It’s time for some facts, and not the fake news facts. During the Chicago theatre season of 2015-2016, 25% of shows produced had female authorship. Only 36% of plays were directed by women. Someone reading might think that 36% isn’t all that bad and maybe it’s a step in the right direction. Well, let's put these numbers in perspective. 

This was a study undertaken by Kay Kron and Mariah Schultz as part of Kron’s Master Thesis at DePaul University. These stats were part of the study that were included full Jeff eligible season of Equity and Non-Equity theaters nominated for a Jeff Award in any category during Chicago’s 2015-2016 season. What does that even mean? Glad you asked. 

That means, 52 theatres, over 250 plays, which resulted in over 4,500 data points. Now, let's put those earlier numbers into perspective. That 36% means that about 90 women directed plays. 62 out of those 250 plays produced had female authorship. Here’s a few more numbers for you: 43% of actors hired were female. 89% of costume designers were female. Stats like these are the reason, as well as the current political climate, that people are speaking up. 

Dani Bryant decided to channel these numbers, as well as the spotlight that gender equality is currently under, into the fantastic show that is Gender Breakdown. Now, before I go any further I want to say that I am a 31-year-old white male. I am the demographic. I have never experienced discrimination of any kind. 

Gender Breakdown is 10 female identified performers telling their stories of the misogyny, segregation, and overall disrespect they have experienced throughout their careers. These women bare their soles on stage trying to shed a light on what it’s really like. Not only are these women sharing their stories, but a compilation of over 200 Chicago theater artists is played throughout the show sharing stories about how they have had to deal with the misogyny and typecasting within the Chicago theater system. 

Brianna Buckley, Jazmin Corona, Kamille Dawkins, Rula Gardnier, Kate Hawbaker-Krohn, Priya Mohanty, Siobhan Marguerite Reddy-Best, Carolyn Sinon, Aimy Tien, and Mia Vivens each command the stage with powerful performances retelling their own experiences that they have had. Each performance shows that they are not just a woman, but much more. They are dancers, intellectuals, mothers, daughters, performers. Strong women who don’t need to be told who are what they are because they already know who and what they are. 

One such segment of the show that stuck with me was the retelling of casting ads. They play it as if it’s a game show where the “host” will read REAL casting calls. Then the women play along to see if they meet the “criteria.” When I say criteria, I mean the actual outlandish bullshit that some producer, casting director, or even director scribbles down for how they see the female role. Such “criteria” ranges from: seeking a middle age woman (which apparently means 26-32), a cute, but dorky girl, must be willing to perform nude, skinny (as in 105 lbs), and any other type of superficial surface level adjective or phrase one can think of. 

While being a woman within the theatre, or entertainment community overall, is hard because men are running the show, it can be equally hard when you’re a minority within the minority. Priya Mohanty, who has here MBA from Duke in case you were wondering, spoke how she is often typecast since she is from India. Or that Kamille Dawkins might be better served playing the black servant instead of the lead because it’s a part that fits her better. 

While sitting through each performance I can remember laughing during many of the sets. For instance, the casting call bit that was mentioned earlier was played with a humoristic approach. I can remember several times where my laughter turned into a sudden realization that I was laughing at the degradation these women, all women for that matter, have faced. That realization soon turned into an uncomfortable feeling. That uncomfortable feeling though was welcomed because it helped bring on empathy. I can never be able to relate to any of these women’s stories (31-year-old white male remember), but the power to get the audience to empathize with these performers is the accomplishment. To understand where their rage, sadness, optimism is coming from is the mark of something wonderful.

There is no doubt that there needs to be a massive overhaul within the entertainment industry as whole. Productions like Gender Breakdown helps show the general public what really is going on, which can then hopefully enact change within the system itself. Gender Breakdown is just one step down the long road to progress, but it’s the right step. 

Collaboraction Theatre Company’s Gender Breakdown is being performed at the Flat Iron Arts Building in Wicker Park through March 19th. For more information click here. 

*Now extended through April 1st

“What do you see when you look at me?”

That was the final line of Steve Harmon (Daniel Kyri) from the stage adaptation of the best-selling book Monster. 

Monster is an award-winning novel by Walter Dean Myers and has been adapted by Aaron Carter. The show tells the story of African American teenager Steve Harmon, an aspiring filmmaker, who is on trial for felony murder. 

The show takes the inner monologue of Steve as he deals with being on trial for a murder that he says he was not part of. Since Steve is an aspiring filmmaker he tells the story as if it were lifted from a script that he is writing, using terms like “Close on”, “Cut To”, and “Fade In.” The show itself tries to tackle the issues of race, the public perception of race, masculinity, as well as the justice system itself. 

“While the play does deal with the criminal justice system and notions of guilt and innocence, to me, the most active thing about the book is examining how people perceive young black men,” says adapter Aaron Carter. 

The idea might be there, but the execution of the idea seems to fall short. Yes, African American men are incarcerated at a much higher rate than any other race. Currently, according to the NAACP, African Americans constitute nearly 1 million of the 2.3 million incarcerated population. However, this play does not represent those kind of staggering statistics. The major scenes in the show take place in court, in jail, and in Steve’s home. The show focuses more on the idea of masculinity and what it is like to be a “man” in today’s society.

Steve tries to act tough in front of other gang members from the neighborhood, but behind closed doors Steve speaks about how he wants no part of that life. The only part I took away from the show, in terms of race relations, was that if you hire a white lawyer to be your attorney, it looks better for your character. 

Aside from the adaptation issues this is still an important show to see. The reason being is that this show demonstrates how one decision can alter your path for the rest of your life. Steve is sixteen-years-old and if he is convicted he faces a prison sentence of twenty-five-years to life. This play can serve as important message for today’s youth. There will be connections made simply because the performances by the cast are what bring it all together. 

Mr. Kyri brings Steve to life as he battles with what he wants and what he needs, creating for the audience a legitimate hope and fear. The rest of the cast take on various roles throughout the show proving their range as actors. Kenn E. Head is able to go from worried father in one scene and instantly transform into hardened criminal in the very next scene. Alana Arenas shines as a hardened assistant district attorney and also as Steve’s well-to-do mother. 

Overall, this play speaks to many themes, but just not the one we thought it might choose. With excellent performances from a dynamic cast, Monster is worth seeing. The overall message may be muddled, and that is the hard part about this adaptation. There is a fine line to walk and only so much can be said in such a short amount of time. There are great pieces out there that continue the discussion of race, but this is not one of them unfortunately. 

Monster is being performed at Steppenwolf Theatre through March 9th as its latest presentation for Young Adult. For tickets and/or more information, click here. 

Question: Is Shakespeare really that sexual?

Answer: Yes, as it turns out. 

Fifty Shades of Shakespeare not only proves that the plays of William Shakespeare carry some very heavy sexual undertones, which is fantastic, but also provides an insight towards gender fluidity and sexuality. This is all done by using Shakespeare to help talk about sex. 

In its fourth year, Fifty Shades of Shakespeare is brought to you by the (re)discover theatre. It is the brainchild of Jess Shoemaker and the (re)discover theatre. 

Upon arrival to Mary’s Attic, I grabbed a drink from the bar in back and found a seat near the front in the second row. I wanted to be as close to the action as possible because I had no idea what I was in for, but was very intrigued to say the least. Once I took my seat I was greeted by a cast member and regaled with an excerpt from a grocery store romance novel. That immediately set the tone for the night. Not much soon after that I was asked if I would like to contribute to the “Box of Secrets” that actually wasn’t very secret. The idea is this: you are handed a piece of paper that has a question. You write down your answer with as much or as little detail as you want. Then during intermission and different breaks someone from the cast reads responses that have been handed in. My question was, “What was the dirtiest thing you’ve ever said in bed?” I accepted the challenge and answered truthfully and honestly. Unfortunately, my response was not read to the audience. Bummer. 

The show itself consists of twelve scenes, all from the Shakespeare canon. These are the greatest hits, if you will. The cast is made up of only four (yes four) actors: Amelia Bethel, Tanner Bradshaw, William Delforge, and Madeline Moeller. That means that these four are playing 23 different roles. However, the big twist is that the roles are chosen at random, by the audience, before the show begins. The cast switches roles every evening, making each evening a new experience. 

If you’re already familiar with Shakespeare, then buckle up because shit gets real the instant they dim the lights. It is a show that provides nonstop laughs and energy for two hours. This is accomplished by the random casting of roles that explore and break down not just gender fluidity, but sexual expression. It does not matter if it is two men portraying Romeo and Juliet or having Macbeth played by a woman and Lady Macbeth played by a man. Or even turning a scene where two men dabble in some light-ish bondage. I should point out that Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed by all male casts.

This show breaks down the beauty of love into its most raw and animalistic instincts. Shakespeare just provides the rich subtext so the performers can really unleash. You may walk out of the show unsure what you just saw, but you will have been entertained to the fullest.  Fifty Shades of Shakespeare speaks to a new day and age that we, the majority of society, are entering a new kind of sexual revolution where nothing is off limits. And it’s for the better. 

Fifty Shades of Shakespeare is playing at Mary’s Attic from now through February 27th on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evenings at 8:00 p.m. If you don’t have plans yet or are the last-minute planning type, then I would suggest checking out their special Valentine's Day show Tuesday night February 14th. Tickets can be reserved by clicking here. 

There are something’s that just stick with you from your childhood. Any time a reminder of said memory comes up you can instantly recall when and where that memory took place. For me, I can clearly remember watching Ghostbusters as a young child and it sticking with me throughout my life. I have driven many people to the point of anger by quoting the movie time and again. I never thought anything could come along and make the movie of my childhood more special. That is until I saw Ghostbustier: The Story of the Real Ghostbusty.

The show features an all female cast as they try and save New York from ghosts like, a sexy Slimer, a curvaceous Stay Puft Marshmallow Woman, and many other sexy ghosts. Ghostbustier is an all out entertaining burlesque show brings the classic comedy to the stage, but with a sultry and sensual twist. Janine, the dry monotone receptionist for the Ghostbusters, narrates the show as she takes the audience through the certain paranormal activities occurring throughout the city. But, the story itself everyone knows there is nothing new to it. The true entertaining portion is how the story is told as well as the female empowerment that it represents. 

What everyone comes to see are the dance performances put on by the all female cast members. The thing to remember about a burlesque show is that it is not just about sexy dancing, but also a fun satire. Seeing Slimer give a striptease and chase the Ghostbusters around, or a sexy Stay Puft Marshmallow Woman dance to “Wrecking Ball” while she destroys New York makes it not only sexy, but also purely entertaining to watch. There comes a point where Janine gives a comedic, but seductive, striptease to Egon while dancing to R-Kelly’s “Bump and Grind.” 

There are no defined body types proving that anyone can be sexy no matter what. Each woman comes on stage completely owning the moment as they all try and one up each other to see who can get the crowd to “whoop” and holler the loudest. It is not just a satire of a film, but also a celebration of body image. These women are the example that there is no shame in how you look and they are there on stage to celebrate that fact. There is a certain empowerment behind the show, something I completely get behind and support. 

The show only lasts an hour, but there is never a dull moment where you wonder why you are there. It is a fun show that will keep you laughing the whole way through while enjoying fun dance performances. Ghostbustier: The Story of the Real Ghostbusty is showing at the Gorilla Tango Theatre, as is only one part of other burlesque shows. Other shows include: A Nude Hope, Game of Thongs, Great Scott, Those are Boobs!, and Holy Bouncing Boobies! All are worth the price of admission. Just remember, you have to be 18 to attend and your voice may become horse after all the “whooping” and hollering in excitement. Performances take place on Saturdays at 10:30 pm.

For more info - http://www.gorillatango.com/

When I say the name Ben Hecht most of you will look at me with confusion not knowing who I am talking about. That is understandable, given that most people don’t seem to care about anything before 1990. I myself did not have the strongest handle of who the man was prior to seeing “The Ben Hecht Show” at the Piven theatre. 

Ben Hecht was a newspaper reporter for the Chicago Journal and Chicago Daily News during the 20s. He parlayed his success in the newspaper world into a successful stage-writing career along with a very successful career as a screenwriter. He wrote some great films during what is considered the “Golden Age” of Hollywood. He wrote The Scoundrel, Nothing Sacred, Wuthering Heights, Scarface (not the Al Pacino one), and was uncredited for working on Gone with the Wind. He won an Oscar for best original story for Underworld and best writing (along with partner Charles McArthur) for The Scoundrel. 

James Sherman wrote, as well as stars in, the one man “Ben Hecht Show” that is based on Ben Hecht’s books A Guide for the Bedevilled and A Child of the Century in which Mr. Hecht struggles to confront his identity as an American Jew. 

Mr. Sherman has found a sweet spot in writing and adapting the works of Mr. Hecht as the audience is treated stories from Mr. Hecht’s past as if you were the only person that he is talking to. There is a feeling of intimacy to it all. You are able to understand how and why this man is grappling with the notion of being Jewish and what it truly means to be Jewish.  When he figures it all out he is only back at the beginning as various leaders of different Jewish organizations condemn his words to the point of calling him Goebbels puppet. The internal struggle is real. The writing of Mr. Sherman and stage direction of Dennis Zacek are able to capture all of Mr. Hecht’s inner conflict. The performance by Mr. Sherman as Ben Hecht leaves something to be desired. 

The entire show takes place in what would be the imagined study of Ben Hecht. Mr. Sherman wanders across the stage playing the conflicted writer as if he is just moving from one thought to another. One moment we are treated to stories, with a slideshow presentation, about him working with Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, and David O Selznick. The next moment we are shown a stack of books of Jewish literature. All of this plays out in a monotone one-note performance. While the words tell us that this is a man struggling with his own identity we are not shown this. Mr. Sherman gives no range of emotion and barely registers a slight chuckle when delivering sharp quips that he himself penned. 

Mr. Sherman must be congratulated on his efforts in accomplishing a one-man performance, as this is no small feat. The performance can be sculpted and formed to where a stronger connection with the audience can be made as it is playing through July 17th. This is a show that offers nothing but the promise of an enlightening 90 minutes of self-reflection and self-discovery, a self-discovery that anyone who attends the performance would be happy to have seen. 

The Ben Hecht Show

Where: Piven Theatre, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston 

When: Now through July 17th 

Tickets: $35

Info: grippostagecompany.com 

Mediocrity, is usually the best word most people try and avoid when they aspire to make and or do something great. The idea is that if a person is part of something truly great that idea, performance, or invention will be remembered throughout history. Look at the radio and how it revolutionized how people communicated. This small device was able to bring people from across the country together. It was personified by FDR with his fire side chats in the 1930s. The printing press was able to make it so literature was available to the masses. The iPod changed the way we listened to music. Then there are terrible ideas as well, but we still remember them. The Ford Pinto, the feature length film, The Room (Google it), or the idea that the earth is flat. Then there are those ideas that are just OK. It is that rare space where the work is just decent enough to not be thought of as bad, but is not considered good, and is by no means considered great. This is where Tapped: A Treasonous Musical Comedy joins the ranks of Betamax, the Zune, and HD DVD. All ok in their own right, but outpaced by far superior products on the market. 

Tapped is a musical comedy that tells the story of a NSA analyst Mary (Laureen Siciliano) who has been tasked to spy on an old colleague of hers from college named Steve (Max Hinders) or “Stupid Steve” as he often referenced throughout the production. Steve is a brilliant hacker, but has failed often at exposing government conspiracies. He wishes to see himself as the next Edward Snowden by helping WikiLeaks expose the NSA. In typical fashion Mary gets too close, ends up falling for Steve, like she did back in college, and joins his crusade to bring down the NSA exposing how they have been tapping every mobile device in the country. All of this plays out while 

All of this plays out against the backdrop of what is happening around the country as well as the ideas of what it takes to keep Americans safe. Mary’s boss Patrick (David Dritsas) is the freedom loving, constitutional bending, fear mongering, caricature that we have come to see time and again in productions about the war on terror. The part is so over the top that at one point he has a musical number to where he puts the fear in all of his subordinates, except Mary, about how none of are safe. He sings and dances as if he is an evangelical preacher entertaining his congregation. While an amusing performance it was, it played heavy handed the way the entire production was. Subtly is something that is production clearly lacks.

The true bright spot however belongs to one Larueen Siciliano who offers a sharp comedic timing as well as a bright voice that matches her character of Mary. Every time Ms. Siciliano enters a scene she immediately owns that particular scene, even if it’s not her scene. Her quick wit timing makes every punchline stronger inevitably making the others around her stronger as well as seem funnier. She is able to turn a throw away joke about wine and turn it into a laugh out loud moment. Her physicality and ability out paced everyone else on stage forcing them to keep up, but none were able to. Everyone else seemed to ham it up, but winking at the fact that they were doing it. It played in a light humorous light, but none of it was out right laughter. It seemed like most of the jokes were going for a chuckle rather than a laugh. 

The Theater Wit offers the audience an intimate interaction with the actors and production itself. With the theatre being such a confined space the production team has to get creative in terms of set design, setting the next scene, and the choreography. The first two seemed to work at first, but run into problems when the actors are moving the set pieces and forgetting where to put them, ultimately throwing of the actors blocking. I could have thought that the choreography of the dance numbers would be something to write home about, I was wrong. While all of the dancers are good none of it stands out. It seemed as if most of the dancers in the ensemble had put on tap shoes for the first times in their lives learning to tap dance during rehearsals. The dance numbers were so over the top for being in such space that sitting front row had I stretched my legs out one of them might have tripped over them. 

Other than the poor dance routines and one stand out actress Tapped: A Treasonous Musical does not stand out. It could be something to see if you are bored on a Friday night and want something do, but you might end up walking away feeling bummed about how you spent your Friday night. It’s the type of production that when asked about it you simply say, “It was alright. Seeing it once is enough for me.”

Tapped: A Treasonous Musical Comedy is playing at the Theater Wit through July 3rd. You have until then to make up your mind if you really want to see it. If you don’t end up crossing it off your to-do list, you won’t feel sad you missed it. If you end up seeing it, you won’t walk away thinking it was a must see. If this were a movie you would wait until it arrives on Netflix instead of seeing it in theaters. The production’s final musical number, entitled “Fail Big,” accurately sums up this production. It aspires to be something meaningful, but ultimately falls short. You want it to be great, but at the end of the day all you can do is shrug and simply say, ‘meh.’ 

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 the symphony into words. Maestro Paul Freeman was a man who was able to see the connection between science and the arts. Even though maestro Freeman is no longer with us he has still left an impact on everything, as well as everyone, that he was apart of. 

In July of 2015 Maestro Freeman passed away leaving a lasting legacy with the Sinfonietta for years to come. This whole 2015-2016 season was dedicated to his memory as “Paul Freeman: Season of Celebration.” With this being their final performance of the season the Sinfonietta not only decided to honor Maestro Freeman, but to combine to subjects that not many would have thought of. This is where the Sinfonietta brought in Jose Fransisco Salgado to help blend science with the arts, a way to add a visual representation to the music that the audience is hearing. 

Jose Fransisco Salgado carries a PhD in Astronomy from the University of Michigan and is the executive director and co-founder of KV265, a foundation that prides itself on communicating science through art. This is where the Sinfonietta comes in. For ten years the Sinfonietta has been working with Dr. Salgado, which all started when he was at Adler Planetarium and debuted what became an award winning suite of seven short films set to Gustav Holst’s The Planets. This relationship between Dr. Salgado and the Sinfonietta has blossomed into the performance that was given on Monday night where Dr. Salgado presented new footage, as well as scientific visualizations, to the works by Holst, Estacio, and Mussorgsky. 

The performance of Chicago Sinfonietta's Cosmic Convergence at Symphony Center opened with Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity set to The Planets by Gustav Holst. This work focused on the high resolution photos of Jupiter’s moons IO and Europa. From there the audience was given to see the majesty of the aurora borealis, which Dr. Salgado filmed over a span of days in the Canadian Rockies, set to the work of John Estacio aptly called Borealis. The audience was then treated to something that only few on planet could actually attest to seeing for themselves, a view of earth from the International Space Station. High resolution photos taken from the ISS span the entire globe in a matter of minutes. The audience is treated to majestic views that only a few are lucky enough to truly experience. This all culminated in what was simply coined as Mars, the Bringer of War. The audience is treated to amazing photos of the desolate landscape that is the Martian surface as well as the occasional dirt devil (dust tornado for the lay person). The photos and videos go hand and hand with the musical arrangements that Dr. Salgado selected to show both the raw emotion and beauty that space has. That was all before intermission.

The second half of the program took a bit of a turn as it was no longer really dealing with science, or space for that matter, but more on the focus and celebration of Maestro Freeman where members of the Sinfonietta spoke to the audience about their interactions with the Maestro and how he affected their lives. The work that stood out the most was the piece entitled: Global Warming by Michael Abels. The peace offers a more hopeful outlook on life itself and the thaw in international relations after the Cold War had ended. Hope is the driving force between everyone on this planet. Hope is what helped Maestro Freeman create the most diverse symphony in the country. Hope is what leads people to victory, which is the theme of final movement Victory Road also composed by Mr. Abels. Victory Road is the culmination of Maestro Freeman’s life as well as career. 

The performance on a positive note because at the end of the day it is about celebrating the lives that have the most impact on us. This show was more than the blending of the world of science and art, but it was the celebration of a man who had the foresight to see that the two subjects go hand and hand. A celebration that was handled so masterfully that people received an education, as well as an appreciation, for the world and space as a whole. A celebration of a man who has impacted all those around him to the point where not a single person has a disparaging comment to make about him. The Sinfonietta will continue to do what it does best, bringing two subjects together to help blend education with the arts.