(Editor's note: Bold emphasis is BTD's.) Laugh Factory Chicago's Year in Review by Curtis Shaw Flagg Curtis Shaw Flagg (Photo by Ashley Lane) 2020 started off amazing. We were surpassing all of our previous attendance goals. It looked [...]
Behind every great performance on stage, there is a huge team of support. Part of that team for Remy Bumppo's current run of Steven Dietz's Bloomsday is actress Margaret Kellas who took on the challenge of understudying the role of Caithleen. [...]
Remy Bumppo Theatre Company recently announced Marti Lyons would take the helm as their new Artistic Director. BTD interviewed Marti and Executive Director Margaret McCloskey to talk about Marti's new position and the future of Remy Bumppo. https://youtu.be/8hJf5Qts5YM [...]
A theater that once served as a staple in Chicago comedy gets a fresh start, thanks to Program Director Megan Hartmann and the team behind the Newport Theater. This week on the blog, Megan shares her thoughts on working to [...]
We're well into #OctoberMonthOfTheater, and Otherworld Theatre couldn't be more in their element. I caught up with resident playwright Nick Izzo on his adaption Countess Dracula to learn more about how he updated the classic vampire tale for modern audiences. [...]
Fresh off their three-day streaming spectacular GENRETHON earlier this month, Otherworld Theatre debuts Of Dice and Men - A Play about Dungeons and Dragons, a heartwarming comedy by Cameron McNary. “Of Dice and Men is a heroic tale of friendship, [...]
The Spring is usually a busy time for most theater companies as they’re usually mounting and running shows and holding fundraisers. But when Broadway went dark on March 12 this year due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in New York, [...]
The Belmont Theater District is lucky to work with incredible playwrights to write and produce shows right in our neighborhood. Hallie Palladino is a Chicago Playwright. Her plays include DERAILED (O’Neill Semi-Finalist), INFATUATION (Ojai Playwrights Conference; Chicago New Work Festival; [...]
Can a play show what it feels like to have a medical condition take over your mind? BE HERE NOW, Shattered Globe's season opener, tackles this daunting question. I spoke with lead actress and company member Rebecca Jordan to learn [...]
Happy New Year! We made it out of 2020, where many theater companies learned how to stream shows and pivot to online programming and also reopen with new protocols. We asked the BTD member theaters for their 2021 forecast and what [...]
2020 was the year that theaters went dark, suddenly and indefinitely. As this tumultuous year comes to a close, here are 3 streaming shows from Belmont Theater District theaters to bring you some light and joy this holiday season. It’s [...]
This fall, Thornton Wilder's classic play OUR TOWN gets a fresh interpretation with the Saint Sebastian Players. Director Jim Masini shared why he felt drawn to retelling this foundational script right now. BTD: What has kept this classic play relevant [...]
The Saint Sebastian Players (SSP) announce the company is resuming live, in-person production with an expanded 40th Anniversary Season. The four-play lineup celebrates genres that have been popular with SSP audiences throughout its history—a classic comedy, a mystery, and a [...]
BTD Skyped in with Teenage Dick director Brian Balcom to talk about what it took just to get the play produced, why the story is personal to him, and how streaming options helped give the show a run that almost [...]
How do you put the internet on stage? For as long as our emotional lives have existed online, playwrights have answered the call to explore what that means. In Walt McGough's Non-Player Character, directed by Beth Wolf for Red Theater [...]
Editor's note: On occasion, BTD shifts their blog's attention to the self produced companies, DIY projects, and emerging artists that make up the next generation of theatre. This month, we focus on The Syndicate, an ensemble theater company that produces [...]
“For someone who would never go to theater, they’ll love this show. For someone who normally goes to theater, they’ll love this show.” - Aaron Rabkin, Trickery Chicago Right in the heart of Boystown, near the intersection of Halsted and [...]
Classic myths often find their way onto the contemporary stage. Two Chicago companies are in the midst of examining the story of Medusa through new work. Otherworld Theatre closes a double-header of Bella Poynton’s Medusa Undone and Elizabeth Ann Michaela [...]
The 58th Chicago International Film Festival will kick off 12 days of premiere screenings, filmmaker Q&As, panels, workshops, and much more with the opening night ChiFilmFest Block Party. So for one night only, walk the red carpet and enjoy food [...]
The new home for the BTD is BTDChicago.com, which now proudly serves as a one-stop-shop for Lakeview theatergoers, showcasing the latest news, show listings, and things to do.
Maybe you’ve seen shows at the Athenaeum or Stage 773, or watched your favorite comics at The Laugh Factory, or noticed the American Blues signs lining Belmont Ave. You might follow us on Twitter or receive our newsletter, but has [...]
We asked women in leadership positions in the BTD about their experiences as a woman in the theater industry and what we can do to support gender parity. Here are their responses. What do you think of the discussions regarding [...]