Latest from Chicago Critic

The History Boys #2

Timeline Theatre Company’s Chicago premiere of Tony Award-winning The History Boys is an absolutely smashing production. It is an irreverent and amusing show that will touch your heart and make you think about what it means to become an educated person. In case you saw the movie,

Hollywood 360 4-25-2009

Tom Williams discusses the following stage plays: The Prime of Miss Jean Brody, The Overwhelming, Sunday in the Park With George, with host Carl Amari on the Radio Program Hollywood 360 on WIND 560 AM. April 25, 2009.

The History Boys

The History Boys covers the life of eight English boys prepping for their entrance exams designed to get them into Oxford or Cambridge. But playwright Alan Bennett has a much larger agenda than merely a coming of age story or a debate about the purpose and style of education. He tackles issues such as sexual identity, teen angst and the role of teachers as mentors to their students.

Of Mice and Men

Steppenwolf’s young adult matinee series is an absolute treasure in terms of exposing young people to quality theatre. The shows in the series are selected by Steppenwolf’s Young Adults Council, a group of high school students who want to learn the inner workings of the theatre

Of Mice and Men

Steppenwolf Theatre’s series for Young Adults mounts terrific theatre—period! Under the tight, flowing direction of Michael Patrick Thornton, Of Mice and Men left the high school students in the audience in tears. They strongly emphasize with both George and Lenny. Of Mice and Men is a compelling and unsentimental tale of friendship and loneliness.

Alice of The House of Carroll

Most of us know the wonderful story of “Alice in Wonderland” and know that it is filled with moral values for our youngsters- National Pastime Theater in association with Clock Productions is presenting a whole new twist on the story and I must emphasize this version is NOT for children ( of any age

Sunday in the Park with George

Big Noise Theatre Company has reached into the stratosphere with their stunningly beautiful production of Stephen Sondheim’s 1985 Sunday in the Park with George. Utilizing an amazing amount of video animation depicting the painter at work, George explodes as an ode to the creative process and the pains associated with the creation of art

after/math

The latest selection of short works from Side Project’s Cut to the Quick series, this one collectively titled after/math, is not for everyone. It is a collection of six works mostly under thirty minutes that are loosely held together by some common threads: they are all original

The Revenants

The Revenants focuses on two married couples barricaded in a basement during a violent uprising of the undead. We never learn too many details except that a zombie bite makes a human into a zombie

Hollywood 360 4-18-09

Tom Williams discusses the following stage plays: Pumpgirl, Ghostwritten, and A Chorus Line with host Carl Amari on April 18, 2009