Review: “18 Months After November” (Contraband Theatre)
In a time of uncertainty, theatre artists have spent the past several months creating work that speaks to our times, simply through the format with which the theatre is delivered. […]
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Sarah’s Wish for The New Year
What do I wish for 2021? After the return to safety and health for the public, I wish a return to the theatre, to watch artists make magic by creating […]
Maggie’s End of 2020 Reflections
Recovery is coming in 2021. Will critics be able to restrain themselves? Or will we just fawn all over everybody? As I casually leafed through the Bloomberg, boning up on […]
Review: “Burning Bluebeard” (The Ruffians & Porchlight Music Theatre)
When I was a teenager, I told people I wanted to be an artist because that meant I would never hurt anyone, never take anything from others not willingly offered, never harm […]
We Must Do Better
The culmination of a long-overdue social upheaval, the pandemic shuttering of the arts, and the labored reluctance of our leaders to change have highlighted what simple, actionable work could be […]
Bottom 5 of 2019 (Or, Here’s How We Can Do Better in the New Year)
Every piece of theatre is perfect for a particular audience member, no matter what critics may say. This is one reason we at Theatre By Numbers usually hesitate to “punch […]
Review: “Proxy ” (Underscore Theatre Company)
Underscore Theatre’s newest non-equity world premiere musical “Proxy” by Alexander Sage Oyen (music and lyrics), Austin Regan (book) and Rachel Franco (book and lyrics) has gone to great lengths to […]
Review: “Sugar in Our Wounds ” (First Floor Theater)
Simple. Beautiful. Haunting. This is exactly what author Donja R. Love’s Chicago premiere production of “Sugar in Our Wounds” is in the hands of director Mikael Burke. The harrowing and […]
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 […]
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. […]