Ad Hoc [Home] Thirteen members of the About Face Youth Theatre Ensemble, aged 14-24, present an hour-long theatrical collage of autobiographical reflections about growing up queer. Developed by the ensemble members themselves through improvisation and writing workshops, the devised performance piece employs monologues, scenes, and choral speaking passages addressing the challenges and triumphs of being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and genderqueer. Some of the coming-out/coming-of-age stories have a familiar ring—parents who tell their kids that their discomfort with gender norms is “just a phase,” for example. Other pieces are stark reminders of the uniquely tumultuous times this generation of youth lives in, such as Da Shona Johnson’s powerful, rapid-fire soliloquy referencing the mass murder in Orlando and the campaigns by state legislators to exploit “bathroom bills” for political purposes. There is humor here too, and a tenderness rooted equally in strength and vulnerability. The cast—who set a standard for diversity in terms of race, gender, and physical type that professional stages would do well to emulate—are poised but not “polished”; their unaffected honesty is engaging, illuminating, and inspiring. —Albert Williams
The Dead Boy Scout Musical It’s hard to imagine an institution more ripe for parody than the Boy Scouts. Think of the oaths, the uniforms, the homosocial bonding, the snacks! The Dead Boy Scout Musical at the Annoyance tells the story of a trip to New Mexico’s Philmont Scout Ranch gone horribly wrong. Easy target notwithstanding, it’s a genuinely hilarious spoof, and the level of detail is astonishing—there are things in the script that I suspect only an Eagle Scout would know, and sure enough, the writing and direction are credited to recipients of that illustrious honor. With a few exceptions (notably Bruce Phillips), these guys can’t really sing, but that almost makes the production better. This is the third show I’ve seen at Annoyance this year, and the comedy theater has yet to disappoint. —Max Maller
Show & Tell Second City, iO, Annoyance—Chicago’s improv institutions are schools as well as theaters. But so far as I know, nobody has combined the two functions in a single entertainment until now. This series allows improvisers to, as the tagline goes, show you what they do and tell you how they do it. My experience will probably differ from yours. For one thing, the ensemble I saw comprised performers from various teams, so they weren’t necessarily used to playing with one another; future installments will feature established teams. And the audience I sat with included lots of improv students, whose questions skewed the conversation toward technicalese; that may change as more civilians take part. What will likely remain the same is a format where players perform scenes, from duets to long-form Harolds, following each with a Q and A. If you’re as lucky as I was, you’ll see energetic, creative bits and learn something too. —Tony Adler
