Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol (devised and directed by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller, and Kyle Vegter) is a charming remix of an old classic, but with added layers for extra warmth this time of year. Imagine the timeless tale of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol with a modern upgrade, boasting a new […]
Author Archives: Kimzyn Campbell
Beetlejuice is a demonic good time
Thirty-five years after its film debut, the classic Tim Burton Halloween comedy Beetlejuice has been reimagined, first set loose like a demon as a 2019 Broadway musical (score by Eddie Perfect, book by Scott Brown and Anthony King, and directed by Alex Timbers), and now playing at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre. My inner goth jumped at […]
Stupid F#@*ing Bird makes Chekhov both timeless and contemporary
Stupid F@*#ing Bird is my kind of play—the kind that plumbs the depths of despair as if it were a vaudeville skit. “I’m in mourning for my life,” says Mash, quoting a line straight out of Chekhov’s The Seagull. Presented by Bluebird Arts and directed by Luda Lopatina Solomon, not every line is directly translated […]
Lucha Teotl brings bodyslamming storytelling to the Goodman
Pro wrestling fans take heed: a lucha libre play is now up at the Goodman Theatre that celebrates the lively art form and spectacle of Mexican pro wrestling, where técnicos (the good guys) and rudos (the bad guys) face off in weekly matches, settling old disputes and beating the ever-living stuffing out of each other […]
Clowns over easy
The invite to a clown brunch arrived at a pivotal point in my summer, when the thought of clowning and eating made perfect sense. I accepted, and invited along a clown friend as well, so we could dine and laugh together, making hot clown summer suddenly seem feasible—thanks to the heat wave and air pollution […]
Next to Normal is worth the ride
Next to Normal is a musical that takes on a mental health crisis to destigmatize. This is a good thing. Go to Paramount’s Copley Theatre for Jim Corti’s staging. Be proud, open your heart, and listen to the struggles of Diana, a mentally ill woman (played by the incredibly talented Donna Louden). She’s a mother […]
Puppet wisdom
“Did they have puppets 10,000 years ago?” I asked in response to a story Blair Thomas, founder and artistic director of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, was telling us about humanity’s long-term relationship with puppets. Thomas replied without missing a beat. “Yes! Do you know how we know?”“How?”“Past life regression!” Seven artists from different […]
A procession of clowns
Let’s all take a minute to welcome back big circus. It’s been awhile since it rolled through our little town. In fact, Cirque du Soleil coming back to the Chicago area is a big deal when you consider how the company shut its doors (and shut down 40 shows) in 2020 due to COVID, shortly […]
The Dream King delivers heartbreaking hilarity
Silent Marvin is living in a silent world that is just as monotonous as ours. The daily grind of shuffling papers at his office job and flipping channels at night leaves him unsatisfied. Where is the purpose? Fortunately for Silent Marvin, he has his dreams. Each night he enters a Dadaesque landscape where flowers are […]
The Gender Play‘s the thing
All of the world is a stage, and Will Wilhelm knows it. Their new production at About Face (cocreated and directed by Erin Murray), Gender Play, or what you Will, is the perfect platform for them to explore their gender journey while also expressing their more dramatic side via monologuing with a side of dissertation. […]
Best low-key place to impress a dog
If you’re looking to impress a dog with a playdate, Bosly’s Backyard is all a dog could want. Kiddie pool full of tennis balls? Check. Obstacle course of jumps and tunnels? Check. Bridges to traverse and a wide-open, soft floor to run around on with pals? Check! But this is not some random doggy daycare […]
Best place to feed your stationery addiction
There is something so calming about a stationery store—the colorful rows of notebooks, the tidy aisles of office gadgetry, the stacks of pens and planners. If the only stationery store you’ve set foot into is a Staples, you are missing out on a true vibe that offers a sense of space and order in an […]
Best hidden beach and nature hike
When it comes to Chicago beaches, finding a little patch of sand to call your own among the crowds is tricky. So if you prefer a more chill experience, head to the South Shore Beach and nature sanctuary tucked right behind the South Shore Cultural Center at 7059 S. South Shore. This four-season hidden spot […]
Interactive inclusivity
Filament Theatre’s Think Fast, Jordan Chase!, written by Sonia Goldberg and directed by Jamal Howard, is full of plot twists which weave in and out of schoolyard and fantasy. Addressing difficult social scenarios that kids encounter, it opens with a plucky Jordan (Christabel Donkor) and her majestic bestie Mahari (Joolz Stroop) on the playground. Relations […]
BCAM brings diversity to the circus
The BIPOC Circus Alliance Midwest, a thriving performance troupe in Chicago, played to sold-out audiences in venues around Chicago in February and March. Affectionately called BCAM by their members and fans, they are more than just a collective of circus artists. BCAM is an organization that emerged from the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 […]