Christopher Kriz News

First Folio Theatre, (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83), is presenting a special fully staged reading of SHYLOCK AND HIS DAUGHTER by Maurice Schwartz on Thursday, July 26 and Thursday, August 2, 9, and 16 at 8:15 p.m. Originally written for the Yiddish theater and translated into English, this play tells the same story as First Folio's main stage Shakespeare-under-the-Stars production, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, but from Shylock's perspective.

First Folio Theatre, known for bringing high quality performances of Shakespeare and other classics to the Chicagoland suburbs, closes its landmark 15th season with William Shakespeare's most controversial play, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. A complex tale of hatred, love, revenge, and betrayal, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE opened on Saturday, July 14, and runs through August 19, 2012. Check out photos from opening night below!

First Folio Theatre will close its landmark 15th season with William Shakespeare's most controversial play, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, directed by Artistic Director, Alison C. Vesely, opening July 16 through August 19. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production photos below.

First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83), known for bringinghigh quality performances of Shakespeare and other classics to the Chicagoland suburbs, will close its landmark 15th season with William Shakespeare's most controversial play, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

The Glass Menagerie opens at Redtwist Theatre, directed by Redtwist Literary Manager, Josh Altman, on Saturday, July 28, at 3pm. Company member and Jeff Award-winner, Jacqueline Grandt, plays Amanda in Tennessee Williams' most intimate play.

Chicago's non-Equity Bohemian Theatre Ensemble has undertaken Adam Guettel and Tina Landau's 1996 off-Broadway masterpiece (or close to it) and put it on at Theater Wit on West Belmont Avenue for the next month (through July 25, 2012). If you have imagination enough to meet the company halfway, somewhere between the hardscrabble Kentucky soil and the cave beneath it where the real Floyd Collins met his doom in 1925, you will come away with a musical and theatrical experience you are unlikely to repeat anytime soon, anywhere else.

First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83) will close its landmark 15th season with William Shakespeare's most controversial play, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83) will close its landmark 15th season with William Shakespeare's most controversial play, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83), known for bringinghigh quality performances of Shakespeare and other classics to the Chicagoland suburbs, will close its landmark 15th season with William Shakespeare's most controversial play, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. Artistic Director Alison C. Vesely will direct the classic for First Folio's beloved annual Shakespeare-under-the-Stars production on the outdoor main stage situated on the scenic slopes of the historic estate. A dramatic destination that not only delivers outstanding theater to its audience, First Folio Theatre invites Chicagoans to spread out their picnic blankets, kick off their shoes, and soak up some Shakespeare against a picture perfect backdrop.

At the Non-Equity Jeff Awards held at Park West on Monday, June 4, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre took the most awards with 6 honors for their jewel box production of "A Light in the Piazza" including Production-Musical, Director-Musical for Fred Anzevino and Brenda Didier, Principal Actress for Kelli Harrington, Supporting Actor for Justin Adair, Music Director for Jeremy Ramey and, in a new award recognition, Dialect Coach for Eva Breneman. Check out the analysis and full honours list below.

The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh, directed by Kimberly Senior, opens at Redtwist Theatre tonight, May 13, at 3pm.

McDonagh's plays are densely packed with vicious drama, wicked humor, savage truths, and deep humanity, while Senior uses her trademark vision, and Jack Magaw's in-your-lap design, to cram McDonagh's theatrical stew into a stage the size of a minivan-with no place to hide. McDonagh's twisted family dramas were born for the intimacy of Redtwist. And after Kimberly's uniquely creative staging of The Pillowman in 2009, it's her time again. The theatre requested the performing rights two years ago, but the two-week visit by Druid Theatre at Chicago Shakespeare tied up the rights for one year prior and three months after their March, 2011, production. The request was granted last June, and the production opens tonight May 13. See photos from the show below!

McDonagh's plays are densely packed with vicious drama, wicked humor, savage truths, and deep humanity, while Senior uses her trademark vision, and Jack Magaw's in-your-lap design, to cram McDonagh's theatrical stew into a stage the size of a minivan-with no place to hide. McDonagh's twisted family dramas were born for the intimacy of Redtwist. And after Kimberly's uniquely creative staging of The Pillowman in 2009, it's her time again. The theatre requested the performing rights two years ago, but the two-week visit by Druid Theatre at Chicago Shakespeare tied up the rights for one year prior and three months after their March, 2011, production. The request was granted last June, and the production opens on May 13. See photos from the show below!

As part of Shattered Globe Theatre's 20th Anniversary Season, the Stage 773 resident company presents the Midwest premiere of HER NAKED SKIN by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, directed by Artistic Director Roger Smart, opening tonight and running through June 3, 2012 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. See photos from the production below!

As part of Shattered Globe Theatre's 20th Anniversary Season, the Stage 773 resident company presents the Midwest premiere of HER NAKED SKIN by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, directed by Artistic Director Roger Smart, beginning previews tonight, May 1 and running through June 3, 2012 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. See photos from the production below!

Shattered-Globe-Presents-HER-NAKED-SKIN-51-63-20010101 As part of Shattered Globe Theatre's 20th Anniversary Season, the Stage 773 resident company presents the Midwest premiere of HER NAKED SKIN by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, directed by Artistic Director Roger Smart, playing tonight, May 1 through June 3, 2012 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Tickets for HER NAKED SKIN are currently available online at www.stage773.com or www.shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 327-5252. The press opening is Friday, May 4 at 8 pm.

Tigers Be Still, Kim Rosenstock's savagely funny dark comedy about a young woman who stops being a total disaster and gets her life back on track, received its Midwest premiere on Chicago's theater scene at Theater Wit and runs now through June 3. See photos from the production below!

Nominations for the Chicago-based Non-Equity Jeff Awards were announced today; Theo Ubique leads with 14 nominations

The Jeff Awards today announced 124 nominations in 25 categories for Non-Equity Jeff Awards for productions that opened between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2012. The Non-Equity Awards honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract. Jeff Awards judges covered opening nights of 154 productions offered by 71 Non-Equity producing organizations. The judges recommended 64 of those shows, making them eligible for Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations. Thirty-two theatre companies received nominations.

The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh, directed by Kimberly Senior, opens at Redtwist Theatre Sunday, May 13, at 3pm.