Last year the Chicago theatre community lost a major piece of its landscape. Longtime American Theater Company artistic director PJ Paparelli died abruptly before solidifying the company's thirty-first season. It's almost ironic that a man responsible for bringing so many uncomfortably topical dramas to the Chicago stage had such a…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 04 June 2016 23:23
Each scene played five ways in Steppenwolf’s challenging Constellations
Written by Bill Esler
Watching one scene acted four or five ways is intrinsically interesting. It’s regularly played to comic effect at Second City. But what about an entire play strung together from a series of such scenes? This structure, used in Constellations at Steppenwolf Theatre, may put your interest to the test. But…
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Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 28 May 2016 22:19
Deirdre Kinahan’s Spinning: A Too Sad Tale, Very Well Told
Written by Bill Esler
If you can stand witnessing 90 minutes of emotional misery, then I can recommend Spinning at Den Theatre, where Irish Theatre of Chicago is giving the Dublin-based Deirdre Kinihan’s work its U.S. premiere. The four actors turn in powerful performances– a fifth character, never seen, was almost equally present throughout,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 26 May 2016 11:08
A Celebration of Space, The Arts, and Life Come to Sinfonietta
Written by Adam Jewell
I am sitting here, at nearly midnight, trying to figure out how to describe the relationship between space and the symphony. I remember jokingly putting on my Instagram how the two made the perfect combination. Alas, here I am struggling with how to put the beauty of space combined with…
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Theatre in Review
With foreboding I took my seat in Court Theatre’s One Man, Two Guvnors, knowing the actors had devised some parts of the play on their own. As the company frolicked and sang the opening number, the jollity on stage was leaving me stone cold. But enter Francis Henshall (Timothy Edward…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 17 May 2016 16:13
OMFG (Oh My Fairy Godmother)! Disenchanted is a Hilarious Night Out
Written by Michelle Reidy
The Princess Complex: Little girls grow up with fairy tales about princesses who are rescued from some terrible fate by a dashing prince, fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. These little girls may dress up as princesses, replay their favorite scene and dream of the day…
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Theatre in Review
Thursday, 12 May 2016 13:22
"Chicago" Crosses the Finish Line First with Daring and Thrilling Speed
Written by Kimberly Katz
When you've seen a classic musical as many times as I have seen Chicago, you really hope for something new and exciting to bring a basically great show to life and this large young, mostly unknown cast (outside of John O’Hurley) really delivers. Now playing through May 15th at Cadillac…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Prepare to be taken on a journey with Timeline Theatre at their production of "Chimerica." Directed by Nick Bowling, "Chimerica" is an epic saga of a play by British playwright Lucy Kirkwood. While a solid three hours of theater may be discouraging for some, this play makes it well worth…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Once in awhile a musical comes around so weird that you have to see it to understand it. Based on a 1960 b-movie of the same name, "Little Shop or Horrors" tells the story of a man-eating plant raised by a nerdy guy working in a flower shop. Legendary composers…
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Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 01 May 2016 11:02
The King and I Continues the American Musical Tradition at Lyric Opera
Written by Michelle Reidy
In 2013, The Lyric Opera of Chicago made a commitment to produce five Rogers and Hammerstein musicals and on Saturday night, they opened The King and I – the fourth show of the five – directed by Lee Blakeley in his Lyric Opera directorial debut. The King and I tells…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 02 May 2016 20:13
Swimming To Stay Afloat: Rivendell Theatre's Dry Land
Written by Bill Esler
"Punch me," is the first line of dialog in Dry Land, and those two words sum up the effect of this play - gut wrenching and, in a climactic scene, hard to watch. If you are looking for lighter fare, move on; but you will not find much better than…
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Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 30 April 2016 15:25
Connected: A Most Unusual Night Around the Campfire
Written by Michelle Reidy
The image of sitting around a campfire under the stars brings to mind nights connecting with friends and family, sharing stories about the past and imagining what the future may hold. Connected, by Collaboraction, plays on this theme transporting the audience from campfire to campfire throughout history and into the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 25 April 2016 10:36
Review: Shattered Globe's "In the Heat of the Night
Written by John Accrocco
Police brutality is nothing new. Having it broadcast on national news sources, however, is. The deep South in the 1960's wasn't a fun place to be if you were anything but a Christian Caucasian. Shattered Globe Theatre concludes its twenty-fifth season with Matt Pelfrey's adaptation of John Ball's best-selling novel…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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