Adventure Stage Chicago presents the World Premiere of WORTHY. When I go to a children’s show, I like to pay attention to what’s going on onstage as well as in the audience. When kids are engaged in the play, they laugh, repeat dialogue and often talk directly to the characters. When they aren’t as interested, children ...
The Fourth Walsh
Theatre with a side of life
Category The Fourth Walsh
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Is Jeff biased?
The 2015 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD nominations were announced last night. Meh! Don’t get me wrong. I sincerely congratulate all the nominees that are being acknowledged for their extraordinary contribution to Chicago theatre. Well done! My lackluster response is seeing the same theatre companies always honored… maybe overly. Below, I took the time to compare all the ...
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Review “Lips Together, Teeth Apart” (Eclipse Theatre): Story Dated, Performances Great
Eclipse Theatre Company, the only Midwest theatre company to feature one playwright in one season, opens their 23rd anniversary, 2015 Terrence McNally season with LIPS TOGETHER, TEETH APART. Playwright Terrence McNally premiered this play in 1991. The story is about two couples struggling with personal and marital issues on their 4th of July weekend. McNally uses ...
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Review “Red Handed Otter” (A Red Orchid): Pet Smart
A Red Orchid Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of RED HANDED OTTER. The notion that people resemble their pets has always struck me as funny. Does a person select a pet with similar features? Or over time does the person start to mimic the pet in looks and gestures? I’m not certain what happens but I’ve ...
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Review “Martyr” (Steep Theatre): Relatable and Terrifying
Steep Theatre Company presents the U.S. Premiere of MARTYR. Parents fear many things altering their child’s life. Pregnancy, drugs, and gangs are tangible threats. But sometimes it’s the unanticipated and abstract influences that can do the most harm. Playwright Marius von Mayenburg explores the impact of religion on an impressionable teen. Brando Crawford (Benjamin) has been ditching ...
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Review “Between you, me and the lampshade” (Teatro Vista): A work in progress
Teatro Vista presents the World Premiere of BETWEEN YOU, ME AND THE LAMPSHADE. The title of this world premiere is misleading. “Between you, me and the lampshade” suggests light-hearted, madcap, hi-jinx. It’s not. From the start, the rifle-toting Sandra Marquez (Jesse) sets the tone for drama. The fierce Marquez threatens trembling Ayssette Munoz (Amparo). Munoz pleads for ...
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Review “The Herd” (Steppenwolf Theatre): Loud, Colorful, Tumultuous… a family to LOVE!
Steppenwolf presents the U.S. premiere of THE HERD. In the home Scenic Designer Walt Spangler built, a family loves and fights with equal intensity. Spangler sets the tone for this family. His walls are white-washed with decorative glass trim. The staircase is almost whimsical as it curves up and around three landings. The kitchen has a ...