Sunday, 28 April 2019 19:43
Language Rooms Looks At Unsettling Nature of Our Contemporary Inquisitions
Written by Bill Esler
Language Rooms is a convincing portrait of the hidden world of government interrogators. These individuals use cajolery and flattery, or fear and intimidation, to persuade individuals to spill their secrets – all on behalf of securing the safety of the state. This two-act piece (one intermission) flies by, as the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 26 April 2019 23:01
Two Days in Court: This Dramatic Pairing Enriches Both Plays
Written by Bill Esler
City Lit Theater artistic director Terry McCabe brings us an inspired pairing with Two Days in Court, a double-bill of one act plays with a legal theme - and pieces not often seen. The Devil & Daniel Webster is a 1938 play about the famed 19th century orator who reclaims…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 20 April 2019 14:02
Marriott's 'Footloose' will kickstart your Spring with love and joy!
Written by Kimberly Katz
I had a blast enjoying this production of ‘Footloose the Musical’ based on the 1984 movie starring Kevin Bacon and so did the opening night audience who roared their approval and stopped the show after the rousing rendition by Ariel played with real sass and excitement by Lucy Godinez of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 20 April 2019 16:34
The Music and the Mirror: Porchlight's ‘A Chorus Line’
Written by CJ Burroughs
The first time I saw ‘A Chorus Line’ was when I worked backstage for a touring production while I was in college. Perhaps it was my youth, or perhaps it was the fact that I was in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the fit and fabulous cast,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 14 April 2019 12:09
'Cambodian Rock Band' at Victory Gardens Theatre an entertaining tribute to human resilience
Kerstin Broockmann
Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band begins and ends with music, not what Americans think of when they think of Cambodia, as the glib narrator points out, shifting from slides of musicians whose songs are nearly lost to history to more familiar images of the genocide that resulted in their loss.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
If you follow the Chicago theater scene, you’ve likely heard about local playwright Ike Holter. His Rightlynd series has been appearing in near rapid succession at various theatre companies around town. The Rightlynd saga concludes its seven-play series at the Goodman in a new play called 'Lottery Day'. Accomplished local…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 13 April 2019 17:05
Djembe! The Show a unique and highly satisfying experience
Written by Ron Reis
Rhythm is an essential part of life. We wouldn’t exist without it. It all starts with your heart beat. That is the origin of rhythm really. And Djembe! The Show at Apollo Theater is all about the rhythm – and it’s informative. I really enjoyed learning how the djembe was…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 13:09
PINOCCHIO gets a makeover in House Theatre’s new production
Written by Vika Lvova
In the newly re-imagined Pinocchio, the House Theatre has done what it does best: bring out a childhood favorite and give it a fabulous makeover. Directed by Company Member Chris Mathews, Carlo Collodi’s classic tale is taken on a wild ride (adapted for the stage by Joseph Steakley and Ben…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 03 April 2019 23:05
'Jersey Boys' tour stops at Auditorium Theatre - A Passionate and Romantic Night of Great Music
Written by Kimberly Katz
This was my first time seeing any production of ‘Jersey Boys’ and I was so taken by the music and drama of the show I went to see it again closing night - and I'm so glad I did! I learned so much about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 06 April 2019 01:06
Small World is Loaded With Laughs, Despite a Few Rough Edges
Written by Bill Esler
If you remember the terrible Disneyland song, “Small World,”with its annoying refrain “ It’s a small world after all,” don’t let that stop you from seeing Small World at The Den Theater. Based on what many would call Disneyland’s most inspid attraction, this play embraces the audience as ticketholders embarking…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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As America watches a college admissions scandal unfold in the headlines, Theatre Wit opens a revival of Joshua Harmon's early 2018 play, "Admissions". First produced at the Lincoln Center last winter, Harmon's play was definitely on to something broiling in suburban American life. This remount was announced long before the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 31 March 2019 11:12
Find That Emotion You’ve Been Missing in the Delightful Melancholy Play
Written by Bill Esler
After one sees Sarah Ruhl’s comedy, Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, one will doubtless ask: Why has melancholy gone out of vogue, just when we need it so? Melancholy is an emotional condition, like the vapors and neurasthenia, that has simply fallen out of fashion. When one is both inconsolably sad…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 28 March 2019 12:53
Review: 'Afterglow' at Pride Arts Center, The Buena
Written by John Accrocco
Is monogamy dead? S. Asher Gelman's "Afterglow" makes an interesting case for and against it. David Zak directs the Chicago premiere at Pride Films and Plays. "Afterglow" ran off-Broadway for over a year in 2017 to rave reviews. Josh (Rich Holton) and Alex (Jacob Barnes) are a married gay couple…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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