Todd Rosenthal News

Playwrights Horizons will present the New York premiere of Bruce Norris’s Downstate, directed by Pam MacKinnon, October 28–December 11 (opening November 15). This provocative work surrounds a registered address in downstate Illinois, where four men convicted of sex crimes share a group home, living out their days post-incarceration.

Lookingglass Theatre Company has announced the cast for the return of Chicago's beloved holiday tradition, The Steadfast Tin Soldier! The ensemble cast features Lookingglass Ensemble Members Kasey Foster as Ballerina and Anthony Irons as Goblin, with Christopher Donahue as Nursemaid, John Gregorio as Rat, and Adeoye as Tin Soldier. 

What did our critic think of SWING STATE at Goodman Theatre? Rebecca Gilman shows her deftness at writing “slice of life” plays in SWING STATE at Goodman Theatre. In this latest collaboration with outgoing Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls, Gilman introduces four characters at a crossroads in a small town in rural Wisconsin during summer 2021. It’s marketed as a play about the pandemic, and indeed, SWING STATE contains some references to the COVID-19 pandemic, masks, and vaccines. Ultimately, though, SWING STATE is a pure character study with the notions of pandemic and extinction of the human race in the background, and notions of mortality and despair in the foreground. Yes, it’s a post-pandemic play, but really it’s just allowing us to peer into the lives of these characters at a moment in time. That’s not to say that Gilman’s play isn’t moving, but I found the overall execution to not be as overarching as the set-up purports.

On the heels of a standing-room-only opening night and wide critical praise for the world premiere of Rebecca Gilman's Swing State—a “riveting, deeply moving, empathy-generating, extraordinary new play (by) a great poet of the upper Midwest” (Chicago Tribune)—Goodman Theatre adds two performances to the final week of Tony Award-winning director Robert Falls' world-premiere production.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre is presenting the world premiere production of the ripple, the wave that carried me home by Christina Anderson, directed by Jackson Gay, and produced in association with Goodman Theatre. Performances run through Sunday, October 16. Get a first look at photos here!

Playwrights Horizons will present the New York premiere of Bruce Norris’s Downstate, directed by Pam MacKinnon, October 28–December 11 (opening November 15). This provocative work surrounds a registered address in downstate Illinois, where four men convicted of sex crimes share a group home, living out their days post-incarceration.

Recognizing a strong return to the spotlight over the 2021-2022 Equity theater season, the Joseph Jefferson Awards in Chicago announced its nominations for theater excellence. This year’s nominees include 201 theater artists across 38 categories of excellence in theater production among shows from 43 companies.

Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Rebecca Gilman will mark her 10th production at Goodman Theatre, her longtime creative home, with Swing State—directed by Tony Award-winner Robert Falls in their 6th collaboration over 35 years. Swing State appears October 7 – November 13 in the 350-seat flexible Owen Theatre.

The Joseph Jefferson Awards have announced this year's Equity nominations, including 201 theater artists across 38 categories.  The 54th anniversary Equity Jeff Awards will take place October 17, 2022, at Drury Lane in Oakbrook, IL. 

Berkeley Repertory Theatre has announced casting for the world premiere production of the ripple, the wave that carried me home by Christina Anderson, directed by Jackson Gay, and produced in association with Goodman Theatre. 

Britta Johnson's LIFE AFTER is a deeply moving and creative new musical that beautifully probes the complexities of grief and the accompanying anxiety and unanswered questions it brings in its wake. See what our critic had to say. 

The World premiere production of Rajiv Joseph's new work 'King James,' celebrated its opening night at Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum this week. Go inside opening night!

The world premiere production of Rajiv Joseph's new work “King James,” opens at Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum on June 8 and continues through July 3, 2022. Find out how to get tickets to the Tony and Obie Award-winning director Kenny Leon helmed new play from the Pulitzer Prize-short lister.

Yasen Peyankov’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s SEAGULL proves a wry vehicle to showcase the talents of many of his fellow Steppenwolf ensemble members who haven’t graced the stage since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Peyankov’s adaptation is direct, self-aware, and rife with dry (extremely dry) humor. The ennui that pierces SEAGULL is deeply and obviously felt throughout this adaptation of the text. References to Chekhov’s native Russia abound in Peyankov’s script, but the language feels modern and direct.

Casting has been announced for the World premiere production of Rajiv Joseph's new work “King James,” coming to Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum June 1 through July 3, 2022. Tony and Obie Award-winning director Kenny Leon will direct this new play from the Pulitzer Prize-short lister co-commissioned by Center Theatre Group and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Goodman Theatre announced casting for Life After by rising star writer/lyricist/composer Britta Johnson, directed by Annie Tippe. Leading the cast of nine is Samantha Williams as teenaged Alice—a young woman who, in search of facts, uncovers a more complicated truth as she pieces together events of the fateful night that changed her family forever.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, is opening its stunning new in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell with ensemble member Yasen Peyankov’s extraordinarily funny and lyrical adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Seagull, April 28–June 12, 2022.

KING JAMES is a platonic male love story — and Rajiv Joseph’s world premiere play at Steppenwolf is one slam dunk of a bromance.

As part of their free virtual salon series, Wingspace Theatrical Design will present a roundtable discussion with LAIKA Studios panelists Erica Benoit, Anastastia McCalister, and Megan Wilkerson, moderated by Anna Driftmier.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company will present its world premiere production of King James by ensemble member Rajiv Joseph, staged by acclaimed Tony and Obie Award-winning director Kenny Leon in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater, March 3–April 10, 2022 (opening March 13).