Theater events: Den Theatre revives Joel Drake Johnson's 'Four Places'

Posted May 24, 2019 6:00 am

Amy Montgomery, left, Bruch Reed, Meg Thalken and Rebekah Ward appear in The Den Theatre's revival of "Four Places" by Joel Drake Johnson.

• Previews begin Friday, May 24, for The Den Theatre's revival of "Four Places," a domestic drama by Joel Drake Johnson, directed by Lia Mortensen. The play centers on the dilemma faced by siblings who learn from a caregiver that their elderly parents may be a danger to each other. "I was drawn to this play because it examines the universality of family: love, secrets, trust, lies while also navigating how alcoholism threads through the tapestry of this family." The play opens May 30 at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 697-3830 or thedentheatre.com.

• Corn Productions presents "Drink! The Sketch Comedy Drinking Game: Music Edition" opening at 11 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at the Cornservatory, 4210 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The adults-only show, in which sketches are accompanied by drinking games, runs through June 29. See cornservatory.org.

Lisa Braatz plays Sister in the 26th anniversary production of "Late Nite Catechism" May 26 at Chicago's Royal George Theatre. Courtesy of Vicki Quade

• Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago, hosts the 26th anniversary performance of "Late Nite Catechism" at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 26. A preshow celebration with drinks and sweets begins at 1 p.m. Lisa Braatz reprises her role as the wisecracking nun known as Sister in Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan's comedy, which debuted in 1993 at Live Bait Theatre. (312) 988-9000 or nuns4fun.com.

• The national tour of "Falsettos," William Finn's musical about an endearingly neurotic gay man, his family, neighbors and psychiatrist, comes to Chicago for a limited run. Performances begin Tuesday, May 28, at the James M. Nederlander Theater, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago. The production is directed by James Lapine. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• The International Voices Project, a five-week celebration of international plays taking place at the Instituto Cervantes, 31 W. Ohio St., Chicago, continues Tuesday, May 28, with a comedy by Serbian writer Dusan Kovacevic. It's about the dark side of communism under Tito and its impact on Yugoslavian citizens. The production is a collaboration with Vitalist Theatre. It's followed by Romanian playwright Saviana Stanescu's "Aliens With Extraordinary Skills" on Thursday, May 30. Performances are at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. See ivpchicago.org.

• WildClaw Theatre Company presents "The Brood: An Evening of the Horror Variety" at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, at CSZ Chicago (ComedySportz Theater), 929 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The adults-only show also includes a piece from Deathscribe, the company's audio drama showcase. Tickets are $40. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Showtime is 8 p.m. See wildclawtheatre.com.

Mike Steel directs Trap Door Theatre's production of "The Killer" by Eugene Ionesco. Courtesy of Trap Door Theatre

• Performances begin Thursday, May 30, for Trap Door Theatre's revival of "The Killer," Eugene Ionesco's absurdist drama about a man named Berenger who discovers an ideal city terrorized by a murderer that he tries to track down. Director Mike Steele's production runs through July 6 at 1655 W. Cortland Ave., Chicago. (773) 384-0494 or trapdoortheatre.com.

• Silk Road Rising received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the production of plays about American Muslims, which will be part of the company's 2019-2020 season titled "Crescent and Star."

• Windy City Playhouse announced its 2019-2020 season will include several immersive stagings following the season-opening "The Recommendation" (beginning previews July 2). Jonathan Caren's drama is about two very different college roommates whose friendship is threatened when one of them gets into legal trouble. That's followed by "Every Brilliant Thing" (beginning previews Sept. 18), an interactive, solo show by Duncan MacMillan in which a woman shares her life experiences against the backdrop of her mother's depression. The season concludes with "The Boys in the Band" (beginning previews Jan. 29, 2020), Mart Crowley's 1968 play set during a 30th birthday party during which eight gay men reveal their inner selves. Performances take place at 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago, or at 2229 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Two- and three-show subscriptions range from $109 to $336. They're available at (773) 891-8985 or windycityplayhouse.com.

• The Factory Theater's 27th season begins Sept. 27 with the comedic ghost tale "Oh (expletive)! It's Haunted!" That's followed by "Last Night in Karaoke Town" (opening Feb. 14, 2020), a comedy by Mike Beyer and Kirk Pynchon about the patrons of a Cleveland bar who try to keep their favorite spot open. The season concludes June 19, 2020, with "The HOA," Angelina Martinez's play about a couple who buys a dream home in a neighborhood that turns out to be a nightmare. Performances take place at 1623 W. Howard St., Chicago. Two- and three-show season passes range from $40 to $75. They're available at thefactorytheater.com.

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