2,003 stories by "Scotty Zacher"
Despite the script's flaws, the Lookingglass production crackles with fine, laser-focused performances, full of both smarts and heart.
Director Anthony Mosely succeeds in pulling us into a narrative that grows ever more fantastical as its leading anti-hero morphs from a sullen adolescent playing internet pranks into a dange…
Director Peter Robel has created a steam-punk English language production of the tale of a man whose name has become synonymous with "hypocrite." This Rajit Bolt adaption is written in rhym…
Though Daniel Caffrey's *little triggers* has potential, but only if you take a big pair of scissors to the script and let the actors cut loose.
From the drag queen greeter to the strange yet emotional final tableau, Cock & Bull Theatre gets Christopher Durang's *Titanic* exactly right. A historical shipwreck was never more dysf…
The story, the direction, the acting, the designs are all elements that combine for a fantastic formation. What is a Megacosm? It's indescribable. You need to see this world premiere, to b…
Playwright Jon Steinhagen does a masterful job of recreating the male isolation of the time period and then drops two feet of snow on top of it. Director Russ Tutterow and the ensemble of G…
With *Devils Don't Forget*, The Mammals continue to bring innovation to the Chicago theater scene. Theirs is a fresh take on expressionism, the absurd, and the psychosis that can ensue in th…
*The Ghost Is Here* is an allegory that supports regulated capitalism. This timely piece demonstrates that as long as you have a system that supports cleverness and greed, clever and greedy …
*To Tree* focuses largely on the inner life of one man's choice to leave his life behind to instead become a tree. Guilt and redemption are represented through the metaphor of Julian's trans…
It's refreshing to see an ambitious work that incorporates multiple art forms to create something new. There's a lot to respect about The Plagiarists' *I Am Saying This Right Now*, namely th…
This delirious entertainment combines the sophisticated song stylings of Sinatra (lifted from signature recordings), a superb live orchestra, and the volatile, spontaneous, quicksilver movem…
The reason to see In the Heights isn't for the storyline as much as it is to hear that unstoppable score. There's also some fantastic dancing, particularly in the first act finale. Recommend…
The nation's largest sketch comedy festival, Chicago Sketch Fest, now in its 11th year, runs through Sunday, January 15th. Don't miss it!
April De Angelis' 2-person play, *Ironmistress*, welds together a solid encasement to preserve the tender remains of being a woman.
Lifeline Theatre's production of *How to Survive a Fairy Tale* tells the various fairytale stories from more of a real world perspective with a knowing wink to the adult audience. Highly Rec…
Being the largest theater review site west of New York City, Chicago Theater Beat covered over 600 shows in 2011. In alphabetical order, here are our choices for the year's best.
Returning for a do-over, *The Addams Family* 2.0 is stronger and funnier than its pre-Broadway tryout a few years back. Recommended.
Light Opera Works' *The Secret Garden* is a hidden gem, with fertile ground for a magical experience. But it's true beauty is only revealed after the groundwork is completed.
2011 proved to be an amazing year for Chicago theatre. After reviewing nearly 600 shows this year, here is our list of the top 10 shows of 2011, spanning small theaters (Teatro Vista) to la…
The American Theater Company has brought the golden days of radio broadcasting back to life for their tenth year with *It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play*. Highly participatory, this is …
Barrel of Monkeys are actors on a mission to give kids a voice. Through creative writing workshops in underserved Chicago schools, the ensemble turns students' words into exuberant live thea…
Bertolt Brecht's *Jungle* is a tough play. This is a tough play. I've seen it produced before and it utterly confused me. But here I was left with a significant impression thanks to some gre…
Here's a heartwarming gift from St. Jude's Childrens Hospital. Look at those beautiful smiling faces on this YouTube video!
Director Terry Johnson's touring version of *La Cage* lets you taste the show's under-the-radar genius, from Lynne Page's killer choreography to Jerry Herman's melodic gems. Recommended.
