The Fall to Earth, Steppenwolf Studio, through May 2. Quite possibly the performance of the year by Rondi Reed in Joel Drake Johnson’s taut mother-daughter drama, with a gay twist. Brave acting all around, superb direction, a deeply layered script. Go! (Abarbanel)
Frame 312, Eclipse Ensemble at Victory Gardens, through May 30. A provocative and compelling story about secrets, the JFK assassination and the Zapruder 8mm film of the shooting kicks off Eclipse’s season devoted to edgy playwright Keith Reddin. (Reed)
Proof, Goodman, through May 2. Engaging on many levels, the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning family drama/mystery comes home to its setting, Hyde Park, with a bravura production directed by Chuck Smith and featuring an astonishing Karen Aldridge. (Reed)
Trying, Victory Gardens, through May 15. A grumpy octogenarian and his duogenarian secretary face American life across a half-century divide. Fritz Weaver and Kati Brazda blend historical docudrama and odd-couple comedy with infectious dignity. (Barnidge)
— By Abarbanel, Barnidge and Reed