Ok — let’s get to the point(alism): Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Sunday in the Park with George is nothing short of a triumph. Sunday, which, in act one, is loosely based on the life of 19th century painter Georges Seurat, and in act two, a fictionalized examination of the legacy his work has left behind, fills… Read More Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s stirring ‘Sunday in the Park with George’
Sometimes you wake up to discover that the world has bestowed a rare gift to you. Something that gives you hope for the world at large. In this case, it’s a YouTube documentary series on one of my favorite actors, Patti LuPone. In this series, we follow her through her travels as she, a working… Read More New documentary series offers a rare backstage glimpse of working actor, Patti LuPone
One of the most pee-your-pants funny nights I’ve spent in a theatre occurred last summer in a dusty space at the Chicago Dankhaus. The New Colony’s Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche, which stole the show the prior year as part of Sketchbook X, was the pant-wetting culprit. This year, The New Colony took the play… Read More The little lesbian show that could, or the power of the almighty quiche lives on
Goodman’s Sweet Bird of Youth is a fascinating mess. Forget the talented and stunning Diane Lane — David Cromer’s direction is the star. After all, his bewildering and distracting choices insert themselves front and center. Or spin around in circles, as is the case in the dizzying third act. But I’m getting ahead of myself.… Read More HuffPo Review: An Overstuffed ‘Sweet Bird of Youth’ Features a Strong Performance in Diane Lane
Lusia Strus and Mariann Mayberry in Steppenwolf’s “Good People.” Now firmly in my 30s, its amazing the number of my friends who are living paycheck to paycheck — including, to a degree, me. Getting ahead is tough, sometimes impossible, and with the recent news that college grads are earning significantly less than in 2005, the… Read More Steppenwolf’s excellent ‘Good People’ questions our bootstrap pulling power
The cast of Red Tape’s “The Skriker,” playing through October 20. Forget haunted houses. The most chilling experience in Chicago at this moment is Red Tape Theatre’s unsettling production of Caryl Churchill’s The Skriker. That’s not to say this show, which is smartly staged as a shape-shifting promenade by Eric Hoff, is filled with soil-yer-pants… Read More HuffPo Review: Red Tape’s ‘The Skriker’ Drags You to a Disorientating and Disturbing Underworld
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’
A scene from Profiles Theatre’s “Sweet and Sad.” Photo: Michael Brosilow Growing up, family dinners were a quick moment of dutiful obligation. With two parents who worked in the unpredictable and demanding medical field, we’d try to convene wherever we could to have a meal together, even if it meant joining dad at the hospital… Read More Profiles’ subtle ‘Sweet and Sad’ makes tragedy the main course
Bill Larkin as Edward Kleban in Porchlight Music Theatre’s “A Class Act.” Photo: Jeremy Rill Something about A Class Act, a small musical with a big heart, captured my emotional core. The story of a talented guy who wants nothing else in life but to be publicly recognized for his true passion, but for various… Read More Porchlight’s ‘A Class Act’ Gives a Singular Sensation a Second Chance
At a recent blogger meet-up, I learned two things. One: If I hope to start making any real money blogging, I need to start a fashion blog. Pronto. Two: I guess I should probably gain a sense of fashion at some point. Baby steps. I also learned that people whom I’d consider uniquely tuned into… Read More Two things I learned at a recent blogger meet-up, or yes, Chicago does produce more than plays
Tony Bozzuto and Tosha Fowler share a moment of passion in COR Theatre’s “Skin Tight.” Photo credit: Victoria Deiorio “And then my life flashed before my eyes.” While a cliché, have you actually had this happen to you? I have. On a horribly turbulent plane a few years ago. And it’s funny the things that… Read More A well-acted ‘Skin Tight’ at COR Theatre only scratches the surface
Kelly Yacono and Lisa Herceg in Babes with Blades’ “Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride.” Photo by Steven Townshend. Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride, an energetic murder mystery romp by Babes With Blades ensemble member Reina Hardy, manages to insert some provocative thoughts around gender identity and independent thinking. Ms. Swayne, a level-headed-to-a-fault member… Read More ‘Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride’: A madcap murder mystery with a gender twist
So, I woke up from a restless sleep early this morning, checked my phone and noticed that the 2012 Equity Jeff Awards had been announced. And my first impression was: wow. No Nathan Lane. Yes, the Jeff committee overlooked Lane’s unconventional but widely praised performance as Hickey the hardware salesman in Goodman’s The Iceman Cometh,… Read More 2012 Equity Jeff nominations: A Chicago Theatre Addict’s reactions
Chris Daley and Sarah Mayhan Tran in Redtwist Theatre’s “The Glass Menagerie.” Tennessee Williams’ deeply personal masterpiece, The Glass Menagerie, has, perhaps in some people’s estimation, been done to death. However, lucky for me, I’ve only read the play but never seen it performed — this includes the 1950 MGM movie. And, quite honestly, I… Read More HuffPo Review: Redtwist’s Chilling ‘The Glass Menagerie’ Makes Williams’ Classic Well Worth Revisiting
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