In an interview in the program, playwright Eugene Lee says that East Texas Hot Links is like a combination of an August Wilson play and the Twilight Zone. But fantasy was a common feature of Wilson’s plays. The new production of Lee’s 1991 play at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, which…
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In tradition of the Halloween season, First Folio Theatre keeps with its ongoing classic horror theme, this time presenting the world premiere of “Dr. Seward’s Dracula” in line with past productions “Frankenstein” and “The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe”. Finely adapted by Joseph Zettelmaier and cleverly directed by Jeff Award…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 18 October 2016 22:12
The Devil Makes All of Us Do It in Hilarious Hand to God
Written by Bill Esler
Watching teens in a Cypress, Texas, Bible class plan a sock puppet revue, we have a setting ripe with dramatic possibilities. In Hand to God, playing now at Victory Gardens Theater, one of those puppet claims a mind of his own, hurling sacrilegious epithets and encouraging mayhem with his devil-may-care…
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"Atlantic City is like a real life, 3D Bruce Springsteen song, and not one of the good ones. Something off Nebraska," controversial monologist Mike Daisey waxes in his new show "The Trump Card." Daisey, a master storyteller, made a splash in 2010 when his Apple expose "The Agony and the…
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Theatre in Review
Thursday, 13 October 2016 13:26
New Colony's "Merge" A Funny, In Depth Look at Atari History
Written by Michaelle Bradford
True gamers, especially nostalgic ones, will appreciate The New Colony’s world premiere of Merge. Closing out its 2016 season, this 90-minute, fast-paced, and often funny, performance at the Den Theatre’s Upstairs Main Stage spotlights the roller-coaster history of Atari, a pioneer manufacturer of video arcade games. Written by Spenser Davis…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 10 October 2016 13:32
The Burials Refuses to Let Our Consciences Lie Unattended
Written by Jacob Davis
If you were to take a survey of teenagers and young adults to determine which social issue they’re most interested in seeing addressed onstage, mass shootings would be near the top of the list. Though the kind of incident in which an ideologically fanatical and/or severely mentally ill individual massacres…
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Theatre in Review
What more can be said about the phenomenon that is Hamilton: An American Musical? The ever-growing hype, not to mention the genius content, speak for themselves. It was nothing less than an absolute thrill to finally sit down to see this musical after nearly a year of obsessing over the…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 03 October 2016 14:49
Skooby Don't is going to be another Hell in a Handbag Halloween Hit!
Written by Kimberly Katz
Are you old enough to remember Saturday morning cartoons? I mean when there was no other place or time on TV to watch three hours of children's cartoon TV shows? Well, if you are, like me, you'll remember the "Scooby Doo" show whose lead character was a talking dog who…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 02 October 2016 15:44
It's Back and Hilarious As Ever - "Tony and Tina's Wedding"
Written by Ken Payne
It's been nearly eight years since that loud, boisterous Italian nuptial celebration has left Chicago, but now "Tony N' Tina's Wedding" is back. Reworked from its 1993 through 2009 run at Piper's Alley, the wedding actually takes place at a church. The Resurrection Church, located near Belmont and Sheffield, is…
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Theatre in Review
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The tumultuous personal life of the six-time married Henry VIII has been an inspiration for dramatists for centuries, and provided immortal fame to several of his ill-fated wives. However, as the wife who had the political astuteness to survive him and the luck to marry him after he had already…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 02 October 2016 15:36
Visiting Edna a masterful production at Steppenwolf, though a tad long
Written by Bill Esler
David Rabe’s Visiting Edna is everything you expect from Steppenwolf Theatre: a work of depth and significance, actors rendering studied characters, and production values of the highest order. Rabe’s writing also displays another Steppenwolf hallmark: plays that mine the power and drama in the ordinary language of daily life. Edna…
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Theatre in Review
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Wednesday, 28 September 2016 15:54
It’s Partridge Vs. Brady in "The Bardy Bunch"
Written by Ken Payne
Who's doesn’t remember The Brady Bunch? Mike Brady who has three sons, marries Carol, who has three daughters, they bring in a live in housekeeper, Alice, and they quickly become one of America’s most beloved families of the 1970’s. We basically watch the kids grow up, getting into all kinds…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 25 September 2016 12:40
Barbarians at the Georgetown Gate - The City of Conversation at Northlight Theatre
Written by Michaelle Bradford
In the current political climate, where the political left and right are more divided than ever in their world view, Northlight Theatre’s The City of Conversation provides a glimpse at an elite class of Washington, DC, power players and how they charted the course of this country from behind the…
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Theatre in Review
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The Title Says it All in Conspirators Remarkable ‘Chicago Cop Macbeth’
Written by Bill EslerIt was a dark and stormy night as I motored to The Conspirators “Chicago Cop Macbeth,” with a fog of dust giving the streets an eerie feel. As the lights came up at the Otherworld Theater, the storm continued, the… -
Hiplet Ballerinas: A Daring Dance Revolution at Auditorium Theatre
Written by Kimberly KatzAn electrifying evening of artistic fusion unfolded at the Auditorium Theatre as Hiplet Ballerinas, the professional company of the Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center, dazzled audiences once again with their breathtaking production, Dipped in Versatility. Created by Homer Hans Bryant, Hiplet… -
HAMILTON returns to Chicago in 2026
Written by Buzz Center StageBroadway In Chicago announced today that HAMILTON will return to Chicago for a multi-week engagement beginning March 4, 2026 through April 26, 2026, at the CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe). Group tickets for 10+ are available now by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling 312-977-1710. Current… -
Blank Theatre’s SWEET CHARITY Charms with Talented Cast and Standout Choreography
Written by Lauren KatzWe are inside the Pompeii Club. From everything Charity has told us, the club is the place to be, and as the scene unfolds, it’s certainly no surprise. Costume Designer Cindy Moon does not hold back. The ensemble is dressed…
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