Lotto Fever's main issue is its source material. Not the setting or time period, not the characters, but a script that can't effectively straddle the line between pathos and belly laughs. Dr…
The world premier of Leo Lionni's classic children's picture book Frederick is an example of good theater for children that isn't JUST for children. So many little touches throughout this mu…
A Bright Room is timely viewing for liberals after the recent mid-term elections. Kushner's morality fable on the dangers of complacency is a clarion call to rally against its dangers - we m…
Since this is a Charles Dickens adaption, it feels perfectly right for the holidays, so thoroughly have his novels stamped the season. But, seasonal relevance aside, the play, like the book,…
Lillian Hellman's story is a solid American classic that remains as timely now as it was more than 60 years ago. But at the Artistic Home, that story hits the ear with such inauthenticity he…
As our understanding of the human condition increases, our ability to lay blame becomes more nuance. Getting passed that difficult, visceral desire to hate without contemplation is not at al…
Thanks to tight direction of a solid adaptation, starkly effective production values and spot-on character development, this Animal Farm is a brutal, thought-provoking journey for students a…
With Barbara Gaines at the directing helm, the powerful, entertaining performances of this cast roll over the few missteps mentioned. The production is a great chance to catch up on one of S…
Akvavit Theatre once again mounts a challenging Nordic play and cultivates interesting moments that might not be obvious from a simple reading of the text. But this time they don't do quite …
At its best, Megan Johns' new work Whatever We Want is a contemplative reflection on how early experiences shape who we become. But one needs to clear away the cliches and stock characters t…
The prescient Both Your Houses attempts to skewer the sausage-making process of churning out legislation. But despite its inherent timeliness, the production has all drama of an 8th grade pr…
There's no doubt that Laura Marks' Bethany will strike a chord with a wide range of audiences. Answering the question of what seemingly good people are capable of doing when they are despera…
The producers have hired some of the best in the business and these actors and designers give us their "A" game. Nonetheless, a musical's gotta have music you want to hear again and again, a…
while aimed at small children, Bingo's Birthday never talks down to them. By approaching children with respect, this show is not only bearable for adults, but actually fun to witness. If you…
As a theatrical production, Hack/Slash needs both more and less. More elements that tie the story together, more violence, more action, and less drawn-out moments, transitions and dragging s…
Technically flawless and, of course, brilliantly composed, Don Giovanni ranks near the top of any opera lover's must-see list. This production is a luscious interpretation from vocals to vis…
Sumptuous, unexpected and breathtaking, Joffrey Ballet's Swan Lake is a sublimely executed and unexpected interpretation of the classic ballet. In Christopher Wheeldon's telling of the tragi…
Bailiwick's revival of Michael John LaChiusa's The Wild Party succeeds in doing what a great party should do - you leave exhilarated, excited, and more than a little exhausted. Director-chor…
Trap Door Theatre's John Doe is a remarkable effort, one an uninitiated audience in avant-garde can enjoy. Though the production is decidedly imperfect, it's oddly compelling and represents …
The Clean House is the kind of quirky show that can turn from theatre to sitcom on the strength of its execution in the finer points. New-to-the-scene Bluebird Arts has taken this crowd plea…
This is the first time these venerable Chicago cultural treasures have co-created an entire show, and they blend together beautifully. The six Second City actors bring the comedy through ske…
With dramatic lighting, an ominous sound design and a disquieting set, Lifeline's Jane Eyre captures the wondrously Gothic atmosphere of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 thriller-romance. Directed…
At Home at the Zoo offers, all in less than two hours, a chance to view both the earliest and a much later sample of Edward Albee's writing - and the two plays blend together perfectly. By p…
It was a big and bold Porchlight Music Theatre triumph nine years ago, and it's just as painfully powerful in the fall of 2014 (just in time for Halloween). Seldom has a more unstoppable sto…
With flawless direction and performances, Goodman Theatre's Smokefall is a haunting play that will remain with you for days after seeing it. Highly Recommended. (read John Olson's review, an…