For the Record: A Review of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Writers Theatre
One of the premier directors of August Wilson’s work, Ron OJ Parson guides this ensemble of large personalities through the narrow gate of the sublime.
Bodies Politicking: A Review of Mike Pence Sex Dream at First Floor Theater
This world premiere from Dan Giles brings home the bacon of laughs but leaves audiences hungry for the meat of its subject matter.
Welt Upon the Soul: A Review of Requiem for a Heavyweight at The Artistic Home
By going with the padded Broadway version, rather than the tighter TV or movie screenplay, this production of Rod Serling’s noirish melodrama delivers something less than a knockout.
Anguish on Display: A Review of An Inspector Calls at Chicago Shakespeare Theater & The National Theatre of Great Britain
This pristine British import is both an aesthetic curiosity and a clue to an expanded theatrical language beyond kitchen sink realism.
Trial Period: A Review of Fulfillment Center at A Red Orchid Theatre
The soul crushing force of late capitalism surrounds this instructive new play from Abe Koogler.
You Can’t Beat the Clock: A Preview of Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble’s “Getting Old Sucks” at Ebenezer Lutheran Church
A whole-hearted look at the ups and downs of growing older through a series of interwoven stories about this inevitable reality that connects us all.
Diamond in the Rough: A Review of La Traviata at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Nothing that sparkles can last in Verdi’s tragedy of goodness against the world.
Rings False: A Review of Dead Man’s Cell Phone at The Comrades
The Comrades step into the dark with this noir-ish thriller from Sarah Ruhl.
Something Swiftly This Way Comes: A Review of Short Shakespeare! Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Directed by Marti Lyons, this precisely abridged tale of ambition and fear embodies the radically modern possibilities of theater.
Stuck in First Gear: A Review of How I Learned To Drive at Raven Theatre
With artistic director Cody Estle behind the wheel, this production alternates between slamming the gas and mashing the breaks.
