Displaying items by tag: Solo Celebration Series
Review: Circumference of a Squirrel at The Greenhouse Theater Center
“Circumference of a Squirrel” by John Walch finishes out The Greenhouse Theater’s inaugural Solo Celebration. This one-character play festival featured only single narrative storytelling. It’s not often you see a one-person fiction play, and while some may cringe at the concept, these short works explored highly relevant themes.
Will Allen stars as Chester. He begins the play telling the audience about a squirrel he saw trying to carry a bagel. Chester is in the present, and by the speech pattern adopted by Allen, we can presume something is a little off. Walch’s script seamlessly flows between Chester’s childhood memories, his relationship with his father and the divorce he’s just been through. He grapples with the knowledge that his father was an ardent anti-semite. It colors the dark, and funny memories of his father paying him in Lifesavers to kill squirrels.
Allen toggles between several characters and memories in the hour-long run time. Each character has a unique, but sincere voice and there’s an almost manic quality with which Allen can articulate them all. His performance only deepens from beginning to end, leading to a bittersweet conclusion.
Directed by Jacob Harvey, “Circumference of a Squirrel” is a well-stylized, and at times abstract look at the ways in which we love. It asks of its audience, whether unfounded racism is forgivable even in the ones we are supposed to love.
Through February 12 at The Greenhouse Theater Center. 2257 N Lincoln Ave.
Review: Her America at The Greenhouse Theater Center
Brett Neveu is a playwright to watch. To call him up-and-coming would be unfair as his work has appeared at The Goodman, Writers Theatre and Red Orchid Threatre. His new play "Her America" is being presented by The Greenhouse Theater Center as part of their Solo Celebration Series.
Directed by Linda Gillum, "Her America" is single character play starring Kate Buddeke. She gives a riveting performance as a not-all-there Midwestern housewife locked in a basement. Buddeke embodies the character effortlessly. Her delivery is familiar and in many lines, hauntingly real.
In the hour we spend with this unnamed character, she uses objects in her basement to freely associate memories and stories from her childhood. To whom she is speaking remains a mystery throughout. Neveu's script is highly detailed which serves to dimensionalize Buddeke's character. Through random memories, she explains the various influences in her life and how she became the person she is.
"Her America" files down to a crushing revelation, but along the way uncovers something darker. It says a lot about what life is like in America for those with few options. It's rare when the theater gives a truly empathetic portrayal of rural life. "Her America" was written in a bitterly devisive time and its message is to say that we should be more understanding with each other.
Through February 12 at The Greenhouse Theater Center. 2257 N Lincoln Ave.
Rocky in Concert Delivers a Knockout Night Despite Technical Stumbles
17 May 2026 in Theatre in ReviewMarking Rocky’s 50th anniversary, Rocky in Concert arrived at the Auditorium Theatre in a highly anticipated Auditorium Philms presentation featuring…
C'est Drôle: Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan brings classic humor to Wrigleyville theatre
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A New Home, A Necessary Warning: Timeline’s Enemy Lands Hard
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Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces 40th Anniversary Season
15 May 2026 in Theatre BuzzChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes announce today the company's 40th Anniversary Season. America's leading Shakespeare Theater curates…
Chicago Dance Crash presents expo/sd — a genre-bending, world-premiere repertory performance!
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Steppenwolf Presents LAURA BENANTI: NOBODY CARES - August 6 – 9, 2026
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BrightSide Theatre announces 2026-27 season - THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE SECRET GARDEN: IN CONCERT, KEN LUDWIG'S BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY, and AVENUE Q
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Chicago City Opera presents Strauss Masterpiece Der Rosenkavalier
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The Magic Parlour Extends Through December 31! Plus Special Guest Eric Jones Joins This Summer
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OAK PARK FESTIVAL THEATRE ANNOUNCES 51ST SEASON "HAMLET" AND "THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST"
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METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE ANNOUNCES ITS UPCOMING 2026-27 SEASON INCLUDING RIDE THE CYCLONE, THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER, DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, THE MATCH GAME AND RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S OKLAHOMA!
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Everybody Got a Secret: York Walker’s Covenant Haunts The Goodman
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The Real Crime Would Be To Miss This: Crime and Punishment at TUTA Theatre
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American Blues Theater announces its 2026-2027 Season
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Open Space Arts to present SMILEY, an international hit from Spain, June 5-21
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Raven Theatre Delivers a Revelatory, Unmissable Octet
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Satire With a Sword: City Lit’s Spirited New Musical 'Scaramouche'
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Fallin’ to Pieces over “Always…Patsy Cline” at American Blues Theater
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Paramount's Lush and Spectacular South Pacific Brings Island Love to Life!
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A Night of Honesty and Humor: Isabel Klee Talks Dogs, Boys, and Growing Up
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Chicago Danztheatre's Architecture of Memory Turns Personal Reflection Into Collective Catharsis
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32C This Weekend: Three Wildly Different Shows, All Worth the Trip
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Citadel Theatre announces a mix of classics and 21st Century works for its 2026–27 mainstage season
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Promethean Theatre Ensemble to stage modern dress adaptation of Anouilh's ANTIGONE at The Den, May 31 – June 28
06 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatrePromethean Theatre Ensemble has announced it will perform the Lewis Galantiere adaptation of Jean Anouilh's ANTIGONE, from May 31 through…
CHICAGO TAP THEATRE PRESENTS SATURN RETURNS, JUNE 11 - 14 AT THE EDGE THEATER
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Chicago's Favorite Kids Show Returns This Summer The Second City's No Grown-Ups Allowed Starts June 6
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Asgard Amplified: Loki’s Rock Revolution at Lifeline
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E. Faye Butler directs stellar Chicago cast in comedy Nunsense this summer at Drury Lane
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01 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the cast and creative team for Brokeback Mountain, the North American premiere production of Ashley Robinson's adaptation of the…
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Rocky in Concert Delivers a Knockout Night Despite Technical Stumbles
Written by Ken PayneMarking Rocky’s 50th anniversary, Rocky in Concert arrived at the Auditorium Theatre in a highly anticipated Auditorium Philms presentation featuring the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra performing Bill Conti’s score live. The setup is simple but effective: the film plays above the… -
A New Home, A Necessary Warning: Timeline’s Enemy Lands Hard
Written by John AccroccoTimeline Theatre unveils their chic, new Uptown home with its inaugural production–Henrik Ibsen’s ever-relevant “An Enemy of the People”. A streamlined text by acclaimed playwright Amy Herzog cuts right to the bone in this fast-paced version straight from Broadway. It… -
C'est Drôle: Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan brings classic humor to Wrigleyville theatre
Written by Kendall RoyzenWhile many of my classmates were signing up for Spanish classes, I thought it would be terribly useful to sign up for French. French? In Southern California? What good would that possibly do? A degree and several trips to French-speaking… -
Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces 40th Anniversary Season
Written by Buzz Center StageChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes announce today the company's 40th Anniversary Season. America's leading Shakespeare Theater curates a season rooted in Shakespeare and Chicago with a complement of world-class contemporary work—emblematic of the Theater's global, yet unmistakably…
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