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Chicago – The inevitability of illness …whether your own or a loved one … creates difficulties without much preparation. In a Chicago play premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre “You Will Get Sick” follows two characters down the illness road, as they try to negotiate another day. The play is currently at the stage on Halsted thru July 20th, 2025. For tickets and info, click You Will Get Sick.

At the Steppenwolf Theatre Thru July 20, 2025

Photo credit: Steppenwolf.org

Play Rating: 4.5/5.0

“You Will Get Sick” is written by Noah Diaz and directed by Audrey Francis, and involves a two character confrontation. #1 (Namir Smallwood) puts an ad out for someone to help him tell his loved ones that he is ill. The ad is answered by #2 (Amy Morton), a tart wannabe actor. As they negotiate their arrangement and she carries out her duties … including the confession to #3 (Sadieh Rifai), the sister of #1. As #1 begins to lose the use of his limbs,...

Steppenwolf Theatre Company just celebrated opening night of Noah Diaz’s Chicago premiere of You Will Get Sick. Directed by Artistic Director Audrey Francis, the cast features ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain, Amy Morton (Tony nominations: August: Osage County and Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) and Namir Smallwood, with Jordan Arredondo (Steppenwolf debut) and Sadieh Rifai (First Look Repertory of New Work). A young man with a secret. An older woman who will listen. A predatory flock of birds. An upcoming audition for The Wizard of Oz. Welcome to You Will Get Sick, a wildly imaginative new play that traces the hilarious and deeply moving saga of one man’s illness and his unlikely caretaker’s pursuit of her dreams. Noah Diaz’s Chicago debut is equal parts buddy-comedy, form-bending experiment...

Chicago – With immigrant myths and suspicion of the “other” at new heights in the American landscape, the timing of the World Premiere “The Cave” is timed right. Sadieh Rifai’s new play, through March 16th, regards a Palestinian and American marriage that is challenged by the early 1990s time they live in. For tickets and more info, click The Cave.

Through March 16th

Photo credit: ARedOrchidTheatre.org

Play Rating: 5.0/5.0

The year is 1990, and Jamil (H. Adoni Esho) is a Palestinian expatriate who is married to American Bonnie (Kirsten Fitzgerald), and they are raising two daughters, 13-year-old Dema (Aaliyah Montana) and 10-year-old Noor (Milla Liss). Through a series of events which includes the murder of a loved one, the family moves from Las Vegas to a gated community in Columbus, Ohio. When the Persian Gulf War begins to escalate … represented by a searing use of stagecraft and video …the prejudice of...

Network: Amazon

Episodes: 18 (hour)

Seasons: Two

TV show dates: February 24, 2017 — November 9, 2018

Series status: Cancelled

Performers include: Michael Dorman, Michael Chernus, Terry O'Quinn, Kathleen Munroe, Kurtwood Smith, Aliette Opheim, Chris Conrad, Julian Richings, Gil Bellows, Marcus Toji, Tony Fitzpatrick, Sylvie Sadarnac, Charlotte Arnold, Sadieh Rifai, Hana Mae Lee, and Zoe Schwartz.

TV show description:

A political thriller, the Patriot TV show follows intelligence officer John Tavner (Michael Dorman). With only his unsafe “non-official cover” as a mid-level employee at an industrial piping firm, Tavner is on assignment to stop Iran from going nuclear.

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Network: AmazonEpisodes: Ongoing (hour)Seasons: OngoingTV show dates: February 24, 2017 — presentSeries status: Has not been cancelledPerformers include: Michael Dorman, Michael Chernus, Terry O'Quinn, Kathleen Munroe, Kurtwood Smith, Aliette Opheim, Chris Conrad, Julian Richings, Gil Bellows, Marcus Toji, Tony Fitzpatrick, Sylvie Sadarnac, Charlotte Arnold, Sadieh Rifai, Hana Mae Lee, and Zoe Schwartz.TV show description:A political thriller, the Patriot TV show follows intelligence officer John Tavner (Michael Dorman). With only his unsafe “non-official cover” as a mid-level employee at an industrial piping firm, Tavner is on assignment to stop Iran from going nuclear.Read More…...

Chicago – There was no film in 2012 that moved me more deeply or left me feeling more exhilarated than Stephen Cone’s achingly personal masterpiece, “The Wise Kids.” It’s the sort of film that I’ve been hoping to see get made for quite some time. Whereas so many films about people of faith rely on condescending stereotypes to push a contrived agenda, Cone’s picture is humanistic in every sense of the word.

From the titular trio down to the smallest speaking role, every single character in “The Wise Kids” is thrillingly alive. It’s clear that Cone has a deep understanding of the Southern Baptist community portrayed in his film. There are no easy answers for the questions this movie provokes, nor are there any heavy-handed speeches designed to spoon-feed glib morals. Cone wants to start a dialogue on vital issues rather than pretend to be the final word.