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The Chicago Reader

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Arts & Culture, Theater Review Feb 4, 2020
How a Boy Falls stumbles at Northlight

Steven Dietz's family drama doesn't give us enough reasons to care.
- By Jack Helbig
- Tags: Theater Review, How a Boy Falls, Northlight Theatre, Steven Dietz, Halena Kays, Cassidy Slaughter-Mason

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Nov 19, 2019
The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley cashes in on Jane Austen

Sugarplums, sparkle, and a stellar cast can't quite overcome a treacly script.
- By Catey Sullivan
- Tags: Theater Review, The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, Northlight Theatre, Jessica Thebus, Margot Melcon, Lauren Gunderson, Jennifer Latimore, Will Mobley, Penny Slusher, Netta Walker, Luigi Sottile

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Sep 25, 2019
Mother of the Maid puts Joan of Arc's mom in the spotlight

Jane Anderson's drama doesn't invest enough in the mother-daughter bond.
- By Kerry Reid
- Tags: Theater Review, Mother of the Maid, Northlight Theatre, Jane Anderson, BJ Jones, Kate Fry, Kareem Bandealy, Grace Smith, Casey Morris

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Mar 28, 2019
Recommended
Landladies explores the power dynamic between renters and owners

It's a moving depiction of crippling homelessness and how solutions feel completely out of reach.
- By Marissa Oberlander
- Tags: Theater Review, Landladies, Northlight Theatre, Sharyn Rothstein, Jess McLeod, Leah Karpel, Julian Parker, Shanesia Davis, Christina's World, Recommended

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Feb 7, 2019
Nina Simone: Four Women could use a lot more of her songs

Christina Ham's play can't decide whether it's a jukebox musical revue or a dramatic stage bio.
- By Jack Helbig
- Tags: Theater Review, Nina Simone: Four Women, Northlight Theatre, Nina Simone, Mississippi Goddam, Sydney Charles, Christina Ham, Daniel Riley, civil rights

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Nov 21, 2018
Recommended
Northlight Theatre finds the radicalism in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park

Kate Hamill's "collaboration" adjusts the focus and heightens the drama.
- By Jack Helbig
- Tags: Theater Review, Mansfield Park, Northlight Theatre, Jane Austen, Kate Hamill, Fanny Price, Stuart Carden, Kayla Carter, Heidi Kettenring, Yu Shibagaki, Recommended

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Sep 26, 2018
Not even a first-rate cast can save Curve of Departure

The characters are well drawn, but the story isn't all that compelling.
- By Jack Helbig
- Tags: Theater Review, Curve of Departure, Northlight Theatre, Rachel Bonds, BJ Jones, Mike Nussbaum, funeral

Arts & Culture, Theater Review May 23, 2018
Recommended
In Cry It Out, four new parents learn what to expect when they're no longer expecting

In this social order, parenthood is idealized, but not feasible.
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Theater Review, molly smith metzler, cry it out, northlight theatre, entrepreneur, jewelry designer, goldilocks, jessica fisch, Laura Lapidus, Darci Nalepa, Gabriel Ruiz, Andrew Boyce, Paul Toben, humana festival, Recommended

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Nov 22, 2017
Escape to Margaritaville, 'Tis the Seasonal Depression, and nine more new stage shows

A musical for Parrotheads and a comedy revue from GayCo are among this week's best bets.
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, The Book of Will, Lauren Gunderson, Shakespeare, The King's Men, the Bard, Jessica Thebus, Northlight Theatre, Bluebird Arts, Clever Little Lies, Joe DiPietro, Luda Lopatina Solomon, Jimmy Buffett, Escape to Margaritaville, jukebox musical, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Christopher Ashley, Paul Alexander Nolan, Alison Duff, Parrotheads, Walt Spangler, Lisa Howard, Eric Petersen, Paul Tazewell, I Saw My Neighbor on the Train and I Didn't Even Smile, Redtwist Theatre, Suzanne Heathcote, Adam Bitterman, Jacqueline Grandt, Kathleen Ruhl, Erin Murphy, Emma Maltby, Fear the Evil Dead, Lizzie, Lizzie Borden, Firebrand Theatre, Elizabeth Bussert, feminist musical theater, Invictus Theatre, Othello: The Moor of Venice, Callie Johnson, Charles Askenaizer, The Pearl Fishers, Lyric Opera, George Bizet, Marina Rebeka, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecien, Andrew Davis, Zandra Rhodes, Scrooge and the Ghostly Spirits, Citadel Theatre Company, Douglas Post, Scott Phelps, Frank Farrell, Tick, Tick . . . Boom, Jonathan Larson, Rent, Donald Kolakowski, Nic Eastlund, Molly LeCaptain, Cuckoo's Theater Project, Prop Thtr, 'Tis the Seasonal Depression, GayCo Productions, Jeff Bouthiette, Christopher Thies Lotito, Katie Cutler, Evan M. Duggan, Wild Boar, Candace Chong, Silk Road Rising, Joanna C. Lee, Ken Smith, China Miéville, Anthony Churchill, China Miéville, Helen Young

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Sep 28, 2017
The Ages of Man, Splatter Theater, and ten more new stage shows to see

Three Thornton Wilder one-acts and the Annoyance's long-running slasher parody are among this week's best bets.
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, The Ages of Man, Thornton Wilder, Theatre Above the Law, Tony Lawry, Building the Wall, Richard Schenkkan, Stage Left Theatre, Amy Szerlong, For One, Gunder Mansion, (Re)discover Theatre, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, Quest Theatre Ensemble, Joe DiPietro, Jimmy Roberts, Laura Sturm, Liz Jarmer, Gavin Donnellan, Christian Aldridge, Alys Dickerson, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Northlight Theatre, Matthew Lopez, Nate Santana, Jeff Kurysz, Sean Blake, A New Brain, William Finn, Falsettos, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Theo Ubique, James Lapine, Fred Anzevino, No Exit Cafe, Chase Heinemann, Tyler Franklin, Orphée et Eurydice, Lyric Opera, Joffrey Ballet, Gluck, Dmitry Kolchak, Lyric Opera Chorus, Andrianna Chuchman, Lauren Snouffer, John Neumeier, Perfect Arrangement, Topher Payne, Pride Films and Plays, Lane Anthony Flores, Eric Lindahl, Autumn Teague, Riley Mondragon, Kelli Harrington, Derek Von Barham, Splatter Theater, Annoyance Theatre, Del Close, Martin DeMaat, Viola Spolin, slasher films, late-night shows, slasher parody, Friday the 13th, John Waters, Striking Out: A Gay Baseball Musical, Pride Films and Plays, Marco Braun, Take Me Out, The Twilight Zone, Olivia Nielsen, Adam Levin, Ryan Ford, Sylvester, Lifeline Theatre, Christina Calvit, Dorothy Milne, Andrés Enriquez, Samantha Newcomb, Alan Donahue, A Year With Frog and Toad, Chicago Children's Theatre, Robert Reale, Willie Reale, Andy Nagraj, Shawn Pfautsch, Matthew C. Yee

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Review May 24, 2017
Ideation, Token, and nine more stage shows to see now

A dark comedy from Jackalope and a go-for-the-jugular solo performance are among this week's best bets.
- Tags: Performing Arts Review, Ideation, Aaron Loeb, Gus Menary, Jackalope Theatre, Italian Bred, Candice Guardino, Steven Schirripa, The Sopranos, Johnny 10 Beer's Daughter, Arti Ishak, Randy Steinmeyer, Dana Lynn Formby, Emmi Hilger, Something Marvelous, The My Way Residential, Irish Theatre of Chicago, Belinda Bremner, Geraldine Aron, Kevin Theis, Subtext Theater Company, A Prayer for the Sandinistas, Pope John Paul II, Leigh Johnson, Jonathan Hagloch, Kate Robison, Northlight Theatre, Relativity, Albert Einstein, Mark St. Germain, Katherine Keberlein, Mike Nussbaum, BJ Jones, Halcyon Theatre, The River Bride, Marisela Treviño Orta, Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary, Sofia Tew, Flavia Pallozzi, Nate Santana, The Rogue Aviator, Otherworld Theatre Company, Tiffany Keane-Schaefer, Nick Izzo, St. Jude, Luis Alfaro, Victory Gardens, Kaye Winks, Token, Judy's Beat Lounge, Schoen Smith, BoHo Theatre, Three Days of Rain, Richard Greenberg, Derek Van Barham, Kyle Curry, Kate Black-Spence, Niko Kourtis

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Mar 23, 2017
Born Ready, In to America, and seven more new theater reviews

A kinder, gentler All About Eve and a multivarious chronicle of the migrant experience are among this week's best bets.
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Factory Theater, Stacie Barra, Born Ready, Clara Byczkowski, Eleanor Katz, All About Eve, Wm. Bullion, By the Water, Sharyn Rothstein, Cody Estle, Northlight Theatre, Penny Slusher, Francis Guinan, Hurricane Sandy, Goodman Theatre, Destiny of Desire, telenovelas, Karen Zacarias, José Luis Valenzuela, For the Love of (or, The Roller Derby Play), Pride Films and Plays, Gina Femia, Rachel Edwards Harvith, Alex Dauphin, Erica Hernandez, Kenzie Seibert, Mother of Smoke, Red Tape Theatre, Walkabout Theater Company, A Cherry Orchard, The Trojan Women, Charles Mee, Ohio State Murders, Adrienne Kennedy, Danielle Thorsen, Renee Lockett, Tim Moan, Dandelion Theatre, Joe Janes, Andrea Dymond, Our Christian Nation, Cornservatory, The Twink on the Fire Escape: A Walking Tour, Zach Zimmerman, Boystown, Clark and Belmont, In to America, Griffin Theatre Company, Dorothy Milne, William Massolia, immigration, the Great Migration, the immigrant experience, Ken Burns

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Feb 8, 2017
The Nether, The Book of Joseph, and seven more plays to see now

Thought-provoking productions at A Red Orchid and Chicago Shakespeare Theater are among this week's best bets.
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, The Assembled Parties, Richard Greenberg, Raven Theatre, Cody Estle, Loretta Rezos, JoAnn Montemurro, Niko Kourtis, The Book of Joseph, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Joseph Hollander, Every Day Lasts a Year: A Jewish Family's Correspondence From Poland, Barbara Gaines, Sean Fortunato, Francis Guinan, the Holocaust, Bootycandy, Windy City Playhouse, Robert O'Hara, Travis Turner, Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller, Redtwist Theatre, Steve Scott, Brian Parry, Jan Ellen Graves, Matt Edmonds, Faceless, Selina Fillinger, Northlight Theatre, BJ Jones, Ross Lehman, Susaan Jamshidi, Timothy Edward Kane, Joe Dempsey, Hobo King, Congo Square Theatre, Kyle Smith, Lionel Gentle, Velma Austin, Lyle Miller, Javon Johnson, Manual Cinema, The Magic City, Chicago Children's Theatre, the Station, The Nether, A Red Orchid Theatre, Jennifer Haley, Karen Kessler, Guy Van Swearingen, pedophilia, Starrs Is Getting Up There, John Starrs, Rhinofest, Doug Chamberlin

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Dec 1, 2016
From Scrooge to the Snow Queen: eight stage shows for the holidays

The Goodman's A Christmas Carol leads the seasonal onslaught.
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Eric Schaeffer, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown, Peanuts, Emerald City Theatre, children's theater, holiday shows, Ann Filmer, Goodman Theatre, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens, Larry Yando, Scrooge, Henry Wishcamper, Annoyance Theatre, It's Christmas, Goddamnit!, American Blues Theater, It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago, Gwendolyn Whiteside, Frank Capra, Jimmy Stewart, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Northlight Theatre, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet, Mary Bennet, Emily Berman, Erik Hellman, Arthur de Bourgh, The Rip Nelson Holiday Spectacular, David Cerda, Hell in a Handbag Productions, Steve Love, David Lipschutz, Ed Jones, Bruce Jenner, Doug Henning, Piccolo Theatre, The Snow Queen, Hans Christian Andersen, Jessica Puller, Arne Parrott, Under the Gun Theater, holiday improv, Hanukkah, dreidels

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Oct 1, 2016
Cheers Live, Dog Night, The Happiest Place on Earth, and nine more new theater reviews

The latest Chicago stage shows range from the rawly emotional to the enjoyably ridiculous.
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Cheers Live on Stage, Broadway in Chicago, Nich Radcliffe, Organic Theater Company, Joe Mantegna, Open Space Theater, Bleacher Bums, Northlight Theatre, Anthony Giardina, The City of Conversation, Lia D. Mortensen, Marti Lyons, Chicago theater, Pulse Theatre, The Colored Museum, George C. Wolfe, ETA Creative Arts Foundation, Aaron Mitchell Reese, Demetra Drayton, Ekia Thomas, Dead Children, The Side Project Theatre Company, Robert Tenges, Erik Wagner, Kirsten D'Aurelio, Adam Webster, Victoria Gilbert, Dog Night, Rabid Bat Theatricals, North Lakeshore Cultural Center, Gunder House, Philip Dawkins, The Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland, Jonathan L. Green, Greenhouse Theater Center, Genesis Theatricals Productions, The People's Choice, Philip Pinkus, political satire, Baby Wants Candy, Game of Thrones, Thrones! A Musical Parody, Nick Druzbanski, Caitlyn Cerza, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, pH Theater, William Finn, Rachel Sheinkin, Erin Elisabeth Smith, Jason Geis, Filament Theatre, The Van Gogh Cafe, Community Tavern, Portage Park, Cynthia Rylant, Julia Ritchie, Visiting Edna, David Rabe, Steppenwolf Theatre, Anna D. Shapiro, Donterrio Johnson

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature May 19, 2016
A Full House musical, Sara Ruhl’s Eurydice, and 11 more new stage shows to see

How about a joyously trashy revival of Porn Minus Porn?
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, At Mister Kelly's, Three Cat Productions, Attend the Tale of Danny Tanner: A Full House Musical, Bob Saget, Clued In, Beat Lounge, Second City, Dennis T. Giacino, Disenchanted!, Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, Broadway in Chicago, Vanessa Leuck), Eurydice, BoHo Theatre, Sara Ruhl, Amanda Jane Cross, Heartland Studio Theater, Charles Riffenburg, The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens, and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord, Scott Carter, Northlight Theatre, My Solo Show of All Duets, Shirley Lame, C.J. Shanoff, Annoyance Theatre & Bar, Dorota Masłowska, No Matter How Hard We Try, Max Truax, Trap Door Theatre, Under the Gun Theater, Porn Minus Porn, Life on Top, Ben Bowman, Genesis Theatricals, Satie et Cocteau, Erik Satie, Jean Cocteau, Mike Czuba, Five Lesbian Brothers, The Secretaries, About Face Theatre, Bonnie Metzgar, Kelli Simpkins, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, Lorraine Hansberry, Goodman Theatre, Anne Kauffman, Twisted Knots, Dave Danner, Royal George Theatre, Mary Cross, Ryan Kitley, Hard Rock Hotel

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Mar 23, 2016
Butler, United Flight 232, Christina, the Girl King, and ten more new theater reviews

Queen Christina of Sweden a black lesbian? Why not?
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Cor Theatre, Christina, the Girl King, Toya Turner, Laura Resinger, Afro-Futurism, Second City, Felonius Munk, Marcel “Mr. Greenweedz” Wilks, About Face Theatre, After All the Terrible Things I Do, A. Rey Pamatmat, Andrew Volkoff, Colin Sphar, Lisa Tejero, The Bachelors, Caroline V. McGraw, Cole Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Butler, Tosin Morohunfola, Greg Vinkler, Stuart Carden, Major General Benjamin Butler, Richard Strand, Queen Christina of Sweden, Michel Marc Bouchard, The Chicago Mammals, Clay Continent, Robert Louis Stephenson, Bob Fisher, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, TUTA, Adam Rapp, The Edge of Our Bodies, Carolyn Molloy, Trap Door Theatre, How to Explain the History of Communism to Mental Patients, Matei Visniec, Lifeline Theatre, Lester's Dreadful Sweaters, Sam Button-Harrison, Elizabeth Levy, Aly Renee Amidei, Adapt Theatre Productions, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, Lane Flores, Amanda Lautermilch, Aja Wiltshire, Theo Ubique, Rent, Jonathan Larson, The House Theatre of Chicago, United Flight 232, Laurence Gonzales, Vanessa Stalling, Echaka Agba, Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, Brian Quijada, Chay Yew

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Feb 5, 2016
Mothers and Sons, The Last Defender, and eight more theatrical shows

A moving drama about the AIDS epidemic and an immersive puzzle/play inspired by retro video games are among this week's best bets.
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Redtwist Theatre, The Drawer Boy, Scott Weinstein, Michael Healey, Estrella Cruz, Halcyon Theatre, Tony Adams, High Fidelity: The Musical, Refuge Records, The Last Defender, The House Theatre of Chicago, Nathan Allen, Sander Weisz, The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes, Warner Crocker, Northlight Theatre, Mothers and Sons, Cindy Gold, Jeff Parker, Pinocchio: A Folk Musical, Snowflake, Gale LaJoye, Upstate, Terrence McNally, Aaron Todd Douglas, Asia Martin, Yasmina's Necklace, 16th Street Theater, Ann Filmer, Rohina Malik, Michael Perez, Susaan Jamshidi

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Jan 29, 2016
Le Switch, The Mutilated, and nine more new reviews worth your notice

On the off-Loop scene: the latest from local playwright Philip Dawkins, an obscure Tennessee Williams one-act, and a Neil LaBute funfest
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Bye Bye Birdie, Tammy Mader, Drury Lane Theatre, Michelle Aravena, Leryn Turlington, Signal Ensemble Theatre, The Consultant, Heidi Schreck, Courtney Jones, Aguijón Theater, Epopeya, Hecuba, Euripides, Abel González Melo, Oracle Theatre, The Hairy Ape, Eugene O'Neill, Julian Parker, Monty Cole, The Mutilated, Tennessee Williams, Mierka Girten, Jennifer Engstrom, A Red Orchid Theatre, Dado, Steep Theatre Co., Posh, Laura Wade, Dash Barber, Christopher Borek, Jonathan Barry, Bruce Norris, Domesticated, Sunset Baby, AnJi White, Kelvin Roston Jr., TimeLine Theatre Company, Dominique Morisseau, About Face Theatre, Le Switch, Philip Dawkins, The Homosexuals, Charm, Northlight Theatre, Steppenwolf Garage, [Title of Show], Jeff Bowen, Hunter Bell, Open Door Repertory, Ashton Byrum, Kellye Howard, Transparent, Vices & Virtues, Profiles Theatre, Neil LaBute, Betsy Bowman, Tom McGregor, 10-K, Swallowing Bicycles

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Nov 20, 2015
Court Theatre's Agamemnon, Ibsen's Ghosts, and ten more new theater reviews

There's preholiday gloom galore on Chicago stages.
- By Reader staff
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Agamemnon, Court Theatre, Animals Commit Suicide, First Floor Theater, Ibsen's Ghosts, Mary-Arrchie Theatre, Greg Allen, The Long Christmas Ride Home, Strawdog Theatre, The Merry Widow, Lyric Opera, Renée Fleming, Franz Lehár, Leopold and Loeb case, Never the Sinner, John Logan, Victory Gardens, Playing God, Curious Theatre Branch, Beau O'Reilly, Pocatello, Griffin Theatre, Samuel D. Hunter, Repairing a Nation, Nikkole Salter, ETA Creative Arts, Tales of Fated Love, Clock Theater, You Can't Take It With You, Northlight Theatre

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Oct 29, 2015
Recommended
Northlight's appealing Charm shows the tyranny of an earlier age

Meet Mama Darleena, a sixtysomething black transsexual who's all about etiquette.
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Theater Review, Philip Dawkins, Northlight Theatre, Steppenwolf Garage, Charm play, Armand Fields, B.J. Jones, Brittney Love Smith, Awate Serequeberhan, Elizabeth Ledo, Matthew Sherback, Julian Parker, Recommended

Arts & Culture, Fall Preview Sep 9, 2015
A transgender housemother schools her Boystown proteges in Northlight's Charm at Steppenwolf Garage
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Fall Arts, Fall Preview 2015, Charm play, Philip Dawkins, Northlight Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Garage

Arts & Culture, Theater Review May 20, 2015
Northlight Theatre's Shining Lives is a missed opportunity to depict real drama

Jessica Thebus's musical, based on a true story, leaves you furious for the wrong reasons..
- By Jack Helbig
- Tags: Theater Review, Shining Lives: A Musical, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Northlight Theatre, Jessica Thebus, Andre Pluess, Amanda Dehnert, Melanie Marnich, Linda Roethke, Johanna McKenzie Miller, These Shining Lives

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Feb 4, 2015
Recommended
Northlight Theatre's new show confronts America's problem with race

Bruce Graham's White Guy on the Bus shows the toxic legacy of slavery.
- By Tony Adler
- Tags: Theater Review, White Guy on the Bus, Northlight Theatre, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Barack Obama, Eric Garner, racism, Bruce Graham, The Outgoing Tide, Francis Guinan, Patrese D. McClaine, Mary Beth Fisher, Jordan Brown, Amanda Drinkall, Recommended

Blogs, Bleader Dec 5, 2014
Evanston's looking for a new tenant for the Next Theatre space on Noyes Street

Evanston has a short time frame for a short-term rental in the former Next Theatre space.
- By Deanna Isaacs
- Tags: Theater, Arts, Next Theatre, City of Evanston, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Noyes Street Theatre, Robert Andalman, Victory Gardens Theater, Northlight Theatre, Wally Bobkiewicz, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Noyes Street Theatre

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