Wednesday, 08 October 2025 11:43
In Jojo Jones 'Veal,' Middle School Bullies Cower as Their Former Target Now Rules the World
Written by Bill Esler
Jojo Jones’ “Veal,” premiering at A Red Orchid Theatre in Old Town, is among the recent wave of plays set in a post-apocalyptic near future - the better to show how core social values and structures might play out for individuals placed abruptly in a clean-slate setting. The increasing frequency…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Those familiar with The Lion King will recognize the opening cords of “Circle of Life.” Rafiki (Mukelisiwe Goba) enters and as she sings, the animals begin to take their places on the stage. Zebras. Birds. Cheetahs. Gazelles. And of course, lions. However, what is especially magical about this Disney musical…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 02 October 2025 12:04
Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Rome Sweet Rome Modernizes Julius Caesar
Written by Lauren Katz
Walking into the Courtyard Theater for Rome Sweet Rome, you might find it’s impossible not to be taken aback by the design. College Pollard’s Scenic Design astounds – particularly with the large replica Michaelangelo’s sculpture the David at the center. The catch? The statue is featured from behind, giving the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 29 September 2025 12:53
McGovern’s Magnetic Ava Commands the Spotlight at Studebaker Theater
Written by Kimberly Katz
Elizabeth McGovern’s embodiment of Ava Gardner in Ava: The Secret Conversations, now playing at the Studebaker Theater inside Chicago’s storied Fine Arts Building, is a riveting study in fragility, fire, and fierce self-preservation. Written by McGovern herself, the play peels back the layers of Gardner’s tumultuous life and career beginning…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 24 September 2025 12:28
The Play's the Thing That Goes Wrong in 'Book of Will'
Written by Bill Esler
The true story behind Lauren Gunderson’s “The Book of Will” is compelling—the efforts of actors John Heminges (Jared Dennis) and Henry Condell (Ben Veatch), Shakespeare’s colleagues—to compile and publish a definitive collection of the Bard's works in the years soon after his death in 1616. This they did over the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 21 September 2025 13:19
Music Theater Works Announces Cast and Crew for GODSPELL, Oct 23 - Nov 16
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Music Theater Works is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the third production of its 2025 season, Godspell, sponsored by the Whirled Peas Foundation and presented in partnership with Curt’s Café, in the North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, October 23 -…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 22 September 2025 12:20
Reassembling the Broken Universe of Mr. Wolf
Written by Wesley David
Rajiv Joseph’s Mr. Wolf is a striking departure from the warmth and humor of his recent King James. Where King James used the comfort of sports as a language of friendship, Mr. Wolf asks us to sit inside the fragile, fractured space of trauma. In Steppenwolf’s intimate production, ensemble member…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 21 September 2025 15:09
Ron OJ Parson Directs a Masterful Revival of Ward’s 'Big White Fog'
Written by Wesley David
Court Theatre has opened its 2025/26 season with a thunderclap: Theodore Ward’s Big White Fog directed with remarkable sensitivity and vigor by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson. This is not only a revival of a classic work from the Federal Theatre Project era—it is also a reminder of how eerily…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 21 September 2025 12:39
Idle Muse Theatre Company’s The Blood Countess Features Striking Design and Strong Ensemble
Written by Lauren Katz
“We see what we choose to see… And yet, one of the first questions we have to ask ourselves as reasoning beings when it comes to the question of ‘truth’ is… What can we see? What did people witness? What do they remember?” Director Tristan Brandon kicks off his director’s…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Friday, 19 September 2025 11:11
Review: Joffrey Ballet's Carmen at Lyric Opera House
Written by John Accrocco
If you are one that finds ballet boring, you haven’t been to Joffrey Ballet. Kicking off their 70th season with Carmen, Joffrey once again proves it’s the ballet company for adults. Hot off the heels of his 2023 production of ‘Frankenstein’, Liam Scarlett returns to Chicago with his US premiere…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 19 September 2025 16:00
With Plan to Take 'Duck Soup' to the Stage, Who Are The Conspirators?
Written by Bill Esler
If you are familiar with the Marx Brother 1933 film “Duck Soup,” it is probably from clips of some of the timeless schtik delivered by the erudite punster Groucho, the womanizing “Italian” Chico, the mute Harpo and the straight man in the bunch, handsome brother Zeppo. So when I first…
Published in
Theatre Buzz
Tuesday, 16 September 2025 14:54
Review: 'Ashland Avenue' at Goodman Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
When a business closes, who mourns their loss? Lee Kirk’s new play Ashland Avenue, now running at Goodman Theatre, asks that very question. Kirk resides in LA, but he studied theatre at DePaul a few decades back and has a strong connection to the city of Chicago. On a recent…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 16 September 2025 12:40
Improvising Joy: Rabbits In Their Pockets at Lifeline
Written by Wesley David
Kimberly Dixon-Mays’ debut play Rabbits In Their Pockets, developed in the Lifeline BIPOC 2024 Workshop and now receiving a world premiere under the direction of Christopher Wayland, is a bold but uneven first effort. The play aspires to braid together family drama, Black folklore, and speculative Afrofuturism, but its script…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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