Theater – Page 29 –

Jonathan Lee-Rey, executive artistic director of Asian American comedy troupe Stir Friday Night, center, and the audience watch Tony Castro perform stand up comedy during a showcase called hAAPI hour, a play on happy hour and Asian American/Pacific Islander, at HAIBAYÔ, 1132 W. Argyle St., on Oct. 23, 2026, in Chicago. The team will be performing during iO's 45th anniversary festival, IO45. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Improv teams old and new celebrate 45 years of iO Theater

By Ryan P. C. Trimble

October 30, 2026 at 8:03 a.m.

iO Theater, Chicago's home for longform improv, is turning 45 this year and throwing a...

The cast of "A Few Good Men" at the conclusion of a preview performance at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in the Lincoln Center for the Arts in New York. (Emilio Madrid)

Review: Potent ‘A Few Good Men’ on Broadway needs a lawyer we can believe in

By Chris Jones

October 29, 2026 at 10:00 p.m.

"You can't handle the truth" is writer Aaron's Sorkin's most famous line in his play...

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2020 file photo, Patrick Stewart attends the LA Premiere of "Star Trek: Picard," in Los Angeles. The award-winning actor best known as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard of "Star Trek" has a deal with Gallery Books for a "revealing and heartwarming look" into his life and times, the publisher announced Tuesday, June 30. A title and release date will be determined later. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)

Patrick Stewart, stage giant also of ‘Star Trek’ and ‘X-Men’ fame, dies at 86

By Mark Kennedy

October 29, 2026 at 3:15 p.m.

Patrick Stewart, the classically trained stage actor who scaled the Shakespearean canon and added gravitas...

Fernando Velasco in "Champions of Magic," coming to the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building. (Pamela Raith)

‘Champions of Magic’ will bring large-scale illusions to Michigan Avenue this summer

By Chris Jones

February 19, 2026 at 3:37 p.m.

The touring magic show is coming to the Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building.

Lookingglass Theatre artistic director Kasey Foster and ensemble member and co-founder David Schwimmer in Chicago on Feb. 13, 2026. (Chris Sweda/baiduhai)

David Schwimmer is doubling down on Lookingglass Theatre

By Chris Jones

February 20, 2026 at 11:12 a.m.

The famous alum of one of Chicago's most innovative theater companies is returning to ensure...

Steve Mosqueda, left, Sean Benjamin and Carolyn Benjamin of The Drinking & Writing Theater company gather at the bar, Feb. 16, 2026, at Simon’s Tavern in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Column: Drinking & Writing’s new musical began with a dream about a leopard print coat

By Rick Kogan

February 18, 2026 at 9:18 a.m.

Sean Benjamin and Steve Mosqueda are the founders of the Drinking & Writing Theater and...

Director Crissy Johnston, left, watches and listens as Janaah Coates rehearses a scene for Dreamscape Theatre’s “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” in Elk Grove Village on Feb. 10, 2026. (Chris Sweda/baiduhai)

A theater legacy continues in Schaumburg with Maurice Proffit and Dreamscape Theatre

By Darcel Rockett

February 18, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Decades of the Proffit presence in the northwest suburbs continued in 2025 with the creation...

Mi Kang in "Miss Julie" at Court Theatre. (Michael Brosilow)

Review: ‘Miss Julie’ at Court Theatre is a thorny story of desire, here minus the desire

By Chris Jones

February 17, 2026 at 2:38 p.m.

Chicago theater is having an August Strindberg moment, with his famous play about sex and...

Michelle Olejnik, from left, Jen Fisher, Maria Ziemer, Emily Campbell, Allison Peters, Dominique Stepinski, Alisa Messana and Megan Balderston perform in the 2024 Revue, “Artificial Hinstelligence.” The Community House Players’ biennial Revue, this year is “The Real Trophy Wives of Hinsdale,” and will be presented in March. (The Community House)

Community House Revue pokes fun at ‘Real Trophy Wives of Hinsdale’

By Chuck Fieldman

February 16, 2026 at 3:10 p.m.

The popular Community House Players’ biennial Revue is billed this year as “The Real Trophy...

Elaine Watson (from left) is Alana, Pablo David Laucerica is Jared Kleiman, Isabel Kaegi is Zoe and Cody Combs is Evan Hansen in "Dear Evan Hansen" at Paramount Theatre in Aurora. (Boris Martin)

Review: Remarkable ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ at the Paramount makes you feel for this kid all over again

By Chris Jones

February 17, 2026 at 9:51 a.m.

Director Jessica Fisch has a gift for making difficult musicals work, a gift very much...

Rory Alexander and Kemi-Bo Jacobs in "Hamnet" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater by the Royal Shakespeare Company. (Kyle Flubacker)

Review: ‘Hamnet’ is rendered on stage by Royal Shakespeare — but haunted by a movie

By Chris Jones

February 15, 2026 at 4:08 p.m.

To be sure, this theatrical adaptation of the beautiful Maggie O'Farrell novel has some stiff...

Philip Earl Johnson and Gwendolyn Whiteside in "Come Back, Little Sheba" by American Blues Theater. (Michael Brosilow)

Review: Gwendolyn Whiteside is superb in ‘Come Back, Little Sheba’ at American Blues

By Chris Jones

February 13, 2026 at 2:45 p.m.

The artistic director of American Blues Theater used to be busy as an actress. She...

Today in History: ‘Rent’ premieres off-Broadway

By Associated Press

February 13, 2026 at 4:00 a.m.

On Feb. 13, 1996, the rock musical “Rent,” by Jonathan Larson, premiered off-Broadway less than...