Review: BLISS (OR EMILY POST IS DEAD!) at Promethean Theatre Ensemble
BLISS (OR EMILY POST IS DEAD!) is uncomfortable, humorous, and incisive in all the right ways.
Review: TWO GENTLEMAN OF VERONA at Midsommer Flight
Is there anything more badass than a Shakespeare in the Park actor?
Review: THE ADVENTURES OF SPIRIT FORCE FIVE at The Factory Theater
THE ADVENTURES OF SPIRIT FORCE FIVE is a production intended to remind you of what it was to be a kid again: to believe in magic, to see the world in black and white, to be certain that good always triumphs over evil.
Review: BARBECUE APOCALYPSE at Cuckoo’s Theater Project
From the design to performances, this production has a great grasp on the comedic timing of this script, yet it’s those artists who understand how Lyle wields language to cover insecurity that are able to coax the most laughs.
Review: THE GREEN BAY TREE at Pride Films and Plays
Noël Huntzinger’s costumes of Pride Films and Plays production of THE GREEN BAY TREE are well-curated, with specificity of era and a nuanced eye for color and shape. Beyond that, this production of the iconic script is full of missed opportunities.
Review: EMPTY THREATS at The Neo-Futurists
The Neo-Futurists’ EMPTY THREATS is not common or expected or simple. My mind keeps circling a moment from the beginning of the show, determined not to allow me the words necessary to articulate the whole of this experience.
Review: THE DISPLACED at Haven Theatre
“We Lost Our Lease” is emblazoned across the storefront of one of my favorite thrift stores. As I pass it on my way to The Den to see Isaac Gomez’s THE DISPLACED I can’t help but relive my experiences there. This is – or was – a pre-hipster thrift store: where the prices were determined by who was on the counter that day, rummaging was required, and mysterious smells rose out of boxes only accessible by parkour. Its windows now masked in papers advertising percentages off, the sun-worn name is the wrong kind of vintage in juxtaposition to the new storefronts with shiny signage and logos in primary retro colors. The store’s closure may be an unhappy accident but it also serves as potent proof of the relevancy of gentrification that THE DISPLACED addresses.
Review: GIRL FOUND at Idle Muse Theatre Company
Underneath GIRL FOUND’s excessive length and clunky dialogue is a story of merit.
Review: RAISED IN CAPTIVITY at Right Brain Project
While Right Brain Project’s production of RAISED IN CAPTIVITY has potential, the bare-bones design choices and the lack of trust in Silver’s comedic mastery make much of the experience feel forced rather than funny.
Review: DISASTER! at Chicago Theatre Workshop
Chicago Theatre Workshop’s production is delivered with such joy and comedic skill that it will leave you giddy with laughter.