Emily McClanathan – Page 4

Claire Kaplan in "Top Girls" at Raven Theatre. (Joe Mazza)

Review: In a top-notch ‘Top Girls’ at Raven Theatre, women never have easy choices

February 20, 2026 at 11:10 a.m.

Playwright Caryl Churchill’s 1982 feminist masterpiece from Thatcher-era Britain remains sharp-edged and all too timely.

Felipe Carrasco and Aurora Real de Asua in "Hedda Gabler" by Remy Bumppo Theatre Co. at Theater Wit. (Michael Brosilow)

Review: Unhappy lust and uneasy friendship in Remy Bumppo’s ‘Hedda Gabler’

February 11, 2026 at 2:24 p.m.

Remy Bumppo's production of Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 play, directed by Marti Lyons, foregrounds the relationship between Hedda and Thea.

Nolan White and the cast of the North American tour of "The Outsiders," in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. (Matthew Murphy)

‘The Outsiders’ musical arrives in Chicago, bringing a teenage Ponyboy’s world to life

February 9, 2026 at 5:30 a.m.

The musical tries to be very elemental, director Danya Taymor says, using fire and rainstorms to tell S.E. Hinton’s story about rival Socs and Greasers.

Shenise Brown as Sara and Monique Marshaun as Sandra in "Confederates" at Redtwist Theatre. (Aaron Reese Boseman)

Review: ‘Confederates’ at Redtwist Theatre asks, can trust survive racism?

February 4, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Directed by Aaron Reese Boseman, Redtwist’s cast deftly manages the play’s ambitious structure, hopping between two timelines as several actors play dual roles.

Stacey Lind, Izzi King and Blake Hood in "Prospera” by Otherworld Theatre at Theater Wit. (Erin Bonham)

Review: Otherworld Theatre’s ‘Prospera’ reaches for a sci-fi adaptation of Shakespeare

January 17, 2026 at 5:30 a.m.

“Prospera” ends up a bit stranded as it tries to reinvent “The Tempest" on a distant planet.

"Rhynoceron," directed and designed by KT Shivak, will be at the Chopin Theatre as part of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. (Richard Termine)

Chicago’s International Puppet Theater Festival opens again, the largest in the nation

January 16, 2026 at 5:45 a.m.

Every winter, Chicago becomes the epicenter of the puppet theater world. Here are some titles and companies not to miss.

Michael Metcalf (as Oliver Warbucks) and Elin Joy Seiler (as Annie) in "Annie" by Music Theater Works at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. (Brett Beiner)

Review: ‘Annie’ by Music Theater Works has a warm-hearted orphan and an over-the-top ending

December 22, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Family is the most important thing in this longtime favorite musical by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan.

James Sparling and Adam Bitterman in "Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Clowns" by City Lit Theater. (Steven Townsend)

Review: ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Clowns’ mixes up British detectives for a light holiday mystery

December 15, 2025 at 11:15 a.m.

Detective stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and G.K. Chesterton blend to create this world premiere adaptation about a jewelry theft during a holiday pantomime.

Felicia Martis (Jovie) and Jack Ducat (Buddy) in the touring production of "Elf the Musical" at the Auditorium Theatre. (Evan Zimmerman)

Review: ‘Elf’ at the Auditorium Theatre has a fine Buddy in a middling musical

December 5, 2025 at 5:15 a.m.

With music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin, the Christmas cheer is dialed up to 11 in the familiar story of a human raised in the North Pole...

Phil Timberlake in "Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol" at Lifeline Theatre, a story told from the point of view of Ebenezer Scrooge’s late business partner. (Jackie Jasperson)

Review: ‘Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol’ leans into Dickens’ language and the supernatural

December 3, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Lifeline ensemble member Phil Timberlake takes on Tom Mula's solo play, told from the point of view of Ebenezer Scrooge’s late business partner.

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