ChicagoCritic.com has always been the work of more than one voice. Since Tom Williams founded the site in 2001, dozens of critics have reviewed Chicago-area theatre, opera, music and art for our archive. Each name below links to that critic’s author page and their reviews.
Tom Williams, Founder
Tom Williams founded ChicagoCritic.com in 2001 and spent decades reviewing theatre and live performance across Chicago and its suburbs, from Broadway tours and major institutions to storefront theatre, opera, cabaret and classical music. In 2010, the Society of Midland Authors honored him with the James Friend Memorial Award for Literary and Dramatic Criticism. Concord Theatricals quotes his reviews on its licensing pages for shows including Crazy for You and City of Angels.
Our Critics
Jacob Davis
Jacob Davis came to Chicago fresh out of college and reviewed for ChicagoCritic.com from 2014 to 2016, writing 351 reviews in two years by his own count, mostly theatre along with opera and other live performance. He went on to review for Around the Town Chicago.
Will Fink
Will Fink reviewed theatre, opera and music for ChicagoCritic.com in 2011. Founder Tom Williams called him “a keen observer of the performing arts and an astute music critic.”
August Lysy
August Lysy reviewed 72 Chicago productions for ChicagoCritic.com, 2015–2017.
Beverly Friend
Beverly Friend, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita of English at Oakton College and the author of Science Fiction: The Classroom in Orbit (1974) and the memoir No Girls in the Marching Band (2007). She reviewed Chicago theatre for ChicagoCritic.com from 2009 to 2017.
Anthony J. Mangini
Anthony J. Mangini reviewed 66 Chicago productions for ChicagoCritic.com in 2013.
Clint May
Clint May reviewed 41 Chicago productions for ChicagoCritic.com, 2012–2014.
Margaret Eva
Margaret Eva reviewed 29 Chicago-area productions for ChicagoCritic.com, 2012–2015, including shows at First Folio Theatre, Drury Lane and the Paramount Theatre.
Jake Lindquist
Jake Lindquist reviewed 27 Chicago productions for ChicagoCritic.com in 2010. That year his play Man Vs. Carp won Stage Left Theatre’s DrekFest, a contest for the worst ten-minute play.
Samuel Wigutow
Samuel Wigutow reviewed 23 classical music and opera performances for ChicagoCritic.com, 2012–2014, including Lyric Opera of Chicago productions and Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts.
Sally Jo Osborne
Sally Jo Osborne reviewed Chicago-area theatre for ChicagoCritic.com from 2016 to 2017. She has also written theatre reviews for Stage and Cinema.
Also reviewed for ChicagoCritic.com: Randy Hardwick, John B. Reinhardt, Timothy McGuire, Chris Arnold, Joe Stead, Evan Kuchar, Gabriel Kalcheim, Michael Gerrity, Matthew Wrobel, Al Bresloff, Samuel Ezra Fisch, John Stuckert, Matt Koske, Luke Heiden, Kevin Armistead, Ciar O’Mahony and Saul Reichlin.
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