The Cherry Orchard, Steppenwolf, through March 5, 2005. Chekhov's characters may be bored with their lives, but Curt Columbus' translation and Tina Landau's direction make this the most not-boring production you'll ever see. Only three more days to see it. MSB
The Glass Menagerie, The Hypocrites, through March 6. The play that launched Tennessee Williams' career as an American genius, rendered so fresh and startling that you understand why right away. Bring your hankies and don't be ashamed to use them. MSB
Hair, Tonkawa Tribe at Strawdog, through March 6 and Pippin, St. Sebastian Players, through March 13. Two iconic peace/love musicals. The 1968 Hair brought nudity and LSD to Broadway, while 1973 Pippin made a latter-day hippie of a medieval monarch. JA
To the Green Fields Beyond, Writers' Theatre, Glencoe, through April 3. Fine ensemble work, masterful direction from Kate Buckley, 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