Review: “Baby with the Bathwater” (Eclipse Theatre Company)
Christopher Durang has a lot to say about parent-child dynamics in Eclipse Theatre’s production of “Baby with the Bathwater.” Parents always mess up their kids, but it’s rare you will […]
Sarah Bowden
Review: “Utility” (Interrobang Theatre Project)
The grind is a hard thing to dramatize. In most plays, we expect the characters’ circumstances, outlooks, or choices to change; that’s part of what makes narrative so satisfying. Stories […]
Review: “Small World” (The New Colony)
Disney’s The Magic Kingdom makes a perfect stand-in for the United States of America. Think about it. Happiness is its main goal, just as the pursuit of happiness is highlighted […]
Review: “Best for Winter, being a short Shakespeare adapted from The Winter’s Tale and other works” (Idle Muse Theatre Company)
“A sad tale’s best for winter,” one performer tells another at the start of Idle Muse’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s most improbable play, “The Winter’s Tale.” The above line is repeated […]
Review: “Bright Star” (BoHo Theatre)
Mere minutes into “Bright Star,” the audience is treated to the arrival home of a war veteran, the death of a beloved parent, and a journey to the big city […]
Review: “The Total Bent” (Haven Theatre, with About Face Theatre)
You know what you’re getting into as soon as you sit down to watch “The Total Bent.” You see the full band warming up in a 1960’s-set recording studio and you vibrate […]
Bottom 5 of 2018 (Or, Here’s How We Can Do Better in the New Year)
2018 was a strong year for Chicago theatre, but there is always room for improvement. As our society struggles with issues of equity and supremacy, so too does our art. […]
Sarah’s Picks: Top 5 Shows of 2018
Reviewing theatre is a pleasure in a city where larger companies and smaller storefronts can explore a variety of perspectives in highly theatrical ways. Below are just a few of […]
Links to Reviews & Features (Sarah Bowden)
I am fortunate to write for the Windy City Times right alongside my fellow TBN writer Maggie Wagner, so I am providing my most recent reviews and features for that publication: An […]
Links To Reviews (Maggie Wagner)
The writers of Theatre By Numbers often review for other outlets, and we like to provide those links here, in case you’d like an even more diverse picture of the […]