Dialogs: The Unique Genius of John Waters Livens Up a Sunday
The Pope of Trash. The Sultan of Sleaze. The Baron of Bad Taste. These are just some of the sobriquets people have bestowed on filmmaker John Waters, and he proudly […]
Review: First Floor Theater’s Work Hard Have Fun Make History Gets Lost in Its Own Experimentalism
Review written by Emily Werner. First Floor Theater’s new production of reid tang’s dark comedy Work Hard Have Fun Make History struggles to create a clear connection between the characters […]
Review: Hell in a Handbag’s The Golden Girls: The Cheese Pyramid Parodies a Scam From Rose’s Home Town of St. Olaf, Minnesota
By now, the four women of The Golden Girls have become woven into the fabric of American culture. Dorothy (David Cerda), Blanche (Grant Drager), Sophia (Kelly Bolton), and Rose (Ed […]
Review: In A Red Orchid’s The Targeted, People Believe Mind-Control Chips Are Implanted in Their Bodies
The setting is a church summer camp, now the site of the First Annual Solidarity and Truth Conference. Before the play begins, voices and visual projections describe the lives of T.I.s […]
Dialogs: Jad Abumrad and Lynda Barry on Creative Energy From Mind to Image at Humanities Festival Event
I took a sentimental journey back to the ’80s recently when.Lynda Barry was featured at the Chicago Humanities Festival in a conversation with journalist and Radiolab founder Jad Abumrad. Barry is an […]
Review: Le Bal at Trap Door Theatre Portrays an American Century with Music, Dance and No Dialogue
Not a word is spoken. The 90-minute performance by Trap Door Theatre is staged with music, recorded song and occasional dialog, but the seven actors say nothing. The production is […]
Review: Timeline Opens Its New Home With a Sizzling Staging of An Enemy of the People
Opening night for the first play in Timeline Theatre’s new building was a sparkly affair. The audience was full of theater people and the level of drama was amped up […]
Review: Do You Hear the People Sing? Les Misérables Stuns Chicago Once Again
Producer Cameron Mackintosh and his insanely talented creative team invite audiences to step into 19th century France in the infamous tale and beloved musical that is Les Misérables. Inspired by […]
Review: Covenant at the Goodman Theatre Is Black Southern Gothic, Testing Belief with Humor and Hair-Raising Fright
Chicago native York Walker’s play Covenant is filled with stories of superstition, religious fanaticism, and secrets. It is skillfully directed by Malkia Stampley, who keeps the audience guessing and on the […]
Review: City Lit’s New Musical Scaramouche Thrives on Comedy and Theatrical Flair
Review by Emily Werner. City Lit Theater’s 45th anniversary season comes to a close with the world premiere of the swashbuckling musical, Scaramouche. Based on the 1921 novel by Rafael […]
Review: At Young People’s Theatre, The Hula Hoopin’ Queen Sings With Joy and Energy
Circles have been universal throughout history, Evanston playwright Gloria Bond Clunie tells us. Hoops have delighted cultures all around the world, from ancient Egypt to the Parthenon. Native American nations […]
Review: Steppenwolf’s World Premiere Windfall Questions the Links Between Money and Justice When Black Lives Are Lost
Does money buy justice for Black lives lost? In Windfall, his world premiere play commissioned by Steppenwolf Theatre, Tarell Alvin McCraney asks us to consider this question. Director Awoye Timpo […]