To cover Chicago theater is to carry a ghost map in one’s head of all the lost spaces. Some buildings are gone altogether, like the original Goodman Theatre at the Art Institute, or the Jane Addams Hull House Center on Broadway at Belmont, which at various points housed Steppenwolf, Bailiwick Repertory, Famous Door, and About […]
Category: Performing Arts Feature
Posted inPerforming Arts Feature
Jump back into the cultural stream
Theaters, comedy clubs, museums, galleries, and other venues are blowing off the COVID-19 shutdown dust and preparing to welcome you back this fall. Many companies are picking up with productions that were cut short in March 2020, while others have world premieres up their sleeves. We suggest calling venues ahead of time or checking their […]
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Forever Ed Asner
“Do you prefer I use Ed or Edward in my book about you? People always call you Ed, but when I see your name on the screen, it’s always Edward.” “The reason I use Edward in credits is because Ed is over too fast. It doesn’t maintain the screen or the page. So, I prefer […]
Posted inPerforming Arts Feature
The unforgettable Jane Blass
Actor, singer, and all-around raconteur Jane Blass, who called Chicago home from 1988-2006 before she relocated to New York, where she performed on Broadway and in the touring companies of many shows, died at 59 after a long struggle with stomach cancer on August 6. Dorothy Milne, her friend and cofounder of the long-running women’s storytelling collective the Sweat Girls, compiled these remembrances from those who knew and loved her in Chicago and New York.
Posted inPerforming Arts Feature
Live theater is back—but COVID questions remain
Spring began so hopefully this past year, with COVID-19 vaccines ramping up and my inbox filling up with announcements of live performances returning in the fall. Back in May, I talked to Deb Clapp, executive director of the League of Chicago Theatres, about what she felt the major concerns facing their members might be as […]
Posted inTheater Preview
Theatre Y explores Chicago’s “emerald necklace” in YOU ARE HERE.
In 2019, Theatre Y presented The Camino Project, an engaging five-hour miniature pilgrimage through Bucktown and Humboldt Park featuring experiential pieces intermingling dance, theater, and performance art. The adventure culminated in a group meal with audience members and actors breaking bread. It was a delightful experience and an ambitious endeavor having actors guiding guests through […]
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Contretemps beats against the time
Contretemps Contemporary Ballet challenges the stereotypes of the form in Heat Lightning.
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Remembering Sally Nemeth
A playwright’s playwright, Sally Nemeth planted seeds of encouragement and collaboration.
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TimeLine marches on
TimeLine Theatre unveils plans for their new Uptown home, while their longtime managing director transitions to a new role.
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A tsunami of news and a new path for Actors’ Equity membership
Changes in faces, places, and union rules might carry harbingers of a shifting landscape in Chicago theater.
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Remy Bumppo and Teatro Vista name new artistic directors
Marti Lyons takes over at Remy Bumppo, while Lorena Diaz and Wendy Mateo share the top job at Teatro Vista.
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Mitsu Salmon considers the orchid
A new interdisciplinary work digs into the roots of one of the most mythologized of flowers.
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Joel Hall Dancers tap the spirit of the phoenix again
In LEGACY: Phoenix^5, Joel Hall Dancers celebrate the past and look to the future.
Posted inArts & Culture
Eschaton is a virtual cabaret with a surreal twist
Eschaton host Tony Grayson rolls out the willkommen mat for a livestream variety show.
Posted inArts & Culture
Tap Secret! offers “cotton candy” escapism and a welcome return to live performance
Chicago Tap Theatre and JC Brooks team up for a new show with a 90s beat.