Last summer, my wife and I spent a memorable weekend in Bar Harbor, Maine. We hiked through Acadia National Park and made the low-tide crossing to Bar Island for a spectacular view of the ha…
Last summer, my wife and I spent a memorable weekend in Bar Harbor, Maine. We hiked through Acadia National Park and made the low-tide crossing to Bar Island for a spectacular view of the ha…
The setup is that of a globalized, post-modernized update of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," as two culturally upscale couples get together for an evening that goes very, very bad. Later …
It's hard to find a consistently good improv troupe. To gain the distinction of being good at anything requires a record of success, which is hard enough for the subjective art that is comed…
RECOMMENDED "An Asian actress?" A character in Nandita Shenoy's "Washer/Dryer" laughs in utter disbelief that such a thing could exist. It is that mindset coupled with the lack of diversity …
RECOMMENDED "Gem of the Ocean," set at the beginning of the twentieth century, is, chronologically, the first in August Wilson's Century Cycle, a one-play-per-decade examination of the Afric…
"Track 13" can't be reviewed as one would review a typical theatrical production. Discussing the acting, design, and arguably even plot, is to ignore the most salient part of the production:…
Comedy gets very little respect, considering how difficult it is to perform. As a comic like Chick Sherman, the suffering, titular funnyman in Bruce Graham's new play at Northlight, will att…
RECOMMENDED It is actually not easy putting on an opera. That is what producer and best great-grandson-ever Arlen Parsa said when he took the stage at the end of his triumphant production "A…
RECOMMENDED With all the magic in Shakespeare's plays, "The Tempest" still stands out for its wizardry, with the magician Prospero using supernatural forces to both seek revenge and achie…
Chicago Fringe Festival: Part 4 Over the span of the Fringe Festival's ten days, I regularly heard this argument from non-Fringe goers: the Chicago theater scene is already pretty "fringy." …
RECOMMENDED If you consider yourself a true theater aficionado; if you like collecting shows you've seen and theaters you've been to; if you don't mind some nonsense; if you enjoy shows that…
Hannibal Buress is having a good year. Among other developments, the Chicago-born comedian, who has written for "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" and has a recurring character on the popul…
Hannibal Buress is having a good year. Among other developments, the Chicago-born comedian, who has written for "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" and has a recurring character on the popul…
Chicago Fringe Festival: Part 3 The Chicago Fringe Festival philosophy is one of minimal interference. There is little that suggests a policy of enforcement beyond the occasional presence of…
RECOMMENDED In honor of the way our generation has chosen to represent ourselves in art – and, as it follows, in life – I am lovingly filing The Runaways Lab's latest production …
By Logan West On the hottest day of the Chicago summer, Julie Proudfoot appeared perfectly cool and relaxed as I approached her outside an Argo Tea in Lakeview. The founding and executive ar…
"We are bibliophiles, we know every book known to man." So begins "Dan & Kate's Book Club," a Friday-night foray into literature for the ludicrous. If you are truly a bibliophile, and th…
RECOMMENDED When you hear "Porn Minus Porn," that is, porn without the sex and all of the naked people, you might think, "Why?" After all, the most deplorable part about porn, okay, other th…
"Soap Box Derby King," the titular theme song, is still circling through my head the morning after seeing the show, though I wish it wasn't. I also wish I knew more of the lyrics than just, …
Less than a year ago, if you would have asked stand-up comedian Dave Maher what his plans were for the next five years he wouldn't have answered. Not because he was shy or unsure. Because he…
Storefront theaters vary wildly in professionalism from place to place, and when a curtain call concludes with the director getting onstage and introducing his mother, grandparents and music…
"Jamaica, Farewell" had quite the buzz going on a packed opening night. Clearly, the audience is there for a thoughtful, engaging theatrical treatment of life on the island, in all its charm…
RECOMMENDED More than ever before, we are capable of surrounding ourselves with people who validate our belief systems. Sometimes it seems that the only way we will listen to those who don't…
Prelude Note: I use "Fringe" to signify the Chicago Fringe Festival and "fringe" to signify the broad idea of fringe theater. A fascinating and magical aspect of a theater festival is the po…