Three To See: This Week's Theater Recommendations

By Melody Udell in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 28, 2014 9:05PM

'Tristan and Yseult' at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Photo by Steve Tanner.

A healthy dose of lust, tragedy and, well, misery, on the Chicago stage this week.

Les Miserables
If you’re looking to recover from the Tom Hooper movie version (sorry, Anne Hathaway), take in Drury Lane’s production of the classic megamusical, which depicts the state of post-revolution, poverty-stricken Paris. The show runs Saturday, March 29 through Sunday, June 8.

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Ln., Oakbrook Terrace, 630-530-0111 or online.

Tristan & Yseult
When it comes to Chicago Shakespeare’s newest show, in partnership with the U.K.-based theater company Kneehigh, we’re intrigued by the story of two star-crossed lovers who enter into a fateful, adulterous love affair—but we’re even more intrigued by the show’s hybrid use of music, poetry and even acrobatics to tell the story on stage. The show runs Sunday, March 30 through Sunday, April 13.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand Ave., 312-595-5600 or online.

The Dance of Death
After seeing Conor McPherson’s Port Authority at Writers Theatre last fall, we’re excited to see the playwright’s work on stage again. His adaptation follows a military captain and his wife who—on the eve of their 25th wedding anniversary—engage in brutal domestic warfare. The show runs Tuesday, April 1 through Sunday, July 20.

Writers Theatre, 664 Vernon Ave., Glencoe, 847-242-6000 or online.