photo: courtesy of Michael Brosilow
500 Clown Macbeth and 500 Clown Frankenstein
"Frankenstein" runs through July 29 and "Macbeth" runs through July 28 at the Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre; times vary, Thursday-Sunday; $20-$50
Three clowns try to tell a classic story. They fail spectacularly. Hilarity, along with a dark and exuberant exploration of human nature, ensues. Steppenwolf's upstairs space is a tad spacious and sleek for the 500 Clown style of theatre, but the clowns make it work, running through the aisles and dangling from the scaffolding like bad children. Both shows are not to be missed.
Noir
Through July 28 at the Strawdog Theatre; 10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; $10-$20
The latest effort from Silent Theatre overflows with style and, curiously, noise. A live jazz trio, a throaty narrator, and a lot of furiously stomping dance shoes form the soundtrack to this comic book-colored tale of a nightclub massacre. The production could use some editing, and the multiple elements on stage (music, film clips, sexed-up mime) will send most audiences into sensory, or sensual, overload. But who doesn't like a little of that?
Tiger Prawn
Through July 15 at the Storefront Theatre; 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; $15-20
If most modern dance is too abstract for you, check this out. Chicago Dance Crash specializes in accessible, combative contemporary movement, and the group's latest piece, "Tiger Prawn," promises to push that philosophy to the edge of, well, theatre. This "movement play" features terpsichorean battles in the pop-myth-flavored tale of a wannabe Kung Fu master. It should inspire kids who can't pick between ballet and karate.
Puppetmaster of Lodz
Through July 15 at Writers' Theatre; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 4 & 8 p.m. Saturday; 2:30 & 6 p.m. Sunday; $40-$58
Critics have responded warmly to this fragile play about a puppeteer who survived Auschwitz. Shattered by the terrors of the war, Finkelbaum (Larry Neumann) retreats into a world of his own construction, inhabited by ghostly puppets of his dead loved ones. The play, a story about holding everything at a distance, has been criticized for holding audiences at a distance, but most reviews have lauded the play's humanity, solid acting and nifty puppets. Catch it before it closes!
LipSchtick
Through July 13 at the Lakeshore Theatre; 10:30 p.m. Friday; $10
The Michelle L'Amour burlesque empire cranks out entertainment that has it all: not too commercial, not too arty and nothing, nothing without a wink. This show's "gotta-have-it" gimmick is comedy, a classic ingredient in the bastard art of burlesque. The stand-up/strip-down combo is as American as chocolate and vanilla swirl-cones, so don't be shy. These shows are more about fun than sleaze.
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