Review: THE LIGHT at The New Colony
There are hard lessons learned from THE LIGHT, like one person’s trauma should not negate the validity of another person’s trauma, though they may appear different in nature.
Review: FIVE MILE LAKE at Shattered Globe Theatre
Returning to your hometown can be a strange feeling. Familiar haunts can feel alien with a little bit of distance, and routines that were once comforting can feel awkward, sometimes even hostile. It’s something that anyone who’s left the relatively comfortable confines of their hometown for wider pastures can attest to; that strange mix of the comfortable and the uncanny.
Review: CAL IN CAMO at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
More than 900,000 women suffer from post-partum depression; or between 11 and 20 percent of women who give birth. Behind the statistics are deeply individual stories of chronic sorrow and pain, women whose disease attacks them mentally as well as physically, telling them they are not only sick but also utter failures.
Review: FOR THE LOYAL at Interrobang
In a tangle of storylines and perspectives, Interrobang Theatre Project’s FOR THE LOYAL tackles the question “What is Truth?”
Review: JITNEY at Congo Square Theatre
One would flag a Jitney down and jump in with other passengers and tell the driver where you wanted to get off. Blacks have always been forced to use their ingenuity so that we can still exist with some form of normalcy when being left out of the equation.
Review: NEVERMORE at Black Button Eyes Productions
While NEVERMORE doesn’t quite succeed at what it’s striving for, Black Button Eyes’ bold and unwavering aesthetic makes them a company to watch in the Chicago theater landscape.
Chicago’s Best Shows of 2017
Of the 247 shows our critics reviewed, many of their favorites went beyond the plight of the marginalized — beyond making liberal theatergoers feel sorry for their part in our society — to twist the knife in the nuance and intersectionality of the American experience.
Review: SAMMY: A TRIBUTE TO SAMMY DAVIS JR. at Black Ensemble Theater
In our modern society, we often hear the opinion that artists shouldn’t be too political, too controversial or too outspoken in order to achieve success. Yet Sammy Davis Jr. would have simply laughed wryly and sang “I’ve Gotta Be Me.”
Review: TRAPPED IN THE NETFLIX at iO
Hilmy’s skill with impressions and interweaving of social commentary form a strong core to this solo sketch show with a definitive voice.
Review: THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER at Mercury Theater Chicago
Peter Stossel is set on sailing through dangerous winter conditions to deliver Christmas trees – tenenbaums – to the German immigrants of Chicago so that they can enjoy their holiday season with the traditions of old.