Nothing fancy, but quiet and cheap. Good for headshots, rehearals, music rehearsals. Tough to do…read moreauditions because there is only the one room. Close to Walgreens, liquor, Staples - everything you need!

I would rate this a zero if I could. Do not waste your time…read more The plays are not funny or interesting. There are so many better venues in Chicago where performances are intelligent and entertaining. There really is just nothing good to say, only again to advise , do not waste your time.

Who doesn't love theater? This was a delight, a crazy spectacle of 5 individuals who truly loved…read morewhat they did, in the most passionate way. They yelled, cursed, ran, sang, and jumped, in what could only be described as array of curiosity performace and some obscurity. Having to travel from PDX for work, this was on my list of must dos and I am happy to have had the chance. Power to these performers, they truly love their art. And it shows.

So, it's Halloween time, so that means it's time for another production by A&E…read more Seance is the latest presentation, and I thought it was a lot of fun. It's interactive for the first half, and you become an audience member for the second. For people who are looking for a traditional, plot-driven theater experience, this may not be the ticket. This is improvisation, and you could theoretically go see this more than once and see a different production every time. Without giving spoilers, it was a blast. A seance with two parts to it. Pro tip: BYOB! This is a fun one!

From the owner: Immersive Rituals of Living. Now showing at River Park…read moreField House Theatre. Find forgotten fun and lost connections Your own personal Hero's Journey Audiences and performers engage in playful physical rituals, emotional poses, and inspiring rhythms to open doors to a new form of entertainment where forgotten fun and connections are found. Inspired by the Hero’s Journey of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, which binds and propels people to a full life. The production features a multimedia-projected dream space that transforms into a mythic setting where audiences embark on a quest to discover the secrets of their own personal "Hero's Journey". This is the next evolution of interactive immersive theatre where “doing” opens new ways to experience the universe. Audiences declare "Cathartic, Great Show ,SO MUCH FUN,Did not disappoint.Great Experience,Kept thinking about it, Beautiful, A Dreamscape"

A friend invited me to a show at Chase Park Theater. Community theater? I wasn't enthused. The show…read morewas Romeo and Juliet no less. The whole bike ride there I was trying to think of things I could say after the show to look on the bright side, fully expecting to feel as if I had just wasted two precious hours of my life. However, I could not have been more wrong. The play was a delight! The staging and direction was really well done. It was a HUGE risk to update the play with modern costumes and settings, while retaining the certain authentic aspects (most notably the weaponry). The risk payed off! The play was sophisticated and yet accessible to a much wider audience. The actors were very diverse and represented the whole community. Some were really fantastic (I'm talking to you Romeo, Juliet, Benvolio, Tybalt, Mercutio.). Among them were recent theater grads from DePaul and other respectable programs. From the opening scene I was really impressed with the high quality of acting (Gregory and Sampson nailed it!). The fight choreography was intricate and fun to watch. I'm not saying this play was perfect, but it was really, really good and worth way more than the cost of admission. I look forward to seeing what Chase Park Theater is putting on in the future.

The stage is small and so is the audience space. The actors for romeo and juliet were awesome…read more All those lines by shakespeare they learned holy appraisal to them rehearsing that stuff. I laughed hard I cried hard. This romeo and juliet play was fun and long. It was magically majestic. Beautifully performed. Colorful and creative. Wildly entertaining. Thank god for this friday night walk in the park date. Living around the corner to this theater park is a real impressive place to be. The actors were out of this world brilliant in their acts.

I must say that this review is long overdue, but it must be done…read more I visited Chicago for the first time ever back in May and did all the touristy things like taking my photo in front of the Bean in Millenium Park and going on an architecture boat tour along the Chicago River. One of the best experiences, though, was a local gem lesser known to tourists and quite possibly even Chicagans - the Albany Park Theater Project. I had my taste of APTP on what was their second to the last performance of "Feast," a play about something Yelpsters can appreciate - FOOD! All I can say is that you need to see it for yourself to understand how amazingly talented this youth theater ensemble is as they sing their hearts out and tell delicious stories about one's first memory of food from the perspective of immigrants, working class Americans and urban teens. Loved it! "Feast" was simply captivating. It brings on all sorts of emoticons like :) and :( and :') and :D. I don't know if there's an emoticon for hunger out there, but I probably had a drool-face/nom nom nom look going on for the most part. If you ever get the opportunity to watch, participate and/or sponsor APTP, I'd highly recommend it. It looks like they're performing "Feast" again this October and November. GO SEE IT! APTP is like the best thing since, well, the Chicago-style hot dog!

It took me a while to write this review but I wanted to make sure everyone knew about the…read morebreathtaking theater from APTP. I've seen a few APTP productions and they are awe-inspiring to say the least. The true raw talent, the attention to historical facts, the captivating music, song, and movements. I was lucky because I learned about APTP almost a decade ago when they first started out in Eugene Field School. I happened to see the last performance of "Homeland" at the Goodman Theater and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen (this includes Broadway in NYC). The stories are real... I think that makes it even more captivating. APTP is very accessible to all as it has tickets for a very reasonable price. This is a true hidden gem. Okay enough raving :) Go check it out, you'll know what I'm talking about then.

Passionate, skilled Professionals, sharing the classics for no charge to audience. AEA actors…read more Great dramaturgy before each show and talk-back after. True community.

Yesterday would have been William Shakespeare's 449th birthday (and also the anniversary of his…read moredeath), which proved to be the inspiration to write this review. Maybe you've not heard of The Shakespeare Project of Chicago, and that's a shame, but I'm happy to tell you all about it. This is NOT the place down on Navy Pier (although they do wonderful work as well). The Shakespeare Project of Chicago is a non-profit organization that has been in existence since 1996, and its goals are pretty simple: bringing Shakespeare's beautiful words to life, for the community--to create, as their tagline says, The World in Words. For free. That's right, for free. Theatrical readings are performed throughout the year at several venues in the city and nearby suburbs (mostly libraries, which is highly fitting). These smaller venues lend a much more intimate feel. The talent pool is deep--these are professional actors with impressive credits that run the gamut from Broadway, film and television, to Shakespeare festivals, both regional and international. Over the past 18 seasons, Shakespeare's canon of classic plays has been performed; from all of the popular comedies, tragedies, and histories, to the less well-known ones that you may not be familiar with. They've tackled them all, with precision and aplomb. The actors perform the plays without benefit of fancy costumes or elaborate sets, instead choosing to focus on the text. Believe me when I say that you won't miss the costumes; in fact, you won't even notice they're not there. Prior to the show, a dramaturge will introduce the play and offer some background, and after the show, questions and comments from the audience are encouraged. Perhaps one of my favorite things about The Shakespeare Project is their Education Outreach Program. This program is intended to bring Shakespeare into the middle or high school classroom at a completely accessible level, via their "50 Minute" versions of classic plays like Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet. The Education Outreach Program has been extremely well received and a godsend to English and drama teachers through the city and suburbs looking to get their students excited about, and interested in, Shakespeare. I'm lucky enough to know someone closely affiliated with this organization so I've seen countless performances over the years. I'm consistently impressed with the level of artistry that comes through in each and every production. Again, performances are free, but a small donation is always greatly appreciated. There's usually a jar next to the programs and information in which to bestow any amount you wish to contribute. There's no pressure whatsoever, but as with any not-for-profit organization, they still have costs that are incurred to put on these wonderful shows. Get thee to a performance! Be not afraid of greatness.

We attended Trickery on Saturday 04/18/26. Aaron was adept at working with a diverse audience to…read moreinclude them and maintain control of his performance in a very intimate setting. Because it's BYOB you'll get the 20-somethings that feel they have to get loaded beforehand and then act the fool while attending (do you hear that "Neil"? No one wants the focus on you acting like it was your first experience with alcohol) but Aaron was skilled at bypassing them without causing tension or escalating bad behavior. Aaron's attitude is one of someone who has worked hard to make this little venture work, and he deserves respect and recognition for his obvious commitment and work ethic. His act included variations of tricks performed by other magicians, with his own twists. He is an expert at sleight of hand and distraction, which is considerably more difficult in a room about the size of an average residential living-room. He had an appropriate sense of humor aligned with an audience coming to Boystown, an overtly gay neighborhood in Chicago (if you're not familiar). However he wasn't garish, flaming, flamboyant, or offensive; he managed a perfect balance of innuendo humor and audience engagement without being cheap or ingenuine. The snarky one-liners will likely go over your young kids' heads (although bring them to an early show, your 9 year old doesn't belong in Boystown at 10 pm on a weekend), and he carries himself with class avoiding the use of profanity or graphic terms. Again, I can't overstate that his tricks were amazing, impressive, and captivating - as magic should be. You leave the show shaking your head and wondering how it's done - which truly makes it "magic". You would be hard-pressed to spend $36.36/person for an hour of live entertainment that can match Aaron's performance. Pro-tip: If you're driving there you will need to use an app to reserve parking, as there aren't garages like downtown Chicago and every street is filled with so many signs there's no way you will return and find your car not-towed or not-ticketed. Chicago does this on purpose to generate revenue; you'll see "street cleaning" on Tuesday from xx hour to xx hour, no parking when snow is over 2 inches OR any time from Dec 1 through April 1, loading zone, 15 minute stopping/standing with flashers, no parking, residential permit zone only, bike lanes, bus stop restrictions, etc. If you find street parking and think you've beaten the system, think again. Nobel Prize Laureates, Rhodes Scholars, Ivy League PhDs, Mensa members - you can meet them all at Chicago Central Auto Pound retrieving their vehicles. Stephen Hawking couldn't drive, but if he could and he parked in that neighborhood all the quantum mechanics in the world wouldn't make his towed car reappear from the Chicago Parking space-time continuum. The nice thing is if you do reserve parking and give yourself enough time you can walk to many, many restaurants and bars in the area that are open even after the 10 pm show ends. Thank you Aaron for a wonderful experience, you made my wife's birthday memorable for both of us.

I highly recommend going to this show!! Super affordable and BYOB! He even has plastic cups if you…read moredidn't bring one. He also has sodas, snacks, and little magic trick gadgets for sale. Space is small (only about 4-5 rows) but we loved how close we could be. I've been to Chicago Magic Lounge up in Andersonville but I loved how intimate his show was and his was a LOT more affordable. Whole thing was really cool and funny. I wish more people knew about his show, check it out if you can!