Spotlight on Reviews

Highly Recommended  Goodman Theatre’s thoughtful revival of "Inherit the Wind", directed by Henry Godinez, is incredibly timely.  To paraphrase a baseball pundit, it was like déjà vu all over again.  The play, written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee, is loosely based on the famous 1925 Scopes ‘Monkey’ trial.  There’s a lot of religious ranting and bigotry but the trial comes down to a battle of wits between two larger than life lawyers.  The title comes from the Bible, Proverbs 11:29.  For me, the mark of a good play is in the discussion on the way home.  My friend Crista, who happens to be a prosecutor, and I had a great time dissecting "Inherit the Wind". 4 Spotlights

**** Highly Recommended  Although "Noises Off" is the funniest farce ever written, I was really surprised to hear that Steppenwolf was bringing it back.  Maybe I’m being a tad judgmental here, but "Noises Off" didn’t seem ‘edgy’ enough for Steppenwolf. On the other hand, as I heard people talking during intermission, I realized there are a lot of young people who have never seen a production of this absolutely hilarious show – and were loving it!  It was obvious the cast was loving it too – overacting their hearts out!  I loved "Noises Off", you will too.  4 BIG Spotlights

*** Recommended  Court Theatre’s first production of the fall season, "East Texas Hot Links" is a difficult play to describe or categorize.  Although it has some funny moments, drawing some loud guffaws from the audience, the story ends on a tragic note which definitely drew gasps. It is well acted but it was very difficult to understand the dialect, especially if English is not your first language.  3 Spotlights.   

Sandy Rustin, the playwright, just pulled off a first in neighborhood Chicago theater. She was instrumental in bringing her 2023 sexual farce stage play directly from Broadway to neighborhood Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest.  Ms. Rustin grew up in Glenview and went to Northwestern University. She was influenced by Noel Coward’s “Private Lives” and Bernard Slade’s “Same Time Next Year” but creates her own unique story in “The Cottage”. It is recommended by this reviewer.