A Light in the Dark: The Story of Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan As with last year’s vibrant Snowflake, Chicago Children’s Theatre shows that speech isn’t the only language to tell a tale in its latest, a coproduction with Thodos Dance Chicago that recounts the story of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan. The work opens with Anne, haunted by the early loss of her brother, and shows how this gave rise to her passion for teaching. Eventually she’s hired by the Keller family as a tutor for blind, deaf, and mute Helen. Fittingly, few words are spoken on stage; Helen’s dances move from spastic to elegant, revealing her awakening. As the story progresses her movements become more controlled—but also more joyful, her wildness now channeled and contained. The final moments reveal the process has been spiritually transformative for both student and teacher.—Suzanne Scanlon
Undreamed Shores Undreamed Shores is an elaborate audio tour of Navy Pier assembled by Chicago Shakespeare Theater in partnership with Richard Jordan Productions. The theme is “water,” its mystery and majesty. It ends up being part scavenger hunt, part guided meditation, as lines of Shakespearean dialogue filter through ambient soundscapes and an ensemble of male and female voices urges you to commit yourself to the unusual, experimental journey. Sometimes it feels revelatory, as when you’re asked to lie down and look up at various fixtures of the carnivalesque pier, seeing them from new perspectives; sometimes it feels like walking around Navy Pier, and through traffic (“Watch for cars!” say the voices), with headphones on. The Shakespeare, devoid of context and heavily adapted, is incidental; the real depth is in the adventure itself, which takes you through some pretty extraordinary stuff, including a stained glass museum. Tours take about 70 minutes; wear comfortable walking shoes. —Max Maller
