Theater spotlight: Elgin’s Iambe premieres ‘Wake Up, Mrs. Moore’
Elgin premiere
Iambe Theatre Ensemble, an Elgin company that focuses on stories representing voices and perspectives of mature females, returns with the premiere of “Wake Up, Mrs. Moore” by Julie Marie Myatt. The play centers on Virginia Moore, a young feminist who was struck in the head in 1970 following an equal rights and anti-war protest and lapsed into a coma. Forty years later, she awakes to a future she could not have imagined after her husband and sister inform her of the events she missed. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, April 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27; 7 p.m. Sunday, April 14; and 2 p.m. Sundays, April 21 and 28, at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., Elgin. $22. iambetheatreensemble.com.
A friendship for all seasons
Cheerful Frog and his grumpy best friend Toad wake up from hibernation to begin a new year together in the family-friendly musical “A Year With Frog and Toad,” adapted from Arnold Lobel’s 1970s children's books. Chicago Children’s Theatre concludes its season with the tuner, which stars CCT newcomers Eduardo Curley-Carrillo as Frog and Nick Druzbanski as Toad. 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14, and weekends through May 26 at 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. $45.25-$55.25; $12.25 lap-seat tickets for kids 18 months and younger. (312) 374-8835 or chicagochildrenstheatre.org.
Sci-fi adventure
Babes With Blades opens its season with “The S Paradox,” a sci-fi adventure (think “Alias” meets “Looper”) by Jillian Leff, winner of BWB’s Joining Sword & Pen International Playwright Competition. A woman named S attempts to go back in time to make positive changes and prevent mistakes her younger self made. Morgan Manasa directs; fight choreography is by Samantha Kaufman. Preview at 8 p.m. Friday, April 12, at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St., Chicago. The show opens Saturday, April 13. $28-$35. babeswithblades.org.
Home redefined
A young couple discovers their home was once inhabited by a hat maker and his long-suffering wife, who ran away with his favorite hat, in Lauren Yee’s surreal tale “The Hatmaker’s Wife.” Theatre Evolve launches its fourth season with director Spencer Ryan Diedrick’s revival of the 2014 play that “bends time and space to redefine the idea of family, home and true love itself.” 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, April 11 through May 4, at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. $20 or pay-what-you-can. theatreevolve.com.
Bible bingo returns
Former nun Mary Margaret O'Brien hosts a bingo trivia fundraiser for a fictional parish in the interactive comedy “Bible Bingo,” produced by Vicki Quade and Nuns 4 Fun Entertainment. Quade, Liz Cloud and Nancy Greco alternate playing the role of Mary Margaret. 5 p.m. Saturdays, April 13, 20 and 27, and 2 p.m. Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $41. (773) 404-7336 or greenhousetheater.org.
August Wilson revival
Goodman Theatre artistic associate Chuck Smith directs a revival of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” the second work in August Wilson’s American Century Cycle chronicling African Americans’ experiences in America during each decade of the 20th century. An examination of identity and legacy, the play centers on Herald Loomis’ search for his estranged wife. A.C. Smith stars as Herald. Previews at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13, and Wednesday through Friday, April 17-19; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 14, and Saturday, April 20; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 21. The show opens April 24. $25-$90. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.
Silk Road returns
Silk Road Cultural Center, in cooperation with Stage Center Theatre at Northeastern Illinois University, presents a workshop production of the magical-realism thriller “Black Bear Island” by Karissa Murrell Myers. The play centers on a young woman who returns to her island hometown following the mysterious death of her childhood sweetheart. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, April 17-19 and 24-26, and 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, at Building 5, Northeastern Illinois University, 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. $2-$20. silkroadculturalcenter.org.
For wimpy kids everywhere
Raue Center for the Arts presents “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical,” adapted from Jeff Kinney’s bestselling books. Rob Scharlow directs the family-friendly show about a young boy named Greg, who’s determined to be popular in middle school, even if it means abandoning his best friend, Rowley. 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, April 18-19, and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. $25 adults, $10 students; RaueNOW members $17.50 adults, $7 students. (815) 356-9212 or rauecenter.org.