Saturday, May 18, 2013
Neil LaBute's brand of gutsy, in-your-face, confrontation-theater can quickly get under your skin and into your blood, and this play doesn't stray from these qualities. This must-see show de…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:57AM[SHARE]Friday, May 17, 2013
Back to Back Theatre's exploration of power and narrative is like nothing I have ever seen before, or will ever see again. I was confused, then transfixed, then moved. To say that this piec…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:43PM[SHARE]The most convincing part of this strange, confrontational 75-minute Chicago premiere--a puzzle play by experimental dramatist Young Jean Lee--is Emily Guthrie's literally captivating set des…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:26AM[SHARE]Thursday, May 16, 2013
The one good thing in this Chicago premiere of Pulitzer winner Lynn Nottage's overlong production is the first act. Once we enter the Act 2, Nottage wants to have it both ways"to write a sa…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:46AM[SHARE]In Strangeloop's ambitious production, the show is cast entirely with women, who play both male and female roles. The purpose of this is unclear; had the male characters been changed to fema…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:34AM[SHARE]Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Sentell Harper entertains, educates and inspires in his colorful one-man show mosaic. This isn't a show just for black gay men. It's for everyone; a definite must-see. (read more...)
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:54PM[SHARE]Well acted though it is, these characters could use a bit more characterization in order for us to care about them. Instead of reconciling our ideals of self satisfaction with responsibilit…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 01:58PM[SHARE]Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Henry VIII may be minor Shakespeare, but it's major Chicago Shakespeare. It contains spectacular acting that is just a treat to behold. Director Barabara Gaines' cast gives the Elizabethan l…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:05PM[SHARE]Monday, May 13, 2013
Reality Check is funny, timely, provocative, and clever. With well-paced sketches highlighting the ways our social media actually makes us *less* connected, this production may even shame yo…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:07PM[SHARE]At roughly 50 minutes, the show is not overly long, but its mesmerizing, non-stop adrenaline rush will leave you well satisfied. Be there, or be a boojum. (read more...)
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 07:19PM[SHARE]Sunday, May 12, 2013
Brighton Beach Memoirs Written by Neil Simon Directed by Cody Estle at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark (map…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:56PM[SHARE]Saturday, May 11, 2013
For some terrific performances, and a lesson in maintaining tension on stage, I would certainly recommend this show. We are offered some truly captivating moments, but the confusing way that…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:43PM[SHARE]A pleasant and heartfelt evening, this naked contemplation of death reminds us, in a melancholic way, to make the most of living, tackling life with all its joys and failures. (read more...)
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:42PM[SHARE]The cast " a multi-faceted group that provides accompaniment on piano, guitar, ukulele, horns, violin and spoons in addition to singing " is an engaging, charismatic lot that brings vibrancy…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 01:05AM[SHARE]Friday, May 10, 2013
There is an endearing earnest community-theater feel to the piece that makes it fun to watch despite its drawbacks. The cast works hard, and their commitment is evident. Now if the adaptati…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 10:57PM[SHARE]Some will find Ivywild to be a unique and engaging experience. Others will leave the theatre with a pickle button and wonder what in the heck they just witnessed. In either case, kudos goes …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:49PM[SHARE]WOW"spelled backwards! Every stage minute in this two-act thriller totally justifies the bravura work that super-skilled, incredibly meticulous TimeLine Theatre Company puts into this Chicag…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 03:37PM[SHARE]Wednesday, May 8, 2013
I liked this show but I didn't love it. If You Split a Second could be timeless with a little more depth in character. (read more...)
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:54PM[SHARE]Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The accents are unimprovable (but not always comprehensible), the casting well-targeted and the pace brisk enough, considering the overlong second act that seems to be desperate for an endin…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:33AM[SHARE]Monday, May 6, 2013
Oklahoma! feels right at home in one of the world's great opera houses, showing how the definition of works to be performed here can change even as the institution's mission remains constant…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 02:25PM[SHARE]Sunday, May 5, 2013
Collected Stories is a compelling look into these two women's lives and the stories they told and wrote. Highly Recommended.
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:53PM[SHARE]It's fascinating how innocent a comedy about sex industry workers creating "porn art" can feel. The talented sextet are quintessentially American even as they manage to dumb down everything …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 04:22PM[SHARE]Saturday, May 4, 2013
Under Timothy Douglas' subtly effective direction, the three talented actors, using Rajiv Joseph's rich dialogue, succeed in creating a richly realistic family dynamic as troubled as it is v…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 03:51PM[SHARE]In the end, this world premiere is a production of considerable strengths and considerable drawbacks. But for all its flaws, there's no denying the poetic, impassioned voice of the playwrigh…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 01:06AM[SHARE]Thursday, May 2, 2013
The sports-related stories at the heart of the production are endearing and entertaining, and the performers do a satisfactory job bringing them to life. But there are too many distracting e…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:55PM[SHARE]Tea with Edie and Fritz is a hot brew with a couple of lumps. Once the cast finds their bearings in Act 2, it's a lingering sophisticated libation with a hint of a bittersweet-ness. (read mo…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:21PM[SHARE]Despite some fine individual work and a plethora of timeless music, the show still needs more than shining moments to come together as a solid whole - especially with such a creaky script. (…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:29AM[SHARE]Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Kudos to Keely Flynn for a terrific new script, and to 20% Theatre for doing it such justice. Many aspects of the Chicago theater scene may be satire-worthy, but its production of great new …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:56PM[SHARE]There's no questioning the sincerity and commitment of this company to a piece that is an intelligent examination of unique challenges gay men and women face in fully integrating all their r…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:35AM[SHARE]Tuesday, April 30, 2013
British playwright Nina Raine's 2006 drama delivers a forensic showdown between some dubious friends who break apart along sexual lines, indulging in brutally explicit putdowns of their part…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:35PM[SHARE]Monday, April 29, 2013
Hearing the cast's gorgeous voices is what puts this show in the recommended column. Indeed, Laura McClain's wonderful soprano alone is worth the price of admission. (read more...)
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:40PM[SHARE] 
