Spotlight: Friendships falter in Steel Beam's '20th Century Blues'

Posted February 19, 2020 5:00 am

Friends remembered

Four female friends meet annually for a photo shoot that chronicles their changing selves in "20th Century Blues." However, longtime friendships are tested when one of the women wants to make the photographs public. Steel Beam Theatre artistic director Marge Uhlarik-Boller co-stars in the company's revival of Susan Miller's drama.

8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, and through March 15 at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. $23-$28. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com.

Winter circus

The Actors Gymnasium hosts "The Ghost in Gadsden's Garden," its annual winter circus featuring Lucy Carapetyan, Adrian Danzig and Hayley Larson alongside members of the company's teen ensemble. The original story centers on a groundskeeper at an abandoned estate who is in love with the ghost occupying the gardens of the estate.

4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, and through March 22 at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. $25. (847) 328-2795 or actorsgymnasium.org.

Modern 'Hedda'

TUTA Theatre co-founder and artistic director Jacqueline Stone adapts and directs an updated version of Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler" featuring original music by Wain Parham. Lauren Demerath plays Hedda, a woman resigned to marriage who distracts herself by manipulating the men around her. In this version, however, Hedda is backed by a three-piece band. Huy Nguyen plays her husband, George, and Kevin V. Smith plays her former lover, Eilert.

Previews at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 25-26, at Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., Chicago. The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27. $20-$40. See tutatheatre.org.

The Gift Theatre ensemble members Jay Worthington, left, and Martel Manning co-star in the company's revival of "The Pillowman" by Martin McDonagh. Courtesy of Claire Demos

Unsettling, unforgettable

The Gift Theatre revives Martin McDonagh's unsettling, intriguing tragicomedy "The Pillowman," about a writer living in a totalitarian state who is called in for questioning by police because his gruesome stories resemble a series of child murders. Martel Manning plays the writer Katurian and Jay Worthington plays his damaged brother Michal.

Previews at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 27-29, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1, at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The show opens Monday, March 2. $25-$50. (773) 283-7071 or thegifttheatre.org.

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