This week, Windy City Times is running a list of "straight plays" that will be in Chicagoland this fall. And by "straight," we mean shows that aren't exclusively musical theater, or with characteristics that tip too highly on the lavender LGTBQ scale.
Bard variations
Shakespeare is always in fashion, no matter the season. Check out these shows that promise a new approach or a different take on the Bard's beloved folio of works.
—12 Ophelias, Trap Door Theatre ( Sept. 24-Oct. 31 ) : Latina playwright Caridad Svich describes her work as a "Play with broken songs." Find out what kind of trippy and weird world the character of Ophelia from Hamlet encounters as she emerges from the water after drowning.
—Richard III, Chicago Shakespeare Theater ( now-Nov. 22 ) : Shakespeare's classic history play about a manipulative and murderous king should be good, especially with CST artistic director Barbara Gaines at the helm.
—Rosencantz and Guilderstern are Dead, Writers' Theatre in Glencoe ( Sept. 29-Dec. 6 ) : Tom Stoppard's classic 1960s existentialist comedy is about two minor characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet who ponder their place in the scheme of the play, and in life in general.
—St. Crispin's Day, Strawdog Theatre ( Sept. 24-Oct. 31 ) : Matt Pepper's dark comedy concerns the rabble in Shakespeare's history play Henry V. Will characters like Pistol and Bardolph get mutinous against the monarch on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt?
Brand spanking new
Chicagoans should be proud at the number of plays and new adaptations that make their world premiere in this City of the Big Shoulders. There are plenty of debuting works-choose from this fall season.
—All the Fame of Lofty Deeds, The House Theatre of Chicago at Chopin Theatre ( Nov. 12-Dec. 20 ) : Mark Guarino's phantasmic journey into the mind of a fictional country music legend. It's based upon music of Jon Langford of The Mekons.
—Bastards of Young, Timpanic Theatre at The Side Project ( Oct. 15-Nov. 8 ) : A new short play collection stuffed with killers, vultures and other fun lowlifes.
—The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Victory Gardens Theater ( Sept. 25-Nov. 1 ) : Kristoffer Diaz's dark hip hop-influenced comedy looks at geo-politics through the world of professional wrestling. See what happens when two guys take on the wrestling alter egos of a tag team of foreign terrorists.
—Fake, Steppenwolf Theatre ( through Nov. 8 ) : Ensemble member Eric Simonson bases this drama on the efforts of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ( of Sherlock Holmes fame ) -debunk the dubious evolutionary claims behind the infamous "Piltdown Man" remains.
—Fear, Neo-Futurists ( Sept. 24-Oct. 31 ) : Noelle Krimm has conceived and curated this dark examination of Edgar Allen Poe's terrifying literary world.
—Fedra, Queen of Haiti, Lookingglass Theatre ( Sept. 30-Nov. 15 ) : J. Nicole Brooks puts a Caribbean spin on the classic Greek tragedy of a queen who has a burning incestuous passion for her handsome stepson.
—High Holidays, Goodman Theatre ( Oct. 31-Nov. 29 ) : Alan Gross' new comedy about a kid growing up in early 1960s Chicago and his anxiety about his approaching Bar Mitzvah. On top of that, his older rebellious brother returns home and causes a ruckus in the family.
—The Hundred Dresses, Chicago Children's Theatre at the Royal George Theatre ( Sept. 25-Nov. 1 ) : Eleanor Estes' acclaimed children's book gets adapted for the stage by G. Riley Mills and Ralph Covert ( of Ralph's World fame ) . Sean Graney directs.
—The Last Unicorn, Promethean Theatre Ensemble at City Lit Theater ( Oct. 16-Nov. 14 ) : Ed Rutherford adapts Peter S. Beagle's fantasy novel about a lone unicorn that searches for her lost brothers and sisters.
—Lucinda's Bed, Chicago Dramatists ( Oct. 1-Nov. 8 ) : Mia McCullough's dark comedy about a grown woman who is still confronted with the monster who once lived underneath her bed.
—Mouse in a Jar, Red Tape Theatre Company ( Oct. 1-Oct. 31 ) : Martyna Majok's dark new drama about two sisters and their mother who all live in terror of an abusive male force who arrives nightly in their basement apartment.
—Ten Square, Pegasus Players and MPAACT ( Sept. 25-Nov. 22 ) : This collaborative theater company play by Shepsu Aaku imagines a futuristic America long after the effects of slavery reparation pay outs.
—Treasure Island, Lifeline Theatre ( now-Nov. 1 ) : John Hildreth's adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic pirate drama promises lots of adventure on the high seas.
—Year Zero, Victory Gardens Theater ( now-Oct. 25 ) : Michael Golmaco's new drama about a Cambodian-American teen who feels out of place in Long Beach, Calif., inaugurates Victory Gardens' brand new Studio Theater space within the Biograph Theater.
New 'round these parts
Chicago can't always boast about being the birthplace of new American drama. So check out these works that are now making their Windy City debut
—End Days, Next Theatre ( Oct. 29-Nov. 29 ) : Deborah Zoe Laufer's dark comedy about a girl living in with a suburban family that is obsessed with fear and the end of the world.
—Heroes, Remy Bumppo Theatre ( Oct. 14-Nov. 29 ) : Tom Stoppard's adaptation of Gerald Siblyeras' comedy about three World War I veterans in 1959 who goad each other into new adventures. Featuring David Darlow, Mike Nussbaum and Roderick Peeples in the cast.
—The House on Mango Street, Steppenwolf Theatre ( Oct. 13-Nov. 1 ) : Steppenwolf for Young Adults presents Tanya Saracho's adaptation of Sandra Cisneros' acclaimed children's book about a girl growing up in a diverse Chicago neighborhood.
—The Mercy Seat, Profiles Theatre ( Sept. 25-Nov. 15 ) : Neil LaBute's disturbing drama about an adulterous couple who contemplate using the terrorist attacks of 9/11-their selfish advantage.
—Stoop Stories, Goodman Theatre ( now-Oct. 11 ) : Pulitzer Prize-finalist Dael Orlandersmith's one-woman show about the diverse array of people in a New York neighborhood.
Not a comeback; a return
There's always something new-be found in an established work.
—American Buffalo, Steppenwolf Theatre ( Dec. 3-Feb. 7 ) : Ensemble member Amy Morton directs fellow ensemble members Tracy Letts and Francis Guinan in David Mamet's seminal 1970s drama set in a Chicago junk shop.
—An Apology for the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on His Final Evening, Theater Oobleck at Chopin Theatre ( Sept. 25-Oct. 24 ) : A 10th anniversary revival of Mickle Maher's tragic and comic take on the Faust legend.
—Aunt Dan and Lemon, BackStage Theatre Company at the Chopin Theatre ( Nov. 18-Dec. 20 ) : Wallace Shawn's controversial 1980s drama about an invalid woman who recollects her eccentric Aunt who imparted a disturbing world view upon her as a young girl.
—Death of a Salesman, Raven Theatre ( Oct. 6-Dec. 5 ) : Some critics call this Arthur Miller tragedy about a common salesman-be the "great American drama." See if it deserves that title at Raven Theatre.
—Democracy, Eclipse Theatre, ( Nov. 12-Dec. 20 ) : Romulus Linney's drama looking at political scandals during President Ulysses S. Grant's presidential administration.
—Disturbed, Oracle Productions ( Oct. 9-Nov. 1 ) : Oracle's gory special effects bonanza returns in another horrifying sequel.
—The Hostage, Griffin Theatre at Theatre Building Chicago ( now-Nov. 1 ) : Brendan Behan drama looks at two sides in the modern battle between Great Britain and IRA operatives.
—Ivanov, Sinnerman Ensemble at the Viaduct Theatre ( Sept. 30-Nov. 7 ) : Anton Chekhov's early family drama involving a disaffected government official who has a sickly wife and mounting debts.
—Spoon River Anthology, Saint Sebastian Players ( Oct. 23-Nov. 15 ) : An unconventional look at small-town life.
—A Very Merry Unauthorized Scientology Pageant, A Red Orchid Theatre ( Nov. 13-Jan. 3 ) and Next Theatre ( Dec. 5-Jan. 3 ) : Get a double dose of the acclaimed comedy that looks at the ideology of Scientology ( as performed by kids ) .
—When She Danced, TimeLine Theatre ( Nov. 4-Dec. 20 ) : Martin Sherman's comic drama looking at the bohemian life of modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan in 1920s Europe.
Didn't see your fall show profiled in the past two weeks? Then send theater news and other tidbits-scottishplayscott@yahoo.com or Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com .
