49 stories by "Sheri Flanders"
What do we owe our community? Ourselves? Spicy and explosive, the must-see East Texas Hot Links lives up to its name. The latest offering from director Ron OJ Parson at the Court Theatre is …
In an embarrassment of riches, two impeccable renditions of August Wilson's plays share space in the Chicago theater community this spring: How I Learned What I Learned, produced by Congo Sq…
Talented director Mikael Burke has assembled a powerhouse trio to perform a series of 19 riveting and gut-wrenching monologues that attempt to cut the Gordian knot that is the school-to-pris…
Set in an uber-modern high-end restaurant, the three-person play Blackademics, written by Idris Goodwin, sets up a gilded cage match of the wits for two Black frenemies in academia. Newly te…
Expertly written, exquisitely performed, steamy, and hilarious, The October Storm at the Raven Theatre offers a warm slice of south-side Chicago life in the 1960s. Joshua Allen's play, the s…
Airness, now playing at the Citadel Theatre, delivers a rocking good time, laughs, and a rock classic earworm to follow you home. Chelsea Marcantel's play follows the journey of Nina (an ear…
I cannot recommend this play without caveats. At least to Black people. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not a bad play. As a matter of fact, it's a very good play. It's clever, well-writte…
Black Ensemble Theater has cornered the Chicago market on excellent musical tributes to prominent Black musicians, and their latest show Reasons: A Tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire (EWF) is…
When The Revival theater opened its doors in 2015 at the corner of 55th Street and University Avenue, its intent was to pay homage to improv's earliest roots. Paul Sills formed the Compass P…
Exquisitely paced and intellectually explosive, The Island at Court Theatre is a profoundly moving work of art. From the first moment, this production (directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent, Cou…
Plenty for even the most jaded theater snob to appreciate. PETER HARGRAVE is absolutely enthralling as "Scar" able to strike fear into your heart while also evoking laughter.
If you're looking for a play to prepare you for the Thanksgiving season, you might want to check out STEW, staged by Shattered Globe and now playing at Theater Wit. […]
The post Family rec…
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood films through the lens of Blackness, highlighting the beauty, strength, and fierceness of Black people, unlike most stories about the slave trade that wallow i…
For those who grew up with any personal proximity to the Black church or religious homophobia, this movie will hit incredibly close to home.
The post Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. appeared…
Produced by Beti Films, Any Given Day follows the story of three Chicagoans struggling to succeed despite mental health challenges.
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Marvel does a great job of spotlighting facets of American culture that often go underrepresented, and Ms. Marvel's spotlight of Islam is incredibly well done.
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Change is afoot at Black Ensemble Theater as it prepares to embark on a new era, leveraging a $5 million grant to implement founder and CEO Jackie Taylor's longtime vision of a Free To Be co…
In Viola Spolin's seminal work Improvisation for the Theater, the very first exercise listed is named "exposure." During this exercise, a group of actors are divided into halves and instruct…
"Reimagining Utopia" focuses on multidisciplinary artists and visions of a better future.
Recently, several articles appeared about the phenomenon of "Hygiene Th…
Congo Square launches a new online series.
Chicago theater has been forced to improvise. When COVID-19 caused Congo Square's production of Douglas Turner Ward's …
A crowdsourced spreadsheet pulls back the curtain on who makes what at theaters across the country.
This past week, Theatre Communications Group (TCG) announced…
"There is no other way forward": reflecting on those who shaped them and the future they envision
Chicago theater is in the midst of a historic transition, with …
If you want to decolonize theater, start with the script.
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Renisha McBride, Atatiana Je…
Tributes from actors, comedians, and friends of the Chicago comedy legend.
Maya Angelou once said: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people w…
The Goodman's production is lyrical and heartbreaking.
Quentin Tarantino's movie Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood is in part a gauzy wish fulfillment fantasy …
