play Archives - 1 Minute Critic

In ‘Are You Mad At Me??,’ Bryan Safi wants you to like him. Mission accomplished

Jerry Portwood Jul 19, 2026 0

Bryan Safi's anxious, audience-baiting solo show 'Are You Mad At Me??' turns people-pleasing into big laughs at HERE Arts Center.

Reviews

‘The Whoopi Monologues’ is a triumph, even divided five ways

Matthew Wexler Jul 13, 2026 0

Over 40 years after her Broadway debut, Whoopi Goldberg's characters get five new voices.

(l-r) Zoë Winters, Eli Gelb, Molly Ranson, Nate Mann, and Hale Appleman in "Birthright."

Reviews

‘Birthright’ reveals what 18 years does to the people who know you best

Matthew Wexler Jun 29, 2026 0

Jonathan Spector’s Birthright opens with a disappearance and ends with one. In between: three hours and twenty minutes of the…

Denise Burse, Charlayne Woodard, an dDeborah Joy Winans in "Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous."

Reviews

‘Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous’ asks who owns an artistic legacy

Steven Vargas Jun 23, 2026 0

Pearl Cleage's comedy at Geffen Playhouse explores fame, legacy, and artistic succession with humor and heart.

Gary Cole and Audrey Francis in Steppenwolf's "Catch as Catch Can."

Reviews

Gary Cole plays both mother and son in ‘Catch as Catch Can.’ And that’s just the beginning

Lauren Emily Whalen Jun 16, 2026 0

Gary Cole plays an Italian mother and her son in Steppenwolf's "Catch as Catch Can"—a gripping Chicago premiere that's funny,…

Jordan Arredondo and Courtney Ricki Green in "Untitled Vampire Play."

Reviews

‘Untitled Vampire Play’: the romcom Chicago didn’t know it was dying for

Lauren Emily Whalen Jun 15, 2026 0

Lookingglass Theatre's world premiere is a sharp, funny vampire play with a near-perfect cast and one ill-timed tonal detour.

Ra’Mya Latiah Aikens and Daniel Bravo Hernández in Free Shakespeare in the Park's "Romeo & Juliet."

Reviews

Free Shakespeare in the Park’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ loses its passion chasing politics

Emily Chackerian Jun 11, 2026 0

Free Shakespeare in the Park's 'Romeo & Juliet' has a bold vision and a cast to match, but its border-town…

Jack Cameron Kay and Harrison Ball in "Brokeback Mountain." Photo by Kyle Flubacker.

Reviews

Music brings ‘Brokeback Mountain’ to life in Chicago Shakespeare’s North American premiere

Laura Zornosa Jun 9, 2026 0

'Brokeback Mountain' lands at Chicago Shakespeare—intimate, gorgeous, and nearly capturing Ennis and Jack's love.

(l-r) Jeorge Bennett Watson, Ken Barnett and Stephen Spinella in "Jerome."

Reviews

In ‘Jerome,’ a dying man’s last gift is someone to leave behind

Jerry Portwood Jun 2, 2026 0

A love story in which a dying man's most urgent project is making sure the people he leaves behind still…

Hot Sec

5 regional theater productions worth the trip this June

Matthew Wexler Jun 1, 2026 0

Considering a summer road trip? Put these five destinations on your radar for live theater and more cultural finds.

In ‘Are You Mad At Me??,’ Bryan Safi wants you to like him. Mission accomplished

‘The Whoopi Monologues’ is a triumph, even divided five ways

‘Birthright’ reveals what 18 years does to the people who know you best

‘Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous’ asks who owns an artistic legacy

Gary Cole plays both mother and son in ‘Catch as Catch Can.’ And that’s just the beginning

‘Untitled Vampire Play’: the romcom Chicago didn’t know it was dying for

Free Shakespeare in the Park’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ loses its passion chasing politics

Music brings ‘Brokeback Mountain’ to life in Chicago Shakespeare’s North American premiere

In ‘Jerome,’ a dying man’s last gift is someone to leave behind

5 regional theater productions worth the trip this June

Have another minute? ⏰

In ‘John of John,’ Douglas Stuart returns to familiar and fertile territory

I went to ‘Les Misérables’ at Radio City and came home a singing student revolutionary

Before ‘Purple Rain’ hits Broadway, meet the photographer who knew Prince best

Cat Cohen turns a near-death experience into Off-Broadway’s funniest solo show