Come on people!! This is a great theater!! The DCA (Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affair) company each…read moreseason picks multiple proposals from Chicago's emerging and developing theater companies who wish to bring their innovative productions downtown to the Storefront Theater. They are quickly becoming one of my favorites, if anything solely in the performances and cultural diversity. This time I had the pleasure of seeing "Mi Familia/ My Dance", only running for three shows this Latin dance with a contemporary flair was nothing short of HOT!!! Each dancer told a story and when they came together you couldn't help but want to shake it yourself. Great dancers, great choreographer, and great crowd interaction. What was really unique was that the director/ choreographer can out before hand to explain his vision in the beginning, the middle to talk about the rhythm that's involved in choreographing something like this, and at the end to give us all a little salsa lesson.... what fun!!! The Quinceañera was probably my favorite part of this hour long show. And for only $10.00 a ticket, it was more then worth it. To learn more about the Luna Negra Dance Theater check them out at http://lunanegra.org/ And please support the arts!!

What an awesome theater in the "hustle bustle" part of Chi-town! Upon walking in, you are welcomed…read morewith various types of art displayed (art classes are offered here too) and have the opportunity to appreciate students' work. As for the theater, I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up! I have been here a few times over the past several years, and have finally realized that they have the opportunity to switch-up the stage. I have entered the stage area at different junctures, which adds to the felling fresh concept. You never know what the stage is going to look like! The performances tend to be very emotional and always suck me in. Most recently, my friend and I saw a trilogy of plays (Gjenganger). We didn't realize all three plays were were almost two hours each. Holy plays, Batman!! I couldn't believe the emotion that oozed from the actors and imbibed by all the theater goers. I was drained at the end of the experience and enjoyed every minute of it. You don't want to miss out on this hidden "arts" establishment!

We saw the best production of the Merry Wives of Windsor at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater! (May…read more2026). We've seen two other excellent versions in other cities, and this one was spectacular. They brought the action into the 20th century.  The words stayed the same, but the jokes took on new meaning for the modern audience.  They also had the best Falstaff ever.  He was always our favorite character, but this one takes keg.  Er, I mean takes the cake :-) The acting was particularly engaging, and the audience really responded to it.  At one point, a drink tray sailed off the stage and into the audience, no harm no foul, and as if it was scripted, an audience member slid the tray back onto the stage amidst much cheering and applause.   The staging was great, with two trap doors (and sound effects of falling bodies!). The stage was complete with a very modern doorbell!  And, yes, it did "ring". As an added bonus, one of the two characters who rode bikes onto the stage was brandishing a sword. Shakespeare meets Cirque? It was a hugely fun production in a lovely comfortable multi-tiered theater. Every seat has a good view of the stage. Chicago Shakespeare Theater is out on Navy pier, past the colorful cartoon-like statue of Flyboy, "The Great Debate", by Hebru Brantley!

I've been seeing plays at Shakespeare theater for decades and they're always brilliantly directed…read moreand acted. This time we saw Merry Wives of Windsor and none of us expected it to be almost rolling in the aisles funny. The audience was in stitches. The sets and costumes helped add context. But what really made it beyond 5 stars was a very helpful and gracious manager. My elderly mother was seated across the aisle from me and took out her hearing aids. She didn't realize that by holding them on one hand, their closeness would create feedback. I couldn't tell what the eerie sound was and assumed it was someone else's phone. Luckily the experienced manager figured it out and quietly asked her to put the hearing aids away without shaming her nor causing any disruption. We appreciated his grace in this embarrassing situation.

Probably one of the coolest unknown theatres in the city. Well it must known by some since it's…read morestayed in business since 1981, they mainly focus on adaptations from literature giants like Burroughs, Salinger, Bradbury, Dick, Twain, and Algren to name a couple. I had the pleasure of seeing a German interpretive play Seven Doors based on the seven deadly sins. At this times it was quite disturbing but overall the actors were phenomenal. The theatre is small and it might be easily overlooked from the street because it's a store front theatre but inside the place has depth. Only having two stages it's really set up for smaller crowds but you're not packed in. The walls are filled with colorful photo's and old posters from Chicago performances, these are really cool to look at. In my opinion it gives the theatre a historical presence. If you get a chance check it out, I'll be added it to my list of favorite theatres!! Support the arts!!

Very homey, cool vibes at this little hole in the wall theater…read more Performers from The Uploose Odditorium killed it last Friday! The monologues and interactive games were equally enjoyable. Performances were all impressive & don't forget to check the art on the walls in the hallway. Unique, all the way around!

It had probably been a decade since I last caught a show here. When I saw actor Gary Cole was…read morecoming to town, I grabbed a friend and said let's catch his show! Tickets are easy to purchase from the Steppenwolf website. As this is a smaller, intimate theater, really not a bad seat in the house. Pricing is affordable. They allow drinks purchased there to be brought into the theater. They have 2 bars and a small snack area for treats. Bathrooms are gender neutral stalls. Parking is either street parking (if you feel like driving around to snag a spot), their paid lot, or I recommend using park whiz app to find a garage a couple of blocks away. It is also near CTA. I find the history of Steppenwolf to be interesting. (A great ensemble cast) Check them out!

I recently lost my Mom and after seeing The Movement You Need, a part of me felt healed. Brendan…read moretook all the bad shit that could have weighed him down and reframed it as lampposts in his story of how his love for the Beatles was fueled by his love for his parents. It all connects. I laughed. I cried. I snorted from laughing. What a gorgeous interpretation! The Steppenwolf theater had wide aisles (so really you don't even have to get up when others are passing by to get to their seats). There's lots of restaurants around there to dine before the show or grab a drink after!

So I was finally able to make it to the play and i was not disappointed!! The theater itself is an…read moreamazing building and the cast is really good, but I have to say Adrian Gonzalez is amazing. I had heard so many great reviews and raves bout him and I have to agree he is pretty awesome! Love! Valour! Compassion! is a great story and they do a great job of keeping the audience entertained! I will def. be seeing more of his shows in the near future!!

If you've seen Cirque du Soleil in LV and Broadway plays in NY, you will be disappointed with this…read moreshow. Does not compare. Maybe I just didn't understand this show, but I didn't like how the whole show didn't really have a centralized plot or a theme. It was very random. Each person would display a talent and then perform it. There were random moments where they would crack jokes and then go back to being serious. I like the Chinese yo yo part and the work they did on the poles, but I've honestly never seen so many mistakes. During each segment, there was at least one mistake. One person would knock over the hoop, another would drop the ball or yo-yo, etc. I actually felt sorry for the performers because I'm sure they were better than that. I think the part when I laughed the most didn't even have to do with the show. They have a camera set up in the lobby and the audience inside the auditorium can see what those people outside are doing so you can imagine all the silliness they show on camera. We all applauded those people when they walked into the theater. haha

What an amazing performance. I won't go into too many details, but I am in awe of these seven…read moreperformers. They are so incredibly talented. I loved it so much I might go see it again! TRACES will keep you on your toes for 90 minutes. You will not want to blink for a second in case you miss something. They do a great job of combining crazy talent, humor and dancing! The show really blew me away. If you are able to catch a performance, I highly recommend it! Bravo! One more thing... Everyone is really good looking. Hello Florian.

I may be a bit biased given I'm Asian American, but this has to be my favorite Theater…read moreestablishment in Chicago. Located on Washington Street in a church, it's easy to miss. The Venue itself is small which creates an intimate atmosphere. Seats are very close to the stage making you feel like a cast member yourself. Their shows tend to be simple in terms of set design but the subjects of most their productions are deep and emotional and very intellectually stimulating. The last two productions were amazing and very relatable. Relatively cheap, they offer discounts for students and have industry nights. Get to know the permanent staff. Nice, caring and passionate about both theater and racial reconciliation issues, with them there is never a dull conversation :)

I recently saw their adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. What a wonderful…read moreproduction! It's a long show but in watching it time just flew. The entire cast did an amazing job and the sets, lights and sound were beautiful. Please help support this fantastic theater company and their innovative productions!

This show is about so much more than wrestling. The incredible storytelling sucked me in from the…read morefirst moment and had me spellbound. The actors were fabulous--and one of them, not sure who, was recovering from the flu that had caused the Saturday performance to be canceled. So glad we were able to get replacement tickets. The house was packed and the standing O was well deserved. I'm not a season ticket holder and I know nothing about wrestling but I would see this play again in a heartbeat.

Kristoffer Diaz was a Pulitzer Finalist! How sweet is that? I hope you guys got a chance to check…read morethis show out while it was here in Chicago. Otherwise you should give it a gander if you plan to be anywhere near NYC this summer. It's totally worth it!