Chicago Theatre Review

Tag: Clare Kosinski

A Thought Provoking Evening of Theatre

January 20, 2014 Comments Off on A Thought Provoking Evening of Theatre

eggStage Left Theatre Company presents A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

A Day in the Death of Joe Egg by Peter Nichols is the story of Brian and Sheila, a married couple who have grown cynical with their lives as the parents of a 10 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy. Their daughter Josephine, or Joe for short, is so disabled she does no more than moan and shake her arms.  During this day in the play, Brian teeters on the brink of making a life or death decision for his daughter. With some very dark comedic moments skillfully performed by the cast, this show creates an authentic environment to spark conversation about quality of life issues for the severely disabled.

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Magic, Clowns, and a Fiery Tragedy for Christmas

November 30, 2013 Comments Off on Magic, Clowns, and a Fiery Tragedy for Christmas

The Ruffians present Burning Blue Beard

BurningBluebeard-1When you see Burning Blue Beard at Theatre Wit, you’ll notice it is more like entering an amusement park ride than seeing a play. The Ruffians, who present the play, do a wonderful job of creating an environment for the audience to exist in as part of the story. Every moving part of the production adds to the whole, including you as the observer.

Burning Blue Beard is a play about a play….about a play. The show presents an absurdist retelling of how the Iroquois Theatre burned down in Chicago in 1903 during a showing of Mr. Bluebeard, a Christmas Pantomime. Much of the detail from the play is straight from history as the true events provide plenty of emotional fuel to motivate the characters on stage. The players and ghosts from that terrible night in 1903 on Randolph Street can’t help but keep trying to get it right, but every time the show seems to end in flames. Perhaps during the performance you see of Burning Blue Beard the ending will be a happy one. Hope is a big part of this tale.

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