Sunday, 07 February 2016 19:56
Gender-bending Shakespeare actually returns to the Bard's roots
Written by Bill Esler
How much sex and booze can a Shakespeare staging stand? A lot, it turns out, as "Fifty Shades of Shakespeare" showed at its opening Feb. 5. And it proves again that Shakespeare is so good a playwright that his language, and stage dynamics, cannot be denied - even with Juliette…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 06 February 2016 16:00
Mary-Arrchie's American Buffalo A Fitting Sendoff
Written by Ken Payne
After thirty years of bringing Chicagoans some of the city’s finest theatre, Mary-Arrchie will be closing their doors after its current and final production, American Buffalo. In this sharply written piece by David Mamet, Mary-Arrchie co-founder and jack of all trades Richard Cotovsky is joined by Stephen Walker and Rudy…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 31 January 2016 18:16
Straining for Sincerity: Mothers and Sons misses on all fronts
Written by Kendall Royzen
Truth should be at the heart of every good drama piece. Truth, honesty, a bit of realism, something that makes the audience connect with the story, or the characters. Terrence McNally's Mothers and Sons playing at Northlight Theatre in Skokie attempts to reach a truthful depth, but leaves audiences shrugging…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Christian Gray and Jim McCance pair up once again for another Jeeves adventure, this time in Margaret Raether’s latest adaption from the stories of P.G. Wodehouse “Jeeves At Sea”. Gray, who was simply tremendous in his last First Folio appearance in “The Madness of Edgar Allen Poe”, this time plays…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 28 January 2016 23:52
Vices Overcome Virtues, Just Barely, in Neil LaBute's One-act Wonders
Written by Bill Esler
Playwright Neil LaBute earned a bad boy reputation early on, putting the spotlight on the extremely politically incorrect, while challenging audiences - and critics - along the way. In Vices & Virtues, his newest effort running at Profiles Theater, LaBute also stretches the performance format, queuing up twelve one-act 'playlets,'…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 26 January 2016 23:04
A Virtuosic Turn as Louis Armstrong in Satchmo at the Waldorf
Written by Bill Esler
Riveting. Arresting. Barry Shabaka Henley's performance as Louis Armstrong in Court Theatre's one-man-show Satchmo at the Waldorf is surely one of the great stage performances delivered in Chicago - or anywhere, for that matter. Lone actors on stage can be dry - and we were only mildly curious about the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
What drew me to this play is the powerful message around civil rights and the negative impact it had on the children of activist. Sunset Baby is about a women named after Nina Simone whose parents were a part of the Black Panthers. After her mother passes away, her father…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 22 January 2016 12:59
Route 66's No Wake Finely Explores How Some May Deal with Tragedy
Written by Ken Payne
The dialogue flows so smoothly one might forget they are sitting in a play. Veteran Chicago area actor Stef Tovar, who also founded the Route 66 Theatre Company in 2008, leads the charge in this play full of emotional interchanges combined with sharp humor. Route 66’s No Wake, currently running…
Published in
Theatre in Review
In London Wall, Griffin Theater Company has mined a stage gem from the British theatrical vaults, giving John Van Druten's 1931 romantic comedy a serious treatment. This production at The Den Theater also finds a well-written play, still fresh more than 85 years after its premiere - even with three acts…
Published in
Theatre in Review
More...
In London Wall, Griffin Theater Company has mined a stage gem from the British theatrical vaults, giving John Van Druten's 1931 romantic comedy a serious treatment. This production at The Den Theater also finds a well-written play, still fresh more than 85 years after its premiere - even with three…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Marriott Theatre’s current production is chancy business. For a venue that theatre lovers have come to depend on for family entertainment over the years – wholesome G through PG rated shows such as “Mary Poppins”, “The King and I”, “9 to 5” and “Elf”, just to name a few, Executive…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 15 January 2016 13:45
Review: Bruise Easy at American Theater Company
Written by John Accrocco
American Theater Company starts the year with a world premiere by author Dan LeFranc, directed by Joanie Schultz. "Bruise Easy" is a modern day retelling of Electra, set in the seemingly vapid world of southern California. When Tess (Kelly O'Sullivan) returns to her childhood home to find her estranged brother…
Published in
Theatre in Review
The New Colony and Definition Theatre Company’s collaboration “Byhalia, Mississippi” opens up with a young white trash couple from the play’s titled town who are about to have their first child. The dialogue between the family is witty and sharp and you immediately feel like you are in the South.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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