| Long Way Go Down Jul 31 - Aug 4, 2013 |
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Jackalope Theatre at
Theater On The Lake |
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| An imaginary line at the edge of America fosters a dangerous story of trust between two truckers and two Mexican immigrants smuggled into Arizona. In a business this dangerous, someone has to pay up. Fast-paced and sharp-tongued, this play is a poignant reminder that life requires large sacrifices for large changes. |
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| The Gospel of Franklin Aug 2 - Aug 25, 2013 |
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Steppenwolf Theatre |
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| Franklin is a man of God with a talent for recognizing people who suffer in secret. A working-class black man, he mentors young white men at the factory with a preacher's zeal. But when Franklin himself needs help, it is his son William who comes to the rescue. The Gospel of Franklin is a warm, fiercely intelligent play that asks the question: can you save someone who doesn't want to be saved? |
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| The Chi-Town Clown Revue Aug 7 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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Chicago Physical Theater at
Theater On The Lake |
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| This special edition of Chi-Town Clown Revue's visceral, hilarious, and unrepeatable theatrical event features Honeybuns, a gigantic creature billed as "The World's Greatest Mime." To share space with Honeybuns is to experience a highly physical, interactive piece of performance art that has impressions of mime, improv, and electro shock treatment with physical comedians and circus clowns. |
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| Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Aug 9 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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The Den Theatre |
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| This festival was originally created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in Bethesda, NY. This would be the 44th anniversary of Woodstock. To celebrate the silver anniversary of Abbie Fest, as it is affectionately known as, it will be produced at The Den Theater, 1333 N. Milwaukee in Chicago. It will be on the weekend of August 9, 10, & 11. This will expand the festival to 3 times its size. There will be 3 stages and 3 more performing groups and individuals than usual. There is anticipation of onwards of 150 performing groups and individuals. Each group will provide 1 hour or less of material. The mark of a successful fest is that each group performs only one time. That may not necessarily happen but that is the goal. |
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| 9 to 5, The Musical Aug 14 - Oct 20, 2013 |
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Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire |
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| 9 TO 5, The Musical - "What a Way to Make a Living!" This hilarious new musical from Grammy Award-winner Dolly Parton features the hit title song and Tony Award-nominated score. 9 to 5 is the hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the rolodex era. When three unlikely friends take control of the office and put their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” of a boss in his place they learn there is nothing they can’t do, even in a man’s world. |
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| The Color Purple Aug 14 - Nov 10, 2013 |
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Mercury Theater |
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| From the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Stephen Spielberg, comes the soul-stirring musical THE COLOR PURPLE. It is an inspiring story of a woman who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world. With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love and a celebration of life. |
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| The Last Cyclist Aug 15 - Sep 1, 2013 |
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Genesis Theatrical Productions at
National Pastime Theater |
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| The Last Cyclist is an example of the extraordinary resilience displayed by concentration camp inmates. Incredibly, the play, written by Karel Švenk is funny and was meant to be funny. The audiences at Terezín that attended the open rehearsals of The Last Cyclist laughed and we are meant to laugh too. But ours is uncomfortable laughter: first because we realize that the play is not just a joke but, rather, a brave protest against totalitarianism; and, second, because we know the fate of the cast and the rest of the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. The play, in a non-confrontational way, clearly demonstrates that it is the personal responsibility of every human being to fight intolerance, prejudice, bullying and racism. |
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| A Raisin In The Sun Aug 20 - Nov 17, 2013 |
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TimeLine Theatre Company |
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| This award-winning drama "changed American theater forever" (The New York Times) through the striking and poignant story of an African American family living in a crowded apartment on Chicago's south side in the 1950s. When the Younger family receives a $10,000 life insurance check, the promise of a better life seems to be just around the corner. But the family struggles with conflicting ideas about how to use the money, and their plans to buy a home in the all-white Clybourne Park neighborhood are thwarted by racist intolerance. Set just before the Civil Rights and Women's movements, this powerful and beloved play celebrates faith, courage, and the human spirit while also casting a spotlight on issues that still plague Chicago more than 60 years after its premiere. |
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| This Is War Aug 22 - Sep 28, 2013 |
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Signal Ensemble Theatre |
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| It is 2008. Canadian Forces are holding Panjwaii, the most volatile region of Afghanistan, with very little support from NATO-ISAF. Captain Stephen Hughes is always looking for the next threat, knowing it can come at any time from any direction. He just didn't expect it would come from within. From the writer of Signal's sold out hit productions of East of Berlin/The Russian Play, This Is War received its world premiere at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. |
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| In God's Hat Aug 23 - Oct 13, 2013 |
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Profiles Theatre - The Main Stage |
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| In God's Hat examines the extremes of humanity and the love of family as well the contempt for it. For nearly a decade, estranged brothers Roy and Mitch found themselves kept apart by prison bars and a nefarious history. On the day of Mitch's release, he is shocked to see Roy waiting for him, unsure of his intentions. Together they travel down a desolate road stopping at the only lodging around - a fleabag motel where confrontation and tension manifest themselves through darkly comical situations. In the end, the brothers must confront both the past and present as some secrets are revealed and new ones must be kept. |
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| The Last Days of Judas Iscariot Aug 23 - Sep 8, 2013 |
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Stage 773 |
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| The Last Days of Judas Iscariot tells the story of a court case over the ultimate fate of Judas Iscariot. Set in a time-bending, darkly comic world between heaven and hell, the play reexamines the plight and fate of the New Testament's most infamous and unexplained sinner. The play uses flashbacks to an imagined childhood, and lawyers who call for the testimonies of such witnesses as Mother Teresa, Caiaphas, Saint Monica, Sigmund Freud, and Satan. |
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| Let's Misbehave Aug 29 - Oct 20, 2013 |
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Fox Valley Repertory |
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| Celebrate the life and times of legendary Broadway wit and composer Cole Porter in a must-see revue showcasing over 30 of his classic songs. From Porter classics like "Anything Goes" and "Kiss Me Kate," this de-lovely revue features selections from early musicals including "Gay Divorce" and "Fifty Million Frenchmen" to late-career classics such as "Silk Stockings" and "Can- Can." Clever, funny, and irresistibly romantic, you're in for a rollicking song-and-dance revue of one of America's most beloved and prolific musical theater composers. |
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| The Crownless King Aug 30 - Oct 20, 2013 |
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The House Theatre of Chicago at
Chopin Theatre |
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| For the second time in the company's history, Artistic Director Nathan Allen employs the epic format and creates a multi-year play cycle. Begun in the fall of 2012 with The Iron Stag King and the story of young Casper Kent seeking and winning the Crown, this trilogy combines the classical fantasy of King Arthur and Norse mythology with uniquely American themes. The story explores the nature of leadership, governance, and the American struggle to balance personal liberty with sacrifice for a greater good. |
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| The Old Man and the Old Moon Sep 3 - Nov 10, 2013 |
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Pigpen Theatre Co. at
Writers' Theatre |
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| The Old Man and the Old Moon creates an epic new mythology, centered on a man whose job is to collect spilled light to refill the leaking moon. When his wife unexpectedly leaves home in pursuit of much-needed adventure, he abandons his post to follow her, throwing the world into chaos as he searches for his lost love, his fading memory and, ultimately, himself. |
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| The Mountaintop Sep 5 - Oct 6, 2013 |
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Court Theatre |
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| On the eve of his assassination, a weary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. returns to his lonely hotel room in Memphis. Restless, he begins to work on his next speech when he's suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a young hotel maid named Camae. The two strike up an unlikely conversation and as the hour grows late and Dr. King's fate presses closer, Camae reveals that she is more than she appears. The Mountaintop offers a beautiful and powerful meditation on mortality, destiny, and the liminal space where the material meets the divine. Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson will direct this revelatory new portrayal of Dr. King. |
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| Sweet Child of Mine Sep 5 - Sep 21, 2013 |
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Neo-Futurists |
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| Sweet Child of Mine is an exciting U.S. premiere, featuring Australian performer Bron Batten and her 60 year-old parents live onstage, discussing art, theater and what Bron actually does for a living. Their insights are earnest, poignant and at the same time, painfully hilarious, as they ask themselves and the audience, what exactly is the point of art? Sweet Child of Mine is an inter-generational performance investigation combining theatre, modern dance, stand up comedy, audience participation and visual digital media. These elements combine to create an innovative style of post-dramatic performance that is honest, real and uniquely Australian - whilst also transcending cultural boundaries to speak to a universal experience. |
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| The Killer Angels Sep 6 - Oct 27, 2013 |
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Lifeline Theatre |
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| It is the third summer of the Civil War. General Robert E. Lee leads the Army of Northern Virginia into the North and the Army of the Potomac has no choice but to pursue. Over the course of three historic days, beside campfires and amidst firefights, a remarkable group of soldiers wrestle with their doubts, their fears, and their hopes for a shattered nation. Cemetery Hill, Culp's Hill, Little Round Top, and Pickett's charge come to vibrant life through the remarkable stories of the men who fought the legendary battles. |
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