Things to Do in Maywood

Wines for Humanity's professional wine advisers lead in-home tastings that teach guests the finer points of a five-point wine-tasting technique, all while raising funds for local charities. As students sip several exclusive vintages, they learn to judge wines' colors, aromas, and voting records, as well as pick out suitable food pairings. Wine Advisors will arrive half an hour before the tasting begins bringing the tasting glasses and wine. Hosts are encouraged to prepare suggested cheese pairings and crackers to complement the wines. Wines that are selected for tasting run at an average of $20 per bottle. A portion of every bottle selected for your own enjoyment generates a donation for UMOM New Day Centers, a charity that supports the prevention of homelessness for families with children in Maricopa County.

Second City, Chicago's legendary sketch-based improv troupe, has launched the careers of hundreds of comedians since it first opened in 1959. Today, the Old Town theater continues to prompt guffaws with daily performances by the next generation of John Belushis, Steve Carells, and Tina Feys. The troupe's iconoclastic sketches tackle contemporary and previously contemporary issues often centered on Chicago. At night, guests pack the house in cabaret-style seating as cocktail waitresses weave throughout the crowd to deliver drinks and snacks. Throughout its training centers in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Toronto, Second City fortifies the funny bones of 13,000 aspiring actors, improvisers, and extemporaneous soapbox speakers every year.

Throughout nearly two decades of collecting and reselling beads, owner Charlene Steele has gathered more than one million types of baubles including Swarovski crystals, semi-precious stones, and Miyuki seed beads and Delica beads. In addition to a variety of beads and jewelry components from Czech glass buttons to crystal pendants, customers can drape themselves in the shop's finished jewelry. To learn techniques for making their own treasures, patrons can attend beginner to advanced classes, in which knowledgeable instructors teach students how to wire wrap a stone or preserve a small photo or dried flower in a resin pendant. The shop hosts private parties for kids and adults alike.

The quick-witted troupe of performers at pH Productions stirs up a rollicking concoction of comedy that bubbles with equal parts improv and audience interaction. Founded in 2002, the troupe's scientific moniker celebrates the onstage chemistry that leads to a great night of improv and leaves nothing but a neutral puddle of goo when incompatible performers accidentally touch. Classes teach would-be improvisers the arts of extemporaneous comedy with a focus on hands-on learning, and a slate of shows delight audiences with long- and short-form sketches, many of which have been recognized with the Chicago Reader's Critic's Choice award.

Positive Focus Productions organizes motivational-speaking events that include discussions on world events and advice to enrich daily lives. Past workshops have tackled myths and scientific interpretations of the Mayan calendar, the effects of an uncertain economy, and coping with the continuing absence of new Spin City episodes. Founder and positivity adviser Carol uses her years of experience in public relations and event planning to coordinate morning and afternoon workshops, in which both virtual and physical communities learn to live more positively.

Following the aroma of freshly popped corn through Sundae’s Too Ice Cream Shop, guests find themselves standing in front of Bensenville Theatre’s two intimately sized, 130-person theaters. The twin screens flicker to life two to three times daily, showing a selection of recent Hollywood blockbusters during weekday matinees or nightly showings. A concession stand helps supply guests with popcorn for staving off hunger or stuffing shirts in an effort to emulate the muscular physique of Jean-Claude Van Damme.