Unfiltered Voices

Notes From the Field

On an almost bare stage, three unquestionably gifted actresses bring to life the words of 19 individuals. These people, both men and women, young and not-so-young, are the subjects of documentary playwright, Anna Deavere Smith’s latest work. Created from the actual text of more than 250 interviews, the unfiltered voices of educators, inmates, students, the clergy, civil rights activists and even a highly respected politician explore America’s school-to-prison pipeline.

A Tale Told Through Dance

Illinoise

For 90 uninterrupted minutes, a whole lot of magic takes place on the stage in Chicago Shakespeare’s beautiful Yard Theatre. A brand new and unique kind of inspirational musical production has opened in Chicago and is currently playing at the Navy Pier venue for a short run. The production is an enlightening and loving story that’s based upon an acclaimed concept album by award-winning singer, songwriter and composer, Sufjan Stevens. It’s a tale told through dance, movement, music, songs, light and a few props. The musical features a large cast of the most talented and appealing young artists imaginable. But what’s really unique and special about this story is that there is not one single word of dialogue.

Gripping and Horrifying

Selling Kabul

Sylvia Khoury’s contender for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Drama is a gripping and ultimately horrifying story that’s ripped from today’s headlines. Taroon is a young man who’s been left behind by American armed forces in his native Afghanistan. Because he served as an interpreter for the military who left the country in 2021, Taroon is no longer safe in his own homeland. In fact, due to the rise in power of the perilously dangerous Taliban, Taroon and his family and friends’ very existence are continually at risk. 

Breaking With Tradition

Fiddler on the Roof

These days, certain Broadway shows open and close so abruptly you’d never know they even existed. But back during the Golden Era of Musicals gems like “Fiddler on the Roof,” with a book adapted by Joseph Stein from the stories of Sholem Aleichem, and beautiful music by Jerry Bock with lyrics penned by Sheldon Harnick, set records for longevity. Opening in 1964, this multiple Tony Award-winning musical became the first show on Broadway to play over 3,000 performances. The popularity of this show inspired a 1971 film version, countless international productions, many national tours and several Broadway revivals. But director Elizabeth Margolius (who guided the Jeff Award-winning “London Road” at Shattered Globe) wraps up Drury Lane’s final production of its stellar 2023/2024 season with a dazzling new production that’s faithful to the original but also, ironically, breaking with tradition.

An Celebration of Family, Pride and Dreams

In the Heights

While the frigid winter temperatures and icy winds persist in  Chicago, in the cozy theatrical world of “In the Heights” it’s a blistering hot day in early July. Bursting onto the Marriott stage, Lin Manuel Miranda’s loving portrait of the Dominican American neighborhood of Washington Heights, located in New York’s Upper Manhattan, absolutely erupts with joy and energy from the very beginning. The production is a celebration of family, pride and unlimited dreams, related through the stories of people of all ages who reside in the shadow of the George Washington Bridge. The sizzling atmosphere is fueled by Miranda’s hot, pulsating hip-hop score. It’s embodied by the superb direction by James Vasquez, the fiery, nine-piece orchestra conducted by Noah Landis and, especially, the electrifying dances created by one of Chicago’s most inventive and exciting choreographers, William Carlos Angulo.

The Wilds of Social Media

Highway Patrol

It’s unavoidable and inescapable. The wilds of social media have infiltrated almost everyone’s lives and we simply can’t ignore it. The phenomenon is here to stay. There are so many sites to choose from, too. There’s Faceboook, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat, Tumblr, Pinterest and, of course, Twitter (now retitled as X). Being a devotee of these sites can be dangerous and addictive. While freedom of speech reigns, there’s a risk that the information presented may be filled with disinformation. There’s also a possibility of scams and stalkers. But, on the positive side, social media is an easy way to stay connected to others. Friendships and love connections can develop or be rekindled and, despite where we live, we can feel a kinship or a part of the community on the World Wide Web.

The Water is Rising

Flood

If theatergoers are watching a play where human existence seems meaningless and communication has totally broken down, the audience is likely visiting the world of Theatre of the Absurd. Critic Martin Esslin coined that term in a 1965 essay that primarily focused on the works of Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco. In it, he went on to say that in a production of an Absurdist drama, reality as we know it has left the building. The play aims to shock the viewer out of his complacency as it attacks such ideals as family, religion and politics. But instead of despair, Absurdist dramas, like “The Bald Soprano” (Ionesco), “Waiting for Godot” (Beckett) and “The American Dream” (Edward Albee), evoke laughter and offer a sense of freedom.

A PRETENDER NOT A CONTENDER AT THE LYRIC

Whether you are, like me, a boxing fan or unalterably opposed to that primal sport for its bloody brutality, if you’re planning to see Champion, the Lyric Opera’s “opera in jazz,” it’s essential to first view a certain grainy black-and-white video available on YouTube.  It depicts one of the absolute low points in the history of the sport, Emile Griffith’s fatal beating of Cuban boxer Benny Paret in their third fight; the actual footage of Paret’s slow collapse under a barrage of 29 unanswered punches from Griffith is an important corrective to the awkwardly aestheticized and distanced version of that event that is intended to be the dramatic turning point of Champion.