Items filtered by date: November 2007

SUNSETS: TWO ACTS ON A BEACH is a long-lost diamond by unsung genius Cal Yeomans. Yeomans, despite his myriad talents (playwright, poet, actor, artist, educator, lecturer, photographer, real estate investor, land developer, and philanthropist) was an unfortunate example of the prophet in his own land: only posthumously are his masterful contributions recognized as vital to the post-Stonewall / pre-AIDS gay theatre genre. Maybe he was a visionary; before his work as well as his life were extinguished in 2001 by AIDS he is quoted as saying: "Perhaps in years to come some young queen will find [my writings] in an old trunk bought at an auction, will read [them] and say, 'My God! Was that the way it was? Times sure have changed.' Let us pray for that anyway".

Happily, for us, Director David Zak is not an unsung genius; over three decades of work in Chicago theatre he’s amassed a mantel-full of Jeff Awards, including a special Jeff for “Fostering Diversity in Chicago Theatre”. If you’ve read my reviews, you’ll know that counts for a lot with me!  He served as Artistic Director at Bailiwick Repertory for yonks and, with co-Director Elayne LeTraunik, has taken Open Space Arts under his creative wing. OSA’s mission is to ‘foster inclusivity, promote understanding, and empower marginalized communities’ through various artistic mediums [media? – whatever].

Open Space Arts Theatre is an exemplar of the tiny storefront theatres I adore: on Wilson just east of Clark in, yes, a storefront, OSAT can seat maybe 40, if some people sit on the stairs. Director Zak was at the door to greet patrons, Lighting Designer Justin Walker offered his arm to make sure I didn’t come to grief on the stairs; and there I was, where I love best to watch theatre: immersed in the cast’s pheromone cloud.

Rick Paul gave us a perfect set, keeping it minimalist with creative multi-tasking – the table did service as a couch, a beach, a bed – and even a table!  And I loved Zach Stinnet’s playlists, recalling Donna Summers’ era dance tunes.

Costume Designer Zahrah Agha did a superb job with drag queen persona Henrietta’s gowns & etcetera, but I’m afraid I have a bone to pick with both Agha and Intimacy Designer Greta Zandstra: the press release promised nudity, but they kept their damned dance belts on – drat! and similar ejaculations!

The play is exactly what its title betokens:  two acts, on a beach, at sunset. Act One has a cast of one – John Cardone as Henry. His monologue was superb, with reminiscences ranging from droll to somber, sultry to sassy, superficial to analytical. Henry spoke several times of Him, trying to make light of but unable to conceal his anguish as he describes His defection for a younger, cuter model.

Henry was once Henrietta, a high-end drag act; now he’s “living with my mom … and that’s alright, really!” but we can’t help fearing the lady doth protest just a smidgen too much. Any road, it’s here at the beach that Henry has discovered his calling, a very special ministry. I won’t describe his precise methods, but he plies them here on the beach … or, more precisely, in the beach men’s room. As he follows the latest supplicant through the door marked MEN he delivers his final line, the title of the Act One: “The Line Forms to the Rear”.

There’s no intermission – both acts together are just over an hour – and we move right on to John (Chris Sylvie). Like Henry, John comes pretty regularly to this beach, usually at about sunset. We assume that John, like Henry, has undergone something of a reversal of fortune; from The Big City (“No, not Miami!” he tells Dan) to this small Florida town … but here he has the beach, and it’s here he meets Dan (Aaron Cappello).

Dan is Everyman and is doing pretty well for himself – nice construction job, nice wife, two nice kids – but apparently there’s something missing, cos it sure doesn’t take long for John and Dan to progress from badinage to BJ … after which Dan abruptly leaves and John’s sitting alone again on the beach months later; he’s almost given up on Dan when suddenly there he is again!

Their accidental meetings cum trysts become increasingly intimate but continue to end with Dan’s precipitous withdrawal (no, through the door … yeah). As their encounters become more and more visceral our concern grows: what will happen to John if Dan totally freaks out …?  But [spoiler!] Act Two also has a happy ending, with Dan and John serenaded by chanteuse Henrietta (John Cardone again, in full kit) singing The Man I Love.

It’s very difficult to describe this brief but compelling production without spoilers – I’m starting them already! – so you’re just going to have to trust me: see SUNSET: TWO ACTS ON A BEACH. Really. See it. You will so not be sorry.

*Extended through Sunday, March 3rd

On any given day, when I walk out my front door, I’d see a quiet suburban street. Most families stay within their, rarely venturing out unless the temperature is a cool-but-warm 70 degrees, content with their healthy skepticism of their neighbors, keeping to surface level ‘how-do-you dos’ or ‘how-is-the-family?’ There’s not a sense of engagement let alone community.  The concept of community is an abstract one but something that people crave, something they need in their lives. But what makes a community?The places?The familiarity or the routine? The melding of business and residential living? Or is it the people? These are the questions that come up when viewing the exceptional Broadway National Tour of Lin Manuel-Miranda’s In The Heights, now playing at Marriot Theatre.

In The Heights takes place on a hot and sweaty day in the summer of 2008 in Washington Heights, New York City. On a corner bodega, Usnavi de la Vega, welcomes us to his neighborhood and introduces us to his community. We meet Abuela Claudia, the neighborhood’s resident matriarch and grandmother who raised Usnavi, and Sonny, Usnavi’s cousin, Daniela and Carla, local salon owners, Kevin and Camila Rosario, who manage a cab service, and Vanessa, Usnavi’s crush who wants out of the barrio, the Rosario’s daughter Nina who is returning home from Stanford with a secret, and runs into Benny, his father’s employee at the cab service. As the community moves about their day, we see the struggles and challenges each person faces in and out of the barrio; feeling unwelcome, discriminated against, cut down, undervalued. Amidst their own personal crises, the neighborhood itself is under attack from gentrification, businesses being bought out for cheap by big realestate investors, eager to remove teh culture and heart of the neighborhood. As the heat rises, passions and tempers flare, and the barrio goes dark, a once in a lifetime occurence changes the trajectory of the neightbod, uniting them in ways that allow them to move forward together towards a bright future. 

The Marriot Theatre continues to produce incredible shows each season and finds exceptional local talent that rivals any NYC Broadway cast. There was not a single member of the ensemble cast of In The Heights that was not talented beyond measure, their energy and vibrancy pulling you in and bringing you along for the entirety of the 2 hr and 20 min run time. Start with the captivating Joseph Morales as our narrator, Usnavi with Paola V. Hernández spicy and vulnerable Vanessa, add in the singing talents of Yasir Muhammad and Addie Morales as the young lovers, Benny and Nina, mix in the humor of  Jordan Arredondo as Benny with the heart of Crissy Guerrero’s  Abuela Claudia, and finally throw in smooth-as-honey vocals from Lillian Castillo, Andres J DeLeon and the sexy and rhythmic dance moves of Wesley J Barnes and Kiana Rodriguez and you have an ensemble case ready to step onto Broadway and sweep the Tony’s. The cast was energtic, fun, passionate, and heartfelt, and truly made the audience long to be part of such a community.  In The Heights features a live orchestra secretly nestled within the 360 degree theatre. The immersive stage allows the audience to feel like they are a member of the cast, every angle and corner utilized to portray the NYC neighborhood. The lighting, the music, the staging, everything was en pointe for this production of In The Heights. Chicago theatre lovers will be remiss to not see such a whirlwind portrayal of what is sure to be a play with lasting staying power. 

The portrayal of community within the play is one of shared struggles and successes. When Nina returns home from Stanford, feeling like she has lost her way, her community reminds her of her talent and prowess. Nina herself is reminded of not only where she comes from, but where her parents came from to build a foundation to give her a better life. She’s able to refocus and ground herself, and find her way again. After Usnavi’s bodega is looted, Sonny enlists the help of Graffiti Pete, played by Phillip Wood, to symbolize home and community on the bodega’s gate, signifying to Usnavi where his heart has been all along, right there in the barrio with his chosen family. Director James Vásquez says it best, “with the help of Lin Manuel Miranda’s brilliant and specific score, which has changed the idea of what musical theatre can be, we zoom in to get a closer look at one particular community. They fight to remember who they are where they come from, but also look to the future and dream of who they can become.” If a neighborhood is a body, the bodega would be the head, but the people would be the heart, and that is the true essence of In The Heights. Community is about what you make it to be, and who makes up that heart.

Though my community isn’t nearly as engaging or centric as the one portrayed in In The Heights, I walked away from Marriot Theatre feeling light, hopeful, and a part of a larger community than just what makes up my cul-du-sac. The Chicago Theatre community is supportive, vibrant, and diverse. They lift each other up and come together to experience real, authentic voices. The community is welcoming and fun and one that draws me back in every time. Not every community is made up of a corner store or city block, or even a quiet tree-lined street in greater Chicagoland. There are thousands of communities to discover in Chicagoland and beyond. Whatever makes up your community, I hope it is filled with love, hope, happiness, and has a soundtrack that Lin Manuel Miranda himself would be envious of. 

In The Heights runs through March 17th at The Marriot Theatre at 10 Marriott Dr, Lincolnshire. Tickets are available at www.marriottheatre.com.

I thoroughly enjoyed this modern and timely play on both the issues of Hollywood stars whose lives are constantly scrutinized by complete strangers and how easily it is for any person now to be fed false information online in ways that can affect their lives either positively or negatively regardless of the intentions of the sender. Highway Patrol is being performed at Goodman Theatre’s Albert Stage and is funny, haunting, and engaging through and through. 

Dana Delaney, who plays herself, is best known for her roles in the TV series China Beach and the hit film Tombstone, and she looks and sounds fantastic. I have always liked her plucky, no-nonsense energy as an actress, and in this true-life story of her work life and internet/social media interactions the audience gets a very accurate glimpse of how lonely a life in the arts can be and also how badly many actors are treated by the industry at the expense of their physical and mental health.

I don't want to give away any spoilers because half the fun of this show is the whodunnit twists and turns her life took back in 2012 that continued for several years, sometimes dominating her private life at all hours... 24/7. The story begins when the actress decides to interact directly with one fan on social media, Cam. Thomas Murphy Molony is a very talented young actor who makes you feel deeply for Cam, a young Twitter fan who is suffering from a chronic and terminal illness, a recipient of two heart transplants who is innocently and adoringly in love with Delaney. While Cam enjoys his conversations with Delaney, his grandmother often provides updates regarding the boy’s health and upcoming procedures to keep her in the loop. Dot-Marie Jones, who takes on the role of Cam’s caretaker, Nan, is a very gifted character actress best known for her work on Glee and Desperate Housewives. Jones really displays her versatile acting range playing such a multifaceted character and does so beautifully with depth and complexity. 

Peter Gallagher’s highly recognizable voice is also strategically used in this production as he plays the true-life friend and confidant of Delaney’s that he has been throughout most of her career. The recognizability of his voice in this show gives real weight to the fact that a human voice is like a fingerprint and gives much more honest information and clarity as to whom we are communicating over the voices we imagine in our minds when reading our own DM's or emails.

Director Mike Donahue does a great job staging the show into two compelling acts and theatre goers should arrive early to see Dana Delaney in character on stage prior to the start of the play. Having Delaney onstage beforehand is a very interesting choice and sets the tone of the play, acknowledging that most people, fans or not, are fascinated by seeing stars in person that they have "known" for decades.

I enjoyed Dane Laffrey’s set design and Yee Eun Nam’s projection designs so much! The colorful and quick changing sets along with large high-definition projections not only help the audience follow along with the digital clues based on the digital archives of actor Dana Delaney (with text curation from playwright Jen Silverman), but they also combine to form beautiful and realistic backdrops depicting the glamorous luxury, palm trees, sunshine, and sometimes loneliness of Delaney’s Los Angeles home and also her work life on set. 

The most fascinating thing I took away from this very enjoyable piece of theatre was not about the necessity of verifying and protecting oneself from the many digital communications we all send and receive every day. What struck me rather was the idea presented to the audience that sometimes we as isolated humans living in this new frontier of instantaneous digital communication, including celebrities who appear to "have it all", can possibly grow to miss fictional love messages and reassurances of digital communication even after discovering their true source. 

Dana Delaney is absolutely outstanding in this production, as is the entire cast. I highly recommend this funny, touching, yet haunting, modern play. 

Highway Patrol is being performed at Goodman Theatre though February 18^th. For tickets and/or more information visit www.goodmantheatre.org.

Terence Blanchard's "Champion" delivers a powerful blow to the stage, not through physical force but with its emotional resonance. Based on the life of  boxer, Emile Griffith, the opera is told through the memories of an older Griffith, (played by Reginald Smith, Jr.)  Suffering from dementia and a lifetime of pain and regret the older Griffith  prepares for a meeting with Benny Paret Jr. the son of his one-time opponent, Benny “The Kid” Paret. (both Parets are played by Leroy Davis)

We travel to St. Thomas, where, abandoned by his mother, little Emile, (played by Naya Rosalie James, exhibits signs of sensitivity which his fanatically religious cousin view as demonic. Cousin Blanche verbally and physically abuses him. Having him stand in the island sun holding a cinder block above his head only served to make him physically and emotionally strong.

Confident in his abilities as a singer, baseball player and hat maker, Young  Emile Griffith (played by Justin Austin) arrives in New York City.  He reconnects with his elusive mother (Whitney Morrison) and is introduced to Howie Albert (played by Paul Groves ) the owner of a hat manufacturing company. Albert notices Griffith’s muscular frame and guides him to the boxing ring becoming his manager.

Emile Griffith’s life is a stark reminder of the era he lived in. In the hyper-masculine realm of boxing during the 1960s, homosexuality was an unspoken taboo, a secret that could destroy careers and lives. Griffith's inner conflict is palpable - he is a champion in the ring, yet forced to live a double life, constantly repressing his identity from a world that would not tolerate it.

The opera's most poignant moment comes in the aria “What Makes a Man a Man?” Griffith grapples with society’s toxic definition of masculinity. Blanchard's haunting jazz-infused score underscores the question, making the audience acutely aware of the psychological toll that repression and denial were taking on a man trying to conform to an impossible standard.

The pivotal moment of the opera is the fateful fight with Benny “Kid” Paret. Paret's homophobic taunts, cruel words wielded as weapons, pierce Griffith's carefully constructed facade. While audiences may have suspected Griffith's private life, like the unspoken reality of JFK's affairs, public discussion remained taboo. Benny “The Kid” Paret crossed an unforgiveable line in the mind of the very proud Griffith.  In a burst of blind rage, Griffith's pent-up pain and frustration violently boil over, and he delivers the tragic blows that end Paret's life ten days later.

The libretto missed an opportunity for deeper exploration. Instead of delving into Emile Griffith's inner world at his career peak and aftermath, it presented extraneous scenes. A fabricated marriage, a warning aria from his mother, and a sexually charged encounter in a gay bar, though interesting individually, felt tangential to the core narrative. These detours could have been replaced with moments that illuminate Griffith's psyche, motivations, and struggles, offering the audience a clearer understanding of the complex man behind the champion. Additionally, the inclusion of Griffith’s adopted son and caretaker, Luis Rodrigo Griffith's (played by Martin Luther Clark)  story and the development of their relationship could have offered a powerful layer of complexity and provided a window into the challenges and triumphs of navigating identity and love in a complex world.

Through Griffith's journey, "Champion" shines a spotlight on the lingering prejudices within the world of sports. Even today there are athletes who feel they must hide their sexuality for fear of rejection, discrimination, or even violence. Their struggles are real. Their stories deserve to be heard.

Blanchard’s score is a masterful blend of jazz and classical styles. It mirrors the turbulent emotional world of Griffith, sometimes mournful, sometimes furious, always stirring. The opera leaves a lasting impression, resonating long after the curtain falls.

In collaboration with “Champion” is an exhibition of Patric McCoy’s seminal collection of Black male photography, curated by Viktor L. Ewing-Givens of Southern Android productions. “Concrete, rose” is an exploration of Black men wanting to be seen. “Champion," becomes a mirror in which the striking portraits of "concrete, rose" are reflected. Both the opera and the photographic collection delve into the often-concealed lives of Black men, their struggles, their sexuality, and the delicate dance they perform at the intersection of personal truth and societal expectations.

"Concrete, rose" exhibit (left) and photographer Patric McCoy

The characters in “Concrete, Rose” and Emile Griffith could easily be contemporaries, existing in worlds that have evolved but are still shaped by the same biases and expectations. Sports, much like other arenas of public life for Black men, are often hyper-masculine spaces, leaving little room for the fluidity of gender and sexuality.

“Champion” is a testament to the psychological toll exacted on those forced to compartmentalize their true selves. And, like “concrete, rose,” the opera stands as a reminder of the ongoing struggle Black men, particularly Black LGBTQ+ men, face in a world that often rejects those who dare to exist outside of narrow societal definitions.

More than a story about a boxer, "Champion" is a story about the battle for acceptance — for oneself and, more broadly, from a world still grappling with the nuances of sexual identity. In its collaboration with "Concrete, Rose," the opera expands a necessary conversation, bringing to light voices that are often unheard, revealing truths that have long been veiled.

When: 2 p.m. Jan. 31, with four additional performances through Feb. 11

Where: Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker

Tickets: $49-$339

Info: (312) 827-5600; lyricopera.org/champion

Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature's laws wrong, it learned to walk without having feet. Funny, it seems to by keeping it’s dreams; it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared.

― TUPAC SHAKUr

www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2023-24/champion/concrete-rose/

Shattered Globe did its dramaturgy research very well, in bringing us the Chicago premiere of “Flood,” Mashuq Mushtaq Deen’s very funny, very fresh and highly relevant script. And boy does he have a gift for dialog. It is good, complex, and funny, and charged with barrels of meaning below that surface. “Flood” reminded me for all the world of Harold Pinter or Caryl Churchill's ominous, absurdist theater works, with a quality that is very much in a league with these revered masters.

Though Deen says he eschews television, and writes for the stage, “Flood” opens with a vintage musical fanfare drawn right out of 1960s television programs.
As the lights come up we see a living room setting in classic mid century modern style - very nicely done by Lauren Nichols, set design - with late middle-aged Darren (H.B. Ward), pudgy and rotund, at his work table, wearing safety glasses and a strange mask as he assembles a wood craft project. Each piece is selected and put in place with elaborate arm flourishes, letting us know Darren is at work on an effort of the utmost importance.

His wife Edith (Linda Reiter) enters stage left, bearing a teapot, and standing silently many minutes, lest, we suspect, she break Darren's concentration. The dramatic tension delivered in this silent scene is considerable. Reiter and Ward deliver consummate performances that are the essence of what skillful acting is all about.

Eventually Edith withdraws, returning sometime later, again with a teapot. This time Daren notices her, and a conversation ensues, both innocent and frought. It sounds like any couple jousting: Darren accuses Edith of hiding from him, which she denies, noting that she is manifestly available, but that he just doesn’t notice her.

In the conversation, playwright Deen gradually increases the underlying tension in the scene, and their lives overall come into stark relief. We learn that they plan to share tea together, which Edith ardently wishes for, but Darren (H.B. Ward) says this can only happen in the future, when he finishes the great work in which he is involved at the table.

At this moment, the conversation has leapt into another dimension, as Edith queries when he will be finished.
“Add that to the book of unanswerable questions,” Darren says.
To which Edith replies, “You like me because I ask you unanswerable questions.”

Edith's pressure for Darren to finish and share tea with her elicits a vague indication from her husband that it will be “in the future.” Darren asks, “Would you deny me my dreams?” to which Edith asks, profoundly, “When will the future come?”

We eventually hear a discussion of the sex “in a parking lot” that led to their children, and later, we meet these children: Darren Junior (Carl Collins) and Edith Junior (Sarah Patin) who speak to their parents from their apartment by phone. The generational divide is expressed here, with trenchant relevance: the children are complaining of their suffering from the effects of the environmental crisis (flooding), while their parents live in a dream loop of denial, Edith all the while encouraging her offspring to look on the bright side of things. It's a conversation for the ages, and of the moment being replayed across America continuously.

“Flood” is both humorous, and a remarkable snapshot of intergenerational dynamics. And the play is mysterious as well. An intensely engaging 90 minutes perfectly cast and directed by Kenneth Prestininzi, who directed the world premiere in Kansas City as well. "Flood" runs through March 9 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.  

From the sunny shores of St. Thomas to the gritty streets of New York, from the violent brutality of the boxing ring to the raucous gay bar scene in the mid-1960s, Lyric Opera’s Champion is a sweeping saga of one man’s search for redemption and his true sexual identity. With music composed by Grammy Award-winner Terence Blanchard and libretto by Tony Award-winning Michael Cristofer, Champion is an emotional tour de force that draws the audience in from the opening curtain to its final notes.

At the center of this true story is Emile Griffith, a professional boxer whose fatal punch in the boxing ring in 1962 after being taunted for his sexuality by his rival, has haunted him throughout his life. Emile’s story unfolds through a series of flashbacks, from his abusive upbringing in St. Thomas after his mother abandoned her eight children, to being pushed into boxing ring on the basis of his strength and physique, to coming to terms with his own sexuality as a gay man.

Emile’s character is brilliantly portrayed by three different singers. Reginald Smith Jr., a Grammy- and Emmy-winning baritone, portrays the aging Emile with a vulnerability and pathos as he searches for forgiveness and peace. The younger Emile is played by Justin Austin, a rising star and a 2023 Marian Anderson Vocal Award winner, whose heartfelt portrayal brings to life Emile’s struggle to discover what it means to be a man. And finally, Naya James, a sixth grader at Highland Elementary School in Downers Grove, rises to the occasion in his portrayal of the young Emile, who is abused by his strict religious aunt. In one particularly moving moment, all three appear on stage as the aging Emile prays for strength.

Sharing the stage with Emile is an impressive ensemble, many of whom are drawn from Lyric’s acclaimed artist-development program. Soprano Whitney Morrison shines in her role as Emile’s estranged mother, Emelda Griffith. In one of the lighter moments, when Emile reunites with his mother on the streets of New York, his mother confuses him for his brother, Frankie. She sings to Frankie to give mommie a kiss, but when Emile tells her he’s not Frankie, she responds, “Well, who the hell are you?” And then, without skipping a beat as Emile tells her who he is, she immediately serenades him with the same song. As Emelda sings to Emile, “I may not be the mommie you want, but I am the mommie you got.”

Billed as “an opera in jazz,” composer Terence Blanchard brings his storied jazz career, which has earned him seven Grammy awards and two Oscar nominations, to the score. The musical score ranges from soaring operatic arias with full orchestration to the jazzy, bluesy beat of New Orleans enhanced by a jazz combo embedded in the orchestra. In one particularly poignant moment, mother Emelda sings about her efforts to survive and escape her life of poverty, accompanied only by the haunting beat of the bass. It is a show-stopping moment.

The ensemble, which joins the stage in key moments, such as when as Emile leaves St. Thomas, as he searches for comfort in the gay bar scene, as he trains for his boxing matches, brings an energy and vibrancy to the production and an escape from the heaviness of Emile’s struggle. The story is moved along by the ring announcer/narrator, wonderfully played by the legendary Chicago actor Larry Yando in his Lyric debut. Towering floor-to-ceiling video screens that flank the action on stage also help move the narrative along with black-and-white depictions of Emile’s career as he goes from champion to has-been, whose battered brain can’t even remember three simple words.

In the end, it is Emile’s dual performances that give the audience an emotional one-two punch. The younger Emile, after nearly being beaten to death by a gang of thugs shouting anti-gay slurs, laments, “I kill a man, and the world forgives me; I love a man, and the world wants to kill me.” But it is the aging Emile who finally finds the redemption and peace he has been searching for when, with the help of his younger self, realizes that who he ultimately must seek forgiveness from is himself.

Through the life and story of Emile Griffith, Champion seeks to shine light on all who are marginalized, whether because of race or sexuality, to bring the underrepresented to the operatic world, and to challenge us, the audience, to be champions for justice and equality.

Champion is playing at the Lyric Opera through February 11. For tickets and information, visit the Lyric Opera website.

Jackalope Theatre Company is proud to announce its 16th season to be performed at its new home in Edgewater, Berger Park, 6205 N. Broadway Ave. The 2024 season includes the previously announced one-man thriller in rhyme, The Smuggler, February 16 – March 16, by Ronán Noone, directed by Gus Menary and starring Andrew Burden Swanson and shares the second production in the season, the world premiere of The Singularity Play, May 18 – June 22, by Jay Stull and directed by Georgette Verdin. Season subscriptions may be purchased for $55 with single tickets starting at $15. Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now at JackalopeTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at 773.340.2543.

“We’re thrilled to announce Jackalope’s 16th Season of plays, both housed at Chicago Park District’s Berger Park Coach House,” Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed said of Season 16. “I'm incredibly excited to share these surprising and thought-provoking premieres with our Chicago audiences. The company's commitment to producing new works remains as unflinching as these two sharply written scripts. Come experience the awe up close in the intimate lakeside black box theater we now call home." 

Jackalope Theatre’s 16th season includes:

CHICAGO PREMIERE

The Smuggler

February 16 – March 16, 2024

Written by Ronán Noone

Directed by Gus Menary

Starring Andrew Burden Swanson

Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd.

Previews: Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Press Opening: Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule: Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $15-35

The Smuggler is a thriller in rhyme. It is 2024. Tim Finnegan is a clever and enterprising Irish immigrant tending bar on the island of Amity, an affluent summer enclave off the coast of Massachusetts. When his child falls ill and he loses his job, Tim is drawn into the dark world that exists only in the shadows of the wealthy island. One part “Breaking Bad,” one part Beowulf, The Smuggler is a ripping modern yarn of corruption, morality and giant rats that asks what it means to call yourself a "Citizen.”

WORLD PREMIERE

The Singularity Play 

May 18 – June 22, 2024

Written by Jay Stull

Directed by Georgette Verdin

Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd.

Previews: Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, May 19 at 3 p.m., Monday, May 20 and Wednesday May 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule: Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.

Tickets: $15-35

In an unused room at the Google offices in Manhattan, a theater troupe has gathered to rehearse a new play written by an advanced AI named "Denise." In an art that relies so substantially upon our human-ness, what does it mean to cede the stage to artificial intelligence? Who are we when reflected by the intelligence we’ve created?

ABOUT RONÁN NOONE, PLAYWRIGHT THE SMUGGLER

Ronán Noone (he/him) believes in playing with a myriad of elements to find the right way to tell a good story; a necessary story that tells us who we are, where we have been and where we are going. He believes in stories that resonate beyond the theatre’s door and that add ideas to the national conversation. He believes in the playwright as a thinker traveling in the direction of their fear. His play The Smuggler won the Best Playwright award at the 1st Irish Festival of New York in January of 2019. The Second Girl (Thirst) was the inaugural winner of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Excellence in Playwriting Award (2015) and an Edgerton Award winner in 2014. Additional plays include The Atheist, Brendan, Scenes from an Adultery, The Lepers of Baile Baiste, The Blowin of Baile Gall, The Gigolo of Baile Breag (The Baile Trilogy), The Compass Rose, Little Black Dress and A Small Death.

ABOUT GUS MENARY, DIRECTOR THE SMUGGLER

Gus Menary (he/him) Most recently, Gus directed David Greig's adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's Solaris at Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle, where he served as Artistic Director. While there, he oversaw the pivot to audio plays during the COVID shutdown and produced world-premiere audio adaptations of authors such as Octavia E. Butler, N.K. Jemisin, and Oscar Wilde. As part of Book-It’s return to the stage, he produced world-premiere stage adaptations of Amy Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter and Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, as well as many other modern adaptations. As director, he led the productions of Julian Glover’s Beowulf and Bilal Dardai's world-premiere adaptation of Jamyang Norbu's The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes. Previously, he served as the Artistic Director of Jackalope Theatre. Under his leadership, Jackalope produced world-premieres by Ike Holter (Prowess and The Light Fantastic), Lloyd Suh (Franklinland), Idris Goodwin (The Raid), and Calamity West (In the Canyon, Rolling), among many other national and regional premieres. Onstage, he directed Aaron Loeb's Ideation, Kenneth Lin's Life On Paper, Shawn Reddy's My Name is Mudd, Andrew Swanson's Lunacy! and Moonshiner, and Ike Holter's The Light Fantastic and Exit Strategy.  

ABOUT JAY STULL, PLAYWRIGHT THE SINGULARITY PLAY

Jay Stull(he/him )is a theater-maker from New York City. His work has been developed or produced by Ars Nova, The Alliance Theater, The Amoralists, The Bloomington Playwrights Project, New York City Center Off Center, the New Light Theater Project, New York Theatre Workshop, Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, the Gym at Judson, PlayCo, Roundabout, The Tank and the Theater, Dance, and Media concentration (TDM) at Harvard College. His written work has been supported by Yaddo, the New York Foundation for the Arts and the New York State Council for the Arts and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. He is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, The Civilians R&D Group and the Early Career Directing Fellowship at Clubbed Thumb. MFA: Columbia. 

ABOUT GEORGETTE VERDIN, DIRECTOR THE SINGULARITY PLAY

Georgette Verdin (she/her) is a Cuban-American freelance director, the associate artistic director of Northlight Theatre and a member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Recent directing credits include: Dial M for Murder (Northlight Theatre); the revival of Night Watch (Raven Theatre); the United States. premiere of The Writer (Steep Theatre); the world premieres of A Mile in The Dark (Interrobang Theatre Project/Rivendell Theatre Ensemble); Enough to Let the Light In (Teatro Vista); Chagall in School (Grippo Stage Company) and Spay (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble). Verdin is a three-time Jeff nominated director and was the 2022 Michael Maggio Directing Fellow at Goodman Theatre. From 2015-2023, she served as artistic director of Interrobang Theatre Project, an award-winning storefront theatre known for gutsy productions that tackled socially-relevant issues. She was profiled in NewCity’s 2023 “Players: Who Really Performs for Chicago Right Now” and in Chicago Reader’s “Best of Chicago 2022.” She is an associate member with Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

ABOUT JACKALOPE THEATRE

Jackalope Theatre Company expands the definition of American Identity by engaging with communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Jackalope is a premier home for new and exciting Off-Loop Theatre based in Chicago's Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods. They are committed to cultivating new voices that contribute to an expanding American culture and mythology. Each season, Jackalope produces full-length plays, new play development programming and provides free classes in partnership with the Chicago Park District.

"The Broads' Way," written and directed the one and only Ginger Minj herself, is a frolicsome foray through well-known Broadway musicals, from “Hamilton” to “The Sound of Music” (yes, you read that right: what does a drag queen do about Maria?!). In fact, the first piece was Gidget Galore singing the title song before segueing into a side-splitting lampoon of "The Lonely Goatherd." 

But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let me introduce the show and the showgirlz first. Ginger Minj is perhaps best known (first known, any road) as a finalist on Season 7 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, leading to appearances and engagements on both the little and the big screens. Gidget Galore got his start backstage, costuming shows and events in Central Florida. He’s been on the wardrobe team for Donna Summer, Diana DeGarmo, The Jacksons and, of course, Ginger Minj. In "The Broads' Way," Gidget abandoned his Singer to bedeck the stage with his own singin’ self. He was, naturally, responsible for the costumes in "The Broads' Way," and they were splendiferous! not to mention marvelously adapted to rapid – oftimes onstage – changes.

In the crew, Michael Burlow was Maestro Michael and Stage Manager, which must keep him mightily busy. Bob Silton was Production Manager; he has numerous Chicago theatre credits and has designed several restaurants along Chicago’s North Shore. Cee-Jay Russell, Producer and Tour Manager, keeps the company on course with his signature phrase “we will figure it out, we always do”. David Charpentier and Jacob Slane were also Producers.

Ginger and Gidget began the show with a rollicking introduction, laden with waggish double entendre, insinuation, amphiboly and equivoque. Ginger lamented, “One musician I auditioned said he couldn’t fit his organ into this tiny box”. Ginger then schooled us in “How to Be a Good Audience”, then frequently soliciting our participation all through the show. The audience was very much an auxiliary cast member in "The Broads' Way," and the gaiety [sic] of Saturday’s frolicsome fans made the show trebly enjoyable. Now don’t get me wrong – Ginger and Gidget are professionals and could have put on a good show for a house full of evangelical Republicans. But having a hundred people crooning along (obviously a showtune-savvy set) and roaring their approval at every turn – well, that’ll wring the best performance out of anyone.

Their sole musician abandoned his piano early in the show: (“It’s time for my Union break”), and none of Ginger & Gidget’s abject solicitations (the non-criminal type, mind) could restore their penis … oops, pianist. But Gidget’s Glamazon order arrived just in time: a Smart Speaker named Dyslexa. Once they learned how to properly operate the contrivance (Dyslexa does the opposite of whatever you command), the music was perfect – as should be, having been mixed by Ginger herself.

I’m not going to list all the songs they parodied (senior confession: I don’t remember them all!) but a couple stuck with me. Ginger’s performance of “As If We Never Said Goodbye” was brilliant, with the delicious final lagniappe, “I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille.” At the other end of the spectrum Gidget was hilarious in her droll burlesque of “The Lonely Goatherd”. Both are multi-talented, with rich, flexible voices, lavish acting talent, and the aptitude to appear daffy that’s so crucial to successful improv. They worked wonderfully together, performing the whimsical duet “Anything You Can Do”, with ribald absurdity.

Venus Cabaret was the perfect venue for "The Broads' Way". True, it was small, but its informal seating (it’s a cabaret, hello) and bar provided the relaxed, convivial atmosphere that’s picture-perfect for camp.

I have but one criticism: I was really hoping that Ginger’s brand new cookbook cum [ha!] memoir, Southern-Fried Sass, would be available to purchase – at the bar, say? I’d so much rather give the profit directly to Ginger than to Glamazon! [Though if you are, like me, an online shopper, they have it in stock at Semicolon, Chicago’s first black-woman-owned bookstore.]
But for unlettered entertainment you can’t beat "The Broads' Way," with Ginger Minj and Gidget Galore! Highly recommended.

"The Broads' Way" is playing in extended engagement through February 4 at Mercury Theatre’s Venus Cabaret.

Invictus Theatre Company, the seven-year-old storefront theatre company who this past year was one of the most honored organizations at the Non-Equity Jeff Awards and then lost its venue in a July 2023 fire, has announced a new home and a four-play season for 2024. Invictus will move to the Windy City Playhouse, the former producing company and venue that closed early last year.

Invictus’s first production at the Windy City Playhouse will be Suzan-Lori Parks's 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner "Topdog/Underdog," playing February 13 to March 31. Parks's drama of sibling rivalry will be directed by Aaron Reese Boseman, who led the Invictus productions of "The Mountaintop" and "A Raisin in the Sun." Boseman’s cast for the two-hander will be Mikha’el Amin (Dr. Martin Luther King in Invictus’s "The Mountaintop") and DeMorris Burrows (of Steppenwolf’s "1919").

It will be followed in May by another Pulitzer Prize winner — the first Chicago production of Tracy Letts’s play "August: Osage County" since the 2010 national tour that played the Cadillac Palace Theatre. This monumental drama of family dysfunction in rural Oklahoma had its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre in 2007, winning six Jeff Awards, including production of a play. It transferred to Broadway in 2008, where it won five Tony Awards, including Best Play. Invictus Artistic Director Charles Askenaizer, winner of the 2023 Jeff Award (Non-Equity Wing) for his direction of Invictus’s "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wool?" will direct. "August: Osage County" will play from May 28 to July 14.

In August, Askenaizer will also direct the Chicago premiere of Lee Hall’s adaptation of the Academy-Award-winning "Network." Hall’s adaptation of the screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky premiered in London in 2017 and opened on Broadway in 2018. The story concerns a network television anchorman who is fired for his declining ratings but becomes embraced by the public as a symbol of their collective angst. Chayefsky’s 1976 screenplay was prescient in its foretelling of television’s adoption of reality-based programming and exploitation of grievances. "Network" will run from August 13 to September 29.  

Invictus will continue its tradition of presenting intimate productions of Shakespeare with its season-closing presentation of "Macbeth," the Bard’s tale of the seductive nature of power that combines Scottish history with magical realism. The tragedy’s three witches who warn Macbeth about his future will make their first appearance just before Halloween, with previews beginning on October 29 and playing through December 15.

"Macbeth" will be directed by Sarafina Vecchio, a Chicago-based actor, director, and educator who is an adjunct faculty member of The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Vecchio holds a Post Graduate Award in Teaching Shakespeare from The University of Warwick (in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company) in Coventry, England and has been a guest instructor to Ontario, Canada's Stratford Festival. Chicago Stage and Screen praised Vecchio’s text coaching for Invictus’s "Julius Caesar" for being “as modern sounding as your favorite political podcast. You have heard these speeches before but never like this. This is a Caesar for everyone.”

Askenaizer says, “We’re looking forward to returning to production with another season of powerful, emotional dramas. We will take full advantage of the flexible space in our new home at Windy City Playhouse to develop creative staging for our shows.”

Invictus Theatre Company has been one of the most notable success stories among Chicago’s storefront theatres in spite of the challenges facing the theater community in recent years. When the pandemic shut down in-person performances just three years after the company’s founding, they responded with a thrillingly intimate Zoom production of ‘NIGHT, MOTHER. They returned from the pandemic by acquiring their own space – the former Jackalope Frontier Theater – which they renamed in honor of the late founding company member Reginald Vaughn. In that space, they continued to build a reputation for intimate and honest interpretations of classics with fidelity to the original texts and close attention to character development. The company’s extraordinarily successful 2021-22 season netted the company five Jeff Awards for its 13 nominations.

The company continued its upward trajectory during its 2022-23 season. That season began with intimate, yet full-scale stagings of the epics "Julius Caesar" and "The Crucible" along with the two-hander "The Mountaintop." Buzz Center Stage’s Wesley David said in reviewing "Julius Caesar," “Invictus Theatre Company is quickly becoming one of my favorite venues in Chicago,” and of "The Mountaintop" said “They constantly exceed their reach. I have to remind myself this is a storefront theatre.” The Chicago Reader said of "The Crucible," "This is a production that grabs an audience in the first seconds, pulls us in, and doesn’t let go until the final lights go out.”

Tickets for Invictus's 2024 season will be available soon at www.invictustheatreco.com

“Mother Courage and her Children,” written in 1939 by German playwright Bertolt Brecht has been a challenging play for me, and having seen it prior to this Trap Door Theatre production, I wondered why, along with “Threepenny Opera” (1928), it is so popular among theater companies and actors.

But I figured if anyone could make this thing work, it would be Trap Door, and I am delighted to report that they have, in the production which opened this week at their magical space on Cortland Avenue. Directed by Max Truax in a translation by Eric Bentley, “Mother Courage” is accessible, intelligible, entertaining and compelling.

Holly Cerny gives a tour de force performance as Mother Courage, on stage continuously and called to sing, dance, and haul a canteen wagon. Her character is based on a real-life operator of a canteen supplying soldiers in the 30 years war in Europe in the 17th century. More than 4.5 million soldiers died in the prolonged religious conflict, but for Mother Courage and her young adult children, the war means their livelihood. Her two sons, Swiss Cheese (Rashaad A. Bond) and Eilef (Bill Gordon) are conscripted, further entrenching Mother Courage in the battles.

Eventually as peace dawns, Mother Courage is distressed that her means of income will be ended. She has lost a son who was court-martialed for stealing army funds at her behest. Another dies after killing a leader whose death reignites the war. In other words, she is a contemptible character - but the audience bears witness to this chicanery without empathy for Mother Courage or her brood, an approach in this style of Epic absurdist plays that Brecht intended.

Instead, Brecht is asking the audience to hear a statement about war, and the economics that underpin the interests of participants. All this, with song and dance - more macabre than delightful; and sung with the wry humor of cabaret. All the cast is notably good in adopting the non-naturalistic style Brecht intended: Kevin Webb is the cook; Joan Nahid as Mother Courage’s mute daughter Katrin; Caleb Jenkins as the Chaplain; Nena Martins as Yvette; and Tricia Rogers as a Soldier/Officer. We connect with these characters as totems for the forces of war they represent.

Set design by J. Michael Griggs, lighting by Richard Norwood, sound design by Dan Poppen, props by David Lovejoy and music by Jonathan Guillen combine to give an expressive force to the production. Periodically, supra titles let us know where we are in Mother Courage’s adventure - a really good touch, though they were sometimes obscured by the actors on stage. Perhaps they could be placed higher on the backdrop.
Trap Door Theatre, squeezed behind a Mabel’s Table restaurant at 1655 W. Cortland in Chicago (near Ashland Avenue), has over its 30 years taken on the most venturesome and challenging absurdist plays, and that makes it a true treasure. “Mother Courage and her Children” runs through February 24 at Trap Door Theatre. 

*Extended through March 9th