Interrobang Theatre's *Recent Tragic Events* has a solid concept and thru-line - the search for love in many forms in the face of a frightening new reality. Instead, the gimmicks are plenty …
Sideshow Theatre's 'Mai Dang Lao' is a sinister delight. The subject matter is unpleasant, sometimes shocking, but always realistic. Thanks to stellar work on everyone's part, this difficult…
In Court Theatre's revelatory staging of the 1912-set drama 'Long Day's Journey Into Night', David Auburn has helmed a definitive staging of an American masterpiece. Highly Recommended! (rea…
Despite numerous problems, several elements of this play do work nicely. The stylized, ritualistic beheadings, hauntings, and suffocation come off quite powerfully. And the cast finds some w…
Something is lost in the translation of Matei Visniec's *How to Explain Communism to Mental Patients*. Being truncated to just 70 minutes, the piece loses chances to become universal while …
In recent years, we've been treated to some fine stage productions of 'West Side Story', but this is the best I've seen. For newcomers to the musical, it's a must. And for the much larger gr…
Bluebird Arts' *Zoyka's Apartment* does contain a few bright spots, but for the most part is a dubious classic that perhaps should have stayed in the vault. Zoyka's Apartment could pass as …
With Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's Spring Series, yoy permeates the night at every point and turn, as the dancers use their trademark artistic athleticism to pay tribute to their stunning c…
Directed by Nate Silver, Jackalope Theatre's *Rolling* is a briskly paced two-hour production that's a taut blend of tragedy and comedy. Calamity West's opus asks big questions about ethics …
With Jonathan Larson's "Rent", Theo Ubique and Director Scott Weinstein make choices that border on genius, emphasizing the play's cutting-edge themes and raunchy yet profound content in an …
This is a piece that really snuck up on me - *New Country* is a very funny and frequently poetic look at the nature of aging, regret and dignity, and took me by complete surprise. Recommende…
Though it had plenty of potential, Artistic Home's *Interrogation* Interrogation is a gratuitous, mean-spirited disappointment, with gaping plot holes, a dull framework and cliché after cli…
Fans of film noirs from the '40's and early '50's will love this play. Elizabeth Lovelady's adaptation and direction of *D.O.A.* is fast-paced and true to the genre. And at an intermission-…
With Lauren Yee's *In A Word*, reality is bent to the point of fracturing by the loss of a child, words become nearly meaningless and incredibly meaningful in approximately equal measure. Di…
Broadway in Chicago's *42nd Street* brims with a giddy celebration of song and dance, mixed with the power of believing in your dreams. Too bad the actors aren't getting paid the union salar…
Shows like BoHo Theatre's *Fugitive Songs* are a living, breathing reminder that everyone has a story worth telling. Each song is a self-contained jewel, with the facets and messiness of hum…
Sarah Gubbins' new play "Cocked" deals with issues of racial violence, this time in modern-day Chicago through the eyes of an interracial lesbian couple. Cocked has good ideas " a great conc…
Reviewer Keith Glab: Scott Woldman's *Beautiful Autistic* brims with humor that the cast is able to realize well. The play avoids clichés and doesn't offer up any easy answers to the proble…
*From These Fatal Loins* presents a clever concept that just doesn't follow through with clarity. What could have been a poignant exploration of the false ideals surrounding love too often d…
Steppenwolf's *The Compass*, conceived and directed by Michael Rohd, is targeted towards young adults. But make no mistake, this production delves into some extremely existential philosophie…
Just the story of how Roberto Bolaño's massive-yet-still-unfinished book was adapted by Goodman's artistic director Robert Falls over ten years could be the subject of a documentary. In t…
Brown Paper Box Co.'s eight-person cast is diverse in race and gender, and acclaimed director Lavina Jadhwani guides her cast in intelligent choices from beginning to end. This Julius Caesar…
Arne Lygre's work *Nothing of Me* serves as a powerful commentary on the ephemeral nature of life and relationships. Akvavit Theatre's skilled production remains focused and engaging in a sy…
Even with director Rob Lindley's passionate direction, Porchlight Music Theatre's *Far From Heaven* suffers from the inherent problem"this wasn't a source that demanded reinterpretation. Gil…
Hallucinogenic, paranoid and borderline schizoid, the Chicago premiere of Ken Urban's *The Awake* throws audiences into the deep end and doesn't offer a hand to help you navigate its deeply …