The evening started with a nice salute to the Grave Digger Monster Truck. This year commemorates it’s 40th Anniversary as a member of the Monster Jam assemblage. My attending crew for the event are ages 11, 6 and 4 and everyone had a blast. Definitely mark this as a family friendly event.
***RECOMMENDED*** For Oscar Wilde, it was the love that dare not speak its name. For Kitty Warren, the central character of George Bernard Shaw's "Mrs. Warren's Profession," it is her very profession which is never mentioned. Written in 1893, extremely early in Shaw's long and prolific career and only his second full-length play, he never expected it to receive a license from the Lord Chamberlain which would have allowed it to be performed. He was correct. The controversial work was banned due to its scandalous subject matter during the strict Victorian era and did not enjoy its first public performance on a London stage until 1925. Now, thanks to Promethean Theatre Ensemble and a decidedly modern and fresh adaptation by Melanie Spewock, we have this sparkling production which is a total delight to experience. 3 AND 1/2 SPOTLIGHTS
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** Oftentimes, despite our best efforts and idealistic intentions, things fall apart. We let our fellow man down repeatedly by acts of ignorance or physical violence committed against one another. When the victim of that destruction is a member of the animal kingdom, some may feel that the offense is even greater. These defenseless and harmless creatures, many of which are on the ever-growing list of endangered species, face a brutal future as many of them are approaching total extinction. Whether threatened by the ravages of climate change (the recent bushfires in Australia that saw the astounding fatality rate of and impact upon countless koalas, kangaroos and wallabies is just one example) or by basic and all-consuming human greed, animals in the wilderness today are living -- and trying to survive -- in an alarmingly hostile world. The story of one such animal, an elephant named Mlima, is the basis for Lynn Nottage's multi-faceted and haunting play "Mlima's Tale," which is receiving its Midwest premiere in a beautiful production by Griffin Theatre Company at the Raven Theatre. 4 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED*** One of the oddly pleasurable advantages of meeting a complete stranger for the very first time is the fact that it affords you the opportunity to completely reinvent yourself. A brand new identity. Casual encounter. Brief interlude. Whatever you may call it, this informal exchange of ideas or random and seemingly innocent conversation can be fun. After all, who wouldn't want to leave their dreary relationship or monotonous job behind them as they create an entirely fresh and different reality? This is exactly what happens when the female protagonist in Leslye Headland's "The Layover" finds herself seated next to an alluring gentleman on a flight. That initial contact leads these two characters down some very dark passages as it ultimately permanently alters the course of each of their lives forever. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED*** First Floor Theater is presenting the Chicago premiere of "Plano" as part of Steppenwolf's LookOut Series. This play, written by Will Arbery in 2018, enjoyed a successful run off-Broadway last year. It is presented here with a very strong cast of female actors. The promotional materials define "Plano" as a dark comedy, but under the swift direction of Steppenwolf ensemble member Audrey Francis in which much of the hidden nuances are delivered at an oftentimes breakneck speed it comes off as more of a comedy of the absurd. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** Every once in a while, whether an average theatergoer or devoted patron, you are fortunate enough to discover something truly remarkable upon the stage. When all of the key elements -- script, acting, direction and design -- magically coalesce into an evening in the theater which stuns you with its immense power and delves deep within your heart and opens your mind with its staggering brilliance, well, then you know that you have witnessed something miraculous. One such production is "Kill Move Paradise" in its Chicago premiere at TimeLine Theatre Company. This is easily the most insightful, stimulating and essential play presented in Chicago thus far in 2020. 4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED*** Invictus Theatre Company, the fledgling theatrical company that aims to promote a better understanding of language, has chosen to produce Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" for the second production of their first full season. Thanks to some articulate direction and very strong performances, Hansberry's classic -- presented here in its entirety, unlike the original 1959 Broadway debut that excised one character and deleted another scene entirely -- reminds us just how greatly talented of a writer Hansberry truly was and proves that we really haven't progressed very far in the more than 60 years since it was written. 3 AND 1/2 SPOTLIGHTS
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** It has been 20 years since the boys of "The Boys in the Band" have sashayed across a stage in Chicago. Following a highly publicized production on Broadway starring a cast of big-name actors who are all openly gay men (and the subsequent 2019 Tony Award that it won for Best Revival of a Play), Chicago audiences once again get a chance to see what all the fuss is about for themselves. Mart Crowley's landmark play opened off-Broadway in 1968 in what was originally supposed to be a five day run. A year and a half later, the boys finally disbanded. Thanks to the savvy producers at Windy City Playhouse, who have made a name for themselves by staging immersive theatrical events, they scored the rights to this in-demand show and place you, the audience member, right on the set itself -- directly in the line of fire as these castmates hurl endless verbal hand grenades at one another. 4 SPOTLIGHTS
“The Fantasticks”-So much symbolism! So much fun! So simple and important a moral! So well done!
***RECOMMENDED*** There was certainly quite a buzz in the air at the recent opening night performance of Liliana Padilla's play "How to Defend Yourself." As the audience members filled the lobby of the Victory Gardens Theater, the anticipation level was extremely high. Once inside and seated in their seats it definitely took on a party atmosphere. Padilla's latest script, developed as part of Victory Gardens 2018 IGNITION Festival of New Plays, was receiving its Co-World Premiere with Actors Theatre of Louisville. The very vocal audience instantly embraced this important and essential work and "How to Defend Yourself" marks the emergence of a major new voice in the American theatre. 3 AND 1/2 SPOTLIGHTS
