Goodman Theatre presents DISGRACED. I was fortunate to have seen DISGRACED debut at American Theatre Company in 2012. Three years later, the play still is evocative. Even knowing how this dinner party unravels didn’t stop me from continually flinching and holding my breath. Playwright Ayad Akhtar and Director Kimberly Senior continue their reign as the DISGRACED ...
The Fourth Walsh
Theatre with a side of life
Category Goodman Theatre
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Review “VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE” (Goodman Theatre): Chekhov a la mode
Goodman Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE. It’s easy for me to see why this Tony Award-winning play was a Broadway smash hit. The story has high entertainment value for the target audience, the increasingly large pool of aging baby boomers. It is about three siblings grappling with growing ...
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Review “The Little Foxes” (Goodman Theatre): Lush and Wicked
Goodman Theatre presents THE LITTLE FOXES. Upon arrival, the audience is whisked back in time to turn-of-the-century 1900s elegance. Scenic Designer Todd Rosenthal has constructed an oversized Victorian dollhouse complete with ornate gaslights and an elaborate staircase. Towering windows look out onto the grounds. The grandiose appearance is scaled for authenticity. And before we leave, we’ll ...
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Review “Two Trains Running” (Goodman Theatre): Smooth Ride with unexpected dignity and realism
Goodman Theatre presents TWO TRAINS RUNNING. Martin Luther King Jr. established a dream. Bobby Kennedy spearheaded the Civil Rights Act. The 1960s civil rights movement promised change on a national level. King and Kennedy both were assassinated in 1968. The dynamic King and presidential candidate Kennedy killed in the same year was a loss to the ...
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Review “Rapture, Blister, Burn” (Goodman Theatre): Smart Chick-Flick Play
Goodman Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN. Catherine, a feminist scholar, returns to her hometown and wonders ‘what if?‘ What if her mom dies? What if Catherine never finds love again? What if she hadn’t gone to London without Don? What if her college roommate hadn’t married Catherine’s boyfriend? What if Don and ...
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Review “Twist Your Dickens” (Goodman Theatre, The Second City): F#cking Funny!
Goodman Theater, in conjunction with The Second City, presents TWIST YOUR DICKENS, OR SCROOGE YOU! This was my third installment of The Second City’s local collaborative spectacles. Previously, The Second City had partnered with Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Hubbard Street Dance Company. “The Second City Guide to the Opera” and “The Art of Falling” cleverly infused very ...
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Review “Smokefall” (Goodman Theatre): Total original!
Goodman Theatre presents a remount of the successful 2013 premiere of SMOKEFALL. This show is different. The set, designed by Kevin Depinet, hints of that immediately. A massive, slanted wooden ceiling covers an ordinary-looking two level mid-century decorated home. A cut-out window in the roof looks to a sunlit sky. Artificial grass carpets a floating staircase ...
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Review “Brigadoon” (Goodman Theatre): Enchanting, Aye!
Goodman Theatre presents BRIGADOON. I grew up watching and re-watching the mystical musical “Brigadoon.” The 1954 film starring Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse made me believe in the power of love. When I saw last night’s show, I already knew the plot and most of the songs. The plot is contrived. Some might even say corny. ...
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Review “The White Snake” (Goodman Theatre): Disappointing… both times
Goodman Theatre presents an all-new stage adaption of THE WHITE SNAKE. I didn’t care for this either time I saw it. I saw it first on Tuesday night. My reaction was so strong and negative that I wondered if my martini at dinner had impaired my judgement. After all, this was Mary Zimmerman’s work. Her “Metamorphoses” ...