I am endlessly fascinating by the scripts produced at Jackalope Theatre Company. Attend any production created by this open-hearted, full-throated organization, and you are likely to appreciate the sharp, heady […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]