Theater events: Magician Brett Schneider brings one-man show to The Den Theatre

Posted September 05, 2018 6:00 am

Actor-magician Brett Schneider returns to The Den Theatre with his one-man show, "Communion: An Evening of Magic." Courtesy of Marc Safran Photography

• MadKap Productions begins its 2018 season with "Man of La Mancha," the musical inspired by Miguel de Cervantes' 17th-century novel "Don Quixote," in which the Cervantes' character recounts Quixote's adventures while awaiting the Spanish Inquisition. Performances begin Friday, Sept. 7, at Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. (847) 677-7761 or skokietheatre.org.

• City Lit Theatre stages its first George Bernard Shaw play "Arms and the Man," which debunks Victorian ideas about war, romance and class. Set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, the story centers on an engaged Bulgarian noblewoman who shelters an escaped Swiss mercenary then falls in love with him. Meanwhile the woman's fiancé has fallen in love with her servant. Previews begin Friday, Sept. 7, at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. The production, directed by Brian Pastor, opens Sept. 16. (773) 293-3682 or citylit.org.

• Red Tape Theatre opens its season with Young Jean Lee's play "The Shipment" - a satirical examination of African-American stereotypes - that opens Friday, Sept. 7, at The Ready, 4546 N. Western Ave., Chicago. Red Tape Theatre adheres to the free theater movement and offers free admission to its productions. However, reservations are required and donations are accepted. See redtapetheatre.org.

Elana Joyce and Tom Jansson star in Interrobang Theatre Project's revival of Edward Albee's "The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?" Courtesy of Salar Ardebili

• Previews begin Friday, Sept. 7, at Rivendell Theatre, 5779 N. Ridge Ave., Chicago, for Interrobang Theatre Project's revival of Edward Albee's marital drama "The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?" Martin upends his family when he announces he has fallen in love with a goat in Albee's meditation on marriage, fidelity and tolerance. The show opens Tuesday, Sept. 11. (312) 219-4140 or interrobangtheatreproject.com/.

Brook Celeste, left, Troy Martin, Paul Brennan and Julia Williams, with Beau O'Reilly (on TV screen), appear in Curious Theatre Branch's season opener, "(Not) Another Day." Courtesy of Jeff Bivens

• Curious Theatre Branch opens its 30th season with the world premiere of founding co-artistic director Jenny Magnus' "(Not) Another Day" a sung, meta-play about a soap opera writer who can't think of an ending and a soap opera actor whose character is killed off but who refuses to leave the show. Performances begin Friday, Sept. 7, at Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. See curioustheatrebranch.com.

• Collaboraction, in association with the Chicago Park District, hosts its third annual Peacebook Festival Friday and Saturday, Sept. 7-8, at La Follette Park, 1333 N. Laramie Ave., Chicago. The festival consists of the world premieres of 24 short works encompassing theater, dance, music, visual art and spoken word from more than 200 artists. All of the performances center on the theme of a Chicago home that has withstood change over time. Featured artists include: Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Donna Latham, Chicago Workers Collaborative Workers Theatre, Emcee Skool and others. The festival travels to Kelvyn Park, 4438 W. Wrightwood Ave., Chicago, on Sept. 14 and 15 and to Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd St., Chicago, on Sept. 21 and 22. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended. (312) 226-9633 or collaboraction.org/peacebook-2018.

• "You & Me," the two-person improv show established by The Gift Theatre co-founder Michael Patrick Thornton and featuring him and a guest artist, continues at Filament Theatre, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Thornton performs with Sherman Edwards at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, and with Amy Morton at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. See filamenttheatre.org.

• "Tootsie" - the musical adaptation of the 1982 comedy starring Dustin Hoffman as an irascible, unemployed actor whose career skyrockets after he dresses as a woman and wins a leading role on a TV soap opera - begins previews Tuesday, Sept. 11, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago. The Broadway-bound show stars Santino Fontana as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels; Lilli Cooper as Julie Nichols, the actress he falls in love with; Reg Rogers as sexist director Ron Carlisle; and Sarah Stiles as his friend Sandy. Tony Award-winner David Yazbeck ("The Band's Visit") composed the score and Robert Horn ("13") wrote the book for the show, which runs through Oct. 14. (800) 775-2000, broadwayinchicago.com or tootsiemusical.com.

• Previews begin Tuesday, Sept. 11, for horror theater ensemble WildClaw Theatre Company's premiere of "Second Skin." In three interconnected monologues, Kristin Idaszak examines the fraught relationship between mothers and daughters and how those relationships reverberate over generations. The show, directed by Jess Hutchinson, opens Sept. 14 at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. See wildclawtheatre.com.

Valentijn Dhaenens performs in the solo show "BigMouth," by the Belgian theater company SKaGeN, as part of Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Big in Belgium series. Courtesy of Maya Wilsens

• Chicago Shakespeare Theater inaugurates its Big in Belgium series showcasing boundary-pushing theatrical works from Europe with "BigMouth," a solo performance by Valentijn Dhaenens celebrating more than 2,000 years of oration. Dhaenens weaves together some of history's most famous speeches, sermons, declarations and eulogies uttered by such figures as Socrates, Muhammad Ali and General George Patton in this work from the Belgian theater company SKaGeN. Performances begin Wednesday, Sept. 12, at Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. (312) 595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com.

• The tragic, true story of the "Radium girls," female factory employees for the Radium Dial Company in Ottawa, Illinois, during the 1920s and 1930s inspired Melanie Marnich's play "These Shining Lives." It tells of the women who suffered the debilitating and fatal effects of radium poisoning from their jobs painting the faces of watches and clocks with luminous, radium-laced paint. Three Crows revives the play beginning Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Piven Theatre Workshop, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. Kristin Davis directs. Pay-what-you-can admission. (312) 469-0274 or threecrowstheatre.com.

• The Neo-Futurists 30th anniversary season continues with a remount of last season's "Tangles & Plaques" beginning Thursday, Sept. 13, at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. The show uses theater language to examine dementia. (773) 878-4557 or neofuturists.org.

• Actor-magician Brett Schneider returns to Chicago for six performances of his one-man show, "Communion: An Evening of Magic." The 70-minute show combines sleight-of-hand, psychological suggestion and magic that includes audience participation. Performances take place from Thursday, Sept. 13, through Sept. 22 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. See thedentheatre.com or brettschneidermagic.com.

• "Whose Line is it Anyway?" veterans Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood bring their improvised show "Scared Scriptless" to the McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. The duo perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14. Tickets are $55-$75. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org.

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