The Adventures of Robin Hood This children’s play, written by Oliver Emanuel, features just two people in its cast—Molly Bunder and Jyreika Guest, who energetically portray the Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood, respectively, as well as a host of supporting characters. Under Omen Sade’s direction, the duo’s accents and well-aimed archery are enhanced by lighting and sound that engages and excites the youngest audience members. During explainer breaks, Bunder and Guest appear as themselves and describe the significance and history of the character of Robin Hood. An amenity for the kids: Filament’s lobby is filled with show-related, hands-on arts and crafts projects for before or after the performance. —Marissa Oberlander
By Association Shepsu Aakhu’s new agitprop political thriller imagines the fallout experienced by the family and friends of an alleged terrorist—a Rogers Park teenager of Middle Eastern descent—after federal investigators and public sentiment turns against them in the immediate aftermath of a Chicago attack. Married to an immigrant from Ethiopia, Aakhu draws on personal experience as a husband and father to inspire a vivid, hyperlocalized, chilling scenario that recalls an unconscionable number of real-life migrant families post-9/11. An overreliance on hotheaded-detective tropes and an exposition-dumping news anchor undercut some of the visceral stakes, but there are some subtle, deeply affecting moments from young actors Kejuan Darby and Abdu Hytrek. —Dan Jakes
Psychonaut Librarians Sean Kelly’s new fantasy posits a magical “anyverse” (as opposed to the stupid old universe) that apparently connects to our world through the Chicago Public Library. Falling asleep there one evening, a librarian’s young daughter, Jane, finds her soul mate—a creature of indeterminate substance called Dewey—in that alternate dimension. But the evil Sandman blocks their (creepily presexual) union and dooms Jane to spend her next 20 years in that phobic lockdown called regular life. Though Kelly’s script throws off sparks of sly, strange comedy, its bouts of serious message making (“Our souls aren’t in our bodies, our bodies are in our souls, so what’s there to be afraid of?”) feel like excerpts from a Scientology kids’ show. Both the tale and Krissy Vanderwarker’s wildly erratic New Colony staging fall apart before their 80 minutes are up, despite the much-appreciated efforts of Morgan McNaught and Michael Peters to make something viable of their supporting roles. —Tony Adler
