Emma S. Rund

THE TRUTH HURTS— AND SILENCE KILLS Shattered Globe Theatre’s gripping political thriller confronts the cost of telling the truth in a world determined to suppress it Can you imagine a country where the president and his government seem physically incapable of telling a simple truth, comfortable with broadcasting obvious lies and meaningless explanations? In the…

THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS Kenny Leon finds new layers in Suzan-Lori Parks’s riveting battle between two brothers trapped by history, rivalry, and the roles they perform Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks is lauded as one of the greatest American plays of the 21st century, and it’s earned that label through blistering and rhythmic language, tension so…

KOKANDY UNLEASHES ITS HYDE A problematic musical gets a thrilling jolt of theatrical electricity from Kokandy’s powerhouse performers and audacious design Kokandy Productions’ remount of Leslie Bricusse and Frank Wildhorn’s Jekyll & Hyde with Broadway In Chicago has no problem filling the Broadway Playhouse stage with raucous, dangerous fun. Seeing Kokandy produce outside of their…

A SONDHEIM SUMMER NIGHT Marriott Theatre’s superb ensemble untangles Sondheim’s deliciously complicated comedy of manners There aren’t many shows that can convince large numbers of city dwellers to make the journey out to Lincolnshire, but for Stephen Sondheim, I think many will be willing to spend “A Weekend in the Country,” as the characters in…

STEP RIGHT UP A criminally underrated musical proves there’s more under the big top than spectacle Water for Elephants, based on the novel by Sara Gruen, premiered on Broadway in March 2024 and closed that December after just 300 performances. With a book by Rick Elice, music and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co., and original…

WHEN SHAKESPEARE NEEDS A LITTLE HELP Physical comedy drives the laughs—sometimes to excess—in Phillip Breen’s energetic production The Merry Wives of Windsor is not one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, and its origins may partly explain why: Falstaff appeared in the Henry plays, and his character became immensely popular. Queen Elizabeth I reportedly commissioned Shakespeare…

MUCH ADO ABOUT ADO AND EVERY BIT WORTH THE FUSS ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Selina Cadell, is a reminder of what this company does best: Damn good Shakespeare that feels alive, precise, and joyously human. Deborah Hay as Beatrice Let’s…

Steppenwolf strips the masterpiece to its beautifully costumed bones with gains, losses, and a lingering ache for Mozart’s full glory Steppenwolf’s in-the-round production of Amadeus, directed by Robert Falls, takes a sparse approach to design, perhaps by necessity, or perhaps to highlight the juxtaposition between the court’s stiff opulence and Mozart’s descent into poverty —…

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s North American premiere of Paranormal Activity is guaranteed to deliver the horror movie-style scares you’re looking for this Halloween season, but if you’re looking for thematic depth, you’re searching the wrong haunted house. Cher Álvarez and Patrick Heusinger Levi Holloway took on the nearly impossible task of writing an original story for stage…

STUNNING AND UNSETTLING, MR. WOLF IS AT THE DOOR Steppenwolf Theatre’s Chicago premiere of Mr. Wolf is a searing examination of parental sacrifice, loss, and the elusive nature of home. Under K. Todd Freeman’s direction, this production takes what could be an exploitative premise and instead delivers something hopeful and profound. Caroline Neff, Namir Smallwood,…

A CLAUSTROPHOBIC MISERY AT CITADEL Citadel Theatre’s production of Misery by William Goldman, based on the novel by Stephen King, is a respectable staging that scratches the itch for a spooky night out this fall, even if it doesn’t fully deliver the chest-tingling suspense of King’s original. As a frequent reader of King’s thrillers, I considers Misery…

AN EXTREMELY FEMINIST PLAY. OR IS IT? Never meet a man, they say. What happens if we have to work with one? Artemis Books & The Well-Meaning Man poses the complex question of how, if at all, men should be allowed into women’s safe spaces—or if it’s unethical to exclude them. The Village Theater’s world…

CHICAGO-BORN AND HEAVEN-SENT, THIS IS NOT A REVIVAL. IT’S A RECKONING. Angels in America is one of the greatest plays in the American theatre canon. Period. Tony Kushner created a two-part epic story of unforgettable characters, both lovable and despicable, that captures a moment in American history—the Ronald Reagan era—that changed our community forever. If…

A MUSICAL COMEDY TO REMIND YOU WHY YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH THE ARTFORM IN THE FIRST PLACE “In 1982 a man called Larry put himself in a lawn chair, got some 42 balloons, and went to sixteen thousand feet up in the air. This actually happened. You can look it up,” creator Jack Godfrey…

JUDGING THE BOOK OF GRACE BY ITS (VERY IMPRESSIVE) COVER The Chicago Premiere of The Book of Grace at Steppenwolf Theatre is an expertly executed production of an underwhelming family drama. I’m a long-time fan of Steppenwolf, and every aspect of this production demonstrated the artistic excellence that I’ve come to expect, but the play…