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Articles tagged with: Lucas Hnath

‘A Doll’s House, Part 2’ at Steppenwolf:
Sharp knock at the door, but is anyone there?

Feb 21, 2019 – 3:13 pm
Feature 1 Brosilow

Review: Fifteen years after Nora Helmer famously – or perhaps infamously – walks out on husband and children at the end of Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House,” what do you know but she’s back, knocking on that same door, and not exactly bonnet in hand. Indeed, Nora has found great success as a writer. What an intriguing conceit for the sequel Lucas Hnath has ventured in “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” now at Steppenwolf. Except that I came away with the distinct sense that Nora, the woman of the hour, was missing. ★★

Chicago theater mid-season preview, Part 3: Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakes

Feb 7, 2019 – 2:34 pm
Feature 1 Part 3 Joel Moorman

Preview: The mid-winter is far from bleak under Chicago’s theater marquees. Steppenwolf offers Lucas Hnath’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” a sort of what-if sequel to Ibsen’s play. Lookingglass runs out the premiere of Kareem Bandealy’s ‘Act(s) of God,” a cosmic guess-who’s-coming-to-dinner. And Chicago Shakespeare revisits the Bard’s melancholy prince – ever perched on the existential fence between being and nothingness.

‘Isaac’s Eye’ at Writers: In genius’ rarefied realm, Newton’s high-flying boy meets Captain Hooke

Sep 14, 2014 – 1:03 pm
Young, impetuous Isaace Newton (Jurgen Hooper, left) lashes out at the famed scientist Robert Hooke (Marc Grapey). (Michael Brosilow)

Review: ★★★ As a clinical study of narcissism, even autism, in a budding young genius, Lucas Hnath’s play “Isaac’s Eye,” an imaginary clash between the obscure 25-year-old Isaac Newton and the celebrated British scientist Robert Hooke, is clever and sometimes brilliant theater. But as drama, it comes off at Writers Theatre as, well, a clinical study. ★★★

Theater 2014-15: Death, travel, Alice and Ahab shape and reshape images at Lookingglass

Sep 3, 2014 – 11:17 pm
Deanna Dunagan, in 'Death Tax' by Lucas Hnath, opens the Lookingglass 2014-15 season. (Sean Williams)

12th in a series of season previews If theater should be an adventure, then Lookingglass offers something akin to safari into unknown regions every time out. The company’s premiere-laden 27th season reflects that ever-changing dramatic topography — from Lucas Hnath’s family-challenged “Death Tax” to a brand-new ropes-and-spars vision of “Moby Dick.”

Theater 2014-15: Writers maps reduced season as company focuses on drama of new digs

Aug 18, 2014 – 11:16 pm
Jurgen Hooper and Marc Grapey in 'Isaac's Eye,' which opens the Writers Theatre 2014-15 season. (Saverio Truglia)

Sixth in a series of season previews: “We have a challenging year coming up,” says Writers Theatre artistic director Michael Halberstam. Yes, and an exciting one — on an electric scale. Writers, in case anyone has missed this, is building a $31 million new home on the site of the company’s former main stage in Glencoe. So the 2014-15 season will be miniaturized , with the main drama focused on the grand house that’s projected to have its grand opening in winter 2016.