Chicagotheaterbeat

LATEST ARTICLES ( 2140 )

• Review: Rasheeda Speaking (Rivendell Theatre)

  

  Wish dynamite direction and ensemble work, Rasheeda Speaking is a powerful promotion for a zero tolerance policy in the workplace. It picks apart prejudice... Read more

  Posted on 25 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Seven Guitars (Court Theatre)

  

  More literary than dramatic (especially in the first act), Seven Guitars is still a thought-provoking piece, and - as it's less produced than others in the... Read more

  Posted on 24 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Hedda Gabler (Writers Theatre)

  

  Director Kimberly Senior masterfully paces the show with a deliberate cadence for dark intrigue and comedy. It may sound cliche, but you haven’t seen Hedda... Read more

  Posted on 23 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Ephebophilia (The Phebe Project)

  

  Dusty Wilson’s premiere Ephebophilia (definition - a sexual attraction to minors), is a well-cast work of social commentary that not only invites us to... Read more

  Posted on 22 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Snow Queen (Filament Theatre)

  

  The Snow Queen is a fun, heartfelt show for the whole family. Winter this year has been pretty brutal, what with the constant snow and negative temperatures, bu... Read more

  Posted on 21 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs (Lifeline Theatre)

  

  Lifeline does an excellent job of bringing children’s stories to the stage. and I highly recommend this show for kids and adults as well. You’ll have a squealin... Read more

  Posted on 21 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Stage Left Theatre)

  

  Simple and devastating, this thought-provoking production may drag in a few places, but is well worth the trip to Theater Wit. Read more

  Posted on 21 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: My Chicago Valentine (Public House Theatre)

  

  If you need to find an alternative to embracing Valentines and celebrating it ironically just to show you care that you don’t care, then the Public House’s... Read more

  Posted on 20 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Mandrake (Commedia Beauregard)

  

  This adaptation of The Mandrake is filled with many such fun moments, and the smart production design and original music add to the festivities. Read more

  Posted on 19 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Our Country’s Good (Shattered Globe Theatre)

  

  Timberlake Wertenbaker's richly textured drama works on many levels. Blessed with wizard casting, Director Roger Smart’s intelligent revival for Shattered... Read more

  Posted on 18 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Sweet Smell of Success (Kokandy Productions)

  

  Kokandy Productions’ Sweet Smell of Success is a terrific musical noir, a throwback to a time when the printed word was king and one amoral writer held all the... Read more

  Posted on 16 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Ghost the Musical (Broadway in Chicago)

  

  The non-Equity cast has the attractive Steven Grant Douglas and Katie Postotnik as its star-crossed lovers. The two have a believable chemistry, even if their... Read more

  Posted on 15 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Forgiveness (Corn Productions)

  

  Robert Bouwman’s staging of Julia Weiss's delicious spoof fills the space and makes every action count. Seth Wanta and Erin Thorn are comic gold as the angsty... Read more

  Posted on 14 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: At His Best (Cold Basement Dramatics)

  

  All in all the cast is good, but the material is more of a work in progress. Mike Mroch’s direction is appropriate, especially given the material. Read more

  Posted on 14 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Children’s Hour (Pride Films and Plays)

  

  With the combined artistry of Lillian Hellman's multi-layered, passionate script and Director Derek Bertelsen's adept staging and casting, I found myself, by th... Read more

  Posted on 14 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Pontypool (Strawdog Theatre)

  

  Pontypool is a fast-paced darkly comic tale rife with surreality that will leave audiences reeling—and possibly quieter. Playwright Burgess and Director Lawfer... Read more

  Posted on 12 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Through the Leaves (Side Project Theatre)

  

  I highly recommend Through The Leaves. It was -15 degrees when I ventured to Side Project and well worth the trek. (read more... Read more

  Posted on 08 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Men Exposed (Redtwist Theatre)

  

  This is a decent way to spend a Friday late night, but it could be more fun - Men Exposed is overloaded with dialogue and thus the pacing suffers. Read more

  Posted on 01 January 2014 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Top 10 Chicago Plays of 2013

  

  Taking into account the 600+ productions that we reviewed in 2013, here are our picks for the best of the best. Bravo!! (note: for the 3rd year in a row, we’re... Read more

  Posted on 29 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: An Inspector Calls (Remy Bumppo Theatre)

  

  Much of An Inspector Calls works extremely well, and it is the relationships between the six principal characters that Director David Darlow and his cast bring... Read more

  Posted on 25 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA