Theater events: Janus opens 18th season with thriller 'King of Shadows'

Janus stages a thriller

Janus Theatre opens its 18th season with the Chicago-area premiere of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's "King of Shadows." A supernatural thriller loosely based on William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the story centers on a homeless teenage runaway who tells a well-off graduate student an outrageous story about a mythical world where a terrifying demon is preying on San Francisco's homeless population. Janus artistic director Sean Hargadon directs. Opens at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., Elgin. $16. See janusplays.com.

Students and teachers

An exclusive women's college is the setting for "Breaking the Shakespeare Code." John Minnigan's dramedy chronicles over 16 years the relationship between an aspiring young actress and the cranky assistant professor who prepares her for her first big audition. Barbara J. Anderson directs Clockwise Theatre's production. Opens at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at 221 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $25. (847) 775-1500 or clockwisetheatre.org.

Welcome to the family

The quirky yet loving Sycamore family prepares (as best as this eccentric clan can) to welcome the upper-crust fiance of daughter Alice in "You Can't Take It With You," the classic screwball comedy by Moss Hart and George S. Kauffman. Northlight Theatre tapped Devon de Mayo to helm its revival featuring an all-star cast that includes Brad Armacost, Hollis Resnik, Patrick Clear, Sean Fortunato, John Judd and Penny Slusher. Previews begin at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The show opens Nov. 13. $25-$79. (847) 673-6300 or northlight.org.

Other theater events

• This week, for the sixth time, The House Theatre of Chicago remounted it's original, family-friendly production of "The Nutcracker." Inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse," it's about a young girl grieving the death of her brother, who with the nutcracker's help, fights the Rat King to save her family. Previews continue through Nov. 12, at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. The show opens Nov. 13. (773) 769-3832 or thehousetheatre.com.

• MadKap Productions opens its revival of "The Lion in Winter," James Goldman's historical drama about King Henry II's battle with his powerful queen Eleanor of Aquitaine over which of their children will inherit his throne, on Friday, Nov. 6, at the Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. MadKap artistic director Wayne Mell stars as Henry opposite his wife, Debra Criche Mell, as Eleanor. (847) 677-7761 or skokietheatre.org.

• Previews begin Friday, Nov. 6, for Victory Gardens Theater's revival of John Logan's "Never the Sinner," examining the relationship between early 20th-century child killers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. Gary Griffin returns to Victory Gardens to helm the production, which stars Japhet Balaban and Jordan Brodess as the wealthy University of Chicago students who murdered a 14-year-old boy in 1924. The show opens Nov. 13 at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.

• American Theater Company begins its 31st season with the world premiere of Thomas Bradshaw's "Fulfillment," co-produced with The Flea Theater in New York, where the show opens next month under Ethan McSweeney, who also directs Chicago's production. "Fulfillment" centers on a successful young lawyer who suspects he has stalled on the partner path because of his race. Previews begin Friday, Nov. 6, at 1909 W. Byron St., Chicago. The show opens Nov. 12. (773) 409-4125 or atcweb.org.

• Chicago transplant Zlatomir Moldovansky takes over as the beleaguered cabdriver in Profiles Theatre's fourth annual production of "Hellcab," Will Kerns' dramedy about a Chicago cabbie working a very long, strange Christmas Eve shift. Previews begin Friday, Nov. 6, at 4139 N. Broadway St., Chicago. The show, directed by ensemble member Eric Burgher and featuring a cast of 33 (many of them in their Profiles debuts), opens Nov. 12. (773) 549-1815 or profilestheatre.org.

• Previews begin Friday, Nov. 6, for The Annoyance Theatre's annual holiday double-bill of stage adaptations of the TV specials "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." The annual Christmas pageant opens Nov. 20 at 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Lisa McQueen directs. Also at The Annoyance, "Dick O'Day's Big Lovely Bingo," starring Richard Knight Jr. as the bingo host, returns for one night on Sunday, Nov. 8. "The Good Show," a sketch show featuring Jacqueline Marie Felker and Eric Sampson Rahill, runs Tuesdays through Nov. 17. Lastly, "Running the Asylum" an examination of social and political absurdities, runs Thursdays through Nov. 19. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• The Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, presents the North American premiere of "Escuela (School)," as part of its Global Stage Series and in conjunction with The Chicago Humanities Festival. Written and directed by Chilean writer Guillermo Calderon, it's about a group of students in 1980s Chile who undergo secret training in order to join the resistance against military dictator Augusto Pinochet. Performances run Friday through Sunday, Nov. 6-8. (312) 397-4010 or mcachicago.org.

• Griffin Theatre Company launches its season with the Midwest premiere of Samuel D. Hunter's "Pocatello," which premiered last year at Playwrights Horizons in New York. Ensemble member Jonathan Barry directs the play about a manager of an Italian chain restaurant in Pocatello, Idaho, who yearns for authenticity in a cookie-cutter world. Previews begin Saturday, Nov. 7, at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., Chicago. The show opens Nov. 15. (866) 811-4111 or griffintheatre.com.

• Raven Theatre will host a panel discussion following the 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, performance of "Direct From Death Row The Scottsboro Boys," at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. Director Michael Menendian and the cast will be joined by Elizabeth Clarke, founder and president of the Juvenile Justice Initiative and Khadine Bennett, attorney and Legislative Counsel of the ACLU of Illinois. The discussion will center on the "legal cases depicted in Mark Stein's play and their significance to the continuing struggle for racial justice and reform" of the nation's juvenile court system. (773) 338-2177 or raventheatre.com.

• Adventure Stage Chicago and North Park University present "New Kid," Dennis Foon's family-friendly play about immigration in which a sixth-grade immigrant, new to the U.S., attempts to learn a new language, make friends and avoid bullies in his adopted homeland. Performances run Saturday, Nov. 7, through Nov. 21 at Vittum Theatre, 1012 N. Noble St., Chicago. "With 'New Kid" we're exploring the immigrant experience from the inside out. It's a play that will give the audience a different perspective on what it means to leave the familiar and make a life in a new place," said ASC producing artistic director Tom Arvetis in a prepared statement. (773) 342-4141 or adventurestage.org.

• Rivendell Theatre Ensemble takes its production of "Women at War," written by Megan Carney and based on interviews with female soldiers, to the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, 820 S. Damen Ave., Chicago. The performance at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, is free, but seating is limited. See https://jbvawaw.eventbrite.com.

• The Steppenwolf Associates, a group of young professional supporters of Steppenwolf Theatre, host a fall fundraiser titled "Unlocked: 1984" beginning at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The $75 ticket includes a cocktail reception, set tour and conversation with the creative team responsible for the company's production of "1984," part of Steppenwolf's young adults series, and a performance of the play. (312) 654-5601 or steppenwolf.org/unlocked.

• Former "Jersey Boy" Erich Bergen - who starred as Bob Guadio onstage and in Clint Eastwood's 2014 film of the Tony Award-winning musical - headlines the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Bergen performs at 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, as part of Metropolis' Artists Lounge Live Series. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

• Mary-Arrchie Theatre continues its 30th and final season with the world premiere of "Ibsen's Ghosts" adapted from Henrik Ibsen's 1882 play - about infidelity, betrayal, identity and family - by Neo-Futurists founding director Greg Allen. Allen also directs the play, in which the characters suddenly realize they are trapped in an Ibsen play. Previews begin Sunday, Nov. 8, at Angel Island, 735 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago. "Ibsen's Ghosts" opens Nov. 12. (773) 871-0442 or maryarrchie.com.

• Mercy Street Theatre Company kicks off its second season with The Mercy Street Affair fundraiser beginning at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, at The Foxhole Chicago, 2444 N. Montrose Ave., Chicago. The suggested donation is $15 and includes music, desserts, cocktails inspired by the upcoming season and four new short plays by the company's resident playwrights. See mercystreettheatre.org.

• "Mama Mia," the musical that incorporates the music of ABBA, returns to Chicago. Performances run Tuesday, Nov. 10, through Nov. 15 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• Promethean Theatre Ensemble announced that its new works program, Promethean Spark, will kick off at 7 and 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 10-11, at the Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway St., Chicago. Ensemble members will perform myths and folk tales including "Persephone," "Asgard and Utgard" and "Raven Steals the Light." See prometheantheatre.org.

• Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences presents "Seussical," a musical by "Ragtime" creators Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and inspired by Dr. Seuss' beloved stories. Performances begin Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. Rachel Rockwell directs and choreographs. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.

• Clock Theater presents "Tales of Fated Love," comprised of several short plays about love, death and magic, at the Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway St., Chicago. Performances run Thursday, Nov. 12, through Nov. 22. See clocktheater.com.

• Erasing the Distance, an ensemble that adapts to the stage the stories of real people effected by mental illness, remounts "Tell Me What You Remember," about the impact of depression on a family. Nikki Zaleski directs Gedalya Chinn's adaptation. The show runs Thursday, Nov. 12, through Nov. 22 at Filament Theatre, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. See erasingthedistance.org.

• The Neo-Futurists' fall fundraiser takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. The Neocade consists of games, a live auction, pizza and cocktails and excerpts from the video-game-inspired version of the company's signature show "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind." The show, retitled "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Game Positive: 30 Digital Plays in 60 Analog Minutes" runs at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 and 14. (773) 275-5255 or neofuturists.org.

• Eighty years after the Tulsa Race Riots, when white people attacked an African-American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1921, a woman encourages her family to file a reparations lawsuit in "Repairing a Nation," by Nikkole Salter. The preview is Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7558 S. South Chicago Ave., Chicago. The eta Creative Arts production, under director Kamesha Khan, opens Nov. 13. (773) 752-3955 or etacreativearts.org.

• Idle Muse Theatre Company opens its 10th season with "The Woman Who Amuses Herself," Victor Lodato's play about Vincenzo Peruggia who in 1911 stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre Museum and kept it in his apartment for two years. Previews begin Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Factory Theater, 1621 W. Howard St., Chicago. (773) 340-9438 or idlemuse.org.

• The Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, presents "The Ventriloquists Convention," a new theater work that "imagines meetings among the convention delegates and their dummies, who each maintain distinct voices and identities." The work features German puppet-theater company Puppentheater Halle. Director/choreographer Gisele Vienne makes her Chicago debut with the program, which runs at 8:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 12-14. (312) 397-4010 or mcachicago.org.

• Members of the long-form improvisation ensemble Cook County Social Club return to iO Chicago, 1501 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago, this weekend. Gregg Hess, Bill Cochran, Brendan Jennings and Mark Raterman perform Nov. 12 and 13. (312) 929-2401 or ioimprov.com.

• The Gift Theatre has extended its world premiere of David Rabe's "Good for Otto" about the efforts of a small-town psychiatrist to treat his clients. Performances run through Dec. 20 at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 283-7071 or thegifttheatre.org.

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago, has extended its young adults production of "1984," adapted from George Orwell's novel by Andrew White and directed by Hallie Gordon. Performances run through Nov. 21 at the upstairs theater. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

• Janus Theatre opens its 2015 subscription season Friday, Nov. 6, with Roberto-Aguirre Sacasa's "King of Shadows," a thriller in which horror and Shakespeare combine. It's followed by Denis O'Hare and Lisa Peterson's "An Iliad" (Feb. 12-27), a modern retelling of Homer's "The Iliad" chronicling the Trojan Wars. David Davalos "Wittenberg," a comedy about Hamlet's college days, runs April 22-May 8 in repertory with William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in April. Performances take place at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., Elgin. A season subscription is $50. See janusplays.com.

• American Theater Company announced that Jim Jacobs, co-creator of the musical "Grease," will head up the theater's Legacy Campaign, a season-long fundraising effort to support the vision of the company's late director PJ. Paparelli to produce new works and provide programming to Chicago high school students. See atcweb.org.