2016 guide: 6 shows to watch for in Chicago fringe theater
Sure, there are big names coming home at big theaters in 2016 — we're as excited to see Tracy Letts' "Mary Page Marlowe" this spring at Steppenwolf Theatre as everyone...
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Our resolutions for Chicago fringe theater in 2016
We know Chicago theater is good. We also know how tough it is to produce on a low budget (and yes — while fighting for press coverage). But this is...
Kerry Reid’s picks for best Chicago theater of 2015; and what’s next
In addition to sharing the "On the Fringe" column with Nina Metz, I have the pleasure of reviewing many other individual shows throughout the year for the baiduhai. Here...
A guide to holiday week at the museums
A line from a pop song by the British duo Everything But the Girl sums up the post-holiday letdown for some of us: "Every day's like Christmas day without you...
Best of 2015 in Chicago’s fringe theater — and what’s up next
In a tumultuous year for Chicago politics and social issues, there was still plenty of drama (and comedy and music) happening in the small stalwart companies that give Chicago theater...
Review: ‘Robin Hood and Maid Marian’ a bit lost in the forest
Nothing says "holiday extravaganza" like Alfred Lord Tennyson. Alright — lots of things say that with cheerier panache than the author of "The Charge of the Light Brigade." But one...
A very bawdy holiday: ‘Barney the Elf’ is not for kids
First things first: "Barney the Elf," the Other Theatre Company's brand-new entry into the Naughty Holiday Camp category (where Hell in a Handbag has reigned supreme for years) is not...
‘Potted Potter’ at Broadway Playhouse: When Harry met silly
The British holiday "panto" tradition, which ransacks classic fairy tales through music, parody and healthy doses of audience participation, doesn't have the same broad cultural currency stateside. So for that...
Gift shopping at Chicago’s museums: Our picks for 2015
Between Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, holiday shopping can take a toll on your conscience before you've bought the first stocking stuffer. Fortunately, area museums and cultural...
Review: Mysteries remain in ‘Playing God’ by Curious Theatre Branch
Matt Rieger's new play for Curious Theatre Branch is a — wait for it — curious contraption that doesn't really make it all the way through its own beguiling conceptual...