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The House Theatre of Chicago roles out a slightly-gothic world premiere by Kara Davidson, directed by Shade Murray and with fascinating puppets by Jesse Mooney-Bullock. If you thought P&J stood for peanut butter and jelly, you’d better think again. Davidson’s historical research is impeccable, with every character in the play–human and puppet–rooted in the actual history of Punch and Judy shows in England. Kelly and Jonathan are fascinated!
ATC’s Inaugural CORE Series
Lie With Me Monday, September 12 at 7:00 PM We are kicking off CORE with Michael Patrick Thornton’s Lie With Me , a three act play about an older man who mentors, psychologically manipulates, and sexually molests his friends’ high school son. The play is highly interested in the shame surrounding male bisexuality, the effects, coping mechanisms, and cyclical nature of abuse, and the efficacy of forgiveness. http://www.atcweb.org/core
We are kicking off CORE with Michael Patrick Thornton’s Lie With Me , a three act play about an older man who mentors, psychologically manipulates, and sexually molests his friends’ high school son. The play is highly interested in the shame surrounding male bisexuality, the effects, coping mechanisms, and cyclical nature of abuse, and the efficacy of forgiveness. http://www.atcweb.org/core
Plus, Jonathan recommends Endgame and King Lear at American Players Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin.
plus K. raves over Between Riverside and Crazy (her summer home), while J. celebrates Pride Films & Plays’ adaptive reuse of an abandoned space.
On WDCB on Sunday, we discuss the US premiere of Simon Stephens’ play at Steep, and then K. recommends the two plays she saw at American Players Theatre up in Spring Green, WI.
We disagree over the nature, purpose and value of Christopher Chen’s newest play (as we did over his last one, Mutt ). Then we talk about the Chicago Reader expose of now-defunct Profiles Theater and how to get tickets for Hamilton . Finally J. praises the Saints for their philanthropy as well as their ushering, and K. recommends Constellations at Steppenwolf. A lively week!
We differ over Interrobang’s The North Pool , the Midwest premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s play (I’m right, of course, and Jonathan is wrong). Then J. recommends Tug of War: Foreign Fire , Chicago Shakespeare’s mashup of several history plays, while K. picks Michael Bradford’s Migration at eta Creative Arts, another history play with music, this one about the Great Migration of African-Americans from the South to Chicago.
We review the world premiere of Shepsu Aakhu’s newest play Feral , about police shootings and the media circus which follows them, and then K. recommends The Lion in Winter by Promethean Theatre Ensemble at the Athenaeum.
Welcome to the on-line home of the Dueling Critics, Kelly Kleiman and Jonathan Abarbanel. Here you'll find the Critics' weekly conversations about Chicago theater. These verbal battles are broadcast every Sunday morning on "The Arts Section," WDCB's on-air culture magazine. Tune in to 90.9 FM to hear the Critics going at it.
On this site you'll also find written reviews by Kelly and Jonathan as well as links to their writing in other venues. Never fear, there are plenty of opinions to go around!
Please let us know what you think of the broadcasts, the written reviews and the opinions expressed therein. Thanks for listening and reading.
The best of 2016 in Chicago theater January 3, 2017
Which one of us whacks the other in the knee? We review Tonya and Nancy, The Rock Opera December 20, 2016
DC split over David Rabe world premiere at Steppenwolf October 11, 2016
K says “wunderbar” for WONDERFUL TOWN, J says “Hmmm.” October 5, 2016
The House does a dark take on Punch & Judy but it lights up J. & K. September 28, 2016
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Kelly Kleiman at the Huffington Post Jonathan Abarbanel at the Windy City Times