Looking way ahead

Every so often I try to figure out what I will be following the next season.  There are always surprises of course, particularly from the smaller companies that don't get full press releases in the Trib. for example.  Or plays that get such great reviews, I rethink my initial decision to pass.

This year is a little different in that I expect to be leaving Chicago at the end of Sept. -- though with relatively frequent visits through Jan. or Feb.  So it isn't clear enough that I would get enough value to subscribe to anything, and indeed I just let my membership at the Art Institute lapse.  But I can at least think about what is coming down the road.

It looks like I will somehow be able to make the first plays in most 2011-2012 seasons:
Red -- combined Goodman/VG
Mourning Becomes Electra -- Remy Bumppo
Naomi Wallace's The Fever Chart -- Eclipse (actually the final play in their season!)
Hwang's Family Devotions -- Halcyon 
A Behanding in Spokane -- Profiles (not entirely sure I want to see this, but I may go under the right circumstances)

It is a lot less likely that I can make the following, but I'll see if I can arrange it so I can be in town for the following:
Penelope -- Steppenwolf (Dec-Jan)
Invisible Man -- Court (Jan-Feb)
What We're Up Against by Theresa Rebeck -- VG (Jan-Feb)
Camino Real -- Goodman (March-April)
Emperor of the Moon -- Halcyon (TBD)

Camino Real is probably the least realistic, but the one I want to see the most (and there is supposedly a Tennessee Williams fest, wrapped around that) so we'll just see how it goes.

Update:

I decided that since Red was playing in Vancouver, it would be sufficient to see it there (I'll go mid-January).  I am sure the level of professionalism won't be as high as at the Goodman, but I already saw it on Broadway with Alfred Molina and neither production will likely match that.  I did see Family Devotions, Fever Dream and Mourning Becomes Electra.  I skipped the others.  As far as the future productions, I have tickets for Penelope at Steppenwolf but will bag all the rest.  If Halcyon does Emperor of the Moon some day, then I might try to schedule a trip to Chicago.*  After reading Camino Real, I decided I definitely wasn't going to plan a special trip to Chicago to see it (and our travel plans changed to the point that I wasn't going to be in Chicago in January).  On the other hand, I decided to squeeze in Elizabeth Rex (by Timothy Findley) at Chicago Shakespeare in late Dec. and that might end up being my last Chicago play, so I hope it lives up to the hype.**

* I did end up seeing this.

** It was indeed very good.