Displaying items by tag: chicago theatre

Steppenwolf Theatre’s latest production is going to generate much buzz – quickly - and with good reason. In fact, it’s already been extended through June 2nd. Playwright Matthew-Lee Erlbach’s The Doppelganger (an international farce) is a riotous comedy that doesn’t skip a beat, boasting a cast that is as good as it gets in a script that barely allows the audience to breathe between laughter. Reminiscent of the absurdity Hollywood so often would place the likes of Mel Brooks, Peter Sellers or the Marx Brothers smack-dab in the middle, The Doppelganger successfully takes farce to the stage where an uncontained series of events that are highly exaggerated, excessive, and consequently implausible are successfully translated. Erlbach’s vision is effectively met thanks to Tina Landau’s finely-tuned direction through the use of deliberate ludicrousness and gobbledygook, broadly stylized presentations along with a whole lot of physical humor.

Rainn Wilson, who is best known for his role as “Dwight Shrute”, the competitive, over-the-top, social-skill-lacking paper salesman on NBC’s award-winning The Office, takes charge of the leading roles as the wealthy British businessman Thomas Irdley and his doppelganger Jimmy Peterson, an American seemingly fascinated with everything in life and someone you wouldn’t be surprised to find at a Phish concert. One would be hard-pressed to find a more ideal actor for the dual roles. Wilson’s transition from TV/film back to live stage is flawless.

In a whirlwind of mishaps that take place throughout mistaken identity, misunderstandings, partial eavesdropping and, “Whoops! Wrong door!”, we get an engaging story of international politics. Taking place in Bangui, the Francophone capital of the Central African Republic, the fun begins when Irdley is to host a weekend-long meeting to discuss a copper deal, inviting the likes of an American General (Michael Accardo), a Saudi Arabian prince (Andy Nagraj), and a handful of other players, including former African leader, Michel Masaragba (James Vincent Meredith) and his wife Lolade Masaragba (Ora Jones). But prior to the mini-summit, Irdley and his housekeeper Rosie Guerokoyame (Celeste M. Cooper) are preparing for another guest, Irdey’s doppelganger Jimmy Peterson, a kindergarten teacher from Quincy, Illinois. When Irdley mistakenly takes an elephant tranquilizer instead of his blood pressure medication, he is rendered unconscious, unable to participate in the weekend talks that will undoubtedly have an international effect. It is then that his housekeeper Rosie presses Peterson into action to take the place of Irdley in order to push her own agenda – that being the fair treatment of African workers. From there Rosie and Peterson become unlikely co-conspirators, the two hysterically finding themselves deeper and deeper into what can only be described as a hot mess of bargaining and back channel politics, every partaker conniving for their own selfish needs.

The humor is rapid fire and the play’s running time of nearly two hours and thirty minutes flies by. It is a quick-moving theatrical experience that is well-acted, offers one hilarious exchange after another while sprinkling in a seamless amount of intrigue to keep its audience guessing. The Doppelganger is a perfect tribute to the great farce comedies yet comes with its own unique flavor. Steppenwolf smartly provides Wilson with an airtight supporting cast of premium talent so that each character gets a serious amount of appreciation. Audrey Francis as the IBS-stricken Beatrix Geddes-Renwick is a comedic playwright’s godsend while Whit K. Lee as businessman Wen Xiaoping and Karen Rodriguez as the prince’s girlfriend, Marina, can do no wrong, also piercingly funny in several scenes.

                                                (left to right) Rainn Wilson and Karen Rodriguez in The Doppelganger (an international farce) - Photo by Michael Brosilow

If it takes the creation of a war to make everyone benefit from a copper deal, then so be it. While a comedy that supplies a laugh per minute, Erlbach also gives his audience a behind the scenes look at the perils of choreographed war not only showing the greed by its benefactors and lack of care for humanity but, in doing so, strengthens the premise that the rich will always become richer while the people who want to make a difference to better the world are often stifled and so easily dismissed. With plans to create self-induced atrocities in Africa knowing that certain countries will intervene, and certain products will increase in manufacturing (i.e. weapons), the elite group plans to meet their own agenda with the use of fake news to generate an international outpouring of sympathy and support. Though guised in an outrageous comedy, the point is made clear - political corruption exists and, unfortunately, often triumphs over good.

Brilliantly hilarious and vastly entertaining, Rainn Wilson’s superb performance certainly highlight’s The Doppelganger, though this play has so much more to offer from its sensational script to its commanding supporting cast - and a set that is a whole lot of fun in itself. But the play is also a breath of fresh air in an age where no one wants to offend or be offended. Says Chicago playwright Matthew-Lee Erlbach in an interview found in Steppenwolf’s playbill on the challenges of writing a traditional farce in today's climate, “We are provoked by reality, offended by the radical truths that shape our world. I am taking that farce and putting it on stage. I am writing the world as it has been recycled back to me, igniting those inherited devices, throwing them back at those oppressive power structures, and blowing them up on stage. Unchecked power is exploiting the human species, other species and the planet as a whole. I will use all rhetorical devices available to me to expose and disable those who are dangerous to society.”

“Also,” Erlbrach continues, “we have to be able to laugh at ourselves. If we lose the ability to find ourselves ridiculous and see the humor in those things that are painful, sensitive, nuanced, dear, we will become constipated, humorless and depleted of objectivity.”

The Doppelganger is not only a fitting homage to farce comedy, it is an eye-opening satire of today’s world-wide political happenings. This nearly immaculate, exceedingly humorous international adventure certainly falls in the “must see” category of Chicago stage works.

The Doppelganger (an international farce) is being performed at Steppenwolf Theatre through June 2nd. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.steppenwolf.org.

The immensely talented Hershey Felder’s new solo act, Our Great Tchaikovsky, is the latest in a series of plays about world’s greatest composers and musicians, including Gershwin, Chopin, Beethoven, Bernstein, et al. that span nearly two decades. Directed by Trevor Hay and written by Hershey Felder, the play is being performed at the Steppenwolf’s upstairs theatre.

The play-with-music is a study of Russia’s greatest composer, his secret life and mysterious death. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s music is masterfully woven into the story, as Felder, a classically trained pianist [and impressive singer] plays excerpts of Tchaikovsky’s compositions on stage, from “The Seasons” to “The Nutcracker”, which was conceived while on tour in America, as we learn from the play. Having spent 18 months researching his subject and making the most use of Tchaikovsky’s personal diary and correspondence, Felder paints an intensely intimate image of the composer; his struggles to impress his critics with his compositions while fiercely concealing “who he really was”. Tsarist’s Russia was a notoriously closed-minded and oppressive country, and sexual deviations from “the norm” were not tolerated. And thus, Tchaikovsky spent most of his life feeling deeply ashamed of his homosexuality and fearful that, if found out, he would be sent to Siberia. Composing music was his only outlet for the soul... that and a steady stream of lovers, sometimes dangerously young ones.

Thus, an image of a true artist emerges: hugely talented, largely misunderstood and constantly depressed; a tortured soul. Nevertheless, he “loved everyone and was loved by everyone”, except, perhaps, his critics, who even declared the ballet “The Nutcracker” to be “void of any creativity” when it first came out. Right.

Felder gives Tchaikovsky an upbeat attitude, though the diary entries tell a different story. Having suffered from melancholy his entire life, the composer’s cause of death remains a mystery, despite the fact that Russian authorities insist that he died suddenly at the age of 53 from contracting cholera. Alternative theories include suicide, murder on the orders of the Tsar, and order to commit suicide. Interestingly, Russian authorities also declared that there’s absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Tchaikovsky was homosexual. Some things never change in Russia.

Our Great Tchaikovsky is being performed at Steppenwolf Theatre through May 13^th. For more information, visit www.steppenwolf.org.

Many of us know the story. Three women who work in an office and seek revenge on an abusive male boss. Who can forget Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda as they made a united stand for women in the now classic film “9 to 5”. Our women heroes are lovable, fiery and smart and, with that said, “9 to 5 the Musical” is playing at The Den Theatre and is a must see!

Recently, I have been on a Broadway kick and even bought season tickets and with a lackluster start of the season, I was ready to check out some local plays – something I encourage everyone to do. The Den Theatre is cozy, and the bar is nice as well. This wasn’t my first visit, but my first since they had renovated the space. With upgrades and newly created theatres, The Den is vastly improved and gives theatre goers even more reason to check out a play. The theatre is divided up in different sections across its three floors, each space unique from the other in order to hold different styles of plays.

The funny musical with music by Dolly Parton is put on by Firebrand Theatre which is all about empowering and employing women in the industry. With movements like “Time’s Up” and “Me Too,” it is great to hear about the work they are doing. “9 to 5” makes sense for Firebrand Theatre to produce as the story includes three strong women who are looking to bring in flexibility and positivity into the workplace.

The caliber of talent in this show speaks for itself. The production’s set, through simple, with the phenomenal voices belonging to each member of the diverse cast really stuck out in my mind. Sharriese Hamilton who played Doralee, was fantastic. Her energy and flawless southern accent was perfection. We see her character being followed by an office rumor of her having an affair with the manager, Mr. Hart. It was quite disgusting to see Mr. Hart, played by Scott Danielson, degrade her and do things around the office that put her in such compromising positions.

Violet (Anne Sheridan Smith) and Judy (Sara Reinecke) round out the trio. With excellent performances and growth throughout in each character, I couldn’t get enough of the show!

“9 to 5” reminds me of how far we have come but is also a reminder that we still have so much more to go when it comes to the workplace. We should continue with the fight and advocate for fairness in all aspects of life. We should do better.

Go see the musical that includes a variety of fun songs, including its title number, at the Den Theatre (1331 N. Milwaukee) as soon as possible. The play will be running until May 20th and tickets costs $45 and well worth the experience.
“9 to 5 the Musical” is being performed at Den Theatre in Wicker Park through May 20th. For more show info visit www.firebrandtheatre.org.

“South Pacific” is a timeless Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical full of wonderful romance and social commentary about racism that is important for young and old to experience today and I was thoroughly impressed with Drury Lane’s warm, happy, romantic interpretation of the classic show. It is the latest of shows to run at the theatre and perhaps the best I can remember in recent history.

Taking place on a South Pacific island during World War II, the plot revolves around Ensign Nellie Forbush, an American nurse, who falls in love with a French plantation owner, who is middle-aged and quite a bit older than her. It is when she discovers Emile de Becque’s children from his late, Asian wife, that she struggles with her own prejudices. As the island hosts American naval troops, nurses and its own natives, another love story develops between the handsome, young Lieutenant Joseph Cable and a beautiful Tonkinese woman, Liat. But he, too, fears the social costs.

Each and every voice in this production is outstanding. Robert Cuccioli as Emile de Becque really played the role nicely with a good sense of humor and his vocal numbers soared with great feeling and the experience of a seasoned pro bringing the entire audience under the spell of new and intoxicating island romance. Cuccioli has a wonderful, rich operatic voice and is very likable in the role, leaving us little doubt to his ability as a talented vocalist with his final, powerful note of “Emile’s Terrace” to close out Act I.

Samantha Hill as the down to earth “hick” “Ensign Nellie Forbush” is a pleasure to watch. Hill also has a gifted voice and her enthusiastic, good natured portrayal of Nellie falling in love with De Becque during “(I’m in Love with) A Wonderful Guy” was exactly the type of joyful, naïve, and honest portrayal of true love and excitement that the play needs to counter the heavy nature of the tragedy of war.

The musical, well-directed by Victor Malana Maog, also includes perhaps one of the strongest supporting casts in any production of “South Pacific” I have ever seen. Yvonne Strumecki is absolutely stunning as “Bloody Mary”.  Strumecki’s vocals are rich and impressive and she is able to both hit the high notes and get the laughs in this role, which can be heavy handed if not approached just the way she did, with more warmth than anger. Strumecki’s voice is simply beautiful during my favorite song from the show, “Bali Hai,” and both desperate and wry during “Happy Talk,” as she tries to talk the Lt. Joseph Cable into staying with her beautiful native daughter, Liat.

As Lieutenant Joseph Cable, Austin Colby stuns the audience with his rendition of “Younger then Springtime,” his voice angelic and finely finessed – literally a show stopping moment.

In this well-cast classic, the ensemble of nurses and soldiers and officers are excellent singers and dancers - really drawing laughs from the audience and getting them involved during the adorable numbers “There is Nothing Like a Dame” and “I'm In Love with a Wonderful Guy”. Matt Crowle as Luther Billis is exceptional, displaying flawless comic timing, perhaps harnessing a bit from the school Art Carney.

The set design is a delicious tropical island with low hanging palm trees that rotate around the stage per scene, soft pools of light breaking through the leaves, really placing the audience in the Southern Pacific. The set was a delight to behold and immediately places the entire audience right in the middle of the warm, steamy heat and action from the moment the play switched from the impressive interior of de Becque’s ritzy home.

Overall, the cast is superb and meshes incredibly well with each other while the orchestra provides us with a dreamy soundtrack that along with the imaginative set, puts us in a tropical paradise.
“South Pacific” is almost in a category by itself. Few other musicals actually open with the leads falling in love at first sight to magical, unmatched quintessential lyrics like:

Some enchanted evening
When you find your true love,
When you feel her call you
Across a crowded room,
Then fly to her side,
And make her your own
Or all through your life you
May dream all alone
                                            
I highly recommend seeing Drury Lane’s production of “South Pacific” for the many wonderful vocal performances of spectacular songs like “Some Enchanted Evening”, “Bali Hai” and “Younger than Springtime” and also for the wonderfully warm, inviting and joyful interpretation of this enduring classic about true love.

“South Pacific” is being performed at Drury Lane through June 17th. For more show information visit www.DruryLaneTheatre.com.

“The Diary of Anne Frank” is a familiar story to many people. While two Jewish families are hiding out from the Nazis in Holland during World War II, the story centers around the diary of a young girl, Anne Frank, belonging to one of one of those families. Such circumstances sound like a setting for a story one might find difficult to watch. That being said, it is a play well worth seeing.

Despite the fact this is a student production, the performances rival that of many established theatre actors. Director Connie Canaday Howard directed, and the play was adapted by Wendy Kesselman. All the actors are students at College of DuPage and they were very good overall. The quality of theatre at this level should really not be this good, thus a pleasant surprise. Though not professional actors, bright stage futures are certainly in store a handful of its cast members.

The set design is well crafted. I really liked the cutaway walls that allowed an open view of rooms other than the main room in the upstairs location where the families hid for nearly two years. Imagine that if you will. Hiding in a relatively small space for almost TWO YEARS. No sunlight. Having to remain silent for a good portion of the day because the space you are occupying is over a business that operates during the day. And in spite of all this, the people did still function. The ending is unfortunate, and I am sure not too uncommon during World War II.

There are some feel good moments even though the overall mood could be rather dark in a situation like this - one being the concept of people risking their own lives attempting to save someone from death. That alone gives someone a sense of the fight for survival spirit that humans must have at times. This play needs to be seen. The world sometimes needs to be reminded of how a madman came very close to taking control of Europe and the atrocities that occurred during his attempt. I was personally close to a few survivors of the holocaust, so this play hit close to home. Another thing worth noting is that this occurred less than a century ago.

I do not wish to discourage anyone to avoid watching the play because of the horrors in this heartbreaking story to which we are firmly reminded. Instead, seeing the playwright’s point of view may shine some light on the human element of war. There is so much that has happened that the history books do not tell you. The battles are all documented, but the story of how people were – and are - affected often never gets heard. The fight for survival never goes away.

“The Diary of Anne Frank”, A Tony Award winning play, is being performed at Playhouse Theatre at the College of DuPage through April 15th. For more show information visit http://www.atthemac.org/events/diary-anne-frank/.

In 1959 director Douglas Sirk left his mark on Hollywood in the making of his final film, Imitation of Life, which was based on the Fannie Hurst novel of the same name. The film starred Lana Turner in the lead role and dealt with several topics that still loom large today, focusing on race, class and gender. This was the second film adaptation of the novel, the first being directed by John M. Stahl in 1934. Finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" the United States Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2015.

Upon signing to star in a remake of Imitation of Life, Turner was knee-deep in real world trouble. She had been involved in courtroom proceedings after her boyfriend was killed by her daughter in a domestic struggle. Hollywood seized on the media sensation and used the film as an opportunity to reclaim her star status on the big screen.

So, leave it to Hell in a Handbag to brilliantly lampoon the film and actual events surrounding Turner, intertwining the two stories into one. In “L’imitation of Life,” Ricky Graham and Running with Scissors take Bruce McNally’s original script and run with it, and thanks to outstanding direction by Stevie Love, we get a hilarious spoof that keeps Handbag at the top spot for Chicago comedy theatre.

In “L’imitation,” Lana Turner (Ed Jones) wants to succeed as a Broadway star no matter what the cost. She currently grabs any commercial she can get no matter how degrading the topic matter and is known as many things such as “The Queen of Flush” (yes, from a toilet brush advertisement). The widowed commercial starlet lives with her spoiled school-aged daughter Suzie (Katherine Bellantone), who, as in her real-life drama, had stabbed to death Turner’s boyfriend (perhaps with a little prodding from mom). It is when the two happen upon Annie Johnson (Robert Williams), a besieged African-American mother while at the beach, that a new life for both begins. With Annie and her daughter Sara Jane (Ashley J Hicks) having nowhere to go, Lana “charitably” invites the two to come home with her – with Annie becoming a maid and caregiver to Lana and the two girls.

With their new living situation comes many challenges. Sara Jane is rebellious. Light-skinned and defiant, she wants to be accepted as white, keeping her mother a secret from friends at school. Annie is there for Lana for anything and everything she needs with a smile but is massively overworked and disregarded. Lana is delusional about her talents as an actress and sleeps with anyone she can to move forward in the entertainment industry. And Suzie is weird – and flat out scary.

Ed Jones never lets the Handbag faithful down, and in “L’imitation of Life” we might just get his best work. A flawless performance by Jones highlights this very funny production as he so masterfully is able to capture and exaggerate Turner’s essence to comedic perfection. Jones gets strong support from Robert Williams whose Annie Johnson so perfectly plays off Turner’s delusions of grandeur, no-respect-for-others character. Chazie Bly plays Steve Martin (no, not that Steve Martin), Turner’s on again off again boyfriend, and is ferociously funny in doing so.

In “L’imitation,” Hell in a Handbag is able to spoof such touchy subject matter in their own unique fashion that actually finetunes what, in some ways, may have been the desired the effect of the film – to point out the absurdities where society falls short in poking fun at stereotypical behaviors. “It is the intention of Parody, as an art form, to hold a fun-house mirror to our culture and to reflect all attitudes in an art (past and present).’ Says director Stevie Love. “The beautiful, the garish, the righteous and the misguided. We intend to do that in 5-inch heels.”

Presented with visuals that help in providing a scene’s setting and also serves as yet another avenue for big laughs, “L’imitation of Life” hits on all cylinders.

“L’imitation of Life” is being performed at Stage 773 through May 6th. For tickets and/or more show information, visit www.handbagproductions.org.

Seated in the venue before the show, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. With a title like, The Rosenkranz Mysteries: Physician Magician, my first thought was of a murder mystery. The set, designed to mimic a well-appointed study or office, didn’t give any real clues. Enter our host for the evening, Dr. Ricardo Rosenkranz.

Dr. Ricardo Rosenkranz is not just a character. He really is a REAL DOCTOR. He is a neonatologist and Assistant Professor in Clinical Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He has been practicing both medicine and magic for many years.

In the opening scene, The Puzzle of Life, the well-respected professor sets the stage for what the next 90 minutes will reveal. The Rosenkranz Mysteries are the doctor’s lessons and insights into life shared, with the audience through 12 vignettes using charming storytelling and theatrical magic.

Similar to Stevie Wonders’ weaving song titles like Confusion, Ordinary Pain and Joy Inside My Tears into the album “Songs from the Key of Life”, Dr. Rosenkranz weaves his story with scenes like The Magical Childhood, Perfect Empathy, and finally Ricardo’s Thread (a tribute to his mentor - highly acclaimed magician Eugene Burger).

Dr. Rosenkranz’s skill as a story teller is both calming and reassuring. There is a bit of a mystical vibe in the theatre when he is speaking. The intimate theatre setting, and the warm tone of his voice created a comfort level as if we were all sitting in the parlor of the doctor’s home listening to his sage advice and philosophies on life. He speaks of magic and medicine almost interchangeably, in a manner that I can only describe as Disney-esque. His demeanor could easily place him at Hogwarts. He quickly earned my trust.

The magical content of the performance was equally enjoyable and entertaining… and yes, mysterious. The illusions and magic were truly mind-boggling even though it was not grandiose or glitzy (no fireworks or clouds of smoke). From my front row seat, I was certain that I would “catch a slip up” to disprove the magic, but instead I was left pleasantly confounded and amazed. He is truly gifted as a magician. He definitely brings a personal element to the entire program, and frequently mentions his inspiration during both his dialogue and feats of magic. It’s easy to sense how important the weaving of magic and being a physician together is to him.

This is certainly a “feel good” experience in a way that stays with you. I still catch myself smiling as I’m writing this review 24 hours after the show. I highly recommend this show as it is both witty and intelligent.

While this show is family-friendly, the subtlety of the life lessons may go unappreciated by the pre-teen audience members.

The Rosenkranz Mysteries: Physician Magician is showing at The Royal George Theatre Cabaret, 1641 N Halsted Street in Chicago for a limited engagement.

They say you should never meet your heroes. That may be the case in Philip Dawkins' new play 'The Gentleman Caller' at Raven Theatre. Dawkins', a popular local playwright, was commissioned to write this play about the strange friendship between Tennessee Williams and William Inge. This is Cody Estle's first production as artistic director of Raven Theatre. Tennessee Williams and Inge are often featured in Raven seasons, and 'The Gentleman Caller' gets a fitting premiere here.

The play is told in two scenes, the first takes place in a young William Inge's garden apartment in St Louis in 1943. It's supposed that Inge, a newspaper critic attempted to interview a then unknown Tennessee Williams about his upcoming play 'The Glass Menagerie'. The second act is a few months later, New Year’s Eve. Inge visits Tennessee Williams in a Chicago hotel following the premiere of the play. No record exists of dialogue between the two playwrights, but they maintained a relationship of sorts over the years. The dialogue in Dawkins' play is as he imagined it would have been.

This is an important distinction to make. The events of this play are highly fictionalized. 'The Gentleman Caller' says a lot about what Philip Dawkins thinks of these two playwrights. The character he's written for Tennessee Williams isn't very likeable. Throughout the play Williams feeds Inge a frustrating string of non-answers. Inge, a closeted homosexual is uptight and put off by Williams' vulgarity. There's a lot of sexual tension between the characters, but who’s to say if that was really the case.

Dawkins' play has an inspiring message for creative types or anyone that feels different. It gets a little buried in slow-moving and often redundant dialogue but there's some solid wisdom in there. Estle seems to share a similar vision for this production. It has the feeling of being at a Tennessee Williams or William Inge play.

There are only two actors in this play, Curtis Edward Jackson plays William Inge and Rudy Galvan plays Tennessee Williams. Jackson is well suited for Inge's restrained temperament. His final monologue is captivating. Galvan is somewhat miscast. The depth of his character gets lost in an unconvincing and mostly unflattering impression of Tennessee Williams.

In this play, we see Inge so very disappointed in Tennessee Williams the man, rather than the hero he'd imagined him to be. It may be that when researching this play the author came to the same conclusion. There's a melancholic thread throughout 'The Gentleman Caller'. It shows us a side of our literary heroes we may not like to see. The part behind closed doors and sometimes without success. In that regard, Tennessee Williams would certainly approve of this play.

Through May 27th at Raven Theatre 6157 N Clark Street. 773-338-2177

*Extended through May 27th

Akvavit Theatre’s latest presentation brings Astrid Saalbach’s Danish comedy “Bad Girls: The Stylists” to the U.S. for the first time where it is being performed at Strawdog Theatre Company.

Taking place in a beauty salon, the story follows four hair stylists through their daily endeavors in the workplace, getting all the more interesting as one client is more unique as the next. A series of outrageous scenes take place, the play offering plenty of laughs, as the banter between the stylists is quite funny at times along with some highly engaging interactions with their walk-ins.

An underlying plot takes place as a mysterious stranger, who shall be known as “A”, begins to visit the salon. First appearing as a homeless woman, more and more intrigue develops as she reappears as other characters. Jennifer Adams highlights this play as “A” and is absolutely hilarious in practically ever scene she graces. Adams well-executed line delivery, expression and comic timing make this play, transcending it from a so-so production to putting it on the worthwhile list.

Though the plot is iffy and the ending questionable, there is enough good comedy to make this production quite enjoyable. Some scenes are flat out shamefully funny. There is plenty of original humor to be found here.
In a story that examines individuality and appearance, Breahan Pautsch directs this dark comedy where five women bravely play twenty-eight characters. Adams is joined by Kim Bolger (Boogie), Jennifer Cheung (Jorun), Kirstin Franklin (Mette) and Madelyn Loehr (Trine).

Making up the production team for “Bad Girls” and putting us in the center of a beauty salon is Chad Eric Bergman (scenic design), Lily Walls (costume design), David Goodman-Edberg (lighting design), Nigel Harsch (sound design), Hillarie Shockley (props design), Rick Gilbert and Victor Bayona (violence/intimacy design) Keith Ryan (hair/wig design), Lindsay Tornquist (asst. director), Harrison Ornelis (technical director) and Hannah Harper-Smith (stage manager).

“Bad Girls: The Stylists” is being performed at Strawdog Theatre Company through April 14th. For tickets and/or more information on this often laugh out loud production, visit www.chicagonordic.org.

By now we all know who’s coming to dinner. Based on the 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn, Court Theatre presents a new stage adaptation of ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.’ Written in 2013 by Todd Kreidler, this fresh look points at the progress America has made regarding interracial marriage, as well as the progress that still lies ahead.

Marti Lyons directs this quickly-paced comedy-drama. The scenes are trimmed with a sweeping score that recalls the golden era of 60s television. The mid-century mod set by Scott Davis drops us square into 1960s suburban San Francisco. A solid white house on a hill, obvious symbolism. Kriedler’s script begins on an impossibly rosy note, a sure sign that trouble is afoot for these fine looking white folks.

Christina (Mary Beth Fisher) and Matt Drayton’s (Tim Hopper) upper middle class, pseudo-liberal lifestyle is upended when their adult daughter Joanna (Bryce Gangel) brings home an acclaimed African American doctor, John (Michael Aaron Pogue). The two naïve lovers wish for their parents’ blessing before they proceed with a hasty marriage. In asking, Joanna and John call into question everything they’ve known about their so-called progressive parents.

In today’s world, some may see an interracial marriage as no big deal. And largely, for most parts of America, it’s not a big deal. That’s what’s so interesting about this script. The characters don’t spend much time debating if it’s right or wrong for races to intermarry. What’s at stake for them is how the world will perceive their coupling and whether it’s actually putting them in danger.

This is a prickly little play about the nuances of race. That is not to say it’s not funny. In fact, it’s the sit-com style set-up of jokes and physical humor that make this show so fun to watch. Mary Beth Fisher is a gifted physical comedian. It’s a real treat to see her quickly twisting facial expressions, she’s able to get so much across without dialogue. Working off her is Sydney Charles in the role of the Drayton’s maid, Tillie. Sydney Charles has some of the best one-liners of the evening and really brings her character to the focal point.

The young lovers portrayed by Bryce Gangel and Michael Aaron Pogue are what this show comes down to. There’s so much chemistry between these two and that is key. The audience has to believe in this love in order to believe in the parent’s eventual coming around. Gangel so aptly captures the stubborn optimism of her character through an almost lilting speech pattern. In her final monologue, Gangel goes from school girl crush to a woman seriously in love.

The Court Theatre’s area premier of Todd Kriedler’s stage adaptation of ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ is very cute. It’s strange to say a play about tense race relations is cute, but it’s a play about love. It’s also incredibly sleek. The costumes and sets are like an episode of Mad Men. While the direct themes may not be entirely relevant in a post Marriage Equality world, there are still indirect themes that must be discussed. This play is making a bigger point about the subtler forms of racism that are present in even the most liberal minded places.

Through April 15th at Court Theatre. 5535 S Ellis Avenue. 773-753-4472