Trap Door’s They Dramatizes an Anti-Art Authoritarian Society—or Does It?
A play at Trap Door Theatre always starts before it really starts. The open stage in the tiny theater is set and populated with characters from the play, in some […]
Nancy S. Bishop is publisher and Stages editor of Third Coast Review. She’s a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and a 2014 Fellow of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. You can read her personal writing on pop culture at nancybishopsjournal.com, and follow her on Twitter @nsbishop. She also writes about film, books, art, architecture and design.
Chicago Author’s 2013 Book About U.S. Nazis Makes Him a 2017 Media Expert
In 2013, Chicago author Arnie Bernstein published his fifth book. Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund is the 1930s history of a small […]
Red Velvet at Chicago Shakes: In 1833 London, the Actor Is Guilty of Acting While Black
Ira Aldridge is a unique 19th century hero: An African-American actor who gains renown performing all over Europe. He plays iconic Shakespearean roles such as Macbeth, Othello and King Lear. […]
Breath Boom at Eclipse Theatre Reveals the Violence and Dreams of a Bronx Girl Gang
Kia Corthron’s play, Breath Boom, makes us think twice about the nature of gender and violence. The tense and sometimes brutal story focuses on a Bronx girl gang and the […]
American Theatre Magazine Recognizes Third Coast Review’s Role in Indie Arts Scene
American Theatre magazine, the preeminent professional theater magazine in the U.S., has recognized Third Coast Review as one of the “indie arts sites” that contributes to arts coverage in Chicago […]
Remy Bumppo’s Puff: Believe It or Not Satirizes French Salons and Modern Hype
Puff: Believe It or Not by Remy Bumppo Theatre is a smart, funny poke in the eye of the contemporary affection for fake news and hype about nothing, set in […]
The Minutes at Steppenwolf Is a Satire of Small Town Politics—and a Modern Morality Play
Steppenwolf Theatre’s world premiere of The Minutes by Tracy Letts takes place during a small town city council meeting. It’s a satire of small-town politics, individual grievances and so much […]
Hellcab: A Chicago Holiday Story But Not Your Mother’s Christmas Carol
The set is an old taxi. That’s all. An old Checker taxi, number 4538, with an Illinois license plate. The top is removed and its back wheels are on blocks. […]
Pioneers of German Graphic Design Shows Links to Chicago’s Graphic Design History
Pioneers of German Graphic Design by Jens Müller is a deep dive into the early history of graphic design and demonstrates why Germany (and Austria and Switzerland) are so important […]
Trap Door’s Occidental Express: An Expressionistic Riff on War, Borders, Homeland, Identity
Trap Door Theatre is staging an expressionistic, phantasmagorical tale of eastern European drama. Their new production, Occidental Express, by Romanian-born playwright Matei Visniec, is a sometimes wacky, often chilling, always […]
On the Road: New York Theater, Off-Broadway Is My Way
Third Coast Review went to New York last week—mainly for a theater critics conference. The schedule provided plenty of time for great theater, and I took advantage of that by […]
Artistic Home’s Powerful Wedding Band Portrays a Biracial Couple in 1918 South Carolina
Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White is a powerful drama of black-white relations in 1918 South Carolina, soulfully directed by Cecile Keenan at the Artistic Home. The […]