Dan Jakes
Chicago Reader
Chicago, IL, United States
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Past articles by Dan:
Flying feathers
Hell in a Handbag's A Fine Feathered Murder is more whodunit homage than camp. → Read More
Southern spells
Terry Guest's story about a young queer Black man coming to terms with his father and family history premieres at About Face. → Read More
Father and child reunion
A Black queer artist and his father reconnect in the wilderness in travis tate's Queen of the Night at Victory Gardens. → Read More
Teddy Roosevelt: The Man in the Arena reminds us what a leader looks like
A solo show about the man behind Bull Moose stands alone. → Read More
Poison concocts a lethal mix of comedy and drama
A woman chemist helps wives dispatch their plutocratic husbands. → Read More
Spoken Word muddies the issue of consent
MPAACT's campus drama pushes some hot buttons, but casts an ugly pall. → Read More
The Tasters pictures dystopia—with a gourmet twist
Political prisoners swallow their pride (and maybe some poison) in Rivendell's world premiere. → Read More
Stop Kiss still feels (sadly) current
A brutal homophobic assault tests the love between two women in Diana Son's drama. → Read More
Todd Barry marks three decades in stand-up with Stadium Tour
Call him “bone dry” if you must, but don't call him “alt.” → Read More
Packing follows one gay man's journey to confront his midwestern ghosts
Scott Bradley's solo show for About Face creates an important document of queer life. → Read More
Live! From Chicago! It’s your favorite podcast
Part hangout, part celebration, part theater of the mind, live podcast recordings are a performance medium all their own. → Read More
Hell Followed With Her is less gory than advertised
A ghost-town saloon sets the stage for this zombie-spaghetti western hybrid. → Read More
The Facts of Life—Satan's School for Girls provides a Halloween showcase
Hell in a Handbag's spoof of Mrs. Garrett and 21 Jump Street is far from a drag. → Read More
Equivocation is a revisionist Shakespearean tale that goes on too long
Mixing the Bard up with the Gunpowder Plot doesn't help Bill Cain's play ignite dramatically. → Read More
Murder mystery meets buddy comedy in Whose Body?
Lifeline's revival of this 2002 Dorothy Sayers adaptation could use more breathing room to fully come alive. → Read More
Pop Magic connects Medusa with MeToo
The snake-haired Gorgon gets a narrative makeover in this touring devised piece. → Read More
The One: The Matrix Musical Parody is a show behind the times
The sight gags score, but the music falls short in this spoof/homage of the Wachowskis’ sci-fi classic. → Read More
Speaking ill of the dead in Roast
A comedian requests a roast in lieu of a wake in Harry Wood’s debut play. → Read More
The Crowd You're in With is trapped in 2007, both dramatically and politically
Why do people always turn into sneering jackasses during dinner parties in plays? → Read More
Set on a Metra train, Amicable picks up steam as it chugs along
Thankfully, the plot and performances become more compelling halfway through. → Read More