Sunday, 20 July 2025 17:38
Twenty Roles, One Truth: Identity Explored in Tin Drum’s Incognito
Sarz Maxwell
Fans of highly intellectual and nonlinear storytelling will love INCOGNITO. Playwright Nick Payne is known for plays with inventive narrative structures and deep philosophical inquiry—qualities that are clearly in evidence in INCOGNITO. This production is the Chicago debut of INCOGNITO; across the Pond the work has been praised for the…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 18 July 2025 21:15
More Than You’ll Ever Know: Twisted Melodies Resound at Northlight Theatre
Written by Kendall Royzen
Do we ever really know what someone is going through? We devour what people create, savoring the beauty in their art; we read the words they write, feel the emotions they convey, listen to the music they play, but do we really know what is just beneath the surface? One…
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Theatre in Review
Thursday, 17 July 2025 12:26
Jackie Taylor to Receive 2025 Fuller Award from Chicago Literary Hall of Fame
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Chicago - Jackie Taylor, the author of more than 100 plays and musical bios, thousands of poems, a screenplay, and two books, has been selected as the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s 2025 Fuller Award recipient in honor of her lifetime achievements. Taylor will be celebrated at a ceremony on Monday,…
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Theatre Buzz
Thursday, 17 July 2025 11:41
Review: Blank Theatre's 'Passion' at Greenhouse Theater Center
Written by John Accrocco
It’s refreshing to know there are lesser-known Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine collaborations to continue exploring. While ‘Into the Woods’ and ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ may endure as musical theatre opuses, later works like ‘Passion’ showcase these two brilliant artists’ legacy together. The relatively young Blank Theatre Company…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 13 July 2025 12:09
From Rome to Skokie: Slaves, Soldiers & Satire Still Killing It in MadKap ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’
Written by Kimberly Katz
MadKap Production’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum bursts onto the Skokie Theatre stage with rollicking energy and infectious chaos, blending sharp wit with rapid-fire comedy. Featuring the unforgettable music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim and a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, this timeless…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 11 July 2025 13:54
Tale as Old as Time—Broadway in Chicago Presents ‘ Disney's Beauty and the Beast’
Written by CJ Burroughs
While I might have been born too late to experience Beatlemania or Woodstock or the Jazz Age in real time, I’ve been fortunate enough to live through plenty of moments that have already become milestones in our cultural consciousness. One of those was what’s now called “The Disney Renaissance.” I…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 10 July 2025 12:08
Review: In 'White Rabbit Red Rabbit,' the Audience Becomes the Play
Written by Bree Samani
"White Rabbit Red Rabbit" isn’t your typical night at the theater. It’s unscripted, unpredictable, and unlike anything you’ve seen before. Performed cold by a different actor each night, it’s a play that blends humor, vulnerability, and a quiet kind of bravery—both from the performer and the audience. There are plenty…
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Theatre in Review
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Wednesday, 02 July 2025 11:40
Seeing Purple: Goodman Theatre’s Stunning Revival Honors Alice Walker’s Vision
Written by Wesley David
In the Goodman Theatre’s stirring new production of The Color Purple, director Lili-Anne Brown delivers a version of Alice Walker’s landmark novel that feels both stripped down and soulfully expansive. Forgoing spectacle in favor of raw emotional clarity, Brown places the story’s heart—female resilience and love—center stage, and the result…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 30 June 2025 20:58
'Dhaba on Devon Avenue' a Local Story with Universal Meaning
Written by Bill Esler
In its world premiere at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, “Dhaba on Devon Avenue” is a strong play, from a promising writer, Madhuri Shekar, winner in 2020 of the Lanford Wilson Playwriting Award. A TimeLine Theatre production, it is directed by Chay Yew. Another of Shekar’s plays, “A Nice Indian Boy,”…
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Theatre in Review
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Monday, 30 June 2025 12:37
Angels in America Soars at Chicago’s Invictus Theatre
Written by Wesley David
New York City in the 1980s—marked by Reagan-era conservatism and the devastating effects of the AIDS epidemic—was in decline. This is the backdrop for Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, a sweeping two-part epic that earned the Pulitzer Prize, multiple Tony Awards, and a lasting place as one of the most…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 21 June 2025 17:50
Sensational Musical Salutes an Unparalleled Trio of Living Legends
Written by Mitchell Oldham
Taking part of its title from a defining song that drew attention to the AIDS crisis in the mid 80s, That’s What Friends Are For: Gladys, Dionne and Patti combines thoughtful storytelling and fantastic music to honor the cultural contributions of three outstanding artists. Currently playing at Black Ensemble Theater…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 21 June 2025 17:03
Sweet Dreams and Steel Guitars: Drury Lane’s Tender Tribute to Patsy Cline
Written by Kimberly Katz
Always...Patsy Cline is a poignant and entertaining jukebox musical that honors the legacy of iconic country singer Patsy Cline through the heartfelt story of an unexpected friendship, which is currently beautifully staged at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook. Conceived and written by Ted Swindley, the production is inspired by…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 17 June 2025 16:06
Unimaginably Good: “An Iliad” Is the Best Show I Have Ever Seen
Written by Bill Esler
Court Theatre has brought back to its stage “An Iliad,” a surpassingly wonderful riff on Homer’s ancient Greek poem, “The Iliad.” Starring Timothy Edward Kane in a reprise of his sensational one-man performance as The Poet, it is directed by Charles Newell. This is the fourth time Court has staged…
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Theatre in Review
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Her Story Theatre's World Premiere "THE OFFICAL BIOGRAPHY" - Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30 pm at The Den Theatre
Written by Buzz Center StageHer Story Theatre has announced the World Premiere of Kurt McGinnis Brown's two-hander THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY, to play March 28 – April 19 at The Den Theatre in Chicago. When young black journalist Xan Smith is assigned to interview the once successful, now… -
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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!
Written by Buzz Center StageChicago theatre‑goers have one of those rare, golden weekends where three very different companies are all firing at full power—each offering a production that hits a different part of the theatrical appetite: the intimate and unsettling, the bold and idea‑driven,…
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