Review: Theater Oobleck’s It Is Magic Reveals the Curse of Auditions and a Few Surprises As Well
Every once in a while, some magic happens in a theater. And it’s just as likely to be a storefront or a church basement or a former school as a […]
Review: Trap Door’s The Killer Perplexes, But That’s Why It’s Called Theater of the Absurd
The Architect (a nattily dressed Michael Mejia) welcomes a slightly frazzled Bèrenger (Dennis Bisto) for a tour of the Radiant City. It’s a paradise where everything is quiet, sunny, green, […]
Preview: Chicago Writers Bloc New Plays Festival Opens June 4
The 2019 Chicago Writers Bloc New Plays Festival will feature staged readings of 19 new plays by 14 Chicago-area playwrights. Presentations will take place at 7:30pm each Monday, Tuesday and […]
Review: Falsettos Is Plenty of Fun, Proves Timeless Testament to Love, Family
The mile-a-minute lyrics, the ever-changing building-block scenery and the cliché-heavy characters of Falsettos give the impression at first glance that William Finn’s two-act musical is a screwball sex comedy about who […]
Review: Author, Auteur John Waters and the Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder
Iconoclastic film- and filth-maker John Waters told interviewer Michael Phillips that the first time he came to Chicago was with a “drive-away” car. He couldn’t believe a stranger trusted him […]
Review: Jackalope Theatre’s Life On Paper Asks What a Life Is Worth
If you were asked to put a dollar value on a human life, what you would say? You might say that it’s not something that you can quantify, that you […]
Review: Six at Chicago Shakes Boasts a Show-Stopping Cast
Hamilton has spoiled us. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece of music and lyrics has taken pop-centric historic adaptations to new heights, and any that may come after it have large shoes to […]
Review: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at Lookingglass Tells a Dazzling Creature Origin Story
Last year was the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s landmark horror novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, which explains why we have been able to see four different […]
Review: Vaclav Havel’s The Memo at Organic Theater Portrays Government as Farce With Fedoras
The overture begins: It’s the March of the File Folders, which might be titled the Office Supply Hustle. The cast of 11, smartly dressed in varieties of business garb, march […]
Review: Remy Bumppo’s Bloomsday Celebrates the Past and Future, Complete with Pints of Regret
It’s early June in Dublin—almost Bloomsday. The time is today and 35 years ago. But whatever year it is, Bloomsday, celebrated on June 16, is a reason to lift a […]
Review: Saul Bellow Would Approve of Court Theatre’s Exhilarating Production of The Adventures of Augie March
If you believe in heaven or hell, then perhaps I can persuade you that Saul Bellow is viewing the current events at Court Theatre with approval. David Auburn’s adaptation of […]
Physical Theater Festival Chicago Opens Up to Circus Programming in 2019
It will be the 6th year for Physical Theater Festival Chicago (May 31–June 8, 2019), and as in previous years, they are bringing acclaimed international shows to Chicago stages, but […]