Articles in Theater + Stage
Nathan Lane and straight man Brian Dennehy break the ice with a blitz of interview zingers
A bit o’ comic relief at the Goodman.
Williams’ ‘Camino Real’ reshaped as director sets lyricism on a collision course with libido
Carnal carnival at Goodman. 3 stars.
Role Playing: Bill Norris pulled the seedy bum in ‘The Caretaker’ from a place within himself
Interview: The scruffy creature with darting eyes who calls himself Davies looks like his last bed was a cardboard box on the street. He is the elusive but palpably real character at the core of Harold Pinter’s play “The Caretaker,” now on the boards at Writers’ Theatre, and he’s brought to wheedling, calculating life in a masterful piece of acting by Bill Norris.
Raven Theatre sifts through debris and debate of ‘The Price,’ but can’t deliver the payoff
Arthur Miller on memory’s attic. 3 stars.
With a vision of grace in the Arizona desert, Strawdog draws life from ‘Petrified Forest’
Desperate souls in a diner. 4 stars!
Chicago Shakespeare’s teen-length ‘Shrew,’ pulling out laugh stops, shows way to do Will
Spunky side of the Bard. 4 stars!
As German bombardment strands Leningrad, political fear feeds desperation in ‘Hunger’
Portrait of duress at Lifeline. 4 stars!
In Porchlight’s ‘Catered Affair,’ a musical about ordinary people proves a dramatic jewel
A play verging on opera. 4 stars!
Darn that ‘Dream’ – Chicago Shakespeare does double take on Bard’s lovers, fairies
It’s a midsummer night… 4 stars!
Wrestling with sins of the flesh, a porn star finds salvation comes at a cost in ‘Hesperia’
Sex and religion at Writers’. 4 stars!
It’s all about the verbs, present and veiled past, as lies collide in ‘The Girl in the Yellow Dress’
Student-teacher clash at Next. 4 stars!
To beat of song and dance, ‘Ameriville’ sounds cautionary tales of life on the short end
Stompin’ at Victory Gardens. 3 stars
Steppenwolf’s dark view of ‘Time Stands Still’ frames a close-up of war’s toll
Some wounds heal slowly. 4 stars!
When ethnic roots snag the American dream, idealism stumbles in ‘Disgraced’
Meltdown at Amer. Theater Co. 5 stars!
It’s Mamet, so nothing’s plain as black/white when Goodman taps the bitter humor of ‘Race’
Cynically, unbearably funny. 4 stars!
‘Mr. Rickey’ imagines a prelude to history, before Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers
Full count at the Lookingglass. 3 stars.
Role Playing: Diane D’Aquila’s twice regal portrait as lover-monarch in ‘Elizabeth Rex’
Interview: Diane D’Aquila, who brings Queen Elizabeth I to regal and vulnerable life in Timothy Findley’s “Elizabeth Rex” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, says acting in this gripping, keenly honed production “is a like a dance out there, and it’s scary as hell.”
‘Penelope’ at Steppenwolf: Four guys in an empty pool, down to life’s last threads
And Odysseus is bearing down. 3 stars.
Role Playing: Dean Evans, in clown costume, enters the darkness of ‘Burning Bluebeard’
Interview: His clown suit, a bit tattered and soiled with soot, looks like it once might have been pure white. But the character Dean Evans plays in the Neo-Futurists’ production of “Burning Bluebeard” is decidedly dark, one might even say spectral.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ and a wonderful night when ATC revisits ‘radio’ parable of faith
Capra’s film as oldie broadcast. 4 stars!
New talents refresh evergreen tradition in sharp-shooting musical ‘A Christmas Story’
Debut tour at Chicago Theatre. 4 stars!
Queen’s agony over love and duty gets royal treatment in CST’s searing ‘Elizabeth Rex’
Shakespeare’s in the barn. 5 stars!
New York ‘Follies’ stars Broadway babies old enough to have a boffo then and now
Appreciation: The showgirls of Broadway’s “Follies” have histories of their own. Hats off to these flawless charmers and their former selves in a present — and past — perfect production.
Goodman Theatre’s magical ‘Christmas Carol’ redeems sour Scrooge with heart and laughter
Festive retelling for all ages. 4 stars!
‘An Iliad’ reconsiders the poet who brought us Achilles, Agamemnon, Hector and all that
One-man invasion at the Court. 4 stars!
Role Playing: Dan Waller wields a personal brush as uneasy genius of ‘Pitmen Painters’
Interview: Actor Dan Waller describes himself as a simple guy who values friendship and the respect of his peers. That makes him a close kin to the North England coal miner, revealed as gifted artist, he portrays in Lee Hall’s play “The Pitmen Painters” at TimeLine Theatre.
In the pre-dawn of rock ‘n’ roll, ‘Memphis’ bundles daring hearts in a jumping love story
Burning hot at the Cadillac. 5 stars!
In a claustrophobic space, Writers’ frames psychological chill of Pinter’s ‘Caretaker’
Deliciously bizarre test of wits. 4 stars!
Bereft clowns of ‘Burning Bluebeard’ recycle pain and guilt of 1903 Iroquois Theatre fire
Neo-Futurists riff on a tragedy. 4 stars!
Holland Taylor’s one-woman show ‘Ann’ gets down with the grit and humor of a Texas star
At Bank of America Theatre. 4 stars!
