The Crusader Newspaper Group

Chicago theatre scene offers eclectic mix of productions throughout the city

By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, M.S.J., Chicago Crusader

The Wolf at the End of the Block, at Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., runs through March 5. Ike Holter presents a play set in the same fictional, South Side Chicago neighborhood as Holter’s more recent works and is an of-this-very-moment look at racial profiling and police abuse in Chicago, with a gritty, hyper-real Chicago storyline and characters that are eerily real, and incredibly timely. Chicago. Fall. One night, a boarded up bar on the dark side of the block becomes a terrifying crime scene. In the next 48 hours, the neighborhood digs deep into escalating mystery, working against time to separate fact from fiction. But as the clock ticks down, the clues spiral into a razor sharp jigsaw, and what began as a simple mystery quickly twists into a personal, pointed and political thriller. That’s the highly charged set-up for the newest work by Holter, who has been called Chicago’s hottest contemporary playwright, and now a leading, raw young voice nationally in African-American theater. For information, visit VictoryGardens.org/PlanYourVisit.

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IKE HOLTER’S EXPLOSIVE play “The Wolf at the End of the Block” is set on the South Side of Chicago and examines racial profiling and police misconduct.

The Civic Opera House presents the Chicago Voices Concert, Saturday, February 4, at 7:30 p.m.

A star-studded lineup is poised to light up the stage and bring legends to life. Hear unique performances — including cross-genre duets and group collaborations — from your favorite Windy City artists. With real-time video enhancements and film shorts paying tribute to legendary Chicago vocalists on six big screens, this concert is truly larger than life.

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FORMER DESTINY’S CHILD member Michelle Williams, who hails from Rockford, is part of a “homegrown” group of performers at Chicago Voices Concert.

Featuring performances by: Renée Fleming, Classical; Matthew Polenzani, Classical; Jessie Mueller, Broadway; John Prine, Folk singer-songwriter; Michelle Williams, Pop/R&B/ Gospel; Shemekia Copeland, Blues and The Handsome Family, Alternative/Indie/Folk. There will be additional appearances by Kate Flannery of NBC’s “The Office;” Terrence Howard of “Crash,” “Hustle and Flow” and Fox’s “Empire;” and Jussie Smollet of Fox’s “Empire.” For information, visit www.lyricopera.org.

The Promontory presents “The Black Composer Speaks: Exhortation!” on Friday, February 10, with a panel discussion beginning at 5:45 p.m., followed by a 7:30 p.m. concert. The Promontory is located at 5311 S. Lake Park Ave.

The concerts champion the unique and complex voices of African-American artists, featuring music by three generations of artists whose works range from impressionistic to pop-inspired minimalism, culminating in free jazz improv with the innovative Kahil El’Zabar and his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. Bridging the concert program’s diverse musical stylings is a World Premiere by the widely-acclaimed composer Tomeka Reid (2016 3Arts Awardee).

Preceding the concert, Fulcrum Point will host a panel discussion called “The Convergence of Experimental Musical Mediums,” a roundtable discussion on inclusion, access, and aesthetics in music from the Black Diaspora. Moderated by Steve Bynum, Senior Producer of WBEZ’s “Worldview,” the discussion will address convergence of avant-garde and contemporary musical expression, inclusion and the artistic Diaspora within the context of new music and art with panelists Stephen Burns, Artistic Director of Fulcrum Point New Music Project; Seth Parker Woods, Curator of Inclusion and Discoveries for Fulcrum Point; Nathalie Joachim, Eighth Blackbird flutist; Tomeka Reid, composer/cellist/scholar; and Sadie Woods, curator, DJ, Entrepreneur. For information, visit www.- promontorychicago.com.

Steppenwolf for Young Adults presents a world premiere adaptation of New York Times’ Bestseller “Monster.”

A teenager on trial wrestles with whether he really is the ‘monster’ that society says he is. SYA partners with Storycatchers to tour “Monster” to three juvenile justice facilities.

The nationally recognized Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) brings a gripping world premiere adaptation of Walter Dean Myers’ award-winning novel, “Monster” to the Steppenwolf stage. Adapted by Aaron Carter and directed by SYA Artistic Director Hallie Gordon, the show tells the story of Steve Harmon, an African-American teenager and aspiring filmmaker who is on trial for felony murder. Public performances for “Monster” are scheduled for February 17, 7:30 p.m.; February 18, 3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.; February 24, 7:30 p.m.; February 25, 3 p.m.; March 3, 7:30 p.m.; and March 4, 3 p.m. in the Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted St. School performances are Tuesday through Thursday at 10 a.m. and are reserved for school groups only. Tickets to Public performances ($20; $15 with student I.D.) are available through Audience Services (1650 N. Halsted St) at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

This New York Times’ bestselling novel and National Book Award nominee tells the story of Steve Harmon, a 16-year-old aspiring filmmaker in juvenile detention. His life has been turned upside down by his alleged participation in a robbery gone awry and now he might spend the rest of his life behind bars. As the prosecution makes its case, Steve writes his story as a screenplay, trying to understand if he’s really the ‘monster’ they say he is. The eight-person cast features ensemble member Alana Arenas as Petrocelli with Cheryl Graeff as O’Brien, Kenn E. Head as Mr. Harmon, Daniel Kyri as Steve Harmon, Tevion Devin Lanier as Osvaldo, Chris Rickett as Briggs, Namir Smallwood as King and Ginneh Thomas as Lorelle Henry.

“While the play does deal with the criminal justice system and notions of guilt and innocence, to me, the most active thing about the book is examining how people perceive young Black men,” shares adaptor Aaron Carter. “I think the way individuals are perceived profoundly influences how people react to them and what opportunities they are offered. Continuing to interrogate that hopefully means that we get better at preventing ourselves from limiting peoples’ opportunities based on how they look or how they sound.”

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PERFORMERS IN THE One-Minute Play Festival put it all on the line to entertain audience members.

Chicago One-Minute Play Festival – Tuesday and Wednesday, February 21 and 22, at the Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave.

For its seventh year – this time exploring America and Chicago in 2017 in the wake of the Presidential election – the marathon evening of one-minute plays by more than 60 of Chicago’s established and emerging playwrights and directors presents “America Is.” Tickets, priced at $18, are currently available at www.oneminuteplayfestival.com.

The aim of the One-Minute Play Festival is to create locally sourced playwright-focused community events, with the goal of promoting the spirit of radical inclusion. #1MPF represents playwrights of different age, gender, race, cultures, and points of career. The work attempts to reflect the theatrical landscape of local artistic communities by creating a dialogue between the collective conscious and the individual voice.

Stage 773, located at 1225 W. Belmont Ave., presents The Best of Bri-Ko, every Thursday at 8 p.m., running from February 23 through March 23. This award-winning, all-silent, all-funny 60-minute show, is best described as “clowning-meets-sketch,” as audiences lose themselves in Bri-Ko’s joyous, upbeat world, which fuses comedy, clowning and an incredible array of props into a hilariously complicated production. Chicago comedy veterans Brian Posen, Tim Soszko and Brian Peterlin turn even the simplest tasks – like changing a light bulb – into an interactive, non-verbal experience, taking audiences on an extraordinary ride. The Best of Bri-Ko is filled with audience participation, eccentric costumes and mind-blowing visuals, making the action-packed show truly universally appealing. For information, visit www.Stage773.com.

Deborah Cox in “The Bodyguard” at the Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., through February 12. Broadway in Chicago is pleased to present “The Bodyguard,” based on the smash hit film, The award-winning musical stars Grammy® Award-nominee and R&B superstar Deborah Cox. Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge; what they don’t expect is to fall in love. A breathtakingly romantic thriller, the play features a host of irresistible classics including So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love, Run to You, I Have Nothing, I Wanna Dance with Somebody and one of the biggest selling songs of all time – I Will Always Love You. Tickets range from $19 to $85; for information, visit www.BroadwayinChicago.com.

The Goodman Theatre presents “Uncle Vanya,” Robert Falls’ direction of Chekhov’s classic work in a new adaptation from Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Baker, running from February 11 through March 12. Tickets start at just $15. Tensions are high at the remote estate of an elderly professor, where resentments flow as freely as the vodka. As the professor’s health fails, his extended family is forced to confront their disturbing futures, while still foundering in their disconcerting pasts. Acclaimed playwright Baker injects a “distinctly contemporary American sound” (Variety) into Chekhov’s famed tale, creating a work that’s both refreshing and true to the iconic playwright’s vision. The Goodman is located at 170 N. Dearborn St.

The Goodman also presents “Gloria,” the critically-acclaimed Vineyard Theatre Production of MacArthur “Genius” award winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “sharp-toothed…whip-smart satire” (The New York Times). Style. Status. Success. A group of twenty-somethings are pursuing it all at one of New York’s most esteemed cultural magazines. When a seemingly normal day at the office turns out to be anything but, these aspiring journalists recognize an opportunity to seize a career-defining moment. But whose account is most valid, and to what lengths will each go to own the story? Gloria runs through February 19. For more information, visit www.goodmantheatre.org.

Victory Gardens Theater presents the World Premiere of “A Wonder in My Soul,” by Ensemble Playwright Marcus Gardley, running from February 10 through March 12. Victory Gardens is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave.

Long-time hair salon owners Bell and Birdie grapple with the decision to remain in their beloved Southside neighborhood or relocate under the pressures of gentrification and crime. Featuring music, poetry and dance, “A Wonder in My Soul” looks at one neighborhood’s evolution through the eyes of two women and their lifetime of friendship. From the artistic team that brought you “The House That Will Not Stand” (which was fabulous), “The Gospel of Lovingkindness” and “An Issue of Blood,” director Chay Yew and playwright Marcus Gardley now explore Chicago history, beauty and friendship.

“A Wonder In My Soul, our fourth production with playwright Marcus Gardley, is his love letter to the South Side of Chicago,” comments Artistic Director Yew. “He continues to give passionate voice to a community that has been largely overlooked. Against the backdrop of gentrification and change, this Chekhov-inspired play is an intimate portrait of a family
of remarkable Black women who find home in a local beauty salon. Through their friendship, we witness their relationship to hair, their neighborhood, and their history.”

There will be other discussions and performances associated with A Wonder in My Soul throughout the play’s run, including Afterwords, A Conversation with Marcus Gardley, Ain’t I A Woman, Black Girl Magic, The Divine Nine & More, Black is Beautiful, College Night: A Wondrous Sight, Our Miss Brooks 100, The Art of Activism and The Heart of Black America.

For more information, visit www.victorygardens.org.

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