Top Chicago Theater Picks For Feb. 14, 2008: ‘Heat Wave,’ ‘Augusta,’ ‘Columbinus’

Printer-friendly versionE-mail page to friendPDF version

CHICAGO – Following the popularity of our HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film offering (free advance-screening movie passes!), we’ve had numerous requests from readers to offer the same kind of deals for local theater and comedy, too. We are now pleased to bring you the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Theater & Comedy as a result of a new partnership with Goldstar.

Similiar but a bit different than our partnership with FilmMetro.com for HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, this new package features our top selections for the best theater and comedy shows just about to raise their curtains specifically in Chicago. While these obviously can’t all be offered for free, some are free and most are half price!

We are confident about our decision to partner with Goldstar for this important offering. Founded in 2002 in Los Angeles, Goldstar is comprised of Internet professionals from Warner Bros., Yahoo!, etc. who have been working in e-commerce since before it was called e-commerce.

For each of the Chicago productions we feature below, all they ask is for you to create a free account, which takes but a minute. You’ll then have access to all the free and half-price tickets to top-quality productions that your heart desires. Here are this week’s selections and deals!

Title: “Heat Wave” Venue: Pegasus Players at O’Rourke Center Dates: Feb. 21 to 24, 2008 Full Price: $15        Partner Price: Free! Description: Based on the book “Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago,” Steven Simoncic’s moving new play looks at the heat wave of 1995 that took the lives of 739 Chicagoans. Simoncic presents a vivid portrait of a city in crisis but with its resources and humanity firmly intact. Snag your free “Heat Wave” tickets now!

Title: “Columbinus” Venue: Raven East Stage Dates: Feb. 14 to March 15, 2008 Full Price: $25        Partner Price: Free-$12.50! Description: “Columbinus” is a fascinating examination of human behavior based on interviews with Columbine residents. The play first creates a general world of adolescence and then morphs into the factual events leading specifically to the school shootings. “Columbinus” asks: “Why do people treat each other the way we do?” Snag your half-price “Columbinus” tickets now!

Title: “Augusta” Venue: American Theater Company Dates: Feb. 14 to 24, 2008 Full Price: $30-$35        Partner Price: $15-$17.50! Description: American Theater Company presents the Chicago premiere of Richard Dresser’s “Augusta,” which is directed by “Saturday Night Live” alum Nora Dunn. This searing dark comedy puts the clash between working people and corporate America under the microscope. Two women and their boss scheme with and against each other as they strive to make a housekeeping service their ticket to success. As the trio’s desperation moves them to test ethical limits, Augusta confronts the real meaning of getting ahead. Snag your half-price “Augusta” tickets now!

Title: “Good Boys and True” Venue: Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre Dates: Feb. 15 to 16, 2008 Full Price: $55-$68        Partner Price: $27.50-$34! Description: Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s “Good Boys and True”. When Brandon Hardy – a highly regarded student at an elite prep school – is embroiled in a scandal that threatens his future, his mother must investigate to separate fact from fiction. Snag your half-price “Good Boys and True” tickets now!

Title: “Talking it Over” Venue: Lifeline Theatre Dates: Feb. 11 to March 16, 2008 Full Price: $25        Partner Price: $12.50! Description: When steady Stuart marries the enigmatic Gillian, his impetuous school chum, Oliver, senses that three has become a crowd. But who will end up on the outside as this love triangle struggles to find balance? This darkly comic look at friendship, loyalty and love is at once funny and brutal. Snag your half-price “Talking it Over” tickets now!

By ADAM FENDELMAN Editor-in-Chief HollywoodChicago.com adam@hollywoodchicago.com