L-R, David Cerda, Kristopher Bottrall and Ed Jones in Hell in a Handbag Productions’ world premiere parody The Drag Seed. (Photo by Rick Aguilar Studios)
4 stars
David Cerda has done it once again. The gifted performer and prolific playwright mines every ounce of humor from his LGBTQ parodies of well-known TV and film classics like “The Golden Girls” and “The Poseidon Adventure.”
This time around, Chicago’s Countess of Camp has loosely adapted “The Bad Seed,” that famous, b & w psychological horror-thriller film from the 1950’s about a seemingly perfect little girl who will stop at nothing—not even murder—to get what she wants.
In Cerda’s gender-bending, mannered melodrama, the perfect little girl has been changed into Carson, the perfect little boy. This child, however, likes to wear outlandish wigs and dress in girl’s clothing. And, since it’s 2019, Carson also prefers to use non-binary pronouns (they, their, them).
Sometimes it’s nice to know what a theater company you like is doing for its next season and the dates to put on your calendar. The “Sneak Peak” series does just that, listing the companies by area .
Descriptions of shows will follow in the next series which will be by category such as world premier, classic, Halloween and holiday.
Meanwhile click on the venues in “Sneak Peak” for the theaters’ own details. BTW, some companies use theater and others use theatre, thus the differences written here are deliberate and not typos.
Anthenaeum Theatre
The venue is at 2936 N. Southport Ave. Black Button Eye Productions is doing “Nightmares and Nightcaps: The Stories of John Collier” here, Aug. 17 – Sep 15 in Studio Two. and Dream Big Performing Arts Workshop is doing “Alice and Wonderland Jr. Aug. 17- 18 on the Main Stage.
Studio One has “Bliss (Or Emily Post is Dead)” through Aug 25 and Studio Three has “Bus Stop” through Aug. 19, 2018.
“The Dark at the Top of the Stairs” is in Studio Three Nov. 22-Dec. 16 and “The Elder Son” is in Studio Two, Nov. 15-Dec. 22.
For tickets and other information call (773) 935-6875 and visit Athenaeum Theatre.
The Proscenium (Pro) at Stage 773. (A Stage 773 photo)
Mercury Theater
The theater is at 3745 N. Southport Ave. Currently, “Avenue Q” has been extended through Nov. 4, then “Pippin” is in the Venus Cabaret Theater, opening TBA followed by its annual “The Christmas Schooner, date also TBA.
For tickets and other information call (773) 325-1700and visit Mercury Theater.
Stage 773
A multi-theater venue, Stage 773 is at 1225 W. Belmont Ave.
American Blues Theater is doing “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” through Sept. 15, then “Flyin’ West” Oct. 5-Nov. 3 and its annual holiday show, “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago” Nov. 15, 2018-Jan 5, 2019.
Hell in a Handbag has “The Artificial Jungle” Sept. 23-Oct. 28. and “The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes” Oct. 13-Nov. 3.
The Degenerates are doing “Potty Talk” Sept. 3- Oct. 29.
