Griffin Theatre presents Revival of GOLDEN BOY. Upon theatre arrival, the massive backdrop commands attention. Set Designer Dan Stratton has created a mosaic of stained glass rectangles. During the show, the colorful walls slide back and forth creating different locales. Lighting Designer Rebecca Barrett silhouettes pivotal moments behind these screens. Director Jonathan Berry orchestrates this boxing play ...
The Fourth Walsh
Theatre with a side of life
Category The Fourth Walsh
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EXTENDED “A Tale of Two Cities” (Lifeline Theatre): I laughed, I cried, I loved
Lifetime Theatre presents the world premiere adaptation of A TALE OF TWO CITIES. Playwright Christopher M. Walsh (no relation) adapted Charles Dickens story of the French Revolution. A former aristocrat flees Paris to find a new life and love in London. When his honor forces him to return to Paris to defend an innocent man, he is ...
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Review “Into the Woods”: A Kid’s Perspective
Disclaimer: My intention is to always see a show within the first five performances. I have a couple reasons for this strategy. One, if I like it, I can help promote people seeing it. Two, I don’t want my experience to be tainted by those reviewers who come before me. It’s my practice not to read ...
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“Buzzer” (Goodman Theatre): 2 Against 1 Dynamic
Goodman Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of BUZZER. What rightfully belongs to me because of my race, gender, education, or class? Playwright Tracey Scott Wilson asks this question again and again. Wilson pokes at personal embers to see what sparks flame. Her trio is a mesmerizing science experiment of complication. Two are white, one is black. Two ...
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“Russian Transport” (Steppenwolf Theatre): Darker than Dark
Steppenwolf Theatre presents the Chicago premiere ofRUSSIAN TRANSPORT. Playwright Erika Sheffer tells a family story from the inside out. The audience is immediately at home as a mom forces her daughter to vacate her bedroom for company. The teenager protests. The mom ignores her. The scenario is familiar. The dialogue is authentic. Their obvious routine ...
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“Gypsy” (Chicago Shakespeare Theater): Oh, Momma!
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents GYPSY. Until last night, I had never seen any production of GYPSY. I had heard snippets of the musical sung by the grand dames of Broadway, including; Ethel Merman, Bernadette Peters, and Patti LuPone. Still, I had no expectations for this iconic musical. GYPSY premiered in 1959. It is a showbiz reflection on the death of ...
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“The Playboy of the Western World” (Raven Theatre): Tis a Charmer
Raven Theatre presentsTHE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD. The 1907 premiere of this play incited what became known as the ‘Playboy Riots.’ Ireland did not respond well to Playwright J.M. Synge’s work. First, his hero, Christy Mahon, is a lad claiming to have killed his father. Christy, as a fugitive, finds refuge and admiration in a ...
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“Saint Joan” (ShawChicago): Robust Storytelling
ShawChicago presents SAINT JOAN. There are no villains in the piece. Crime, like disease, is not interesting: it is something to be done away with by general consent, and that is all about it. It is what men do at their best, with good intentions, and what normal men and women find that they must and ...
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Sons of the Prophet (American Theater Company): A playwright with a lot on his mind
Reviewed by Tom Lawler Making its Chicago debut on the heels of a celebrated off-Broadway run that netted several theater honors including the 2012 Drama Critics Circle award, Stephen Karam’s Sons of the Prophet feels most successful in the craftsmanship of its details rather than in its overall construction. Karam is well-served by director PJ Paparelli’s organic, yet sleekly-staged ...