| Accidental Rapture |
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16th Street Theater at
Berwyn Cultural Center |
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| A lot has happened in the ten years since Amy, Paul and Richard were in grad school together. Amy and Paul got married and became academics; Richard also found a wife, a new job selling Christian merchandise, and a new life serving God. So Amy's not really looking forward to spending an awkward weekend at Richard's house. Will Richard's born-again wife object to Amy's feminism? Will Amy and Paul's daughter get brainwashed by their God-fearing hosts? And can Amy keep herself from cursing for forty-eight hours? |
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| Aida |
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Lyric Opera |
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| Here it is — the granddaddy of grand-opera spectacle — complete with pyramids and potentates, priestesses and dancing girls, plus armies of soldiers and slaves! At its heart, a treacherous love triangle and a relationship that was never meant to be. Aida, the enslaved Ethiopian princess, and Radames, leader of the Egyptian army that conquered her homeland, long to be together forever. But someone else wants Radames, too — it’s Amneris, the jealous daughter of the Pharaoh himself!
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| Ameriville |
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Victory Gardens Theater - Biograph |
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| Performed by the celebrated performance ensemble Universes, this thrilling exploration of the American experience prowls the dark corners of our contemporary landscape and asks, "If Hurricane Katrina happened again, would we be ready?" An electrifying evening infused with hip-hop, song, poetry and dance, Ameriville is a passionate and hopeful vision of a community's responsibility to another amidst a nation in turmoil. |
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| Androcles and the Lion |
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ShawChicago at
Ruth Page Center For Arts |
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| Androcles, a humble but devout Christian, befriends a lion in the forest by removing a thorn from its paw. Both lion and man are captured by the Romans to serve as entertainment in Caesar’s Circus. Shaw’s play gives us a fascinating examination of the diversity of Christian motives and thought. There is, in addition to Androcles, the Patrician lady, Lavinia, whose body recoils from sacrificing to the Roman gods. The warrior, Ferrovius, refuses to fight in the arena because his religion commands that he turn the other cheek. And there is the coward, Spintho, who runs away from Christianity. All their fates depend on what happens in the arena. |
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| Assisted Living |
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Profiles Theatre at
Second Stage Theatre |
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| Anne Kelly needs help. She's pushing 40 and still lives with her mother. Her deadbeat brother won't even return her calls and the ancient family home seems to be falling down around her. When Levi, a sweet but dim-witted younger man, comes into her life, Anne begins to see the upside of not always being the grown up. |
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Watch a video preview of Assisted Living
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| Bachelorette |
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Profiles Theatre |
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| Ten years out of high school, three unhappy friends show up “not-quite-invited” to their classmate’s hotel room for the perfect bachelorette celebration. Half a bathtub of booze later, the former prom queen is melting down, the nice-girl cokehead is on a mission to mend the mauled wedding dress, and the lacerating maid of honor finds her picture-perfect life less stable than it seemed. A smash hit Off Broadway, Leslye Headland’s shrewd and biting play is an aria to the anxiety and self-loathing of a generation.
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| Black Pearl Sings |
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Northlight Theatre |
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| Featuring beautiful, a cappella renditions of rare American folk songs, this play with music tells the Depression-era story of two extraordinary women dependant on one another to gain acceptance in a divided society. When Susannah, a WPA song collector for the Library of Congress, overhears Pearl singing in a Texas prison, she will pull every string possible to introduce the woman with the silky voice and steely spirit to the world. |
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Watch a video preview of Black Pearl Sings
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| Blizzard '67 |
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Chicago Dramatists |
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| Jon Stienhagen’s Blizzard ’67 takes us to the fast-paced, high-pressured, glamorous Loop of the late 1960s when ambitious, arrogant businessmen fought ruthlessly for power and respect. Lanfield, Henkin, Emery, and Bell spend their work days competing mercilessly with each other but when they find themselves trapped in the most fearsome blizzard Chicago has ever known, it is their survival, rather than promotion, on the line. If they don’t work together and overcome their corporate rivalries, they’ll be left out in the cold. For the 45th anniversary of the infamous blizzard that shut down Chicago for days, an ensemble of four actors will recreate that chilling Chicago memory and the surrounding frenzy. |
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Watch a video preview of Blizzard '67
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| Blue Man Group |
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Briar Street Theatre |
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| Blue Man Group is best known for its award-winning theatrical productions which critics have described as "ground-breaking," "hilarious," "visually stunning" and "musically powerful." These performances feature three enigmatic bald and blue characters who take the audience through a multi-sensory experience that combines theatre, percussive music, art, science and vaudeville into a form of entertainment that is like nothing else. |
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Watch a video preview of Blue Man Group
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| The Caretaker |
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Writers' Theatre |
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| Aston brings Davies, a fast talking tramp, to his cramped home full of odds and ends—best characterized as junk—offering him a bed and a much needed place to get on his feet. Davies quickly realizes that Aston and his brother Mick have a different take on the world around them. From Aston’s constant puttering and half finished fix-it jobs to Mick’s grand plans for the future, the three become an unlikely trio desperately trying to connect to one another but always missing the mark. |
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Watch a video preview of The Caretaker
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| Chester and the Unbearable Burden |
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Six Hours Short Productions at
Athenaeum Theatre |
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| Dirkwood Wizarding Academy’s Spooksday Ball is fast approaching, and Chester would like to take a girl other than his best friend Lillian. Chester wants to ask the Dirkwood Chronicle’s lovely editor Charlie Fleckman, but first feels a need to prove he’s not just another wizard orphaned by the Dark Lord Molvak. When strange visitors Sean and Hamfast arrive at Dirkwood with a mysterious ring, Chester sees his chance to write a newspaper story that will sweep Charlie off her feet. But with the ring comes Thebook, a transcendent elf who bears ominous news of Molvak’s return. Can Chester conquer death with the help of Lillian and Headmaster Dilfor? Will Chester be thwarted by escaped convict Gene or the sinister Professor Tansy? Will Charlie say yes? See for yourself in this two-part fantasy comedy filled with death, love, protagonism, and teen angst. |
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| A Chorus Line |
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Paramount Theatre |
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| EXHILARATING! No other word aptly describes A Chorus Line, where 17 dancers yearn for a coveted spot on the line. Celebrate their individual stories of hope, sacrifice, soul-searching and dreams as their tales unfold on stage during a single New York audition. This smash hit features music written by famed composer Marvin Hamlisch and offers up big dance numbers, emotionally-charged vocals, laughter and pathos. No wonder A Chorus Line is the longest running American musical ever produced, boasting nine Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. What I Did For Love and the blockbuster Broadway finale One are here! Never look at the stage the same way again. |
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| Clutter: The True Story of the Collyer Brothers Who Never Threw Anything Out |
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MadKap Productions at
The Greenhouse Theater Center |
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| Clutter is based on the compelling true story of the wealthy, reclusive Collyer brothers who became hoarders in their Fifth Avenue mansion in 1920s Harlem. After years of compulsive collecting, the brothers have become notorious shut-ins in their aristocratic New York neighborhood. Langley Collyer is missing and Homer Collyer is found dead amongst floor-to-ceiling piles of newspapers, books, and junk. The police investigating the case, two brothers with a strained relationship mirroring that of the Collyers, are simultaneously making discoveries about themselves. Narrated by the brothers and the police investigating the bizarre case, this darkly fascinating tale is a poignant and profound exploration of human behavior. |
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Watch a video preview of Clutter
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| Come On! We're All Adults! |
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Annoyance Theatre |
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| Come On! We’re All Adults! is a collection of solo pieces by Patrick Raynor, who was recently featured at the TBS Just For Laughs Festival in Alone: Chicago’s Best Solo Acts. Every hilarious scene is grounded, earnest, and rich in detail. Raynor shows off his acting chops by patiently investing in the reality of each character’s world. Whether its a hermit emerging from the wilderness to re-enter society, a love-struck South Dakotan imploring his girlfriend not to leave on that plane to New York, or an arsonist/amateur ornithologist enthusiastically leading the bird-watching club at his maximum security prison, Raynor treats every absurdity with respect. With direction by Joe Avella (Teenager of the Year), Come On! We’re All Adults! is subtly deranged solo performance not to be missed! |
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| The Complete History of America (Abridged) |
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Metropolis Performing Arts Centre |
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| During this amusingly inaccurate play, the audience is taken on a gut-busting roller coaster ride filled with important historic figures and events that have been warped and twisted for the sole purpose of comedy. In just about two hours, The Complete History of America (Abridged) covers 500 years of American history—from the birth of Bob Dole before Christ to the assassination of JFK by Lucy Ricardo. You’ll laugh your star-spangled head off and cry red, white and blue tears as everything you know about American history is distorted through hilarious sketches, songs and parodies. |
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| Dark Play or Stories for Boys |
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Collaboraction at
Flat Iron Arts Building |
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| "Dark Play or Stories for Boys" follows a teenage boy's foray into the virtual world. His fictional internet identity begins as a harmless game, but the game takes on a frightening reality when real emotion overtakes his online relationship. When Nick's virtual world collides with the real world, his fantasies of love, intimacy, obsession and betrayal spiral into consequences that lead him to the brink of death. |
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| Death and Harry Houdini |
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The House Theatre of Chicago at
Chopin Theatre |
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| Artistic Director Nathan Allen returns to his very first script having spent the last decade developing The House’s voice. The House’s original production featured magic, music, dance, and film. Now Allen, along with The House’s incredibly diverse ensemble of artists, bring their experience in creating ensemble theater and devising story to the life of history’s greatest magician, while reaching deep into its bag of tricks to create an altogether new theatrical event. |
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