Theater – Page 207 –

Eddie Weaver and cast in "A Strange Loop" at Raven Theatre in a co-production with About Face. (Joe Mazza)

Review: ‘A Strange Loop’ at Raven Theatre is very off-Loop, and breathtakingly good

By Chris Jones

October 15, 2026 at 12:45 p.m.

Michael R. Jackson's musical won the Pulitzer and Tony Awards, but it's just now being...

Highland Park native Marina Franklin, who has TV and film credits, including HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” is one of the headliners at the Funny is Female Comedy Festival, Oct. 22-25, at Comedy Plex in Oak Park. (Ashley Chappell)

‘Now there’s a girls’ club’: Funny is Female fest draws 50 comedians to Oak Park

By Myrna Petlicki

October 15, 2026 at 10:20 a.m.

More than 50 comics from around the country will be performing at the Funny is...

Ferdinand (Lawrence Grimm) and Will (Lenin Izquierdo) in "Any Rebellion of Will" at Trap Door Theatre. (George Hudson)

Review: ‘Any Rebellion of Will’ is an absurdist breath of fresh air at Trap Door Theatre

By Chris Jones

October 14, 2026 at 1:24 p.m.

This world premiere, penned by S.L. Daniels and accurately billed as a dark, absurdist comedy...

Second City's "Urban Twist" cast members Aasia Bullock, from left, and Saliha Muttalib rehearse in 2013.

How Second City’s diversity promises are being executed

By Darcel Rockett

November 10, 2020 at 6:35 a.m.

Here's a look at some of the diversity and equity objectives Second City announced over...

Outgoing co-owner Andrew Alexander sits onstage at Second City in Chicago on Nov. 18, 2009. Alexander announced in June he is divesting from the theater company after racism allegations against Second City went viral on social media.

At Second City, the search for a new owner and executive producer continues

By Darcel Rockett

November 6, 2020 at 6:00 a.m.

Second City has only changed hands a few times in its 60-year history, and a...

TV veteran Suzy Nakamura was born and raised in Chicago, where she also appeared in theatrical and Second City comedy productions.

Second City alumni talk about their experiences, good and bad

By Darcel Rockett

November 6, 2020 at 6:00 a.m.

We reached out to more than 100 Second City Chicago alumni of color and asked...

An artist's rendering of the planned set design for the Milwaukee Rep's "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol."

Live ‘Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol’ in Milwaukee is canceled

By Chris Jones

November 5, 2020 at 3:13 p.m.

This Christmas, Jacob Marley will not, after all, be reforming Ebenezer Scrooge before a live...

Supporters of President Donald Trump watch television to see the numbers coming in at the Cochise County Republican Headquarters in Sierra Vista, Arizona on Nov. 3.

Column: Trump plans a future in media and the New York Times recalls a hubristic tweet

By Chris Jones

November 5, 2020 at 5:52 p.m.

Two interesting and prescient things happened in the hours before America plunged into a nail-biting...

Only ‘For You’: A match-making program at Court Theatre pairs up artists and seniors

By Chris Jones

November 4, 2020 at 12:57 p.m.

The words "For You" conjure up a dating service and the director-choreographer Erika Chong Shuch...

Playwright Ike Holter at Steppenwolf's Merle Reskin Garage Theatre in 2014.

Review: Ike Holter’s new audio play ‘Put Your House in Order’ is a scary story set among Evanston’s lakefront liberals

By Chris Jones

October 30, 2020 at 12:16 p.m.

The leafy lakefront streets of Evanston, home to a mature community of highly educated liberals,...

Playwright August Wilson enjoyed shopping at Jazz Record Mart when in Chicago.

Playwright August Wilson’s archive headed home to Pittsburgh

By Chris Jones

October 29, 2020 at 1:00 p.m.

The archives of the acclaimed American playwright August Wilson, which his widow, Constanza Romero, describes...

An outdoor plastic dining bubble waits for customers in the Fulton Market district of Chicago on Oct. 15.

Column: As we head into a winter lockdown, who will win? Netflix and DoorDash again? Don’t be so sure.

By Chris Jones

October 28, 2020 at 2:30 p.m.

Last Saturday, I asked my wife how she wanted to spend the evening. "Well," she...

During a 2016 episode of "The Tonight Show," host Jimmy Fallon participates in a magic demonstration with Penn & Teller. The duo recently contributed to the show via video.

Magician Teller will do ‘Chicago Shakesfear,’ but even he can’t make live magic reappear

By Chris Jones

October 27, 2020 at 2:25 p.m.

Teller, the not-so-silent part of Penn & Teller, is collaborating with Chicago Shakespeare Theater for...