Sideshow Theatre Company, in conjunction with Boston’s Fresh Ink Theatre, presents a two-city rolling world premiere of CHALK. The world is coming to an end. In an abandoned building, two women and an alien are separated by a circle of chalk. Playwright Walt McGough pens a homespun thriller. In the broader realm, a world invasion is ...
Our New Girl (Profiles Theatre): Everyone Hates a One Upper
Reviewed by Tom Lawler Profiles Theatre presents the Midwest premiere of OUR NEW GIRL. Playwright Nancy Harris may hail from the UK, but the scenario in her Our New Girl is all too recognizable for a certain echelon of the striving upper class on our own shores. Hazel (a magnificent Sarah Chalcroft) and Richard (Layne ...
Review “Trust Us / Screw You” (Neo-Futurists): Getting conned never felt so good!
Reviewed by Jennifer Benoit-Bryan Trust Us / Screw You is a rollicking two-man show (with supporting band) that explores confidence men and the art of the con: often with humor, but sometimes with honest vulnerability. The ensemble delves into the history of the con, focusing on a few key characters from Chicago, but also involves the ...
Review “Miracle!” (Hell in a Handbag): Savagely Hilarious!
Hell in a Handbag Productions presents the Midwest Premiere of MIRACLE! Playwright Dan Savage has penned a drag parody of “The Miracle Worker.” If Savage’s premise sounds irreverent, tacky and completely politically incorrect, it’s because it is. And if you never thought you should-could-would laugh at a blind and deaf person, you’re about to prove yourself ...
Review “LUNACY!” (Jackalope Theatre): Pure Lunacy!!
Jackalope Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of LUNACY! (A Cryptohistorical Comedy). lunacy |ˈlo͞onəsē| noun (pl. lunacies) the state of being a lunatic; insanity • extreme folly or eccentricity The title says it all. Jackalope’s world premiere is pure lunacy! Playwright Andrew Burden Swanson imagines the moon landing conspiracy as a 1969 reality. Since President ...
Review “Belfast Girls” (Artemisia Theatre): Scrappy and Optimistic Survivors
Artemisia Theatre presents the American Premiere of BELFAST GIRLS. Playwright Jaki McCarrick pens a tale of five young women fleeing the Irish Famine on a ship bound for Australia. Promises of rich husbands and endless food beckon these gals to leave their beloved homeland for an unknown country. McCarrick’s play dramatizes the real life women ...
Review “The Devilish Children (and the Civilizing Process)”: Diese Kinders Aren’t So Tender
Madelaine Schmitt. Reviewed by Tom Lawler Here’s one way to stand out in Chicago’s crowded theater scene: do something that no else does. For Dream Theater Company, it’s a single-minded focus on creating original, risky work that often blurs the lines between performers and audience. In their words, they want to create works that “linger with ...
“Jersey Boys” (Cadillac Palace Theatre): Well-Executed Mix of Drama and Nostalgia
Reviewed by Jennifer Benoit-Bryan Jersey Boys, the winner of Tony, Grammy, and Olivier awards, is back in Chicago for just a few weeks and if you haven’t seen it yet you should book seats soon. Jersey Boys provides an insider’s look at the trajectory of the careers of Frank Valli and the Four Seasons: from growing ...
Review “Quiz Show” (Strawdog Theatre): A Live Theatrical ‘Sixth Sense’
Strawdog Theatre presents the U.S. Premiere of QUIZ SHOW. As a reviewer, I like to go into a show with little to no information. Because I want to have the same experience as the average audience member, I usually read the press release after the play. I went into QUIZ SHOW with two preconceptions. I knew ...
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 ...