Saturday, 13 June 2026 14:25
Factory Theater’s Two Out of Three Falls is a Theatrical Event
Written by Lauren Katz
Those familiar with the Factory Theater space might feel themselves do a double take upon entering the theater for Two Out of Three Falls. Scenic Designer Manuel Ortiz completely transforms the space. The three-quarter thrust stage that has been there for years is gone – replaced by a wrestling ring…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 13 June 2026 22:43
Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes Tour Lands in Rosemont With Subtle Force
Written by Ken Payne
Nate Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes tour made its stop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont with the steady, understated presence that has become central to his appeal. Bargatze continues to draw humor from the small missteps and everyday confusions that shape his storytelling, easing the audience into his rhythm rather…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 13 June 2026 20:12
BrightSide’s intimate staging of The Producers shines with Broadway-sized power
Written by Kimberly Katz
BrightSide Theatre’s The Producers storms into Meiley Swallow Hall with the kind of swagger only Mel Brooks can inspire: brash, brazen, and blissfully unconcerned with good taste. From the moment the lights rise, the show charges ahead with a manic momentum that feels both affectionately old school and sharply self-aware.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- Brightside Theatre
- the producers
- mel brooks
- Meiley Swallow Hall
- Scott Kelley
- Michael Metcalf
- Amelia Tam
- Mary Grace Martens
- Jeffrey Cass
- Cheryl Newman
- Michael John Lynch
- Myles Mattsey
- John B Boss
- musical comedy
- live theatre
- on stage
- chicago theatre
- Naperville THeatre
- Chicago events
- broadway musical
- comedy
- Phil Videkis
- Ariel Mozes
- tap dance
- dance numbers
- Musical theatre
Monday, 08 June 2026 12:49
Guest’s New Andy Warhol Play A Study in Primo Theater
Written by Mitchell Oldham
When Terry Guest left Atlanta and arrived in Chicago ten years or so ago, a bracing reality check caused the young actor to make a bold pivot. Three years of auditions and zero bites on the acting front, he turned himself into a playwright and used a deceased uncle as…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 07 June 2026 14:37
Intimate and Unflinching: The Last Five Years at Oil Lamp Theater
Written by Angelo Campos
When Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years premiered at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001, it flipped the traditional rom-com musical blueprint on its head. Off came the rose-colored glasses, and what was presented was an intimate, searing, and structurally unique take on the modern relationship, inspired by Brown’s own…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Some stories refuse to fade with time, and Brokeback Mountain is one of them. What began as a modest short story by Annie Proulx in The New Yorker in 1997 grew into an award-winning literary work, an acclaimed film, and now a deeply moving stage adaptation by Ashley Robinson at…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- Brokeback Mountain
- Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Ashley Robinson
- Annie Proulx
- Jonathan Butterell
- LGBTQ
- Harrison Ball
- Jack Cameron Kay
- Cordelia Dewdney
- Thomas Cox
- Kat Eggleston
- Pride Month
- Heath Ledger
- Jake Gyllenhaal
- Tom Pye
- on stage
- live theatre
- chicago theatre
- Chicago events
- Chicago plays
- Now playing
Friday, 05 June 2026 21:41
Poetry in Motion: Joffrey's Eugene Onegin enraptures at the Lyric Opera
Written by Kendall Royzen
There’s something magical about stories. Stories have the power to transcend time, reaching across the centuries to share their thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Tales of heartbreak, anguish, squandered youth, and missed chances written in the 1800s have a way of resonating with us in the modern age, the profound emotions…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Definition Theatre's Amplify New Play Program exists to elevate emerging voices, and Netta Walker's keerah certainly arrives with ambition. Loosely inspired by the mythological lovers Orpheus and Eurydice, the play explores race, identity, love, and memory through the relationship between Ciara and Cormac. While the production benefits from strong performances…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 01 June 2026 05:20
'The Last Word' - A Cocktail of Comedy, Mystery, and Heart
Written by Wesley David
Some theatrical experiences ask you to sit back and watch. "The Last Word" invites you to pull up a chair, have a cocktail, and tumble headfirst into a delightfully strange fever dream about life, death, friendship, and a very famous green liqueur. Its title refers both to a classic cocktail…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 24 May 2026 14:07
Whammy, Indeed: Koechner’s Stand‑Up Evolves at The Den
Written by Ken Payne
David Koechner stormed into The Den Theatre’s Mainstage this weekend with the kind of unruly, big‑hearted presence that instantly reminded audiences why he had been a comedy fixture for more than two decades. People knew him as the blustering Champ Kind from Anchorman, the delightfully inappropriate Todd Packer on The…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Spaceman, presented by [producingbody], touches down at The Edge Off-Broadway with a quiet, unnerving force, pulling audiences into the fragile headspace of an astronaut drifting far from home and even farther from certainty. Under Eric Slater’s beautifully calibrated direction, playwright Leegrid Stevens’ one‑woman odyssey becomes less a sci‑fi spectacle than…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- SPACEMAN
- [producingbody]
- The Edge OffBroadway
- Leegrid Stevens
- Eric Slater
- Ashley Neal
- Allyce Torres
- Taylor Dalton
- Angela Joy Baldasare
- Garrett Bell
- scifi
- space adventure
- interstellar
- psychological drama
- Mars travel
- spacecraft
- Amy Carpenter
- chicago theatre
- live theatre
- on stage
- Chicago events
- Chicago plays
- Now playing
- outer space
- astronaut
Friday, 22 May 2026 11:49
Inside a Real ‘Fire House’ You Are Immersed in Phantasmic Lives of Firefighters
Written by Bill Esler
Set in Chicago’s oldest fire station (now Firehouse Art Studio) the immersive play "Fire House” is only loosely tethered to a realistic portrayal of what fire fighters do. What it conveys is an impressionistic vision of the experience that fire fighters may undergo. Produced by Chicago Shpatz, an experimental theater company…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Thursday, 21 May 2026 12:58
Spamalot Is Every Monty Python Fan’s Dream Come to Life
Written by Angelo Campos
Spamalot rides into the Windy City courtesy of Broadway In Chicago, inviting theatergoers to join King Arthur’s quest now through May 31 at the CIBC Theatre. Fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail - the 1975 cult classic - will find plenty to adore in this musical, which, as…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- Spamalot
- CIBC Theatre
- Monty Python
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- King Arthu
- John Du Prez
- Eric Idle
- Major Attaway
- Amanda Robles
- Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
- Sean Bell
- Broadway in Chicago
- Josh Rhodes
- on stage
- live theatre
- chicago theatre
- Chicago events
- Chicago plays
- Musical theatre
- comedy theatre
- comedy
- hilarious
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Latest Articles
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Factory Theater’s Two Out of Three Falls is a Theatrical Event
Written by Lauren KatzThose familiar with the Factory Theater space might feel themselves do a double take upon entering the theater for Two Out of Three Falls. Scenic Designer Manuel Ortiz completely transforms the space. The three-quarter thrust stage that has been there… -
Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes Tour Lands in Rosemont With Subtle Force
Written by Ken PayneNate Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes tour made its stop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont with the steady, understated presence that has become central to his appeal. Bargatze continues to draw humor from the small missteps and everyday confusions that… -
BrightSide’s intimate staging of The Producers shines with Broadway-sized power
Written by Kimberly KatzBrightSide Theatre’s The Producers storms into Meiley Swallow Hall with the kind of swagger only Mel Brooks can inspire: brash, brazen, and blissfully unconcerned with good taste. From the moment the lights rise, the show charges ahead with a manic… -
Magic Pairs with Artistic Expressions of Empathy in EAM’s Summer Art Exhibitions
Written by Mitchell OldhamElmhurst Art Museum’s two new exhibitions feature a pair of artists with Midwestern roots whose outlooks and perceptions of the world lead in quite different directions. Both of their creative paths are paved with output that prod our inquisitive instincts…
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