We know this weekend is all about sunshine, beer and barbeques, but if you're looking to mix things up a bit, try one of these on for size. more ›

To begin, a little history lesson: In the year 2010, a prominent Kennedy-esque (pick one) Senator was expected to announce his candidacy for President, but was assassinated, along with his wife. Their daughter, two weeks from being born, survived and was adopted by the Senator’s Chief of Staff, Wilson, who named her Hope. Fast forward to the present, 2040: There is a severe water shortage, the country’s seven political parties are divided on an issue that essentially amounts to the government controlling who can and can’t have children, and Hope is about to turn 30. You’ll learn all of this at the top of Wilson Wants It All, the newest world-premiere from The House Theatre, so we don’t think we’re spoiling anything. more ›

Chances are good that despite our recommendation, some of you haven’t seen The House Theatre’s Rose and The Rime yet. We’re taking a break from nursing our slightly bruised egos to bring you some good news: The show has been extended through May 9. Although we’re glad to hear ticket sales are up, we’re a little bummed that we won’t see anything new from these guys until the fall. more ›

When a theatrical production in Chicago receives seven Jeff Awards, there's definitely something buzz-worthy about it. Picking up the awards for Outstanding New Work, Production, Director, Ensemble, Original Music, Projection Design and Choreography, The House Theatre's production of The Sparrow was the must-see show earlier this year. Everyone around town was trying to get tickets. When the show extended its run another six-weeks, seats sold out in a matter of days, setting box office records... more ›

Super Bowl Sunday will be a bittersweet day for Chicago actors who happen to be Chicago Bears fans … or Bears fans that happen to be in a show. They’ve been waiting over two decades for the Bears to return to The Big Game but likely have been honing their craft even longer. That conflict was too much for the Neo-Futurists, who have cancelled Sunday night’s performance of perennial favorite Too Much Light Makes the... more ›

Note: Part 1 of this series is here. more ›

Chicagoist never gets the last word. Shows run long after we’ve weighed in, discussions evolve beyond our ramblings, companies grow, companies fold, artists work hard to make a living or to make the next news cycle. For our curious and attention-deficient readers, some quick updates on previously reported stories. Art Fairs and Festivals At the eleventh hour, the Merch Mart saved Art Chicago 2006. Soon after the exhibitors packed up came word that Merchandise Mart... more ›

Joe Meno, author & playwright more ›

The House Theatre has become the “it girl” of the local theater community by following a very familiar playbook, a story that never seems to get old: core members meet in their college drama program, produce their first Chicago play in some out-of-the-way black box, repeatedly outdo themselves to become a cult favorite and, as word spreads, are deemed the Company Everyone’s Talking About. That moment for the House came in 2004 when they produced... more ›

One major drawback to having an endless array of cultural offerings at our front yard is that any attempt to condense our experiences into a year-end summary or “Best Of” list necessarily falls short. Not a huge loss since Top 10 lists are so passe. [Note to our editors: this doesn’t apply to you, we’re sure any lists you publish will be awesome!] Instead we turn our attention to an overriding theme of ’05: the... more ›

Chicagoist believes the only thing better than finding fun shows and exhibits for our readers is watching them develop. The arts and theater communities continue working long after their 15 minutes on the web expire, we just try to keep up. Consider this report a “Where Are They Now?” sans washed-up celebrities. The Snubfest ’06 lineup has been announced, and it looks good. Not Aspen Comedy Festival good, but that’s kind of the point. The... more ›

Tommy Rapley, The House Theatre of Chicago more ›