Linda Falkenstein

Madison

Associate Editor at Isthmus

Associate editor @isthmus.

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Articles

All the state’s a stage

2 days ago | isthmus.com | Linda Falkenstein

During the Renaissance, most theater took place outdoors. Traveling companies put on shows in town squares. Even in London, theaters like The Globe were open air. Wisconsin takes that tradition to heart in the summer months. Playgoers are ready to bring a picnic and a camp chair and to enjoy plays that range from fun farces to Pulitzer-prize winning dramas to Shakespeare. Bring a sense of adventure — and bug spray. Alley Stage June 8, Aug. 17, Sept.
Sweetgreen or Crisp& Green establish themselves in Madison

1 month ago | isthmus.com | Linda Falkenstein

Descr: Salad and bowl restaurants have been rising in popularity for a while, but the national chains have been pretty quiet in Madison. That’s likely because our homegrown version, Forage Kitchen, got a firm foothold early, expanding from one location on State Street in 2015 to nine — five in the Madison area, plus Pewaukee, Whitefish Bay, Milwaukee and Champaign, Illinois. I guess it’s also a chain now.
Madison celebrates 150 years of public library service

1 month ago | isthmus.com | Linda Falkenstein

In some ways it’s an awkward time for the Madison Public Library to be celebrating its 150th anniversary. Libraries are facing funding cuts — and cuts for other programs, from social services to the humanities, are creating a domino effect that will also impact libraries. But still, the milestone is an opportunity to celebrate and highlight what the library provides to the city, says Tana Elias, library director at Madison Public Library.
One Dish: Hand-pulled noodles from Hotco Noodles

1 month ago | isthmus.com | Linda Falkenstein

Lovers of hand-pulled Chinese noodles have a far east side option now that Hotco Noodles has opened a stall inside Global Market and Food Hall, 2161 Zeier Road. Most dishes start with a springy, toothy tangle of la mian, wheat noodles. The owners of Hotco come from the Sichuan region of China and also market a Sichuan Crunchy Chili Sauce, which makes an appearance in the Dan Dan noodles, a pretty dish with ground pork that comes topped with peanuts and six crunchy bunches of bok choy.
Birth of a musical

2 months ago | isthmus.com | Linda Falkenstein

Often a school theater program exists because of the dedication of a few teachers and determined parents. And with some help from The Mouse. Stephanie Salas and Melissa Kruser are two of those determined parents. They started working on a theater program at Sennett Middle School after their kids graduated from Henderson Elementary, one of five Madison elementary schools with a theater program participating in the Disney Musicals in Schools program.
‘Relationship to Patient’ explores illness and relationships

2 months ago | isthmus.com | Linda Falkenstein

Watching the minutely observed Relationship to Patient, it’s hard to believe this is director Caroline Creaghead’s first film. The pace is unrushed, confident; the content meditative, honest. Set in a hospital, largely taking place at the bedside of a patient in the ICU, the film feels more real than the blood and chaos of any mainstream hospital drama. It will be shown as part of a group of shorts under the heading “Wisconsin’s Own Short Stories,” April 6 at the Bartell Theatre.
Wisconsin Film Fest: ‘Once a Mormon’ questions barriers, looks for purpose

2 months ago | isthmus.com | Linda Falkenstein

Elder Hinckley and Elder Mihaas, two young Mormon missionaries, are used to coping with rejection — doors slammed in their faces, soft drinks thrown at them out the windows of cars. But when they approach a brash recluse in rural Wisconsin, the unexpected happens. Director Ryan Allsop’s short Once a Mormon will be shown as part of a group of comic shorts under the heading “Wisconsin’s Own Gone Wild” on April 4 at Music Hall.
Teamoji is 😍 - Isthmus

Mar 8, 2025 | isthmus.com | Linda Falkenstein

It’s hard to imagine a less serious eatery than Teamoji, a bubble tea and Korean corn dog spot on State Street at Gilman. It takes the space of Sookie’s Veggie Burgers at 502 State St., in a neoclassical Beaux Arts style building listed on the state historic register. The contrast between its stately exterior and its mod interior with digital ordering kiosks and a K-pop soundtrack is a little jarring. But whatever. Teamoji is fun.
More films at The Bartell

Mar 7, 2025 | isthmus.com | Linda Falkenstein

The Bartell will not only welcome the Wisconsin Film Festival back this year, but it has increased its own programming of movies, says Steve Noll, Bartell board vice president, who’s spearheaded the new film series. “It’s been a pet project of mine,” says Noll, who notes that the Bartell used to be a movie theater called The Esquire (one of many uses in the building’s long history), with a single screen and a main floor as well as balcony seating.
The Wisconsin Film Fest settles into Flix Brewhouse and other venues

Mar 7, 2025 | isthmus.com | Linda Falkenstein

Losing the AMC6 theater at Hilldale as a venue could have been a grievous wound for the Wisconsin Film Festival. But last year’s incorporation of East Towne’s Flix Brewhouse proved a neat solution. “People who hadn’t been to Flix before were impressed with the theaters themselves,” says Ben Reiser, the fest’s director of operations, who says he heard “no complaints” about Flix. The now demolished AMC6 theater was popular with many attendees for its ambience — and easy parking.