This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Chicgo Tribune critic Chris Jones about his book Bigger, Brighter, Louder: 150 Years of Chicago Theater As Seen By Chicago Tribune Critics. Chris talks about how and why he chose the 101 reviews in the book and he also gives advise to young critics.

What is it like to make a career in Chicago theatrical design? Scenery designer Angie Weber Miller and costume designer Emily Waecker -- both 2013 Equity Jeff Award winners -- join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about their careers, their processes and their award-winning designs.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with actor David Lively. David talks about playing Horace in Hello, Dolly! at Drury Lane Oakbrook and also about his long career in musicals and classical theatre.

What are the special challenges of making theatre for a young audience? Why is "simple" difficult? Director Henry Godinez and actors Karl Hamilton and Mark David Kaplan join Anne Nicholson Weber to discuss Chicago Children's Theatre's production of A Year with Frog and Toad, a family musical adapted by Robert Reale and Willie Reale from the children's books by Arnold Lobel.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Millicent Hurley Spencer, the star of The Trip to Bountiful at Raven Theatre. She talks about her preparation and execution of the role of Carrie Watts in the Horton Foote classic drama.

Is it necessary to say something new when you produce a classic text? Director Ron OJ Parson and actor Greta Oglesby join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about their intimate production of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, which is currently playing at Timeline Theatre.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Walter Stearns - the Executive director of the Mercury Theater and the director of their current show, The Color Purple. He talks about the challenges of mounting an epic musical at his intimate theatre plus the upcoming shows at the Mercury.

For two decades, Michael Shannon and Guy Van Swearingen have been making theatre at 1531 N. Wells Street, the home of A Red Orchid Theatre. On this week's podcast, Guy and Michael join Anne Nicholson Weber to discuss their partnership of 20 years and their current collaboration in Sam Shepard's Simpatico.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Erik Gernand - the author of The Beautiful Dark at Redtwist Theatre. Erik explains how and why he chose his topic and how the creative process works for creating a new work for the theatre.

How do you make it funny? Director William Brown and cast members Laura Rook and Nate Burger join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about the comedy - verbal, physical and situational - in Writers Theatre's production of David Ives play, The Liar, adapted from Pierre Corneille's 17th century script.