Theater spotlight
Take a comically macabre journey through the more than 70 onstage and often gruesome deaths in William Shakespeare's complete works with The Complete Deaths. Created by the comic troupe Spymonkey based out of Brighton in the United Kingdom, The Complete Deaths finds humor in poisonings, stabbings and even cannibalism. The Complete Deaths continues through Sunday, Dec. 11, upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand Ave. Tickets are $48 to $58; call 312-595-5600 or visit ChicagoShakes.com .
Spymonkey's tour of The Complete Deaths plays Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier.
Critics' Picks
Crazy for You, Drury Lane Theatre, Oakbrook Terrace, through Jan. 8. The Gershwin brothers' showtunes once lifted spirits during the Great Depression. These songs are once again put to expert and escapist use for anyone still suffering post-election blues in this solid revival. SCM
King Charles III, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, through Jan. 15. Michael Bartlett speculates on the future of the U.K.occasionally sampling from Shakespearewith compassion, eloquence and impeccable iambic pentameter. MSB
La Gringa, Urban Theater at Batey Urbano, through Dec. 11. A New York City-raised Latina visits relatives in Puerto Rico and finds her place in the universe in this warm-hearted family comedy celebrating the 20th anniversary of its off-Broadwy run. MSB
The Last Wife, TimeLine Theatre, through Dec. 18. Big, meaty-but-intelligent performances drive playwright Kate Henning's tale of a woman's survival and power in a man's world, ostensibly about King Henry VIII and Catherine Parr, the only one of Henry's wives to survive, but very much a modern work. JA
By Abarbanel, Barnidge and Morgan