Intimate Apparel, Steppenwolf, through March 13. With humor, pathos and remarkable empathy Lynn Nottage brings to life the great grandmother she never knew, a lingerie seamstress in 1905 Manhattan. A delicate, inspired and compelling play. RR
Of Mice and Men, Shattered Globe at Victory Gardens, through March 19. WCT critic Scott Morgan says this 'powerful production of a great American classic . . . resonates with immediacy and honesty' as reality crushes dreams in John Steinbeck's drama. JA
Mariela from the Desert, Goodman Theatre, through Feb. 27. We know about Frida and Diego, but what happened to their fellow artists after the applause faded? Henry Godinez stages a potent tragedy of dreams deferred to shrivel like a raisin in the Mexican sun. MSB
To the Green Fields Beyond, Writers' Theatre, Glencoe, through April 3. A fine, young ensemble cast under Kate Buckley's masterful direction, and a heartfelt and provocative script by Nick Whitby mark this meditation on the tragedy of war, set during WWI. RR
By Jonathan Abarbanel, Mary Shen Barnidge and Rick Reed