?). It’s set up like many other cam sites and takes you through the same process and the features are the same. A nice perk though is the fact that LiveJasmin caters to every type of gender and sexuality, giving it a distinctly diverse library of models and streams to choose from.

Pros:

Beautiful recognizable models
Mobile option
Range of genders, sexualities, and kinks

Cons:

No amateur option

10.  CamSoda: Cam girls with the best personalities

CamSoda operates like most cam sites do. There are free rooms that you can enter to view live adult cam shows, but if you want the women to do anything specific during the show, you will need to spend. However, CamSoda is really affordable. This is because the models don’t charge you per minute. It’s based solely on your donations.

The one drawback to CamSoda is their pricing structure. Most cam sites will allow you to enter free cam shows, but not before informing you of what you should tip the model or what each naughty activity costs. Getting a girl to perform a desired sexual act is going to require linking up with the other guys in the chat and pooling that money until the model’s “goal” is reached. Each model comes up with a different money goal per show and tries to seduce the viewers into paying up. You can’t blame them; camming is their job.

Private shows aren’t really a thing on CamSoda. However, the models on this cam site are very interactive. They actually pay a lot of attention to the chat as their show is live and they make you feel like you are actually in the room with them while they are performing. People have complained before that some models on CamSoda talk too much or spend too much time replying to their fans.

Pros:

Interactive models with personality
Caters to a variety of fetishes

Cons:

The models don’t list their prices per naughty activity

11.  Cams.com: Cam site with a teledildonics option

Cams.com is one of the more unique and advanced cam sites on this list. You might not know it by just visiting their website because initially, it looks like your average cam site. There are free shows that you can enter and you have the ability to filter by model, body type, and gender. This is one of the few sex cam sites that contains female shows in addition to male shows, trans shows, and nonbinary shows. We find that to be a huge plus as it caters to a much wider audience of viewers.

Cams.com is not only ahead of the game in terms of their diversity, but they are also very technologically advanced. If you are someone who watches a lot of VR porn, you are familiar with the term teledildonics. In VR, teledildonics are bluetooth sex toys that synch up to what you are watching. For the purposes of cams, it allows you to control the sex toy that the performer is using, which is insanely cool and futuristic! It brings an entirely new level to cam shows and makes you feel like you are intimately interacting with a model right there in the room with them.

This cam site is one where you have to pay by the minute, which can get really pricey if you plan on spending a lot of time on the site. Yes, there are free shows, but they aren’t all that good. It’s worth checking out the paid ones though because of all the unique features.

Pros:

Teledildonics!
Advanced search function
Diverse models

Cons:

If you aren’t in it for the teledildonics, there are better options

12.  XCams: Diverse Euro models

XCams is a special cam site for folks who have eyes for European cam models. They flourish on XCams, though it’s a lesser-known site than the rest. It’s surprising that it flies under the radar because there are always so many models available at any given time for anyone to watch.

Diversity is the name of the game over at XCams. While they feature tons of Europeans, these models are really diverse in their backgrounds, performance styles, and kinks that they love to get into. It’s fun to browse through the thumbnails of videos on the XCams homepage because you get a peek at all the unique shows they have to offer.

Each model decides what you’ll pay for a show. Before you commit, you’ll be shown a preview, told where the model is from, and told how many credits you’ll need to pay for your time. You will get 25 free credits just for signing up, which will give you about five minutes on average.

Pros:

Beautiful diverse cam girls
Very kinky
Great previews for private shows

Cons:

Models operate on an expensive price-per-minute structure
Small amount of free credits when you sign up

13.  Streamate: Most options

If you’re after quantity, Streammate is a good option. There are literally thousands of models online at any given time when you head over to the site. It doesn’t matter if it’s during your 12 PM lunch break or after midnight, this site is always busy. It’s the cam site that never sleeps.

The Streamate performers also love to please. Truthfully, it’s because they want to be tipped well, but you can rest assured that any model you watch on Streamate will work very hard to earn your affection. They are very engaging, personable, and (of course) sexy.

Streamate is a no-frills site that takes you straight to the action. It doesn’t need all the bells and whistles because it provides a large amount of really great shows. You can use their simple and intuitive search function to filter your options, making Streamate one of the easiest sex cam sites to navigate. And their filtering options get really specific, so you can find exactly what turns you on. There is also a “Newcomer” section for the viewers who love to watch fresh talent or want to discover new models.

Pros:

Thousands of models to choose from
Amateurs and professionals available

Cons:

This site has a lot of annoying ads
Outdated web design

14.  LuckyCrush: A combo of a cam site and Chatroulette

LuckyCrush is a cam girl site that randomly matches you with flirty ladies. It’s newer, but it has managed to attract millions of users on a monthly basis. People like to say that LuckyCrush is a healthy mix of a cam site and a random chat site like Chatroulette. It’s probably what you wished Chatroulette could be when you were too young to know about cam sites. Men and women are randomly paired for an erotic video chat.

LuckyCrush is confident in its unique model, which is why it offers first-time male visitors a brief free trial. After that, you will need to purchase credits to enjoy the site. Women come to LuckyCrush hoping to make money, so stocking up a little bit will do you some good.

Because LuckyCrush is totally random, you might be paired up with a hottie who is on the other side of the world. Don’t worry if you don’t speak her language. LuckyCrush has a built-in translation feature that makes it easy to communicate with models from all over the world. It’s an exciting approach to cam shows.

Pros:

Personally meet models from all over the world
Exclusively private shows

Cons:

You can’t filter or search
Not for everyone

15.  StripChat: Interactive stripteases

StripChat is a cam site with some special perks. On the surface, it’s a way to view beautiful live stripteases performed by stunning models. Some of them just like to strip and others take it up a notch by displaying naughty activities. In that regard, it’s a little different from your average sex cam site. You can check out the videos for free and tip the models, like you normally would. These tips are given in the form of tokens, which you will need to purchase beforehand.

The women on StripChat are not amateurs. They are women who seem to fit right into the porn industry. They really know what they are doing and they are fantastic at putting on a show for an audience. This is also a site that sadly caters exclusively to the male gaze. In other words, there isn’t any real gender diversity unless you head over to their couples section. However, everything, including the lesbian scenes, seems to be shot exclusively for purely heterosexual males.

What separates StripChat from the crowd is their VR feature. Now, if you don’t have a pair of VR goggles, you are going to want to stop reading because this next part is going to make you really jealous. StripChat’s VR function allows you to throw on a headset and opt in for a private show from one of their pretty performers. It takes live interaction to new heights and is a deeply satisfying cam experience. The videos are in HD, so you won’t miss a thing!

Pros:

HD stripteases
VR features
Professional cam girls

Cons:

Sometimes, you only get a striptease

16.  BongaCams: Affordable, transparent

On the surface, BongaCams likes to pretend that it’s a free cam site full of women, couples, and trans people. If you’ve made it this far in reading cam reviews, you won’t be surprised to learn that every site is going to squeeze some coin out of you at some point. That’s just how these things work. But BongaCams isn’t going to suck you dry by charging per minute. Their models make a living based on their tips, and you are going to eventually want to tip them through the token payment structure.

The good thing about the BongaCams pricing setup is that there are really no surprises. When you enter a free live show, you are shown a list of the models prices per a given activity. For instance, erotic play between two beautiful lesbian models might cost you 100 tokens. You’ll be informed of everything up front, which helps you figure out which shows are worth watching based on your personal preference and what you can afford. You can also try your luck at jumping into a show and mooching off the other viewers who will send tips, but it might test your patience.

BongaCams delivers incredible shows but doesn’t provide many private show options. In the end, BongaCams is a pretty predictable cam site with a token system and great performers. You’ll find a lot of new girls on this site too, because it’s very welcoming to girls who want to get into camming for the first time.

Pros:

Very transparent about price
Great site design

Cons:

Not great for private shows

17.  BabeStation: Huge UK cam site

BabeStation has been around for nearly two decades and is the biggest cam site for UK models. Of all the cam sites, BabeStation is not one that you want to breeze past because it has a lot to offer.

Most sites that have been around for as long as BabeStation have pretty much nailed the cam girl experience. This will become clear to you immediately upon visiting the site. Rather than staring at a bunch of thumbnails, you’ll be plopped into a live show right away. You can of course exit and search for a show that’s a bit more your flavor, but it’s nice to know that you can freely view HD cam shows from the jump.

One thing that BabeStation is missing is an easy way for new visitors to browse and filter. Most of the models are great, but this site isn’t designed to cater to unique fetishes because it’s hard to navigate. Some of the performers are also a little dry. They will sometimes just keep their camera on while they go about mundane tasks, which is more of a voyeuristic experience than an interactive cam show.

BabeStation does offer a ton of promotions at any given time, making it feel very affordable when you decide that you do want to tip a model.

Pros:

Biggest UK cam site
Can actually watch shows for free

Cons:

Not an easy site to navigate
Some performers lack engagement or personality

How to Have the Best Adult Cam Site Experience

If you’re brand new to cam sites, you might feel a bit lost. There are a lot of them, and they’re not all worth your time. Check out the following four tips to ensure that you end up on the best sites and have a great experience. 

Browse before you buy

Do you buy a car without test driving it? Do you buy a house without seeing it first? When it comes to spending your hard-earned money, it’s always good to avoid wasting it. And a good way to throw away your money is to start spending a ton of it on cam sites.

Your best bet is to browse around some of the top cam sites before you sign up for any subscriptions, premium memberships, etc. Many cam sites can even be browsed for free—even the biggest one, Chaturbate. So, it’s recommended to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the various sites out there before spending any cash. 

Privilege quality over quantity

There are some sites with thousands of cam models who are active at any given time. Yet, all those choices may be overwhelming, and it might feel like finding a needle in a haystack to find something of high quality. So, you might be better off finding a site with fewer models but with a higher percentage of fun and engaged and attractive ones.

That said, the biggest cam sites like Chaturbate give you different filtering options and the default is to show you the cammers with the largest number of viewers. This generally means that you can find high quality content without having to look too far. 

Stick to the big names

Camming has exploded in recent years. As you might expect, there’s been a lot of people trying to get a slice of the pie. Tons of cam sites have popped up, and not all of them are created equal—in fact, it’s not even close.

To avoid getting scammed and wasting your money and/or time, stick to the biggest names in the camming world—sites like Chaturbate and MyFreeCams, for example. 

Participate to maximize the experience

Cam sites are all about participation. This is what inherently separates them from regular porn sites. If no one participated—neither chatting nor giving any tips—the cam site wouldn’t exist. The models depend on tips for it to be worth their while, and the chatting helps keep things fun and engaging. 

So, don’t be shy to participate. You might find that it really enhances your overall experience, especially if you tip to get into private shows. Otherwise, you might as well just stick to regular porn. 

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Last week, the Empty Bottle’s head of marketing and promotions, Matt Ciarleglio, announced he’d become a managing partner of the venue—and thus its co-owner, alongside founder Bruce Finkelman. In late August, Finkelman pitched the idea to Ciarleglio out of the blue, and the following month Ciarleglio signed the papers. He decided to wait to go public about the deal, though, because he’s been so busy learning the ropes. “Managing partner—it’s never been done here before, but [Finkelman] has replicated it at some of the other 16 on Center properties. And he has a better idea of how the flow goes and is helping guide me,” Ciarleglio says. “I’m still the marketing and promotions person. We have a pretty small team of people—it’s not really changing that much other than, like, giving me the precedence and ability to make changes and help guide the Bottle in the foreseeable future.” 

The Bottle recently hired Cameron Chapleau—cofounder of local label and mix series Beloved, which just launched an Internet radio station—to work as a marketing and talent-buying assistant. This will free up Ciarleglio to focus on larger projects, such as providing more support for Bottle staffers. That task is especially critical in light of the financial and emotional pressures of the pandemic. “Something that I want to really start doing more is being present for our hourly staff and trying to get them into better positions, to make working at the Bottle as good for them as possible,” Ciarleglio says. “And obviously, one thing that would be great to see more of is inclusivity—in the workplace, in general, as well as with shows. That’s something I’m really stoked that [Bottle talent buyer] Molly [Mobley] is doing. Of course, it’s been that way in the past, but I feel like she’s really crushing it in that sense, by bringing in tons of different types of music from all over the world.”

Since Ciarleglio shared his news last week, he’s gotten a lot of congratulations from people in the scene. “I guess one thing I am surprised at is how few people have asked me to get on the guest list in the last 48 hours,” he says. “I think only four people have, which is great.”

Gossip Wolf considers Eliza Weber and Josh Condon of local choogle-rock group Glyders to be straws that stir the drink of Chicago’s indie-rock scene. They also play together in country-rock band Tobacco City, and they’ve got their own pursuits too: Condon maintains a hypnotic solo psych project called SPVD, and Weber makes gorgeous concert posters for herself and fellow musicians. Glyders have released a handful of EPs and singles since forming in 2014, and on Friday, January 20, they’re finally dropping their debut full-length, Maria’s Hunt, via Drag City subsidiary Country Thyme. It’s full of loping, desert-tinged road-trip rock that would make the perfect soundtrack to a chilled-out biker movie! (Think Easy Rider with less violent death and more slow zooms on plant and animal life.) Glyders also have a new drummer, Joe Seger of CB Radio Gorgeous, and the band will celebrate the album’s arrival with a show at the Empty Bottle that same night.

Glyders release Maria’s Hunt at the end of this week.

Local pop artist Liska describes her music as “Gwen Stefani meets Magdalena Bay with an obvious Chicago indie rock sway,” which certainly covers a lot of bases. But to this wolf her punky, riff-packed jams also call back to awesomely attitudinal 80s MTV divas like Pat Benatar and Toni Basil. On Wednesday, February 1, Liska celebrates her self-released 2022 EP Le Boom with a show at Schubas that includes openers Mila La Morena and Maddi Jones.

“Liska” is the performing name of singer and songwriter Annelise Steele.

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Adult cam sites are all the rage. There has never been a better time to interact with a live cam girl. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we all feel so isolated, and connecting with a live model is more satisfying than watching prerecorded videos.

These days, most adult actresses and models offer their services via virtual camming platforms. There are quite literally hundreds of thousands of cam girls you can video chat with, so how in the world do you choose? These cam sites deliver the goods in terms of adventurous women, seamless camming experiences, and sexual gratification. But each site is unique in its own special way. From private shows to free options and special performers, there is a lot to digest.

We’ve taken the time to break down which cam sites are best and why. Stick to this guide and you’ll certainly have the best cam experience possible.

The Best Adult Cam Sites of 2023

RankSiteBest For1.JerkmateBest modern cam website2.Sl*trouletteBest cam/chat hybrid3.ChaturbateBest overall cam site4.Flirt4FreeProfessional cam models5.ImLiveInnovative features6.Live Free FunBest sign up process7.MyFreeCamsBest free option8.Cherry.tvBest newcomer9.LiveJasminMost gorgeous models10.CamSodaBest for specific fetishes11.Cams.comTeledildonic features12.XcamsMost diverse cam models13.StreamateThousands of streams at any given time14.Lucky CrushRandom one-on-one cam shows15.StripchatBeautiful live stripteases16.BongacamsEasiest cam site to navigate17.BabestationBiggest UK cam site

1.  Jerkmate: Best modern new cam site

Jerkmate is a really unique cam site because it allows its users to filter the models they search for by personal preference. You can specify your preference in gender, kink, and even body type. It’s a matching system between viewers and cam girls, which makes it feel pretty special. Once you match with someone, you have the option of also becoming a cam model. You can stream a video of yourself watching the cam girl, which is pretty nice. Think of it as if Chatroulette, Tinder, and Chaturbate had a love child. Most people enjoy watching private cam shows because they are longing for a connection, sexual or otherwise. Jerkmate delivers that in spades.

Jerkmate also hires actual pornstars and professional cam girls to stream live. Going one-on-one with one of the pros is unlikely and really expensive. However, if you prefer your cam girl to be an actual pornstar, you can view their live shows with other users on the site. These women will expect you to give them tons of tokens if you want them to do anything specific, but this is pretty normal for camming websites.

Beyond the two unique and exciting options that Jerkmate provides, it’s also very easy to use. It’s got a modern feel to it and selecting a show to watch could not be easier. If you don’t love who you’ve been matched with, you can also browse the expansive list of categories that Jerkmate has to offer. Those categories range from BDSM to Sex Toys and everything in between. As far as pricing goes, it’s up to the model. Expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $100 per hour watching one of the Jerkmate shows.

Pros:

Models can see you if you want
Intuitive search function
Advanced personalized features

Cons:

This is a pricey option

2. Sl*troulette:Best chat/cam combo

Sl*troulette may not have quite the reputation as Chaturbate, but it’s been around quite some time—since 2010, in fact. That means they’ve got more than ten years’ experience in the cam game. And they deliver.

Sl*troulette is the X-rated version of Chat Roulette. Like Chat Roulette, Slut Roulette randomly pairs you up with another videocam. There’s no pressure—if you’re not feeling it, you can just keep clicking.

Overall, Sl*troulette is a fun spin on traditional cam sites given the randomness innate to its design. This may or may not appeal to you personally, however.

There are two main downsides to Sl*troulette. One, the sign-up process feels spammy and can be annoying. Two, there are a lot of pop-up ads on Sl*troulette, often even covering the video of the cam performer you’re trying to watch. That can get frustrating, as you might imagine.

Pros:

Worldwide camgirls 
Hottest categories 
Great private shows 
Previews pictures/photos of camgirls

Cons:

Basic tipping features 
Need to tip to access full nudity show

3. Chaturbate:Number one cam site in the world

There’s a good chance you’ve heard of Chaturbate. Not only is the name genius for a camgirl site, but Chaturbate has managed to stand the test of time. We can’t believe it’s been ten years since it was created back in 2011! It’s hailed as the best cam site available by millions of users because it has the most diverse and explicit portfolio of models who use the platform to stream.

When you get to the Chaturbate home page, you’ll be greeted with various thumbnails of women or scenes. That’s your sneak peek for what is to come when you actually click on one of these images. Immediately you’ll be launched into a wonderfully raunchy cam show completely free of charge. At first blush, it looks like most of these cam girls are doing solo shows, but once you take a deeper dive, you’ll find couples, threesomes, and other unique and interesting live shows to choose from. You can also search for shows by filtering by the huge list of categories or tags. Though busy looking, Chaturbate is very easy to navigate and explore with so many live feeds to watch for free.

You’re probably wondering if Chaturbate is completely free. The answer to that is both yes and no. While you can enter any live show for free, you are really walking into a teaser of sorts. The women on Chaturbate are trying to get you to eventually pay for a private show, which is what most people want anyway. We will admit though that the teasers are often very explicit and can usually get the job done before you even grab your wallet.

You likely will reach for your credit card though, because Chaturbate is famous for delivering satisfying one-on-one shows. They operate on a token system. As you spend more time watching the show, your tokens will begin to dwindle.

Pros:

Affordable
Best cam site available
Great one-on-one performances
You get a lot out of a free account

Cons:

Most models need to reach a certain token amount before they fully perform

Check out our complete Chaturbate review if you’re looking for more info.

4. Flirt4Free: Intuitive search function available

Boasting nearly 3 decades of sex cam savvy, Flirt4Free has really carved a niche for itself as the cam site for gentlemen of refined tastes. While some freemium sites might offer a grab bag of amateur models, F4F shines for fans who yearn for a premium, top-shelf experience.

Their homepage is populated by elite-level camgirls from all over the world who know how to cater to your every desire. They’re virtually all “hair and make-up ready” and dressed to kill in gorgeous lingerie. But while Flirt4Free boasts a premium experience, premium does not necessarily imply “vanilla.” Finding the fetish models to feed your kink is easy using an intuitive category filtering system.

The “Free” in Flirt4Free might seem like something of a misnomer at first glance. While there’s always something hot going down in any number of public chatrooms, the real spank-bank-worthy action is saved for pay-per-minute private shows. Judging from many of the model reviews, Flirt camgirls tend to appeal to fans who want to go deeper on their fantasies. The top models tend to be surrounded by devout followers who crave repeat performances.

But while pay-per-minute shows may seem be daunting cost-wise, many models offer cost conscious options like semi-private “multi-user” and “group shows.” Some even allow members to negotiate their private show rates before a performance.

Pros:

Premium quality cam girls
Great variety of fetish models
Easy to filter categories

Cons:

Can be pricey
Fewer models compared to freemium sites

5. ImLive: Old-school cam site with innovative features

ImLive is the granddaddy of cam sites. It’s been around for almost 20 years and has managed to continue to captivate viewers with the changing times. ImLive is a streaming site where models and couples perform sex shows for their audiences. There’s not much more to it. However, not all sex cam sites offer couples shows, so if you like watching two people get it on then ImLive is your best bet.

The pay structure at ImLive gives you options, which is a definite plus. You can either pay by the minute or send models tips. There are also plenty of models and shows to choose from, so you’ll never have a dull moment on this popular cam site.

From amateurs to professionals, members will find the girls online and ready for a great time 24/7, and purchasing credits (the site’s currency) is fast and easy.

ImLive has several innovative features, including share screen where members and the model can watch video or play an online game together.

Yes, ImLive dubs itself a free cam site, but we know what that really means. You can watch archived shows for free, but the live goods are going to cost you. The shows are usually worth it, but don’t expect a ton of interaction from the models. They tend to fall short in their personal relationships with viewers and fans; however, the shows themselves are a treat to watch.

Pros:

Great for watching couples
Different payment options
Free archived shows
Free amateur videos

Cons:

The models can be a little cagey at times

6.  Live Free Fun: Easy sign up

Live Free Fun calls itself “the secret guide to free live sex.” Let’s break that down a bit.If you’re willing to submit your email, then you can get a free account and start watching erotic webcams in no time. Since a lot of cam sites require memberships and/or paying the cammers through tips to get true X-rated content, Live Free Fun is a way to get good content for free.

The registration is straightforward, and you don’t have to worry about giving up sensitive information like a credit card. So, the benefits definitely seem to outweigh the risks.

This is a solid cam site with quality models.

Pros:

Free with email sign-up
Simple registration
Erotic webcams without having to tip

Cons:

Interface is a bit clunky

7.  MyFreeCams: Actual free shows

For those of you shopping for cam sites on a budget, there’s no better site for you than MyFreeCams, also known as Jerk N’ Cum. Yes, the shows on this site are actually free. This is obviously the biggest perk that MyFreeCams has to offer.

Because it’s free and the models don’t charge you to watch their shows, you might be skeptical of the quality but you truly have nothing to worry about. The women on MyFreeCams are as skilled as they are gorgeous. They are also down to get into some very kinky activity, which is why you’re watching cam girls in the first place!

The one thing that you can’t really access on this site is private chat or one-on-one video sessions. But what can you really expect from a cam site that doesn’t cost you a dime? You can of course purchase tokens on MyFreeCams and try your luck asking one of the models for a private show, but it’s not very likely to happen. These models are used to the dynamic of the site and aren’t normally willing to make an exception for anyone. These models also aren’t the most responsive to requests in their chat box. That’s potentially because it’s oversaturated with guys like you asking them to do a million different things. If you’re OK with just being a voyeur for free, MyFreeCams is a fantastic budget-friendly option for you.

If you decide that you’d like to pay for MyFreeCams because you can afford to or you’ve got extra cash lying around, you will be given the keys to their entire library of cam girl archives. You can check out their old videos. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but there are folks out there wholove it.

Pros:

Genuinely free
Fantastic performances

Cons:

Can’t view private shows

8.  Cherry.tv:Best new cam site

Cam sites such as Jerkmate and Chaturbate may have the lion’s share of attention, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of other sites popping up all the time. While many of these aren’t worth your trouble, some of them may turn out to be major competitors.

One such site is cherry.tv, from the people over at Cherry Models. The site has only recently gone live and is still in Beta mode, which means for now they only have cis-women and trans women cam girls. That said, the platform will be opened up to everyone in the next version. 

One cool thing about Cherry.tv is that it isn’t just another cam site like any other. They’re attempting to introduce more “gamification” to the concept, so cherry.tv allows models to “level up” by gaining experience points (xp). Streaming gets cammers XP as well as receiving certain gifts from fans. 

Cherry.tv won numerous awards in 2021, such as “Best Emerging Company” and “Emerging Web Brand of the Year.” They are also one of the best sites out there in terms of compensating streamers. So, if you want the vast majority of your hard-earned money to go to the actual cam model, then cherry.tv is a great option for you. 

Pros:

Relatively affordable
Fun, game-like interface
Streamers receive almost all of the tips

Cons:

In beta mode (no male models or couples)
Just started so not a ton of active models yet

9.  LiveJasmin: Known for having stunning models

The most noteworthy thing to say about LiveJasmin is that the women on this site are drop dead gorgeous. They are diverse, in shape, stunning, manicured, and all around perfect cam girls. You will notice this the minute you hop onto the home page. It looks extremely put together, modern, and professional.

These women don’t seem to be filming themselves from dimly lit bedrooms. Instead, it feels like a whole studio operation with professional porn stars. This is a pro for most, but some viewers enjoy that amateurish feel. If you are into the amateur stuff, then steer clear of LiveJasmin because it’s all top notch here. LiveJasmin is full of very recognizable and famous cam girl faces. That’s what makes it one of the best cam sites around.

Other than the beautiful stars and modern interface, there’s not much about LiveJasmin that makes it stand out (except for the fact that they have a nice mobile option, but who wants to watch a cam girl on their cell phone?). It’s set up like many other cam sites and takes you through the same process and the features are the same. A nice perk though is the fact that LiveJasmin caters to every type of gender and sexuality, giving it a distinctly diverse library of models and streams to choose from.

Pros:

Beautiful recognizable models
Mobile option
Range of genders, sexualities, and kinks

Cons:

No amateur option

10.  CamSoda: Cam girls with the best personalities

CamSoda operates like most cam sites do. There are free rooms that you can enter to view live adult cam shows, but if you want the women to do anything specific during the show, you will need to spend. However, CamSoda is really affordable. This is because the models don’t charge you per minute. It’s based solely on your donations.

The one drawback to CamSoda is their pricing structure. Most cam sites will allow you to enter free cam shows, but not before informing you of what you should tip the model or what each naughty activity costs. Getting a girl to perform a desired sexual act is going to require linking up with the other guys in the chat and pooling that money until the model’s “goal” is reached. Each model comes up with a different money goal per show and tries to seduce the viewers into paying up. You can’t blame them; camming is their job.

Private shows aren’t really a thing on CamSoda. However, the models on this cam site are very interactive. They actually pay a lot of attention to the chat as their show is live and they make you feel like you are actually in the room with them while they are performing. People have complained before that some models on CamSoda talk too much or spend too much time replying to their fans.

Pros:

Interactive models with personality
Caters to a variety of fetishes

Cons:

The models don’t list their prices per naughty activity

11.  Cams.com: Cam site with a teledildonics option

Cams.com is one of the more unique and advanced cam sites on this list. You might not know it by just visiting their website because initially, it looks like your average cam site. There are free shows that you can enter and you have the ability to filter by model, body type, and gender. This is one of the few sex cam sites that contains female shows in addition to male shows, trans shows, and nonbinary shows. We find that to be a huge plus as it caters to a much wider audience of viewers.

Cams.com is not only ahead of the game in terms of their diversity, but they are also very technologically advanced. If you are someone who watches a lot of VR porn, you are familiar with the term teledildonics. In VR, teledildonics are bluetooth sex toys that synch up to what you are watching. For the purposes of cams, it allows you to control the sex toy that the performer is using, which is insanely cool and futuristic! It brings an entirely new level to cam shows and makes you feel like you are intimately interacting with a model right there in the room with them.

This cam site is one where you have to pay by the minute, which can get really pricey if you plan on spending a lot of time on the site. Yes, there are free shows, but they aren’t all that good. It’s worth checking out the paid ones though because of all the unique features.

Pros:

Teledildonics!
Advanced search function
Diverse models

Cons:

If you aren’t in it for the teledildonics, there are better options

12.  XCams: Diverse Euro models

XCams is a special cam site for folks who have eyes for European cam models. They flourish on XCams, though it’s a lesser-known site than the rest. It’s surprising that it flies under the radar because there are always so many models available at any given time for anyone to watch.

Diversity is the name of the game over at XCams. While they feature tons of Europeans, these models are really diverse in their backgrounds, performance styles, and kinks that they love to get into. It’s fun to browse through the thumbnails of videos on the XCams homepage because you get a peek at all the unique shows they have to offer.

Each model decides what you’ll pay for a show. Before you commit, you’ll be shown a preview, told where the model is from, and told how many credits you’ll need to pay for your time. You will get 25 free credits just for signing up, which will give you about five minutes on average.

Pros:

Beautiful diverse cam girls
Very kinky
Great previews for private shows

Cons:

Models operate on an expensive price-per-minute structure
Small amount of free credits when you sign up

13.  Streamate: Most options

If you’re after quantity, Streammate is a good option. There are literally thousands of models online at any given time when you head over to the site. It doesn’t matter if it’s during your 12 PM lunch break or after midnight, this site is always busy. It’s the cam site that never sleeps.

The Streamate performers also love to please. Truthfully, it’s because they want to be tipped well, but you can rest assured that any model you watch on Streamate will work very hard to earn your affection. They are very engaging, personable, and (of course) sexy.

Streamate is a no-frills site that takes you straight to the action. It doesn’t need all the bells and whistles because it provides a large amount of really great shows. You can use their simple and intuitive search function to filter your options, making Streamate one of the easiest sex cam sites to navigate. And their filtering options get really specific, so you can find exactly what turns you on. There is also a “Newcomer” section for the viewers who love to watch fresh talent or want to discover new models.

Pros:

Thousands of models to choose from
Amateurs and professionals available

Cons:

This site has a lot of annoying ads
Outdated web design

14.  LuckyCrush: A combo of a cam site and Chatroulette

LuckyCrush is a cam girl site that randomly matches you with flirty ladies. It’s newer, but it has managed to attract millions of users on a monthly basis. People like to say that LuckyCrush is a healthy mix of a cam site and a random chat site like Chatroulette. It’s probably what you wished Chatroulette could be when you were too young to know about cam sites. Men and women are randomly paired for an erotic video chat.

LuckyCrush is confident in its unique model, which is why it offers first-time male visitors a brief free trial. After that, you will need to purchase credits to enjoy the site. Women come to LuckyCrush hoping to make money, so stocking up a little bit will do you some good.

Because LuckyCrush is totally random, you might be paired up with a hottie who is on the other side of the world. Don’t worry if you don’t speak her language. LuckyCrush has a built-in translation feature that makes it easy to communicate with models from all over the world. It’s an exciting approach to cam shows.

Pros:

Personally meet models from all over the world
Exclusively private shows

Cons:

You can’t filter or search
Not for everyone

15.  StripChat: Interactive stripteases

StripChat is a cam site with some special perks. On the surface, it’s a way to view beautiful live stripteases performed by stunning models. Some of them just like to strip and others take it up a notch by displaying naughty activities. In that regard, it’s a little different from your average sex cam site. You can check out the videos for free and tip the models, like you normally would. These tips are given in the form of tokens, which you will need to purchase beforehand.

The women on StripChat are not amateurs. They are women who seem to fit right into the porn industry. They really know what they are doing and they are fantastic at putting on a show for an audience. This is also a site that sadly caters exclusively to the male gaze. In other words, there isn’t any real gender diversity unless you head over to their couples section. However, everything, including the lesbian scenes, seems to be shot exclusively for purely heterosexual males.

What separates StripChat from the crowd is their VR feature. Now, if you don’t have a pair of VR goggles, you are going to want to stop reading because this next part is going to make you really jealous. StripChat’s VR function allows you to throw on a headset and opt in for a private show from one of their pretty performers. It takes live interaction to new heights and is a deeply satisfying cam experience. The videos are in HD, so you won’t miss a thing!

Pros:

HD stripteases
VR features
Professional cam girls

Cons:

Sometimes, you only get a striptease

16.  BongaCams: Affordable, transparent

On the surface, BongaCams likes to pretend that it’s a free cam site full of women, couples, and trans people. If you’ve made it this far in reading cam reviews, you won’t be surprised to learn that every site is going to squeeze some coin out of you at some point. That’s just how these things work. But BongaCams isn’t going to suck you dry by charging per minute. Their models make a living based on their tips, and you are going to eventually want to tip them through the token payment structure.

The good thing about the BongaCams pricing setup is that there are really no surprises. When you enter a free live show, you are shown a list of the models prices per a given activity. For instance, erotic play between two beautiful lesbian models might cost you 100 tokens. You’ll be informed of everything up front, which helps you figure out which shows are worth watching based on your personal preference and what you can afford. You can also try your luck at jumping into a show and mooching off the other viewers who will send tips, but it might test your patience.

BongaCams delivers incredible shows but doesn’t provide many private show options. In the end, BongaCams is a pretty predictable cam site with a token system and great performers. You’ll find a lot of new girls on this site too, because it’s very welcoming to girls who want to get into camming for the first time.

Pros:

Very transparent about price
Great site design

Cons:

Not great for private shows

17.  BabeStation: Huge UK cam site

BabeStation has been around for nearly two decades and is the biggest cam site for UK models. Of all the cam sites, BabeStation is not one that you want to breeze past because it has a lot to offer.

Most sites that have been around for as long as BabeStation have pretty much nailed the cam girl experience. This will become clear to you immediately upon visiting the site. Rather than staring at a bunch of thumbnails, you’ll be plopped into a live show right away. You can of course exit and search for a show that’s a bit more your flavor, but it’s nice to know that you can freely view HD cam shows from the jump.

One thing that BabeStation is missing is an easy way for new visitors to browse and filter. Most of the models are great, but this site isn’t designed to cater to unique fetishes because it’s hard to navigate. Some of the performers are also a little dry. They will sometimes just keep their camera on while they go about mundane tasks, which is more of a voyeuristic experience than an interactive cam show.

BabeStation does offer a ton of promotions at any given time, making it feel very affordable when you decide that you do want to tip a model.

Pros:

Biggest UK cam site
Can actually watch shows for free

Cons:

Not an easy site to navigate
Some performers lack engagement or personality

How to Have the Best Adult Cam Site Experience

If you’re brand new to cam sites, you might feel a bit lost. There are a lot of them, and they’re not all worth your time. Check out the following four tips to ensure that you end up on the best sites and have a great experience. 

Browse before you buy

Do you buy a car without test driving it? Do you buy a house without seeing it first? When it comes to spending your hard-earned money, it’s always good to avoid wasting it. And a good way to throw away your money is to start spending a ton of it on cam sites.

Your best bet is to browse around some of the top cam sites before you sign up for any subscriptions, premium memberships, etc. Many cam sites can even be browsed for free—even the biggest one, Chaturbate. So, it’s recommended to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the various sites out there before spending any cash. 

Privilege quality over quantity

There are some sites with thousands of cam models who are active at any given time. Yet, all those choices may be overwhelming, and it might feel like finding a needle in a haystack to find something of high quality. So, you might be better off finding a site with fewer models but with a higher percentage of fun and engaged and attractive ones.

That said, the biggest cam sites like Chaturbate give you different filtering options and the default is to show you the cammers with the largest number of viewers. This generally means that you can find high quality content without having to look too far. 

Stick to the big names

Camming has exploded in recent years. As you might expect, there’s been a lot of people trying to get a slice of the pie. Tons of cam sites have popped up, and not all of them are created equal—in fact, it’s not even close.

To avoid getting scammed and wasting your money and/or time, stick to the biggest names in the camming world—sites like Chaturbate and MyFreeCams, for example. 

Participate to maximize the experience

Cam sites are all about participation. This is what inherently separates them from regular porn sites. If no one participated—neither chatting nor giving any tips—the cam site wouldn’t exist. The models depend on tips for it to be worth their while, and the chatting helps keep things fun and engaging. 

So, don’t be shy to participate. You might find that it really enhances your overall experience, especially if you tip to get into private shows. Otherwise, you might as well just stick to regular porn. 

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Last week, the Empty Bottle’s head of marketing and promotions, Matt Ciarleglio, announced he’d become a managing partner of the venue—and thus its co-owner, alongside founder Bruce Finkelman. In late August, Finkelman pitched the idea to Ciarleglio out of the blue, and the following month Ciarleglio signed the papers. He decided to wait to go public about the deal, though, because he’s been so busy learning the ropes. “Managing partner—it’s never been done here before, but [Finkelman] has replicated it at some of the other 16 on Center properties. And he has a better idea of how the flow goes and is helping guide me,” Ciarleglio says. “I’m still the marketing and promotions person. We have a pretty small team of people—it’s not really changing that much other than, like, giving me the precedence and ability to make changes and help guide the Bottle in the foreseeable future.” 

The Bottle recently hired Cameron Chapleau—cofounder of local label and mix series Beloved, which just launched an Internet radio station—to work as a marketing and talent-buying assistant. This will free up Ciarleglio to focus on larger projects, such as providing more support for Bottle staffers. That task is especially critical in light of the financial and emotional pressures of the pandemic. “Something that I want to really start doing more is being present for our hourly staff and trying to get them into better positions, to make working at the Bottle as good for them as possible,” Ciarleglio says. “And obviously, one thing that would be great to see more of is inclusivity—in the workplace, in general, as well as with shows. That’s something I’m really stoked that [Bottle talent buyer] Molly [Mobley] is doing. Of course, it’s been that way in the past, but I feel like she’s really crushing it in that sense, by bringing in tons of different types of music from all over the world.”

Since Ciarleglio shared his news last week, he’s gotten a lot of congratulations from people in the scene. “I guess one thing I am surprised at is how few people have asked me to get on the guest list in the last 48 hours,” he says. “I think only four people have, which is great.”

Gossip Wolf considers Eliza Weber and Josh Condon of local choogle-rock group Glyders to be straws that stir the drink of Chicago’s indie-rock scene. They also play together in country-rock band Tobacco City, and they’ve got their own pursuits too: Condon maintains a hypnotic solo psych project called SPVD, and Weber makes gorgeous concert posters for herself and fellow musicians. Glyders have released a handful of EPs and singles since forming in 2014, and on Friday, January 20, they’re finally dropping their debut full-length, Maria’s Hunt, via Drag City subsidiary Country Thyme. It’s full of loping, desert-tinged road-trip rock that would make the perfect soundtrack to a chilled-out biker movie! (Think Easy Rider with less violent death and more slow zooms on plant and animal life.) Glyders also have a new drummer, Joe Seger of CB Radio Gorgeous, and the band will celebrate the album’s arrival with a show at the Empty Bottle that same night.

Glyders release Maria’s Hunt at the end of this week.

Local pop artist Liska describes her music as “Gwen Stefani meets Magdalena Bay with an obvious Chicago indie rock sway,” which certainly covers a lot of bases. But to this wolf her punky, riff-packed jams also call back to awesomely attitudinal 80s MTV divas like Pat Benatar and Toni Basil. On Wednesday, February 1, Liska celebrates her self-released 2022 EP Le Boom with a show at Schubas that includes openers Mila La Morena and Maddi Jones.

“Liska” is the performing name of singer and songwriter Annelise Steele.

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Actor, director, playwright, screenwriter, and professor Dr. Frank Galati died on January 2, 2023, but his impact on those he worked with and loved (they were one and the same) and his legacy are imperishable. He won two Tony Awards in 1990 for adapting and directing The Grapes of Wrath, and was a nominee in 1998 for his direction of Ragtime. In 1989, he was nominated for an Academy Award (alongside Lawrence Kasdan) for his screenplay for The Accidental Tourist, adapted from Anne Tyler’s 1985 novel. His work, notes, and interviews are captured in Julie Jackson’s 2022 book, The Spectacular Theatre of Frank Joseph Galati: Reshaping Theatre in Chicago, Illinois (Bloomsbury Publishing).

He received many other awards and accolades throughout his prolific, richly varied, and theatrically adventurous career. But among those he sometimes addressed as “dear ones,” he is revered and emulated for the extraordinary human being and friend he was as much as for the ground he broke and all that he accomplished as an artist. 

In April 2022, Galati addressed the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s cast of Knoxville, a musical based on James Agee’s novel, A Death in the Family, adapted and directed by Galati, with a score by his Ragtime collaborators, composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens. The story explores the impact of a father’s sudden death on his family and community. One cast member recorded some of Galati’s remarks to the cast during rehearsal: 

“I can’t overstate this, and I won’t come back to it much, but even in the most fun that we’ve had in here, these joyous hours in this little room, there’s reverence, not just respect, reverence, which has spiritual overtones of real importance.”

JOHN KANDER(composer, Cabaret, Chicago, and the Galati-directed The Visit): Frank would speak to a group of actors at a rehearsal and begin by saying “Dear ones.” And it didn’t sound corny; it didn’t sound fake because it wasn’t. It was that at this moment we are in this group, this lovefest, trying to create something beautiful. I think almost everybody you will talk to came away with a feeling that what they were doing was worthwhile and indeed that they were worthwhile. 

B.J. JONES (actor, director, and artistic director Northlight Theatre, and longtime friend):He would create a hunger and passion and a sense of purpose that, in the next three weeks, we are going to build something together that is unique, that never existed before, and never will again because we work in an art form that is written in water. And so, we have to turn ourselves inward in order to support each other to do the work on a night-by-night basis in a selfless and passionate way. Otherwise, the magic doesn’t happen. 

JEFF PERRY (actor and cofounder Steppenwolf Theatre):Frank could lay out on day one a road map of the journey that you would take. It was a remarkable articulation of what he had ingested before you all joined him in the room. But it didn’t limit the possibilities or the exploration. 

TERRY KINNEY (actor, director, and cofounder Steppenwolf Theatre): He would talk about the literature, then he would talk about how that piece of literature fits in the lexicon of that author’s canon, and then he would talk about the characters and their journeys, and then the journey of mankind and the place of art in the world. And then about the inevitable privilege of being the vessels for that storytelling. And then his gratitude. His absolutely inspirational opening speeches always made you chomping at the bit to get out there because you understood on the first day that there was going to be a deep layer of spirituality. This is what he brought to the table.

JONES: Frank’s generosity of spirit was the secret of his art. The love that he extended to every collaborator, and we were all collaborators.

CHERYL LYNN BRUCE (actor and director): When I auditioned for Grapes of Wrath, there wasn’t a script yet, andI got the sense that he was looking for collaborators to figure this thing out. I thought, I might not get chosen, but this person is looking to work with people, and that’s a really exciting feeling, that I’m not going to be just a piece in the puzzle, a cog in the wheel, but that we’re going to be working together. He made everybody feel like they should be there.

KANDER: I remember the first day of rehearsal for The Visit in Chicago and all the actors were sitting around a table, Chita [Rivera] included. And Chita, who is very close to me and with whom I have been through a lot of experiences, didn’t know quite what to expect. And after maybe the first half hour of Frank talking, she was totally smitten. I remember saying to her, “You see? Sometimes it’s more fun to work for nothing.” (Laughs.) I meant that in the very least sarcastic way possible because sometimes just working for the work was that worthwhile. And Frank made everybody feel that. 

MARY ZIMMERMAN (theater and opera director; playwright; resident director Goodman Theatre; former student and then fellow professor of Galati’s in performance studies at Northwestern University):Sometimes I feel I’m quoting Frank all the time. I learned so much from him, and I think I deploy what I learned from him all the time. I wouldn’t necessarily say that our taste was identical, and I wasn’t consciously imitating him aesthetically or copying images, but I was consciously imitating him as a person, and in the way he spoke to actors, and in the way he modeled a profound vulnerability. 

His influence on my life is probably greater than, honestly, anyone else’s. When I was a student [at Northwestern], we had to do this thing called a “graduate recital,” a one-person, 40- to 60-minute performance that every graduate student has to do. And I did this thing on Proust. Afterward, I went in to see Frank to get his individual response, and he said to me, “This, my dear, is a work of art.” And for me, that was like a moon landing of a sentence. 

By saying, “This, my dear, is a work of art” he kind of anointed me (laughs) as an artist, and because of my admiration for him, and how ungodly productive and creative he was and how skilled he was and how much I admired him, it just meant everything to me, if, in his eyes, I was interesting! As he did for so many others, he legitimized me to myself. And that’s no small feat for some of us.

It was always your ideas that he was feeding off. If you loved something and wanted to play with it, he was just all smiles and giggling. You couldn’t help but get caught up in it.

CINDY GOLD (actor; fellow Northwestern professor; longtime friend): When I first got to Northwestern in 1997, I’d walk by what I considered the “great man’s” office. (Of course, he would pooh-pooh “great man.”) I was in my mid-30s at the time. A kid. He had already won the Tonys at that point and his relationship with Steppenwolf was really exciting to me. 

One day I screwed up my courage, and I just went in. I said, “You know, Dr. Galati, I heard you’re working on something about Gertrude Stein, and I love Gertrude Stein. I’d love to read it.” And, Frank, he never met a stranger. He was just so deeply, genuinely interested in everyone. He said something like, “Of course you can read it.” It was on his desk, and he handed it to me. I said, “Thank you very much,” and I turned to leave. He said, “No, no. I mean I want you to read it now.” So, I read it cover to cover out loud for him. 

KINNEY: What a great story! That’s extraordinary. I mean, that is just so Frank. First of all, he’s going to learn something about his own writing. Her discovery of this literature that he’s adapted will come simultaneously with him experiencing it. And secondly, he’s honoring her love for Gertrude Stein. Yeah, that’s what he’s all about. He just takes the space and creates within it.

RUSH PEARSON (ensemble member of Practical Theater Company and cast member in Goodman Theatre’s 1986 A Christmas Carol with Galati):I was a student of Frank’s at Northwestern in the 70s. He was so tuned in, so connected to whatever you brought with you that day in the class. He was like, “What do you got? Oh, this is wonderful!” And then he’d play with it. He didn’t impose his will on anybody. He wanted you to go full throttle into what you were presenting. It was always your ideas that he was feeding off. If you loved something and wanted to play with it, he was just all smiles and giggling. You couldn’t help but get caught up in it.

ROBERT FALLS (director and artistic director Goodman Theatre, 1986-2022):I often laughed at Frank when we would see something and he would say to me, “Bobby—” (Everybody was Bobby or Billy, Johnny.) “Bobby, it was so wonderful!” And I’d go, “Frank, it wasn’t that good. It was . . . fine.” And he’s like, “Oh, no, no, Bobby, it was so . . . beautiful.” “Seriously, Frank it was OK.” “No, no! It was won-derful! ” And that’s irresistible. For over half a century, Frank was putting that sort of energy into the world.

JULIE JACKSON (longtime friend and author of The Spectacular Theatre of Frank Joseph Galati):A lot of people say they know how to listen, but nobody listens quite like Frank did. When he talked to you, there was no past, there was no future, there was only now. 

ZIMMERMAN: I don’t know if this was the first time I saw him, but early on I saw him walking across campus to class. It was raining, and he was holding an umbrella. But the umbrella was a child’s umbrella. It was only about two feet across, and it was yellow with a bright-red handle. And he was a large man. That image is very seminal to me, and very, very dear. I don’t think it really needs unpacking, but he was so in love with beauty, and he found it everywhere, and he didn’t mind appearing foolish. 

ERIC ROSEN (director, playwright, and cofounder About Face Theatre; former Galati student and longtime friend):I have an image of Frank walking down Sheridan Road in Evanston by himself eating an ice cream cone. And that has always stuck with me, like, thank you! It was in that moment that I thought, OK, Frank is a person, he’s not a god. He’s not a teacher with a capital T. He’s a guy who has a life and has done so many things and likes ice cream and would like to be alone and not be always dealing with a thousand students begging him for approval. That was a big moment for me. I’m 52 years old now, and I’m telling you about how I felt when I was 22. In hindsight, I’m like, well, of course Frank eats ice cream, and of course, Frank walks alone.

PERRY: I was an enraptured high school student when I first saw him in a production of [Peter Nichols’s] The National Health [in 1972] at the Forum Theater [in Summit, Illinois].

WILLIAM PULLINSI (director and founder of Candlelight Dinner Playhouse and the Forum Theater): I had had another actor in mind for the role, but he left town, decided to move to New York, and Mike Nussbaum, who was already hired for the show, said there’s a young actor at Northwestern, Frank Galati, you should audition him. So, I called him, and that’s how we found Frankie. He was about 28 years old at the time, I think. He had been a student at Northwestern. 

I’ve got his first press, here. Want to hear it? This is Sydney Harris’s review in the Daily News. Sydney was then like the dean of Chicago critics. At the end of the review, he says, “I have saved the best for last, and that is the diabolically effective performance of Frank Galati as the orderly slash commentator. In himself, he epitomizes the strengths and weaknesses, the humor of that collective patient known as the British public. I can’t imagine that even his prototype in the original London company did a more devastating and credible job.”

Frank was that good right off the bat. Some people can just reach across the footlights, and that was one of the things he could do. He was a big performer, so big; he had full gestures, full extension, and his big voice and his performance just reached out and grabbed people.

Frank Galati (left) and John Mahoney in Michael Healey’s The Drawer Boy at Steppenwolf, 2001 Credit Michael Brosilow

PERRY: There are very few people who can do this, who can be textually, intellectually, joyfully in the same league as the playwright.

JONES: [When I acted with him in Travesties by Tom Stoppard at Wisdom Bridge] he had this long 12- or 15-minute monologue as Henry Carr at the beginning of the play. He was framed in a spotlight, smoking a cigarette. At the end of the monologue, he whipped around, [facing upstage, so his back was to the audience], and I blasted through the doors as Tristan Tzara. He had thrown all the focus to me. I was the only one who could see the expression on his face every night. (Imitates Galati’s wide-eyed, broadly-smiling expression). Every night without fail for nine months! I always noticed it, but I never codified it. 

Some years later, I was in a cast that Frank was directing. And he said to this cast that one of the important things is to welcome your colleagues onto the stage. You embrace them and accept them and bring them into the play. I realized then that that’s what he was doing in Travesties. And he did that as an actor, as a director, and as a person. One of Frank’s greatest artistic achievements is that, yes, he was in the limelight, but his great delight was sharing the limelight.

Frank’s generosity of spirit was the secret of his art. The love that he extended to every collaborator, and we were all collaborators.

KINNEY: While we [Steppenwolf] were still in Highland Park [1974-1979], we found out about some of Frank’s adaptations that he was doing at Northwestern. We went to see Pale Fire [adapted from Vladimir Nabokov], and we immediately started talking about needing him in the company. We needed someone like him to guide the sort of literary side of the company, and he was such a strong director on top of it. We didn’t even know how good an actor he was till later when we saw him in Travesties.

He talked to us about [joining the ensemble] and respected us but didn’t know where he fit in at first. But then I think Gary [Sinise] convinced him to join. And the minute Frank said yes, we said, “What novel do you want to adapt right now? I mean, right now.” He said, “I’ve had my eye on Grapes of Wrath for a long time.” We had done Of Mice and Men [in 1981], and we just loved Steinbeck so much, but the fact that there was this synchronicity with what Frank wanted to do was pretty much magical for us. We had limited resources for commissioning at the time, but I think we did what we could to make it happen.

Gary said, “Please begin.”

The cast of Steppenwolf Theatre’s 1988 production of The Grapes of Wrath, adapted and directed by Frank Galati Credit Michael Brosilow

The Grapes of Wrath opened at Steppenwolf Theatre in 1988, moved to La Jolla Playhouse in 1989, then to the Royal National Theatre in London. It opened on Broadway in 1990. Galati received a Tony Award for Best Play and one for Best Direction. Grapes was later adapted for television in PBS’s American Playhouse.

FALLS: Frank’s love and his enthusiasm and his artistry made him a unique figure in the American theater. It’s a small, quirky family of theater artists that have made Chicago theater and Frank was at the heart of it for 50 years. 

ROSEN: I think Frank met his historical moment. He was lucky to be making theater in Chicago in the 70s and 80s and 90s when you could expect an audience to show up for whatever weird, crazy vision that you had. And if it was really good, you would find an audience. Mary [Zimmerman] came out of that. I feel like [the younger artists of my generation] really get that. So I think Frank wasn’t driven by “Will this sell?” because he could make a life for himself doing exactly what he wanted to do in the way he wanted to do it. 

KANDER: I think Frank is a much larger figure in the American theater than most people realize. You don’t become famous without some effort on your own behalf, and I don’t have much interest or respect for that element. I don’t know what his ambitions were. I’m sure they were there—we just never had that conversation. But I think there were things that Frank was probably uncomfortable with and unwilling to do, things which would have made him a star, and I truly empathize with that. I mean, I’ve had a very lucky career. But the things that go on or could go on in order to make you seem more important or to be a household name are not things which interest me very much. Frank was a kind of kindred spirit in that way.

ZIMMERMAN: He was not a careerist in any way, shape, or form. He was interested in the project and the people and the thing itself and the doing. Frank had no interest in celebrity qua celebrity. He was interested in storytelling, not in making a vehicle for somebody.

JACKSON: He hated any kind of reach for celebrity because celebrity separates you from other people. 

ZIMMERMAN: What drove him, I think, is what drives any artist: a kind of wonder and amazement at the beauty of the world even in its pain and terror and hardship, and a desire to fix it. Now, I don’t mean fix in terms of repair, I mean to capture, to hold momentarily the phenomenon that is the world and life and human behavior. He was just so fascinated by the moments between people, in the movements of our souls and our feelings and what the world gives us and what we can take and not take from it and all our little tragedies. And then to take all of that and state it as perfectly and accurately as possible in words and image. That’s true genius, being able to live like that, to be awake and concentrating on the world to make a play or find texts that he felt are truthful in some way to express that world.

DENNIS ZACĚK (director and artistic director emeritus Victory Gardens Theater):It wasthe desire to do good work. The desire to be an artist, to understand what it meant to be an artist, and what the joy was in being an artist, and what the challenge was in being an artist. You know, not every production he did was a success, but ultimately, that’s not what you remember. You’re not keeping score. It’s a question of just how extraordinary he was in his ability as a human being and as an artist to affect others.

KANDER: What drives Frank is that the thing he’s doing is . . . wonderful! How fucking marvelous it is to get to be in a room full of people to create something that’s . . . true. There is no way to explain that to somebody who doesn’t experience it. Believe me, becoming Speaker of the House (laughs) couldn’t possibly compare with what happens when you create one moment of truth. It’s so amazing you can’t describe it. And Frank’s joy at that was beautiful to behold. I’m very grateful to have known that.

In 2004, Galati was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. Founded in 1991, its aim has been to make residents of Chicago and the world “aware of the contributions of Chicago’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities and the communities’ efforts to eradicate homophobic bias and discrimination. . . . As time passes, it is our goal to see that the achievements of our predecessors are not lost or forgotten.”

ROSEN: I hope that people talk about Frank’s husband, [director, choreographer, performer] Peter [Amster] and who they were together because Frank couldn’t have been Frank without Peter. Gosh, Frank loved Peter so much. And it was incredibly moving when he would talk about Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. It always felt like he was talking about them and the way in which they were really partners. For 52 years, I think. I mean, as long as I’ve been alive.

I have a picture of Frank with [my husband, Clay, and] my son, Beau, who was two or three at the time. And I remember Frank [looking at it and saying] something to me along the lines of, “You got to do a thing that I never got to do.” Recently, I was at the Asolo walking with Beau, who’s five now, around the lobby, and I saw Terrence McNally and Frank and Peter and Steve Flaherty all looking over at me running around being silly with Beau, and I was like, wow, these greats of the theater are looking at me taking care of a tiny kid which was never a thing in their generation. 

GOLD: I think he would have been a wonderful father. I’ve felt like he was my second father, in many ways. (Pauses.) I’m sorry. I just got . . . (Pauses.) I don’t even know why I was lucky enough to have him in my life.

KINNEY: When you’d see him again after a time away, the catching-up part was absolutely giddy and joyous, and I don’t know anybody that knew him and loved him that didn’t feel that way. A little bit like being in love, you know? Where you’re just, “Oh my God, he’s here!” 

PERRY: A few years back I felt moved to write to [director] Austin Pendleton and to Frank just to say, “I don’t know if I’ve ever said this, but I want you to know you’ve shaped me, you’ve helped me, you’ve inspired me. I’ve always looked up to you. You are my heroes.” And I remember Frank’s response of true humility. He said, “Oh no, no, no. You are my brother in art.”

ZACĚK: It is interesting because there were many years in between [working with him], and each of us had changed over the years, if in no other respect than perhaps growth from what we had learned from mistakes that we had made. But whenever I encountered Frank, whenever we met each other, it was just like picking up a great book that I had put aside, and I could start reading it again.

KANDER: There was never enough Frank. 

“I’m so proud of my friend Frank, who certainly deserves this honor. His loyalty to old friends and new is unparalleled, as evidenced by his request that an old friend, whom most of you don’t know, induct him into the American Theater Hall of Fame.” —from B.J. Jones’s induction speech, November 14, 2022

JACKSON: [Being inducted] was such a thrill for him. He was in a wheelchair, and he could hardly stand, but he still wanted to come to the podium. Two people helped him. His speech was very short, but moving, especially since, well, I have looked over my emails from him from the past year, and he was very aware that death was close by. I don’t think he knew he was dying, but he was very aware of death, and he talked about living as not adding up, but counting down, now. It’s [one of the few things] he said to me that was sort of melancholy.

NAMBI E. KELLEY (actor and playwright): It’s strange, now that I think of it. I never physically met him, but he was a giant when I was a kid in theater, so I always knew his name. You know how you just hear people’s names floating around? He was one of those people. And when I heard that he had died, it took my breath away. I was like, “No-o-o! Mountains don’t die.”

JONES: I would argue that one of the great spotlights of this community went out when Frank died, because that spotlight wasn’t just shining on himself. He was shining it on all of us. 

GOLD: The first day of [class at NU] was the day after he passed, and I had a class to teach. I thought, “How can I do this? How can I go in to teach today?” And one of our friends said, “You know, Frank used to start every class with a reading. So why don’t we all read in class at the beginning?” I found a little piece from “Tender Buttons” [a Gertrude Stein poem] that I know he loved, and I started the class with that.

KANDER: When I heard of his death, I felt very selfish because Frank Galati wasn’t going to be here anymore, and even though I’m 95, I looked forward still to a time when maybe we would be communicating. I think it was very selfish that I felt like there was no more Frank to hope for.

PERRY: What a life. What a life. What a life lived. (Pauses.) Your full, gigantic purpose, your practice, and your work, and how you were connected to and touched so many people. 

Frank Galati as Prospero in The Tempest at Steppenwolf, 2009 Credit Michael Brosilow

ZIMMERMAN: I had a dream once, and it sounds like I’m quoting Star Wars, unfortunately, but I had a dream where he said to me, “I’m your real father.” And then he said, “We have to go to the island.” It was so preposterously a wish-fulfillment dream, such a literal dream, but I actually did feel a kind of artistic parenting from him for sure. That kind of unconditional love that parents are supposed to give you where everything you do is just so fabulous. I’ve said that we all came out of Frank’s overcoat. It’s something that Dostoevsky said about Gogol. “We all came out of Gogol’s overcoat.” 

JACKSON: You know, though, it’s hard to mourn when there’s so much to celebrate.

GALATI (to the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s cast of Knoxville): As you watch this family deal with this crisis and this community deal with this loss—even the loss of Knoxville, which is long gone, [you think about] ‘the cloud-capped towers, the solemn temples, yea, the great glow itself, and all that it inherit shall dissolve and leave not a rack behind.’

It’s all gone. But beating in our veins is the memory of our own parents. I can hear my mother in my voice. You can hear your parents; you can feel them in your bones. And every single person who receives this story will be profoundly touched because they’ve been there. That loss is something they have experienced: the first time you realize you are an orphan.

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Actor, director, playwright, screenwriter, and professor Dr. Frank Galati died on January 2, 2023, but his impact on those he worked with and loved (they were one and the same) and his legacy are imperishable. He won two Tony Awards in 1990 for adapting and directing The Grapes of Wrath, and was a nominee in 1998 for his direction of Ragtime. In 1989, he was nominated for an Academy Award (alongside Lawrence Kasdan) for his screenplay for The Accidental Tourist, adapted from Anne Tyler’s 1985 novel. His work, notes, and interviews are captured in Julie Jackson’s 2022 book, The Spectacular Theatre of Frank Joseph Galati: Reshaping Theatre in Chicago, Illinois (Bloomsbury Publishing).

He received many other awards and accolades throughout his prolific, richly varied, and theatrically adventurous career. But among those he sometimes addressed as “dear ones,” he is revered and emulated for the extraordinary human being and friend he was as much as for the ground he broke and all that he accomplished as an artist. 

In April 2022, Galati addressed the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s cast of Knoxville, a musical based on James Agee’s novel, A Death in the Family, adapted and directed by Galati, with a score by his Ragtime collaborators, composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens. The story explores the impact of a father’s sudden death on his family and community. One cast member recorded some of Galati’s remarks to the cast during rehearsal: 

“I can’t overstate this, and I won’t come back to it much, but even in the most fun that we’ve had in here, these joyous hours in this little room, there’s reverence, not just respect, reverence, which has spiritual overtones of real importance.”

JOHN KANDER(composer, Cabaret, Chicago, and the Galati-directed The Visit): Frank would speak to a group of actors at a rehearsal and begin by saying “Dear ones.” And it didn’t sound corny; it didn’t sound fake because it wasn’t. It was that at this moment we are in this group, this lovefest, trying to create something beautiful. I think almost everybody you will talk to came away with a feeling that what they were doing was worthwhile and indeed that they were worthwhile. 

B.J. JONES (actor, director, and artistic director Northlight Theatre, and longtime friend):He would create a hunger and passion and a sense of purpose that, in the next three weeks, we are going to build something together that is unique, that never existed before, and never will again because we work in an art form that is written in water. And so, we have to turn ourselves inward in order to support each other to do the work on a night-by-night basis in a selfless and passionate way. Otherwise, the magic doesn’t happen. 

JEFF PERRY (actor and cofounder Steppenwolf Theatre):Frank could lay out on day one a road map of the journey that you would take. It was a remarkable articulation of what he had ingested before you all joined him in the room. But it didn’t limit the possibilities or the exploration. 

TERRY KINNEY (actor, director, and cofounder Steppenwolf Theatre): He would talk about the literature, then he would talk about how that piece of literature fits in the lexicon of that author’s canon, and then he would talk about the characters and their journeys, and then the journey of mankind and the place of art in the world. And then about the inevitable privilege of being the vessels for that storytelling. And then his gratitude. His absolutely inspirational opening speeches always made you chomping at the bit to get out there because you understood on the first day that there was going to be a deep layer of spirituality. This is what he brought to the table.

JONES: Frank’s generosity of spirit was the secret of his art. The love that he extended to every collaborator, and we were all collaborators.

CHERYL LYNN BRUCE (actor and director): When I auditioned for Grapes of Wrath, there wasn’t a script yet, andI got the sense that he was looking for collaborators to figure this thing out. I thought, I might not get chosen, but this person is looking to work with people, and that’s a really exciting feeling, that I’m not going to be just a piece in the puzzle, a cog in the wheel, but that we’re going to be working together. He made everybody feel like they should be there.

KANDER: I remember the first day of rehearsal for The Visit in Chicago and all the actors were sitting around a table, Chita [Rivera] included. And Chita, who is very close to me and with whom I have been through a lot of experiences, didn’t know quite what to expect. And after maybe the first half hour of Frank talking, she was totally smitten. I remember saying to her, “You see? Sometimes it’s more fun to work for nothing.” (Laughs.) I meant that in the very least sarcastic way possible because sometimes just working for the work was that worthwhile. And Frank made everybody feel that. 

MARY ZIMMERMAN (theater and opera director; playwright; resident director Goodman Theatre; former student and then fellow professor of Galati’s in performance studies at Northwestern University):Sometimes I feel I’m quoting Frank all the time. I learned so much from him, and I think I deploy what I learned from him all the time. I wouldn’t necessarily say that our taste was identical, and I wasn’t consciously imitating him aesthetically or copying images, but I was consciously imitating him as a person, and in the way he spoke to actors, and in the way he modeled a profound vulnerability. 

His influence on my life is probably greater than, honestly, anyone else’s. When I was a student [at Northwestern], we had to do this thing called a “graduate recital,” a one-person, 40- to 60-minute performance that every graduate student has to do. And I did this thing on Proust. Afterward, I went in to see Frank to get his individual response, and he said to me, “This, my dear, is a work of art.” And for me, that was like a moon landing of a sentence. 

By saying, “This, my dear, is a work of art” he kind of anointed me (laughs) as an artist, and because of my admiration for him, and how ungodly productive and creative he was and how skilled he was and how much I admired him, it just meant everything to me, if, in his eyes, I was interesting! As he did for so many others, he legitimized me to myself. And that’s no small feat for some of us.

It was always your ideas that he was feeding off. If you loved something and wanted to play with it, he was just all smiles and giggling. You couldn’t help but get caught up in it.

CINDY GOLD (actor; fellow Northwestern professor; longtime friend): When I first got to Northwestern in 1997, I’d walk by what I considered the “great man’s” office. (Of course, he would pooh-pooh “great man.”) I was in my mid-30s at the time. A kid. He had already won the Tonys at that point and his relationship with Steppenwolf was really exciting to me. 

One day I screwed up my courage, and I just went in. I said, “You know, Dr. Galati, I heard you’re working on something about Gertrude Stein, and I love Gertrude Stein. I’d love to read it.” And, Frank, he never met a stranger. He was just so deeply, genuinely interested in everyone. He said something like, “Of course you can read it.” It was on his desk, and he handed it to me. I said, “Thank you very much,” and I turned to leave. He said, “No, no. I mean I want you to read it now.” So, I read it cover to cover out loud for him. 

KINNEY: What a great story! That’s extraordinary. I mean, that is just so Frank. First of all, he’s going to learn something about his own writing. Her discovery of this literature that he’s adapted will come simultaneously with him experiencing it. And secondly, he’s honoring her love for Gertrude Stein. Yeah, that’s what he’s all about. He just takes the space and creates within it.

RUSH PEARSON (ensemble member of Practical Theater Company and cast member in Goodman Theatre’s 1986 A Christmas Carol with Galati):I was a student of Frank’s at Northwestern in the 70s. He was so tuned in, so connected to whatever you brought with you that day in the class. He was like, “What do you got? Oh, this is wonderful!” And then he’d play with it. He didn’t impose his will on anybody. He wanted you to go full throttle into what you were presenting. It was always your ideas that he was feeding off. If you loved something and wanted to play with it, he was just all smiles and giggling. You couldn’t help but get caught up in it.

ROBERT FALLS (director and artistic director Goodman Theatre, 1986-2022):I often laughed at Frank when we would see something and he would say to me, “Bobby—” (Everybody was Bobby or Billy, Johnny.) “Bobby, it was so wonderful!” And I’d go, “Frank, it wasn’t that good. It was . . . fine.” And he’s like, “Oh, no, no, Bobby, it was so . . . beautiful.” “Seriously, Frank it was OK.” “No, no! It was won-derful! ” And that’s irresistible. For over half a century, Frank was putting that sort of energy into the world.

JULIE JACKSON (longtime friend and author of The Spectacular Theatre of Frank Joseph Galati):A lot of people say they know how to listen, but nobody listens quite like Frank did. When he talked to you, there was no past, there was no future, there was only now. 

ZIMMERMAN: I don’t know if this was the first time I saw him, but early on I saw him walking across campus to class. It was raining, and he was holding an umbrella. But the umbrella was a child’s umbrella. It was only about two feet across, and it was yellow with a bright-red handle. And he was a large man. That image is very seminal to me, and very, very dear. I don’t think it really needs unpacking, but he was so in love with beauty, and he found it everywhere, and he didn’t mind appearing foolish. 

ERIC ROSEN (director, playwright, and cofounder About Face Theatre; former Galati student and longtime friend):I have an image of Frank walking down Sheridan Road in Evanston by himself eating an ice cream cone. And that has always stuck with me, like, thank you! It was in that moment that I thought, OK, Frank is a person, he’s not a god. He’s not a teacher with a capital T. He’s a guy who has a life and has done so many things and likes ice cream and would like to be alone and not be always dealing with a thousand students begging him for approval. That was a big moment for me. I’m 52 years old now, and I’m telling you about how I felt when I was 22. In hindsight, I’m like, well, of course Frank eats ice cream, and of course, Frank walks alone.

PERRY: I was an enraptured high school student when I first saw him in a production of [Peter Nichols’s] The National Health [in 1972] at the Forum Theater [in Summit, Illinois].

WILLIAM PULLINSI (director and founder of Candlelight Dinner Playhouse and the Forum Theater): I had had another actor in mind for the role, but he left town, decided to move to New York, and Mike Nussbaum, who was already hired for the show, said there’s a young actor at Northwestern, Frank Galati, you should audition him. So, I called him, and that’s how we found Frankie. He was about 28 years old at the time, I think. He had been a student at Northwestern. 

I’ve got his first press, here. Want to hear it? This is Sydney Harris’s review in the Daily News. Sydney was then like the dean of Chicago critics. At the end of the review, he says, “I have saved the best for last, and that is the diabolically effective performance of Frank Galati as the orderly slash commentator. In himself, he epitomizes the strengths and weaknesses, the humor of that collective patient known as the British public. I can’t imagine that even his prototype in the original London company did a more devastating and credible job.”

Frank was that good right off the bat. Some people can just reach across the footlights, and that was one of the things he could do. He was a big performer, so big; he had full gestures, full extension, and his big voice and his performance just reached out and grabbed people.

Frank Galati (left) and John Mahoney in Michael Healey’s The Drawer Boy at Steppenwolf, 2001 Credit Michael Brosilow

PERRY: There are very few people who can do this, who can be textually, intellectually, joyfully in the same league as the playwright.

JONES: [When I acted with him in Travesties by Tom Stoppard at Wisdom Bridge] he had this long 12- or 15-minute monologue as Henry Carr at the beginning of the play. He was framed in a spotlight, smoking a cigarette. At the end of the monologue, he whipped around, [facing upstage, so his back was to the audience], and I blasted through the doors as Tristan Tzara. He had thrown all the focus to me. I was the only one who could see the expression on his face every night. (Imitates Galati’s wide-eyed, broadly-smiling expression). Every night without fail for nine months! I always noticed it, but I never codified it. 

Some years later, I was in a cast that Frank was directing. And he said to this cast that one of the important things is to welcome your colleagues onto the stage. You embrace them and accept them and bring them into the play. I realized then that that’s what he was doing in Travesties. And he did that as an actor, as a director, and as a person. One of Frank’s greatest artistic achievements is that, yes, he was in the limelight, but his great delight was sharing the limelight.

Frank’s generosity of spirit was the secret of his art. The love that he extended to every collaborator, and we were all collaborators.

KINNEY: While we [Steppenwolf] were still in Highland Park [1974-1979], we found out about some of Frank’s adaptations that he was doing at Northwestern. We went to see Pale Fire [adapted from Vladimir Nabokov], and we immediately started talking about needing him in the company. We needed someone like him to guide the sort of literary side of the company, and he was such a strong director on top of it. We didn’t even know how good an actor he was till later when we saw him in Travesties.

He talked to us about [joining the ensemble] and respected us but didn’t know where he fit in at first. But then I think Gary [Sinise] convinced him to join. And the minute Frank said yes, we said, “What novel do you want to adapt right now? I mean, right now.” He said, “I’ve had my eye on Grapes of Wrath for a long time.” We had done Of Mice and Men [in 1981], and we just loved Steinbeck so much, but the fact that there was this synchronicity with what Frank wanted to do was pretty much magical for us. We had limited resources for commissioning at the time, but I think we did what we could to make it happen.

Gary said, “Please begin.”

The cast of Steppenwolf Theatre’s 1988 production of The Grapes of Wrath, adapted and directed by Frank Galati Credit Michael Brosilow

The Grapes of Wrath opened at Steppenwolf Theatre in 1988, moved to La Jolla Playhouse in 1989, then to the Royal National Theatre in London. It opened on Broadway in 1990. Galati received a Tony Award for Best Play and one for Best Direction. Grapes was later adapted for television in PBS’s American Playhouse.

FALLS: Frank’s love and his enthusiasm and his artistry made him a unique figure in the American theater. It’s a small, quirky family of theater artists that have made Chicago theater and Frank was at the heart of it for 50 years. 

ROSEN: I think Frank met his historical moment. He was lucky to be making theater in Chicago in the 70s and 80s and 90s when you could expect an audience to show up for whatever weird, crazy vision that you had. And if it was really good, you would find an audience. Mary [Zimmerman] came out of that. I feel like [the younger artists of my generation] really get that. So I think Frank wasn’t driven by “Will this sell?” because he could make a life for himself doing exactly what he wanted to do in the way he wanted to do it. 

KANDER: I think Frank is a much larger figure in the American theater than most people realize. You don’t become famous without some effort on your own behalf, and I don’t have much interest or respect for that element. I don’t know what his ambitions were. I’m sure they were there—we just never had that conversation. But I think there were things that Frank was probably uncomfortable with and unwilling to do, things which would have made him a star, and I truly empathize with that. I mean, I’ve had a very lucky career. But the things that go on or could go on in order to make you seem more important or to be a household name are not things which interest me very much. Frank was a kind of kindred spirit in that way.

ZIMMERMAN: He was not a careerist in any way, shape, or form. He was interested in the project and the people and the thing itself and the doing. Frank had no interest in celebrity qua celebrity. He was interested in storytelling, not in making a vehicle for somebody.

JACKSON: He hated any kind of reach for celebrity because celebrity separates you from other people. 

ZIMMERMAN: What drove him, I think, is what drives any artist: a kind of wonder and amazement at the beauty of the world even in its pain and terror and hardship, and a desire to fix it. Now, I don’t mean fix in terms of repair, I mean to capture, to hold momentarily the phenomenon that is the world and life and human behavior. He was just so fascinated by the moments between people, in the movements of our souls and our feelings and what the world gives us and what we can take and not take from it and all our little tragedies. And then to take all of that and state it as perfectly and accurately as possible in words and image. That’s true genius, being able to live like that, to be awake and concentrating on the world to make a play or find texts that he felt are truthful in some way to express that world.

DENNIS ZACĚK (director and artistic director emeritus Victory Gardens Theater):It wasthe desire to do good work. The desire to be an artist, to understand what it meant to be an artist, and what the joy was in being an artist, and what the challenge was in being an artist. You know, not every production he did was a success, but ultimately, that’s not what you remember. You’re not keeping score. It’s a question of just how extraordinary he was in his ability as a human being and as an artist to affect others.

KANDER: What drives Frank is that the thing he’s doing is . . . wonderful! How fucking marvelous it is to get to be in a room full of people to create something that’s . . . true. There is no way to explain that to somebody who doesn’t experience it. Believe me, becoming Speaker of the House (laughs) couldn’t possibly compare with what happens when you create one moment of truth. It’s so amazing you can’t describe it. And Frank’s joy at that was beautiful to behold. I’m very grateful to have known that.

In 2004, Galati was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. Founded in 1991, its aim has been to make residents of Chicago and the world “aware of the contributions of Chicago’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities and the communities’ efforts to eradicate homophobic bias and discrimination. . . . As time passes, it is our goal to see that the achievements of our predecessors are not lost or forgotten.”

ROSEN: I hope that people talk about Frank’s husband, [director, choreographer, performer] Peter [Amster] and who they were together because Frank couldn’t have been Frank without Peter. Gosh, Frank loved Peter so much. And it was incredibly moving when he would talk about Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. It always felt like he was talking about them and the way in which they were really partners. For 52 years, I think. I mean, as long as I’ve been alive.

I have a picture of Frank with [my husband, Clay, and] my son, Beau, who was two or three at the time. And I remember Frank [looking at it and saying] something to me along the lines of, “You got to do a thing that I never got to do.” Recently, I was at the Asolo walking with Beau, who’s five now, around the lobby, and I saw Terrence McNally and Frank and Peter and Steve Flaherty all looking over at me running around being silly with Beau, and I was like, wow, these greats of the theater are looking at me taking care of a tiny kid which was never a thing in their generation. 

GOLD: I think he would have been a wonderful father. I’ve felt like he was my second father, in many ways. (Pauses.) I’m sorry. I just got . . . (Pauses.) I don’t even know why I was lucky enough to have him in my life.

KINNEY: When you’d see him again after a time away, the catching-up part was absolutely giddy and joyous, and I don’t know anybody that knew him and loved him that didn’t feel that way. A little bit like being in love, you know? Where you’re just, “Oh my God, he’s here!” 

PERRY: A few years back I felt moved to write to [director] Austin Pendleton and to Frank just to say, “I don’t know if I’ve ever said this, but I want you to know you’ve shaped me, you’ve helped me, you’ve inspired me. I’ve always looked up to you. You are my heroes.” And I remember Frank’s response of true humility. He said, “Oh no, no, no. You are my brother in art.”

ZACĚK: It is interesting because there were many years in between [working with him], and each of us had changed over the years, if in no other respect than perhaps growth from what we had learned from mistakes that we had made. But whenever I encountered Frank, whenever we met each other, it was just like picking up a great book that I had put aside, and I could start reading it again.

KANDER: There was never enough Frank. 

“I’m so proud of my friend Frank, who certainly deserves this honor. His loyalty to old friends and new is unparalleled, as evidenced by his request that an old friend, whom most of you don’t know, induct him into the American Theater Hall of Fame.” —from B.J. Jones’s induction speech, November 14, 2022

JACKSON: [Being inducted] was such a thrill for him. He was in a wheelchair, and he could hardly stand, but he still wanted to come to the podium. Two people helped him. His speech was very short, but moving, especially since, well, I have looked over my emails from him from the past year, and he was very aware that death was close by. I don’t think he knew he was dying, but he was very aware of death, and he talked about living as not adding up, but counting down, now. It’s [one of the few things] he said to me that was sort of melancholy.

NAMBI E. KELLEY (actor and playwright): It’s strange, now that I think of it. I never physically met him, but he was a giant when I was a kid in theater, so I always knew his name. You know how you just hear people’s names floating around? He was one of those people. And when I heard that he had died, it took my breath away. I was like, “No-o-o! Mountains don’t die.”

JONES: I would argue that one of the great spotlights of this community went out when Frank died, because that spotlight wasn’t just shining on himself. He was shining it on all of us. 

GOLD: The first day of [class at NU] was the day after he passed, and I had a class to teach. I thought, “How can I do this? How can I go in to teach today?” And one of our friends said, “You know, Frank used to start every class with a reading. So why don’t we all read in class at the beginning?” I found a little piece from “Tender Buttons” [a Gertrude Stein poem] that I know he loved, and I started the class with that.

KANDER: When I heard of his death, I felt very selfish because Frank Galati wasn’t going to be here anymore, and even though I’m 95, I looked forward still to a time when maybe we would be communicating. I think it was very selfish that I felt like there was no more Frank to hope for.

PERRY: What a life. What a life. What a life lived. (Pauses.) Your full, gigantic purpose, your practice, and your work, and how you were connected to and touched so many people. 

Frank Galati as Prospero in The Tempest at Steppenwolf, 2009 Credit Michael Brosilow

ZIMMERMAN: I had a dream once, and it sounds like I’m quoting Star Wars, unfortunately, but I had a dream where he said to me, “I’m your real father.” And then he said, “We have to go to the island.” It was so preposterously a wish-fulfillment dream, such a literal dream, but I actually did feel a kind of artistic parenting from him for sure. That kind of unconditional love that parents are supposed to give you where everything you do is just so fabulous. I’ve said that we all came out of Frank’s overcoat. It’s something that Dostoevsky said about Gogol. “We all came out of Gogol’s overcoat.” 

JACKSON: You know, though, it’s hard to mourn when there’s so much to celebrate.

GALATI (to the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s cast of Knoxville): As you watch this family deal with this crisis and this community deal with this loss—even the loss of Knoxville, which is long gone, [you think about] ‘the cloud-capped towers, the solemn temples, yea, the great glow itself, and all that it inherit shall dissolve and leave not a rack behind.’

It’s all gone. But beating in our veins is the memory of our own parents. I can hear my mother in my voice. You can hear your parents; you can feel them in your bones. And every single person who receives this story will be profoundly touched because they’ve been there. That loss is something they have experienced: the first time you realize you are an orphan.

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Have you wondered what the best porn games are? Or, more specifically, the best free porn games? This can be daunting, given the sheer number of adult games that are being developed all the time.

Well, that’s where we come in! We’re taking a comprehensive look at 20 of the best porn games in 2021 so you know which games fit what you’re looking for, and which ones will just waste your time.

This article will provide a “best of” list, comprehensive reviews, an overview of our ranking criteria, and an FAQ section. (If you’re completely new to porn games, you might want to skip to the FAQ section first.) All right, let’s get right into it, shall we?

20 Best Online Porn Games of 2023

After much careful consideration, here’s our “best of” list:

Nutaku – best overall
Hentai Heroes – best for hentai fans
Project QT – best RPG
Fap CEO – best clicker game
LifeSelector.com – best POV content
Meet And Fuck Games – best multiplayer game
Crystal Maidens – best gameplay
Pocket Waifu – best animated scenes
The Fister – best graphics
Merge Nymphs – best puzzle game
Sex Emulator – best customization
PlayForceOne – most lifelike
UtherVerse – best virtual world
3D Sex Villa – best 3D game
SF Girls – best Android exclusive
Girlvania – best lesbian content
3DXChat – best VR option
FapTitans – best walkthroughs
PornGames.com – best interface
Summertime Saga – best free updates

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