Go See Some Freaking Theatre

[rdolan]

We live in the best theatre town in the country. There is some truly innovative, compelling stuff in this town.

Everything I write after that sounds condescending and angry...or basically like all my posts. Please see some theatre.

Like once a month.

Or at least once every two months...which is pitifully little, but hey we're busy people with budgets.

[jrrtubbs]

Word!

It's actually been about a month or so for me, things keep coming up when I plan to go to shows.

[Biddle]

Hey gang,

I work at Victory Gardens Theater. If you see something on our schedule that interests you, let me know. I bet I could get very cheap tickets for you, to one of our shows.

Cheers,
COB

PS. Our current show, "Four Places" got pretty incredible reviews from both Chris Jones and Hedy Weiss. I thought it was pretty interesting, even if the target audience for the show is someone older than me.

[rdolan]

Yeah, "Four Places" is pretty good. Mary Ann Thebus was excellent. It's a 90 minute one act that takes place in real time about two middle aged kids that take their mother out to lunch. The kids are having to decide if they need to put their parents in an assisted living arrangement.

It's a good play.

I know Erica Elam is about to be in Greasy Joan's production of MacBeth (http://www.greasyjoan.org/index.php?view=current), which should be really good.

I'm lucky enough to be in a world premiere musical by Brett Neveu at Strawdog (http://www.strawdog.org/) the month of May called "Old Town." It's about Chicago politics and set in the present day Windy City. There's some really good music in it.

2nd Story has their annual festival (http://2ndstory.serendipitytheatre.org/), at Webster's Wine Bar, where Chicago writers perform personal essays with a music engineer backing them. Think of "This American Life" performed every night for two weeks straight. You should definitely try to catch one of those. They're a blast.

Time Out Chicago has a great theatre section (http://www.timeout.com/chicago/section/theater) to get synopsis of plays, and their reviewers are pretty accurate with their reviews in my opinion.

There is so much good stuff out there. Get out of your rut and see some stuff.

[anthjoyy]

Does anyone know anything about Intrigue with Faye?

[lindsay_m]

Hey guys --

Every Thursday night at The Neo-Futurists is pay-what-you-can. So you should totally take advantage of that. The current show is called Picked Up. Each week there's a new staged version of a ridiculous sitcom pilot and it's basically an exploration of many artists' dilemma -- try to go Hollywood (and rich) or spend your life (broke) but making the art you want. This week is a pilot called The Colony ....Misfit teens ditch out on high school and start a new life on Mars.

More info!

http://www.neofuturists.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=79&Itemid=180

[Banned Ito]

I think it's a great idea to keep reminding people to go see theater. Obviously no one goes. I go every day and I never see any of these people there. GO TO THE THEATER, PEOPLE! Jesus!

[Essie]

See Our Town directed by David Cromer with The Hypocrites at The Chopin Theatre Studio. It opens on Sunday and runs thru June 8th, thursday-sunday. See it!

http://www.the-hypocrites.com

[rdolan]

I just saw Adal Rifai's sister, Sadieh, in the hilarious "Speech & Debate" at American Theatre Company (http://www.atcweb.org). It's got glowing reviews (http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/theater/29256/speech-and-debate)from every (http://www.chicagoreader.com/listings/static/listings.html#SPEECH) publication (http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/stage/chi-speech-debate-ovn-0501may01,0,7547213.story) possible.

Also, Waltein and Klepper got a great write up in Time Out (http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/theater/29293/funny-it-doesnt-look-like-theater) this week. I hope their show is extended, because I still need to see it.

[schaefe]

I've had the oportunity to see tonnes (to use the English spelling) of theatre down here in Athens:

War of the Worlds
Trojan Women
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (Amy was Antony! It rocked!)
Midsummer Night's Dream
Uncle Vanya
Hamlet Machine
The Misadventures of Uncle McBuck (McDuck)
Real Women have Curves
Porch/Patio
Urinetown
Tartuffe
The Man Who Came To Dinner
The Exonerated
Balm in Giliad
subUrbia

and a ton of Commedia 'del Arte

Next year:

Pillowman
Changling
Dangerous Liasons
Our Town

I never really saw any theatre when I was living in Chicago...the only exceptions were Sons of Liberty at the Breadline, and one or two other more experimental type shows here and there. I was all focused on the 'prov for some dumb reason. Go see some shows!

[aimeng99]

Babe, did you miss Nickel and Dimed?

And next year we also get The House of Bernarda Alba, The Underpants, Art and Museum.

[max]

Go see tonnes of theater for free! Big venues, small venues - join the Saints. Show up an hour early, usher and see shows for free. Annual dues are $55 - you get more than that back seeing one play at Chicago Shakespeare. And - you make it possible for small theater venues to have the kind of ushering help they couldn't otherwise afford. Check out http://www.saintschicago.org for more details.

[schaefe]

Babe, did you miss Nickel and Dimed?

And next year we also get The House of Bernarda Alba, The Underpants, Art and Museum.

Aw Crap! I knew I left a show out. I have to buy you a pony now, don't I?

Nuts!

:)

[ericaelam]

A) Ryan, thanks for the shout out
B) You can also sign up to usher at Steppenwolf without being a Saint. Just call the box office and let them know what night you want to usher and see the show for free! You can sign up with friends, too. That's how I've seen almost every Steppenwolf show I've been to. All you have to do is get there early, dress in black and white, hand out programs and then pick up programs after the show. Totally worth it for me. I'm poor.
C) The Goodman also does cheap day-of tickets on their website.
D) I hear Beggars in the House of Plenty is really good.
E) Theatre is great.

[Fenstermaker]

This Friday and Saturday there is a FREE French outdoor theatrical spectacle at Navy Pier (9:00 pm in Gateway Park, that park in front of the Pier.) The metromix listing with more info can be found here (http://chicago.metromix.com/theater/performance/maudits-sonnants-celestial-carillon-streeterville/448056/content).

A chance to see French trapeze artists - for free! I can't wait!

[Janes]

WNEP's (http://www.wneptheater.org) vaudeville/dada smash-up Metaluna and the Amazing Science of the Mind Revue (http://www.wneptheater.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=142&Itemid=1) opens July 18th at A Red Orchid Theatre (http://www.aredorchidtheatre.org).

For ticket info and show times, click HERE (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/38080).

If you're looking to save some bucks, there will be $5 previews this week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 8pm. Pay at the door.

Good times.

- Joe