Theater & Performance Search – The Short List (Theater)
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Through 5/26: Fri-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PMTheater & Performance
The tale Chris Bower tells in this one-hander, about an unhinged father determined to make his son into a high school football star, could stand on its own as a fascinating short story. But brought to the stage by director Kevlyn Hayes and actor Matt Test, the piece is powerful, darkly funny—and ultimately sad. Test plays a computer repair guy who's allowed his inner demons to rule, and ruin, his life. Estranged from his son and forbidden by court order to be near his wife—who goes to all the football games—he's drawn inexorably to repeated self-destructive encounters with them, and with the authorities. Hayes's clever, graceful staging finds myriad onstage metaphors for the protagonist's disintegrating mental state. —Jack Helbig $15
773-609-2336Core of the Pudel
Through 6/2: Thu-Sat 8 PM; also Sun 5/26 and 6/2, 7 PMTheater & Performance
It's no mean feat to distill the Faust legend into a jointly created, mostly wordless (words in English, at least) movement-theater piece that clocks in at just an hour. Yet in Trap Door Theatre's compassionate Core of the Pudel, director Thom Pasculli does no mean job. Creating a wounded, splintered Faust played by six performers—an Everyman and Everywoman—he suggests that we damn ourselves every day with small decisions driven by arrogance and a wish for transcendence. As the Devil, the charismatic Pasculli convincingly seduces Faust; Cortney McKenna, subtle yet affecting, is persuasive as Faust's victim. For me, all the tortured faces and acrobatic movement, more symbolic than dramatic, wore thin. But delicious homemade touches—puppetry, an onstage violinist, simple but evocative props, the performers' musical contributions—won me over. –Laura Molzahn $20-$25
The Marvelous Land of Oz
Through 6/2: Fri-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PMTheater & Performance
The second of L. Frank Baum's 14 Oz books follows the adventures of an orphan named Tip and his two traveling companions, the Saw-Horse and Jack Pumpkinhead. After escaping the clutches of an evil sorceress, these three wind up helping the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman restore control of the Emerald City to its rightful sovereign, Princess Ozma. Anthony Whitaker's thoroughly charming musical adaptation stays faithful to Baum's vision yet maintains a spunky sense of humor—all without sliding into camp, schmaltz, or sarcasm. His staging for New American Folk Theatre has an off-the-cuff vibe and an arts-and-crafts aesthetic; it features a lively, likable cast and several inventive puppets (also designed by Whitaker) standing in for the more fantastical creatures. —Zac Thompson $15-$20
Lipstick Goes on Last
Through 6/23: Thu-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PMTheater & Performance
As former pageant winner Meredith grows up, she must cope with alcoholism and a far-from-perfect family. Meanwhile, her best friend and arch-nemesis are facing their own adult struggles. $30
Richard III
Through 6/29: Thu-Sat 8 PMTheater & Performance
The characters in this production of Richard III are a motorcycle gang, and London's Bar in 1970s Pittsburgh is their castle. The post-show concert on Fridays is $5 or free with a Richard III ticket. $15-20
The Shit Show
Last Friday of every month, 8:30 p.m.Theater & Performance
A few rows of chairs were set up on the second floor at the Shambles bar in Wicker Park, but most folks chose to stay on their feet (it ain't called stand-up for nothing) as they watched hosts Rasa Gierstikas and Ever Mainard introduce a string of comedians. They were rewarded with a sidesplitting show and the privilege of shouting "Best joke!" at the funniest comedians. In addition to the hosts, ten comics gripped the mike—glistening with holiday pirate decorations—to kvetch about everything from Pepe's Mexican food to Tim Burton's allegedly homophobic oeuvre and stripping to music by Aphex Twin. There were refreshingly few strained silences or hecklings during this big-hearted monthly bonanza. Comics cordially waited their turn in the crowd, last-minute performers casually dropped by, and drinks were definitely allowed. —Hannah Gold
The Empire Brings Sexy Back
Open run: Sat 10:30 PMTheater & Performance
An all-female version of Star Wars is an interesting proposition to begin with. When those females end most scenes by stripping down to pasties, it just gets even more, well, interesting. The Gorilla Tango Theatre cast pulls it off beautifully in a funny, clever reimagining of Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back that references the original without getting too bogged down in plot. Among the many successful scenes is one where Yoda teaches Luke Skywalker the ways of the Force, a power that in this version is activated through vigorous shimmying. When Luke gets frustrated and complains that she's not well enough equipped to levitate the X-wing fighter, Yoda displays her own modestly sized breasts and gently advises that "cup size matters not." —Julia Thiel $28-35
A Nude Hope: A Star Wars Burlesque
Open run: Sat 7:30 and 9 PMTheater & Performance
Answering the prayers of nerdy straight guys everywhere, this Geek Girl Burlesque show features a bunch of scantily clad women reenacting the first Star Wars movie. The only character who isn't played by a woman, R2-D2, is represented by a trash can. M.C. Curran's script closely follows the plot of the original except that the action frequently pauses so cast members can strip down to pasties and panties. Even Chewbacca gets a turn. In the spirit of Minsky's, Timothy Bambara's staging is more suggestive than raunchy and as concerned with laughs and novelty as with titillation. It also offers the rare chance to see Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi perform a posthumous striptease to the Bee Gees' "I Started a Joke." —Zac Thompson $35
Boobs & Goombas: A Super Mario Burlesque
Saturdays, 12 a.m.Theater & Performance
Originally, Mario's famous mustache was just an animator's dodge, a way to avoid rendering detailed facial features on the eight-bit NES. At the very end of Gorilla Tango's clunky, opportunistic spoof on the long-running Nintendo franchise, performer Paly Flames takes off her thick Mario 'stache, and her strikingly beautiful visage may be the show's most sensual reveal. The burlesque numbers are hurried, the periodic audience shakedowns for "coins" distracting, and the parlor-psychology dives into Mario and Luigi's motivations exasperating. Director Jeremy Eden's cast includes attractive women of all body types, but hearing the "level up" sound effect when they flashed pasties made me cringe. If self-empowered sexuality and the conquer-and-proceed imperatives of video games can comfortably coexist, they don't do it here. –Keith Griffith $35
