LAKEVIEW — The theater season in Lakeview is in full bloom this spring, with a handful of show finishing their runs in May and many more opening. Along with the traditional stage plays, several other performances and movie screenings will take place.
Playing now:
The Grown-Up: After debuting last year in Louisville, Shattered Globe Theatre opened the second-ever production of "The Grown-Up" at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., on April 9. The show, which runs through May 23, tells the story of a young boy who finds himself zooming through life after listening to his grandfather's story of a magic doorknob.
"'The Grown-Up' is such a beautiful, funny and heartfelt reminder that we only get one spin at life. As one of the play's characters says, 'Every day, someone crumples your sheet of paper, and every night you try to get it smooth again. We'll never be done, but that's the balance we strike between innocence and experience," said director Krissy Vanderwarker.
Tickets are $15-33. Performances of the 90-minute show are 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays.
Lady Windermere's Fan: This four-act comedy stars Megan Delay as Lady Margaret Windermere, a beautiful 21-year-old who married into the peak of London high society. But malicious gossip and a misplaced fan threaten to change her carefree life.
Directed by Dead Writers Theatre Collective's artistic director Jim Schneider, the show opened at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., April 22 and runs through June 7. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, with a 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinee. Tickets are $30-40.
Diversified: In three performances, "Diversified" sought to focus on underrepresented demographics, from performers of color to LGBTQ artists. The final two shows will be at 9 p.m. April 26 and May 3 at Under the Gun Theater, 956 W Newport Ave. Tickets are $12, but flexible pricing ($6-24) is available online.
Opening next week:
Aperture Series Take 7: Oracle Theatre, 3809 North Broadway, will host a showcase featuring the work of local Chicago artist Nelson Carvajal starting Thursday, April 30 through May 3. The series will screen 12 of Carvajal's short films during the hour-long event and close with a panel discussion. Carvajal will attend the May 1 and 2 discussions.
The Public Access Theatre event is free. Screenings are at 8 p.m. except for May 3's 7 p.m. show.
Have a Great Summer: To close its debut season, the Chicago Slam Works house ensemble will explore the awkwardly funny years of adolescence with a poetry-forward show at Stage 773. "Have a Great Summer" crosses genres, from spoken word to comedy, and runs at 8:15 p.m. Fridays from May 1 through June 5. Tickets are $20.
"This interdisciplinary theater piece acts as a living yearbook, reflecting upon the universal hilarity, awkwardness and God-awful embarrassment of adolescence. This talented ensemble explores their painfully true histories, some even wondering, as they slog through adulthood, if anything has ever really changed," said Chicago Slam Works artistic director J.W. Basilo.
Opening in May:
Bad Jews: If you've ever seen Crazy Jewish Mom on Instagram or watched "State of Grace," you know there are plenty of rules to being a good Jew. "Bad Jews," opening at Theater Wit on May 8, is a "smart, savage comedy" about a Jewish family's brawl over dating, family and legacy.
Written by Joshua Harmon, the 2013 comedy was applauded by The New York Times as "the best comedy of the season." "Bad Jews" runs through June 7, with shows at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $20-36. Previews began last Friday.
Crimes of the Heart: Step Up Productions will conclude its 2014-15 season with the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Crimes of the Heart." Running May 8 through June 14 at the Athenaeum Theatre's Stage One, 2939 N. Southport Ave., the dark comedy begins with three sisters reuniting at their Old Grandaddy's deathbed. From Meg's failed singing career to Babe shooting her abusive husband, the sisters are forced to confront relatives and past relationships to find happiness.
Partial proceeds from "Crimes of the Heart" will benefit YWCA Chicago. Tickets are $26 for adults and $19 for students and seniors.
Option Up! benefit: "Option Up!" is the brainchild of Christopher Pazdernik and Aaron Benham, who wanted to create a unique musical theater event, which will include theater analysis and trivia. On May 10, the monthly cabaret and talk show will celebrate Pazdernik's birthday and benefit the Howard Brown Health Center, where Pazdernik has received medical care since his HIV diagnosis in 2009.
The wide range of leading ladies performing May 10 include Heidi Kettenring ("Wicked" in Chicago), Marya Grandy ("Les Miserables" on Broadway), Alexis J. Rogers, Charissa Armon (Porchlight's "Ragtime"), Neala Barron and Elizabeth Lanza.
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. Tickets are $10.
Now and at the Hour: For one weekend only, San Francisco-based magician Christian Cagigal will perform cinematic magic at Oracle Theatre, 3809 N. Broadway St. Following his illusions, the theater will screen "Now and at the Hour," a semi-autobiographical story of Cagigal's upbringing by a father plagued by PTSD and schizophrenia.
The free show will be at 8 p.m. May 14-16 and 18, with a special 7 p.m. show May 17 featuring a panel discussion.
One Grand Dance: Linking selected works from 30 years of creating dance, Hedwig Dances will celebrate its history and its founder with a retrospective May 15 and 16 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
"Throughout my career, I have been engaged by the intersection of movement and objects. Movement transforms objects, animating the inanimate, and objects lend poetic imagery to movement," said founder and artistic director Jan Bartoszek.
Performances include the premiere of "Bangweulu," an African dance based on the theme of relationships between friends, family and lovers. There will also be a film by Nadia Oussenko reflecting over the past 30 years. Tickets are $17-32.
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