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Sunday, 01 March 2026 20:47

The Glitch in the New Normal - Shattered Globe Theatre’s Morning, Noon & Night

Miss Candice (Leslie Ann Sheppard, right) is an unsettling character who steps out of an algorithm and into the life of Mia (Kristin E. Ellis) in Shattered Globe Theatre’s Midwest Premiere of Morning, Noon, and Night. Obie Award-winning playwright Kirsten Greenidge’s mind-bending drama explores teens, family, surveillance, and connection in a post-pandemic world. AmBer Montgomery directs. Performances run through March 28, 2026 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Tickets: sgtheatre.org or (773) 975-8150.

Kirsten Greenidge’s Morning, Noon & Night, currently receiving its Midwestern premiere at Shattered Globe Theatre, is an ambitious, mind-bending exploration of the “new normal” in post-pandemic America. Greenidge, a playwright unafraid of tonal hybridity, situates her story at the uneasy intersection of middle-class and magical realism. Under AmBer Montgomery’s direction, the production attempts to navigate the landscape of family connection, digital surveillance, and the psychic fragmentation wrought by living life through digital screens.

The play unfolds over the course of a single day in the life of Mia, a work-from-home mother teetering on the edge of burnout. Kristin E. Ellis anchors the production with a performance that captures both the brittle humor and simmering desperation of a woman expected to hold everything together. Her Mia is perpetually toggling—between Zoom meetings and grocery lists, between maternal patience and private panic. Ellis embodies the quiet terror of a generation of women asked to endure the unendurable with a smile.

Opposite her, Emefa Dzodzomenyo gives Dailyn a restless, electric presence. As the hyper-aware Gen Z daughter oscillating between existential dread and a yearning for authentic connection, Dzodzomenyo resists caricature. Her Dailyn is sharp, wounded, and achingly perceptive—someone who has inherited not only climate anxiety and algorithmic pressure but also the emotional residue of her mother’s exhaustion.

The supporting cast deepens the sense of a household under strain. Christina Gorman’s Heather, Mia’s friend and confidant, functions as both comic relief and quiet warning sign—her lingering pandemic anxieties and conspiratorial asides suggest how prolonged fear can harden into identity. Hannah Antman and Soren Jimmie Williams lend a jittery immediacy to Nat and Chloe, capturing the skittish vulnerability of teens shaped by social media’s relentless gaze. That said, both performers read slightly younger than I imagined the characters to be, which subtly shifts the dynamic; their portrayals emphasize innocence and volatility over the more self-aware cynicism often associated with girls of that age.

The production’s most striking presence is Leslie Ann Sheppard as Miss Candice, a “Donna Reed  - Father Knows Best” AI-generated avatar of curated perfection who steps out of the algorithm and into the family’s living room. Sheppard’s performance is chilling in its serenity. With a voice that soothes and a gaze that scans, Miss Candice represents not simply technology but the seductive promise of optimized living—an influencer deity promising order amid chaos. Her presence pushes the play from realism into something more speculative, even dystopian.

Jackie Fox’s set and lighting design effectively ground the story in its post-pandemic malaise. The living room, cluttered yet aspirational, feels very lived-in and slightly unraveling. The use of projections is particularly striking; at times the audience feels as though it is peering through a phone screen. Notifications flicker, curated images intrude, and the boundary between the digital and the tangible dissolves. The design serves as a digital mirror—reflecting how social media refracts reality rather than simply documenting it.

Yet for all its thematic ambition, the production occasionally exposes a disconnect between script and staging. Greenidge clearly has much to say about female rage, consumerism, intergenerational trauma, and the violence of constant connectivity. However, Montgomery’s direction seems to engage these ideas primarily at a surface level, with moments of genuine thematic revelation passing too quickly to fully resonate. The result can feel unintentionally algorithmic—significant insights obscured beneath repetitive beats.

Moreover, despite the performances and the evocative design, the stakes never quite rise to meet the play’s expansive conceptual ambitions. Whether this disconnect stems from the script, or the direction is difficult to determine, but the result is the same: the looming threat of digital colonization and familial fracture hover suggestively rather than landing with decisive impact. The danger feels atmospheric instead of urgent, diffuse rather than devastating.

Morning, Noon & Night offers a portrait of contemporary anxiety, capturing the low-grade dread of a culture caught between the longing for authentic connections and the seductive pull of curated isolation. Like the screens it interrogates, the play pulses and glitches—at times mesmerizing, at times disquieting—but always insistently present, morning, noon & night.

RECOMMENDED

When: through March 28th

Where: Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Running Time: 90 minutes no intermission

Tickets:  $20  -  $60

773-770-0333

www.sgtheatre.org/season-35/morning-noon-night

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

Published in Theatre in Review
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Thursday, 26 February 2026 13:14

Announcing FAULT, an exciting addition to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater 2025/2026 Season

left to right) - Enrico Colantoni, Teri Hatcher and Jason Alexander to star in Fault at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces Fault, an exciting addition to the 2025/2026 season starring film and television star Enrico Colantoni (English Teacher, Galaxy Quest, Veronica Mars) and Golden Globe winner Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), and directed by Emmy and Tony Award winner Jason Alexander, who returns to Chicago Shakespeare Theater after 2024's smash-hit Judgment Day. The cast also features Jack Ball (Broadway's The Book of Mormon, Falsettos, Dunsinane). Written by Scooter Pietsch, Fault is a wickedly dark comedy, full of blistering humor and searing revelations. All's fair in love and marital warfare as Lucy and Jerry Green go head-to-head after 30 years of marriage in a late-night tangle of lies, ambition, and betrayal. Fault makes the case that being honest with ourselves might just be the trickiest game we play in life and love... but whose fault is that anyways? This world-premiere production runs April 18-May 24, 2026 in The Yard.

Fault replaces the previously announced spring production of Ain't Misbehavin', which has been postponed to a later date.

"We're delighted to have Jason Alexander back at CST to helm this hilarious and thought-provoking new play by Scooter Pietsch, and thrilled to welcome Enrico Colantoni, Teri Hatcher, and Jack Ball to Chicago with a top-rate creative team," shared Artistic Director Edward Hall. "Chicago audiences love a smart comedy, and we're excited to give them the chance to enjoy this entertaining world premiere this spring."

"I remember very well the joys of debuting a brand-new work at CST," shared director Jason Alexander. "That's why I'm thrilled to debut this new play with a superb creative team and a glorious cast for the Chicago audience that made me feel so welcome and appreciated. I can't imagine launching it anywhere else."

"I'm honored to have the world premiere of my play Fault in Chicago," said playwright Scooter Pietsch. "I love to write about edgy and outrageous but relatable subjects, and we are definitely not going to disappoint with this one. Fault is about marriage. The love. The passion. The pitfalls. The booby traps. The fact that no one ever wins an argument. EVER. And to have the brilliant comedic mind of Jason Alexander directing our fabulous actors? On the stage at Chicago Shakespeare? I didn't think I could love Chicago any more than I already do, but yes, I do."

Enrico Colantoni is an actor and director known for portraying Principal Grant Moretti in English Teacher, Mathesar in Galaxy Quest, Elliot DiMauro in the sitcom Just Shoot Me!, Keith Mars on the television series Veronica Mars, Louis Utz on the sitcom Hope & Gloria, crime lord Carl Elias on Person of Interest, Vincent Brambilla on the CBC TV program Allegiance, and Sergeant Greg Parker on the television series Flashpoint. He has also had supporting roles in such series and films as Westworld, Station Eleven, SUITS LA, The Wrong Guy, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Contagion, Full Frontal, Outstanding, Humane and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and guest appearances on Monk, Numb3rs, Party Down, iZombie, Madame Secretary, Stargate SG-1, and Bones. Colantoni has an illustrious theatre background as well, after graduating from the Yale School of Drama, where he received their prestigious Carol Dye Award. He also won a Theatre World Award for his Broadway debut in the original drama Birthday Candles opposite Debra Messing. Colantoni's other notable theatre credits include the premiere of Neil LaBute's The Distance from Here at the Almeida in London, The Merry Wives of Windsor at the New York Shakespeare Festival's Delacorte Theater in Central Park, Arabian Nights at the Manhattan Theatre Club, The Triumph of Love at the Guthrie Theatre, and Dracula at San Diego's famed Old Globe Theatre. He also played the title role in Shakespeare's Macbeth at the Matrix Theater and Uncle Vanya at the Lillian Theatre in Los Angeles.

Teri Hatcher's acting career has spanned movies, television, and stage. She is known around the world for her starring roles in Lois & Clark and Desperate Housewives, for which she won a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. She starred most recently in the holiday movies, Christmas at the Chalet, How to Fall in Love by the Holidays and the true-life drama The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story, and voiced Muthr in the Apple TV+ animated series WondLa. She showcased her comedic skills hosting a standout episode of Saturday Night Live in 1995 and making her stand-up comedy debut in Showtime's 2021 comedy special Even More Funny Women of a Certain Age. Her feature film credits include The Big Picture, Soapdish, Spy Kids, Tomorrow Never Dies, and the Oscar-nominated animated film Coraline. She starred as Sally Bowles in the 1999 touring company of Cabaret and starred as Morticia Addams in the regional premiere of the musical comedy The Addams Family in 2022. Her first book, a funny and inspiring look at a woman finding balance between family, career and self, entitled Burnt Toast and Other Philosophies of Life, was a New York Times Bestseller in 2006. She is a health advocate and an avid cook, having studied at the world-famous Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, and won The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer and Chopped. Her digital series, #Sandwiched, focuses on being "sandwiched" between caring for aging parents and your own children, and still prioritizing your own self-care. @OfficialTeriHatcher. In September, Hatcher launched Desperately Devoted, a podcast she hosts with her Desperate Housewives TV daughter Andrea Bowen and her real-life daughter Emerson Tenney, bringing fresh perspectives and personal insights to the iconic series. In addition to rewatching the series, the hosts use its themes as a springboard for broader conversations on women's issues, relationships, parenting, sex, identity, and more.

Jack Ball returns to Chicago Shakespeare after appearing in Dunsinane (with The Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre of Scotland). His other stage credits include The Book of Mormon on Broadway, Falsettos (Court Theatre/TimeLine Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Paramount), Hansel and Gretel (Broadway in Chicago), The Coast Starlight (Milwaukee Rep), and Hit the Wall (Inconvenience). His film and television credits include Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, Chicago Justice, Somebody, Somewhere, Sirens, Henry Gamble's Birthday Party, An Acceptable Loss, Kill the Monsters, Room Six, and What Rhymes with Magdalena.

Over his acclaimed 50-year career as a Tony Award winning actor and entertainer, Jason Alexander has also maintained a noted career as a director across the multiple mediums of film, television, and theater. On Broadway, he made his directing debut with Sandy Rustin's The Cottage. He served as the Artistic Director of the Los Angeles based Reprise Theatre Company for five years and directed Sunday in the Park with George, The Fantasticks, and Damn Yankees for the company. He also directed Sam Shephard's The God of Hell, starring Bryan Cranston for the Geffen Playhouse; Neil Simon's Broadway Bound, starring Gina Hecht for the Odyssey Theatre; Karen Zacarias' Native Gardens starring Bruce Davison and Francis Fisher at the Pasadena Playhouse; the world premiere of the musical comedy revue When You're in Love The Whole World is Jewish; the world premiere of The Joy Wheel at the Ruskin Theater;  the production of Steven Levenson's  If I Forget at the Fountain Theater; and the world premiere of Windfall by Scooter Pietsch at Arkansas Repertory Theater and Bay Street Theatre. Most recently, Jason directed the critically acclaimed new production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd for La Mirada Theatre. On television, Alexander directed "The Good Samaritan" episode of the hit sitcom Seinfeld, and other series television episodes including Til Death, Campus Ladies, Franklin and Bash, Everybody Hates Chris, Mike and Molly, Criminal Minds and Young Sheldon. He has directed two feature-length films: For Better or Worse and Just Looking.  His upcoming directing projects include the feature film adaptation of The Cottage (2026). Alexander is a proud member of AEA, SAG, and DGA.

Scooter Pietsch is a playwright and Emmy-nominated composer/songwriter. His play, Windfall, was produced in London (directed by Mark Bell), Bay Street Theater in New York, and Arkansas Repertory Theatre (both directed by Jason Alexander). As a composer and songwriter, Pietsch has written music for over 200 TV shows and movies, some of which include Pretty Little Liars, Burn Notice, All Dogs Go To Heaven, Greek, American Idol, Sex And The City, Deal Or No Deal, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, So You Think You Can Dance, Divorce Court, Sanctuary (starring Margaret Qualley), Van Wilder, Urban Legends, Getting to Know You, Persons Unknown, Run, and The Marrying Man. He's also written hundreds of songs for various artists.

Joining Alexander on the creative team is Scenic Designer Paul Tate dePoo III (The Great Gatsby, Spamalot, The Cottage on Broadway), Costume Designer Mara Blumenfeld (Metamorphoses on Broadway, King Charles III, Sunday in the Park with George, As You Like It, and many more at CST), Lighting Designer Greg Hofmann (Cats, Frozen, Billy Elliot at Paramount Theater, Nell Gwynn, Love's Labor's Lost, Road Show at CST), and Sound Designer Ray Nardelli (Lookingglass Alice at Lookingglass Theatre Company and Off-Broadway, Shakespeare in Love, Sense and Sensibility, The Tempest and more at CST).

CST thanks Principal Production Sponsor Old National Bank for supporting this production.

Tickets (starting at $64) are on sale now. More information at chicagoshakes.com/fault or on social media at @chicagoshakes.

Fault

By Scooter Pietsch
Directed by Jason Alexander
April 18-May 24, 2026
The Yard

PERFORMANCE LISTING

  • Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.
  • Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. (no matinee April 22)
  • Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.
  • Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (no matinee April 18)
  • Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Chicago Shakespeare strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons. Accessible seating, assistive listening devices, large-print and Braille programs, and sensory tools are available at every performance. Enhanced performances include:

  • ASL interpreted performance – Friday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. 
    All dialogue and lyrics are translated into American Sign Language by two certified interpreters
  • Audio-described performance – Sunday, May 10 at 2:30 p.m. 

A program that provides spoken narration of a play's key visual elements for patrons who are blind or have low vision.

  • Open captioned performance – Wednesday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  
    A text display of the words and sounds heard during a play, synced live with the action onstage.

CREATIVE TEAM

Scooter Pietsch - Writer 

Jason Alexander - Director 

Paul Tate dePoo III - Scenic Designer 

Mara Blumenfeld - Costume Designer 

Greg Hofmann - Lighting Designer

Ray Nardelli - Sound Designer

CAST

Enrico Colantoni - Jerry

Teri Hatcher - Lucy

Jack Ball - Shaun

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER (CST)

CST is a leading international theater company and the nation's largest year-round theater dedicated to the works of Shakespeare. Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes, the Regional Tony Award recipient is committed to creating vivid, entertaining theatrical experiences that invigorate and engage people of all ages and identities by illuminating the complexity, ambiguity, and wonder of our world. Each year, nearly a quarter of a million people experience CST's artistry through more than 12 productions. With Shakespeare at the heart of the artistic work, CST also produces compelling, contemporary stories from fresh voices of today. CST brings the world to Chicago and sends Chicago out into the world as Chicago's foremost presenter of international theater, and consistent producer of North American and world premieres. Serving more students and teachers than any theater in the city, CST annually welcomes more than 20,000 students to performances and programs like Chicago Shakespeare SLAM, alongside professional development opportunities for teachers. CST activates its campus with three venues: 700-seat The Yard; the 500-seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater; and the 200-seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio. Free programs like Shakes in the City bring performances to parks and community spaces across Chicago's 77 neighborhoods. Shared humanity and unforgettable stories—now THIS is Chicago Shakespeare. www.chicagoshakes.com
Published in Upcoming Theatre
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Thursday, 26 February 2026 12:18

Spamalot at CIBC Theatre on Sale Friday, February 27th

Spamalot at CIBC Theatre on Sale Friday, February 27th

Broadway In Chicago is is delighted to announce that tickets for SPAMALOT will go on sale on Friday, February 27. SPAMALOT will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a limited two-week engagement, May 19-31.SPAMALOT tour production photos here, rehearsal footage here, and B-roll hereSPAMALOT, which first galloped onto Broadway in 2005 after its 2004 world premiere in Chicago, features a book & lyrics by Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. The original Broadway production was nominated for fourteen Tony Awards and won three including Best Musical. Following its critically acclaimed 2023 Broadway revival at the St. James Theatre in NYC, SPAMALOT is now on an all-new North American tour. Under the direction and choreography of Josh Rhodes , the production was praised for its inventive staging, design, and exceptional performances, reaffirming the enduring appeal of Monty Python’s distinctly British wit and comedic brilliance. The Broadway revival now brings its celebrated production to audiences across the country. The tour will travel to more than 30 cities in its first year including Cleveland; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Las Vegas; San Francisco; Seattle; Denver; Atlanta; Dallas; New Orleans; St. Louis; Houston; Ft. Worth; Charlotte; Schenectady; St. Paul, Greenville; Rochester; Milwaukee; Hartford and Costa Mesa. For more information, please visit www.spamalotthemusical.com. 

The cast includes Major Attaway (Aladdin) as King Arthur, Sean Bell (Harmony) as Sir Robin, Chris Collins-Pisano (Forbidden Broadway) as Sir Lancelot, Ellis C. Dawson III (Hamilton) as Sir Bedevere, Leo Roberts (Les Misérables) as Sir Galahad, Amanda Robles as The Lady of the Lake, Blake Segal (Mary Poppins) as Patsy and Steven Telsey (The Book Of Mormon) as The Historian/Prince Herbert.The cast also includes Lindsay Lee Alhady, Delaney Benson, Jack Brewer, Connor Coughlin, L'ogan J'ones, Graham Keen, Claire Kennard, Ben Lanham, Nathaniel Mahone, Maddie Mossner, Emilie Renier, Mark Tran Russ and Meridien Terrell.  The creative team includes scenic and projection design by Paul Tate dePoo III, costume design by Jen Caprio, lighting design by Cory Pattak, sound design by Kai Harada & Haley Parcher, wig design by Tom Watson and music supervision by John Bell. Jonathan Gorst is the Musical Director/Conductor. The team also includes Matthew Brooks (Production Stage Manager), Anna K. Rains (Stage Manager) and Dani Berman (Asst. Stage Manager), James Neal (Company Manager) and Kat McIntyre (Asst. Company Manager). Derek Kolluri is the Associate Director, and Michael Fatica is the Associate Choreographer. Casting is by Geoff Josselson, CSA and RCI Theatricals serves as General Manager. SPAMALOT is produced by Jeffrey Finn.
 
Lovingly ripped off from the film classic, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, SPAMALOT has everything that makes a great knight at the theatre: from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery, and of course, the Lady of the Lake. SPAMALOT features well-known songs including “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” “The Song That Goes Like This,” “Find Your Grail” and more that have become beloved classics in the musical theater canon.   
 

www.spamalotthemusical.com

CONNECT WITH SPAMALOT
spamalotthemusical.com
Instagram: @spamalotbway
X: @SpamalotBway
Facebook: @SpamalotBway
TikTok: @SpamalotBway


PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 19 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 20 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 21 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 22 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 23 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 24 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.Tuesday, May 26 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 28 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 29 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 30 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 31 – 1:00 p.m.TICKET INFORMATION (as of February 26, based on availability and subject to change)


Individual tickets for SPAMALOT will go on sale Friday, February 27 and range from $35.00 - $125.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Ticket price listed is when purchased in person at the box office. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 26 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the  Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, The Auditorium, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway  Playhouse at Water Tower Place.
 

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Follow @BroadwayInChicago on
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#broadwayinchicago

Published in Upcoming Theatre
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AT CIBC THEATRE THROUGH April 26th.  GET TICKETS NOW!

 

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Black Cypress Bayou, Admissions, The Lower Depths - Why These Three Chicago Productions Demand to Be Seen Right Now

     

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