Remy Bumppo Archives - Chicago Reader

Two women stand facing each other, each touching the other's hand. There is a wall of books behind them. The woman on the left is in contemporary clothes holding a large leather book, the woman on the right is dressed as a nun.

Star turns

by Kerry Reid April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

Jessica Dickey’s world premiere at Remy Bumppo (directed by Marti Lyons) has some echoes of Doug Wright’s I Am My Own Wife: the playwright appears as a character, researching the life of a historical figure as a way to come to grips with her own personal narrative. But unlike the ethically complicated (but still remarkable) […]

Two young Black men sit at a table in a posture of arm wrestling. They appear to be in some sort of conference room or holding area with a large glass window behind them.

Theater Review

Seeking sanctuary in Routes

by Kaylen Ralph October 28, 2022October 28, 2022

Nearly a decade after it debuted at the Royal Court Theatre in 2013, Rachel De-lahay’s Routes has landed at Theater Wit for its American premiere. Presented by Remy Bumppo, Routes is a story of progressively intertwined, mirrored vignettes of two characters and the handful of people who will determine their respective fates. Olufemi (Yao Dogbe) […]

Agenda

Last Call Chicago, midwest graffiti, Routes, Braided

by Micco Caporale, Salem Collo-Julin and Kerry Reid October 11, 2022October 11, 2022

If you’re interested in queer Chicago history, you’ll definitely want to check this out: At 6 PM, Sidetrack (3349 N. Halsted) is celebrating the release of Last Call Chicago: A History of 1001 LGBTQ Friendly Taverns, Haunts & Hangouts. Renowned writers and activists Rick Karlin and St. Sukie de la Croix will share some of […]

Mike Birbiglia in a flowered purple shirt stand with his hands raised at chest level.

Theater Review

Reflecting pools

by Kerry Reid May 5, 2022May 5, 2022

I saw a lot of old friends and acquaintances I hadn’t seen in quite some time last weekend. And as sometimes happens for people of a certain age, shades of sorrow and remembrance for those no longer here crept into the conversation. No matter how much we try to play whack-a-mole with the Reaper, he’s […]

Audrey Francis, a white woman in blue jeans and a black jacket, is standing left, and Glenn Davis, a Black man in dark trousers and shirt, is standing right in front of the empty new theater at Steppenwolf.

Performing Arts Feature

Plays in a pandemic

by Kerry Reid December 22, 2021January 6, 2022

By the time this year ends (it is gonna end, right?), Reader critics will, by my count, have reviewed 69 live theater and dance performances. That’s far less than in most years, but a veritable cornucopia after the onstage famine that began in March 2020. But just when we think it’s safe to go back […]

Arts & Culture

Remy Bumppo and Teatro Vista name new artistic directors

by Kerry Reid July 14, 2021August 18, 2021

Marti Lyons takes over at Remy Bumppo, while Lorena Diaz and Wendy Mateo share the top job at Teatro Vista.

Arts & Culture

Lanise Antoine Shelley is opening up the House

by Kerry Reid March 11, 2021September 22, 2021

The new artistic director wants to take ‘amazing feats of storytelling’ into more diverse realms; Rick Bayless wants to give more money to local theaters.