Review: Theater Oobleck’s It Is Magic Reveals the Curse of Auditions and a Few Surprises As Well
Every once in a while, some magic happens in a theater. And it’s just as likely to be a storefront or a church basement or a former school as a […]
Review: Trap Door’s The Killer Perplexes, But That’s Why It’s Called Theater of the Absurd
The Architect (a nattily dressed Michael Mejia) welcomes a slightly frazzled Bèrenger (Dennis Bisto) for a tour of the Radiant City. It’s a paradise where everything is quiet, sunny, green, […]
Review: Falsettos Is Plenty of Fun, Proves Timeless Testament to Love, Family
The mile-a-minute lyrics, the ever-changing building-block scenery and the cliché-heavy characters of Falsettos give the impression at first glance that William Finn’s two-act musical is a screwball sex comedy about who […]
Review: Six at Chicago Shakes Boasts a Show-Stopping Cast
Hamilton has spoiled us. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece of music and lyrics has taken pop-centric historic adaptations to new heights, and any that may come after it have large shoes to […]
Review: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at Lookingglass Tells a Dazzling Creature Origin Story
Last year was the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s landmark horror novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, which explains why we have been able to see four different […]
Review: Vaclav Havel’s The Memo at Organic Theater Portrays Government as Farce With Fedoras
The overture begins: It’s the March of the File Folders, which might be titled the Office Supply Hustle. The cast of 11, smartly dressed in varieties of business garb, march […]
Review: Remy Bumppo’s Bloomsday Celebrates the Past and Future, Complete with Pints of Regret
It’s early June in Dublin—almost Bloomsday. The time is today and 35 years ago. But whatever year it is, Bloomsday, celebrated on June 16, is a reason to lift a […]
Review: Saul Bellow Would Approve of Court Theatre’s Exhilarating Production of The Adventures of Augie March
If you believe in heaven or hell, then perhaps I can persuade you that Saul Bellow is viewing the current events at Court Theatre with approval. David Auburn’s adaptation of […]
Review: Killing Game at Red Orchid Is Thrilling, Creative … and Bizarre
Eugene Ionesco’s Killing Game is a thrilling and creative piece of staging and performance at A Red Orchid Theatre. Directed by Dado and featuring 13 formidable actors playing 108 parts, Killing Game takes […]
Review: Spanning Tragedy, Comedy and Several Years, The Winter’s Tale Proves to be Enduring Shakespeare
You read Romeo & Juliet in high school. You saw Much Ado About Nothing one summer at the park. Even if you’ve never seen (or read) them, cultural references to Hamlet, Macbeth and Othello […]
Review: The Mushroom Cure, a One-Man Show Exploring a Psychotropic Cure for OCD
Adam Strauss sits on an empty stage next to a table loaded with glasses of water. He speaks plaintively to us about his ongoing internal monologue about which MP3 player […]
Review: At Raven Theatre, Will Hank’s Bar Survive The Undeniable Sound of Right Now?
First of all, there’s the bar. Jeffrey D. Kmiec’s design of Hank’s Bar is a classic and so realistic you will want to park on a stool and order a […]