Reviews by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** It seems like there’s a production of “Little Shop of Horrors” every year. This year, ‘Audrey II” is wowing audiences at Mercury Theater. Seymour is still nerdy, Audrey is still vulnerable, and “Little Shop” is still charming. Although the opening night audience was a bit over-enthusiastic, “Little Shop of Horrors” is still one of my favorites, so I give it 4 Spotlights.

*** Recommended *** I’m still not sure how I feel about “Act(s) of God”, playing at Lookingglass Theatre through April 7th. It’s a very strange play – sort of futuristic, sort of dystopian, sort of religious cultish, sort of family angst-y, sort of funny, with a whole lot of ‘woo-woo’ thrown in the mix. Somehow, it just didn’t feel finished, but since it is Kareem Bandealy’s first play, I’ll cut him some slack. 3 Spotlights

**** Highly Recommended **** As an aficionado of suspense stories, both written and staged, I have to say that The National Theatre of Great Britain’s production of “An Inspector Calls” is one of the best. It kept my attention riveted on the stage for the entire hour and 45 minutes! Everything from the fog swirling about the stage to the boys playing in the road to the Birling’s glass house (perhaps as in the old adage about people in glass houses) combined to set the mood. The suspense will hold your attention, but the subtexts will keep you thinking long after you’ve gone home. 4 BIG Spotlights

**** Recommended **** I am always in awe when I see one of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s “Short Shakespeare!” performances. The very idea that someone can abridge one of Shakespeare’s complicated plots into 75 minutes is mind-boggling. That said, “Short Shakespeare! Macbeth” is an intense immersion into a dark world of greed and ambition. Although geared to younger audiences, Marti Lyons’ original adaptation doesn’t lose a thing in the translation. This is dynamite! 4 Spotlights