Theater Spotlight
For its inaugural production, the newly formed Subtext Theatre Company presents a double bill of world premiere one-act plays by Leigh Johnson under the banner of Brothers Keeper. Dolly's Llama deals with two siblings agonizing over a wayward brother, while Orion's Belt touches upon a mentally unstable grown man and his family who have little sway over him. Brothers Keeper plays through Sunday, Oct. 4, with performances at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays at St. Bonaventure Church, 1625 W. Diversey Pkwy. Tickets are $25; call 773-908-6124 or visit www.subtextNFP.org .
Photo by John Oster
Critics' Picks
After Miss Julie, Strawdog Theatre, through Sept. 26. Patrick Marber's updates Strindberg's 1888 drama of interclass attraction to 1945 England, clarifying the economic issues without sacrificing any of the steamy sex. MSB
October Sky, Marriott Theatre through Oct. 11. Teenage nerds want to build rockets in 1957 West Virginia, and must triumph over small-minded adults to succeed. The story is predictable although based on fact, but it's so-well-rendered in this world-premiere musical. JA
Patchwork Drifter, Babes With Blades Theater Company at City Lit, through Sept. 19. The troupe renowned for its bloody violence tempers its bloody gunfights with historical commentary in Jennifer Mickelson's unflinching portrait of the brave and desperate women who won the West. MSB
The Price, TimeLine Theatre, through Nov. 22. A great cast digs deep in Arthur Miller's 1968 drama focusing on estranged brothers dealing decades later with the fallout of their family's financial collapse during the Great Depression. Mike Nussbaum, in particular, is a marvel. SCM
By Abarbanel, Barnidge
and Morgan