Displaying items by tag: American Blues Theater

Chicago theatre‑goers have one of those rare, golden weekends where three very different companies are all firing at full power—each offering a production that hits a different part of the theatrical appetite: the intimate and unsettling, the bold and idea‑driven, and the emotionally classic. Together, Morning, Noon & Night, Pot Girls, and Come Back, Little Sheba create a kind of unofficial citywide festival of what Chicago does best: fearless storytelling, muscular performances, and theatre that actually has something to say.

Shattered Globe’s Morning, Noon & Night at Theater Wit

Shattered Globe has a knack for plays that sit right on the fault line between the personal and the political, and Morning, Noon & Night is exactly that kind of pressure cooker. It’s a story about a family unraveling in real time—funny, raw, and painfully recognizable. What makes it worth your weekend:

• Shattered Globe’s ensemble brings a lived‑in authenticity that makes the play’s emotional turns land with force.
• Theater Wit’s intimacy means you’re close enough to feel every shift in temperature between characters.
• The play’s themes—identity, addiction, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive—hit with contemporary urgency.

If you want theatre that feels like eavesdropping on a family at the exact moment everything changes, this is the one.

The Story Theatre’s Pot Girls at Raven Theatre

Directed by Ayanna Bria Bakari and written by Paul Michael Thomson, Pot Girls is the kind of world premiere Chicago audiences love to claim before it blows up elsewhere. It’s smart, messy, feminist, stoned, and deeply theatrical—an intertextual riff on Top Girls that stands entirely on its own.

Why it’s essential this weekend:

• It’s a Chicago world premiere—the kind of bold, idea‑driven new work our storefront scene is known for.
• The ensemble is electric, with performances that swing from hilarious to gut‑punching without losing momentum.
• It’s in conversation with Raven’s Top Girls, making it a rare chance to see two plays talk to each other across stages, eras, and feminist generations.
• Ayanna Bria Bakari’s direction keeps the play sharp, surprising, and emotionally alive.

If you want theatre that’s playful, political, and buzzing with creative energy, Pot Girls is the weekend’s must‑see.

American Blues Theater’s Come Back, Little Sheba

American Blues excels at reviving American classics with a clarity and compassion that makes them feel startlingly present. Come Back, Little Sheba is no museum piece—it’s a bruising, beautifully observed portrait of longing, regret, and the fragile hope that life might still change.

Reasons to go now:

• American Blues’ signature naturalism gives the play a heartbreaking immediacy.
• The production highlights the emotional intelligence of William Inge’s writing, revealing layers often lost in more traditional stagings.
• It’s a rare chance to see a mid‑century classic performed with the nuance and psychological depth it deserves.

If you’re craving a production that’s emotionally rich and quietly devastating, this is the one that will stay with you long after curtain.

It’s a weekend that shows the full spectrum of what this city’s stages can do—new work, re‑examined classics, and intimate ensemble‑driven storytelling. If you’re the kind of theatre‑goer who likes to feel plugged into the pulse of the city, this is the weekend to lean in.

With spot-on performances across a large cast, William Inge’s 1949 script for “Come Back, Little Sheba” is receiving a definitive production at American Blues Theater’s intimate Studio Theater. Those of us of a certain age had this work buried deep into our cultural formation by the searing film version starring Shirley Booth, who won the 1952 Oscar and a Tony for her earlier Broadway performance as Lola. 

This was my first time to see the stage version, and director Elyse Dolan goes back to Inge’s original script, which fits beautifully into this captivating 90 minute show (no intermission). The set by Shayna Patel closely tracks Inge’s intentions, right down to the telephone at the base of the stairs. Lighting by Brendan Marble and Sound Design by Thomas Dixon couple especially well in high throttle jazz interludes signaling scene changes or turning points in the plot. And those costumes (Lily Walls) were just what the playwright envisioned, right out of the end of the 1940s.

Cisco Lopez as the Milkman with Gwendolyn Whiteside as Lola.

Contemporary audiences may see ‘Come Back, Little Sheba” as a showcase of the reduced role of women in post-WWII society, their lives centered on homemaking and “keeping their man happy.” But it is something more, too - a portrait of two diametrically opposite personalities - Lola (Gwendolyn Whiteside is remarkable) and her husband Doc (Philip Earl Johnson is a portrait of seething restraint) - locked together in an unbalanced relationship. Inge subtly laces in the clues to their unhappiness. Doc’s ambition to complete medical school was cut short when he felt compelled to marry Lola at 18 after getting her pregnant. Her pregnancy didn’t come to term, and he quit his medical studies. Instead of a doctor he became a chiropractor, and took to the bottle.

Lola, who was a high school beauty queen, has given up caring about her looks under the withering abuse she suffered during his drinking days. But he joined AA, and has eleven months sober - but lives with an internalized rigidity while presenting a caring face to the world around him. Underneath it all, he is filled with resentment.

On the couch, Ethan Surpan as Turk and Maya Lou Hlava as Marie.

A shift has entered this couple's fragile homelife with the arrival of the sprightly Marie (Maya Lou Hlava is perfect in the role). This comely coed is boarding with them, studying art at the university. She has a hot jock boyfriend, Turk (Ethan Surpan is a study in self-assured youthful machismo). Marie also has another boyfriend back home, Bruce (Justin Banks), a well-paid young businessman on his way up.

Inge sends the clues through the behavior of Johnson’s Doc that he is crushing on Marie, and quite jealous of Turk. Eventually his sober resolve crumbles under his longstanding unresolved resentment - that he is not an MD, this new jealousy, and that he is stuck with Lola, who smothers him with attention and coaches him somewhat intrusively on his AA practices. It is also an early serious treatment of the AA 12-step recovery program, founded ion the 1930s. Doc's involvement in it is core the the plot and character motivation. 

Lola, for her part, expresses her longing for better days gone by with a fixation on her runaway pup Sheba. Though Sheba went missing quite a while back, Lola still dreams of her return, and periodically calls for her puppy from the porch. An eternal optimist, she is ultimately the likeable center of the action. Marie and Turk love her. To show Lola through others’ eyes, Inge gives us two other characters, Elmo the Postman (William Anthony Sebastian Rose) and Milkman (Cisco Lopez). Whiteside’s Lola is so lonely she tries almost too hard to engage them, but nevertheless, her open heart compels their empathy and she wins them over. Everyone seems to love Lola except the next door neighbor Mrs. Coffman (Joslyn Jones), who derides Lola over her unkempt house.

In the last third of the play, mayhem breaks loose, and you will be stunned, shocked and glued to your seat by the culmination of this stunning drama. As Tolstoy put it, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” And “Come Back, Little Sheba” shows how true this is. Highly recommended. 

“Come Back, Little Sheba” runs through March 22 at American Blues Theater in Chicago.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com.

Under the deft direction of American Blues Theater’s Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, Frank Capra’s beloved holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life is reborn as a charming 1940s radio broadcast. With vintage microphones, live foley effects, and a versatile ensemble shifting seamlessly between characters, the production becomes more than a retelling - it’s a joyous homage to the art of storytelling itself. Audiences are invited to step back into the golden age of radio, where imagination takes center stage and George Bailey’s timeless journey resonates anew.

In Bedford Falls, George Bailey devotes his life to helping others, setting aside his own dreams for the good of his community. But when financial disaster strikes on Christmas Eve, he begins to doubt his worth. Enter Clarence, a guardian angel, who reveals a chilling vision of a world without George - a town consumed by Mr. Potter’s greed and stripped of hope. Confronted with the profound impact of his generosity, George rediscovers the value of his life. As his neighbors rally to support him, he learns that true wealth lies not in money, but in friendship, love, and the lives he’s touched.

By casting the audience as “studio listeners,” the production erases the boundary between stage and spectator. Foley effects—the slam of doors, the crunch of snow—lend a tactile realism that cinema rarely achieves. The ensemble’s deft shifts in voice and character populate Bedford Falls with remarkable clarity, their energy carrying the narrative even through George’s darkest moments. The touchstones are all here: George’s sacrifices, Potter’s greed, Clarence’s intervention, and the jubilant finale of community over isolation. In radio-play form, these familiar beats gain fresh resonance, reminding us that sound and imagination can be more powerful than spectacle.

The ensemble of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! shines with warmth, artistry, and undeniable chemistry, breathing vibrant new life into this holiday treasure. At the heart of the production, Brandon Dahlquist embodies George Bailey with a sincerity that feels both timeless and immediate. His performance is layered with emotional depth - capturing the optimism of youthful dreams, the weight of sacrifice, and the aching vulnerability of despair. Dahlquist’s portrayal is not only heartfelt but profoundly inspiring, reminding us why George Bailey remains one of the most enduring figures in American storytelling. With every gesture and inflection, he draws the audience into Bailey’s journey, making the character’s triumphs and struggles resonate as if they were our own. It is a performance that anchors the show with humanity and elevates it with grace.

Equally compelling is Ian Paul Custer, who delivers a masterful dual turn that showcases both his range and precision. As Clarence, he radiates warmth and gentle humor, embodying the guardian angel with a tender humanity that uplifts the story and offers moments of levity. In stark contrast, his portrayal of Mr. Potter is steeped in chilling authority - a ruthless presence whose greed and menace cast a long shadow over Bedford Falls. The seamless transition between these two extremes underscores not only Custer’s remarkable skill but also the production’s emotional contrasts, reminding us that the heart of It’s a Wonderful Life lies in the tension between compassion and cruelty, hope and despair.

Justin Banks infuses Harry with an effortless charm, while Audrey Billings embodies Mary Bailey with a luminous blend of grace, resilience, and radiant warmth. Her presence anchors every scene, offering both steadiness and emotional depth as she navigates the joys and hardships of George’s journey. Manny Buckley lends Joseph a dignified gravitas, and Dara Cameron sparkles as Violet, bringing wit, vivacity, and a touch of glamour to Bedford Falls. Michael Mahler elevates the atmosphere as the charismatic Announcer, while his live piano accompaniment bathes the production in nostalgic glow, perfectly evoking the golden age of radio.

Rounding out the ensemble, J.G. Smith delivers a dazzling performance as the Foley artist, transforming everyday objects into extraordinary tools of imagination. With impeccable timing and inventive flair, Smith crafts the soundscape that breathes life into Bedford Falls - snow crunching underfoot, doors creaking open, coins clinking, and bells ringing with holiday cheer. Each effect is not merely background noise but a vital layer of storytelling, immersing audiences so completely that George Bailey’s world feels tangible and immediate. Smith’s artistry underscores the magic of live radio theater, reminding us that sound alone can transport us across time, space, and emotion. It’s a masterclass in creativity and precision, and his contribution ensures the production resonates with authenticity and wonder.

Together, this gifted ensemble weaves storytelling, music, and imagination into a seamless tapestry - proving that collaboration, heart, and craft are what make this production truly wonderful.

The magic begins even before the curtain rises. Arrive early and you’ll be treated to a lively pre-show experience, where the stage comes alive with playful antics, warm laughter, and spirited music. Cast members set the tone with a burst of energy that instantly draws the audience into the festive spirit. It’s more than a warm-up - it’s an invitation to step into the world of Bedford Falls with joy already in the air. By the time the official performance begins, you’ll feel like part of the celebration, swept up in the camaraderie and holiday cheer.

For close to 25 years, American Blues Theater has brought Frank Capra’s classic to life in the form of a 1940s radio broadcast. It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! has earned its place as the second longest-running holiday production in the city.

American Blues Theater has discovered a beautiful new permanent home just west of Andersonville. The venue strikes the perfect balance - intimate yet expansive - with seating that is both comfortable and generously spaced. Fully ADA accessible and thoughtfully designed, the theater even offers the convenience of its own dedicated parking lot right beside the building. The parking is easy and the theater offers free spots for disabled patrons.

Recommended!

It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! is being performed at American Blues Theater through December 28^th. For tickets and/or more show information, visit https://americanbluestheater.com/2025-its-a-wonderful-life-live-in-chicago/.

“No man is a failure who has friends,” is to film what “God bless us everyone” is to literature. Frank Capra’s 1946 film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is as close to an American retelling of ‘A Christmas Carol’ as anyone has ever gotten.

Though the film has been a Christmas classic for nearly 80 years, the stage version has become its own tradition for many theatergoers during the holiday season. It’s likely you can find a production of the stage version in practically any town in the country during December, right next to ‘The Nutcracker.’ For those unfamiliar, the stage version is traditionally performed as a “live radio broadcast.” Meaning, the actors play voice actors performing a “live” production of a radio play, including old-timey sound effects.

American Blues Theater has been bringing this tradition to Chicago for 23 years! They’ve turned their new permanent home on Lincoln Ave into a quaint, 1940s era radio studio for the month. Audiences get a glimpse into the past and in addition to learning the true meaning of Christmas, they’ll see how radio dramas were produced. 

An all-around great cast led by Brandon Dahlquist and Audrey Billings brings the story of suicidal, down-on-his-luck George Bailey to life in a quick, charming 90-minute production. The cast will certainly help you get into the spirit with a few rounds of Christmas carols before the show gets going.

What really works about this interpretation of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is that it gets right to the point. Parts of Capra’s black and white film feel a bit drawn out, and that can distract from the heartbreaking and bittersweet moments in the script. Here, emotion is mined in a more immediate way. However, for those who have not seen the film, this version is pretty easy to follow.

Whether you’ve seen ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ once, or 22 times, each year American Blues Theater makes it feel new. Year to year faces change and little embellishments are added, so that it always feels fresh for a new generation.

Through December 22 at American Blues Theater. 5627 N Lincoln Ave. (773) 654-3103.

I’ve often said despite the larger houses producing August Wilson plays, they tend to work better in intimate spaces. After all, Mr. Wilsons’ inspiration came from intimate settings. He would write in bars, cafes, restaurants, and other places where his characters would be right in his face. He would often write long hand and sometimes on napkins to make himself invisible as a writer. It was important for him to catch the dialect, the accents, and the energy of his characters. Mr. Wilson began his career writing for small theaters, schools, and community centers where space was at a premium.

American Blues minimalist production of “Fences” under the direction of Monty Cole is powerful, bold, and beautiful. I love when theaters take chances. No guts, no glory….and there is plenty of glory here.

To contain the largest of emotions within boundaries, Scenic designer Yeaji Kim has created a huge, whitewashed fence reaching the heavens on both ends of the playing area. On the north end it appears to still be under construction. On the south end there is a door leading into the house while when closed is unnoticed. There are 5 cushions for players to be seated when they are not on stage. There are 60 chairs in total on either side of the playing area. It’s akin to a baseball field. The characters are so close you can count the beads of sweat on their brow, their emotions so big, no regular sized fence was going to hold them in.

We get up close and personal with Troy Maxson. Kamal Angelo Bolden’s Troy was not encumbered by anyone who previously played this role. This Troy was much more complicated than I’ve ever seen, FULL STOP. At varying times, this Troy showed love, he showed anger, he showed fear, he was a child, he was a monster, but most of all he showed a vulnerable side. It’s the vulnerability the audience connected with. Despite his ugliness, his meanness, and boorish ways if we look deep into his eyes, we see a man hurt. We see a man who values work more than education. In those rare moments of silence, we see what could have been, and our hearts ache for him.

Playing opposite Troy is the hard-working Rose, his wife of 18 years. She knows this man; she has built her life around him. She soothes over his relationships with his sons.  She is the heart and soul of this family. She cooks, she cleans, she loves. She is saint like in her patience with Troy until she isn’t. We see mini eruptions until it grows too much to control until she loses herself or does she find herself.  Shanesia Davis’ beautifully understates Rose until she can’t anymore. It is some beautiful theatre having a front seat to her emotional build.

A man like Troy Maxson needs all the support he can muster, and no one does it better than his friend and confidant, Bono, engagingly played by Martel Manning. No one could question Troy about his dalliance except Bono. Manning brilliantly steps into the lion’s den and raises the issue. I loved the way his mannerisms changed when talking to Troy about “that gal”.

Troy’s two sons born a decade apart, to two different women are Cory, energetically played by Ajax Dontavius and Lyons, the charismatic William Anthony Sebastian Rose II. Troy treats both men the same the only difference is Cory lives in his home, so he has more control over him.  He verbally abuses Lyons. Special shout-out to Charlie Baker, the Fight & Intimacy Director. Unbelievable stagecraft. The fights and intimacy looked awful real. I almost ducked when Cory was swinging the bat.

Rounding out this family is Gabriel, Troy’s brain damaged brother, played with wonderful control by Manny Buckley. I loved how tight and controlled Buckley played Gabriel. He played the character with great respect for brain damaged people without forfeiting characterization. Gabriel sees what we can’t see. He feels what we can’t feel. Buckley expressed this perfectly.

Stephanie Cluggish’s costumes suggested the times. I especially like what she did with Rose’s funeral outfit. Very inventive.

This production had an air of spirituality, of otherworldliness, I’ve never seen before. This was largely the result of Jared Gooding’s lighting design.  It worked beautifully

In Wilson’s N.Y. Times obituary, he is quoted as telling the Paris Review: “I think my plays offer (white Americans) a different way to look at black Americans. For instance, in ‘Fences’ they see a garbageman, a person they don’t really look at, although they see a garbageman every day. By looking at Troy’s life, white people find out that the content of this black garbageman’s life is affected by the same things – love, honor, beauty, betrayal, duty. Recognizing that these things are as much part of his life as theirs can affect how they think about and deal with black people in their lives.”

Yeah right, let’s hope this is true. In any case, American Blues Theater and Monty Cole has put these characters on full display with all the fury and might deserving of them and a weary America thanks you.

“Fences” runs through Aug. 6 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont. For tickets visit americanbluestheater.com or phone (773) 975-8150.

I came into the American Blues Theater for its Chicago revival of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story a bit apprehensive. See, I’m a Buddy Holly superfan. Seriously. I’ve got a couple tattoos inspired by the rock legend, I once even wrote an entire novel about him (which nobody can or will read…not just yet), and I know his story and his music about as geekily and obsessively as a guy could. So, having a special spot in my heart for this legend who’d been gone for decades by the time I came along, I’m often very critical of cultural (mis)representations of Charles Hardin Holley, including a traveling tour of the same show I saw back in college.

Partly my apprehension is because of the many things that the show (and the 1970s Hollywood biopic that jumpstarted the career of Gary Busey) gets factually wrong. Thing is, most biographical jukebox musicals do the same for their subjects, as they need to manufacture drama and condense a life’s story (even a life cut as short as Buddy’s). But mostly it’s because every portrayal I’ve seen of Buddy falls into the same trap that other impersonations do. They all rely on caricature, on the obvious, instead of something that’s more fulsome and true.

But I promise you, rock ‘n’ roll fans, that the American Blues Theater’s current production of Buddy skirts these traps, instead providing an honest and beautiful portrayal of Holly’s lifework, while also showing the audience a rollicking good time.

The key to the show, of course, is Buddy. Playing the part of the young Texan is Canadian Zachary Stevenson. A veteran of this show (and others, including Million Dollar Quartet, from the same era), Stevenson knows the material and the man. It shows from the get-go, as Buddy’s early vocal and guitar performances are hesitant, if youthfully energetic. That youthful energy is kept up for the whole show (a must, since Holly was just 22 when he died), but Stevenson also gives us a Buddy who comes into his own as a singer, a songwriter, a guitarist, and a man. And while the twang and hiccups he includes in Buddy’s performances are there, as they must be, he doesn’t rely on these tics and tricks. Instead, Stevenson’s Buddy has a warm, beautiful voice, and serenades us (and his castmates) with tender ballads, as well as toe-tapping rockers. This Buddy isn’t just an impersonation with a drawl and a pair of black-rimmed glasses hastily slapped on. Zachary Stevenson’s Buddy is a labor of love.

But the rest of the cast, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, labor lovingly, as well. The theater’s intimate, and the performers all play their instruments and sing their songs up close and in view of the audience. Shaun Whitley (himself a veteran of Million Dollar Quartet, with almost 2,000 performances as Carl Perkins under his belt) holds down the Crickets’ low end, slapping the upright bass (and even riding it at one point!), while also providing vocal harmonies and even playing violin on a couple softer numbers. The Crickets’ drummer is played by Kieran McCabe, who provides the groove and youthful energy. A fourth Cricket is played by Michael Mahler, who is also the production’s music director, directing the rest of a ridiculously multi-talented cast.

And that cast really does everything, from playing the important roles in Buddy’s life to playing the soundtrack of his life. Liz Chidester lights up the stage whenever she’s on it, first as Vi Petty, the wife of Buddy’s producer, tickling the keys of a celeste on Buddy’s beautiful “Everyday,” before adding boogie-woogie piano on several songs, and energetic dancing to several more. Derek Hasenstab plays the part of Vi’s husband Norman, but also picks up the bass and the guitar for many other songs. Molly Hernandez is alluring as she plays Maria Elena, the woman who enjoyed a whirlwind romance with Buddy and a tragically short marriage to him, as well. And Vasily Deris and Cisco Lopez are right on as the two stars – The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens – who accompanied Buddy on his final tour and on that final flight that ended in an Iowa cornfield in 1959.

Those famous names you probably know are not the only talent to grace the American Blues stage, however. It seems that all of the cast are multi-instrumentalists and very talented vocalists. Ian Paul Custer spreads the news as Buddy’s early champion, DJ Hi Pockets Duncan, while also playing the saxophone and piano. Chuckie Benson and Kiersten Hodgens get the crowd jumping and shouting at the famous Apollo Theater before an early and iconic Crickets concert there. And Ann Delaney, Daniel Riley, and Lauren Vogel round out this exceptional ensemble, playing multiple roles, singing acapella doo-wop, and helping tell Buddy’s story and play his songs.

And it’s those songs – from early Western numbers like “Blue Days, Black Nights” and “Rock Around Ollie Vee” to Buddy’s hits “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue” and “Oh Boy” to later more mature fare (mind you, all of this output and growth was done in less than two years, a fact the show hammers home) such as “Words of Love” and “Raining in My Heart” and “True Love Ways” – that best tell the Buddy Holly Story. A story of talent and tragedy. A story of youthful rebellion and musical growth. And, as the last of those tunes shows when Stevenson plays it solo on an acoustic guitar for his pregnant wife on their living room couch before he leaves for his fateful final trip, it’s a story told warmly and lovingly and truthfully.

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story is being performed at Stage 773 through May 26th. For more performance information, visit americanbluestheater.com. 

*Now extended through September 15th

Having read that Six Corners was the “third in a loose Cop trilogy” by playwright Keith Huff, I was concerned that not seeing the first two stories (A Steady Rain and The Detective’s Wife) would lessen my experience. But from the moment I entered the theatre the stage was set, both literally and figuratively.

Thanks to the realistic set design, I was transported from a theatre to the Six Corners Police Precinct to watch this mystery unfold. The use of lighting to move the story between locations was especially effective as it simulated the fluorescent lights of the police station or the dimly lit bench at the bus station. The incorporation of a moving wall, however, was too complicated and not essential. That it failed during the show causing a disruption should be a signal to the creative team that it should be removed rather than risking another distraction. In my opinion, the pacing improved without it.

The opening scene brought the precinct to life, as we looked in on Detectives Nick Moroni (Peter DeFario) and Bernadette Perez (Monica Orozco), two burnt-out cops feeling the stress of failing marriages, being absentee parents, and being cops; not to mention the sexual tension between them. With a fast-paced verbal exchange full of both insults and empathy, it was clear that these two detectives were not looking forward to another late night dealing with the murder of a CTA employee. Relying on ethnic stereotypes of a chest-beating macho Italian and a fast-talking fiery Latina switching between English and Spanish, the actors’ portrayals were at times cartoonish as they overacted to earn some laughs. I assume this was intentional direction, and not the actors taking license.

In subsequent scenes we join the detectives as they investigate the crime by interviewing the only two witnesses, Carter Hutch (Manny Buckley) and Amanda Brackett (Brenda Barry), as their stories slowly unravel. Are these two witnesses really just strangers in the wrong place at the wrong time? Can they convince the detectives (and the audience) that they truly were Good Samaritans? Buckley and Barry portrayed their characters with emotional honesty and integrity. They were believably sympathetic as they displayed a nervousness and uneasiness that you might feel after witnessing a murder. Barry stood out to me for her portrayal of the struggling pregnant late-night waitress.

Intertwined with the murder investigation, we see a backstory develop as the show travels back in time. We are at the bus stop where an 8-year-old girl, Katie Yates (Lyric Sims), is alone after being separated from her mother. She encounters a stranger, a transient, BJ Lyles (Byron Glenn Willis) who she innocently befriends. Sims’ portrayal of 8-year-old Katie Yates was perfectly on point bringing an innocence to the child that felt real. While Willis adeptly portrayed transient BJ Lyles as a sympathetic character, he still gave the audience reason to mistrust his character as he got eerily close to the vulnerable child.

As the Backstage Guide reveals, the writer is influenced by CPD’s reputation for disregarding civil rights, inequality in treatment of female police officers, the blue code of silence, and the lack of public trust.

Throughout the story, the writer subtly weaves in evidence of unconscious bias and inherent racism. At the same time, he develops characters who are outwardly sympathetic even as their faults, deceptions and corruptions are exposed.

In spite of my criticisms, I enjoyed and am recommending this play, directed by Gary Griffin. The story line is well conceived and presented. More importantly, the subtext is both thought provoking and relevant.

Winner of the Edgegerton Foundation New Play Award, American Blues Theater’s production of Six Corners by Keith Huff runs at Stage 773 through March 24, 2018. 

Most of us have seen Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” at some point in their lives. Whether a Holiday tradition or by happenstance as television stations run their yearly marathons, there’s a very good chance you have experienced the heartfelt 1946 film classic starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. We have since seen many stage adaptations, from live radio broadcasts to large scale productions. In American Blues Theater’s “This Wonderful Life” written by Steve Murray we get an entirely different spin on this definitive piece of Americana as American Blues founding member James Leaming boldly takes on each character in the film himself in this brilliant one-man show.

For the small percentile of those who are not familiar with “It’s A Wonderful Life”, the story revolves around George Bailey during the late 1930’s through early 1940’s, taking place in the small town of Bedford Falls. The evil Mr. Potter runs the biggest bank in town and has most of its residents and small business owners in the palm of his hand. The only person to stand in his way is Pa Bailey, George’s father, who runs a small building and loans company where people can obtain funds for housing without paying exorbitant interest to Potter. George has high expectations for himself and plans to see the world while working for National Geographic once he finishes high school. After his stint around the world, George would return for college and proceed to live to his fullest potential. George’s life then takes another turn for the better when he meets Mary, his true soul mate. Though his father wants George to take over the building and loans one day, George is adamant that he wants to pursue bigger things and rejects the offer.

All is well for George until his father dies, leaving the building in loans in a state of flux. George agrees to take over temporarily, but soon finds he is needed permanently much to his chagrin. Married to Mary with a handful of kids, life is still fulfilling for George until the bank calls a loan and the money is missing. Instantly put into state of desperation, George comes to the realization that he is better off dead than alive after summing up his life to the worth of a life insurance policy. It is then that Clarence, an angel from Heaven, is sent down to help George get back on track. George wishes he was never born and Clarence grants that wish showing George what life would be without him in Bedford Falls. George is shown the positive affect that he has had on so many people, eventually seeing that he had a pretty wonderful life after all. It becomes a Christmas to remember when George's friends rally to his aid.

So that’s the gist of it.

It is a story over humanity overcoming hopelessness, a story of giving and the importance of friends. After all, as Clarence says, “No man is a failure who has friends.”

In “This Wonderful Life” James Leaming is nothing short of brilliant as he retells the famous classic, acting out each character from beginning to end. Throughout, Murray’s script adds a healthy pinch of additional humor that takes occasional jabs of the film in a fun-loving way. With a handful of very creative props and a backdrop that displays images of the story, Leaming is able to successfully pull off each character he tackles (especially his Mr. Potter and George Bailey) to give the audience a cohesive, engaging and highly entertaining theatre experience. Leaming’s ability to shift from character to character so effortlessly and so convincingly is a testament to his fine acting skills. Whereas one moment he seemingly channels the deep seeded bitterness and craftiness of Lionel Barrymore’s Mr. Potter, his ability to so quickly change gears to become the warm, likeable George Bailey or scatter-brained Uncle Billy is simply impressive.

This play is Jeff Recommended for good reason as Leaming’s performance is something to behold. Whether you’ve seen “It’s A Wonderful Life” via film or stage, it is unlikely you’ve seen a unique version such as this.

Skillfully directed by Carmen Roman, “This Wonderful Life” is highly recommended as a holiday treat the whole family can enjoy.

“This Wonderful Life” is being performed at The Edge Theater (5451 N Broadway) in Edgewater and is running through November 26th. For more show information visit www.americanbluestheater.com.

Never has a play about journalism, the presidency and Cold War with Russia seemed more relevant than now. And The Columnist, performed by The American Blues Theater at Stage 773, is all of that and more. In a story that could have easily been set during today’s heated political environment, The Columnist is a scintillating tale of family, power, betrayal and personal struggle.

Written by the Pulitzer and Tony award-winning author David Auburn and directed by Keira Fromm, The Columnist is based on real-life journalists Joe Alsop (Philip Earl Johnson) and his brother Stewart Alsop (Coburn Goss). Once a power writing duo, the play begins with Joe, now one of America’s most influential columnists - both feared and beloved, caught in a revealing and compromising position in a Moscow hotel.

That affair and its consequences runs like an undercurrent throughout the entire play as we see Joe battle for power, his ideas on what American exceptionalism entails and how the president (both John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson) should achieve it no matter the costs. We also see his struggle to keep his private life separate from the illusion he creates for the public.

Johnson is exquisite and brilliant in the role of Joe Alsop and very capably humanizes such a towering political figure of the time.

Joe is a man who loves his country and family with equal and blinding passion but in the rapidly changing world of the 1960’s, against the backdrop of the Vietnam war, his inability to see beyond his own beliefs pushes away those closest to him. He manages to alienate even some of his most ardent admirers and colleagues.

However, despite the growing distance between Joe and his family – his perfectly cast, dutiful and charming wife Susan (played by the equally charming Kymberly Mellen), his precocious stepdaughter Abigail (Tyler Meredith) and his sincere and loyal brother Stewart, what is conveyed even at some of his lowest points is how much they still love him despite his many flaws.

Stewart and Abigail are perhaps two of Joe’s most pivotal relationships. Several key moments come when they both show not only how much they understand him, as well as what drives him, but also their acceptance of the contradiction of his public figure and private life. This understanding and acceptance comes even though they often disagree with his passionate defense of the war as well as his methods of squashing the dissenting views of fellow journalists. Both Goss and Meredith play their roles with such depth and nuance that it’s easy to feel their characters’ compassion for such a complex man.

The ability of Auburn to delve so deeply into these relationships and to keep the plot moving at the fast pace of an intriguing spy novel is impressive. Also, very impressive and effective is the staging and the way several of the more dramatic moments are highlighted, especially during transitions. After several poignant and emotional scenes, having Joe stand in a single spotlight as the darkened set changes behind him is a powerful effect, and whether intended or not, is a reflection of the often-tumultuous changes happening in his life.

The creative team for The Columnist: Joe Schermoly (scenic design), Christopher J. Neville (costume design), Jared Gooding (lighting design), Christopher Kriz (original music and sound design), Alec Long (props design), Sarah E. Ross (production manager), Eva Breneman (dialect coach), Sara Illiatovitch-Goldman (dramaturg), and Dana M. Nestrick (stage manager), does an amazing job of enhancing an already powerful script and showcasing as Joe says: “human intercourse at its sublimely ridiculous.”

Highly recommended

American Blues Theater’s The Columnist runs through April 1, 2017, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont. Tickets are available in online at americanbluestheater.com.