This should be a moment of celebration for the Chicago Theater. Three of the main institutions in the city all celebrate important milestones in their long and illustrious stories. And yet, rather than reveling in the celebration, I find myself singing: “One of these things is not like the others. “I feel like I'm looking at the meme of three -headed dragon From Chicago Theater: Two ferocious legends in steel eyes and one who – Well, it's just happy to be there.
First of all, Steppenwolf announced its 50th anniversary season, featuring five shows and 20 overall members, including the world first of BargainBy Tarell Alvin McCraney, directed by Awoye Timpo. Anna D. Shapiro will return to Direct Peter Shaffer's AmadeusKenny Leon will be in town to lead Glenn Davis and Namir Smallwood Topdog / Outsiderand the members of the Amy Morton and K. Todd Freeman will direct Mia Chung Catching like a capture can And Rajiv Joseph Mr. Wolfrespectively. (You can find more coverage of the season of the Sun And Chicago tribune.)
This month has also seen the presentation of this year Jeff Awards (it's 51st – so close), Kokandy Productions winning five prizes for its production of In the woodsIncluding the best production (musical or review), the best set (musical or review) and the best direction (musical or review). City production Theater Company of Seven guitarswon the price for the best production of a room. The ceremony has also seen the DEPAUL University theater school presented a special Jeff prize While the legendary school, which made its debut as Goodman School of Drama in 1925, celebrates its 100th anniversary.
(You can read more price coverage of the Sun And Chicago tribune.)
Of course, it also means that the famous goodman himself It is 100th birthday, and do it in style. The season includes the first six world among its 11 productions and a series of stars. Like his colleague from Steppenwolf, the former artistic director of Goodman, Robert Falls, will return to his trampling grounds to direct a global adaptation of Philip Barry's first time Vacation by Richard Greenberg. Susan V. Booth will direct Jenna Fischer (from The office Fame) in the world first of Lee Kirk Ashland avenue; Megan Mullally will arrive on the Chicago scene for the world musical Iceboy! Or, the completely false story of the way Eugene O'Neill came to write “The Iceman Cometh”; Marco Antonio Rodriguez will bring its global adaptation to premise Oscar Wao's brief wonderful life (based on the novel by Junot Díaz), directed by Wendy Mateo; And Dael Orlandersmith will be presented to his last work Blood memoryDirected by Neel Keller.
It is a lot to satisfy any theater, but the Goodman is also appropriate in the world premiere of Zayd Ayers Dohrn's Revolution (s)Who presents music and words from Rage Against The Machine Guitiste Tom Morello (Consult this interview between Morello and Wbez Clare Lane anchor), as well as Chuck Smith and Harry Lennix to tackle August Wilson My Rainey's Black BottomAn effort of one year to present 100 free theater acts in the 50 districts of Chicago, and the opening of an off -site cultural attraction in David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar Theater of the Spirit. (You can find out more about the season of Sun And Chicago tribune.)
Then there is Victory Gardens, who should celebrate his own 50th anniversary. If you are used to periodically checking its website since the company collapsed after its Disordered dismissal of the then artistic director Ken-Matt MartinSo you will know that it alternates between a depressing white for what should be a famous theater company and an exasperating opaque. It has been years now with a website with a web without everything that might look like a theater leadership, with the same rehearsal message: “Although there is currently no production at the Victory Gardens Theater, the Board of Directors is working on new ways for carrying out its mission to feed the new theatrical work, reflecting the various stories of our world and contributing to the vitality of the American theater.” Mission and history page of their website to date.)
American theater Previously attempted to reach the Board of Directors of VG to find out more about what they have planned for the future of what was, for this publisher at least, a favorite company of the city. There was no answer. Then, suddenly, the company recently announced that it was “delighted” to associate with the relentless theater group to present Henry Johnsonwith Criminal minds Actor Thomas Gibson started playing.
Put aside the fact that Gibson was dismissed Criminal minds In 2016 after kicking a writer-producer (a third strike in five years, according to Variety) and the Animosity continues between Mamet and the city he called once to the houseThe move of VG continues to raise the question that many have been asking for years: what is the plan here? It seems that there are still no artistic staff in the company, and he is clumsily led by a board of directors which had previously announced his intention to pass VG from a productive company to a company that rents its historic biographical theater; They have not yet published more details.
Like Chris Jones Notes in his Tribune reportThe former long -standing artistic director of VG, Dennis Začek, is on board as an executive producer, giving his approval and call Henry Johnson Director Eddie Torres his “protected”. However, as Jones notes, there is no word to know if this production, to run on April 9-May 4, marks a kind of return from victory gardens or if it is just a single off. (In addition to obtaining comments from the creative team and Mamet, the Board of Directors of VG also did not respond to the request for comments from Jones.)
I would have liked to have a major point to do here. Really, I just feel sad. Victory Gardens has long been a dream for Chicago's cinemas. We should celebrate three major birthdays at the moment from three pillars of the Chicago Theater. However, we are there, with two companies that shoot for the moon and a third obstinately earthly.
