Displaying items by tag: cloudgate theatre
Strange Brew in Magically Noir 'Strange Heart Beating'
After seeing Strange Heart Beating, I felt the less said about this show, which is a murder mystery at its heart- the better. Its characters struck me as unrealistic, the dialog veers to wooden at many points, and the story is outlandish and complex.
Yet in describing its storyline to others, I found they were interested in it. Directed by Addie Gorlin, Strange Heart Beating follows a murder investigation, the mysterious disappearance of a young girl drowned in a lake – and the unfortunate fate of a young man, Ramon (Brandon Rodriguez), implicated in that murder. He is a factory worker at a nearby turkey processing plant, but claims as an alibi that he was only nearby to study the wildlife around the lake. The mother of the young girl, Lena (Leah Raidt) is properly distraught, even deranged at the inconsolable loss of her daughter.
In the course of the drama Lena moves from victim’s mother, to suspect, to witness – and eventually (and here playwright Kristin Idaszak may be drawing on magical realism) she gets trained and certified to become the executioner of the now convicted killer. The town sheriff, Teeny (Jyreika Guest), was best friends with Lena growing up. Now Teeny must investigate this murder, which divides their relationship with a wall of professionalism.
As the drama progresses and the case moves to court, Teeny adopts roles of both the prosecutor and court administrator – which bothered me on the level of likelihood and realism. There are two or three more wrinkles thrown into Strange Heart Beating: the lake is suffering biological degradation (herons become erratic); the turkey plant’s experiments in bioengineering yield creatures with extra legs and four breasts; and there are other young girls who have gone missing, some possibly undocumented immigrants and children of color.
All that and the kitchen sink as problems (the content advisory reads "Strange Heart Beating contains discussions about sexual violence against women, suicide, racism, xenophobia, and capital punishment") diffuses the focus. The cast does their best to work with what they've got. The one who gets a reprieve here is Stephanie Shum, who plays the spirit of the Lake with her signature gusto - and the lines are poetic and quite apt for a Lake.
In an interview accompanying the program, Idaszak says the story is based loosely on the Jacob Wetterling case, which lay cold for 27 years in a Minnesota village. She wanted to look at why a town would remain silent with a killer in their midst for almost three decades. It would have been a better story if that had been the case.
Idaszak says she was following in the steps of Raymond Chandler and other noir writers to generate the story, but seeking a less misogynist resolution. All this is compelling on paper, but not so much on stage. Too many axes to grind in this show, and so the dramatics lose their edge. Strange Heart Beating runs through July 28 at the Frontier space, 1106 W. Thorndale in Chicago.
Beautifully Produced 'Two Sisters and a Piano,' But Script Misses the Mark
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CHUCK SMITH AND HARRY LENNIX REUNITE FOR A MAJOR REVIVAL OF MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, AUGUST WILSON'S ONLY PLAY SET IN CHICAGO, APPEARING AT THE GOODMAN STARTING MARCH 28
09 March 2026 in Upcoming TheatreNearly 30 years after its box-office-record-setting 1997 Chicago premiere production, August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom returns to The Goodman, helmed by Chicago…
Open Space Arts' Chicago premiere of A THIRD WAY, begins Friday, April 3
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Driehaus Museum announces spring activation dates for Brendan Fernandes: In the Round APRIL 10 & 11 AND MAY 6–9, 2026
09 March 2026 in Upcoming DanceThe Driehaus Museum announces the Spring activation dates for Brendan Fernandes: In the Round. As the Museum's first artist-in-residence, Fernandes transforms the Museum's 1926 Murphy Auditorium…
producingbody Announces the Chicago Premiere of SPACEMAN, May 19 - June 13, at The Edge Off-Broadway
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A Night in Jellicle Heaven: Music Theater Works Delivers a Stunning 'Cats'
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The Lord of the Rings in Concert at the Auditorium with 238 piece Orchestra with movie playing on 60-ft Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14
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Step inside Bunny’s bedroom in Goodnight Moon, Chicago Children’s Theatre’s immersive 20th season finale, dir. by Mikael Burke, April 11-June 7
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Celebrate Asian American, Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian Heritage Month with Asian American Arts' EVOLUTION: ASIAN AMERICAN ARTS FESTIVAL, May 2 and 3
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TimeLine Theatre Company announces inaugural season at new Uptown home
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Her Story Theatre's World Premiere "THE OFFICAL BIOGRAPHY" - Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30 pm at The Den Theatre
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Three Plays to See This Weekend - Shattered Globe Theatre, The Story Theatre and American Blues Theater Should Be High On Your List!
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In Timeless ‘Come Back, Little Sheba,’ American Blues Theater Speaks for Today, as Well
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Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical" featuring Meat Loaf's greatest hits at The Auditorium on April 9 - One Night Only
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A professor finds himself in a firestorm in The Ally, the 2025 Pulitzer-nominated new play by Itamar Moses, at Theater Wit March 20-May 2
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Pot Girls: An Intelligent and Multilayered Explosion of Poetry and Feminism
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The Glitch in the New Normal - Shattered Globe Theatre’s Morning, Noon & Night
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Lyric Opera presents world premiere of new American opera by avery r. young
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CHUCK SMITH AND HARRY LENNIX REUNITE FOR A MAJOR REVIVAL OF MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, AUGUST WILSON'S ONLY PLAY SET IN CHICAGO, APPEARING AT THE GOODMAN STARTING MARCH 28
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Driehaus Museum announces spring activation dates for Brendan Fernandes: In the Round APRIL 10 & 11 AND MAY 6–9, 2026
Written by Buzz Center StageThe Driehaus Museum announces the Spring activation dates for Brendan Fernandes: In the Round. As the Museum's first artist-in-residence, Fernandes transforms the Museum's 1926 Murphy Auditorium into a dynamic site for dance, movement, sound, and sculptural installation. The highly anticipated April and May programming includes the…
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