Guards at the Taj, Steppenwolf Theatre, through July 29. Rajiv Joseph’s very modern play with an historic setting explores friendship, loyalty, beauty and power through comedy and terror. The wonderful performers should not be missed. JA
Bechdel Fest 6: Revolution, Broken Nose at Steppenwolf 1700 Theatre, July 29-31. If you make it to one fest this month, make it this one, which features 40 stories about female identified and non-binary characters, all penned by local playwrights who understand that passing the Bechdel Test oughta be a cultural imperative. CES
Blood at the Root, Jackalope Theatre Company/Yard Ensemble at the Armory, through July 28. Dominique Morisseau may have based her “choreopoem” on real-life events, but a high-energy ensemble make for an electric immediacy that all but throws off sparks in the Armory’s spartan cell-block. MSB
—By Abarbanel, Barnidge and Sullivan