Saturday, 30 October 2021 17:27
Hurt People, Hurt People: Invictus Theatre's Hamlet is Stunning
Written by Wesley David
Before entering Invictus Theatre's storefront on Thorndale Avenue, you are asked for your vaccination card. But they may just as well have asked for your passport. Once you pass through the curtains on your way to your seat, you know quickly “something is rotten in the state of Denmark." There’s…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Saturday, 30 October 2021 22:12
The Rocks Are Star Performers in Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice
Written by Bill Esler
The Artistic Home chose a sure-fire winner for its return to in-person productions, with a creative staging and knock-out cast in Eurydice by celebrated playwright Sarah Ruhl. The "press night" show October 28 at the Den Theatre found a well-oiled machine delivering flawless performances. The joy of sitting in a sold-out…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Sunday, 12 September 2021 21:25
An Electrifying Surprise: Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play
Written by Bill Esler
Theater Wit has mounted an unexpectedly spellbinding show for its return to live productions: Anne Washburn’s “Mr. Burns, a post-electric play.” What an amazing fever-dream has flowed from Washburn’s imaginative pen, brought to life at Theater Wit. Originally mounted in 2015, it is clear why this was one of the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Friday, 23 July 2021 11:51
The Tempest Taps Magical Realism of Marvel and DC Comics
Written by Bill Esler
Live, in-person theater performances have returned! And on Saturday, July 17, the Oak Park Festival Theater players took to the stage at their Austin Gardens home, mounting an inventive and engaging production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest - the Equity company’s first post-pandemic production, and among the first live professional…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 18 March 2021 15:02
Are You Happy: Duchess! Duchess! Duchess! at Steppenwolf NOW evokes Sci-Fi Themes
Written by Kendall Royzen
The royal family is all over media channels these days. From endless documentaries and exposes of the late Princess Diana, to Netflix’s The Crown, to the recent scandalous Meghan Markle interview. Like them or not, the royal family continues to inspire intrigue and satire. Playwright Vivian J.O. Barnes became inspired…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Some of us may remember the old turntable on a cart your teacher would use to present an aged recording of a Shakespeare play so they could get some grading done. Theatre in the Dark’s unique approach to live, digital theatre is the complete opposite of that. It’s exactly what…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 16 February 2021 22:48
Hell in A Handbag's Tyler Anthony Smith Breaks New Creative Ground with "Out Darn Spot!"
Written by Kimberly Katz
I was really impressed by the new Shakespearean send-up Out, Darn Spot! starring Tyler Anthony Smith as Lady Marcia Macbeth. Smith is a very talented actor and writer to have pulled off what is essentially a one-man show that never fails to elicit all kinds of emotions, from the deepest, darkest…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Tuesday, 08 December 2020 17:26
‘The Rip Nelson Holiday Quarantine Special’ succeeds in making the "weirdness" of Christmas 2020 a whole lot “funnier"!
Written by Kimberly Katz
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 07 December 2020 13:59
'Hershel and the Hannukah Goblins' Reaches Out to Virtual Audience
Kerstin Broockmann
This is the third year that Strawdog Theatre Company is presenting its adaptation of Eric Kimmel’s children’s book Hershel and the Hannukah Goblins, but this is 2020 and a pandemic has forced the performance to go online. The outlines are still there: a traveling troupe of vaudevillian players fallen on…
Published in
Theatre in Review
More...
Every December the Chicago theater community goes into full holiday mode, producing a wide array of favorites for reliably sold out houses. COVID obviously has altered many traditions, and theatrical performances have been forced to digitize operations or simply skip this year. Manuel cinema hadn’t planned on doing a holiday…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Thursday, 19 November 2020 21:54
Let it Burn; Steppenwolf NOW's debut show What is Left, Burns shines in the darkness
Written by Kendall Royzen
It’s no secret that Chicago is in for some dark months ahead. But in every darkness there are flickers of light to be found. Throughout history, the Arts are those flickers of light, providing entertainment, levity, and much needed escapism from everyday struggles and strife. In today’s virus-that-shall-not-be-named world, movies,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 09 March 2020 12:53
Review: Judy & Liza - Once in a Lifetime: The London Palladium Concert — A Tribute' at Greenhouse Theater Center
Written by John Accrocco
With Renee Zellweger just having won the Academy Award for her portrayal of Judy Garland, focus on Garland’s legacy has been renewed. Local actresses Nancy Hays and Alexa Castelvecchi, along with music director Robert Ollis, reconstruct an iconic moment in pop culture history. A young Liza Minnelli performed just one…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 09 March 2020 03:06
Promethan Delivers the Goods in Excellent Mrs. Warren's Profession
Written by Bill Esler
How is it possible that a 19th Century play by George Bernard Shaw could be so on trend for today? Promethean Theatre Ensemble’s production of Mrs. Warren’s Profession is just that, examining the limitations women faced in careers - steeply limited in those days - and hurdles they faced in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
'Blue' Holds Mirror to Race in America
Written by Betsy SchmittWhen Francesca Zambello, director of The Glimmerglass Festival, commissioned an opera about race in America, the country was reeling from a spate of police shootings of young African-American men in Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. By the time the… -
Review: 'Falsettos' at Court Theatre
Written by John AccroccoEven 40 years later, the AIDS crisis continues to shape American life. Long before Hollywood brought AIDS stories to the cultural mainstream, the theatre was a safe place for actors and writers to explore their fears and sense of injustice… -
Delightful Send-up of 1930s Musicals, 'Dames at Sea' Nearly Sunk by Bad Sound
Written by Bill EslerOverall Citadel Theatre’s ‘Dames at Sea’ has a smashingly great cast of singers and dancers, perfect for a musical comedy satirizing the over-the-top 1930s movies and Broadway revues that were light on plot and heavy on costumes, dance routine, and… -
Disney's The Little Mermaid at Drury Lane: An Inspiring and Delightful Production Celebrating Girls' Unique Voices
Written by Kimberly KatzI thoroughly enjoyed Drury Lane's enchanting stage production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid from start to finish. While few are overly familiar with Hans Christian Andersen’s original, darker tale of ill-fated romance, the Disney animated film and this stage adaptation,…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.