As my first experience with this Kenneth Lonergan 1996 contemporary classic, seeing it in a small black box, directed by and starring twentysomethings, was a visceral thrill. Under Andrew Sh…
Tin Drum Theatre Company's inaugural production is well-suited for its motto, "where dramatic disturbances are the norm." Founding member Steve Needham's original one-act, directed by cofoun…
Young People's Theatre of Chicago brings this musical adaptation of the children's book classic Last Stop on Market Street back to Chicago in a vibrant production that packs soul, substance,…
My first visit to Trap Door Theatre did not disappoint, from the hidden alley entrance to the immediate sense of time travel and disorientation upon entry. For the last show of its 30th anni…
I can't remember the last time I left a theater a little teary and a lot inspired, with a carpe diem spring in my step. Remy Bumppo's production of John Kolvenbach's one-act rom-com, helmed …
Ma'at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theatre's (MPAACT) latest production, a revival of Carla Stillwell's 2012 adaptation of Orron Kenyatta's poetry (also directed by Stillwell),…
The Mercury Theater production of this five-time Tony-nominated musical re-creates the 80s with such abandon that the audience's fervor was palpable (and loud) on the night I attended. Tommy…
This world premiere from the Plagiarists, written by Chicago-based playwright Alexander Utz and directed by Jonathan Shaboo, has a unique premise and immersive staging (watch out for sand) b…
Eclectic Full Contact Theatre's first full-length production in Chicago since 2019, a world premiere penned by Maggie Lou Rader, is haunting, literally. Based on the first reported instance …
It feels early to stage a play set during, and concerning the effects of, the early days of COVID-19 on its characters. We can still feel those days intimately, given the short passing of ti…
Promethean Theatre's world premiere of local playwright Trina Kakacek's two-act dramedy, directed by Anna C. Bahow, is a unique and meaty thought experiment that would benefit from some clea…
Alexis J. Roston's sixth go-round playing jazz legend Billie Holiday in the last year of her life is beautifully layered, heartbreaking, and still affirming of the great vocalist's accomplis…
For the uninitiated like I was, just entering the Chicago Magic Lounge on a chilly Wednesday evening was a thrill. Via a secret door, the faux-laundromat entry gives way to a luxe theater bo…
After thoroughly enjoying the shameless perversity of Kokandy Productions's Cruel Intentions, under Adrian Abel Azevedo's direction, I found Azevedo's Rent at Porchlight to bring a stark, of…
The game Clue taught me what "confidential" means, that a conservatory is just a fancy greenhouse, and that Miss Scarlett is always the right choice. Any armchair detective that could […] …
In partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago's Disability Cultural Center, Babes With Blades's interpretation of one of Shakespeare's darkest plays is exciting and subversive. From…
More than 30 years into his second act as a mind reader and psychic performer, Ross Johnson, a former schoolteacher, is still eliciting gasps. The second performer at Rogers Park's new Rhaps…
On its ten-year anniversary and return from a COVID-19 hiatus, Midsommer Flight is restaging A Midsummer Night's Dream,the play that started it all in 2012. On the night I attended, the crow…
We all remember where we were when we saw Cruel Intentions. Its iconic soundtrack (anyone else melt to Counting Crows' "Colorblind"?) and "shameless perversity" (thank you, Buzzfeed, for thi…
The tragedy of a single elephant's death has universal implications in Griffin's production. This Lynn Nottage drama is pure kinetic energy, exploring the illici…
Two standout performances anchor Raven's production of the Ibsen classic. In the Chicago premiere of this Henrik Ibsen adaptation, Raven Theatre and director Lau…
Orlagh Cassidy centers this one-woman show, but the script needs more depth. Nancy Pelosi is having her moment. From her literal clapback at President Trump to h…
Kids and families are in charge at this Portage Park theater It could have been Lord of the Flies. Filament Theatre was giving over complete control of its space…
Lifeline Theatre KidSeries brings children and animals together for a family-friendly yarn. Based on Annie Silvestro's children's book of the same title, this Li…
Hell in a Handbag's Midler revue is middling. Iconic singer Bette Midler cut her teeth at New York City's Continental Baths, earning the nickname "Bathhouse Bett…