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Appearances

WORT-FM 89.9 •

Wisconsin's Vibrant Culinary Landscape as seen on Top Chef

Cap Times Food editor and arts reporter Lindsay Christians, says that Wisconsin cuisine is definitely cheese curds, beer, frozen custard, and cranberries, but there’s more to it. “It also has these incredible indigenous roots. And it has these global influences. To reduce it to like a variation on hot dish or something is really reductive,” she explains. “There’s so much more nuance and more variety and diversity in the cuisine here.”
American Theatre Critics Association •

Lindsay Christians | Conferences, events, and food

Journalist Lindsay Christians, whose professional home base is Madison, Wisconsin’s The Capital Times, has been a member of ATCA for almost 15 years. During that time, she has been deeply involved in playwright awards and conference planning committees. In recent years, she has been a leader in moving ATCA into digital event development. With her tenure as chair of the Conference & Event committee coming to a close, and a book addressing her passionate interest in food and wine newly published, we took the opportunity to find out more about Lindsay, her vision for what ATCA has done for her, reflections on what she has done for ATCA, and what might come next.
Tone Madison •

Tone Madison Podcast: Harassment in Madison's restaurant industry

Lindsay Christians, an arts and food journalist with The Capital Times, is a respected and thorough observer of Madison's restaurant scene, but never thought she'd be the one to write an investigation of sexual harassment in the food industry. "I started to realize that when it came to the sourcing and how I wanted to go about it, I did kind of have some strong opinions about how it should be handled, and so I ended up taking it on myself," Christians says.
Caffeine Clarity •

Caffeine Clarity: Making the world a better place, one cup at a time

I’d like to help people understand the arts are part of what makes us human. The arts allow us to express our humanity and contribute to our ability to be compassionate and empathetic. They’re part of what gives us a soul. I’d like to see the arts prioritized at a policy level.

On the food side, I’d address the issue of food insecurity. We waste an incredible amount of food in our country and there is absolutely no reason that any child should go hungry.

Panels

Cap Times Idea Fest •

Rethinking restaurants: How COVID-19 is transforming the service industry

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the brokenness in a restaurant industry that too often exploited workers, perpetuated inequity and deprioritized mental health, all on perilously thin business margins. On this panel, we'll talk about how a time of crisis could lead to radical, positive change. Featuring Ashley Kosiak of the James Beard Foundation, Dave Heide of Liliana's Restaurant and Francesca Hong of Morris Ramen.
The Capital Times •

Cap Times Talks podcast: How can a classic theater company tell more diverse stories?

For many, "classical theater" brings to mind William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov and Samuel Beckett. Many predominantly white theater companies are grappling with that schema as they make room for more diverse voices.

“There’s a misperception that if it’s classical (theater), classical language, it doesn’t mean people of color," said Gavin Lawrence, an actor, theater director and playwright, in a recent Cap Times cover story.
The Capital Times •

Photos: Cap Times Talk discusses staging Shakespeare in the #MeToo era

Kerry Reid, Windy City Times theater critic, (l-r) Melisa Pereyra, APT actor, Aparna Dharwadker, UW English and Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies professor, Brenda DeVita, APT artistic director, and Lindsay Christians, Cap Times reporter and moderator, addressed questions about "How do we stage Shakespeare in the age of #MeToo?" in a Cap Times Talk at Promenade Hall at the Overture Center on Tuesday night.
The Capital Times •

Photos: Food critics dish about the job at latest Cap Times Talk

Have you ever wondered how restaurant critics work? How they choose places to review and decide what to order? Does the restaurant know they’re coming and give them special treatment? Do they wear disguises?

If these questions intrigue you, come to the High Noon Saloon, 701 E. Washington Ave., on Monday, Oct. 26, to hear Madison food critics dish about their jobs in a panel discussion. They'll be talking about how and why restaurant reviews are important, how Madison’s restaurant scene has grown and about critics’ anonymity in the Internet age.

Education

Overture Center for the Arts •

Disney Musicals in Schools Student Share Celebration

On WED, MAY 23, students from Frank Allis Elementary, Leopold Community and Nuestro Mundo Community Schools took the stage in the Capitol Theater as part of this year’s Disney Musicals in Schools Student Share Celebration.

The event was hosted by Lindsay Christians of The Capital Times and Alanna Medearis, Overture Center Director of Education and Community Engagement, with more than 310 in attendance.

In summer 2018, I co-chaired a committee to bring the American Theatre Critics Association's annual conference to American Players Theatre in Spring Green. Shown here is the keynote discussion with actor Carrie Coon ("The Leftovers" on HBO, "Gone Girl").

In March 2017, I moderated a panel with New York Times journalist and cookbook author Melissa Clark, travel writer and UW Press editor Raphael Kadushin, and author/ Tin House editor Michelle Wildgen.

Honoring Our Roots: A Dinner Inspired by Odessa Piper (at right) was part of Madison Chef Week 2019, hosted by L'Etoile and cooked by the Culinary Ladies Collective. I just love this photo by Keni Rosales. (Story here: https://tinyurl.com/vl5wrcm)

A picture of my husband and I at a meeting of the wine group we founded in 2007. WASTED: Wine Tasters in Madison ("We All Should Taste Every Day") meets once a month at different houses, with a different theme each month. I often base columns off these tastings. Photo by Scott Lothes.