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SPRING THEATER PREVIEW Highlights of spring theater
By Kerry Reid
2018-03-20

This article shared 746 times since Tue Mar 20, 2018
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Social issues, "the Scottish Play" and submarines are all hitting the boards around town. With new takes on old classics, literary adaptations and local premieres of contemporary hits ( plus one high-profile star turn at Steppenwolf ), there's sure to be something at the theater to satisfy spring palates.

—An Enemy of the People: An environmental whistleblower runs afoul of the powers that be—including his own brother—in Henrik Ibsen's political drama, which is timelier than ever as Flint, Michigan, faces its fourth year with undrinkable water. Robert Falls directs a powerhouse cast, including Philip Earl Johnson as Thomas Stockmann, the resort-town doctor who warns that the warm springs providing the community's economic lifeblood contain deadly pollutants. Info/tickets: GoodmanTheatre.org; 312-443-3800 .

—The Doppelganger ( an international farce ): "Dwight Schrute: International Man of Mystery" has a certain ring to it, you must admit. In Matthew-Lee Erlbach's world-premiere comedy, Rainn Wilson ( who played the socially inept paper salesman on the U.S. version of The Office ) tackles the role of a witless American stepping into the shoes of a British businessman in order to keep an African mineral deal afloat. Tina Landau directs. Info/tickets: Steppenwolf.org; 312-335-1650

—33 to Nothing: Getting a band together is easy. Keeping it together is hard. In Grant James Varjas' play with music—set during a real-time band practice—the members begin to question their loyalties to each other and to the hardships of the rock-and-roll lifestyle. Varjas' last play at A Red Orchid—Accidentally, Like a Martyr—won plaudits in 2015. Tyrone Phillips of Definition Theatre Company directs. Info/tickets: ARedOrchidTheatre.org; 312-943-8722 .

—Macbeth: Aaron Posner and Teller ( of "Penn & Teller" fame ) last joined creative forces at Chicago Shakespeare in 2015's The Tempest. Now they turn their talents to the darker side of magic by co-adapting and directing "the Scottish play." Percussionist Kenny Wollesen, a longtime Tom Waits collaborator, has also created new instruments for Andre Pluess' score, and Chicago Shakes' new flexible-use venue, The Yard, should offer many interesting vantage points for the tale of the man who would be king—no matter the bloody price. Info/tickets: ChicagoSshakes.com; 312-595-5600 .

—Until the Flood: Dael Orlandersmith's past solo shows, including Stoop Stories and Black n Blue Boys/Broken Men, have given Goodman audiences a chance to appreciate the empathetic and richly detailed stories she creates about people in her Harlem neighborhood and beyond. In Until the Flood, she embodies citizens of Ferguson, Missouri in the aftermath of Michael Brown's fatal shooting by a police officer, providing a microcosm of this country's traumatic racial history. Info/tickets: GoodmanTheatre.org; 312-443-3800 .

—Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years: Emily Mann's loving theatrical portrait of Elizabeth ( "Bessie" ) and Sarah ( "Sadie" ) Delany traces their journey in their own words. Over the century-plus of their lives ( Bessie lived to 104, Sadie to 109 ), they moved from the Jim Crow south of their childhood to careers as a dentist and schoolteacher in New York during the heyday of the Harlem Renaissance. Chuck Smith directs. Info/tickets: GoodmanTheatre.org; 312-443-3800 .

—Waiting for Godot: The Samuel Beckett play where nothing happens, twice ( in Vivian Mercier's memorable summation ) comes to town courtesy of Galway's Druid Theatre, under Garry Hynes' direction. Druid ensemble members Aaron Monaghan and Marty Rea reprise their roles as Estragon and Vladimir ( but you can call them Gogo and Didi ) from Druid's acclaimed 2014 staging. It's presented as part of Chicago Shakespeare's WorldStage series. Info/tickets: ChicagoShakes.com; 312-595-5600 .

—20,000 Leagues Under the Seas: First things first—the 20,000 leagues refers to how far Captain Nemo and Company travel under the oceans, not how deep the Nautilus goes. Jules Verne's watery adventure tale, filled with giant squids and other fantastic creatures, gets an outing ( appropriately enough ) at Lookingglass' Water Tower Water Works home, adapted by David Kersnar and Althos Low and directed by Kersnar. Info/tickets: LookingglassTheatre.org; 312-337-0665 .

—Father Comes Home from the Wars ( Parts 1, 2 & 3 ): Homeric epic meets African-American history in Suzan-Lori Parks' tripartite tale of Hero, a slave who heads off to fight the Civil War ( for the Confederacy ) while his wife, Penny, waits patiently at home. Parks' gift for reimagining history through contemporary cultural lenses came through many years ago in Topdog/Underdog, which won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize. This time, her narrative combines mythology, melodrama and realism under Nigel Smith's direction. Info/tickets: GoodmanTheatre.org; 312-443-3800 .


This article shared 746 times since Tue Mar 20, 2018
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