Sunday, 21 June 2026 02:57
A People: A Sweeping, Soul‑Stirring Journey That Celebrates Jewish Identity
Written by Kimberly Katz
An extraordinary eight-person ensemble fuels the sweeping storytelling of A People - a production presented collaboratively by Arts Judaica and YI Love Jewish - shifting through nearly 80 characters across generations and geographies. Though only one cast member is Jewish, playwright LM Feldman intentionally assembled a diverse ensemble to reflect…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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- A People
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- Douglas Levin
- Charity Schultz
- Daniel Boughton
- Zach Kunde
- Haley Schenk
- Xavier Mattison
- Freya Churchwell
- Jin Ai
- Avi Hoffman
- Jewish Identity
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- heritage
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- Jesus
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Sunday, 21 June 2026 23:14
Astonrep Approaches Uncle Vanya’s Appeal from a Novel New Angle
Written by Mitchell Oldham
Anton Chekhov, a Russian playwright who was also a doctor, can claim a level of regard few writers achieve and maintain so long after their deaths. Born in 1860, the same year the Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln for President, his plays are routinely produced on stages in America and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 21 June 2026 13:48
Couch Penny Ensemble’s An Oak Tree: A Raw, Unrehearsed Descent Into Grief
Written by Angelo Campos
Couch Penny Ensemble, in association with Theatre Arcana, presents the ambitious and experimental An Oak Tree, a raw, unconventional approach to theater that is sure to spark conversations on the nature of grief and the experience itself. In writing An Oak Tree, playwright Tim Crouch wanted to replicate the disorienting…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 18 June 2026 14:33
Champions of Magic Captures the Thrill of Live Performance
Written by Maddie Burroughs
One of the things I have always thought that concerts and other live events had over theatre is the energy of the crowd afterward. While people certainly leave plays and musicals moved, impressed, or deep in conversation, there is often a certain reserve to the way theatre audiences spill out…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Lookingglass Theatre Company continues its tradition of staging visually inventive and thought-provoking world premieres with its latest production, Untitled Vampire Play. Written by Lookingglass Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas - who has previously crafted well-received work for the company, including Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure - this comedy-drama uses supernatural…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Friday, 19 June 2026 10:25
Tom Stoppard’s epic finale Leopoldstadt is an instant classic at Writers Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
What would you do if you found out your heritage wasn’t what you thought it was? In Tom Stoppard’s case, he wrote a sweeping, epic play about it. Glencoe’s Writers Theatre brings Leopoldstadt to the Chicago area for the first time since its West End and Broadway runs in the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 18 June 2026 13:24
Nunsense, Not Quite Immaculate - But Blessed With a Strong Cast
Written by Angelo Campos
Following its recent winter production of Sister Act, Drury Lane Theatre returns to the convent with Nunsense, a light-hearted musical comedy which, as the title implies, is a lot of nonsense. The premise is funny, albeit morbid. After an unfortunate mishap, 52 members of the Little Sisters of Hoboken die…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 15 June 2026 23:10
Funny, Incisive 'Southern Rapture' Skewers All Parties in 'Angels in America' Fracas
Written by Bill Esler
“Southern Rapture” quickly elicits loud guffaws from the audience, a heartening circumstancve, as it means playwright Eric Coble’s script is doing its job. Billed as a satire, it recounts the tumultuous week in real life leading up to the 1996 opening night of Tony Kushner's celebrated AIDS play, “Angels in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 15 June 2026 13:48
Where Identity Slides: Steppenwolf’s Mesmerizing Catch as Catch Can
Written by Ken Payne
Mia Chung’s Catch as Catch Can, which premiered with Page 73 in New York in 2018, arrives at Steppenwolf Theatre - one of Chicago’s most dynamic and daring artistic institutions - with a production that immediately embraces the play’s slippery, shape-shifting nature. Chung’s script thrives on emotional volatility and fractured…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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- CATCH AS CATCH CAN
- Steppenwolf Theatre
- Gary Cole
- Audrey Francis
- Tim Hopper
- Glenn Davis
- Mia Chung
- Amy Morton
- chicago theatre reviews
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- Yuki Nakase Link
- chicago theatre
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Saturday, 13 June 2026 14:25
Factory Theater’s Two Out of Three Falls is a Theatrical Event
Written by Lauren Katz
Those familiar with the Factory Theater space might feel themselves do a double take upon entering the theater for Two Out of Three Falls. Scenic Designer Manuel Ortiz completely transforms the space. The three-quarter thrust stage that has been there for years is gone – replaced by a wrestling ring…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 13 June 2026 22:43
Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes Tour Lands in Rosemont With Subtle Force
Written by Ken Payne
Nate Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes tour made its stop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont with the steady, understated presence that has become central to his appeal. Bargatze continues to draw humor from the small missteps and everyday confusions that shape his storytelling, easing the audience into his rhythm rather…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 13 June 2026 20:12
BrightSide’s intimate staging of The Producers shines with Broadway-sized power
Written by Kimberly Katz
BrightSide Theatre’s The Producers storms into Meiley Swallow Hall with the kind of swagger only Mel Brooks can inspire: brash, brazen, and blissfully unconcerned with good taste. From the moment the lights rise, the show charges ahead with a manic momentum that feels both affectionately old school and sharply self-aware.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- Brightside Theatre
- the producers
- mel brooks
- Meiley Swallow Hall
- Scott Kelley
- Michael Metcalf
- Amelia Tam
- Mary Grace Martens
- Jeffrey Cass
- Cheryl Newman
- Michael John Lynch
- Myles Mattsey
- John B Boss
- musical comedy
- live theatre
- on stage
- chicago theatre
- Naperville THeatre
- Chicago events
- broadway musical
- comedy
- Phil Videkis
- Ariel Mozes
- tap dance
- dance numbers
- Musical theatre
Monday, 08 June 2026 12:49
Guest’s New Andy Warhol Play A Study in Primo Theater
Written by Mitchell Oldham
When Terry Guest left Atlanta and arrived in Chicago ten years or so ago, a bracing reality check caused the young actor to make a bold pivot. Three years of auditions and zero bites on the acting front, he turned himself into a playwright and used a deceased uncle as…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Overshadowed Theatrical Productions Announces 2026-2027 Season: “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Moments”
Written by Buzz Center StageOvershadowed Theatrical Productions announced their 2026-2027 season entitled “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Moments,” which includes five main stage productions and special events. Kicking off the season is an original play written by Artistic Director Reba Hervas entitled “Flame of Fire.” The… -
A People: A Sweeping, Soul‑Stirring Journey That Celebrates Jewish Identity
Written by Kimberly KatzAn extraordinary eight-person ensemble fuels the sweeping storytelling of A People - a production presented collaboratively by Arts Judaica and YI Love Jewish - shifting through nearly 80 characters across generations and geographies. Though only one cast member is Jewish,… -
Astonrep Approaches Uncle Vanya’s Appeal from a Novel New Angle
Written by Mitchell OldhamAnton Chekhov, a Russian playwright who was also a doctor, can claim a level of regard few writers achieve and maintain so long after their deaths. Born in 1860, the same year the Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln for President,… -
Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music - Marriott Theatre - Through August 9th
Written by Buzz Center StageMarriott Theatre, Chicagoland's longest-running musical theatre, presents A Little Night Music, a Tony Award-winning musical from Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler that explores the lush, witty, and poignant complexities of love, longing, and second chances. Directed by Nick Bowling (Marriott Theatre: The Sound of Music,…
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