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  • Comedy , Review , Stages , Theater Festival

Dispatch: iO Fest 2025 Closes With POC Comedy, Off-Kilter Standup and Shakespearean Bloodshed

By Third Coast Review Staff iO Theater’s second annual iO Fest closed Sunday after 100-plus comedy acts performed over the four-day event. The fest featured homegrown Chicago talent and nationally […]

  • Third Coast Review Staff
  • July 28, 2025
    • Review , Stages , Theater

    Review: Chicago Shakespeare’s Billie Jean Is Bold and Riveting  

    The cast of Billie Jean includes (front, left to right) Julia Antonelli, Nancy Lemenager, Elena Hurst, Murphy Taylor Smith, Carolyn Holding, (back, left to right) Callie Rachelle Johnson, Chilina Kennedy, Lenne Klingaman, and Courtney Rikki Green. Written by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Marc Bruni. Running July 18–August 10, 2025, in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Photo by Justin Barbin.

    When audiences walk into The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, they are immediately transported to a tennis match. Scenic designer Wilson Chin completely transforms the space— with audience stands on […]

  • Lauren Katz
  • July 28, 2025
    • Comedy , Review , Stages , Theater Festival

    Dispatch: iO Fest Kicks Off With Party Rock and a Lineup of Female Comedy Acts

    By Third Coast Review Staff Chicago’s rich comedy and improv tradition takes center stage this weekend as iO Fest 2025 returns July 24-27 to the iO Theater with 120 comedic performances from […]

  • Third Coast Review Staff
  • July 26, 2025
    • Review , Stages , Storefront , Theater

    Review: Griffin Theatre Company’s Girls & Boys Shines After a Rough Start

    For the first half hour of Dennis Kelly’s Girls & Boys, making its Midwest debut at the Bramble Arts Loft, one could be forgiven for calling it a Fleabag rip-off. […]

  • Adam Kaz
  • July 23, 2025
    • Review , Stages , Storefront , Theater

    Review: Tin Drum Theatre Makes Magic on a Small Stage With Incognito

    Two chairs, a piano and a big bird. That simple scenic design—combined with a creatively structured script and superb performances by four actors playing 20 roles—creates magic on a small […]

  • Nancy S Bishop
  • July 21, 2025
    • Review , Stages , Theater

    Review: At Northlight Theatre, Kelvin Roston Inhabits Donny Hathaway’s Joy and Agony in Twisted Melodies

    Donny Hathaway is a name tattooed in my mind since childhood. His singing style was otherworldly, blending traditional gospel with R&B and funk. He could bend a note like no […]

  • Kathy D. Hey
  • July 18, 2025
    • Review , Stages , Storefront , Theater

    Review: Blank Theatre’s Passion Showcases Sondheim’s Breathtaking Score

    Evan Bradford and Brittney Brown in PASSION. Photo Credit: Steve Townshend/Distant Era

    As fans of Stephen Sondheim may know, Passion is not as widely prod’suced as some of his other musicals. There are many reasons for this. The music can be quite […]

  • Lauren Katz
  • July 17, 2025
    • Broadway , Review , Stages , Theater

    Review: Disney Magic Comes to Life on Stage During Beauty and the Beast 

    Beauty and the Beast, a beloved Disney classic, is seamlessly brought to the stage for a truly magical night of theater presented by Broadway in Chicago. This show will consistently […]

  • Erin Ryan
  • July 12, 2025
    • Review , Stages , Theater

    Review: Theatre L’Acadie Gets Big Time Laughs With Big Time Toppers

    Theatre L’Acadie is known for edgy satire while bringing deeply human themes to the absurd situations of life. The first production I saw from L’Acadie was called The Swan, which […]

  • Kathy D. Hey
  • July 11, 2025
    • Review , Stages , Theater

    Review: Goodman Theatre’s The Color Purple Paints by the Numbers

    The energy in the Goodman Theatre’s larger Albert Theatre was palpable even before Monday’s premiere of The Color Purple began, and it built upon itself as the evening progressed towards […]

  • Doug Mose
  • July 2, 2025
    • Review , Stages , Theater

    Review: Midsommer Flight’s Love’s Labour’s Lost Is an Imperfect but Fun Trip to the Park

    Of William Shakespeare’s comedies, Love’s Labour’s Love doesn’t get a whole lot of—ahem, love. Written in the mid-1590s when the young Bard was learning his powers, the oft-ignored play centers […]

  • Adam Kaz
  • July 1, 2025
    • Circus , Review , Stages , Theater

    Review: Teatro ZinZanni’s Love, Chaos, and Dinner Charms with Charismatic and Talented Performances

    Danila Bim in Teatro ZinZanni. Photo Credit: Kyle Flubacker

    When Danila Bim entered the circus tent with a small metal hoop attached to her head, I had a feeling I knew what was coming. Enough performers had taken flight […]

  • Lauren Katz
  • June 28, 2025
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