2,260 stories from Chicago Theater Beat
Playwright Mark Saltzman has uncovered a fascinating, untold Hollywood story, that of George Bernard Shaw's trip to Hollywood. Though engagin in its delightful style of storytelling, the pl…
There's a very honest and intense quality to this historical piece, no doubt because of the intensely personal material. I wish, however, that I could have felt more of a connection. While I…
Sensitive to every subtlety in a script whose plot is not, Director Damon Kiely's grand cast fully inhabit each character, persuasively presenting the behavioral differences between the Eise…
Wish dynamite direction and ensemble work, Rasheeda Speaking is a powerful promotion for a zero tolerance policy in the workplace. It picks apart prejudice indiscriminately. (read more...)
More literary than dramatic (especially in the first act), Seven Guitars is still a thought-provoking piece, and - as it's less produced than others in the August Wilson cycle - a definite m…
eta Creative Art's Out Loud is what the vision and potential of Chicago theater looks like when fulfilled. Highly Recommended.
Director Kimberly Senior masterfully paces the show with a deliberate cadence for dark intrigue and comedy. It may sound cliche, but you haven't seen Hedda Gabler until you see *this* Hedda …
Dusty Wilson's premiere Ephebophilia (definition - a sexual attraction to minors), is a well-cast work of social commentary that not only invites us to sympathize with certain untouchables, …
The Snow Queen is a fun, heartfelt show for the whole family. Winter this year has been pretty brutal, what with the constant snow and negative temperatures, but Filament's Snow Queen is a d…
Lifeline does an excellent job of bringing children's stories to the stage. and I highly recommend this show for kids and adults as well. You'll have a squealing good time! (read more...)
Simple and devastating, this thought-provoking production may drag in a few places, but is well worth the trip to Theater Wit. This darkly humorous story takes the audience to the depths of …
If you need to find an alternative to embracing Valentines and celebrating it ironically just to show you care that you don't care, then the Public House's goofily endearing tribute to love …
The major pyrotechnics of this Phantom are powerhouse performances by the Phantom's Cooper Grodin along with Julia Udine as his happily harassed protégée. Chicago native Ben Jacoby as Raou…
Solstice is a perfect example of the blur of globalization - similar to a Middle Eastern family's modern day struggles, but placed smack dab in Small Town, USA. Solstice is a disturbing peek…
This adaptation of The Mandrake is filled with many such fun moments, and the smart production design and original music add to the festivities. Not all of the moments work so well, though,…
Timberlake Wertenbaker's richly textured drama works on many levels. Blessed with wizard casting, Director Roger Smart's intelligent revival for Shattered Globe Theatre keeps the plates spi…
Kokandy Productions' Sweet Smell of Success is a terrific musical noir, a throwback to a time when the printed word was king and one amoral writer held all the cards. As with their previous …
The non-Equity cast has the attractive Steven Grant Douglas and Katie Postotnik as its star-crossed lovers. The two have a believable chemistry, even if their acting feels not quite organic.…
Robert Bouwman's staging of Julia Weiss's delicious spoof fills the space and makes every action count. Seth Wanta and Erin Thorn are comic gold as the angsty millennials, while each ensembl…
All in all the cast is good, but the material is more of a work in progress. Mike Mroch's direction is appropriate, especially given the material. The work has a promising premise and for t…
With the combined artistry of Lillian Hellman's multi-layered, passionate script and Director Derek Bertelsen's adept staging and casting, I found myself, by the end of the play, on the edge…
Pontypool is a fast-paced darkly comic tale rife with surreality that will leave audiences reeling"and possibly quieter. Playwright Burgess and Director Lawfer throw you into the deep end o…
I highly recommend Through The Leaves. It was -15 degrees when I ventured to Side Project and well worth the trek. (read more...)
This is a decent way to spend a Friday late night, but it could be more fun - Men Exposed is overloaded with dialogue and thus the pacing suffers. Additionally, the staging is not well suit…
Taking into account the 600+ productions that we reviewed in 2013, here are our picks for the best of the best. Bravo!! (note: for the 3rd year in a row, we're honored to have the national …
