Chicago Theatre Review
Their Fingers Do the Talking
You Are Happy – Red Theatre
Bridget is an attractive single woman who, by her own admission, truly enjoys her independence. But she’s not entirely alone, because she’s taken on the responsibility of managing the well-being and happiness of her younger brother, Jeremy. Walking down the aisles of her local supermarket, Bridget notices that most of the customers are couples, everyone shopping in pairs and complementing each other with their wants and needs. When Bridget returns home to her apartment she, once again, finds her brother Jeremy trying to commit suicide. The lonely young man is determined to either slit his wrists with her razor or hang himself in her closet. Tired of having to keep managing her brother’s psyche, Bridget decides to try to find him find some happiness with the perfect romantic match.
Read MoreSUGAR IN OUR WOUNDS with First Floor Theater
First Floor Theater has presented the Chicago premiere of Sugar In Our Wounds by Donja R. Love. Directed by company member Mikael Burke, the piece is part of a trilogy by Love, looking at black love in pivotal moments in history. Sugar in Our Wounds is something that we all know and love, a romantic period piece, but also something that we seldom get: a queer, black, romantic period piece.
Read MoreFriendship and Family Affection Abounds
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile – Lifeline Theatre
What would you do if you just moved into a charming Victorian brownstone, on New York’s fashionable Upper East Side, only to discover there’s a crocodile in the bathtub of your new home? Well, after the initial shock, the Primm family decides that Lyle is a wonderful addition to their clan. He plays stickball with their young son, Josh. He helps the boy with his homework and he enjoys assisting Mrs. Primm with her household tasks.
Read MoreA Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore
Poe – Theatre Above the Law
Theatre Above the Law is celebrating Halloween by re-staging it’s adaptation of several Poe tales, set in a macabre cabaret.
Read MoreWhat Would You Do?
Blonde Poison – Agency Theatre Collective
In World War II Berlin, a Jewish woman named Stella Kubler collobarated with the Nazis to help find other Jews in hiding, in exchange for her family’s safety. With blonde hair and blue eyes, she could pass for German. Stella, called ‘blonde poison’ by the Gestapo, is the focus of a new play by Cindy Henkin, presented by The Agency Theatre Collective.
Read MoreMyths and Legends Come to Life
Andares – Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Three young actors, accompanied by a gifted guitarist/drummer, share many of the stories, myths and legends of the common, everyday people who live in the rural areas of Mexico. The tales these men share are told in Spanish, with English “surtitles,” captions that are continually projected and displayed above the actors. The narrative tells about three young men, their parents and grandparents, laced with the folklore and cultural beliefs of the area’s indigenous peoples. In a touching, often humorous series of adventures, the 80-minute one-act bursts with passion and energy. They tell the tales that project themes of social, cultural and human value that are so universal to every theatergoer.
Read MoreHow Connective Theatre Company and Awakenings are Healing Sexual Violence Through Theatre
In textbooks for acting classes across the globe, we have chapters devoted to interpreting musical theatre performance, Shakespeare, commedia dell’arte, and other material. But we have no language to discuss how to create, interpret, and perform something that has been around since before stages could be tread: sexual violence. Me Too Monologues with Connective Theatre Company and Awakenings is more than a performance of monologues written by and performed by people sharing their own experiences, even though that is a feat of its own. It is a study, a lesson, and an experiment on how to create theatre that takes a painful experience and spreads the lesson and healing without creating more pain.
Read MoreDemons Hiding Within
Proxy – Underscore Theatre
In 2014 two 12-year-old girls in rural Wisconsin lured their friend to the woods where they stabbed her repeatedly with a knife. The victim crawled to the roadside, where she was found and treated in the hospital. The two girls were arrested, tried and found not guilty, by reason of insanity. They’ve been sentenced to spend their lives receiving professional treatment in a mental institution.
Read MoreDoctor Heal Thyself
The Effect – Strawdog Theatre
Yeaji Kim’s stark, clean scenic design and precise projections perfectly create what appears to be an expensive, upscale medical clinic, in Lucy Prebble’s absorbing new drama. The winner of the Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Play is now enjoying its Chicago premiere. A modest followup to her spectacular “Enron,” presented just a few years ago by TimeLine Theatre, Prebble’s four-hand drama takes a discerning look at the intersection of love and neuroscience. It’s an engrossing, albeit slightly predictable, love story that focuses on two individuals and how medical advancements may alter their attachment.
Read MoreHorror on Haunted Hill
Grey House – A Red Orchid Theatre
This terrifying tale of terror and dread starts the way all good thrillers begin: It was a dark and stormy night. Two weary, wounded travelers seek refuge from the howling wind and raging storm that caused their car to crash. Max and her husband Henry have hit a deer in the blinding blizzard. Henry’s bleeding head wound has left him almost unconscious, while his left ankle appears to be broken. When no one responds to their frantic knocking on the cottage door, the couple hobbles inside calling for help. This is their first mistake and one from which they will never recover.
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