Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture

by Rachel Weinberg - June 17, 2026

Untitled Vampire Play — a world premiere from Lookingglass ensemble member Kevin Douglas — is a fun, wacky romp. The play doesn’t take itself seriously, and director Devon de Mayo’s cast has plenty of fun with vampire and human antics alike. Douglas’s script draws on all sorts of vampire l...

by Rachel Weinberg - June 15, 2026

I left Catch as Catch Can at Steppenwolf Theatre Company on Sunday night wondering exactly what I had just seen, and what, if anything, I was meant to take from it....

by Rachel Weinberg - June 14, 2026

Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt follows multiple generations of an Austrian Jewish family from prosperity to despair — spanning over 50 years from 1899 to 1955. Now in its Chicago-area premiere at Writers Theatre, the late Stoppard’s final play includes a cast of 24 actors and many, many character...

by Emily Werner - June 13, 2026

What did our critic think of TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS at The Factory Theater?...

by Tina St. Angelo - June 13, 2026

What did our critic think of THE PRODUCERS at BrightSide Theatre?...

by Angela Lin - June 13, 2026

We might not know if our relationships will have a happy ending, but we can guarantee a happy beginning. At the end of the day, isn’t that all we can ask for?...

by Emily Werner - June 05, 2026

What did our critic think of ANDY WARHOL PRESENTS: THE COCAINE PLAY at Jackalope Theatre?...

by Rachel Weinberg - June 05, 2026

Rugged masculinity meets forbidden queer romance in Brokeback Mountain. Based on Annie Proulx’s short story (which was adapted into a buzzy 2005 film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger), Ashley Robinson’s play follows the clandestine romance between ranchers Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar o...

by Angela Lin - June 01, 2026

If you’ve ever been so invested in something — particularly sports — that it starts to dictate your mood, consume your everyday life, and affect your relationship, then you might be able to relate to Damn Yankees, now playing at the Theo’s Fred Anzevino Theatre. ...

by Rachel Weinberg - May 21, 2026

Monty Python’s Spamalot is a jubilant and genuinely hilarious touring rendition of the 2023 Broadway revival. If you’re looking for hearty laughs and a winning combo of slapstick humor,witty pop culture, and musical theater references, Spamalot’s got it in spades....