Theater events: 2014 dramedy 'Smart People' opens at Writers

Drama of its time

Four young professionals struggle with romance, identity and careers while navigating racial and sexual politics in "Smart People," Lydia R. Diamond's 2014 dramedy that "taps into the current cultural conversation" to examine the nature of prejudice. Hallie Gordon directs the Writers Theatre production, which is recommended for audiences 18 and older. Previews at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, March 21-23, and Tuesday, March 27; 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 24; and 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday, March 25, at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. Opens March 28. $35-$80. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.

Timely subject

Janus Theatre's 19th season continues with a revival of Rebecca Gilman's ever-timely play "Spinning Into Butter," about the fallout from a racially tinged incident at a small college in Vermont. After an African-American student receives threatening notes, a dean of students must confront the latent racism within the institution and within herself in Gilman's play, which premiered in 1999 at the Goodman Theatre. Richard Pahl of Elgin directs. Opens at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 16-17, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 18, at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., Elgin. $18. See janusplays.com.

'Merchant on Venice'

Indian playwright Shishir Kurup re-imagines William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" as an examination of intolerance between Hindus and Muslims in present-day Culver City, California, in his tragicomic play "Merchant on Venice." Rasaka and Vitalist theater companies collaborated on the revival of the play, which premiered in 2007 at Silk Road Rising. Vitalist Theatre artistic director Liz Carlin Metz directs the production, suitable for ages 12 and older. Previews at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, March 20-21. It opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22, at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $25, $20. (773) 404-7336 or greenhousetheater.org.

Other theater events

• Performances begin Friday, March 16, for Emerald City Theatre's family-friendly "Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical" by Mo Willems, adapted from his book, with music by Michael Silversher. The musical is about the efforts of a family to find a toy rabbit young Trixie lost at a laundromat. It runs through May 26 at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 935-6100 or emeraldcitytheatre.com.

• Walkabout Theater Company presents the U.S. premiere of "The Brink! or Nobody's Ever Kissed Me Like That ..." a play created by the ensemble from pop and jazz standards and Gertrude Stein's poetry. The production, in association with the National Performance Network, opens Friday, March 16, at Links Hall, 3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago. See walkabouttheater.org or linkshall.org.

• Adam Trent, who starred in the touring magic show "The Illusionists," returns to Chicago with "The Magic of Adam Trent," a solo show combining comedy, music and illusion. Performances are Friday and Saturday, March 16-17, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com or adamtrent.com.

• Comedians "of a certain age" demonstrate getting older isn't all that scary during the High Fiber Comedy Show at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at the Comedy Shrine Theater, 4034 Fox Valley Center Drive, Aurora. Headliners include Bill Gorgo, Michelle Krajecki, John Petlicki and Jan Slavin. Tickets are $20 plus a two-beverage minimum. (630) 585-0300 or comedyshrine.com.

• After landing her dream job as a Tooth Fairy in training, Dew Drop discovers there's more to retrieving teeth than being sparkly in Lifeline Theatre KidsSeries premiere of "You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth Fairy?" Based on the book by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt, the musical has a book by ensemble members Heather Currie and Derek Czaplewski with music and lyrics by Laura McKenzie. Previews begin Saturday, March 17, at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. The show opens Sunday, March 18. (773) 761-4477 or lifelinetheatre.com.

• The Chicago premiere of "Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland," which Ingersoll taped last October at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, airs at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 18, on WTTW 11. Ingersoll won a 2017 Joseph Jefferson Award for her performance as Garland in Porchlight Music Theatre's "End of the Rainbow." See angelaingersoll.com.

• Tony Award winner and Broadway veteran Laura Benanti (ABC's "Nashville," CW's "Supergirl," CBS' "Elementary") headlines benefits this weekend. Benanti performs her solo show, "Tales From Soprano Isle," at 5 and 8 p.m. Sunday, March 18, at the Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Ticket proceeds benefit Chicago Theatre Workshop. See chicagotheatreworkshop.org.

• Pride Films and Plays celebrates Women's History Month Sunday, March 18; Tuesday, March 20; and Wednesday, March 21, with History Lezons, a mini-festival of nine short plays (each about 10 minutes long) showcasing both fictional and historical women. Performances take place at 4147 N. Broadway, Chicago. (800) 737-0984 or pridefilmsandplays.com.

• Performances begin Tuesday, March 20, for "A Taste of Things to Come," a 1950s-set musical about four best friends living in Winnetka trying to create a winning recipe for a Betty Crocker cooking contest. That is until the Kinsey Report on human sexuality disrupts their routine and their friendship. The show runs through April 29 at Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwainchicago.com.

• Spoken-word artist Buddy Wakefield, of the BBC, HBO's "Def Poetry Jam" and named 2004's Individual World Poetry Slam winner, performs at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The Growing Concerns Poetry Collective, made up of actor McKenzie Chinn, poet and rapper Mykele Deville and visual artist/musician Jeffrey Michael Austin, open the show. See thedentheatre.com.

• The Artistic Home revives Paula Vogel's "How I Learned to Drive," the Pulitzer Prize-winning, 1997 drama chronicling the coming-of-age of a young woman who recounts her life from age 11 to 18 when she was befriended and sexually abused by an uncle. Artistic director Kayla Adams helms the production, which begins previews Wednesday, March 21, at 1376 W. Grand Ave., Chicago. The show stars Elizabeth Birnkrant as L'il Bit and Artistic Home co-founder John Mossman as Uncle Peck. It opens March 25. (866) 811-4111 or theartistichome.org.

• An unnamed woman enters a strange government office where she must make a momentous decision in Remy Bumppo Theatre's U.S. premiere of "hang" by debbie tucker green. Ensemble member Annabel Armour co-stars alongside Patrese D. McClain and Eleni Pappageorge in this production directed by Keira Fromm. Previews begin Wednesday, March 21, at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The show opens March 26. (773) 404-7336 or remybumppo.org.

• Five actresses play 28 characters in "Bad Girls: The Stylists," a black comedy by Danish writer Astrid Saalbach about women struggling to be the modern version of a "good girl." Set in a hair salon, the play follows four stylists trying to make their salon a success while listening and sympathizing to customers' complaints until a stranger arrives and complicates everything. Akvavit Theatre presents the play's U.S. premiere, which begins previews at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, at Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Berenice St., Chicago. The show opens Thursday, March 22. See chicagonordic.org.

• "On Your Feet!" - the bio-musical about award-winning singer/songwriter Gloria Estefan and her husband, Emilio Estefan, which premiered in Chicago three years ago - returns for its national tour. It's directed by Jerry Mitchell (who helms "Pretty Woman: The Musical" currently in its pre-Broadway premiere here). The show runs Wednesday, March 21, through April 8 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• The Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake announced recently an anonymous donor paid off the center's $2.3 million debt from when the building was renovated in 2002. Retiring the debt allows the Raue Center and the Williams Street Repertory to focus on programs and expanding educational classes for children and adults. The donation reflects an endorsement of the arts from community members who value the arts and professional theater such as resident company Williams Street Theatre, said Raue CEO Richard Kuranda in a prepared statement.

• Underscore Theatre Company, an ensemble devoted to developing new musicals, announced the winning productions showcased during the 2018 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival as determined by a panel of local theater professionals. "The Ballad of Lefty and Crabbe" earned awards for production, book, director Rusty Sneary and ensemble. "The Butcher's Son" was voted most promising musical and earned an award for lead performer Vi Tran. "Tru" received awards for music and choreography. The show "Musical Therapy" received the lyrics award; "Iron Irene" received the award for set design and Roy Samra was named best supporting performer for "Grindr the Opera."

• Stage 773 executive director Jill Valentine invites ensembles and solo artists to apply for an opportunity to use the facility for free during 2018 to produce works that prominently feature women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities "in the cast, crew or content." For more information on Stage 773's DiversifiCABtion Series, contact Meaghan Morris at Meaghan@stage773.com.

• Remy Bumppo Theatre Company will spend the 2018-2019 season examining fear, the mind and love in the form of three Chicago-area premieres. Remy Bumppo's 22nd season begins Oct. 11 with Nick Dear's new adaptation of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," in a production marking the 200th anniversary of the novel's publication. That's followed by "The Father" (Jan. 31-March 3, 2019), Florian Zeller's tragicomic drama about mental decline starring ensemble members David Darlow and Linda Gillum. The season concludes with Steven Dietz's "Bloomsday" (May 16-June 16, 2019), a love story set against the backdrop of James Joyce's "Ulysses." Performances take place at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Information on subscriptions and single tickets will be available at remybumppo.org.

• Home sweet home and American identity are the themes for American Blues Theater's 33rd season, which includes the return of the company's well-loved "It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!" and a revival of Pearl Cleage's "Flyin' West." Directed by Goodman Theatre's Chuck Smith, "Flyin' West" is about three African-American female pioneers in post Civil War America who settle the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas. It runs Oct. 5 to Nov. 3. ABT's 17th anniversary production of "It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!," a radio play adapted from Frank Capra's film, runs Nov. 6 to Jan. 5, 2019. That's followed by the Chicago-area premiere of Steven Dietz's thriller "On Clover Road" (Feb. 1-March 16, 2019) in which a mother meets with a cult deprogrammer in an effort to be reunited with her runaway daughter. The Chicago-area premiere of James Lecesne's "The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey" follows on March 29. Set in a small town on the New Jersey shore, it's the story of a 14-year-old boy who goes missing. The season concludes with a revival of "The Spitfire Grill" (May 10-June 29, 2019) about a young female parolee who ends up working in a small-town Wisconsin diner. Performances take place at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Subscription information will be available at (773) 654-3103 or americanbluestheater.com.