We live in a world that makes us love what we should fear and fear what we should love. Thank the galaxy for plays like Borealis that take risks to help us remember that we are our own bounty. We are exactly what we need. Continue reading “Borealis: How Far Will You Go for Family”
On Wednesday, September 19, several Chicago artists received an invitation to audition for a play called Angel by playwright Henry Naylor. Angel is the second production in a series called “Arabian Nightmares”. The invitation was sent by local Chicago theatre Akvavit on behalf of Urbanite Theatre, located in Sarasota, Florida. Angel is inspired by fake news tweeted by the English-language news outlet Slemani Times. The tweet contained a photo of a woman named Rehana who was rumored to have killed as many as 100 members of ISIS. It has since been proven that though the photo, taken by Swedish journalist Carl Drott, was of a real woman, she was not Rehana, or “The Angel of Kobane” as they claimed. This story of the “Angel” has no basis in fact, and was disproved by the BBC in 2014. Rehana, “The Angel of Kobane,” never existed at all. Continue reading “When The Show Must Not Go On: Chicago Artists Respond to Controversial Casting Notice”
Tangles and Plaques at the Neo-Futurists, a Neo-Lab commission about the effects of dementia first seen in Fall of 2017, has returned for a three-week engagement at the Neo-Futurarium. Sourcing its name from Plaques and Tangles, deposits of protein that cause cell damage and death in the brain, Tangles and Plaques attempts to translate dementia into the language of theatre. This is inherently successful in the structure of the play. Sections of the script are repeated and intentionally disorient the audience. Neos ensemble member and creator of the piece Kirsten Riiber wrote the show based on her work in reminiscence therapy at a local retirement home. Reminiscence therapy is used to conjure the most relevant and clear memories to an aging person, those from their childhood. Therefore the meat of the show takes place in the “accumulated nostalgia-scape of seven artists on a budget.” Continue reading “‘Tangles and Plaques’ Demystifies Dementia”
Set in New York City and spanning 2006-2011, HOMOS, or Everyone in America by Jordan Seavey, now playing at Pride Films and Plays, is a fast paced and up-close and personal examination of the lives of two gay men in love. Continue reading “Is Love Enough? ‘HOMOS, or Everyone in America’”
No Child at Definition Theatre Company directed by Chika Ike takes an uncomfortable and hilarious dive into the inner workings of arts education in public schools. Nilaja Sun’s play investigates the disparities in our current school systems and its effect on both teachers and students with searing wit and no shortage of laughs. The audience is introduced to the school and its history by the dynamic and talented janitor, played with gusto by debrah kneal. Continue reading “‘No Child’ Sparks A Conversation on Educational Injustice”
I have long held that the most powerful art is that which is deeply personal. Vietgone by Qui Nguyen, in its current production at Writer’s Theatre, is one such piece. The latest in a long line of lovely work from local director Lavina Jadwani, Vietgone is a romp of a love story, but its real power lies not solely in the budding relationship between the two leads–but in the writer’s journey of understanding his own parents.
Pillowtalk presented at Victory Gardens Theatre was a highly moving, visceral depiction of two complex and vibrant individuals striving to lead successful lives and love one another within the constraints of white supremacist, heteropatriarchal, capitalism. Buck (AJ Moraga) is a print journalist who wants to do “good work” and change the world. Sam (Basit Shittu) is grateful to be employed by the Republicans after losing his shot at being an Olympic swimmer after a public drug scandal. The couple lives in a pricey, one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, NY, represented on stage by a minimalist set built to focus on an untidy, upright bed downstage center. The white apartment walls that flank the bed are creatively represented by two long vertical neon lights connected by a long, horizontal “ceiling” light. Continue reading “‘Pillowtalk’ Examines Love Under Oppression”
**Please note: Pronouns used in direct reference to character are the pronouns the characters use. This may or may not match the pronouns of the actor portraying the character. Pronouns used in direct reference to the actor are the pronouns the actor uses according to the program.**
If you are looking for a hilarious and exciting new work that is feminist and delightfully queer, look no further than The Lady Demands Satisfaction a farce written by Arthur Jolly and directed by Morgan Manasa. This play deservedly won the Bi-Annual Joining Sword and Pen playwriting competition Babes with Blades holds to encourage the writing and development of plays that feature women’s stories center stage. This one hits that mark loud and proud. Continue reading “Babes with Blades Serves Feminist Farce in ‘The Lady Demands Satisfaction’”
Regina Victor of Rescripted asked Emma Couling to sit down and chat with Rescripted about her growth as a writer over the past year, and what ensued was a badass conversation. Emma Couling is a freelance arts writer who contributes to Rescripted, you can read more about her work here.
RESCRIPTED
How did you become a critic?
EMMA COULING
I never actively decided I wanted to be a critic. I didn’t even identify as a writer until two years ago. That summer, I had this experience where twice in one week, two different strangers groped me while I was going about living my life. And in that same week, The Reader published their exposé on Profiles Theatre Company. Continue reading “Rescripted Reveal: Arts Writer Emma Couling Will F*ck You Up”
What does getting older mean when you’re a woman? In a world trying to stay youthful, Linda Wilde wants to embrace the opposite. Linda tells a story not often heard. The lights go up and you’re already a part of the show, the breaking of the fourth wall yanks the audience into this UK drama as Wilde tries to convince her colleagues that aging is natural and therefore something to embrace, but in this day and age (pun intended) the people want to stay supple. Continue reading “‘Linda’ Subverts Society’s Expectations for Women”
