Don't accuse Chicago-area theaters of being frivolous in terms of world- and local-premiere programming this winter.
Quite a number of serious topics are explored, such as racism, gentrification, crises of faith, bullying, gun violence and even cyberattacks in some of the shows listed below. Several companies are also offering chances to see other works by young and international playwrights who might be best known for one award-winning work. All productions are in Chicago unless otherwise noted.
World premieres:
Rasheeda Speaking, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, now through Feb. 15. A white physician tries to oust his African-American receptionist by getting a white co-worker to spy on her in Joel Drake Johnson's drama that explores our "post-racial" times. Sandy Shinner directs and Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member Ora Jones stars in the title role. www.rivendelltheatre.org .
Do-Gooder, 16th Street Theater, Berwyn, now through Feb. 22. Laura Jacqmin's world-premiere drama looks at gentrification when an African-American couple's plans to rent out the second apartment in their newly purchased Chicago greystone go awry. www.16thstreettheater.org .
Luna Gale, Goodman Theatre, now through Feb. 23. Pulitzer-finalist playwright Rebecca Gilman ( The Glory of Living, Spinning into Butter ) returns with a new drama directed by Robert Falls showing the dilemma faced by a social worker when she must decide the custody concerns of an infant from drug-riddled home. www.goodmantheatre.org .
Unshelved, Eclectic Theatre Company at Athenaeum Theatre, Feb. 7 through March 2. When Alzheimer's disease strikes a member of a family, whose identity is affected the most? That question is asked in this world-premiere drama by Beth Kander. www.eclectic-theatre.com .
Buzzer, Goodman Theatre, Feb. 8 through March 9. Racial and sexual tensions come to the fore in Tracey Scott Wilson's new dark comedy about an African-American lawyer who returns to the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of his youth, with with his white girlfriend and a troubled friend in tow. www.goodmantheatre.org .
The Wild, Walkabout Theater Company at Steppenwolf Garage, Feb. 14 through April 19. The work of playwright Charles L. Mee is the inspiration for this physical movement piece devised by a young ensemble focusing on how our past wildness collides with our present state of civilization. Presented as part of Steppenwolf Theatre's Garage Rep series. www.walkabouttheater.org .
reWILDing Genius, The New Colony at Steppenwolf Garage, Feb. 16 through April 20. An examination of young computer "hacktivists" living in Chicago is the latest ensemble-created piece devised by The New Colony and structured into a dramatic play form by Megan Johns and Andrew Hobgood. Presented as part of Steppenwolf Theatre's Garage Rep series. www.thenewcolony.org .
Corpus Delicti, MadKap Productions at Greenhouse Theater, Feb. 27 through March 23. An African-American ex-convict suspects his new boss is a murderer, but when he goes to the authorities, the eye of suspicion falls on him in David Alex's world-premiere drama. www.madkapproductions.com .
The Gospel of Lovingkindness, Victory Gardens Theater, Feb. 28 through March 30. Marcus Gardley's world premiere is inspired by Chicago violence on the South Side as it focuses on a mother who tries to rebuild her life after her son has been murdered for his new pair of Air Jordans. www.victorygardens.org .
Chapatti, Northlight Theatre, Skokie, March 7 through April 13. John Mahoney ( Fraiser ) and Penny Slusher star in this world premiere by Christian O'Reilly about two eccentric animal lovers who find love late in life. www.northlight.org .
Darlin', Step Up Productions at Athenaeum Theatre, March 7 through April 13. A mysterious woman checks into an Iowa motel, only discover that her traumatic secret will soon be discovered by the oddball characters hanging out there in Joshua Rollins' world-premiere drama. www.stepupproductions.org .
American Myth, American Blues Theater at Greenhouse Theater, March 7 through April 6. A well-respected and well-liked college historian faces trouble when a former student accuses him of lying about his participation in the Vietnam War in this world-premiere drama by Christina Gorman. www.americanbluestheater.com .
Chicago-area premieres:
The Golden Dragon, Sideshow Theatre at Victory Gardens' Richard Christiansen Theater, now through Feb. 23. After presenting Roland Schimmelpfennig's Idomeneus, Sideshow Theatre Company returns to this European playwright in David Tushingham's English translation for a comic drama about a shocking secret behind a popular pan-Asian restaurant in a major world city. www.sideshowtheatre.org .
Luck of the Irish, Next Theatre, Evanston, now through Feb. 23. Racial and class issues stretching from the 1950s to today are explored in Kirsten Greenidge's 2013 off-Broadway play about desegregation and gentrification in housing. www.nexttheatre.org .
Solstice, A Red Orchid Theatre, now through Feb. 23. Scottish playwright Zinnie Harris gets her second U.S. stage debut in Chicago following The Wheel at Steppenwolf Theatre when A Red Orchid Theatre presents this drama exploring terrorism and a family struggling to hold onto its faith. www.aredorchidtheatre.org .
Strangers, Babies, Steep Theatre, now through March 1. This is a 2007 drama by Scottish playwright Linda McLean about a woman who goes on a search to discover what happened when three young girls disappeared in a neighboring park 20 years ago. www.steeptheatre.com .
Gidion's Knot, Profiles Theatre, The Alley Stage, now through March 9. This is the Midwest premiere of Johnna Adams' drama about a grieving parent confronting a teacher about a student who was severely bullied. Or was he the one doing the bullying? www.profilestheatre.org .
EDGES: The Musical, Circle Theatre at Chicago Actors Studio, Jan. 25 through March 2. Get at look at this 2007 song cycle about four twenty-something people on differing journeys of self-discovery by the Tony Award-nominated songwriting team of Justin Pasek and Benj Paul ( A Christmas Story, Dogfight ). www.circle-theatre.org .
hamlet is dead. no gravity, Red Tape Theatre at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Jan. 27 through Feb. 22. Seth Bockley directs the U.S. premiere of Austrian playwright Ewald Palmetshofer's depiction of an ill-advised reunion among friends and family in a suburban setting. www.redtapetheatre.org .
Doubting Thomas, Clockwise Theatre, Jan. 24 through Feb. 16. This plucky Waukegan-based company dedicated to Midwestern playwrights stages the area premiere of John Green's drama about a young, born-again Christian who suffers a crisis of faith. www.clockwisetheatre.org .
Plainsong, Signal Ensemble Theatre, Jan. 30 through March 8. The Chicago premiere of Eric Schmiedl's adaptation of Kent Haruf's novel of the same name looks at unexpected shows of humanity in small town America. www.signalensemble.com .
The How and the Why, TimeLine Theatre, Jan. 28 through April 6. Feminism, evolution and the divides in generations are all explore in this drama by Sarah Treem ( House of Cards ) about two prominent women biologists who meet on the eve of a prestigious national science conference. Keira Fromm directs this Chicago premiere. www.timelinetheatre.com .
Chicago's Golden Soul, Black Ensemble Theater, Jan. 30—March 30. Jackie Taylor shines a light on artists like Jerry Butler, Curtis Mayfield, Gene Chandler and more who shined a light on the Windy City recording scene in the 1960s and '70s. www.blackensemble.org .
Russian Transport, Steppenwolf Theatre, Feb. 6 through May 11. Yasen Peyankov directs the Chicago premiere of Erika Sheffer's dark comedy of a contemporary Russian family living in Brooklyn who must question their ambitions when a mysterious uncle arrives from the old country. www.steppenwolf.org .
Assistance, LiveWire Chicago Theatre at Storefront Theater, Feb. 9 through March 16. Playwright Leslye Headland, who created such a splash with the play and film Bachelorette, continues her Seven Deadly Plays series with this dark 2012 comedy about personal assistants executing completely pointless tasks. www.livewirechicago.com .
Love Story: The Musical, Jedlicka Performing Arts Center, Cicero, Feb. 14 through March 1. This Cicero company continues its drive to produce lesser-known shows with this 2010 London musical adaptation of the Erich Segal's best-selling tear-jerker novel of love and loss by the team of Stephen Clark and Howard Goodall. www.jpactheatre.com .
Three Soldiers ( for Sisters ), Red Theater at Den Theatre, Feb. 22 through March 23. Aaron Sawyer takes a different approach to Chekhov's Three Sisters by focusing on the difficulties of the soldiers they know and how the warrior class can adapt to society. www.redtheater.org .
Saturday Night/Sunday Morning, Prologue Theatre Company at Steppenwolf Garage, March 1 through April 19. A boarding house of African-American women in Memphis face an uncertain future as the end of World War II approaches in this drama by Katori Hall, the playwright behind the Olivier Award-winning drama The Mountaintop ( which recently made its Chicago debut at Court Theatre ). Presented as part of Steppenwolf Theatre's Garage Rep series. www.prologuetheatreco.org
Heartbeat of Home, Oriental Theatre, March 4-16. The producers behind the international hit percussive dance revue Riverdance have created another music and movement spectacular inspired by Irish, Latin and Afro-Cuban culture, and they're launching its U.S. debut in Chicago. www.broadwayinchicago.com .
Water by the Spoonful, Court Theatre, March 6 through April 6. Quiara Alegria Hudes was the winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama with this drama of an Iraq war veteran who returns home to find a set of unconventional communities that have been created around him. www.courttheatre.org
Venus in Fur, Goodman Theatre, March 8 through April 13. David Ives' hit 2011 Broadway comedy makes its Chicago debut, showing an overly sexual battle between an aspiring actress who gets into mind games while auditioning for a demanding playwright/director. www.goodmantheatre.org .
