Marissa Oberlander
Chicago Reader
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Past articles by Marissa:
Shameless nostalgia
A jukebox musical version of the 1999 film Cruel Intentions is a fun twisted nostalgia trip at Kokandy. → Read More
Together again at Filament
Filament Theatre's Gather uses stories from youth collaborators about life during shutdown to create an imaginative allegory. → Read More
Singing for the roses
For the longtime home of Million Dollar Quartet to have transitioned to the site of a rotating slate of parody musicals could be cringe-inducing, if not for their impressively consistent quality and ability to draw sizable audiences. It’s a feat that’s all the more notable with Omicron’s rise (and hopeful fall?) emptying chairs at live […] → Read More
The Saints are marching in to fall performances
Tearing Lady Gaga’s ticket. Seeing a tenor dropped in Tosca. Grooving to Mavis Staples from the rafters. These are the magical moments that happen with live performance. They are also just another Tuesday night for The Saints, the quiet backbone of Chicago theater that’s never stopped working, lockdown be damned. The Saints is the only […] → Read More
A new adaptation brings contemporary verve to A Doll's House
Two standout performances anchor Raven's production of the Ibsen classic. → Read More
Filament Theatre's Forts! builds adventures, agency, and awareness
Kids and families are in charge at this Portage Park theater → Read More
Bunny's Book Club illustrates the love of a good story
Lifeline Theatre KidSeries brings children and animals together for a family-friendly yarn. → Read More
Six degrees of Abby McEnany
How a network of local creatives brought a queer, authentically Chicago story to Showtime. → Read More
Howards End and the architecture of hurry
Douglas Post's new adaptation for Remy Buppo resonates in our age of class unrest and digital disconnects. → Read More
A great performance from Molly Lyons can’t save Sweet Texas Reckoning
A lack of detail prevents the characters from appearing as complex, multifaceted personalities. → Read More
Style & Grace pays tribute to Lena Horne and Nancy Wilson
Black Ensemble Theater’s latest bio-musical tells the stories of two great jazz divas. → Read More
Who's The Worst Mother in the World?
Halcyon Theatre goes beyond mommy issues to examine three complicated women. → Read More
WaistWatchers could use an update—and a female writer
But if you must, see it before Martha Wash leaves the cast on October 28. → Read More
Tootsie remains charming, even in the #MeToo era
"Being a woman is no job for a man" still rings true. → Read More
Alice proves what we already guessed: Evanston is Wonderland
Things get curiouser and curiouser during this roaming production. → Read More
These Shining Lives tells the true story of the ‘Radium Girls’ of Ottawa, Illinois
The one-act is heavy-handed but accurate. → Read More
Adrianna Hicks’s Celie owns the musical adaptation of The Color Purple
This Broadway in Chicago production fills the Auditorium Theatre with intimacy, authenticity, and power. → Read More
Chicago Shakespeare’s Peter Pan is a soaring delight for both kids and adults
Though you may have to explain afterward that flying without a harness should not be attempted at home. → Read More
Wild Women of Planet Wongo lacks the verve of a true camp classic
The immersive theater experience never achieves liftoff. → Read More
In The Displaced, the ghosts of gentrification won't leave a young couple alone
Bumps in the night blend with poignant social commentary. → Read More