"They have said that if we go back, we have to face the KGB and it will be five to fifteen years in prison," Natalia Kolyada, a co-founder of the Belarus Free Theatre, told the Tribune. That is not a quote from a play. This is really happening. more ›

The Lyric Opera of Chicago's 56th season got underway last weekend with an original production of Giuseppe Verdi's "Macbeth," written in 1846 and revised in 1865 (the version the Lyric is currently performing), his tenth opera and his first to be based on Shakespeare play (and the only until his final two operas, "Otello," based on "Othello," and "Falstaff," based on "The Merry Wives of Windsor," each written some 40 years later). more ›

We'll spare you the dramatic intro we laid on you in the last installment of this series - but if you've seen either of these shows, please tell us what you thought. more ›

The Chicagoist Theatre Department has been a pretty lonely place lately. As we wrap up another day of wistfully staring at the empty desk in our barren office, we are comforted by our certainty that hundreds, nay, thousands of you have undoubtedly applied to fill the void. But while El Jefe pours over your brilliant oeuvre(s), we will continue our Sisyphean task of covering as much as we can, however we can. Without further ado, the second installment of our newest series: shows we want to see, but probably won’t. more ›

We’re gonna cut to the chase on this one. Watch this - if your time is limited, skip to the 3 minute mark. more ›

Before noon on Saturday might be too early for iambic pentameter, and while you would probably prefer to sleep or watch cartoons (Don’t deny it!), a little Shakespeare is good for you. more ›

7 p.m., Quimby's, 1854 W. North Ave., Free more ›

Happy First Day of Autumn! Fall makes us think of many things, with the most predominant being Halloween. We get easily excited about seasonal themes and events, so we made this list as much for our benefit as for yours, dear Readers. We might actually go to … all of these. more ›

Re-imagining any children’s story by author Roald Dahl is a shoo-in for a fun and lucrative undertaking, as Dahl’s stories are both beloved and well known. Adaptations of Dahl’s work have been fairly consistent in the Chicago theater scene, with the BFG running at DePaul University’s Theater School last year, the multi-media show done by The Annoyance in March, and the Emerald City Theater’s puppet production of James and the Giant Peach closing last month. more ›

The Chicago theater scene, already one of the most reputable in the country, continues to garner critical recognition. Apparently not content with settling for a Pulitzer Prize, Steppenwolf's hugely successful play, August: Osage County was nominated for seven Tony awards yesterday, including Best Play. Not to be outdone, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater was honored with this year's Tony Award for Excellence in Regional Theater, the fourth Chicago-area theater to win the award (Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Victory Gardens). more ›