Viewpoint: Fringe FOMO and the Decline of Arts Journalism
I went to Edinburgh this August with the goal of reviewing a small part (namely circus, my professional specialty) of the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival in a mad rush. Maneuvering […]
Review: Sons and Lovers Lets Us Glimpse the Early Life of D. H. Lawrence
Sons and Lovers by On the Spot Theatre Company is a credible adaptation of D. H. Lawrence’s sad and realistic novel. The U.S. premiere, co-produced with the Greenhouse Theater Center, is […]
Review: Out of Love at Interrobang Theatre Shines a Light on Female Friendship
Out of Love by English playwright Elinor Cook is unique in its focus—not on hetero or same-sex love—but on intense female friendship. The Interrobang Theatre’s U.S. premiere production portrays the […]
Review: (Non)Fiction by Right Brain Project Asks Who Has the Right to Tell My Story
Jillian Leff’s new play is the story of a writer—one who is fortunate to have a partner with a steady job and income to pay the bills while she focuses […]
Review: All Quiet on the Western Front Vividly Recreates the Horrors and Miseries of War
The story and imagery of All Quiet on the Western Front are very familiar to me. I’ve seen the 1930 film several times and read the Erich Maria Remarque novel from […]
Review: Women at Risk in Space in Babes With Blades’ Feminist Epic, Women of 4G
Women of 4G is a brave sci-fi story set in the year 2094 as the female members of a space crew take over the operation of their ship when the male […]
Review: And Then There Were None Brings Bloody Murder to Drury Lane Theatre
And Then There Were None tells the story of ten strangers—Vera Clayton (Cher Alvarez), Justice Wargrave (Matt DeCaro), Mrs. Rogers (Jennifer Engstrom), Emily Brent (Marilyn Dodds Frank), Fred Narracott (Casey Hoekstra), […]
Review: West Coast’s Teatro ZinZanni Pitches Its Circus Tent in the Loop
The dinner theater revue known as Teatro ZinZanni got its start more than 20 years ago in Seattle, where it launched as a self-described “Moulin Rouge meets Cirque du Soleil,” and […]
Go Behind the Scenes of Chicago’s Diverse Theater Scene in Setting the Stage Exhibit
As any avid theater-goer in Chicago knows, on any given night there are dozens of options for live productions, from obscure storefront theaters to world-class presentations. The thriving theater sector […]
Review: Haven’s Kiss Threads the Needle Between Soap Opera and Wartime
Images on the television screen. No sound. We’re in a living room in Damascus in 2014. Four people gather to watch their favorite soap opera. (Syrians love telenovelas.) The two […]
Review: Magical Wolf Play at Gift Theatre Will Make You Think and Break Your Heart
It sounds like a sad story. A couple adopts a child from another country, then decides “it’s not a good fit” and decides to un-adopt him. But if I tell […]
Review: In Black Button Eyes’ Ghost Quartet, Comedy and Tragedy Span Four Centuries
Black Button Eyes Productions staged my favorite musical of the year, Evil Dead the Musical, and when I saw Ghost Quartet and its description I jumped at the opportunity to see it. I […]