Fall preview
Check out the trailers for these movies and more at
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CHECKING OFF THE LIST
Feathers and Teeth The Orphans of Eldorado
of the tale echoed visually with the steamy shots of tangling jungle and bodies. Plus we’re excited to be among the first to catch this emerging director’s foray into fiction with this U.S. premiere.
The Thin Yellow Line Dir. Celso Garcia. 2015. N/R. Mexico. U.S. premiere. Mexico’s Celso Garcia debuts his first full length feature with the help of producers Guillermo Del Toro, Bertha Navarro and Alejandro Springall. The Thin Yellow Line captures five men employed to paint a yellow line down a desolate highway between two forgotton Mexican towns throughout 15 days under an unrelenting sun. The award-winning screenplay explores just how fine a line can be between laughter and pain, right and wrong, and even life and death. Primarily at AMC River East, 322 E Illinois St (312- 683-0122,
chicagofilmfestival.com). Oct 15–29. Pass packages $100–$250.
becomes a family as genuine and troubled as any other. Dheepan, though, finds the spirit of his past recurring in the present when he becomes embroiled in the drug wars escalating on his doorstep. Like the French writer- director’s last two films, A Prophet and Rust and Bone, it offers a muscular compassion and a fondness for confrontational storytelling. But most of Dheepan is a more urgent, inquiring film with less theatrics and melodrama. Mostly this is a sympathetic portrait of the immigrant experience in Europe. Overall it’s a heady brew, awkwardly told, but smartly provocative. The final scene, especially, should keep audiences talking long after they leave the theater.
Five Chicago theater companies invest in women’s work this season. By Kris Vire
The majority of theatergoers are women— several reports show ticket buyers are 60 to 70 percent female. Yet according to a new study released in July, 78 percent of the plays produced in the United States between 2011 and 2014 were written by men. This came hot on the heels of the second iteration of the List, from a Los Angeles group called the Kilroys, that gave theaters recommendations for 53 ready- for-production new plays by women and transgender writers.
In the 2015–16 season, though, some of Chicago’s top theaters are falling down on the job. Steppenwolf and Victory Gardens have just one woman writer each this year. At Court Theatre, Northlight Theatre and Writers Theatre, you’ll find zero non-male writers this season. But don’t fear, there are bright spots, too. In the July study, 36 percent of productions at Chicago’s theaters were written by women, well above the national average. Here’s a look at five diverse new works by women hitting Chicago stages large and small this fall.
1 MERCHILD
Local playwright Aline Lathrop ventures under the (metaphorical) sea with this tale of Adam, a transgender child who dreams of becoming a mermaid and marrying Prince Eric, even though Adam was born into a boy’s body. Ann Filmer, artistic director of 16th Street, stages the premiere. 16th Street Theater, Berwyn Cultural Center, 6420 16th St, Berwyn (708-
795-6704,
16thstreettheater.org). Sept 10– Oct 17.
2 FEATHERS AND TEETH
Teenage Chris is convinced her dad’s new fiancée Carol is actually evil. When a grotesque creature shows up in the backyard, Chris takes it as a sign to take care of Carol once and for all. This comic thriller by Charise Castro Smith premieres under the direction of Henry Godinez. Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn St (312-443-3800,
goodmantheatre.org). Sept 19–Oct 18.
3 THE BLACK WHITE LOVE PLAY Chaz Ebert, the widow of longtime Sun-
Times film critic Roger Ebert, collaborated with Black Ensemble Theater’s feisty founder Jackie Taylor for this new play with music about the couple’s interracial marriage. Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N Clark St (773-769-4451,
blackensemble.org). Sept 19–Nov 1.
4 TREASURE ISLAND Mary Zimmerman adapts and directs
Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic swashbuckling adventure to open Lookingglass’s 2015–16 season. Zimmerman’s trademark visuals should give Long John Silver and pals some extra pirate flair. Lookingglass Theatre Company, 821 N Michigan Ave (312-337-0665,
lookingglasstheatre.org). Oct 7–Jan 31.
5 NO MORE SAD THINGS
Another entry from the List, Korean-born playwright Hansol Jung’s new comedy follows a pair of drifting souls who connect in Hawaii. Elly Green stages the premiere for Sideshow Theatre Company. Victory Gardens Biograph Theater. 2433 N Lincoln Ave (773-871-3000,
sideshowtheatre.org). Nov 15–Dec 20.
September–November 2015
TIMEOUT.COM/CHICAGO 19
PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY GOODMAN THEATRE
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