Chicago Shakespeare Theater: "Romeo and Juliet"
“Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater is an emotional 75-minute journey through familial and romantic love.
Writers' Theatre: "Sweet Charity"
“Did you ever have one of those days?”
Citadel Theatre: "God of Carnage"
How thin is the veneer of civilization? Pretty skimpy if we believe “God of Carnage,” now running at the intimate Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest. Michael and Veronica have invited Alan and Annette to their Brooklyn apartment to discuss a touchy subject. Their 11-year-old son was hit in the face with a stick by the […]
Lyric Opera: "Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg"
How long is too long for an opera? Looking from the outside in at the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg,” even the most devoted fan might tremble at the thought of committing about five-and-a-half hours to one opera. Fear not. In every aspect, the singers, the musicians, the set […]
Chicago Shakespeare Theater: "Julius Caesar"
Assassination, betrayal, politics—“Julius Caesar” has a lot of potential, but in this modern retelling, the audience is left looking for the heart of the production. The story is familiar; Caesar rises to power after a successful military campaign. But the people’s wish to crown him king threatens the new republic. Senators, including Cassius and Brutus, […]
Lookingglass: "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo"
Theatergoers in search of serious fare need look no further than Lookingglass and “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo.” Directed by Heidi Stillman, the award-winning, Tony-nominated play by Rajiv Joseph marks an uncommon departure from Lookingglass Theatre’s usual in-house repertoire. Fair warning—this play is not for the timid, nor the occasional theater fan looking purely […]
Drury Lane Theatre: "Sunset Boulevard"
Drury Lane Theatre’s nearly flawless production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard” throws down the gauntlet to all other musicals in quest of 2013 Jeff Awards come October. This is West End-quality musical theater with merely a trek to the near west ‘burbs (Oakbrook Terrace) required to take it in. Director William Osetek’s stellar cast […]
A Conversation with Writers’ Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Chicago-area theater? It’s doing just fine, thank you very much.
Steppenwolf: "The Birthday Party"
Before you go see “The Birthday Party” at Steppenwolf, you should assess how you feel about Nobel-Prize winning writer Harold Pinter. Not sure, you say. Here’s a short quiz that might help: Do you prefer plays with a narrative arc that you can generally follow? Are characters with discernable motivations, who act according to those […]
Goodman Theatre: "Other Desert Cities"
Anyone who writes an honest tell-all memoir about their family will hurt some feelings. Most parents, siblings and spouses would rather not have their private moments revealed in a book. And what if the family has secrets involving crime, death and politics, and disagreements about what it all means? In that situation, a family […]
