Tom Williams By Aaron Todd Douglas From the novel by Kalisha Buckhanon Directed by Carla Stillwell Produced by MPAACT Theatre At the Greenhouse Theatre, Chicago Unequal criminal justice system vividly displayed Upstate, based on letters written in the 1990’s (who writes letters anymore?), is a fine theatre piece deftly adapted for the stage by Aaron Todd Douglas … Read more
Highland Park Players Theater for Young Audiences By Joe Stead February 7, 2016 Allow me to borrow a familiar phrase: The wonderful thing about theatre is theatre’s a wonderful thing! I have known that ever since the age of seven when my mother began taking me to live theatre. I am living proof that theatre … Read more
By Michael Healey Directed by Scott Weinstein At Redtwist Theatre, Chicago Life-long Friendship Tested Redtwist Theatre once more mounts an excellent production of Michael Healey’s 1999 drama. The Drawer Boy was inspired by a Canadian legend – actors from Toronto travel to rural Ontario to live with and learn about farm life in order to … Read more
By Nell Benjamin Directed by David H. Bell At the Windy City Playhouse, Chicago Screw ball slap stick farce is a laugh-fest Nell Benjamin, co-composer and lyricist for Legally Blonde, wrote The Explorers Club in 2013 as she wanted to create a British farce set in Victorian England. She succeed in creating a true laugh-fest. … Read more
By Horton Foote Directed by Michael Menendian At Raven Theatre, Chicago Not so friendly rich Texas family vies for love and companionship Set in 1965 in the fictional Texas town of Harrison (near Houston), playwright Horton Foote’s dark comic drama, The Old Friends, tells of the combative members of two old-money Texas families who are … Read more
Music by Giuseppe Verdi Libretto by Temistocle Solera An opera in four acts in Italian Conducted by Carlo Rizzi Stage Director Matthew Ozawa At the Lyric Opera of Chicago Beautiful melodies with wonderful chorus singing propels Verdi’s first hit opera. Giuseppe Verdi’s 1842 opera, Nabucco was not only his first hit, it became an example … Read more
It took twenty years to emerge, but the wait was worth it as The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes, now playing at the Mercury Theater in a world premiere, is a theatrical treat! John Reeger’s clever book features Sir Arthur Conan Doyle actually investigating a crime after he “kills off ” Holmes in his latest story
By Tennessee Williams Directed by Dado At A Red Orchid Theatre, Chicago Haunting dream-like glimpse of the underbelly of New Orleans is marvelously presented Williams referred to The Mutilated as “an allegory on the tragicomic subject of human existence on this risky planet.” Presented on an imaginative set (designed by Grant Savin) that featured rows … Read more
By Rajiv Jospeh Directed by Devon de Mayo Produced by Shattered Globe Theatre At Theater Wit, Chicago Interesting, yet ultimately unfulfilling, comic-drama reshaping more than paper figures Playwright Rajiv Joseph, in Animals Out Of paper, tells a story about a unique web of teacher-student relationships. We meet Ilana (Courtney McKenna), a famous reclusive origami artist … Read more
London Wall is a workplace comic-drama that highlights the struggles of 1930’s single women in a misogynistic British society. We get to know these women; we care about them and we commiserate with their condition. I especially liked the performances by Rochelle Therrien as she used he facial expressions and body language to convey her angst. Venessa Greenway was marvelous and Mary Pool was a hoot as the eccentric client.