Although Serenity April was overall calming, these last few days were a little dicey. I had some flickers of irritation. I even had trouble finding stillness at yoga today. My mind wanted to race back to an unpleasant exchange earlier in the day. I like to blame the negative weather but the responsibility is the ...
Review “Lay Me Down Softly” (Seanachai Theatre): Best Jabs in Act 1
Seanachai Theatre presents the U.S. premiere of LAY ME DOWN SOFTLY. Playwright Billy Roche gives us ringside seats to his deconstruction of a makeshift family. Set in 1960s Ireland, Roche’s touring circus features a rifle arcade, a fortune teller and bumper cars. The main attraction is a boxing ring where locals can nightly challenge the champ. Roche ...
Make mine a double
I did a double yesterday. I worked the brunch and the dinner shift at Wood. I did it for a variety of reasons. One, Brian’s work/school/internship life requested a break. So, I wanted to help him out. Second, I have some planned summer activities that require extra cash. The reason I’ve been serving or bartending ...
Chicago *IS* my kind of town
Last night, I went from a play to a party. It reminded me how lucky I am to live in a big city. Joe’s 40th shin-dig was on the 43rd floor. The place had a fantastical view of downtown. It was on Lake Shore Drive and at the tip of Lincoln Park so the view ...
Inanimate respect
I’ve been lovingly touching folks all week. It was this week’s “How to Train a Wild Elephant” challenge ...or so I thought. In my haste and tunnel vision, I read what I wanted to read. I am a strong proponent of touching people with positive energy. I hug, pat, tap, grasp with zest. I like ...
Review “A View From The Bridge” (Teatro Vista): Nostalgic and Timeless
Teatro Vista presents A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE. Playwright Arthur Miller sets his obsessive love triangle on the 1950’s waterfront. Near the Brooklyn Bridge, the Red Hook neighborhood is home to longshoremen. Eddie Carbone (played with distinction by Ramon Camin) works hard on the docks. He likes to come home to a cold beer and the two ...
Being pear-shaped isn’t a bad thing
I saw this play last week about a fat teenage girl. She was sullen. She reeked of defeatism. I wanted to slap her. The play’s premise was about how her world was falling apart. Her parents were splitting. She was getting bullied at school. She was eating to comfort herself. The play tried to evoke ...
Review “Ruined” (Eclipse Theatre): Important Story to be Told, Heard, Understood
Eclipse Theatre Company features one playwright in one season. The Pulitzer Prize winning drama RUINED opens Eclipse’s 2014 season as the first of three Lynn Nottage plays. Playwright Lynn Nottage’s RUINED won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize Award for Drama. The story looks at the Congo Civil War from a brothel perspective. Mama Nardi (played fiercely by TayLar) negotiates her survival ...
Black Jelly Bean Easter
I thought I had a stroke on Sunday… for real. Instead of Dolly’s “Hard Candy Christmas,” it was Katy’s black jelly bean Easter. I was getting ready for my brunch shift at Wood. The place was filled with the typical pre-opening chit-chat as we prepared for a blockbuster brunch. Since waking up, the tips of my ...
2014 Non-Equity Jeff Awards NOMINATIONS
2014 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES PRODUCTION - PLAY "Great Expectations" - Strawdog Theatre Company "Incident on Run #1217" - The Factory Theater "The Knowledge" - Steep Theatre Company "The Mother" - Oracle Productions "The Playboy of the Western World" - Raven Theatre "Veronica's Room" - BoHo Theatre PRODUCTION - MUSICAL "Dessa Rose" - Bailiwick Chicago "Kiss of the Spider Woman" - BoHo Theatre "Monty Python's Spamalot" - NightBlue ...