Millicent Hurley Spencer and Mike Boone in Raven Theatre’s “The Trip to Bountiful” One of the things I’ll never understand about society is how we treat those who are in advanced phases of life. The senior citizens. The elderly. The infirm. Especially considering, if we’re lucky enough, we’ll all be in that same boat. Instead,… Read More A solid, sobering ‘Trip to Bountiful’ at Raven
Greg Caldwell, Jason Huysman and Chuck Spencer in Raven Theatre’s “The Big Knife.” Photo credit: Dean LaPrairie Billy Wilder took perhaps the first high-profile stab at the dark side of Hollywood’s star system with the classic film, “Sunset Boulevard.” In it, former silent film star Norma Desmond, who was unceremoniously dumped by Paramount Studios when… Read More Raven Theatre’s ‘The Big Knife’ cuts keep into the dark dealings of 1950s Hollywood
The cast of Rivendell’s “WRENS.” Photo by Michael Brosilow The bond that forms from close quarters is a unique and powerful phenomenon. People with whom you might otherwise never engage become close compatriots simply by virtue of proximity. College roommates, summer camp cabin mates, office cube mates, neighbors — this is where life-long friends are… Read More Rivendell provides a powerful remount of ‘WRENS’
Bang the Drum Slowly is one of those rare plays that will appeal to a wide range. (Ahem: pardon me while I make sweeping and offensive generalizations.) Men will appreciate the references to baseball, teamwork and perseverance while women (and gays) will respond to the themes of friendship, loyalty and men in towels. It also… Read More Raven Theatre’s ‘Bang the Drum Slowly’
Photo credit: Dean Leprairie Is it a comedy? A love story? A ghost story? A tragedy? A murder mystery? In the first scene of Dating Walter Dante, playwright Jon Steinhagen actually addresses these questions head on, with the cast asking them out loud. As the focal point of Raven Theatre’s world premiere play, Laura (the likable Kristin Collins,… Read More ‘Dating Walter Dante’ is a play with a major identity crisis
Sophia Menendian, Antoine Pierre Whitfield and Jon Steinhagen in Raven Theatre’s “Bus Stop” I admire Raven Theatre for many reasons. The staff and actors all seem to love what they do. And the highly diverse audiences seems to love watching the result. It’s a supportive and inviting atmosphere, and the last few shows I’ve seen… Read More Raven hits a road bump with lackluster ‘Bus Stop’
Meow! Maggie is in heat, and there’s no stopping her. Pity that her husband, Brick, is giving her the cold shoulder and seems more in love with reaching the bottom of a liquor bottle than bedding his randy wife. Also doesn’t help that he’s a deeply closeted ‘mo — a fact that’s slowly eating away… Read More Raven Theatre’s ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ steams it up
Chicago Theatre Addict 