Jessie Bond

Othello Review – How Othello Should Be Experienced

October 21, 2021 Jessie Bond 0

Court Theatre presents The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, co-directed by Charles Newell and Gabrielle Randle-Bent. This Shakespearean tragedy tells the story of Othello, whose successful career and happy marriage with Desdemona are […]

As You Like It Review – The Beatles Meet the Bard

October 19, 2021 Jessie Bond 0

Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s latest take on As You Like It features a 1960s setting laced with the music of the Beatles. In between famous soliloquies and witty banter, the characters sing well-loved tunes like “Here […]

School Girls Review – A Triumphant Return

August 4, 2021 Jessie Bond Comments Off

The Goodman Theatre’s production of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Lili-Anne Brown, has been on quite a journey. Originally slated to open in March 2020, […]

Poly People Review – Four Times the Fun

July 3, 2021 Jessie Bond Comments Off

In Poly People, a mockumentary web series first released in January 2021, all the struggles and joys of daily life are multiplied by four. Nonbinary Cuddelz (Thales Corrêa), bisexual Abigail (Andrea Flowers), lesbian Lez, (Ilona […]

If/Then Review – If I Could Forget I Ever Saw It, Then I Would

February 5, 2020 Jessie Bond Comments Off

If/Then sucks. The music shoots for Sondheim-esque and lands, not so much among the stars, but more floating aimlessly in the void of space, desperately searching for something to latch onto. What really makes me want to scream, though, is the story. […]

Goodman’s A Christmas Carol Review – A Tale of Hope

November 26, 2019 Jessie Bond Comments Off

Why the Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol? The first aspect of the question is easy. Simply put, the Goodman does the best Christmas Carol around. It helps, of course, to have an enormous budget on […]

CLLAW XXXIV: Good vs. Evil Review – Or, Reasons to Attend an Arm Wrestling Competition

November 8, 2019 Jessie Bond Comments Off

When I spotted the woman in the Gritty costume, I knew I had to ask for her picture to send my father. “Look who I found at the Chicago League of Lady Arm Wrestlers!” I […]

The Hound of the Baskervilles Review – “Where There Is No Imagination, There Is No Horror”

October 16, 2019 Jessie Bond Comments Off

I’ve been a fan of Sherlock Homes since my freshman year of college, when an obsession with BBC’s Sherlock led to an obsession with the original Holmes stories and eventually an obsession with CBS’ Elementary. […]

Bloody Bathory Review – A Fresh Horror Story from an Old Source

October 14, 2019 Jessie Bond Comments Off

If you, like me, have grown tired of the usual rotation of Frankenstein and Dracula stories each Halloween, you might instead turn to the Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a monstrous figure of both history and legend. […]

Bernhardt/Hamlet Review – A Woman Hamlet? Ah, There’s the Rub

October 4, 2019 Jessie Bond Comments Off

Sarah Bernhardt is a name that has echoed through history. Although she played many leading roles in her six-decade career, the one she is perhaps best-known for is not one of the myriad she originated, […]