Items filtered by date: June 2026

Ser o no ser   esa es la cuestión

We are all familiar with Shakespeare’s iconic line: to be or not to be; famous enough that it doesn’t need the projected English supertitles to be recognized. This adaptation of the celebrated play is written and directed by Chela De Ferrari, in company with the eight actors from Teatro La Plaza: Octavio Bernaza, Jaime Cruz, Lucas DeMarchi, Manuel Garcia, Diana Gutierrez, Cristina Leon Barandiaran, Ximena Rodriguez, and Alvaro Toledo.

Teatro La Plaza, in partnership with the Chicago Latino Theatre Alliance, brings this production of HAMLET all the way from Lima Peru. This company of eight extraordinary artists explores the central theme of identity through their personal experiences as people with Down’s Syndrome. “I am not the same as you” resounds through the production, not as a theme of alienation but as a way to better understand the complex reality of being human. How Hamlet defines himself in a world that he is held apart from is explored through dance and song, humor and passion, bringing modern perspectives to the ancient play.  

The play is presented in several disparate and unique formats, incorporating pantomime and music, stagecraft and film. The cast is a true ensemble; all eight performers inhabit the title character of Hamlet at some point in the production, yet we are never confused, for all speak of their similar experiences with inclusion and discrimination.  “I am not the same as you” is not a lament but a celebration of uniqueness, a fusion of modern lived experience with 450-year-old words.

The screen behind the actors comes alive with unexpected images: from a graphic film of a baby’s birth to a question-and-answer session with Sir Ian McKellan about his interpretation and portrayal of Hamlet. Video Technician Dennis Hilario smoothly incorporates myriad visual effects throughout, complementing the brilliant cast performances.

In addition to the marvelous tutorial with Sir Ian (who must have reveled in the unique opportunity!), the cast appraises Laurence Olivier’s majestic performance, reminding us that the character of Hamlet is traditionally played by an iconic theatrical master. Writer-Director Chela De Ferrari boldly chose to assign that role to actors historically excluded from artistic and intellectual spaces, provoking us to experience Hamlet’s famous question, “Ser o no ser” personally and in real time.

De Ferrari developed the script with the cast over the course of a year, incorporating the actors’ personal experiences as people with Down Syndrome. The result combines Shakespeare’s 450-year-old verse with private anecdotes from the actors’ lives, adding a modern twist with music (Vocal Training, Alessandra Rodriguez), dance (choreography, Mirella Carbone) and video projections (Visuals Director Lucho Soldevilla). ‘To be or not to be’ is not spoken once by a single designated ‘Hamlet’; all the performers offer their own interpretation of the line via their personal struggles for existence. We learn how they, like Hamlet, strive to claim space in a world that deliberately overlooks them. Says De Ferrari, “Everywhere we go, audiences experience something beyond what they expected. Some arrive anticipating a ‘social project’ or an ‘amateur production’ but leave artistically and intellectually challenged.”

Central to the audience experience is the theme of joy, an emotion not typically associated with Hamlet. The play is a revenge tragedy, exploring despair, grief, and vengeance, and is well known for its many deaths, yet these imaginative Peruvian artists transform it into a celebration of life. Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Edward Hall described it as ‘sunshine in a bottle’.

The play is performed in Spanish with projected English supertitles; the one aspect of this wonderful production that I had issues with. I found it difficult to read; the projected lines were too small and often not bright enough. BUT – do NOT let this observation keep you from attending HAMLET. Several people (including me) pointed out the difficulties to the crew and I have no doubt that lighting directors Marvin Calle and Jesus Reyes are addressing them.

Whether you’ve seen HAMLET onstage or not, you owe it to yourself to see this production of Shakespeare’s most famous play. The entirety of the plot is preserved, the most celebrated lines retained (“get thee to a nunnery!”), augmented and enlivened by the actors’ own experiences.

HAMLET plays at the Chciago Shakespeare Theatrer through March 23.

Very Highly Recommended!

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago announces 16 by Red Clay Dance Company for three performances only, April 17-19, 2025, featuring Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn Sanders-Ward (‘02)’s new staging of Written on the Flesh and a premiere by Bebe Miller—commissioned and set on Red Clay Dance Company dancers including Columbia alumni Amaya Arroyo (‘23) and Celeste Brace (‘23).

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit dance.colum.edu/events/2025/4/17/red-clay-dance-company.

Season 51 welcomes the return to the Dance Center of two extraordinary dance artists who have significantly impacted the dance ecosystem in Chicago and beyond—Bebe Miller and Vershawn Sanders-Ward. New York- and Ohio-based Miller was dubbed a “MoMing Sensation” by the Chicago Tribune in 1986 when she first performed in Chicago at MoMing Dance and Arts Center. Miller made her Dance Center debut at the original Uptown location in 1990 as part of Present Vision/Past Voice – The African American Tradition in Modern Dance series and returned in 1999 for the Changing Channels Festival where then-undergraduate Vershawn Sanders-Ward first experienced her work. From 2005 through 2020, the Dance Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and Links Hall all presented Miller in Chicago. Sanders-Ward founded Red Clay Dance Company in Chicago in 2009 and began making a local, national and international name for herself. Sanders-Ward returned to her alma mater for Red Clay Dance Company’s collaboration with Uganda-based Keiga Dance Company in 2018. During the pandemic, the South Loop Spark Plug incubator residency at the Dance Center commissioned four Chicago-based choreographers, including Sanders-Ward, to premiere new works in 2022 that were developed over a 6-month period with Miller serving as an artistic process mentor. 16 is the latest opportunity for Chicago to experience these two artists at the Dance Center.

“Vershawn Sanders-Ward and Bebe Miller are shining examples of continued, never-ending dedication to the field, to process, to inquiry, to continuing to investigate,” says Dance Center Artistic Director Meredith Sutton.

Tickets for Red Clay Dance Company’s 16 at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago (1306 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago) are now available for $30, with non-Columbia student tickets available for $10. Performances are Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. (includes post-performance Q&A with Bebe Miller and Vershawn Sanders-Ward); Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit dance.colum.edu/events/2025/4/17/red-clay-dance-company.

Displayed int he lobby will be an archive of Red Clay Dance Company’s16 years in partnership with the Chicago Dance History Project for audiences to view before the show and during intermission.

Alongside the performances, advanced/professional dancers and students can take a masterclass with Bebe Miller at Red Clay Dance Company (808 E. 63rd Street, Chicago) on Thursday, April 17. Tickets are available for $30 HERE. A workshop with Vershawn Sanders-Ward will also be held at the Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago (1306 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago) on Friday, March 7 at 10:30 a.m.

When Written on the Flesh first premiered in 2016 at Chicago’s DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, it had been sparked by a Ta-Nehisi Coates’ 2014 essay in The Atlantic where he wrote: “elegant racism is invisible, supple, and enduring.” In developing the dance work, Vershawn Sanders-Ward and the Red Clay Dance Company dancers were struck by how memories of direct, in-your-face bigotry were easy to call up and respond to, “But some of the underpinnings of the things that we just move through in our lives become a way of living,” says Sanders-Ward. “They are actually invisibilized. I was intrigued about how to make those things visible.”

This 2025 restaging takes the inquiry deeper, drawing additional inspiration from Isabel Wilkerson’s 2020 book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents: “As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.” Reimagining the work with the current dancers in the company, Sanders-Ward seeks to confront systemic racial inequities while searching for resilience, forgiveness, and love.

“There are systemic issues that we still don’t have the courage to really lay bare,” says Sanders-Ward. “Even when it’s bubbling up there’s still this powerful dynamic to suppress and suppress and suppress, not let’s address it head on no matter how disruptive it’s going to be. We see pockets of it. But are we willing to let it all come out?”

“The relationships that I have now in the field are because of the time that I was at the Dance Center and the generosity of the faculty in making connections for me,” says Sanders-Ward. “I feel very blessed to be in a position to put the dancers in the company in relationship with Bebe Miller, an artist who is just legendary to me, but is also still on her own creative journey.” says Sanders-Ward. “It’s a homecoming to be able to be incubated in a space and go away and to come back at this pivotal moment.”

About 16’s Choreographers

A native New Yorker, Bebe Miller first performed her choreography at NYC’s Dance Theater Workshop in 1978. She formed Bebe Miller Company in 1985 to pursue her interest in finding a physical language for the human condition. Committed to keeping dance available to a wide spectrum of people and to further the conversation about the role of arts and creativity in our culture, Miller is dedicated to providing access to the creative process and expression to diverse communities. She has created more than 50 dance works for the company and has been commissioned and presented by 651 ARTS, BAM Next Wave, DTW, Jacob’s Pillow, Joyce Theater, PICA, REDCAT, Walker Art Center, and Wexner Center for the Arts among others. Her choreography has been performed by Kyle Abraham’s A.I.M. (Abraham In Motion), Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Oregon Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, Philadanco, Salt Lake City’s Repertory Dance Theater, the UK’s Phoenix Dance Company, PACT Dance Company of Johannesburg, South Africa, and at a host of colleges and universities including the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago. Named a Master of African AmericanChoreography by the Kennedy Center in 2005, Bebe has been a Movement Research honoree, has received four New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” awards, the David R. White Award from New York Live Arts, United States Artists and Guggenheim Fellowships, honorary doctorates from Ursinus College and Franklin & Marshall College, and is one of the inaugural class of Doris Duke Artist Award recipients. Bebe is a Distinguished Professor Emerita in The Ohio State University’s Department of Dance and lives in Columbus, OH. bebemillercompany.org

The Founding Artistic Director& CEO of Red Clay Dance Company, Vershawn Sanders-Ward blends elements of African diasporic dance forms with modern techniques and is committed to reshaping the landscape of contemporary dance while driving social change. Through Red Clay Dance Company, she provides a platform for artists of diverse backgrounds to explore issues of identity, race, and social justice through dance and ARTIVISM. Her work has been presented in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, The Yard at Martha’s Vineyard, and internationally in Toronto, Dakar and Kampala and commissioned by Columbia College Chicago, Northwestern University, Knox College, AS220, and the National Theatre in Uganda. On the Board of Trustees for Dance/USA, Sanders-Ward is President of the Board of Directors for the Black Arts & Cultural Alliance of Chicago, was selected as a Community Impact Fellow for the Harvard Business School Club of Chicago and as a member of the inaugural Obama Foundation Summit for Emerging Global Leaders. She is the recipient of the inaugural Walder Foundation Platform Award, Dance/USA Artist Fellowship, Dance/USA Leadership Fellowship, Chicago Dancemakers Forum Award, and 3Arts Award. She was featured on the 2024 Chicago episode of the PBS series "The Expressway with Dulé Hill, "named a 2024 Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Tribune, and inducted into Newcity’s “Players 50: People Who Really Perform for Chicago” Hall of Fame in 2023. Sanders-Ward is a candidate for Dunham Certification and currently serves on faculty at Loyola University of Chicago. She holds an MFA in Dance from New York University and is the first recipient of a BFA in Dance from  Columbia College Chicago, where she was a Gates Millennium Scholar. redclaydance.com

About Red Clay Dance Company

Red Clay Dance Company, Chicago’s premier Afro-contemporary dance company, is the brainchild of Vershawn Sanders-Ward, the institutions’ Founding Artistic Director & CEO. The touring company is an award-winning ensemble of versatile and dynamic dance Artivists that tour and perform locally, nationally, and internationally. In its 16-year history the company has toured and performed in venues such as the Harris Theater for Music & Dance, Dance Center of Columbia College, the DuSable Museum Roundhouse, the Museum of Contemporary Art, ODC Theater, Dance Mission Theater, The Painted Bride, Joyce Soho, and the National Theater of Uganda. Committed to taking their signature Artivism in Motion from the stage into learning environments, its community engagement work is a vital part of the company’s creative process and village building work.

About The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago

Within the School of Theatre and Dance, the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago is home to the Dance program and the Dance Presenting Series. Valuing embodied human expression, nurturing an expansive understanding of dance from the established to the experimental, and centering pluralism, the Dance Center aims to be a nucleus for innovation and creativity—on stage, in the classroom, and beyond. By partnering with local, national, and international dance artists dedicated to transforming the field, the Dance Presenting Series offers live performances and other shared opportunities for students, faculty, artists, and audiences to connect, witness, research, experiment, practice, imagine, and grow. We cultivate an environment and culture that prioritizes respect for self and others, and advances an anti-racist, equitable, and just society.

Season 51 is supported in part by Alphawood Foundation, Chicago International Puppet Theatre Festival, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Illinois Arts Council, Kalapriya Center for Indian Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Red Clay Dance Company, and The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Additional support for She’s Auspicious is provided by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

About Columbia College Chicago

Located in the heart of downtown Chicago’s Cultural Mile, Columbia College Chicago is a private, nonprofit college offering a distinctive curriculum that blends creative and media arts, liberal arts, and business for nearly 6,700 students in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Dedicated to academic excellence and long-term career success, Columbia College Chicago creates a dynamic, challenging, and collaborative space for students who see the world through a creative lens.

Following a string of successful shows, Music Theater Works has once again hit the jackpot with their 2025 season opener, Guys and Dolls. This delightful production is currently wowing audiences at the North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. With infectious tunes and clever lyrics by Frank Loesser, and a sharp script by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, the show is skillfully directed by Sasha Gerritson. Add to that the vibrant choreography by Clayton Cross and the expert musical direction by Linda Madonia, and you've got a performance that's guaranteed to keep you coming back for more!

Guys and Dolls is a timeless musical comedy that transports audiences to the bustling streets of 1950s New York City. The plot centers around the dynamic lives of several characters, particularly Nathan Detroit, a gambler running an underground dice game, and his enduring fiancée, Miss Adelaide, a nightclub singer longing for Nathan to finally marry her. To fund his next game, Nathan bets Sky Masterson, a high-stakes gambler, that he can't charm Sarah Brown, a virtuous mission worker. Sky takes up the challenge, and through a series of delightful and engaging interactions, he gradually wins Sarah's heart.

As the story unfolds, the characters become woven into a rich tapestry of love, deceit, and redemption. Sarah uncovers Sky's original motives but forgives him as they both realize their deepening love for each other. Meanwhile, Nathan's efforts to keep his dice game hidden lead to a blend of comedic and thrilling situations. The musical reaches a heartwarming and joyous climax, with Nathan marrying Adelaide and Sky and Sarah starting a promising new chapter together. Featuring memorable songs, lively dance routines, and a touching storyline, Guys and Dolls remains a beloved and timeless treasure in the world of musical theatre.

This well-cast ensemble driven production has an array of bright and talented actors that make this such a memorable adventure. Callen Roberts finesses the role of Nathan Detroit to perfection - a gambler who runs an illegal dice game and is engaged to Miss Adelaide. Roberts truly embraces his fast-talking, hustling persona, transforming the character into one of the show's key anchors and a standout presence. Jeffrey Charles is spot on as Sky Masterson, the suave gambler who wagers he can charm Sarah Brown, while Kristin Brintnall steals the spotlight as Miss Adelaide, Nathan's fiancée. Her blend of comedic timing and stellar vocals brings the nightclub singer's longing for a settled life to life brilliantly. Cecilia Iole shines Sarah Brown, a mission worker who becomes the object of Sky's bet but eventually falls for him. Iole’s vocals are nothing short of spectacular. A round of applause also goes out to the rest of the ensemble, who contribute to making this musical the delightful experience it is meant to be. Andrew Freeland brings down the house as Big Julie, serving up some of the show’s biggest belly laughs. Shoutouts are also well-earned by Ian Reed, Carey Lovett, Caron Buinis, Bob Sanders, and Peter Ruger, who each bring their own flair to the stage. And let’s not forget the dazzling Hot Box Girls—Jenny Couch, Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor, Emily Holland, and Emma Jean Eastland—who light up the stage with their sensational moves. These ladies can really dance! The entire cast? Absolutely top-notch.

(L to R) Jenny Couch, Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor, Kristin Brintnall, Emily Holland and Emma Jean Eastland in GUYS AND DOLLS, from Music Theater Works.

One of my absolute favorite things about the show was its incredible Times Square neighborhood set—it felt like you were right in the heart of the action! But what truly stole the spotlight was the eight-piece band playing up above for everyone to admire. Talk about a show-stopping touch! Equally impressive was how choreographer Clayton Cross utilized the stage space to accommodate such a large cast, creating a busy New York feel with heavy people traffic and such elaborate dance numbers.

Guys and Dolls is a must-see production that brings the vibrant streets of 1950s New York City to life with its captivating characters and delightful musical numbers. With unforgettable songs like "Luck Be a Lady," “A Bushel and a Peck,” and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat," this show is guaranteed to have you tapping your toes and humming along. Don't miss the chance to experience the magic, humor, and heart of this timeless classic—it's a theatrical gem that promises an evening of pure entertainment!

This might be the first production of the year, but plenty of action lies ahead for Music Theater Works. The 45th season lineup also features the following upcoming shows: Fiddler on the Roof from August 7 to 17, Godspell from October 23 to November 16, and Annie from December 18, 2025, to January 4, 2026.

Guys and Dolls is currently being performed at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie and runs through March 30^th. For tickets and/or more show information, visit www.MusicTheaterWorks.com.

Highly Recommended!

Featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/

Two dancers stand center stage. The traditional, spiritual music begins to play as they start to move. Very much in unison, and slowly in time with the rhythm. We are in the first segment of Revelations - “Pilgrim of Sorrow.” The first two segments were larger group numbers, but this one feels different.

“Fix Me, Jesus” features a duet, and as the song continues, Ailey’s choreography only heightens. Just when you might think the pure strength on stage cannot become more mesmerizing, the dancers wow you with yet another move. The male dancer dips the female to the stage with little more support than his hand on her head. Then he lifts her into the air with his feet, and she continues to amaze with kick after kick – holding her extension at full height for multiple seconds at a time.  Each acrobatic feat elicited cheers from this opening night audience and even brought some to their feet upon the number’s completion.

Alvin Ailey’s company is full of so many incredible dancers. Every number showcased impressive talent that left the eager audience wanting more. However, you just might find that what pushes these numbers over the top is the clear connection that the performers not only share with each other, but also the material. Whether it’s a large group number or a duet like “Fix Me, Jesus,” there is an emotional resonance to each of the pieces that pushes the storytelling over the top.

Helmed by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s tour to the Auditorium Theater showcases a range of material. Long-time fans of the company (like myself) are sure to recognize some of the famous pieces – such as Revelations. This particular performance also sprinkled in some of the newer pieces from the company – including Grace and Finding Free. Each piece was stunning, and from the uproars of applause from the surrounding audience, it was clear I was not alone in my assessment.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Hope Boykin's Finding Free.

Cry was certainly a favorite at this performance, and it’s not hard to see why. Alvin Ailey choreographed this piece as a birthday present to his mother back in 1971, and as noted in the program, it continues to serve as a celebration of “black women everywhere – especially our mothers.” With costumes by A. Christina Giannini, the women on stage wear long, flowing white skirts that twirl and sway with every movement. Particularly when combined with the blue of Chenault Spence’s lighting design, the women almost feel angelic. So much of this performance was met with cheers and standing ovations, but this particular number left audience members silent – clearly leaning into the heartfelt, emotional depth of the piece.

As much as the slower, heavier pieces stood out, you might find that it is hard to top the pure joy that exudes from the final installment of Revelations - “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.” This number is a full-ensemble moment – with each member dressed up to the nines for a church service. With the men in suits and the women carrying fans, they dance in unison and are clearly having a blast as the music moves through them. Audience members, swept along in the passion, even began to clap along to the music – which only invited the smiles on the dancers to grow.

Full of talent and delight, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s performance simply does not disappoint. Whether you are a long-time fan or completely new to the company, there’s a little something for everyone.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s run at the Auditorium Theater (50 East Ida B. Wells Drive) ended on Sunday, March 9. See the Auditorium Theatre website for  information on other performances in their season. 

*You can also find this review featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/.

Prolific, and routinely recognized as being one of the most produced playwrights in the country, Lauren Gunderson’s range is as impressive as the quality and popularity of her work.  Inspiration for her plays often springs from things she loves, with history and science at the top of the list.  They can also arise from sheer curiosity or when she notices a subject matter void.  I and You can be said to fall in both latter categories.  Now playing in Lake Forest’s Citadel Theatre, it burrows into the lives of people we don’t see enough on the theatrical stage, the young.  By centering on youth, she gives us an opportunity to better understand ourselves from a rarely observed perspective. 

In I and You, a genetic condition diagnosed at birth has Caroline (Amia Korman), now 17, homebound.  She used to be able to go to school, but the progression of her illness now has her doing remote learning exclusively.  With a wonderful wall of photographs and images covering its back wall, a not too frilly bedroom and her stuffed turtle make up her universe.  The only human contact she has is with her mother; someone we never see.  Understandably, she’s both surprised and alarmed when Anthony (Jay Westbrook) bursts into her room after a perfunctory knock on the door looking for help with a homework assignment.  Directed by Scott Shallenbarger, it’s a tense encounter.  Anthony’s Black, and there’s a tinge of racial fear detectable in the scene.  But through it we get a baseline on the character of these two young people; or at least on how they relate to other people.

Caroline’s prickly, defensive and sharp-tongued.  We soon detect too that she’s angry about not having a normal teenage life and psychologically weary of waking up to the possibility of imminent death every morning of her life.  Anthony’s just a regular pleasant teenager intent on getting an assignment done.  Sports, other interests and procrastination have put him behind the eight ball and, with the assignment due the next day, he’s a little anxious.  When he lets slip that he volunteered to team with Caroline on this project, he’s compelled to admit he did so because she was a topic of curiosity at their school, and he wanted to meet her.  Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is the assignment and, despite being an avid B-baller, Anthony’s a big fan of Whitman’s poetry.  Beautiful and still groundbreaking 170 years after it was originally published, Whitman’s classic looms large over the entire play.  So much so you might find yourself checking your bookshelves for a copy when you get home to reacquaint yourself with the poet’s seminal genius.

Gunderson’s writing and Shallenbarger’s direction perfectly capture the almost exasperatingly rapid speed and quirky fluidity of teenage-ese.  Well matched in its fluency, Caroline and Anthony also happen to be very intelligent and willing, once trust is gained, to speak candidly to one another.  Something not easily done with someone who’s accustomed to closing herself off from a world that hasn’t given her much to believe in.  What Caroline doesn’t want is pity, especially in the form of reflexive or obligatory niceness.  It’s the reason she initially closes the door to kindness of any type from Anthony. 

Picking up cues from the way Anthony talks about his father, his love of jazz and his interaction with girls, she feels he has it all.  It’s a notion he quickly disabuses her of by revealing personal flaws and confessing to missteps he’s taken that bring balance to her perception of him.  Flashes of vulnerability that they both share lead to frank, thoroughly absorbing dialogues about death.  When she confesses her dream of being a photographer and travelling the world, and then demurs saying she knows it’s all fantasy, it's Anthony’s turn to bristle by demanding she “stare it down and don’t give up”.   Both young actors display a natural and refined intuition for their craft. The deeper their roles take them, the greater their appeal as they invest an uncanny honesty into their characters.  As they disclose more and more about themselves, barriers between them begin to quietly tumble.  Something that they both notice, resist, slowly accept and finally embrace. 

As with so many who share her craft, displaying the universal need for connection between people was a conscious goal of the playwright in I and You.  That the two characters be of different races or ethnic backgrounds was a casting condition for Gunderson in this play as well.  As the playwright has noted, it’s reflective of the real world and doing so created a silent but constant reminder of the arbitrary boundaries we create between ourselves.   As Caroline and Anthony gain deeper insights into each other, and as they explore together the wonders and possibilities Whitman’s words engender, the barriers separating them, including that of race, fade like a mist.  They quite unconsciously begin to focus on what they have in common.  An affection that only deep understanding arouses begins to germinate, preceding an ending that’s so startling it makes some people gasp. A shock that prods us to take stock of ourselves and the world we live in through a more illuminating and expansive light. 

Unobtrusive yet discreetly distinctive, David Solotke’s set design held insinuating touches that added notes of mystery to the play and Jodi Williams’ lighting during pivotal moments amplified its drama in hugely rewarding ways.  Paired with an exemplary story, very fine acting and discerning sure direction, Citadel’s production of I and You is a delight that can be savored long after the lights come up. 

I and You

Through March 23, 2025

Citadel Theatre

300 S. Waukegan Road

Lake Forest, IL  60045

https://www.citadeltheatre.org/

*You can also find this review featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/.

Do not bring the kids to TITUS ANDRONICUS; it has 14 killings, 9 of them on stage, 6 severed members, 1 rape (or 2 or 3, depending on how you count), 1 live burial, 1 case of insanity and 1 of cannibalism – an average of 5.2 atrocities per act. We’re talking kung-fu, sword-fu, spear-fu, dagger-fu, arrow-fu, pie-fu … heads roll, hands roll, tongues roll, nine and a half quarts of blood flow – pretty gruesome, even for Shakespeare. We were offered seats within or outside the ‘splash zone’; we chose the former (of course) and were duly splashed.

TITUS ANDRONICUS, Shakespeare's bloodiest script, brings prejudice and the politics of revenge to the forefront – timely and apt, yeah? TITUS ANDRONICUS is one of the Bard’s lesser-known plays; co-adaptors Dusty Brown, Caroline Kidwell and Jordan Gleaves showed courage and foresight in bringing this controversial story to the stage and are rewarded by the aptness of this story to 2025 America. Prejudice and revenge? Yeah.

Redtwist Theatre is one of Chicago’s signature black box venues; its mission is to ‘create searing hot drama that builds empathy, dissects cruelty, and reveals broader truths.’ Their tiny black box venue becomes a thematic asset (TITUS ANDRONICUS seated 20), every show tailored to close the gap between actor and audience – literally and figuratively – adding ‘a little red twist’ to every production by exploring the violence inherent in our humanity.

Fine aspirations but challenging to realize. Redtwist was recently renovated, though We aim to create brave spaces, where listening and learning can take place.

The cast was phenomenal, as is to be expected in Chicago’s rich thespian environs.  Anne Sheridan Smith in the title role maintained their martial dynamism through a score of brutal spectacles, as did Sabine Wan as their sister Marcus. Caroline Kidwell personified the heroism of their mutilated daughter Lavinia while Philip C. Matthews was a compelling Lucius, sole surviving progeny of the Andronicus line.

On the other side of the conflict, Laura Sturm was redoubtable as Titus Andronicus’ captive Tamora, Queen of the Goths; the Emperor Saturninus (Joshua Servantez) is sufficiently impressed to marry and make her Empress, abjuring his engagement to Titus’ daughter Lavinia. This delights his brother Bassianus (Madelyn Loehr), who is in love with and betrothed to Lavinia.

Are you still following this? Iambic pentameter is challenging enough without so convoluted a plotline. The talents of Text Coach Meredith Ernst Maryfield were absolutely vital!

Meanwhile, back at the Emperor’s palace, Empress Tamora gives birth to a baby whose dark skin proves he was fathered, not by the Emperor but by the lowborn (not to mention Black) Aaron (James Lewis). Aaron is devoted to the infant, in stark contrast to his unrelenting inclination for inciting evil. He helps Tamora’s sons Chiron (Elijah Newman) and Demetrius (Quinn Leary) foil their brother Bassianus by capturing Lavinia, gang-raping her, and cutting away her tongue and hands to prevent her identifying them.

Tamora arrays herself as Vengeance and appears to Titus Andronicus with her sons, disguised as Murder and Rapine. Undeceived (and understandably, vexed by their pillage of Lavinia), Titus sends ‘Vengeance’ away, retaining ‘Murder’ and ‘Rapine’, both of whom he kills. He invites Tamora and Saturninus to a banquet and, after they’ve scarfed down every bite, reveals that the pie he served was made with the hearts of Demetrius and Chiron.

Once Tamora has eaten her fill of scion pie, he kills both her and (for some reason) his own daughter Lavinia. A rash of killings ensues, leaving alive only Marcus, Lucius, Young Lucius, and Aaron. Lucius has Aaron buried alive and Tamora's corpse thrown to the beasts and having thus demonstrated his fitness for office, he becomes the new Emperor, promising to Make Rome Great Again. The people of Rome refuse to accept it and march en-mass on the nation’s Capital … oops, sorry; that’s 2025; Lucius Andronicus took the throne in … well, TITUS ANDRONICUS is fictional so we can’t be sure, but we can be sure that history repeats itself.

Redtwist’s creative team makes all of this work, from Director Dusty Brown with Assistant Andie Dae to Stage Managers Eliot Colin, Raine DeDominici, and Ashley O’Neill.  I was deeply impressed with Scenic Designer Eric Luchen’s set: austere, even spartan, it accommodated the script’s complex depredations and treated most spectators to contact with a corpse if not baptism in blood. I loved Costume Designer kClare McKellaston’s fusion of modern and bling. Michael Dias’ gruesomely convincing stage combat was perfectly balanced by Intimacy Director Erin Sheets; powerful even at very close contact.

If you’d like to follow (another) depraved empire crumble from within, TITUS ANDRONICUS is for you. But let me repeat:  do not bring the kids!

TITUS ANDRONICUS plays at Redtwist Theatre through March 30.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!  By Sarz Maxwell

*Extended through April 6th

*You can also find this review featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/.

‘Hedda Gabler’ has mystified audiences for generations, as this was certainly Ibsen’s intention when creating this endlessly fascinating character. The Artistic Home transforms the Den Theatre into 1890s Norway for their production of Irish playwright Mark O’Rowe’s 2015 adaptation of ‘Hedda Gabler’. Under Monica Payne’s direction, this contemporary-voiced retelling is diabolically humorous.

Any production of ‘Hedda Gabler’ is only as good as their Hedda. In Brookelyn Hebert, Monica Payne has a frighteningly self-assured Hedda who is insatiably fun to watch. Flanked by Todd Wocjik as Jorge Tesman and John Mossman as Judge Brack, Hebert plays both the conqueror and conquered with hot tempered fluidity.

Ibsen, like Chekhov, helped usher in a new era of modern theatre that would inspire 20th century playwrights like Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill. With focus on the doldrums of a waning aristocracy, Ibsen captures the everyday hopes and disappointments of his characters in scenes that feel as relevant today as when they were written.

What makes ‘Hedda Gabler’ unique is the myriads of ways a director and an actress can approach the title role. Ibsen’s play is somewhat vague so that audiences and theater makers are free to go with their own interpretation of what motivates Hedda.

In this new version by Mark O’Rowe, many of the Easter eggs Ibsen drops throughout the play are further expanded upon so that audiences have even more context for Hedda’s past and present. In Rowe’s version, Hedda is quicker to anger and more self-aware than in previous iterations. An angrier Hedda shows the brewing hostility of a woman trapped by society, which makes her downfall all the more tragic.

Time seems to fly with O’Rowe’s modern language. Instead of literary innuendo, characters are free to discuss sexuality and substance abuse with more directness. Two and a half hours can feel long for a classic melodrama, but this script has a lot of juicy scene work to keep audiences on the edge of their seat, even if they know what’s going to happen next.

Plays like ‘Hedda Gabler’ do exactly what good plays should, and that is to ask why. As mentioned before, Ibsen purposefully did not provide just one reason for Hedda’s actions, rather he planted many seeds so that nobody can really be sure, opening the door for riveting conversations.

The Artistic Home’s production of ‘Hedda Gabler’ is a good reminder of why classics should be seen every so often. Though the modernized script takes some interesting liberties, and can become a bit meandering in parts, overall Ibsen’s points are well preserved. However, it’s fairly unlikely that high society folks would speak in expletives the way they are in O’Rowe’s script. Still, this production is faithful in its interpretation of the limits of courage. In the end, despite Ibsen’s Easter eggs, this is a play about one woman’s courage to go against the grain of society.

Through March 23 at The Artistic Home at The Den. 1331 N Milwaukee Ave. 773-697-3830

Sugar, butter, flour…beneath the flaky layers and buttery crusts of pies lay these three simple ingredients. They’re mixed and blended together to form the foundation of endless possibilities to what it could become, pecan, blueberry, or apple pies, cutie pies, sweetie pies, or humble pies. It’s nice to remember that it’s often the simplest things that can bring us so much joy. Like a simple story of a humble pie maker dreaming of a better life, like the story of Waitress, now playing at Paramount Theatre.

Sugar, butter, flour. These aren’t the only ingredients Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker, uses to make her famous pies. Stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage, Jenna unexpectedly becomes pregnant and then finds acceptance and love in the most unexpected place. Hoping to bake her way out of her troubles, she puts her heart and soul into her unique pies, winning over anyone who tastes them. But while battling expectations and self-esteem issues, Jenna’s delicious pies reflect her state of mind with names like I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie and Where There’s A Whisk There’s A Way Pie. Each of us will find something relatable in Jenna’s struggles and triumphs. Full of romance and the joy of an uninhibited fling, Waitress challenges the story of a pregnant woman trapped in a small town between the life she’s living and the life she wants. Her customers, co-workers, and the town’s handsome new doctor may all offer her conflicting recipes for happiness, but only Jenna can do the soul-searching to decide for herself what the right ingredients are for her own happiness.

Story, talent, heart…those are the three ingredients at the heart of Paramount’s production of Waitress. The musical is based on the 2007 film of the same name with lyrics and music by Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee (and millennial icon) Sara Bareilles. Waitress made its debut in 2016, garnering four Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score with a playlist that includes “Sugar, Butter, Flour,” “What Baking Can Do,” “Club Knocked Up” and romantic tunes such as “It Only Takes a Taste” and “When He Sees Me.”

Within moments of the musical’s Chicagoland debut, it was clear why Waitress is such a cult classic. Like a pie, the storyline has multiple sweet and wholesome layers, but also rocky layers that, for some, are difficult to digest. Like life, sometimes the messiest things are the sweetest at its core. Despite some of the more sensitive material of the play, the incredible talent of the Paramount cast members balanced the sweet and the messy through their portrayal of hard working, tired dreamers. Featuring Michelle Lauto as Jenna, Teressa LaGamba as Becky, and Kelly Felthous as Dawn, the three performers are the production’s sugar, butter, and flour, the heart and soul of the musical blending humor with heart and soul. Jackson Evans as Ogie Jonah D. Winston as Cal, and David Moreland as Dr. Pomatter add flavor and spice to the mix to make this a delectable musical. In an era of movie and film dominated by wealth and flash and big-action, it’s refreshing to know there are productions that still center on the simple things in life. At its core, Waitress is about heart. It kneads, and rolls, and blends the simplest ingredients into a story that is both relatable and sweet, however messy the appearance might be. It’s no surprise to this theatre lover why Paramount theatre was sold out on a Friday evening.

Waitress is now playing at Paramount Theatre in Aurora (23 East Galena Boulevard Aurora, IL) through March 30^th, 2025. So grab your tickets and be sure to snag a seat in Joe’s diner before all the good slices (seats) are gone!

*You can also find this review featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/.

I’m not a fan of board games. I’ve never finished a full game of Monopoly. Risk? No, thanks. But Clue? I’ve loved it since I saw the ‘80s film version as a kid. And ever since, the movie and the game have been inseparable and intertwined in my mind.

The first time I brought my youngest child to a theater production of Clue, she was also transfixed—with the show and the game—and so we were both eager to see Broadway in Chicago’s current touring production of Clue—Live on Stage!, directed by Casey Hushion and playing at the CIBC Theatre until March 2.

First off, I forget how cozy the CIBC Theatre is. I adore each of the 1920s Rapp & Rapp palaces, and I love the much-older Auditorium the most of any Chicago venue, but the turn-of-the-century-ish Vaudevillian vibe of the once-Majestic CIBC is its own thing altogether. And it sure bundled us all in and enveloped us for an evening of murder, mystery, and maniacal merriment—just like the movie and just like the game, but playing out live.

In the film, Tim Curry is Tim Curry—the thief of any scene, the star of any moment the camera catches him—as Wadsworth does the heaviest lifting. Onstage, Wadsworth the butler carries the story and the action. Jeff Skowron’s Wadsworth received the largest and loudest ovation at show’s end, and it’s because he kills it—literally and figuratively. He makes the butler his own, and relishes with impish glee the evening of horrors he’s there to present to the six guests.

Wadsworth is joined in his service to the night’s slayings and silliness by Elisabeth Yancey as the French maid, Yvette. I recall as a boy being enamored of Yvette on the silver screen, and it’s no different all these years later. Yancey’s enamoring while still being a riot—playing the trope for all the provocativeness and physical comedy she can wrench from it.

Speaking of physical comedy (not to mention, wrenches… lead pipes, candlesticks, etc.), in all my years of attending live theater, I’ve rarely seen a physical comedian as gifted as John Shartzer, who plays Mr. Green. Shartzer’s arrival at the doorway of Boddy Manor is a flop—in the best sense of the word—and in the hour or so that follows he continues to one-up himself with slithering, scooting, being squashed, shrieking, screeching, squawking, squealing, and a really cool slo-mo scene, all while waiting to deliver the show’s coup de grace.

The other five dinner guests/game pieces are equally as memorable and enthralling. David Hess imperially bumbles and balderdashes through the evening’s proceedings. Christina Anthony’s Miss Scarlet’s the sadder but wiser woman of the night. Donna English, who originated the role of Mrs. White onstage, continues the role with calculating cool. Jonathan Spivey’s abrasive know-it-all Professor Plum might annoy his fellow houseguests, but the crowd thoroughly enjoyed him. And my daughter pointed out as soon as Joanna Glushak took the stage as Mrs. Peacock (my daughter’s favorite Clue character) that she was the “perfect Mrs. Peacock.”

Indeed, with this production’s impressive set pieces, lighting, and stage choreography—not to mention its intermission-less wham-bam runtime, and its spot-on setting during American times of distrust, untruth, and turmoil—Broadway in Chicago’s current production of Clue—Live on Stage!, at the CIBC Theatre until March 2, is a great escape.

For more info visit https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/shows/clue/.

Do not believe the hype. AI will not replace the arts. By its very definition it is artificial, the antithesis of reality; false, an illusion, an imitator. Every day we are inundated with the advent of AI, how it will not only automate manual tasks, but how it will soon write our new favorite screenplays, comic strips, news articles and fantasy novels. But mark me: AI will never be able to imitate the feeling one gets by walking into a historic opera house and seeing the grandness and majesty of the venue. AI cannot replicate the incredible resonance of an aria or replace the crescendo of a live orchestra of talented musicians. Said succinctly, AI can never encapsulate the arts, the human experience personified. Don’t believe the hype. It’s just a buzzword. And since 2025 airport rules are in effect, let’s rebrand AI to what we should all seek and be lucky enough to be in our lives: AI=Awe Inspiring. Because those are the only words that could possibly come close to describing the experience that was Sandra Radvanovsky’s incredible performance of Puccini heroines at the Lyric Opera.

Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky is a globally celebrated artist. The depth and exquisite color of her voice are matched by her dramatic acting ability and versatility. She is widely regarded as one of the premiere Verdi sopranos alive today, as well as the leading interpreter of Bel Canto, Verismo, and many others. This February, the Lyric Opera welcomed Radvanovsky back to Chicagoland with open arms as she performed several arias from Puccini’s operas. In this tour-de-force premiere, the world-renowned diva brought her magnificent voice, stylistic command, and incandescent dramatic powers to arias that spanned Puccini’s vast repertoire; favorite leading lady moments from Tosca, La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, interspersed with gorgeous melodies from Puccini's more rarely performed works, all supported by the magnificent sound of the Lyric Opera Orchestra led by Music Director Enrique Mazzola.

The moment the lights of the theatre dimmed and the conductor, Mazzola, took his place before the orchestra calling forth the first notes of classic operas, the audience was transported to another time, another world. Unhurried and unbothered by the outside world, for the briefest moment in time we were simply existing in this beautiful theatre, surrounded by lovers of music and the arts. History and art melded together and traveled to every corner of the historic opera house so not a single guest was denied the grandeur of the music. As the Chicago native took the stage, the audience was enraptured by the enchantress, captivated by Radvanovsky’s vocal prowess, and awestruck at the sheer magnitude of her performance. With light banter from the singer to segue between sets, beautiful interludes led by Mazzola, and a double-encore that left audiences wanting more, the Lyric Opera had truly set the tone for what its 2025 season promises to be, nothing short of awe-inspiring, the only true AI we should pursue in the world.

During her final performance in the limited run of Puccini’s Heroines, Radvanovsky alluded of her connection to the arias she chose to perform, remarking on the need for the arts, for love, for kindness and beauty, all the values the Lyric Opera represents through its performances, outreach, and inclusivity. In a year that attempts to erase history, eliminate the arts, and deny the exquisite pleasure of the humanities, let 2025 be the year to double down and embrace all that Chicago has to offer. With performances that celebrate poetry, music, history, and art, the Lyric Opera, located at 20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago, promises an incredible 2025 year and a reprieve from this fast-paced world. For details and tickets to future performances, please visit www.lyricopera.org with your AI (Awe-Inspiring) heart today.