Theater events: Longtime Chicago-area couple star in Drury Lane's 'Gin Game'

An almost love story

Renowned Chicago-area acting duo Paula Scrofano and John Reeger star in Drury Lane Theatre's revival of "The Gin Game," D.L. Coburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning two-hander about a pair of nursing-home residents who strike up a friendship over gin rummy. Fellow Chicago-area veteran Ross Lehman directs the couple, who celebrate their 46th wedding anniversary in June. Previews begin at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 22, at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. The show opens June 29. $37-$57. (630) 530-0111 or drurylanetheatre.com.

Aftermath

A year after a bullied gay teen commits suicide, the parents of the bully and the parents of the bullied boy meet for dinner in "Late Company," an examination of responsibility, hypocrisy and an attempt to find closure in the wake of a tragedy. Jessica Fisch directs Cor Theatre's Midwest premiere of the drama by Canadian playwright Jordan Tannahill. Previews begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at Pride Arts Center, 4147 N. Broadway St., Chicago. The adults-only show opens Tuesday, June 20. $18-$30. (866) 811-4111 or cortheatre.org.

A love story

Nathaniel Stampley, who won a Joseph Jefferson Award for his performance as Miguel de Cervantes in Marriott Theatre's "Man of La Mancha," returns to the Lincolnshire theater for its regional premiere of "The Bridges of Madison County." The musical, by composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown and Marsha Norman, chronicles the affair between Stampley's Robert, a globe-trotting photojournalist, and Iowa housewife Francesca, played by fellow Jeff winner Kathy Voytko. TimeLine Theatre's Nick Bowling directs. Previews begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. The show opens June 28. $50-$60. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.

Other theater events

• The Daily Herald invites readers to join theater critic Barbara Vitello on June 29 for a preview of Steppenwolf Theatre's Chicago-area premiere of "Hir," a domestic comedy by Taylor Mac starring Steppenwolf ensemble members Francis Guinan and two-time Tony Award nominee Amy Morton. A limited number of tickets for the 7:30 p.m. performance are available for $20, including a beverage coupon. Reserve a ticket by Friday, June 23, at http://events.dailyherald.com/an-evening-at-steppenwolf-theatre-with-barbara-vitello.

• Members of the original 1992 cast of "Tony n' Tina's Wedding" join current cast members Friday, June 16, for a performance celebrating the show's 25th anniversary. Paul Stroili (the original Vinnie Black and director of the current production), Peter DeFaria and Sue McNulty are among the returning veterans. The show's open run continues at Resurrection Church, 3309 N. Seminary Ave., Chicago, and Chicago Theater Works, 1113 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Tickets range from $75 to $99. (312) 423-6612 or tonylovestina.com.

• The Agency Theater Collective premieres "Nautilina," a play by Brian Foster comprised of a series of scenes and monologues examining why people behave the way they do. The show opens Friday, June 16, at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 680-4596 or wearetheagency.org.

• Catch Theater stages "A Table for Two," a love story inspired by Edward Albee's works, on Friday and Saturday, June 16-17, at Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. (773) 742-5420 or propthtr.org.

• Joseph Jefferson Award-winning actress Bethany Thomas performs standards and original songs at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 16-17, at Steppenwolf Theatre's 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago. Thomas' performance is part of the theater's LookOut Series. Also at the 1700 Theatre: A staged reading of Isaac Gomez's "La Ruta," about two mothers searching for their missing daughters in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, where hundreds of women and girls have been murdered, takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 22. Ensemble member Sandra Marquez directs. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org/lookout.

• Niall Cunningham (of the CBS series "Life in Pieces") makes his Goodman Theatre debut as a teenager looking for love in Goodman's revival of Eugene O'Neill's comedy "Ah, Wilderness!" Previews begin Saturday, June 17, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The show, directed by Goodman associate Steve Scott, opens June 26. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.

• Honest Theatre opens its pay-what-you-can production of William Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" on Friday, June 17, at Twigs Park in Evanston. The group performs at Twigs Park through June 25. Honest Theatre also performs the play about jealousy's effect on a marriage at the First Presbyterian Church, 1427 Chicago Ave., Evanston, on June 23 and at Touhy Park in Chicago July 1-9. See honesttheatre.com.

• Sideshow Theatre hosts its 10th anniversary gala from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at 1326 N. Cleveland Ave., Chicago. Tickets cost $115 to $150 and include casino games, drinks, entertainment and a raffle. Also, the theater recently awarded Victory Gardens Theater artistic director Chay Yew its 2017 Impact Award for "bold and inclusive artistic leadership" for his attempts to reflect Chicago's diverse communities on the VGT stage. (773) 809-4782 or sideshowtheatre.org.

• The Second City showcases favorite archival scenes at 7 p.m. Thursdays. The Legendary Laughs series runs through Aug. 20 at the Up Comedy Club, 230 W. North Ave., Chicago. (312) 662-4562 or secondcity.com.

• A Red Orchid Theatre presents a staged reading of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America: Part One, Millennium Approaches" beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 18, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Tickets are $50. Proceeds benefit the theater and the Chicago chapter of the ACLU. (312) 943-8722 or aredorchidtheatre.org.

• Barrel of Monkeys introduces its "That's Weird, Grandma" summer incarnation "Attack of the Phantom of the BBQ" adapted from stories written by Chicago Public School children. Performances begin Monday, June 19, at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. (773) 506-7140 or barrelofmonkeys.org.

• Urban Theater Company concludes its 11th season with "Water & Power," Richard Montoya's play about two brothers who rise from their hardscrabble origins to the pinnacle of power, which the playwright revised for its Chicago production. Previews begin Tuesday, June 20, at Batey Urbano, 2620 W. Division St., Chicago. The show opens June 23. See urbantheaterchicago.org.

• Previews begin Wednesday, June 21, for Akvavit Theatre's U.S. premiere of "Hitler on the Roof," Rhea Leman's 2011 black comedy where Nazi propagandists Dr. Joseph Goebbels (Amy Gorelow) and filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl (Jay Torrence) spend the afterlife manipulating each other. The show opens Thursday, June 22, at Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Berenice, Chicago. See chicagonordic.org.

• Aging forces a spry, fun-loving senior couple to make major decisions in "Going to a Place Where You Already Are." Redtwist theatre concludes its season with its Chicago-area premiere of Bekah Brunstetter's play. Previews begin Wednesday, June 21, at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago. The show opens June 24. Also, redtwist offers a five-ticket Flex Tix pass for $99. The pass can be used for any show, any night of the season. (773) 728-7529 or redtwist.org.

• Cary native Preston Parker's new musical comedy "The Election of William Henry Harrison (And His Subsequent Death)" is one of five shows featured during MCL Chicago's third annual Premier Premieres, a mini-fest showcasing new musicals. The fest runs Thursday through Saturday, June 22-24, at 3110 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago. Parker's comic retelling of Harrison's 30 days in office runs at 7 p.m. Friday, June 23. Other shows include: The Civil War tale "Iron Irene: A Musical Fable" by Liz Falstreau; "Choice: The Musical," Sheri Flanders and Brad Kemp's lighthearted take on abortion; "Feathers! A Superhero Musical" about a sidekick eager to strike out on her own by composer Gail Gallagher and writer/lyricist Neil Figuracion; and "The Trouble With Dead Boyfriends" by writer/lyricist Annie Pulsipher and composer/lyricist Alex Petti. See mclchicago.com.

• Members of Chicago's "Hamilton" cast along with Luis A. Miranda, political activist and father of "Hamilton" creator Lyn-Manuel Miranda, will speak at the 43rd annual Forefront luncheon Thursday, June 22, at the Chicago Hilton Hotel, 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Forefronts provide leadership, investment and education opportunities for people involved in nonprofit organizations. (312) 578-0090 or myforefront.org.

• Broadway in Chicago announced the national tour of the recent Broadway revival of "The Color Purple" will play the Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago, next year. Director John Doyle's revival plays July 17-29, 2018, as part of Broadway in Chicago's season. Group tickets are available at (312) 977-1710. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date. See broadwayinchicago.com.

• Writers Theatre has extended "Parade," the musical by Jason Robert Brown that chronicles the true story of Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-born Jew falsely accused of the 1913 murder of a 13-year-old girl in Atlanta. Performances run through July 9 at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.

• The Chicago Magic Lounge began work earlier this month to transform the onetime commercial laundry facility at 5050 N. Clark St., Chicago, into its new home. The new venue will include a 100-seat cabaret theater and a smaller room that will showcase close-up magic performances. The new venue is expected to open next year.

• A Red Orchid Theatre's 25th season begins Oct. 5 with Wallace Shawn's "Evening at the Talk House," a dark comedy about old friends remembering better days. That's followed by the premiere of "Traitor" (Jan. 11-Feb. 25, 2018), ensemble member Brett Neveu's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People." In Neveu's adaptation, the opening of a charter school in a North Shore suburb is threatened after a scientist discovers environmental issues. Next up is Grant Varjas' "33 to Nothing" (April 12-May 27, 2018), which unfolds during a practice session for band members who begin to question their roles in the ensemble. The season concludes in July 2018 with Eugene Ionesco's absurdist dramedy "Victims of Duty," about a middle-class couple whose quiet evening at home is interrupted by a detective who enlists their help to find the home's previous tenant. A remount of A Red Orchid's 1995 production, the show features original cast members Michael Shannon and Guy Van Swearingen. Performances take place at 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago. The preview subscription FlashPass is $50. The three-show FlashPass is $80. The three-show Red Night FlashPass is $150 and includes opening night admission and a post-show reception. (312) 943-8722 or aredorchidtheatre.org.