Steel Beam Theatre to present 'Blithe Spirit'
Steel Beam Theatre founder Donna Steele plays eccentric medium Madame Arcati in the company's production of "Blithe Spirit," Noel Coward's comedy about how a writer's attempts to connect with the spirit world result in the return of his first wife's spirit, to the chagrin of his new wife.
Info: Opens Friday, April 9, at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com.
Classic on stageA young girl's compelling chronicle of the two years her Jewish family spent hiding from the Nazis during World War II is the latest in Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's family-friendly stories in action series. Sophia Golden plays the titular character in Director Lynne Shapiro's stage adaptation of "The Diary of Anne Frank." Info: Tuesday, April 13 to 20, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.Celebrating differencesA young girl believes her "super speed" can protect her and her best friend from a bully, but finds herself unable to turn it off in "The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh," a show from Canada's Roseneath Theatre that attempts to explain Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to children. Info: 9:30 a.m. and noon Tuesday, April 13, at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. (630) 723-2461 or paramountaurora.com.What's newbull; Previews begin Friday, April 9, for Porchlight Music Theatre's production of the Stephen Sondheim musical "Into the Woods." A look at what happens to fairy tale characters after the tale ends, the story centers around a baker and his wife who make some questionable choices in their quest to have a child. The Jeff Award-winning team of director L. Walter Stearns and music director Eugene Dizon reunite for this production which opens Monday, April 12, at the Theatre Building, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 327-5252 or porchlighttheatre.combull; Backstage Theatre Company concludes its 10th anniversary season with "The Play About the Baby," Edward Albee's absurdist comedy about a young couple whose happiness and first child may or may not be imperiled by an older couple whose motives may not be entirely sincere. Artistic director Matthew Reeder directs the show which opens Friday, April 9, at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. (800) 838-3006 or backstagetheatrecompany.org.bull; Steppenwolf Theatre hosts its annual Red or White Ball to benefit the company's young adults theater and arts education series. The event includes hors d'oeuvres and dancing and begins at 8 p.m. Friday, April 9, at Salvage One, 1840 W. Hubbard St., Chicago. Tickets start at $125. They're available at steppenwolf.org/rowb or (312) 654-5681.bull; Bailiwick Chicago hosts an open mic night from 8 to 11 p.m. Sunday, April 11, at Joey's Brickhouse, 1258 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The evening will benefit a concert reading of the new musical "Bloom," to be presented April 16-17 at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts. See bailiwickchicago.com for more information.bull; Rabbi Josh Feigelson and Father John Karjte speak at Piven Theatre's Holocaust Remembrance Day event at 1:15 p.m. Sunday, April 11, at the Noyes Cultural Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. The event precedes a performance of Piven Theatre's world premiere of "Number of People," Emilie Beck's one-man show in which a Holocaust survivor recounts how he survived. Performances run through April 18. (847) 866-8049 or piventheatre.org.bull; Several short acts comprising elements of magic make up the Annoyance Theatre's "A Magic Evening," running Sundays, April 11 to May 2, at 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago. (773) 561-4665 or theannoyance.com.bull; Previews begin Wednesday, April 14, for SiNNERMAN Ensemble's world premiere of "Days of Late," a romantic/dark comedy about eight young urbanites navigating relationships' treacherous waters written and directed by Braden LuBell. The show opens Thursday, April 15, at the Viaduct Theater, 3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago. (773) 296-6024 or sinnermanensemble.org.bull; TimeLine Theatre Company is poised for another theatrical coup with the Chicago area premiere of "The Farnsworth Invention," Aaron Sorkin's hit Broadway show about a couple of visionaries battling over the right to claim television as their own. Jeff Award winner Nick Bowling directs the show which begins previews Wednesday, April 14, at 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. The show opens April 17. (773) 281-8463, ext. 24 or timelinetheatre.com.bull; "Cabaret," the Fred Ebb-John Kander musical about an unlikely romance between an American writer and a British chanteuse in early 1930s Berlin, is the latest from The Hypocrites, which promises to put a unique spin on the classic show. Previews begin Thursday, April 15, at the Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph St., Chicago. The show, directed by Matt Hawkins, opens April 17. (312) 742-8497 or the-hypocrites.com.bull; "Curse of the Starving Class," Sam Shepard's dark comedy about a splintering family trying to keep afloat financially and emotionally, is the next production from New Leaf Theatre. Artist in residence Kyra Lewandowski directs the production which opens Thursday, April 15, at the Lincoln Park Cultural Center, 2045 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago. (773) 516-3546 or newleaftheatre.org.bull; Siblings try to turn their family's New York City bodega into a hot spot in "Welcome to Arroyo's," the latest play by Kristoffer Diaz who hit the jackpot with his first full-length play "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety" (which premiered last year at Victory Gardens Theater and opens next month in New York City). American Theater Company's previews of the world premiere production begin Thursday, April 15, at 1909 W. Byron St., Chicago. The show opens April 19. (773) 409-4125 or atcweb.org.bull; Millennium Park's laboratory series "In the Works" concludes with "Los Nogales," Tanya Saracho's new play inspired by Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" about Mexicans who immigrate to the U.S. but return to their native land after a U.S. economic downturn. The Teatro Vista production directed by Cecilie D. Keenan runs Thursday, April 15 to 17, at 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago. (312) 742-8497 or millenniumpark.org.bull; Profiles Theatre's hit production of Tracy Letts' early drama "Killer Joe" moves to the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago for an eight-week run beginning Thursday, April 15. Profiles ensemble member Darrell W. Cox plays the titular character, a hitman contracted by a greedy family to murder the matriarch. Steppenwolf's Rick Snyder directs. (312) 988-9000 or profilestheatre.org.bull; Lookingglass Theatre has extended its world premiere of "Trust," about a teenage girl targeted by a predator in an online chat room, through May 9, at Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago. David Schwimmer and Heidi Stillman direct the screenplay by Andy Bellin and Rob Festinger which hits movie theaters next year. (312) 337-0665 or lookingglasstheatre.org.bull; Next Theatre Company offers two-for-one tickets for its April 9, 12 and 16 performances of "Wiggerlover" (white boy + black dad = gray areas)," about a man examining his interracial family. Performances are at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. (847) 475-1875 or nexttheatre.org.bull; Laura Grey and Laura McKenzie team up for "The Laura on Laura Comeback Tour," a combination comedy show and concert which finds a pair of grade school teachers giving up their day jobs to pursue their dreams of rock 'n' roll glory. The show runs Thursdays, April 15 to May 20, at the iO Theater, 3541 N. Clark St., Chicago. (773) 880-0199 or ioimprov.com.bull; Victory Gardens Theatre is accepting plays for consideration for its second Ignition Festival, its new play initiative that spawned "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" and "Year Zero" both of which will be remounted at New York's Second Stage Theatre this year. The festival is open to playwrights of color under 40 who've not had a full production of a play at a major regional theater. The submission deadline is April 15. Mail full length plays to Ignition, Victory Gardens Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60614. The six plays selected will be presented in staged readings from Aug. 15 to 22 at the theater.bull; Steel Beam Theatre seeks applications for theater lovers interested in serving on the company's 11-member board of directors. Kane County residents should submit a letter of interest, along with a resume to Dana Teichart at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles, IL 60174 or e-mail them to d.b.teichart@steelbeamtheatre.com by May 7. bull; The League of Chicago Theatres named Steep Theatre as the recipient for its 2010 Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theater Award. Established three years ago to support and promote new ensembles that demonstrated promise, the award comes with a $5,000 gift, marketing support from Broadway in Chicago staffers and advertising support from local media. Founded 10 years ago, Steep won the 2008 Jeff Award for best ensemble. That same year, the company opened a new theater in Edgewater where its acclaimed production of "Harper Regan" continues its sold-out run. The League will present Steep the award at its annual gala on May 24, at the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe St., Chicago. Call (312) 554-9800 for tickets and information.