Theater events: A writer confronts his identity in Grippo Stage's 'Ben Hecht Show'

Hecht in his words

Grippo Stage Company premieres "The Ben Hecht Show," written and performed by James Sherman ("The God of Isaac," "Affluenza!" "Half and Half"), a founding member of the Victory Gardens Playwrights Ensemble. Inspired by the life of the famed 1920s Chicago journalist turned playwright/screenwriter ("The Front Page," "Spellbound"), "The Ben Hecht Show" centers on the writer confronting his Jewish identity post Holocaust, which he chronicled in his books "A Guide for the Bedeviled" and "A Child of the Century." David Zacek directs. Previews begin at 8 p.m. Friday, June 10, at the Piven Theatre, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. The show opens June 14. $30, $35. See grippostagecompany.com.

'Deathtrap' revived

A once successful Broadway playwright desperate to recover from a recent flop decides to claim as his own a thriller written by a former student in Ira Levin's murder mystery "Deathtrap." William Osetek helms Drury Lane Theatre's revival of the play, which was one of the longest running shows on Broadway. Daniel Cantor stars as playwright Sidney Bruhl, McKinley Carter plays his wife, Myra, and Aaron Latterell stars as the former student, Clifford. Previews continue at 8 p.m. Friday, June 10; 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11; and 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. The show opens June 16. $43-$60. (630) 745-3000 or drurylanetheatre.com/shows/16-17/deathtrap.

'Company' coming

A 35-year-old single man reluctant to commit to a woman is alternately encouraged and deterred by his married friends in the Stephen Sondheim-George Furth musical "Company." William Brown directs the Writers Theatre revival starring Thom Miller as Bobby with music direction by Paramount Theatre veteran Tom Vendafreddo. Previews begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 15, at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The show opens June 22. $35-$90. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.

Other theater events

• Lake Forest Theatre inaugurates its first season Friday, June 10, with a preview of "The Secret Garden," by Lucy Simon and Marsha Norma. Adapted from Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel, the musical is about an 11-year-old orphan who returns to England from India to live with her reclusive uncle and her sickly young cousin. There, on the grounds of her new home, she discovers a magic garden. The production, directed by Scott Malone, opens Saturday, June 11, at the John & Nancy Hughes Theatre, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. (847) 604-4975 or lakeforesttheatre.org.

• Victory Gardens Theater concludes its 41st season with the Midwest premiere of ensemble member Marcus Gardley's "The House That Will Not Stand," an historically inspired drama set in 1836 New Orleans at a time when free women of color could engage in common-law marriages with wealthy white men. Artistic director Chay Yew directs the drama about a woman named Beatrice whose life with her daughters is threatened after her common-law husband mysteriously dies. Previews begin Friday, June 10, at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The show opens June 17. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.

• Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre salutes British songwriters Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse ("The Candy Man," "What Kind of Fool Am I?" "Goldfinger") as part of its summer cabaret featuring Ryan Armstrong, Paige Hauer, Averis I. Anderson, Graham Heacock and Wesley Mitchell. Fred Anzevino and Courtney Crouse created "An Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse Songbook," which begins previews Friday, June 10, at No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. The show opens Monday, June 13. See theo-u.com.

• Performances begin Friday, June 10, for "The Dark Ages: Otho the Great." Adapted from a play by John Keats by Frank Farrell, it's about the tragic fate of Ludolph, son of German King and Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, who's tricked by his lover into rebelling against his father. The show opens Saturday, June 11, at Unity Lutheran Church, 1212 W. Balmoral Ave., Chicago. (773) 293-1358 or facebook.com/othothegreat.

• Greenhouse Theater Center's eight-month showcase of one-person plays titled Solo Celebration! begins Friday, June 10, at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Inaugurating the festival is the off-Broadway show "Motherstruck!," which begins previews Saturday, June 11, and opens Tuesday, June 14. Written and performed by Staceyann Chin, the play chronicles her journey to motherhood as a single, lesbian activist who lacks health insurance and financial stability. Among the festival's world premieres is writer/dramaturge Isaac Gomez's based-on-fact drama "The Way She Spoke: A Docu-mythologia" opening Thursday, June 16. Karen Rodriguez stars as a young actress reading for a role in a play about the unsolved murders of hundreds of women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, who finds the audition is not what she expected. (773) 404-7336 or greenhousetheater.org.

• Citadel Theatre supports have until June 17 to take advantage of the early-bird discount for tickets to the company's annual summer gala Blanche, scheduled for July 16, at Bernie's Book Bank, 917 North Shore Drive, Lake Bluff. Tickets are $175. (847) 735-8554 or citadeltheatre.org.

• Skokie Theatre hosts a combination fundraiser and Tony Awards viewing party from 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. Tickets are $75 for the event, which includes live entertainment, champagne and hors d'oeuvres, a Tony prediction contest and raffle. (847) 677-7761 or skokietheatre.org.

• Barrel of Monkeys debuts a new lineup of stories as part of "That's Weird, Grandma: The Summer Strikes Back," beginning Monday June, 13, at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. Throughout the summer, BOM premieres stories conceived and written by Chicago public school students. Performances run Mondays through Aug. 22. (773) 506-7140 or barrelofmonkeys.org.

• The variety show "Heels Over Head" returns to iO Chicago, 1501 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago, at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 14. Creator Brittany Price Anderson hosts the show, which features physical theater, improv, dance and circus artists performing acts inspired by a specific theme. "Heels Over Head" runs the second Tuesday of every month. Also at iO Chicago, TJ Jagodowski and Peter Gwinn recently debuted the new improv show "ALL CAPS," which runs at 10 p.m. Thursdays through July 21. (312) 929-2401 or ioimprov.com.

• Previews begin Wednesday, June 15, for Windy City Playhouse's production of "This," a "melanchomedy" by Melissa James Gibson ("House of Cards") about four New Yorkers whose longtime friendship is threatened by infidelity. The show, directed by Carl Menninger, opens June 23 at 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. (773) 891-8985 or windycityplayhouse.com.

• Otherworld Theatre Company presents Fight Quest, a fight choreography showcase that unfolds as a choose-your-own-adventure tale. The show runs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through July 27 at ComedySportz Theater, 929 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 549-8080 or cszchicago.com.

• The Annoyance Theatre's "Annoyance Summertime Slam," during which audience members have an opportunity to perform with ensemble members, takes place at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 16. Also at the Annoyance, "Annoyance Improv: 40rms," in which four improv groups showcase four styles of improvisation, runs at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through July 12. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• A play by 2010 Mundelein High School graduate Juli Du Prete is a finalist for a 2016 O'Neill Award, an award recognizing new works bestowed by the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Du Prete's play "The Art of Losing," about three siblings - all of them Boston Red Sox fans - who've been abandoned by their father, had its world premiere in April at the Den Theatre in Chicago.

• The National Theatre of Scotland invited Adventure Stage Chicago to participate in Home/Away: An International Festival of Participatory Arts to be held in Glasgow in October. ASC is the only U.S. company to participate in the festival. They're raising funds for a matching grant at adventurestage.org.

• Black Ensemble Theater founder and artistic director Jackie Taylor and The Second City are among the artists the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events will honor at the Fifth Star Awards on Sept. 14. Other honorees include blues legend Buddy Guy and renowned photographer Victor Skrebneski. Established in 2014, the awards recognize individuals and institutions that have contributed to the city's art and culture landscape.

• Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago City Council recently recognized Steppenwolf Theatre Company - now in its 40th year - for its artistic contribution to the city. Additionally the mayor and the City Council paid tribute to former artistic director Martha Lavey, who led the company from 1995 to 2015. "It is with their artistic visions and contributions over the years that Steppenwolf is an icon today for Chicagoans and art fans around the world," said Emanuel in a prepared statement. The theater also announced Dexter Bullard will helm the world premiere of Tracy Letts' "Linda Vista" next March and Hallie Gordon will direct the June 2017 Chicago premiere of Taylor Mac's "Hir." Lastly, Steppenwolf late last month opened Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks, its new cafe and bar located at 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago, in front of the new 1700 Theatre. See steppenwolf.org.