Spotlight: Screenwriter vows to tell the truth in Theater Wit comedy 'The Whistleblower'

The whole truth

Offered his own TV show, screenwriter Eli decides to share hard truths with his co-workers, friends and family in "The Whistleblower," the latest comedy by Tony Award-winner Itamar Moses ("The Band's Visit") about the illusions we maintain to remain who we are. Theater Wit's Chicago-area premiere is directed by artistic director Jeremy Wechsler and features Michael Kostroff (HBO's "The Wire").

Previews at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5 and 12, Saturday, May 6 and 13, Thursday, May 11; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7 and 14, at 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show opens May 16. $18-$55. Masks optional. (773) 975-8150 or theaterwit.org.

Porchlight premiere

A single mom who makes her living composing music for video games is contacted via a crossed connection on her cellphone by early 20th-century Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, who is stranded on an iceberg. Elisa Carlson and Andrew Mueller star in Porchlight Music Theatre's Chicago-area premiere of the musical comedy by Brendan Milburn and Val Vigoda, with additional music by Ryan O'Connell and book by Joe DiPietro.

Previews at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 6-7; 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 10; and 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The show opens Thursday, May 11. Tickets start at $25. Masks encouraged. (773) 777-9884 or porchlightmusictheatre.org.

Season finale

Raven Theatre concludes its 40th anniversary season with the Chicago-area premiere of "The October Storm," Joshua Allen's follow-up to "The Last Pair of Earlies." Set during the 1960s on Chicago's South Side, the play centers on a woman and her teenage granddaughter whose lives are upended by the arrival of a troubled Vietnam War vet.

Previews at 7:30 p.m. May 11-13 and 3 p.m. May 14 at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. The show opens May 15. $30, $40. Masks required. (773) 338-2177 or raventheatre.com.

World premiere

A man falls in love with the woman of his dreams, while he's dreaming, in Teatro Vista's "The Dream King" by ensemble member Marvin Quijada, who also plays the central character Sam. Sandra Marquez and Alice da Cunha direct the production, which incorporates movement, clowning, physical comedy, music and silent-film-style projections.

Previews at 8 p.m. May 11-13 and 3 p.m. May 14 at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. The show opens May 17. $35-$45. Masks optional. teatrovista.org.

In other news

Check with venues about COVID-19 precautions.

• City Lit Theater premieres the new musical "Aztec Human Sacrifice" by composer/lyricist Kingsley Day, with a book by Philip LaZebnik and Day. The action unfolds the night before the Aztec Empire's new millennium, which is when the Chosen One will be sacrificed so that the sun will rise the next day. Problems arise when the Chosen One runs off with the emperor's daughter. Previews begin Friday, May 5, at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. The show opens May 14. (773) 293-3682 or citylit.org.

• First Floor Theater concludes its 10th season with the Chicago-area premiere of "Hate (expletive)," a two-hander by Arti Ishak described as an "antidote to the meet-cute romance." It centers on the unlikely attraction between a literature professor and the novelist she accuses of trading in anti-Muslim stereotypes. Previews begin Friday, May 5, at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The show opens May 11. firstfloortheater.com.

• Goodman and Lookingglass theaters, in association with the Museum of Contemporary Art and the city of Chicago, celebrate the contributions of Asian, Pacific Island and Desi/South Asian American artists as part of the APIDA Arts Festival running Friday through Sunday, May 5-7, at The Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.; Goodman, 170 N. Dearborn St.; Lookingglass, 821 N. Michigan Ave.; and the MCA, 220 E. Chicago Ave. Activities include music, dance, comedy, staged readings and storytelling performances, art demonstrations, film screenings, panel discussions and workshops. Admission to most events is free, except for the closing ceremony and after party, which is $25-$45. Reservations are recommended for all events. apidaarts.org.

• Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble and the Filipino American community arts organization CIRCA Pintig present a program of "Hope and Humanity" Friday, May 5, through May 20 at The Auditorium at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave., Chicago. The double bill includes CDE's interpretation of T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland" and playwright Conrad A. Panganiban's "Daryo's All-American Diner," about a Filipino family struggling to keep the family business open during the COVID-19 pandemic. danztheatre.org.

• Previews begin Wednesday, May 10, for TimeLine Theatre's first Chicago-based production of "What the Constitution Means to Me," Heidi Schreck's acclaimed examination of the document that shaped our democracy from the perspective of a 15-year-old who earned college tuition money by participating in American Legion-sponsored Constitutional debates and the adult she became. Libertyville's Beth Lacke stars in director Helen Young's revival, which also features Raymond Fox and high school students Sophie Ackerman and Makalah Simpson, who alternate in the role of "Debater." The show opens May 17 at 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. (773) 281-8463, ext. 6, or timelinetheatre.com.

• Invictus Theatre revives Arthur Miller's masterwork "The Crucible," about a farmer in 1692 Salem accused of witchcraft who struggles to maintain his integrity against a town gripped by hysteria. Artistic director Charles Askenaizer directs the production, which begins previews Thursday, May 11, at the Reginald Vaughn Theater, 1106 W. Thorndale, Chicago. The show opens May 15. invictustheatreco.com.

• The Gift Theatre presents Ten 2023, its annual festival of new, 10-minute plays written by ensemble members including Andrew Hinderaker, Will Nedved, Michael Patrick Thornton, Jenny Connell Davis and David Rabe, among others, and directed by Alexandra Main, Martell Manning, Erica Weiss and Brittany Burch, among others. Performances run Thursday, May 11, through May 22 at Filament Theatre, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. $10 tickets are available at thegifttheatre.org.

• The Singaporean family drama "Tango" by Joel Tan gets its U.S. premiere courtesy of PrideArts, which concludes its season with the tale inspired by the real experiences of a gay, male couple who move with their adopted sons to Singapore, which does not recognize or respect the parental or civil rights of LGBTQIA people. Previews run Thursday, May 11, through 14 at 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago. The show opens May 15. (773) 857-0222 or pridearts.org.

• Chicago Opera Theater hosts a concert performance of "The Cook-Off," an opera about a fictional TV cooking competition by composer Shawn Okpebholo and librettist Mark Campbell, on Thursday, May 11, at the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. COT also stages the local premieres of the one-act operas "Another Sunrise," about an Auschwitz survivor, and "For a Look or a Touch," about young lovers separated by Nazis. Both works are by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer. COT performances take place May 27 and 28 at the Athenaeum Center. chicagooperatheater.org.

• Short Story Theatre resumes Thursday, May 11, with five storytellers sharing tales about a child's loss of a parent, an overweight teen navigating a coed high school swim class, a life-changing experience and a 12-year-old speaking truth to power. It takes place at The Art Center Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park. shortstorytheatre.com.

• Broadway's "Phantom of the Opera" veterans Sandra Joseph and Ron Bohmer perform at Music Theater Works' annual Producers Gala fundraiser on May 13 at the Signature Room at the 95th, 875 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago. The evening includes cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and desserts, performances and a live auction. musictheaterworks.com.

• Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member Gary Cole ("VEEP," "The Good Wife," "The West Wing") hosts the theater's 2023 gala May 13 at The Old Post Office, 433 W. Van Buren St., Chicago. The event includes cocktails, dinner, a live auction and dancing. (312) 654-5632 or email specialevents@steppenwolf.org.

• Rivendell Theatre Ensemble has extended its premiere of "Motherhouse," Tuckie White's darkly comic play about a young woman who enlists her aunts to help her write her late mother's eulogy. Performances run through May 21 at 5779 N. Ridge Ave., Chicago. (773) 334-7728 or rivendelltheatre.org.

• Raven Theatre managing director Markie Gray stepped down last month. Former artistic producer and production manager Cole von Glahn took over as interim managing director.

• Northlight Theatre's 2023-2024 season includes a thriller, a world premiere and a Pulitzer Prize finalist among other works. It begins with Noah Haidle's "Birthday Candles" (Sept. 7-Oct. 8), about the extraordinary events in a woman's ordinary life. That's followed by Jeffrey Hatcher's adaptation of "Dial M for Murder" (Nov. 30-Dec. 31) from Georgette Verdin's novel about a man who married his wife for her money and now wants her dead. Next up is Sylvia Khoury's Pulitzer-finalist "Selling Kabul" (Jan. 25-Feb. 25, 2024), about a former Afghanistan interpreter for U.S. forces who becomes a Taliban target after American soldiers withdraw. The season concludes with the premiere of John Patrick Shanley's "Brooklyn Laundry" (April 11-May 12, 2024), about the unlikely relationship between the financially strapped, perpetually single Fran and laundry owner Owen. Performances take place at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Subscriptions range from $127-$289. (847) 673-6300 or northlight.org.

• Raven Theatre's 41st season begins Oct. 5 with "Night Watch," Lucille Fletcher's psychological thriller about a woman with insomnia who notices a dead body in the window of an abandoned building, but nobody believes her claims. That's followed by the premiere of Paul Michael Thompson's "brother sister cyborg space" (Feb. 8-March 17, 2024), a climate crisis-inspired drama about an environmental activist and her billionaire brother who disagree about whether the earth is worth saving. The season concludes with the premiere of the untitled third installment of Joshua Allen's "Grand Boulevard Trilogy" (April 26-June 9, 2024), examining Black families living on Chicago's South Side during the early 20th century. Set during the 1919 Chicago Race Riots, the play is about a woman conflicted over her allegiance to her controversial lover and the home her family has built. Performances take place at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. Flexible season subscriptions range from $45 to $115. (773) 338-2177 or raventheatre.com.

• Remy Bumppo Theatre Company's 2023-2024 season continues the theater's commitment to "breathe new life into the seminal works of established playwrights and to unearth modern and next-wave classics." The two-play season includes Pearl Cleage's "Blues for an Alabama Sky" (Sept. 14-Oct. 15). Set in 1930 Harlem, it's about jazz singer turned costume designer Angel whose dreams for the future are jeopardized after she meets Alabama transplant Leland. That's followed by "Love Song" (March 21-April 21, 2024), John Kolvenbach's romantic comedy about an isolated man named Beane who falls in love for the first time, causing his sister Joan and her husband, Harry, to re-examine their relationship. Performances take place at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Season subscriptions range from $50 to $100. They're available at remybumppo.org.

• Chicago Opera Theater commences its 50th anniversary season on Oct. 5 with the Chicago premiere of "Soldier Songs," David T. Little's opera that draws upon recorded conversations with veterans to chronicle their lives from youth to warrior to elder. It runs at the Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago. COT presents "The Nose" (Dec. 8 and 10), Dimitri Shostakovich's absurdist work who wakes up to find his nose has taken on a life of its own as a government official. It runs at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St., Chicago. Next up is the Midwest premiere of "Book of Mountain and Seas" (Jan. 27 and 28, 2024) at the Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Presented in association with the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, it's adapted from Chinese fables chronicling the creation and destruction of the earth. The French Baroque opera "Platée," about a self-absorbed water nymph who sets her sights on the god Jupiter to the chagrin of his jealous wife, runs March 8 and 10, 2024, at the Studebaker Theater. The concert premiere of "The Weight of Life," about a child who has a magical ability to speak to objects, takes place April 27, 2024, at the Epiphany Center for the Arts. The COT season concludes with "Music of Remembrance: Before It All Goes Dark" (May 25 and 26, 2024, at the Studebaker Theater) based on the true story reported by Chicago Tribune critic Howard Reich about an ailing Vietnam War veteran who learns he is the heir to a priceless art collection stolen by Nazis. chicagooperatheater.org.