It is quite difficult to mount a play that depicts a major 3 day battle but adapter Karen Tarjan and director Matt Miller have created a stylish theatrical piece that captures the essence of the horror of the battle while giving us enough of the motivations and strategies to give the piece coherence.
Filled with humor, raw humanity The Mountaintop unfolds as two-hander that becomes a powerful meditation on morality, destiny and fate. We see through clever scenes Camae calling God (who here is a she) on a cellphone to report that Dr. King is vehemently resisting leaving earth. King eventually talks then argues with God who ends up hanging up on King.
“In the Heights” creates an atmosphere…a colorful dynamic world with mixed but primarily the Latino culture, filled with life, death, dreams and wakeups. On opening night the lobby of the theater buzzed with excitement, and this exuberance carried through the whole performance. You travel to a passionate street of struggle, various lifestyles, disappointments and triumphs…a colorful world that you may not know very well, but will understand better by the end of the show.
The seven reunited with Stuart Carden at Writers Theatre after a successful 2012 run of The Old Man and the Old Moon in New York. They have revised the work for the Midwest premiere at Writers Theatre. The result is a magnificent wholly imaginative work. Pigpen Theatre Co. reminds me of the work of Redmoon Theater, Blair Thomas & Company and House Theatre but Pigpen is more sophisticated musically.
When Arizona Attorney General Spencer (Jan Radcliff) takes Edward under her wing, he realizes that he could move up in Arizona politics as, perhaps, the next Attorney General of Arizona. As the first Latino to hold such an office, he could help Latino’s get the justice they deserve. But when a female cop gets shot by a Latino under questionable circumstances, Edward yields to the “law-and-order'” sentiment and seeks the death penalty.
Following their terrific Part I (https://chicagocritic.com/the-iron-stage-king-part-one/), Nathan Allen and Chris Mathews continue their saga of the boy king Casper Kent (Brandon Ruiter) and his kingdom that is inspired by the legend of King Arthur with hints of Lord of the Rings. Those who enjoyed Part I will welcome Casper, Hap The Golden (Cliff Chamberlain), and the various ladies as they attempt to keep the land ruled by the people oriented boy king. With his magical hammer in hand, Casper unites the land but he finds out that heis ruler of all but his own story.
You may remember the 1991 film of Other People’s Money staring Danny DeVito? Shattered Globe Theater, under the smart direction by Dennis Zacek, have a lively and often funny production of Jerry Sterner’s Other People’s Money. Featuring Ben Werling as Larry “The Liquidator” Garginkle, Other People’s Money is a sly and cynical look at the vultures of Wall Street at work doing hostile takeovers of dying companies.
Farce is considered an ancient theatrical tradition, and like Shakespeare’s writings, “Leading Ladies” uses mistaken identities, letter mix-ups and abundant double entendres. The exceptionally creative playwright, Ken Ludwig, overlays Shakespearean lines in a farce with some extremely funny lines and a three-ring circus of facial expressions!
Even if the fingers that do the pointing come attached to some overly heavy hands at times, Sideshow’s journey to the depths of Hell and redemption has many an interesting point to make and a great performance at its core.
While some parts of this over written show can be a challenge to keep up with, the over all production provides enough intrigue and sensual stimulation to be a theatrical treat. The costumes are unique, the acting pushes the extremes, and the atmosphere engaging. The surreal world of sexual fetishes and the raw expression of power is vividly exposed for all their trappings. The Balcony, like most Trap Door Theatre productions is an acquired taste like a very dry martini.