Stages, Theater

Review: The Suffrage Plays Celebrate Centennial of Women’s Voting Rights

Tennessee became the 38th state to ratify the 19th amendment on August 18, 1920, the last of the required 36 states. A women’s right to vote was officially adopted on […]

Karin McKie /
Stages, Theater

Review: In Latin History for Morons, Leguizamo Focuses on the Next Generation

“I grew up without seeing people who looked like me on screen, on stage, or in textbooks. Latinx people have been kept outta the conversation for centuries, and it’s bout […]

Steve Prokopy /
Stages, Theater

Review: N Asks “What Would Make You Cross Your Line?”

Have you ever had your moral compass challenged? I mean really challenged, like a major opportunity in your life required you to cross that line, the line you said you’d […]

James Brod /
Comedy, Stages, Theater

Review: I’m Not A Comedian…I’m Lenny Bruce is a Heartfelt, Raunchy Look into the Life and Times of Lenny Bruce

Warning: This article uses coarse, vulgar language Lenny Bruce: comedian, satirist, and hardcore supporter of the US Constitution’s First Amendment. Truly groundbreaking in his time, he led the way for […]

James Brod /
Events, Lit, Stages

Review: Madeline Miller, Author of Best Seller Circe, Charms at Chicago Humanities Fest

Picture of the author

By Valerie Nikolas Power. It’s the theme of this year’s Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF), now in its 30th year of attracting compelling and thoughtful speakers to Chicago. It’s also the central […]

Guest Author /
Stages, Theater

Review: Invictus Theatre Sets The Merchant of Venice in 1938 Italy, Amps Up the Anti-Semitism

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a profoundly troubling play. Watching it at any time reminds you of the scourge of anti-Semitism that has beset the world for centuries. Invictus […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Beyond, Event, Parks and zoos, Stages, Suburbs and exurbs, Theater

The Sherlock Scandal at Morton Arboretum Combines Theater and Nature for an Exercise in Fun

October is a great time to take a meandering, contemplative walk in the woods, enjoying the crisp chill in the air and the changing colors. It’s also a great time […]

Marielle Bokor /
Stages, Theater Festival

Review: Andares at Chicago Shakes Introduces Indigenous People of Mexico With Stories and Song

Andares is a lively and poetic narrative about the lives, ancestral myths and culture of the indigenous people who live in remote corners of Mexico. Presented by the Makuyeika Colectivo […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Stages, Theater

Review: Kentucky by Gift Theatre, an Homage to the Meaning of Home and Happiness

Kentucky is a richly drawn study of a family of characters who disagree and battle and are not quite sure they love each other. Mostly it‘s a story of what […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Stages, Theater

Review: At Strawdog Theatre, The Effect Asks What Is Real Love and What Is Chemically Induced

Put two attractive young people in a room for four weeks, stimulate them with pharmaceuticals that have unknown properties, and then act surprised at what happens. This is the slightly […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Dance, Stages

Review: Jane Eyre at the Joffrey Tells an Old Story

To open its final season in the glittering 130-year-old Auditorium Theatre before it moves across town to the Lyric Opera digs, the Joffrey Ballet doubled down on its recent commitment […]

Angela Allyn /
Stages, Theater

Review: Sunset Boulevard at Porchlight Glimpses Greatness, Ultimately Falls Short

Sunset Boulevard

Though I pride myself on a rather robust knowledge of American musical theater, one show I’ve never managed to get to is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, the musical based […]

Lisa Trifone /