Jocelyn Bioh: ‘African Comedy’ Is Not a Contradiction in Terms
The writer of ‘School Girls’ and ‘Goddess’ writes stories American theatres haven’t seen before but that audiences immediately recognize.
Category Archives: Features
This Month in Theatre History
September sees the beginnings of theatre in the U.S., the openings of major theatres on opposite coasts, a starry ‘Godspell’ reunion, and the start of a Chicago festival of Latino theatre.
John Beasley Is Ready for the Role of a Lifetime
Broadway-bound for the first time at 79, working actor Beasley feels that his role in ‘The Notebook’ came along at just the right time.
Gimme Some Truth, or Make ’Em Laugh?
From goofy musicals to meaty and instructive dramas, 4 shows stand in for the disparate ambitions and uses of theatre.
Why Keep Doing Shakespeare? Maybe That’s the Wrong Question
From the Public Works ‘As You Like It’ to upstart crow’s ‘King John’ at Oregon Shakes to ‘Mother Lear’ at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Bard remains powerful currency; it’s how it’s spent that matters.
Ambition Amid the Angst: The High School Theatre Program Tim Ortmann Built
By taking his young charges and their talents seriously, this extraordinary director made Niles North Theatre exemplary, both in production values and educational value.
You Couldn’t Say No to Myrna Salazar
An irresistible advocate of Latine theatre artists, the founder of the Chicago Latino Theatre Alliance paved the way for so many of us, and did it with love, grit, and grace.
Conversation Starters: How Robert Egan Put Ojai Playwrights on the Map
Roughly equal parts joy and rigor have characterized his 20-year tenure as artistic director of this influential new-play incubator.
Sympathy for ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
A new Broadway-bound musical of the popular 2006 film, now in Chicago, aims to honor the original while probing its psychological complexities for a different age.
Exuberant and Wild: The Long, Evolving Ride of Sylvan Oswald’s ‘Pony’
An iconic play about trans men and butch lesbians arrives in Maine at an auspicious time, both for its writer and for trans representation onstage.
