Best of Bri-Ko Gets Physical
The Best of Bri-Ko, playing every Thursday night at Stage 773, lives up to its name. Clowns Brian Posen, Tim Soszko and Brian Peterlin put their energies together to silently […]
New Adaptation of Uncle Vanya Refreshes the Language of Love, Longing and Boredom
Chicago has been blessed with several visits by Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya in recent years. Some of them have been fairly traditional renditions (Tuta Theatre Chicago in 2009 and Strawdog […]
Schenkelberg’s Smart Scientology Smackdown in Squeeze My Cans
Cathy Schenkelberg adds her own narrative to the recent repudiations of Scientology in the remount of her rapid-fire, intimate, informative, mind-boggling and poignant solo exploration Squeeze My Cans. In […]
‘Unseen’ at The Gift Theatre Is Intense, Impactful and Impeccable
The Gift Theatre is a small space. From lobby to stage is under a minute’s walk. But this past Thursday, for the world premier of Mona Mansour’s play, Unseen, it […]
Chicago Shakes Finds the Humor in Love’s Labor’s Lost
Populated with the Italian stock characters of the braggart (Allen Gilmore as Don Adriano de Armado), sassy servant (James Newcombe as Boyet) and dumbass (Steve Pringle as dullard Constable Dull), […]
Men are from Mars – Women Are from Venus LIVE! Uncovers the Ultimate Mystery
Men are from Mars – Women are from Venus LIVE! arrives in Chicago well-timed after the Valentine’s holiday to shed some light on our relationships. Based on the best-selling book by […]
Travelers at the Mexican Border: Waiting for Godot at Tympanic Theatre
You know the scene. “A country road. A tree.” Samuel Beckett couldn’t have been more succinct in the scenic direction for his existential classic, Waiting for Godot. That tree takes […]
Red Theater’s Beowulf Is a Wacky Duet of Monsters, Mead and Music
The outline of Grendel’s Mother visible in dim red light lies on the floor. She stands up realizing her surroundings and begins her seduction. In direct address, she tells the […]
By the Bog of Cats: Irish Gothic Mixed With Greek Tragedy at The Artistic Home
Marina Carr’s 1998 play, By the Bog of Cats, is set in a ghostly bog in the Irish midlands. Hester Swane (a fierce and determined Kristin Collins) has lived in […]
Straight White Men: Brotherly Horseplay and Rejecting the American Dream
Matt rejects the American dream, but his father and brothers will have none of it. Straight white men rule the world. Matt has to be happy, use his skills and […]
Northlight’s Faceless A Timely Courtroom Drama by Promising Playwright
There’s no doubting the timeliness of Selina Fellinger’s play, Faceless. In a world premiere directed by BJ Jones now running at Northlight Theatre, the 22-year-old’s play examines a variety of […]
The Bodyguard: Singing Along Because I Love the Music. The Play Not So Much.
I will admit that I had a smile on my face when I left the Oriental Theatre after seeing The Bodyguard. But, while I was smiling and singing along with […]