Like any play that seriously deals with the history of race relations in America, “Two Trains Running” has dark moments. Many of the African-American characters in the late August Wilson’s play, who are gathered in a Pittsburgh diner in 1969, feel a sense of grievance over the past wrongs they’ve suffered. And yet, director Chuck […]
Steppenwolf, one of Chicago’s most famous and venerated theaters, brings attention to lesser-known theatrical companies once a year with a festival called Garage Rep. Three groups get a chance to put on shows in a space that’s actually inside Steppenwolf’s garage building. Garage Rep is always a mixed bag, but one common theme in the […]
Christine Sherrill is no stranger to the Chicago stage. This Jeff Award-winning actress has worked in some of our best theatres, including the Goodman, Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, and Northlight Theatre. But when she faces the audience on the opening night of “First Wives Club” at the Oriental Theater, it […]
A Wagner opera delivers three things: a seamless score, glorious melodies and great length. Lyric Opera of Chicago‘s production of the composer’s “Tannhauser,” which opened Feb. 9 at the Civic Opera House, certainly had all of the above. But this opera is also a conflict between the spiritual and the sensual. The role of Tannhauser […]
An opera as suspenseful as a Hitchcock film, a soul-searing score, and a marvel of a two-tiered set. And that’s before we even mention the voices on stage at the Lyric Opera of Chicago‘s premiere of “The Passenger” the evening of Feb. 24. The score by Mieczysław Weinberg begins with menacing drums, painting a musical portrait […]
Scene One. Marie Antoinette and her ladies drink tea and nibble on decadent French pastries as they walk back and forth across the golden “Hall of Mirrors” and chat frivolously about fashion, gardens and men. So begins Director Robert O’Hara’s modern and unconventional production of “Marie Antoinette” at Steppenwolf Theatre. Playwright David Adjmi intends to […]
A celebration of the late, lamented August Wilson dominates Chicago’s theater scene in March and April, while at Victory Gardens, another African-American scribe tells a story inspired by today’s headlines. Other highlights include critically praised stories set in Ireland and terra incognita. “Two Trains Running” and August Wilson Celebration March 7 to April 18 August […]
Remember TV’s “Dating Game” from the ‘60s and ‘70s? It was the ultimate blind date: one woman, three bachelors, divided by a wall and a smarmy emcee. Questions were asked and answered before the winning date was chosen, sight unseen. The audience could see all—and it was hilarious. Fast forward to last night’s opening of […]
A middle-aged gay couple, a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, an ultra-conservative politician and his traditional wife, and two young adults in their twenties who plan on getting married in spite of their families’ differences are all brought to life in The Marriott Theatre’s newest production of “La Cage aux Folles.” The classic musical comedy […]
Emily Berman first became interested in theater after following a friend to an audition. “She was auditioning for children’s theater plays and I was like, ‘I want to do that,’” Berman says. “When we both got cast, it just became one of my favorite things to do.” Today, the New Trier grad is starring in […]
