Review: Redtwist Theatre’s The Normal Heart—Riveting Drama Still Beats Strong
“Who cares if a bunch of faggots die?” Larry Kramer did. And, more than 40 years ago, that’s what caused him to write that caustic question in his remarkable play […]
Review: The Olde School Shakespeare Collective Presents The Taming of the Shrew (Brat-Tamer Version)
A raucous night of theater just as the bard intended awaits audiences of the Olde School Shakespeare Collective’s production of The Taming of the Shrew. Hosted at My Buddy’s bar, […]
Review: In His Hands at First Floor Theater Explores Two Gay Men’s Very Different Experiences With the Church
Review by Erin Ryan. In His Hands, a 90-minute no intermission play, showcases two gay men and their very different experiences with two denominations of the Christian church: Lutheran and […]
Review: In Wells and Welles, Lucid Theater Portrays the Day in 1940 When the Two Prodigies Meet
Being considered a “boy genius” probably heightened Orson Welles’ substantial ego. In October 1940, his chutzpah enabled him to knock on the hotel room door of a man long recognized […]
Review: At Pegasus Theatre, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea, Tells a Young Man’s Ancestral Dream Story
Pegasus Theatre’s play, Dontell, Who Kissed the Sea, benefits from the poetic language of playwright Nathan Alan Davis and the production’s water theme. The work is directed by Ilesa Duncan, who […]
Review: A Case for the Existence of God at Steep Theatre Walks a Thin Line Between Hope and Despair
Samuel D. Hunter has received a lot of attention in recent years, with Little Bear Ridge Road now receiving rave reviews at Steppenwolf, and the success of The Whale, a […]
Review: Otherworld Theatre Tackles Problems of Parentage and Demigodly Puberty in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical made its Broadway debut in 2017 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and went on a national tour in 2019. The show’s source material, […]
Review: Theatre L’Acadie’s The Swan Is a Surreal Concoction of Magical Realism and Mythology
Theatre L’Acadie describes The Swan as a psychosexual fever dream. It is that, but there is more simmering beneath the murky surface. Playwright Elizabeth Egloff’s play takes place in Nebraska […]
Review: Raw and Emotional Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Haven Chicago
This is a love letter. To Stephen Trask’s brilliant music and lyrics and John Cameron Mitchell’s searing wit. To one of the best musicals to ever come out of New […]
Preview: The Underground Society for Music Portrays a World Where Music Is Banned
“The Underground Society for Music is a play with music about a group of musicians fighting to keep their artform alive. In spite of constant threats from government actors to stop […]
Review: Trap Door Theatre’s Must-See Production of Antigonick Takes on a Bittersweet Classic
The Trap Open Series is designed to bring non-traditional dramatic takes to Trap Door Theatre’s stage for short runs. The latest in the series is Antigonick, translated and adapted by […]
Review: Tuta Theatre Stages an Experimental and Mystifying Play, Attempts on Her Life, With Style and Flamboyance
Seventeen unrelated scenes. Six actors playing nameless characters. Joy and celebration, sadness and grieving, terror and violence. But no discernible plot. Attempts on Her Life, an experimental play by Tuta Theatre, […]