Spotlight: Aurora's Copley Theatre concludes inaugural season with world premiere of 'Bull'
Copley Theatre premiere
Paramount Theatre's Bold Series concludes its inaugural season with the premiere of "Bull: a love story," Nancy García Lopez's family drama about a man convicted of dealing drugs who returns to his Lakeview home after serving his sentence to find his neighborhood unrecognizable. Eddie Martinez stars as the titular Bull in a production that was developed through Paramount's Inception Project. The play also marks the first suburban production to be included in Destinos: The Chicago International Theater Festival.
Previews at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8; and 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Opens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12. $35 (with promo code "Destinos" through Oct. 9 and Oct. 14-16), $67-$74. Masks encouraged. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.
An immigrant's tale
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre opens its 25th season with the Midwest premiere of the multidisciplinary "Refuge," a play with music and puppetry examining the immigration crisis. Created by Satya Jnani Chávez and Andrew Rosendorf, and translated by Mari Meza-Burgos, "Refuge" chronicles a young Honduran girl who crosses the U.S. border into Texas. Managing and casting director Christopher Pazdernik said in a prepared statement that the bilingual piece reflects Evanston's Latino population and "is a beautiful way to honor their history and experiences."
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8 and 14-15, and 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at 721 Howard St., Evanston. Opens Oct. 16. $30-$65. Masks required. (773) 939-4101 or theo-u.com.
A farce to die for
Murder's on the menu in the farcical whodunit "Clue," where six strangers gathered at a remote mansion for a dinner party become suspects when their host turns up dead. Mercury Chicago Theater's Chicago premiere of the 1985 film adaptation includes preperformance board games, "Clue" trivia at 7 p.m. Sundays and costume contests (Oct. 28-30 only). Executive producer L. Walter Stearns directs a cast that includes McKinley Carter, Mark David Kaplan, Kelvin Roston Jr. and Honey West, among others.
Previews at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 13-14; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15; and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, at 3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. The show opens Oct. 20. $35-$85. Masks recommended. (773) 360-7365 or mercurytheaterchicago.com.
In other news
Check with venues about COVID-19 precautions.
• The 16th Street Theater hosts a free online staged reading of "The Queen of Ithaca," Aline Lathrop's two-hander that imagines Odysseus' return from his wife Penelope's point of view. The reading is at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7. See 16thstreettheater.org for tickets.
• Theatre Above the Law opens its seventh season with a new version of last season's "Grimm!" in which actors combine fairy tales like "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Rumpelstiltskin" into a modern tale. Performances begin Friday, Oct. 7, at the Jarvis Square Theater, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave., Chicago. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks required. See theatreatl.org.
• Collaboraction launches its 2022-2023 season with its 7th Peacebook Festival from 1-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago. Performances and activities center on this year's theme: the future, past and present of healing theater. Participating artists include actor/writer Sandra Delgado, Aztec Dance Chicago, DJ Lady D, M.A.D.D. Rhythms, Emcee Skool and Brickheadz Crew, among others. Tickets are $15 and $30. See collaboraction.org.
• "Haunted: The Improvised Ghost Hunters," an improvised version of a never-before-seen "episode," runs at 8 p.m. Saturdays beginning Saturday, Oct. 8, at The Cornservatory, 4210 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. A double feature on Oct. 29 includes "Take Two: The Improvised Movie." See Haunted: The Improvised Ghost Hunters on Facebook.
• Comedian and actor Nick Thune, a veteran of "The Tonight Show" and "Conan," headlines The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, at 7 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Also at The Den, The Sklar Brothers (Randy and Jason who appeared in FX's "What We Do in the Shadows" this season) join Daniel Van Kirk on Oct. 14 for "Dumb People Town," a podcast about dumb people doing dumb things. The 7:15 p.m. podcast is followed by a standup set at 9:30 p.m. Proof of vaccination required, masks recommended. (773) 697-3830 or thedentheatre.com.
• Goodman Theatre has extended its Chicago-area premiere of "Clyde's," Lynn Nottage's dark comedy about a group of ex cons working at a truck stop cafe. Performances run through Oct. 16 at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.