Author: Colin Douglas
Sleuthing the Night Away
The Secret of the Biological Clock – Eclectic Full Contact Theatre
Back in the 1930’s, following the earlier success of his Hardy Boy mystery series, Edward Stratemeyer created a young female sleuth who would become the star of her own string of whodunnits. He named her Nancy Drew. As he did with the Hardy Boys, Stratemeyer wrote the plot outlines and then hired various ghostwriters to flesh out the stories. The Hardy Boy books are credited to the fictional Franklin W. Dixon, while the Nancy Drew novels were published under the pseudonym of Caroline Keene. Nancy is a precocious, independent 16-year-old, greatly influenced by her fictional lawyer father, and an old-fashioned model of the American Girl. Over the years, Nancy’s popularity has never waned, although the character has been continually modernized, bringing the supergirl sleuth into the 21st century.
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Little Foxes
First Love is the Revolution – Steep Theatre
A shy, motherless, teenage boy unexpectedly falls in love with a young, fatherless female fox who has been sent out into the world on her own. This interspecies romance both surprises and fascinates. Rita Kalnejais’ riveting play is unusual, inventive, often funny and unexpectedly violent, quite like nature. One thing is certain: audiences will be hard-pressed to find a more unique and captivating theatrical experience this Spring.
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Murder is in the Air
The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 3 – Hell in a Handbag Productions
They’re ba-a-a-ck! No, not the ghosts and demons from “Poltergeist,” but those mature mistresses of mirth and mayhem from Miami—The Golden Girls. Spring brings another go-round of these wildly popular, elusive “lost episodes,” brought together in a third volume of over-the-top antics and adult humor by Hell in a Handbag. This time the writing credits have been shared by talented actor, David Lipschutz and Artistic Director and Windy City pop icon, David Cerda. There are a couple of new faces among the cast this time around, as well as a new guest director and a fancy new scenic design. But the end result is the same: an entertaining, laugh-your-face-off evening of adult hilarity and high jinks.
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We’ll Meet Again
Sentimental Journey – Citadel Theatre
The memory is a wonderful thing. It can be tapped into just by mentioning a name, a place or an event from the past. Even more powerful, smells and fragrances, music and other sounds, can instantly transport us to another time, rekindling fond memories and reminding us of days gone by.
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The Play is the Thing
Hamlet – Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
It’s pretty safe to say that, by the time a student has completed his high school education s(he) is familiar with William Shakespeare’s dramatic masterpiece. This play was the playwright’s most popular work during his own lifetime, and it continues to appeal to audiences today. Most avid theatergoers will have enjoyed several productions of the Bard’s most famous, and longest, play about the melancholy Dane. But, in Artistic Director Barbara Gaines’ stunning, new interpretation of this classic tragedy, two things stand out: a superb cast and an attention to detail.
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Nothin’ But a Good Time
Rock of Ages – Broadway in Chicago
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this new National Tour of the popular 1980’s jukebox musical has roared back into Chicago for a limited, one-week engagement of vintage rock ’n’ roll. The musical shows no sign of slowing down. As always, the show makes no effort to hide the fact that it’s nothing but a good time, a lighthearted a rock concert that features 28 nostalgic classics from the ‘80s, all masquerading as a musical comedy. The production sports big hair, gobs of glitter, yards of spandex, micro-mini skirts, thigh-high boots, acid-washed denim and a whole lotta bare skin. It’s highlighted by loud, over-the-top vocals accompanied by deafening electric guitar, percussion and synthesizer, and lit by blinding, mobile concert lighting, strobe effects and coated with oceans of fog. Boozy beverages are hawked in the lobby and clapping, dancing and singing along is strongly encouraged. It is, in essence, a party with a plot.
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Interrogations Are Us
Language Rooms – Broken Nose Theatre
At a certain CIA detention center, hidden away somewhere in New York, the agents employed there are hired to interrogate detainees. Their goal is to skillfully extract specific information from individuals who are deemed suspect, for one reason or another. At this particular “black site,” Ahmed, a young Muslim employee who, along with his family, immigrated to America from Egypt as a boy, now works for the United States government. His job is to do whatever is necessary to siphon sensitive facts from mostly Middle Easterners who may, or may not, be a threat to national security.
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Let’s Hear It for the Boy
Footloose – Marriott Theatre
In a small, rural town, somewhere outside of Chicago, in the middle of nowhere, strict conservatism has become the way of life. Rock and roll music, public displays of affection, drinking and (gasp!) dancing have all been forbidden by law. The town is ruled over by the uptight minister of Bomont, Reverend Moore. One tragic night, he and his wife, Vi lost their son, along with three other teenagers, in a car accident that followed a night of dancing and drinking. In his grief, Reverend Moore persuaded the town council to pass a law making it illegal to dance in Bomont.
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Sexism in the World of Video Gaming
Non-Player Character – Red Theatre Chicago
Six years ago a controversy erupted in the video gaming world. It stemmed from some shocking incidents of cyberbullying, directed by a handful of spiteful male gamers toward their female counterparts. This harassment campaign was nicknamed hashtag #GamerGate. It was aimed specifically at several quick-witted women working in the video game industry. The incident began when a jealous, dissatisfied gamer accused his smart, talented girlfriend, a promising video game developer, of having an unethical relationship with a journalist.
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One Singular Sensation
A Chorus Line – Porchlight Theatre
Twenty-three hopeful, talented young singer/dancers spill open their hearts and expose their souls before a casting director/choreographer and his assistant, revealing their deepest fears, dreams, ambitions and hidden secrets during a very unusual and personal audition process. Childhood memories are explored, new friendships are forged and a few tears are shed before the final heartbreaking moment when the chorus line is cast. By then the audience has taken an emotional journey in real time with these performers, sharin in all their joys and sorrow. Anyone who’s ever interviewed for job, competed against their peers for something or felt passionately about anything, and then risked everything for that goal, can fully empathize with this multitalented group of singer/dancers.
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