Theatre with a side of life
Writers Theatre presents INTO THE WOODS. The creative team of Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and James Lapine (book) mash up familiar fairytales with equal parts of whimsy and snark.Their clever storytelling twists childlike musings into poignant life contemplations. The first act sends the characters ‘into the woods’ to find their happy endings. The second act ...
Writers Theatre presents the World Premiere of WITCH. Playwright Jen Silverman weaves an intriguing tale of one witch, one devil, and four poor souls. The play immediately engages in the very first three scenes. Silverman has a frustrated Elizabeth (played by a solid Audrey Francis) lamenting about the villagers’ treatment of her. They believe she’s a ...
By Jay Worthington We should treat refugees much better than we do. This was the thought that kept running through my mind while watching the Chicago premiere of Qui Nguyen’s “Vietgone” at Writers Theatre. The story begins with the chaos of the Vietnam War where we meet Quang, energetically portrayed by Matthew C. Yee, a Vietnamese ...
Writers Theatre presents MARJORIE PRIME. I saw this show yesterday. I can’t stop thinking about it. Playwright Jordan Harrison pens a tale set in the near future. His story captivates immediately as Mary Ann Thebus (Marjorie) and Erik Hellman (Walter) are chatting. A feeble Thebus rattles on about organic peanut butter as the younger Hellman ...
On Thursday, I saw Hedda Gabler for the last time – Kate Fry’s (Hedda) sublime performance has ruined me for any future Hedda Gabler productions. Playwright Henrik Ibsen, translated by Nicholas Rudall, penned a tale of a complex woman. The classic centers around the newly-married Hedda. Living in the late 1800s, Hedda is discontent with the social mores of the era. The convention ...