But once the show is trimmed and refocused, Invisible Man will emerge as a masterful stage work. After all the text of the Invisible Man remains an important depiction of the American experience. Teagle F. Bougere tour de force performance gives the Invisible Man demonstrates the human search for identity by an anti-hero everyman
Read MoreThe early scenes that depict the determination and strength of each women are marvelously played out as each establishes their own rules for the relationship. Pearl will only sing unheard slave and work songs if Susannah works to find Pearl’s daughter. The two eventually unite to allow each to become “successful” on each’s terms.
Read MoreI must say that playwright Dennis Kelly over works the speeches that come across as as personal confessionals or sketches or interwoven scenarios that have a thin strand with one couple – David (Peter Moore) and Jess (Julia Siple) – debt-laden misery of a married couple as their spending and lavish lifestyle threaten their peace.
Read MoreNick is a sexually frustrated teen and adventure seeking lad who devises ever more dangerous Internet games to quench his thirst for danger and control over others. Based on a true story of a British teen who ventured down a dark path into the virtual world from a 2005 “Vanity Fair” magazine story, Nick creates a fictional Internet identity first as a harmless prank then as a personal obsession
Read MoreProlific playwright Brett Neveu, a company member of A Red Orchid, presents his sixth world premiere at the intimate Old Town Chicago theatre. Megacosm is an amazingly eerie and totally engrossing cliff-hanger 85 minute one-act comic mystery…Chris (Larry Grimm) is a nerdy shaggy-haired inventor anxious to make a presentation to Britt (Danny McCarthy) the head of a multinational corporation. The atmosphere around the company’s headquarters is ripe with violent protestors.
Read MoreBetter this work is defined in traditional Japanese formats with Asian actors without all the contradictory style elements. I’d get rid of the terrible songs and I’d trim at least 40 minutes off the script. Me and most of the audience members in the production I saw became restless and bored with this redundant and wordy work.
Read MoreThis unorthodox, vibrant satire on sports, business, race, politics and power in the U.S. is narrated by Puerto Rican wrestler Mace, aka Macedonio Guerra (Brandon Morris), who has loved wrestling, and played with his brothers and toy action figures since childhood.
Read MoreMr. Rickey Calls A Meeting is a fine historical fictional drama based on real characters put into a “what if” scenario. The show is humorous, thought provoking and truthful as it attempts to ask underlying questions as to the ramifications of a single ensuing historical event. The performances are strong and winning. The play highlights the multilevel consequences of Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey’s bold move
Read MoreBlizzard ’67 is much more that a snow storm comedy, more that a quirky satire of ’60’s corporate types. It is a honest look at how four men deal with unforeseen chaotic events. Their personalities, warts and all, dictate their actions. Besides being a engaging theatre piece, Blizzard ’67 is a poignant study into the nature of human reactions – guilt and self-preservation dominant. This is Steinhagen’s finest work to date. Don’t miss this quirky gem. It is worth battling a snow storm to see.
Read MoreThe strong, articulate and disciplined performance by Lance Newton is impressive. Christopher Hart’s nice guy and truthful take on friendship is winning. The work of these two covers for the lack of details as to how Julian can actually be transformed into a tree and Peter’s finding a cure if Julian decides to revert back. To Tree is a sly little work that creeps up and stimulates us into reexamining our meaning of life and what the essence of being human is about
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