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.
Read MoreIf 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
Read MoreWith 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!”
Read MoreRaven 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreMusing, 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.
Read MoreRough Crossing focuses on two European playwrights who have nothing to do before their ship docks in New York except create and rehearse a new ending for their latest musical before the composer finds out the leading actress is cheating on him. What could be simpler!
Read MoreEric Bogosian’s award-winning 1987 play seems somehow less relevant today than it did 20 years ago. The play takes place in a Cleveland radio studio of that time over the course of an evening as radio talk host Barry Champlain serves up his nightly dish of hang-ups, insults and drivel. In fairness, it’s the callers who serve up the drivel; and that is the point of the play: that society has become so voyeuristic that the banal details of people’s dreary lives have become their entertainment. Bogosian was dead-on when he nailed the genre back in ‘87, but that was before Rush Limbaugh was a household name and back when the Larry King Virus was still somewhat contained.
Read MoreThe line between a sermon, a polemic and a one-person show has become muddled. McLean does put a human face on the New Testament but it isn’t enough to render the work more than a well performed sermon or recital.
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