Articles in Theater + Stage
‘Purple Heart’ revealed as a bruised condition in Redtwist revival of Norris’ off-beat drama
Review: ★★★
Writers’ chilling edition of ‘The Letters’ paints grim picture of a boss’s friendly summons
Review: ★★★★
‘Faith Healer’ at The Den: Probing the crannies of a shared past, recounted and embroidered
Review: ★★★★
Amid a storm of obscenities, but with a flair, Steppenwolf pulls off a hysterical ‘Hat’ trick
Review: ★★★★★
Your drama is waiting: Chicago Theatre Week offers citywide smorgasbord at savory prices
Report: Tickets will be $15 and $30.
Shakespeare and discounts at center stage, revamped Stratford opens for summer ’13
Report: 25 percent off thru Jan. 31.
She loves Lucy: Sirena Irwin splits red hairs in perfecting stage portrait of TV comedienne
Interview: There aren’t many people who could get away with the argument that watching old “I Love Lucy” re-runs is homework, but Sirena Irwin is one. She plays comedy’s favorite redhead in “I Love Lucy Live on Stage” in a return engagement at the Broadway Playhouse through March 3.
Broadway in Chicago, riding high, sets stage for ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ in a spring season splash
B’way bound ‘Big Fish’ starts here
Joey’s got them under his skin: The secret life of those magical puppeteers in ‘War Horse’
Feature: It takes three actor-puppeteers in sync to breathe life into the title character of “War Horse,” the popular play by the National Theatre of Great Britain in collaboration with Handspring Puppet Company. Currently touring the U.S., “War Horse” plays the Cadillac Palace Theatre through Jan. 5.
Role Playing: Kamal Angelo Bolden sharpened dramatic combinations to play ‘The Opponent’
Interview: A round of boxing lasts three minutes. That’s about how long it takes Kamal Angelo Bolden, as a spunky young boxer who’s all speed and dreams in Brett Neveu’s “The Opponent,” to redefine the phrase “physical theater.” But Bolden says his knockout performance in the ring at A Red Orchid Theatre was the easy part. The challenge was getting the dreamer right.
Bows of Holly: In Chicago theaters, abundance rejoices in lavish spread of holiday shows
Shows of the season: A roundup
’Tis a bittersweet night of mirth and memories at Court, an Irish Yule to wake ‘The Dead’
Review: High spirits rule at a gathering of friends and family in “James Joyce’s ‘The Dead,’” a play with music by Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey after the famous short story. But ghosts of past, present and future have crashed the party. ★★★★
‘The Quality of Life’ at Den Theatre: Four lives battered by death, struggling to find peace
Review: In the face of death, two couples with radically different world views are grappling with a shared reality and an age-old question: To be or not to be – alive or together. That’s the double push and pull of Jane Anderson’s witty, provocative and surprising play “The Quality of Life,” offered in a taut, fine-spun production at The Den Theatre. ★★★★
Portrait of a physics star as earthly genius bursts from concise frame in bio-drama ‘QED’
Review: ★★★
Role Playing: In wheelchair, Jacqueline Grandt explores paralysis of neglect in ‘Broken Glass’
Interview: Except when she crashes to the floor, Jacqueline Grandt spends the full length of Arthur Miller’s “Broken Glass” at Redtwist Theatre in a wheelchair or resting in bed. Yet every night, Grandt says, she leaves the theater physically exhausted.
Amid roar of dreams and smell of a gym, two fighters match painful jabs in ‘The Opponent’
Review: ★★★★
‘Wasteland’ at LifeLine: Alone in earthen cell, G.I. battles twin demons isolation and fear
Review: ★★★★
Left dangling by Sandy: Carnegie Hall looks warily up and B’way pauses as NY regroups
Report update: Carnegie Hall’s concerts for Nov. 1 have been cancelled as the crane remains unsecured, and more cancellations are expected. Broadway theaters have resumed their performance schedules, so it’s back to work for several Chicago-based performers. Many off-Broadway theaters in the downtown area are still without electricity and remain closed.
Deep cuts leave souls bleeding in Redtwist’s close perspective on Miller’s ‘Broken Glass’
Review:★★★
Mythology’s ripple effect felt as Lookingglass splashes into season with ‘Metamorphoses’
Review: ★★★★★
‘Making Noise Quietly’ at Steep: Three swings to make solid connection, but only moving air
Review: ★
In a vibrant brush with ‘Sunday in the Park,’ Chicago Shakespeare connects all the dots
Review: ★★★★★
The New Season: Once again, Redtwist will assemble shards of Miller’s ‘Broken Glass’
17th in a series of season previews: Redtwist Theatre’s founding artistic director Michael Colucci hopes the third time will be the charm as he attempts once again to find a Chicago audience for Arthur Miller’s “Broken Glass” – the launch piece for a 2012-13 season that also spotlights the Chicago premieres of Lee Blessing’s “Body of Water” and Leslye Headland’s “Reverb.”
Faith and human frailty prove volatile mixture in ATC pairing of ‘Doubt’ and ‘Agnes of God’
Review: ★★★★ and ★★★
Shrouded in dreams and illusion, Goodman’s ‘Sweet Bird of Youth’ teeters into nightmare
Review: ★★★★
The New Season: Chicago Shakespeare offers a walk ‘In the Park with George’ and a premiere
15th in a series of season previews: Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s 2012-13 season will extend artistic director Barbara Gaines’ deep exploration of the Bard with “Henry VIII” as associate artistic director Gary Griffin adds a Sondheim encore to last year’s hit production of “Follies.” And Gaines will direct what she calls “the funniest play I ever read” in the Chicago premiere of David Ives’ comedy “The School for Lies,” a romping modern spin on Molière’s “The Misanthrope.”
The New Season: Lookingglass will celebrate 25th anniversary with pair of world premieres
14th in a series of season previews: In its first 24 seasons, Lookingglass Theatre has brought 58 world premieres to its stage. In observing its 25th anniversary, the company will bring that number to a tidy five dozen – and throw in the Chicago premiere Rajiv Joseph’s “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” for good measure.
