Steve V. wrote:
It was at a very tiny theatre called Red Barn, which seats only 40 people. AMAZINGLY WELL DONE. Best I've ever seen it. Perfectly punctuated, the alternation between hilarious and heartbreaking was perfectly executed and completely seamless.
I married an actress, and as a result, have gained admission to a strange world where amazingly talented people commit to performing Great Art in small spaces holding less than 100 people over and over again, for nearly zero money (and no bar tab! WHY would anyone do this?).
Occasionally, she works in big theatres with thousands of people watching, but the large part of her work is performed to audiences smaller than those attending rock shows.
With a few exceptions, most of these performances are transcendental.
It makes EVERYTHING on TV seem a little more tawdry after having seen so many great theater productions.
Chicago is a great town for this- I saw "Around the World in 80 Days" at the Lifeline Theatre up on the North Side for less than it costs to eat at Kumas, and it was phenomenal. Besides alll of the Pho places at the Argyle El stop, live theatre every weekend is the only thing I miss about Chicago.
I know that you run the risk of seeing crap staged by the "Look at ME!" Homosexual Drama Axis every time you put money down for live theatre, yes. But there are often insightful reviews in the Reader of all of the shows running at any given time.
See some theater.