Kristen Bush ( left ) and Nicole Wiesner in Passion Play. Photo courtesy of Goodman Theatre_______________
Let's face it; theater in Chicago ( or anywhere else, for that matter ) wouldn't be what it is without the presence of LGBT artists. To my knowledge, there isn't a theater troupe in town that's straight as an arrow, although an overwhelming percentage of LGBT theater folk go about their artistic and technical labors without focusing their insidious gay agenda—as some conservatives insist on calling it—upon the stage products they help create.
Windy City Times frequently receives requests to review or write about this show or that show because the author or director or some principal player is openly gay or lesbian. The truth is that it's so entirely commonplace nowadays that the presence of an LGBT individual alone isn't enough of an argument to make a show of special interest to our writers and readers.
Just looking at the line-up between now and the end of the year, one finds plays by an array of gay authors, among them such icons as Tennessee Williams, Langston Hughes, Oscar Wilde, Edward Albee and Paula Vogel as well as important local and/or contemporary authors such as Eric Rosen ( About Face Theatre ) , Nilo Cruz ( Teatro Vista ) , Nicholas Patricca ( Victory Gardens ) and Paul Oakley Stovall ( Dog & Pony ) to name just a few of several dozen examples. The lists of directors, designers, actors and composers would be equally rife with members of our communities.
That being said, there are some shows that may be of special interest to Windy City Times readers because of LGBT-specific storylines and themes, or because their LGBT authors have powerful sensibilities but are not yet widely known. Here are 10 such shows, carefully culled by yours truly:
—The Busy World is Hushed, Next Theatre ( Evanston ) —It's another contemporary look at the clash between religious faith and sexuality in this tale of a female minister who engineers an affair between her gay son and a male writing assistant she employs. Excellent director Kimberly Senior tackles this Off-Broadway hit by Keith Bunin, whose earlier play, The Credeaux Canvas, has received several Chicago productions. Through Oct. 4; 847-475-1875; $28-$38.
—iHole, GayCo—Here's a new sketch comedy show from the LGBT gang who created Whitney Houston, We Have a Problem and the Xmas show Do You Fear What I Fear? among other hits. GayCo now is one of several troupes in residence at Hoover-Leppen Theatre at the Center on Halsted. Through Oct. 20; 1-800-838-3006; $15.
—Passion Play; a cycle in three parts, Goodman Theatre—A medieval prostitute who'd rather sleep with women plays the Virgin Mary; a young actor in 1930's Germany falls in love with a young Nazi solder . . . . These are among the situations in which sexuality meets religion meets politics and history in Sarah Ruhl's epic about dramatizations of the Passion of Christ in different centuries and countries. Through Oct. 21; 312-443-3800; $30-$70.
—Zanna, Don't!, Bailiwick Repertory—Imagine a world in which LGBT was normal and straight was not, and then imagine what high school would have been like in that world. Why, the locker room scenes alone boggle the mind, not to mention prom night. But what happens when the star jock falls for—gasp!—a girl? This new musical comedy by Tim Acito brings it on. Oct. 1-Nov. 4; 773-883-1090; $20-$25 ( previews ) then $25-$30.
—Confessions of a Mormon Boy, Bailiwick Repertory—Grab your hankies for Stephen Fales' award-winning autobiographical tale of becoming a New York City escort following his divorce and excommunication from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( you know, the Mormons ) . It's a return engagement following its 2005 Chicago run and subsequent off-Broadway stand. Oct. 17-21; 773-883-1090; $30-$35.
—Twilight of the Golds, Apple Tree Theatre ( Highland Park ) —If you knew your unborn child was going to be gay or lesbian, would you have the child anyway? This is but one of several thorny issues tackled in Jonathan Tolins' quasi-comedy, produced on Broadway in 1993. The very straight Tim Gregory directs; it will be interesting to see what his take is. Oct. 17-Nov. 11; 847-432-8223; $38-$48.
—Fierce Presence, Stockyard Theatre Company—The 8th annual Women's Performance Arts Festival promises an all-new line-up of monologues, comedy, dance, music and various performance art moments blending any number of the afore-mentioned disciplines. The umbrella title, Fierce Presence, seems a fitting companion to the old song lyric, 'I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar.' Oct. 26-28 only at Links Hall; 773-936-7896; $15.
—What the Butler Saw, Court Theatre—Joe Orton's over-the-top, poly-sexual 1960s social farce is rather dated today, and always has been tricky to play well vs. play silly. Still, the aggressively gay Orton was important for his in-your-face challenges to social, sexual and theatrical norms even if he was far too much the exuberant bad boy in a life and career cut short by his jealousy-inspired murder. Nov. 17-Dec. 9; 773-753-4472; $32-$38 ( previews ) then $38-54.
—It's Only the End of the World, TUTA Theatre—Two years ago, TUTA introduced the theatrically off-beat social satire of out French playwright Jean-Luc Lagarce to Chicago with his Rules for Good Manners in the Modern World. Although Lagarce writes no more—he died from AIDS-related illness—his name on a play is enough to interest me. Whether or not the play's content is specifically LGBT, Lagarce's sensibility certainly is. Nov. 23-Dec. 22; 847-217-0691; $22.
—Good Boys and True, Steppenwolf Theatre Company—The newest play from Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa ( whose very gay comedy Say You Love Satan was produced in Chicago last year ) concerns an all-boys' prep school star—football captain, straight-A student, set for Dartmouth—who's world begins to crumble when a sex videotape surfaces. Openly gay Aguirre-Sacasa is a rising star for his plays, films and comic books ( Fantastic Four and Spider-Man ) . We don't know if Good Boys and True is hetero or homo, but we want to see Steppenwolf's take, a troupe not known for LGBT sensibilities ( although we hear Steppenwolf is planning and even connected to this play involving outreach to potential LGBT donors and subscribers ) . Dec. 6-Feb. 10, 2008; 312-335-1650; $20-$45 ( previews ) then $20-$68.
