Monday, July 8, 2013
Above all, Belleville is a meditation on the nature of trust, and how terrifying it is to lose that trust in a person to whom you entrusted everything. It's an entertaining and thought-provo…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 01:33PM[SHARE]Sunday, July 7, 2013
Black Ribbon Theater does little to elucidate a rough script and tacks a mini-concert onto the end of it that drags. Because the audience isn't given enough reason to become invested in the …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:38PM[SHARE]Playwright Will Eno penned an intellectualized, existentialist crisis aftermath. Under the direction of Jeremy Wechsler, the monologue is tailored perfectly for Lance Baker. With Baker's ste…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:52PM[SHARE]Facing Angela is a fascinating experience. It uses the medium of theater to its full advantage in telling this unique love story. In just 75 minutes, playwright Scott T. Barsotti and The Ruc…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:44PM[SHARE]Saturday, July 6, 2013
Irresistible as the score is, Elizabeth Margolius' sprightly staging surrounds it with a flawless 20-strong orchestra, conducted by Kim Diehnelt, who can do no wrong. Add to this a lush stag…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:40PM[SHARE]In this delightful evening of vignettes, A-Squared truly embraces the collaborative nature of theatre, and the result here is a funny, entertaining, and often poignant production. (read mor…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:31AM[SHARE]Thursday, July 4, 2013
Logistical problems aside, this is a moving story " a story that needs to be told. As depressing as the subject matter is, Miller finds a couple of moments of levity in his show and offers a…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 02:52PM[SHARE]Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Karie Miller radiates a joyful I-am-a-survivor spirit. She playfully engages the audience in latex-gloved interactive moments. Despite her rattled grip on reality, she is a willing cheerle…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:57PM[SHARE]Keith Huff's new play is a concept too large with not enough thought and far too much instinct. Gimmicks, shock effects, terrible one-liners, and misanthropic mindsets don't make an impactfu…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:38PM[SHARE]Tuesday, July 2, 2013
If one can be patient with the first half's wordiness and ignore the incongruities of the modern dress setting, the sharp comic acting of this production makes for a most entertaining lesson…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:41PM[SHARE]Monday, July 1, 2013
A short but striking look at labor practices and at the socio-economic climate of the 1930s, Oracle's production is most is effectively is when director Matt Foss is able to immerse us in a …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:42PM[SHARE]Saturday, June 29, 2013
"Brothers" has a lot to say about life choices at different moments in time. The story is here. It's just buried under a dead body. Playwright Elizabeth Bagby needs to tighten up her tale …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:57PM[SHARE]The amorphous, slippery concept of truth is uncovered in the world of Eduardo de Filippo's darkly comic " and at times confounding - play. (read more...)
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:54AM[SHARE]Thursday, June 27, 2013
Southern Baptist Sissies tries one's patience a bit, but it ultimately gives worthwhile insight into a segment of American gay life and a look at some promising young Chicago actors. (read …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:46PM[SHARE]Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Marc Camoletti's feather-weight, thoroughly unnecessary and totally groovy farce is a rollicking ride from start to finish, packed with the sort of turbulence that's makes for a high-flying …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:29PM[SHARE]Monday, June 24, 2013
A cleverly-written and adeptly performed production, this script makes a point, but in a manner so light-hearted that you hardly notice until you look back on the play later. The choices mad…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:29PM[SHARE]Sunday, June 23, 2013
Thanks to a polished script and transcendent leading man Rick Stone, "Howlin' Wolf" is not only a Black Ensemble Theater standout but one of 2013's most memorable productions. (read more...)
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 10:22PM[SHARE]The production as a whole may feel like a mixed bag, but Jason and (Medea) is still worth looking at for what it's at least trying to get across. The strong cast and respect to the classical…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 04:51PM[SHARE]This play is unforgettable for its gripping content and authentic acting (though slowed down by staging hiccups). Nonetheless, "Mine" is riveting and definitely worth the trek out to Gift T…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 01:09PM[SHARE]Saturday, June 22, 2013
The original jukebox musical, Buddy, even more than Jersey Boys, puts us present at the creation as a nerdy Texas teenager found his sound. It still rolls and rocks, becoming a veritable Fou…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 10:51PM[SHARE]Friday, June 21, 2013
Vault 13 Productions can continue to remount this play every few years and deliver a pretty authentic and entertaining 90 minutes of Chicago theatre. But there is potential for more in this …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:40AM[SHARE]Thursday, June 20, 2013
Starting with a superficial premise (all girls and boys are straight and want nothing more than to get married) and dumbing it down even further, what we wind up with is a exclusionary look …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:35AM[SHARE]Wednesday, June 19, 2013
This play is the work of a very gifted writer, exquisitely executed by cast and director. Unfortunately playwright Campbell falls short in creating a compelling story around his worthy them…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:11AM[SHARE]Tuesday, June 18, 2013
There has to be at least a half-dozen different plays in here somewhere, but Playwright Naomi Wallace never narrows her focus. The result is over two hours of confusion with little resolutio…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:30PM[SHARE]Monday, June 17, 2013
Entertaining in a summer-rerun-kind- of-way, this show is incomplete in its current state. It either needs to get tighter and funnier for a late night drinking crowd, or the playwright needs…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:32PM[SHARE]Sunday, June 16, 2013
In this disturbing taboo-ridden play, Rudy Galvan and Richard Cotovsky effectively establish the tumultuous routine of their relationship. However, although the script calls for plenty of f…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 10:55PM[SHARE]An entertaining evening that highlights the need for connection and how to overcome those walls we build between ourselves and others. Though not the most original theme, Kate's Dates is all…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:47PM[SHARE]Saturday, June 15, 2013
The premise of Tom narrating as a homeless man revitalizes a script that has become dated since its world premiere in Chicago seven decades ago. If you missed it at Angel Island, you have on…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:48PM[SHARE]Hubbard Street's annual festival of new works emphasizes the importance of innovation and thinking ahead. Despite an overly long running time, danc(e)volve is yet another example of why this…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:35PM[SHARE]Friday, June 14, 2013
Despite hiccups, Complete Works never fails to entertain. The cast's interactions with the office are engaging and almost sweet. Eclectic proves once again they're a new company to watch. (r…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:36PM[SHARE]The cast and orchestra do such a great job with the dances and the score that this production is well worth seeing for fans of the show and newbies alike. It's not often you get to see these…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:05AM[SHARE] 
