Performing Arts Search
2013 Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration
Tue., May 21, 12 p.m.Theater & Performance
Celebrate Asian-American Heritage Month with Chinese music, dance and martial arts performances.
312-346-3278The Birdfeeder Doesn't Know
Sun-Wed 5/19-5/22: 7:30 PMTheater & Performance
A couple's relationship with their disabled son encounters rough patches as he grows up. $10
80 Foots per Minute
Thu., May 23, 7:30 p.m.Theater & Performance
A little literary playfulness goes a long way for vocalist-musicians Emmy Bean, T-Roy Martin, and Chris Schoen, who, in their rapid-fire program of folksy musical arrangements, take on roles ranging from the pathetic oysters in Lewis Carroll's "The Walrus and the Carpenter" to Carl Sandburg reading his poem "Loam." Some songs indulge kitsch—like one that sets to music a Thomas Campion poem in which a single word ("love") has been replaced each time it appears by another ("Batman"). And though I'm generally inclined to dismiss offhand anything based on writings of the great poet Craigslist, "Past Saturday Night, Northerly Island," which adapts a missed connection into rondo form, struck me as weirdly hypnotic and catchy. The afternoon's shining ditty was "Riled Geese," inspired by Mary Oliver's poem of the same name, in which Bean does an absolutely bewitching scat-singing impression of a goose (a style susceptible to the very amusing coinage "goose scat"). —Jena Cutie
DanceMoves
Thu., May 23, 7 p.m.Dance
An informal showcase featuring works by DanceWorks Chicago choreographers Paige Cunningham Calderella, Joshua Blake Carter, Brandon DiCriscio, and more. $15
An Evening of Storytelling
Thu., May 23, 7 p.m.Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes
This evening's storytellers include Susan Block, Mary Lou Gilliam, Denise Kirshenbaum, and Donna Lubow. $5, 2 drink minimum
Best Musical!
Through 5/23: Wed 7:30 PMImprov/Sketch
A full musical comedy is improvised with audience suggestions. $15
Loose Chicks
Fri., May 24, 8 p.m.Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes
"Loose chicks" Roberta Miles and Erin Lane present an hour-long series of comedic monologues. Loose guests include Dana Norris and Tamale.
Big Love
Through 5/25: Thu-Sat 8 PM, Sun 4 PMTheater & Performance
This young couple walked by me as I headed up the street after seeing Charles Mee's Big Love at Strawdog Theatre. They were probably in their late teens, early 20s. The boy put the girl in a headlock and kissed the part in her hair. She laughed, but in a fakey, uncertain way, like she hadn't quite decided whether she should be pissed or pleased. Still, when he let go, she stuck with him. And there you have it: the paradoxical, not to say creepy, glory of love. A headlock and a kiss. Big Love draws wisdom from that paradox. An oddball yet deadly serious update on Aeschylus's The Suppliants, it tells the tale of 50 (yes, 50) Greek sisters whose father has promised them in marriage to their 50 male cousins. Rather than go through with the wedding, the sisters commandeer a yacht and head for Italy, where—still in their bridal gowns—they ask asylum of wealthy Piero. Soon enough, the 50 cousins show up at Piero's estate as well. What follows is a comic, tragic, utterly terrific battle that makes The Taming of the Shrew look like the kid's stuff it essentially is. Matt Hawkins's staging is also terrific. The precisely choreographed cast of 30 (yes, 30) play for keeps—especially those in featured roles, such as the fierce Michaela Petro, the convincingly dangerous Shane Kenyon, the girly-girlish Sarah Goeden, and Stacy Stoltz and John Ferrick as gender warriors who find themselves caught behind enemy lines. Paul Fagen and Cheryl Roy float through in delightful character roles, and Mike Mroch's apparently simple set discloses its value as the show goes along. All in all, this Big Love is a marvel of big ensemble work in a tiny space. —Tony Adler $28
Next Fall
Through 5/25: Thu-Sat 8 PM, Sun 2 PMTheater & Performance
Adam loves Luke. Luke loves Adam. Luke also loves Jesus. Adam worries about which of them Luke loves more. Luke worries about Adam's immortal soul. Next Fall, making its Chicago premiere at AstonRep, looks back on their sometimes prickly five-year relationship. At times, like when the subjects of prayer, sin, and the Rapture come up, it risks becoming a play of ideas, with more speechifying than conversation. Fortunately, Geoffrey Nauffts's script leaves room for ambiguity and gives the characters personalities as well as points of view. The cast give them life and humor—particularly Ryan Hamlin and Mark Jacob Chaitin, who play Adam and Luke, and Lona Livingston and Jim Morley, who play Luke's parents. The result is charming, funny, and, ultimately, moving. —Aimee Levitt $15-20
The Meshuganas
Sat., May 25, 7:30 p.m.Improv/Sketch
Hollie and Steve Himmelman perform. Hollie tells stories about her neuroses—from an early age, she "compulsively" sorted her crayons by color and sharpness—while Steve shares his perspective on everyday events. $22
Dynamic Alignment: Klein/Mahler Technique
Sat., May 25, 10:30 p.m.Dance
Rachel Thorne Germond presents this solo performance, set to the music of Gustav Mahler. $20
The Boys of Dumber
5/23-5/25: Thu 8 PM, Fri 9 PM, Sat 10:15 PMStand-Up
Sean Patton, Mike Bridenstine and Mike Holmes perform. $10
Fake Believe
Through 5/25: Saturdays, 9:30 PMImprov/Sketch
A sketch show that blends reality with all manner of fantasy, from fairy tales, to video games, to Harry Potter. $10-$15
