Spotlight on Reviews

"Two Trains Running" can be Poignant & Laugh-Out-Loud Funny - Review by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** Each of the plays in August Wilson’s ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle, which chronicles African-American experiences, is set in a different decade of the twentieth century. "Two Trains Running", which opened at the Court Theatre last week, set during the sixties, examines the disruption caused by urban renewal in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, a once thriving African American neighborhood. It is thought-provoking, poignant and yet laugh-out-loud funny. 4 Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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Breaking News - "To Kill a Mockingbird" comes to Chicago - Review by Carol Moore

**** Highly Recommended **** Take everything you think you remember about "To Kill a Mockingbird", the movie or the play, and toss it out. Aaron Sorkin’s nuanced adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel – hard to believe that it was written more than 50 years ago – is just about perfect. One could almost see the ‘Breaking News’ headlines this story could generate! However, telling the story from a child’s perspective bares all the ugly truths while muting some of the racial prejudice, hatred and mob action. Don’t miss "To Kill a Mockingbird!" 4 Big Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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Mi Kang gives a Tour de Force Performance in "The Chinese Lady" - Review by Carol Moore

**** Highly Recommended **** Once again, TimeLine Theatre brings us a thoughtful, well-researched, intelligent play about a person who appears briefly in American history. I"n 1834, a pair of American merchants brought a 14-year-old Chinese girl to America and put her on display. Playwright Lloyd Suh has given that girl a voice in The Chinese Lady". Mi Kang, who graduates from Northwestern with an MFA later this year, gives a tour de force performance as Afong Moy, "The Chinese Lady". 4 BIG Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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Action-packed "Athena" Blew Me Away! - Review by Carol Moore

**** Highly Recommended **** I almost didn’t recognize Writers Theatre’s smaller Gillian Theatre when I walked in, what with two tiers of seats facing each other across a narrow platform. I did feel like I was walking into a gym somewhere to watch a sporting event. Actually, I did watch an absolutely riveting sporting event inside a play called "Athena" which chronicles two girls competing in the sport of fencing. Teen angst is one thing, teen angst amid friendship and competition is something else again. Wow! "Athena" is action-packed and it blew me away, it’s that good! 4 BIG Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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"Seagull" opens Steppenwolf's New Theatre - Review by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** Steppenwolf Theatre opened the new in-the-round Ensemble Theatre in Honor of Helen Zell with Seagull, a new version of Chekhov’s classic, The Seagull, adapted, translated and directed by Yasen Peyankov. I’m not a Chekhov fan, so even though the production was very well done, the cast outstanding, I can’t get too enthusiastic. Seagull is worth the trip. 3 ½ Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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"Lookingglass Alice" is Whimsical and Athletic - Review by Carol Moore

**** Highly Recommended **** "Lookingglass Alice" is quite simply the most fascinating show of the season, and exactly the pick-me-up we need! Forget those silly cartoons, this Alice flies through the air, the Red Queen walks on bouncy stilts and the White Knight rides a unicycle. Children (over age 5, please) will love this whimsical show produced by Lookingglass Theatre in association with The Actors Gymnasium. I was enthralled from start to finish. 4 BIG Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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Five Actors play Nine Characters in "Hope and Gravity" - Review by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** Towle Theater’s new production, "Hope and Gravity", is hard to define as five actors play nine characters – four couples and an unmarried poetry professor. Could be comedy, could be tragedy, but actually more like a mishmash of both. I know I laughed out loud more than once, and shed a few tears! Done in a series of scenes interspersed with blackouts, it had a feel of Second City. I think you’ll enjoy "Hope and Gravity". I know I did. 4 Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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"The Tragedy of King Christophe" - Review by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** "The Tragedy of King Christophe", written by Aimé Fernand David Césaire, is the true story of a former slave who rose up from poverty to became President of the state of Haiti, then declared himself king. Henri Christophe ended up being the only king of Haiti. This is an ambitious undertaking for a small company like House Theatre of Chicago, but the ensemble made it work – and it’s truly an ensemble effort. 3 ½ Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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Strong Women prevail in "All’s Well That Ends Well" - Review by Carol Moore

**** Highly Recommended **** There are so many good things to say about Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s production of "All’s Well That Ends Well", it’s hard to decide where to start. It is so well written it might just be Shakespeare’s best, although it was never staged during his lifetime. The characters have more depth, the women’s roles are stronger, and it appeals to our 21st century selves. Kudos to Director Shana Cooper who has assembled a stellar cast. The CST production will keep you spellbound until the end. 4 BIG Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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"Spring Awakening" Ensemble is Superb! - Review by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** Porchlight Music Theatre’s production of "Spring Awakening" is musical adaptation of an 1891 play by Frank Wedekind, a frequently banned drama about a sexually oppressed community in Germany. Steven Sater (book and lyrics) and Duncan Sheik (music) have turned it into an alternative rock, coming-of-age musical. No matter the century, teen angst is teen angst, after all. Porchlight's production, led by 18-year-old Maya Lou Hlava, is an ensemble piece, and the blend of voices is superb! 4 Spotllights

Reviews by Carol Moore

Read more about "Spring Awakening" Ensemble is Superb! - Review by Carol Moore

"Two Trains Running" can be Poignant & Laugh-Out-Loud Funny - Review by Carol Moore

Breaking News - "To Kill a Mockingbird" comes to Chicago - Review by Carol Moore

Mi Kang gives a Tour de Force Performance in "The Chinese Lady" - Review by Carol Moore

Action-packed "Athena" Blew Me Away! - Review by Carol Moore

"Seagull" opens Steppenwolf's New Theatre - Review by Carol Moore

"Lookingglass Alice" is Whimsical and Athletic - Review by Carol Moore

Five Actors play Nine Characters in "Hope and Gravity" - Review by Carol Moore

"The Tragedy of King Christophe" - Review by Carol Moore

Strong Women prevail in "All’s Well That Ends Well" - Review by Carol Moore

"Spring Awakening" Ensemble is Superb! - Review by Carol Moore

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