What would you do if a stranger asked you for something as simple as a bone marrow transplant? What would you do if someone gave you a life shattering diagnosis? The appropriate reaction seems obvious but as many things in reality are, it's always more complicated. "Marvin's Room" is the…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 02 October 2015 12:57
Face Your Fears at Disturbia: Screams in the Park
Written by Eden Diez
Face your fears at Disturbia: Screams in the Park Imagine: You are walking down a long, dank hallway, towards a clown. He waits for you behind bars. If you're brave enough, you keep eye contact with the clown as you walk closer and closer to the door. You must push…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 30 September 2015 12:36
First Folio's "The Madness of Poe, A Love Story" Brilliantly Reveals The Loving Side of Poe
Written by Kimberly Katz
From the moment you enter the darkened and eerie Tudor Revival styled Mayslake Peabody Estate and are handed a dance card indicating which group of theater goers you will follow throughout the performance, the tension and excitement of this wonderful production begins to mount. Not long after First Folio Theatre’s…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 29 September 2015 14:22
Uproarious Halloween Fun - David Cerda's Trilogy of Horror "Scream, Queen, Scream!"
Written by Ken Payne
When October rolls along, Chicagoans have always been fortunate as far as the variety of Halloween events that take place around the city. And while many of these events take the form of haunted houses or annual midnight runs of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hell in a Handbag Productions…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 22 September 2015 16:27
Theatre at the Center's "Spamalot" Simply Smashing
Written by Ken Payne
If you’ve ever enjoyed the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, then “Spamalot” is definitely for you. But even those who have never seen the classic comedy would be hard pressed not to relish the musical proudly tabbed as “lovingly ripped off from the motion picture”. Now playing…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 21 September 2015 11:23
Wendt and Kazurinsky Breathe Fiery Drama and Heartwarming Comedy into "Funnyman" World Premiere
Written by Kimberly Katz
"Funnyman", now playing at Northlight Theatre in Skokie, is a familiar tale about an artist who has reached the end of one phase of his career and has to either adapt to the new environs and trends in entertainment or retire to his old world , hopefully with his dignity…
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Theatre in Review
Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the United States premiere of Nicolas Billon’s “Butcher”, a thrilling mystery of revenge and dark secrets. Directed by Signal Ensemble Member Bries Vannon, “Butcher” is a gripping nail-biter and will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. On a rainy Christmas Eve in Toronto,…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 14 September 2015 11:51
Review: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" at Redtwist Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
What can be said about a play as often produced as 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' With every company that takes on this landmark play, a new audience is given the opportunity to spend an electrifying evening with George and Martha. As legend has it, Mr. Albee is quite stringent…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 12 September 2015 12:43
Ehrhardt Shines Brightly in the Highly Entertaining "Jamaica, Farewell"
Written by Kimberly Katz
Directed by Joel Zwick of “My Big, Fat Greek Wedding fame, and produced by Hershey Felder, “Jamaica, Farewell” is the charming, funny and often suspenseful one-person play about a young woman’s coming of age in Jamaica, performed brilliantly by Debra Ehrhardt. Not realizing it was a solo show upon arrival,…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 08 September 2015 16:38
Energetic and Powerful - The Hypocrites "American Idiot"
Written by Ken Payne
When I think of Green Day’s American Idiot, the thought of the majority of our population blindly falling in line with the agenda of media conglomerates comes to mind. It's true. America’s youth (and not so youthful) is influenced by suggestive ad campaigns, TV and film brainwashing and so forth…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 04 September 2015 11:05
Kunlun Myth Beautifully Brings Chinese Culture to Chicago
Written by Eden Diez
The China Performing Arts Agency presented “Kunlun Myth,” an original musical from producer Wang Yu, for a two-night engagement at The Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University. “Kunlun Myth” smartly incorporated ancient and modern concepts into an elegant, sparky performance and what better venue to perform than the Auditorium Theater. During…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 01 September 2015 10:48
Dancing Under the Stars Stands Up to a Little Rain
Written by Michelle Reidy
The 9th annual Chicago Dancing Festival came to a close on a rainy Sunday last week with the Dancing Under The Stars performance at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Despite the less than ideal weather for an outdoor performance, there was a good crowd to catch the closing show of the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 28 August 2015 14:27
Modern Women: A Glimpse into the History of Modern Dance
Written by Michelle Reidy
This summer the 9th annual Chicago Dancing Festival returns with four days of free dance performances throughout the city. On Wednesday evening, the MCA hosted a production entitled Modern Women in the Edlis Neeson Theater for two back-to-back shows. As the audience filed into the theater, a video of Loie…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Spaceman: Into the Quiet Terror of the Void
Written by Ken PayneSpaceman, presented by [producingbody], touches down at The Edge Off-Broadway with a quiet, unnerving force, pulling audiences into the fragile headspace of an astronaut drifting far from home and even farther from certainty. Under Eric Slater’s beautifully calibrated direction, playwright… -
Inside a Real ‘Fire House’ You Are Immersed in Phantasmic Lives of Firefighters
Written by Bill EslerSet in Chicago’s oldest fire station (now Firehouse Art Studio) the immersive play "Fire House” is only loosely tethered to a realistic portrayal of what fire fighters do. What it conveys is an impressionistic vision of the experience that fire… -
Spamalot Is Every Monty Python Fan’s Dream Come to Life
Written by Angelo CamposSpamalot rides into the Windy City courtesy of Broadway In Chicago, inviting theatergoers to join King Arthur’s quest now through May 31 at the CIBC Theatre. Fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail - the 1975 cult classic -… -
Raven Theatre announces the 2026-27 season
Written by Buzz Center StageRaven Theatre, under the director of Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Berry, announces its 44th season, to include Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange Loop, directed by Mikael Burke in a co-production with About Face Theatre; Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, directed by Raven Executive Artistic Director Jonathan…
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