It is a week like this one that prompted me to bring other reviewers into the fold on this column. I have been in tech all week for “The Grand Duke” with the Savoyaires. We open on Friday up in Evanston. And in the meantime, this year’s “A Klingon Christmas Carol” has started rehearsing. There is no time for me to review anything this week. Luckily, Jackie and Maggie are on the scene!
A couple of things of note on tis week’s chart… “Romulus” opens at Oracle this week. As you may know, Oracle’s mission is to provide free theatre to the masses. It’s a beautiful thing. And, if their last few shows are any indication, they also choose to produce theatre of the masses, as well. This play promises to head down that same road. No, they won’t be recycling the early 1900’s costumes that have come in so handy recently with their productions of “The Mother” and “The Jungle”. Instead, they’ll be taking on the fall of the Roman Empire. And yet, this production is another look at what is wrong with our country currently, through the prism that is the past. They do good work, and the price is always right, so if you get a chance, that would be one to go to (you know… if you opted to not attend shows randomly like we do).
And, the Halloween season starts this week. Three plays that you might want to take in, if you’re searching for a case of the heebie-jeebies (does anyone really search for a case of those?):
- “Musical of the Living Dead” – You may have noticed, but Zombies have been a thing over the last few years. And I don’t think that’s going to change in the near future. I am not really into the zombie thing myself, but my wife is. So, were I to treat her to something this month, it would be this show. Also, I just want to take a moment to say that I love this production company’s name: Cowardly Scarecrow! How perfect is that for this time of year?
- “Sweeney Todd” is at Porchlight (at Stage 773). Now, that may not be a truly Halloween-themed play, but it’s one helluva creepy tale and involves blood and such, so… I’m going to assume that the folks at Porchlight thought it would be a great addition to this scary season.
- “Nightmares on Lincoln Ave 666: The Exorcism or Rose Mary’s Omen” – How can any holiday in Chicago pass without at least one campy-sounding spoof/parody. Thanks to Corn Productions this Halloween will not be without the Windy City staple of funny, low-budget entertainment that pokes fun at the other entertainment of this time of year.
Well, that’s what I’ve got thought-wise for the previews this week. How about some randomness, eh?
- I’m a Doctor Who fan. One might even say a Whovian. I’ve come to it relatively lately, by way of nostalgia. I grew up with the 5th Doctor, but I think now I’m tending toward the War Doctor being my Doctor. And, if anyone is keeping track, I do like Capaldi.
- I have a smallsword sitting on my dining room side board.
- I noticed something last night. Over the past month, as I’ve been waiting for the Purple Line to take me home after rehearsal, I’ve hunched my shoulders and tried to make myself a bit lower than normal due to the disturbing number of spiderwebs that hover just above head height on the train platform. Suddenly, last night, the spiders were gone. Actually, there were about three on the entire platform. I know. I checked. I’m sure that I appeared to be nuts (and perhaps I am), but I walked the entire platform and counted the visible spider webs and there were only three! That’s compared to the last time I rode (last week) when there were too many in any given square meter for me to bother counting at all (too busy ducking and cringing). I don’t know if it is due to the weather, or if the CTA actually did something about the little creepy-crawlies, but I’m pleased as all get-out with the new situation.
- Scotch!
- “There’s always someone younger and hungrier coming down the stairs after you.” – Cristal Connors (“Showgirls”)
- NO TRIVIA! How’s that for random?!
- My cat is currently trying to destroy a butterscotch disk.