What's new: Steppenwolf opens "The Night Alive"

Posted September 12, 2014 6:00 am

Steppenwolf Theatre opens its season with director Henry Wishcamper's Chicago premiere of "The Night Alive," by Irish playwright Conor McPherson. A middle-aged Dublin man leaves his uncle's ramshackle house one day and returns with an injured woman who he saved from a beating in this drama, the fourth staged at Steppenwolf. Ensemble members Francis Guinan and Tim Hopper are joined by Helen Sadler, Dan Waller and film actor M. Emmet Walsh. Previews begin Thursday, Sept. 18, at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The show opens Sept. 28. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

Performances continue for Citadel Theatre's revival of "Deathtrap," Ira Levin's whodunit about a Broadway playwright having a bit of a dry spell who comes across a top-notch drama by his student that's a certain hit. The show runs through Oct. 5 at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. (847) 735-8554 or citadeltheatre.org.

Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, begins its 40th anniversary season with the Midwest premiere of "Rest" by ensemble playwright Samuel D. Hunter ("The Whale"). Joanie Schultz directs the play set in a soon-to-be-shuttered retirement home in Northern Idaho during a blizzard, which finds the last remaining residents and the skeleton crew facing their own mortality. Previews begin Friday, Sept. 12. The show opens Sept. 19. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.

MadKap Productions present "Sweet Charity," the musical by Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields and book writer Neil Simon, about a dance hall girl with a heart of gold and bad taste in men. Sarah Hoch stars as Charity Hope Valentine in the production directed by Andrew Park, artistic director of Quest Theatre Ensemble. Performances begin Friday, Sept. 12, at the Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. (847) 677-7761 or skokietheatre.org.

"Season on the Line," House Theatre of Chicago's world premiere adaptation of Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick," marks the first production of the company's 13th season. It's written by ensemble member Shawn Pfautsch, who transfers the hunt for the great whale from the sea to the stage. The action centers on the beleaguered Bad Settlement Theatre Company, whose tyrannical artistic director is determined to produce the first perfect production of "Moby-Dick" with help from a novice assistant stage manager. Previews begin Friday, Sept. 12, at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. The show opens Sept. 21. Jess McLeod directs. (773) 769-3832 or thehousetheatre.com.

A mother attempts to cheat her children's governess out of her pay; a renowned Lothario tries to seduce his best friend's wife; a father takes his son to a brothel; and a tramp makes money pretending to drown himself in Neil Simon's "The Good Doctor," in which an unnamed writer shares a number of stories. Jedlicka Performing Arts Center revives the 1973 play, which opens Friday, Sept. 12, at 3801 S. Central Ave., Cicero. (708) 656-1800 or jpactheatre.com.

Comedians Jan McInnis and Kent Rader mine nostalgia with their "Baby Boomer Show." The duo performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

Playwright Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig examines China's social and economic transformation in the modern era in her play, "The World of Extreme Happiness," about an unwanted Chinese girl who uses her factory job as a steppingstone to a PR position. Goodman Theatre's coproduction with the Manhattan Theatre Club is directed by Eric Ting. Previews begin Saturday, Sept. 13, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The show opens Sept. 22. It moves to New York City next February. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre/org.

American Theater Company kicks off its 30th anniversary season with a pair of Chicago premieres that examine the American health care system. "Let Me Down Easy," by Anna Deavere Smith, looks at 19 Americans "on the road toward the end." Bonnie Metzgar directs the show, which begins previews Saturday, Sept. 13, at 1909 W. Byron St., Chicago. Also on tap is Michael Milligan's "Mercy Strain," about a body shop owner whose life spins out of control when his wife is diagnosed with cancer and his health insurance doesn't cover the cost of her treatments. Tom Oppenheim directs the show, which begins previews Sunday, Sept. 14. Both shows open Sept. 18. (773) 409-4125 or atcweb.org.

Previews open Sunday, Sept. 14, for Strawdog Theatre Company's world premiere of the political thriller "Fail/Safe," about a system failure that threatens to cause World War III. Nikki Klix and Anderson Lawfer adapt the novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. The show opens Monday, Sept. 15, at 3829 N. Broadway St., Chicago. (866) 811-4111 or strawdog.org.

Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago, opens its 2014-2015 season with Arthur Miller's classic 1947 play, "All My Sons," about the fallout when two businessmen are accused of selling faulty parts to the U.S. military, causing the deaths of 21 pilots and fracturing their respective families. Chuck Spencer and JoAnn Montemurro star in the production directed by Raven artistic director Michael Menendian. Previews begin Tuesday, Sept. 16. The show opens Sept. 22. (773) 338-2177 or raventheatre.com.

Chicago's education system inspired Collaboraction's newest show, "Forgotten Future: The Education Project." Written and conceived by Sarah Moeller and cowritten by Adam Seidel and Michele Stine, the play examines the problems and challenges of public education in Chicago. Previews begin Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The show opens Sept. 24. (312) 226-9633 or collaboraction.org.

16th Street Theater premieres "Agreed Upon Fictions" by playwright-in-residence Shayne Kennedy. Megan Shuchman directs the play about suburban mom Kate who discovers a neighbor poses a threat to the community. Previews begin Thursday, Sept. 18, at the North Berwyn Park District, 6420 16th St., Berwyn. The show opens Sept. 26. (708) 795-6704 or 16thstreettheater.org.

Stage Left Theatre announced the recipients of its Downstage Left Playwright Residencies for the 2014-2015 season. Writers work closely with Stage Left directors and ensemble members to take a project from concept to production-ready script. Selected from about 100 applicants were Beth Kander, whose play "The Bottle Tree" is about the aftermath of a school shooting in a small town, where the sister of the shooter still resides; and Gabriel Jason Dean, whose play "Heartland" is about a former Afghan jihadist who encounters the man who helped write the school textbooks that "laid the psychological foundation for the modern day Taliban."

The Illinois Theatre Association will honor Oracle Productions with its Excellence in Professional Theatre award on Saturday, Sept. 13, as part of ITA's annual convention at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Nominated by the Chicago theater community, Oracle Productions provides free access to its productions and has played to more than 19,000 people since 2010. Other award winners include Janice Pohl of Elmhurst College, Ernie Nolan of Emerald City Theatre and Emily Leonard of the Beverly Arts Center.

Trap Door Theatre announced its 2014-2015 season earlier this month. The season begins Thursday, Sept. 25, with "John Doe." Based on Stanislaw Witkiewicz's "The Madman and the Nun," it's about how normalization poisons the "beauty of madness." That's followed on Jan. 8, 2015, by the world premiere of "Cookie Play" by Ken Prestininzi. David Hirson's "La Bete," a Moliere-inspired comedy about a 17th century theatrical troop and the clash between its artistic director and the street entertainer, whose play the company is performing, runs March 19 to April 18, 2015. The season concludes with Roland Schimmelpfennig's "Woman from Before" (May 14-June 13, 2015). Translated by David Tushingham, the play is about a long-married couple whose lives are upended when the husband's former lover shows up and insinuates herself into their lives. A four-show pass is $75. An eight-show pass is $120. Performance take place at 1655 W. Cortland St., Chicago. (773) 384-0494 or trapdoortheatre.com.

Chicago Children's Theatre announced that its production "Red Kite, Brown Box," an "autism friendly" production conceived by artistic director Jacqueline Russell, will embark on a national tour during the 2015-2016 season. Tailored to the needs of children with autism, the production encourages audience members to "experience each performance however they like," said Russell, meaning children can sing, interact with the actors, touch the props or sit quietly and watch. See chicagochildrenstheatre.org for more information on The Red Kite Project.

- Barbara Vitello

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