The Actors Gymnasium celebrates its 10th winter circus with “All the Time in the World,” a daring and beautifully crafted show written and directed by Kerry Catlin.   The highly talented ensemble, represented by performers of varied ages, showcases Ms. Catlin’s insightful themes, such as the pitfalls of prioritizing work over spending time with loved […]

What do you get when you cross a drive-in movie theater, earth-threatening solar flares, and a popcorn machine who has “recently gained consciousness?” Why, it must be “Journey for the Sun: A Sci-Fi Cartoon Circus,” the winter offering from the Actors Gymnasium. This wonderfully imaginative production is equal parts avant garde spectacle, circus arts expression, […]

Seeing a well-staged, expertly performed circus show is like watching a Pixar film come to life.    The actions in both sometimes seem to defy the laws of physics.  There is humor to be found on different levels – one for the adults and one for the kids.   Finally, the performances in both forms […]

A green dot of light emits sounds similar to the grunts of “South Park’s” Eric Cartman. A sack of tentacles slowly transforms into a butterfly. Children manipulate multicolored pool noodles to animate a living organism. A spiny-backed swimmer gently propels itself, floating in air. Two microscopic blobs fall in love.  These spectacles may seem like […]

“Luce,” the 34th season premiere from Next Theatre, is a devastating examination of culture, racial stereotypes and trust between parents and their kids. Director Keira Fromm’s staging of playwright JC Lee’s honest, incisive work is a remarkable, chilling cautionary tale of what happens when there is a communication breakdown within a family, and of the […]

Playwright Amy Herzog and director Kimberly Senior have proven to be a formidable pairing. Ms. Senior has previously interpreted Ms. Herzog’s critically acclaimed works “After the Revolution” at Next Theatre and “4000 Miles” at Northlight. Their latest collaboration, “The Great God Pan,” is an overwhelming success for the Next Theatre Company, an evocative, unforgettable production […]

Kimberly Senior, Evanston resident and Joseph Jefferson-nominated director, is coming home. Having directed Ayad Akhtar’s 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Disgraced,” both in Chicago (American Theatre Company) and New York (Lincoln Center Theater 3), her next project will be “The Great God Pan” at Next Theatre. This will be the fourth play Ms. Senior has directed […]

“Join the circus inside your mind,” sings actress/performer Lindsey Noel Whiting, strumming her ukulele, facing a mute dreamer played by professional clown Dean Evans. Daydreams and their physical embodiment make up the spectacle of the breathtaking and brilliantly crafted “The Magical Exploding Boy and the Invisible Circus,” presented by the Actors Gymnasium, Evanston’s circus arts/physical […]

“Luck of the Irish” is a triumph for Next Theatre Company. It is a production that not only serves its excellent source material well, but elevates it, with focused direction and a talented, dedicated, cast. While plenty of moments leave the audience gasping for breath, this production eschews showiness and instead cuts straight to the […]

“Compulsion,” the first play in the Next Theatre Company’s 2013-14 season, is a thought-provoking odyssey of one man’s obsession with bringing the “true” version of “The Diary of Anne Frank” to the stage. Most of the audience will likely have more questions than answers after the curtain call. The true intentions of the characters portrayed, […]