theater

The Backstage Chicago Issue

From the rise of storefront theater companies to the Windy City’s long history with turning out groundbreaking comedians to the films and TV shows shooting there, we look at Chicago’s healthy and vibrant arts scene

The Best of Chicago Spring Theater (Slideshow)

This season the Windy City has a full slate of Pulitzer Prize winners, world premieres, and revised classics. Here’s what we’re looking forward to on Chicago stages this spring.

Steppenwolf Artistic Director Martha Lavey Puts Actors First

The head of one of the most successful regional theaters in the country, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, says the company’s success comes from its emphasis on its actors.

Chicago’s Storefront Theaters Are a Hotbed of Talent

Thanks to low rent and reams of young talent, the Windy City’s storefront theaters—including the Hypocrites, TimeLine Theatre Company, and Profiles Theatre—boast a veritable underground of undiscovered actors and potential next big things.

The Humana Festival Trains the Next Generation of Working Actors

This year’s festival, which closed April 7, featured world premieres from playwrights Will Eno, Sarah Ruhl, Rinne Groff, Lucas Hnath, and Jeff Augustin, among others.

4 Secrets To a Long Career from 'American Buffalo's' Freddy Rodriguez

Freddy Rodriguez talks about returning to the stage in David Mamet's "American Buffalo" and offers strategies for maintaining a long acting career.

'Goldor $ Mythyka: A Hero Is Born' Is Undone by Its Chaos

New Georges’ ambitious “Goldor $ Mythyka: A Hero Is Born,” based on a true story of a “Dungeons & Dragons”–obsessed couple who knock over an armored car, feels more ADD than D&D.

'Neverwhere' Conjures a Dank, Fantastical Netherworld

Robert Kauzlaric’s inventive adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s 1996 fantasy novel “Neverwhere,” from Sacred Fools, sweeps us into a bizarre alternate world below London’s streets.

'The Beaux’ Stratagem' Makes for a Merry Romp

A Noise Within’s hugely entertaining rendition of Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig’s version of George Farquhar’s 1707 comedy “The Beaux’ Stratagem” is an utterly charming evening.

'Billy & Ray' Tells of the Birth of Film Noir

Mike Bencivenga’s “Billy & Ray,” directed by Garry Marshall for Falcon Theatre, dramatizes the creation of Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler’s screenplay for “Double Indemnity.”