Spotlight: MadKap Productions stages Neil Simon farce 'Rumors'

'Rumors' revived

Guests arrive at a dinner party to learn the host has been shot through the earlobe, the hostess is missing and the servants have fled in "Rumors," Neil Simon's farce about a dinner party that goes comically awry. Wayne Mell directs MadKap Productions' revival.

7:30 p.m. Friday, March 31, Saturday, April 1; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 2, through April 23 at the Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. $38, $34. Masks recommended. (847) 677-7761 or skokietheatre.org.

'Last Supper'

Improv Playhouse Theater stages its annual Easter production "Last Supper Chronicles." Adapted from Josephine Raciti and Rolf Forsberg's "The Gathering" by director David Brian Stuart, the play takes place during Jesus' last earthly Passover.

7 p.m. Saturday, April 1; Thursday, April 6, through Saturday, April 8; 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at 735 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. $17.25, $8.75 in advance; $20, $10 at the door. Masks optional. (847) 968-4529 or improvplayhouse.com.

Family ties

Steppenwolf Theatre presents the Chicago area premiere of "Last Night and the Night Before," Donnetta Lavinia Grays' examination of love and the sacrifices a parent makes raising a child. Ayanna Bria Bakari plays Monique, a mother on the run with her daughter Sam (Aliyana Nicole), whose surprise visit to a relative raises difficult questions. Valerie Curtis-Newton directs.

Previews at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 6 and 13 and Friday, April 7 and 14; 3 and 8 p.m. April 8 and 15; 3 p.m. April 9; 8 p.m. April 12, at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The show opens April 16. $20-$88. Masks recommended. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

In other news

• Check with venues about COVID-19 precautions.

• Labyrinth Arts and Performance hosts its Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collective Showcase from Friday, March 31, through April 9 at PrideArts, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago. The showcase features sketch comedy, music and burlesque. Scheduled performances include: "John and Paul: Get Rich Quicker," which features special guests weekly; "Dogs!" a cabaret variety show for dog lovers with dog-themed skits, music and comedy; the all-female "The Beast Women," featuring belly dance, burlesque and poetry; "The Band Bonus," featuring music by several local bands. See facebook.com/labyrinthartsperformance.

• Chicago Children's Theatre hosts a free, family-friendly, pop-up event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. Vanessa Rodriguez will read from her children's book "Chicago Loves Me" during the event, which also includes a presentation from The Butterfly Company along with arts and crafts inspired by "The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show," which opens April 15. See chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

• Otherworld Theatre presents "20,000 Leagues, A Feminist Adaptation," running Saturday, April 1, through May 15 at 3914 N. Clark St., Chicago. Bella Poynton's adaptation of the Jules Verne classic features a female Captain Nemo and Nautilus crew. See otherworldtheatre.org.

• The national tour of "A Soldier's Play," Charles Fuller's drama examining racism in the U.S. military during the 1940s starring Broadway veteran Norm Lewis, stops in Chicago for a brief run. Performances run Tuesday, April 4, through April 16 at the CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• Mentalist Mark Toland will be the artist-in-residence this spring at the Chicago Magic Lounge, 5050 N. Clark St., Chicago, beginning Wednesday, April 5. His new, interactive, mind-reading show, "The Mystery Show," runs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays through June 28, 2023. Tickets are $40 and $45. (312) 366-4500 or chicagomagiclounge.com.

• Playwright and Theater Oobleck co-founder Mickle Maher ("There is a Happiness That Morning Is," "The Hunchback Variations") reads from his latest anthology of plays, "Six Plays," at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6, at City Lit Books, 2523 N. Kedzie Blvd., Chicago. (773) 235-2523 or citylitbooks.com.

• The Factory Theater has extended its production of "The Kelly Girls," Shannon O'Neill's 1960s Ireland set play about sisters who join the IRA, then have second thoughts about its methods. Performances run through Saturday, April 1, at 1625 W. Howard St., Chicago. See thefactorytheater.com.

• The Second City announced the cast of its 111th main stage revue scheduled to open later this year. Performers include: Andy Bolduc, Kiley Fitzgerald, Claire McFadden, Evan Mills, Julia Morales and Jordan Stafford. Carisa Barreca directs. Tickets start at $39. (312) 337-3992 or secondcity.com.

• Kokandy Productions earned a leading six awards for its acclaimed revival of "Sweeney Todd" Monday during the annual Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremony celebrating excellence among Chicago's non-equity theaters. Named best musical, the production also received awards for director Derek Van Barham; music director Nick Sula; principal performers Caitlin Jackson and Kevin Webb, and supporting performer Patrick O'Keefe. Invictus Theatre earned five awards, including one for best play for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and for its director Charles Askenaizer, set designer Kevin Rolfs and supporting performer Rachel Livingston. Tekeisha Yelton-Hunter was named principal performer in a play for her performance in Invictus' revival of "Ruined." The Story Theatre's production of "Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes" earned awards for director Terry Guest, new work and ensemble - short run.

• Chicago Theatre Week 2023, the annual celebration of the Chicago area theater scene, was a resounding success according to organizers who reported 20,650 tickets sold during the initial 10-day event and the 7-day extension. That surpasses the 2020 record of 13,400 tickets sold. "This year's record-breaking Chicago Theatre Week makes it clear that nothing can replace the experience of a live show," said Choose Chicago president and CEO Lynn Osmond in a prepared statement. "We are proud to partner with the League of Chicago Theatres to help make it easier for locals and visitors to explore Chicago's unique and vibrant theater scene."

• Kokandy Productions announced its 2023 season begins June 22 with "The SpongeBob Musical," based on the animated TV series by Stephen Hillenburg. In the stage version, SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom pals team up to save their undersea community from a volcano eruption. That's followed by the Chicago premiere of the musical adaptation of "American Psycho" (Sept. 14-Nov. 12), based on Brett Easton Ellis' novel about a handsome man who's a Wall Street banker by day and a murderer by night. Performances take place at The Chopin Theatre, 1543 W Division St., Chicago. See kokandyproductions.com.