Travis Turner in “Bootycandy” at Windy City Playhouse/Photo: Michael Brosilow
Monday
“The Nether” at A Red Orchid Theatre. A play about a virtual wonderland that provides total sensory immersion and a beautiful escape that ultimately begs some very serious questions about responsibility, connectivity and love. Through March 12. For tickets and more information visit aredorchidtheatre.org
“The Hobo King” at Congo Square Theatre. Enraged, the homeless community attempts to govern themselves in order to provide a voice for the voiceless. Through March 5. For tickets and more information visit congosquaretheatre.org
Tuesday
“The Assembled Parties” at Raven Theatre. Follow the Bascov family in their sprawling New York City Upper West Side apartment on two Christmas days twenty years apart, in 1980 and 2000. Through March 23. For tickets and more information visit raventheatre.com
Rhinoceros Theater Festival at Curious Theatre Branch. Chicago’s longest-running multi-arts fringe festival returns for its twenty-eighth iteration featuring theater and performance from Chicago and national artists alike. Through February 25. For tickets and more information visit curioustheatrebranch.com/rhino
“Everyone’s a Critic” at The Annoyance Theatre. Dive into the vastly unknown lives of those held in society’s highest regard, the people of Yelp.com. Tuesdays through March 7. For tickets and more information visit theannoyance.com
Wednesday
“The Bodyguard” at Broadway In Chicago. A former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard is hired to protect a superstar from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge. What they don’t expect is to fall in love. Through February 12. For tickets and more information visit broadwayinchicago.com
“I Left My Heart: A Musical Tribute to Tony Bennett” at Mercury Theater Chicago. Take a walk down memory lane in this sexy new musical revue. Through March 5. For tickets and more information visit mercurytheaterchicago.com
Thursday
“Bootycandy” at Windy City Playhouse. A young, precocious boy has to quickly learn what it means to be gay and black and, as he grows up, that no one person will be able to tell him the meaning of love, life, sex or race—he’ll have to define those for himself. Through April 15. For tickets and more information visit windycityplayhouse.com
“No Hay Mal” at Free Street Theater. Raw, straight from the hip and only mildly filtered, Lily Be’s one-woman show is a cheat guide to creating and being for anyone who has ever felt knocked down, rejected or flat-out disposable. Through February 11. For tickets and more information visit freestreet.org
“Hug It Out” at The Annoyance Theatre. Through this series, Huggable Riot will stage three different hour-long sketch revues comprised of material from the nine revues produced by Huggable in the past two years. Wednesdays through February 22. For tickets and more information visit theannoyance.com
Lindsay Stock and Susaan Jamshidi in a promotional photo for Northlight Theatre’s “Faceless”/Photo: Michael Courier
Friday
“Faceless” at Northlight Theatre. Eighteen-year-old Susie Glenn is on trial for conspiring to commit acts of terrorism. Reeling from her mother’s recent death, she may be a scared teen searching for answers… or a threat to national security. Through March 4. For tickets and more information visit northlight.org
“Good People” at Buffalo Theatre Ensemble. Margie Walsh has just been let go from yet another job. Facing eviction and scrambling to keep a roof over her daughter’s head, Margie thinks an old fling who has made it out of the neighborhood might be able to help her with a fresh new start. For tickets and more information visit btechicago.com
“Elemeno Pea” at Citadel Theatre. Worlds collide and sisters square off in this keenly-observed comedy about ambition, regret and the choices that shape who we become. Through March 5. For tickets and more information visit citadeltheatre.org
“Magic City” at Chicago Children’s Theatre. Created by Chicago’s internationally acclaimed shadow puppet theater Manual Cinema, this new show is the inaugural production at CCT’s new home. Through February 19. For tickets and more information visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org
“Fifty Shades of Shakespeare” at (re)discover theatre. An orgy of hilarious, powerful and revealing explorations of gender roles, sexuality, kink and relationships, all told through the bard’s sexiest scenes. Through February 27. For tickets and more information visit rediscovertheatre.com
“Waiting to Inhale” at Under the Gun Theater. Inspired by popular movies and television shows about friendship and love, this new show tells an improvised story of close friendships, romantic hardships and the overwhelming stress of life. Fridays through February 24. For tickets and more information visit underthegun.theater
“CNTRL + ALT-RIGHT + DELETE” at GayCo Productions. A brand new show designed to take down the alt-right movement in a battle of sass, wit and sexual innuendos. Fridays through February 24. For tickets and more information visit gayco.com
Saturday
Gabriel Ruiz, Ayssette Muñoz and Bear Bellingeg in Teatro Vista’s “The Wolf at the End of the Block”/Photo: Joel Maisonet
“The Book of Joseph” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Chronicling three generations of the Hollander family in a sweeping story that spans history from occupied Poland to present-day America. Through March 5. For tickets and more information visit chicagoshakes.com
“The Wolf at the End of the Block” at Teatro Vista. One night, a boarded up bar on the dark side of the block becomes a terrifying crime scene. In the next forty-eight hours, the neighborhood digs deep into escalating mystery, working against time to separate fact from fiction. Through March 5. For tickets and more information visit teatrovista.org
“Death of a Salesman” at Redtwist Theatre. This powerful reflection on the costs of the American Dream comes to Edgewater’s vibrant storefront scene. For tickets and more information visit redtwist.org
Chicago Voices Gala Concert at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Featuring outstanding artists from a variety of musical genres, the concert will showcase unique and eclectic performances, including artist collaborations that blend musical styles such as blues, jazz, folk, hip-hop, gospel and classical. For tickets and more information visit lyricopera.org
“Jackie Chan’s Yun Kung Fu Troupe” at Auditorium Theatre. Effortlessly melds elements of kung fu and traditional Chinese dance to create an entirely new art form. For tickets and more information visit auditoriumtheatre.org
“Tinderella” at Under the Gun Theater. Imagine a fairytale that begins with “Once Upon a Swipe…” Saturdays through February 25. For tickets and more information visit underthegun.theater
“Chasing Blue” at Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s LookOut Series. Intimately autobiographical, tenderly and fiercely told through stories, poetry, music and spectacle, Bea Cordelia’s solo show chronicles her perilous journey toward her transgender identity all the while asking: When everyone else has left, how can we begin to live with ourselves? Through February 5. For tickets and more information visit steppenwolf.org
Sunday
“The Arrow” at The Neo-Futurists. Neo-Futurist ensemble members Kurt Chiang and Lily Mooney, subject written essays to spontaneous interruptions, complications, absurdity and horse(& bird)play. Through February 26. For tickets and more information visit neofuturists.org
