Spotlight: Teatro Vista, Steppenwolf collaborate on ‘Both’ premiere
Teatro Vista-Steppenwolf premiere
Teatro Vista, in collaboration with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, premieres “Both,” a new play about love, memory and truth by Teatro artistic collective member Paloma Nozicka about a young woman named Xochi who is grappling with the loss of her twin brother, Sebastian. When he reappears after a yearlong absence, the family is overjoyed, but Xochi is suspicious because this Sebastian seems so different from the brother she knew.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, and Wednesday through Friday, April 15-17, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 12, at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The show opens April 18. Pay-what-you-can preview tickets: $47. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.
With friends like these …
Oil Lamp Theater revives Theresa Rebeck’s comedy “Poor Behavior,” an examination of morality and betrayal centered around two couples whose country weekend takes a turn when booze-fueled allegations of infidelity surface. Lauren Katz directs.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 10, and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at 1723 Glenview Road, Glenview. The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11. $30, $55. OilLampTheater.org.
BrightSide revives Noël Coward comedy
BrightSide Theatre artistic director Jeffrey Cass helms the company’s revival of “Private Lives,” Noël Coward’s razor-sharp comedy about divorced couple Elyot and Amanda, who unexpectedly reunite while on their honeymoons with their new spouses.
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 10-11, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 12, and through April 26 at the Theater at Meiley-Swallow Hall, North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth St., Naperville. $32-$37. (630) 447-8497 or BrightSideTheatre.com.
Court Theatre premieres musical
Dawn has a husband, house and family, but this middle-aged woman wants more, including her ex-girlfriend, Robin, in “Out Here,” a new musical by writer/lyricist Leslie Buxbaum and composer/lyricist Erin McKeown, crafted in the style of a kitchen-sink drama. Chay Yew directs Court Theatre’s world premiere featuring Becca Ayers as Dawn and Bethany Thomas as Robin, with Cliff Chamberlain, Ellie Duffey, Alex Goodrich, Z Mowry and Amanda Pulcini.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, April 10 and 17; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, April 15-16, at 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago. The show opens April 18. $42-$90. (773) 753-4472 or CourtTheatre.org.
CCT’s immersive ‘Moon’
After more than a decade, Chicago Children’s Theatre revives the musical adaptation of “Goodnight Moon,” the beloved picture book by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrator Clement Hurd about a young bunny preparing for bed. CCT’s revival is part of the company’s 20th anniversary season. A new, immersive set design invites young audiences “for a primary-colored play date right inside Bunny’s bedroom,” where kids and parents “will enjoy catchy songs, delightful dancing, the humorous antics of a very nocturnal bunny, and the quiet poetry of the iconic tale.” Mikael Burke directs.
9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12, and through June 7 at 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. $47.25. (312) 374-8835 or chicagochildrenstheatre.org.
In remembrance
To commemorate Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), the Ruth Page Center for the Arts — in cooperation with Temple Shalom of Chicago — presents “Concentration,” poet Arne Weingart’s theatrical adaptation of his poems imagining a World War II death camp prisoner’s experiences. Directed by Anna H. Gelman, the production features music by Sherise Leiter. In a prepared statement, Weingart described the production as “a dramatic meditation on keeping oneself alive, body and soul, as if our uncertain past were able to speak with clarity and compassion to our uncertain present.”
7 p.m. Saturday, April 11, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 12, at 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. $18, $36. ruthpage.org/calendars#overview.
Midwest premiere
Wild Door Theater stages the Midwest premiere of “Maybe Tomorrow,” a dark comedy by Max Mondi. Based on real events, the play centers on Ben and his wife, Gail, who considers the bathroom in their deluxe trailer her “pause room,” where she escapes the pressures of the world. Problems arise when she moves into the bathroom full-time. Andrew Gallant directs ensemble members Isabella Isherwood and Lucky Star.
Opens at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 13, and runs at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays through May 23, at The Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. wilddoortheater.com.
Sweet and savage tuner
Citadel Theatre concludes its season with “Ruthless the Musical,” a satire by composer Marvin Laird and writer/lyricist Joel Paley, inspired by Broadway tuners “Gypsy” and “Mame” and the cult film “The Bad Seed.” It’s about 8-year-old Tina, a wannabe star who was born to entertain. When she’s passed over for the lead in the school play, Tina resorts to murder to get the starring role. Catharina Araujo and Olivia Mulder share the role of Tina in director Christina Ramirez’s production.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, April 15-16, at the West Campus building of the Lake Forest School District, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. The show opens April 17. $22-$48. (847) 735-8554, ext. 1, or citadeltheatre.org.
The last days of Antony and Cleopatra
A soothsayer named Asim wanders into Cleopatra’s palace, where he witnesses the queen and her lover Antony’s final days in “Full-On Cleopatra,” Yussef El Guindi’s comic take on the finale of one of history’s great love stories. Silk Road Cultural Center’s workshop production is directed by Adam Goldstein and produced in association with Stage Center Theatre at Northeastern Illinois University.
7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, April 15-17; 7:30 p.m. April 22-24; and 3 p.m. April 25 at NEIU Building F, 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. $12. silkroadculturalcenter.org.