By Tom Stoppard Directed by Charles Newell At the Goodman Theatre Dissonance and Dissidents Like most Tom Stoppard plays, Rock ‘N’ Roll recounts an engaging story that invites the audience to contemplate complex subject matter. In the case of this, his latest work, the tale is one of love, family, and friendship and the subject … Read more
Frances Limoncelli’s funny and whimsical adaptation of Busman’s Honeymoon contains the marriage of Wimsey and Vance. The early scenes take us into their world that memory reminds me that Lord Wimsey proposed marriage to Harriet Vance many time before she accepted.
This spoof is a pop/rock parody of groups like “New Kids on the Block” and “Backstreet Boys,” Altar Boyz works hard to please audiences and it sure does with charm and panache.
By Chris O’Connell Directed by Ben Fuchsen At Oracle Productions Video design and energetic acting saves Zero Oracle Productions, and up-and-coming theatre troupe, has mounted a US Premiere of British playwright Chris O’Connell’s Zero at their Broadway storefront theatre. Zero is a tale of state sponsored torture in the name of order where we meet … Read more
The Lieutenant of Inishmore—a most gruesome yet hilariously dark comedy about the absurdity of political violence. This amazing production illustrates the power of live theatre to reach into the hearts and souls in a most visceral and earthy manner.
If you are looking for enlightenment or revelation about the governor’s pathetic story, forget it. Nothing about this show is serious. It is non-stop raucous cheap shots that stick strictly to the most publicized fact
With the Lieutenant of Inishmore, however, motivation is either non-existent or outrageous and absurd. Everything springs from the death of a cat. The result is not limited to “an-eye-for-an eye” retribution but goes far beyond this: not merely, “If you kill my cat, I will kill yours,” but “If you kill my cat, I will kill you!”
Raven Theatre’s fine production of Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 Hedda Gabler, in a contemporary adaptation by Jon Robin Baitz, is a star turn for Mackenzie Kyle as the neurotic, spoiled and totally devious Hedda Tesman (formerly Gabler). Hedda Gabler is the story of Ibsen’s ultimate socialite, the daughter of a Norwegian aristocratic General.
The Flu Season, besides having nothing to do with the flu, is a play about the agony of writing a play. It is a deconstructed, non-linear drama that wants to be both a love story and a glimpse into the world of mental illness.
Musing, Amy Whittenberger’s new play about just how far someone will go to get ahead, is not exactly such a gem, but there is enough of a spark to the no-budget show and to the energetic young company that is producing it to make it worth the trip to Rogers Park – at least for those who prize originality and energy.