Theatre in Review

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Sunday, 06 April 2025 13:00

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Presents Lively Production of Sunny Afternoon

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Sunny Afternoon, the high-powered story of The Kink is being performed at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre through April 27th.
“It’s not us… all this mucking about with our sound.”   Sunny Afternoon is about many things. This is in so many ways a rock concert – with a score that makes it impossible not to dance and clap along in your seat. It’s vibrant – with a talented design…
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Tuesday, 08 April 2025 09:51

Layers Unfold in “The Book of Grace” at Steppenwolf

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( left to right ) Brian Marable, ensemble member Namir Smallwood and Zainab Jah in Steppenwolf Theatre’s Chicago premiere of The Book of Grace.
In a masterful stroke of programming, Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of "The Book of Grace," Suzan-Lori Parks' incendiary companion piece to her Pulitzer Prize-winning "Topdog/Underdog." Director Steve H. Broadnax III has crafted a searing production that peels back the layers of American family dysfunction with surgical precision.…
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Saturday, 05 April 2025 09:39

‘Trial of Themistocles’ Shows Off Best of the Culture of Greece, and Chicago Jurisprudence

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Patrick A. Salvi II (Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard PC) presents a closing argument for the prosecution at the National Hellenic Museum's Trial of Themistocles on April 1, 2025.
Walking into the Harris Theater for the “Trial of Themistocles,” I was expecting something translated from ancient Greek, togas, masks, maybe a chorus, and a scholarly script that would take some work to wade through. Instead I found the latest installment of a delightful Trials Series produced since 2013 by…
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Wednesday, 02 April 2025 22:23

A Hull Lot of Laughs: Titanique Makes Waves On Stage

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The cast of Titanique.
All hands on deck Titanic fans! Get ready for a lavishly produced musical that boldly reimagines the Titanic story, navigating it into fresh and unforeseen waters. The story of the "unsinkable" Titanic is one most of us know well—the ship’s ill-fated maiden voyage on April 14, 1912, ending in tragedy…
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Monday, 31 March 2025 17:55

Review: The Listeners at Lyric Opera of Chicago

Soprano Nicole Heaston in THe Listeners at Lyric Opera of Chicago.
THE LISTENERS has undergone several incarnations since the 2021 novel by Jordan Tannahill. It’s been a full-length movie, a TV series’, and now an opera, premiering in New York and now brought to Chicago by the renowned composer/librettist team Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek. This opera, at Civic Opera House, was…
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Wednesday, 26 March 2025 13:11

Review: 'it's been ten years since everybody died' at Open Space Arts

(L-R) Julia Toney, Alex Marusich, Noah Hinton in ‘it’s been ten years since everybody died’ at Open Space Arts.
I’ve reviewed a number of shows at Open Space Arts (OSA) – I love the place – so I’m familiar with OSA’s attributes: unique productions that battle antisemitism and homophobia with art; premiere plays by previously-unknown writers; small, intimate venue; and, most of all, incredible talent both on- and off-stage. …
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Monday, 24 March 2025 14:06

Definition Theatre Defines the Crisis: 'Splash Hatch on the E Going Down'

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Rita Wicks in "Splash Hatch on the E Going Down" at Definition Theatre.
In Definition Theatre's production of "Splash Hatch on the E Going Down," Kia Corthron's 1997 work feels unnervingly relevant in 2025. Under Cheryl Lynn Bruce's incisive direction, this story of environmental racism and maternal health transforms from a Clinton-era critique into a mirror reflecting our ongoing, unresolved struggles with environmental…
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Friday, 21 March 2025 12:08

The Search for Truth Turns to War in Oil Lamp’s Outstanding ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’

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(L to R) James Wheeler, Tim Walsh and Marianne Embree in THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT from Oil Lamp Theater, now playing through April 6.
Don’t be deceived by the title.  The phrase “lifespan of a fact” sounds about as dry as the Mojave Desert and just a mite confusing.  But, as Glenview’s Oil Lamp Theater’s current stage production proves, those knee jerk perceptions turn out to be completely absurd.  Instead, its The Lifespan of…
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Friday, 21 March 2025 12:36

Hive of Hilarity: Copley Theatre’s 'Spelling Bee' is a Buzzing Triumph!

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(front, from left) Elizabeth Stenholt plays Olive Ostrovsky, Teddy Gales is William Barfee, Ann Delaney plays Logainne Schwartzandgrubennierein, (back, from left) Shelbi Voss is Marcy Park, Nic Dantes plays Chip Tolentino, and Ben Broughton is Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, part of Paramount Theatre’s BOLD Series. Stephen Schellhardt directs.
I’m not holding back—Copley Theatre’s latest offering, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is an absolute winner! I’ve seen this delightfully offbeat musical brought to life at various theaters, but Copley’s rendition? It’s absolutely “F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S.” This production earns its place at the very top, possibly stealing the crown altogether.…
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