Adapted and Directed by Paul Edwards At City Lit Theatre, Chicago Screaming and shouting mares the production of Falstaff’s story The usual high production standards at City Lit hit a low point with Paul Edwards’ Father Ruffian: Shakespeare’s Falstaff Story. The decision to allow the cast to shout and scream so often that I was … Read more
By Rebecca Gilman Directed by Andrew Pond Produced by Eclectic Theatre Tigers Unfortunately Still Spinning Eclectic Theatre Company seems to have chosen to make this year’s theme plays about social issues from fifteen years ago that are still just as current. When I last saw them, they were doing Take Me Out, Richard Greenberg’s play … Read more
By Erin Courtney Directed by Tosha Fowler Produced by Cor Theatre At Rivendall Theatre, Chicago Complex and deliberately vague drama is enticing Cor Theatre produces Erin Courtney’s controversial drama, A Map Of Virtue, that is part interview, part comedy, part memory work and part middle-of-the-night horror story and features heavy bird symbolism. Billed as “a … Read more
Could you find a way to present Twelfth Night in a way that is basically true to the story, but comprehensible to kindergarteners? Neither could Lifeline. Robert Kauzlaric’s world premiere adaptation turns its characters into talking animals to make them more fun to children, and labors hard to convince them that love isn’t icky and help keep its eight characters played by four actors straight. But the company’s website recommends the show for ages 5 and up, a demographic also targeted by the poster artwork, and there is just no way to make that work. With older children, perhaps in the 8-11 range, the show might have more success, but that’s not who I saw there, and the plot is simply too complex and outside small children’s areas of interest.
By Steve J. Spencer Directed by Ronan Marra Produced by The Side Project, Chicago Thought provoking dark comedy more of a cautionary tale than humorous Playwright Steve J. Spencer utilizes his sharp, biting, sarcastic, and caustic humor that came off as more cynical than hilarious to weave a cautionary tale (Push Button Murder) about the … Read more
By Ken Prestininzi Directed by Kate Hendrickson Produced by Trap Door Theatre Cookies Uneven, Need to be Thicker One thing the avant-garde should never be is intellectually lazy. Nestled in a tiny theatre at the end of an alley, Trap Door Theatre has enjoyed a long exchange with Eastern European artists and plays. However, their … Read more
28th Annual Young Playwrights Festival Produced by Pegasus Theatre Chicago New Talent On Display I must admit I walked into the Young Playwrights Festival with a little trepidation. The festival, which workshops and produces scripts from local high school students, seemed like the sort of project people would say they support and maybe donate to, … Read more
… no actor would ever say the word Macbeth in a theater – it would bring certain disaster. ….NEVER wish an actor good luck! – tell them to break a leg.
Turn off your pagers and/or cell phones BEFORE the show starts. And NO TEXT MESSAGING during the show. And DO NOT CHECK your VOICE MESSAGES and/or TEXT MESSAGES during the show. Maybe we need to do what some London theatre have started doing—making everyone check-in their cell phones upon entering the theatre.
Explore 25 influential American plays from Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller to Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson, Tony Kushner and other major playwrights.