Home
About the Critics
Jonathan and Kelly review Mary-Arrchie’s production of Hellish Half-Light , half a dozen short plays by Samuel Beckett. J. places Beckett in the context of French postwar absurdism, while K. actually talks about the plays. Existential despair abounds.
But as long as life goes on, why not enliven it with an e-mail subscription to the Dueling Critics? Look to your right and slightly down and you’ll see the “Subscribe” button; punch it and you’ll never miss a minute of our badinage , repartee and other French words apropos .
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
Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes Podcast RSS feed
Kelly Kleiman at the Huffington Post Jonathan Abarbanel at the Windy City Times