Cromer returns to Writers' Theatre with 'Streetcar'

Chicago director David Cromer, who won a 2009 Obie Award for his production of "Our Town" - first seen at The Hypocrites - returns to Writers' Theatre to helm Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." Natasha Lowe plays the doomed, faded Southern belle Blanche opposite Matt Hawkins as her volatile brother-in-law Stanley.

Info: Previews begin Tuesday, May 4, at 376 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The show opens May 13. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.

Long look at civil rights eraPlaywright Tracey Scott Wilson examines the 1960s civil rights movement through the eyes of three black leaders working to achieve equality in the hostile South in "The Good Negro." Resident director Chuck Smith directs Goodman Theatre's production starring Billy Eugene Jones, Teagle F. Bougere and Demetrios Troy along with Goodman veterans Nambi Kelley, Karen Aldridge and John Hoogenakker among others. Info: Previews begin Saturday, May 1, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The show opens May 10. (312) 443-3820 or goodmantheatre.org.Zanies welcomes GoldComedian and two-time Emmy Award winner Judy Gold, a veteran of "The Tonight Show," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The View," mines laughs at Zanies Vernon Hills this weekend. Info: 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1, at 230 Hawthorn Village Commons, Vernon Hills. (847) 549-6030 or zanies.com.What's newbull; Shelby Hofer stars in "101 Humiliating Stories," Lisa Kron's one-woman show detailing moments from one woman's life including: "Geeky Celebrity Encounters" and "How I Spent All the Petty Cash From My Office On Makeup." The show runs Friday, April 30, to Sunday, May 2, at the Village Players Performing Arts Center, 1010 Madison St., Oak Park. (866) 764-1010 or village-players.org.bull; A group of industrious, eccentric and more-than-a-little desperate nuns put on a fundraiser for their fellow sisters in "Nunsense," a musical by Dan Groggin. Saint Sebastian Players open their production on Friday, April 30, at St. Bonaventure Church, 1625 W. Diversey Ave., Chicago. (773) 404-7922 or saintsebastianplayers.org. bull; "Celebrity Autobiography," the New York comedy show featuring comedic actors reading real-life memoirs from celebrities, makes its Chicago debut at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago. Harold Ramis, Tim Kazurinsky, Mario Cantone, Scott Adsit, Laura Kightlinger and creators Eugene Pack and Dayle Reyfel interpret the words of celebrities Miley Cyrus, Tiger Woods, Ozzy Osbourne, Ivana Trump, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor among others. Performances at 8 p.m. Friday, April 30, and Saturday, May 1. (312) 988-9000.bull; Citadel Theatre concludes its season with "Independence," Lee Blessing's examination of female relationships in which three sisters return home after their mother's mental health deteriorates and find their family ties stronger than they imagined. The show opens Friday, April 30, at the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. (847) 735-8554 or citadeltheatre.org.bull; The Neo-Futurists debut their new, interactive musical show "Crisis" Saturday, May 1, at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. Modeled after a TV game show, "Crisis" challenges participants/viewers to navigate their way up the corporate ladder to the executive suite. In the process, they can take home up to a third of the admission receipts (with 3 percent going to the participant's favorite charity). Preliminaries run through June 5, with final rounds on June 11 and 12. (773) 275-5255 or neofuturists.org.bull; Chicago Dramatists presents the world premiere of "Jade Heart," Will Cooper's drama about an abandoned Chinese girl adopted by an American woman, who struggles with her identity. Artistic Director Russ Tuterow directs the production which opens Saturday, May 1, at 1105 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. A reception sponsored by the Pronto Za follows Saturday's opening. (312) 633-0630 or chicagodramatists.org. bull; The Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago, hosts a benefit for veteran producer/theater owner Michael Cullen ("Pump Boys Dinettes," "I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road") at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 3, at the theater. Donations will go toward offsetting the medical expenses Cullen incurred following a stroke earlier this year. Michael Weber directs the evening's entertainers who include actor/writer Malachy McCourt; entertainer Ron Hawking; actress Gretchen Cryer (writer and star of "I'm Getting My Act Together - ") and members of the cast of "Million Dollar Quartet." The event also includes scenes from Cullen-produced shows. The $25 suggested donation includes a complimentary drink. For information, see michaelcullenrecoveryfund.org.bull; Columbia College Chicago honors the late lighting and set designer Michael Philippi, who designed Goodman Theatre productions of "Desire Under the Elms" and "King Lear" among others, at its 17th annual Michael Merritt Design Awards Monday, May 3, at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. Other honorees include set designers Collette Pollard and Williams G. Wever of DePaul University, costume designer Jeremy Floyd from Northwestern University and Wade Holliday from Columbia College Chicago. Call (312) 369-6105 for tickets.bull; "Avenue Q," the adults-only musical with puppets about twentysomethings navigating life and love in the big city, returns to Chicago for a limited engagement. The show runs Tuesday, May 4, to May 9, at the Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.bull; As his health declines, the persnickety Norman and his concerned wife Ethel welcome their estranged daughter, her fianc#233; and his son, for Norman's 80th birthday celebration at their summer home in "On Golden Pond." Lincoln Square Theatre revives the drama about the relationship between an aging couple, which begins previews Wednesday, May 5, at 4754 N. Leavitt St., Chicago. The show opens May 7. (773) 275-7930 or lincolnsquaretheatre.org. bull; Previews begin Thursday, May 6, for Hell in a Handbag Productions' world premiere of "Lady X," a camp parody of a 1940s film "Marked Woman," about a seedy nightclub and the sharp cookie who controls it. The show opens Saturday, May 8, at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago. (800) 838-3006 or handbagproductions.org.bull; The party goes on at A Red Orchid Theatre. The Chicago company has extended to May 23 its production of Mike Leigh's "Abigail's Party" about how neighborhood parents spend the evening while their teenagers throw a party. The show is at 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago. (312) 943-8722 or aredorchidtheatre.org.bull; Black Ensemble Theater has extended its world premiere of its original musical "My Brother's Keeper (The Story of the Nicholas Brothers)" through May 30, at 4520 N. Beacon St., Chicago. (773) 769-4451 or blackensembletheater.org.