Staple of the Chicago theatre scene Guy Adkins passed away last night after a lengthy battle with colon cancer. Although we unfortunately did not have the opportunity to see his work, his reputation is far-reaching in our community. Chris Jones mentions his performances in The Producers at Marriott Theatre and Hamlet at Court Theatre as career highlights, noting that he worked at almost all of the major theaters in town over the last two decades. Adkins was 41 years old. more ›

In 17th century France, Pridamant has come to see Alcandre, an illusionist of sorts, in hopes that the necromancer (vocab word of the day!) will be able to find the son he banished years ago. With the help of his forcibly mute, troll-ish assistant Amanuensis, Alcandre conjures visions of Pridamant's son - the son's name is up for debate, in case you're wondering why we haven't named him. As Pridamant watches his son's misadventures (with us watching him watching - hey, we said it was meta), he grows increasingly confused about the kind of person his son has become, and guilty about their estrangement. The majority of the show's content is in these plays-within-a-play, so it's a good thing they're so much fun. The storylines are deceptively simple (boy falls in love with girl above his station, boy competes with wealthy suitors for her affection, maid meddles on girl's behalf for selfish reasons disguised as altruism); the emotions involved are complex. The Illusion's ensemble cast hits the right level of sincerity in its exploration of the script's many unanswerable questions, giving the audience flashes of clarity before turning everything upside down. more ›

Leaders of several local arts organizations announced preliminary details of "The Soviet Experience," a fourteen-month-long multidisciplinary festival beginning in October, 2010, and continuing through December, 2011. Eleven different institutions will present works by visual artists, choreographers, composers, and dramatists who lived under the stifling Politburo. more ›

Brevity is the soul of wit--and of profundity too. That's why, in our book, Night and Fog is a hundred times more powerful than Schindler's List. If you've got what it takes to create a powerful video 3-5 minutes long about civil disobedience, the effects of social injustice, or faith in solidarity, Remy Bumppo wants to see it. more ›

At last night’s Joseph Jefferson Awards gala, the Jeff Committee made a rather forceful argument for North Side theater fans to drag their cultured butts to the South Side. Hyde Park’s Court Theater dominated the proceedings, netting 10 total Jeffs for their highly acclaimed interpretations of Fences, August Wilson’s seminal play, and Man of La Mancha, Dale Wasserman, Joe Darion and Mitch Leigh’s popular musical. The Quixotic musical racked up more awards than better-advertised contenders... more ›

Note: “Behind the Scenes” is a new series exploring the arts as a business and a craft. For every playwright enjoying a production on a Chicago stage during this busy theater season, many more are waiting their turn. Rebecca Gilman knows both sensations well. Ms. Gilman is one of Chicago’s most acclaimed playwrights, her work has been produced at the Goodman Theatre, London’s Royal Court Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club and regional theaters across the country.... more ›

As prelude to last night’s Jeff Equity Awards, the Tribune published a love letter to Chicago’s theater community rebutting the notion of its inferiority to New York counterparts. To paraphrase, our stages have more street-level character, our productions ooze talent and substance, and our improv troupes put them to shame. So it’s disappointing that the Trib hasn’t seen fit (as of this writing) to follow up their big wet kiss with any news from last... more ›

Nominees for the 2005 Joseph Jefferson Awards for Equity Theaters, or Jeff Equities for short, have been announced. The nominees are selected from a pool of shows that impressed members of the Jeff Nominating Committee (a.k.a. “Jeff Recommended” productions). You can peruse the full list here. The Jeff Committee loves the big splashy musicals. Beauty and the Beast, a classic fairy tale, and Sweeney Todd, a classic cannibal tale, received 7 and 6 nominations, respectively,... more ›

Weather.com is promising warmish, sunny weather this weekend�just in time for the 57th Street Art Fair. This is its 57th anniversary, too, which makes it the oldest juried art fair in the Midwest. Congratulations, beloved 57th Street Art Fair. The fair is free to the public and features over 300 artists; things kick off Saturday at 11 a.m. on 57th, from Kimbark to Dorchester. Chicagoist has been to the last three fairs and has developed... more ›

in 2002, he cut Fortinbras completely out of the story. Jim Lasko, artistic director at Redmoon, is known for his avant-garde use of puppetry, masks, and community spectacles. The two have combined forces to retell the familiar love-triangle saga in a new way: out of order. The adaptation thwarts linear convention and instead has the first four acts sequenced as a flashback. more ›