No Wonder The World Seems Deranged…

Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/10/2025 – 08:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/no-wonder-world-seems-deranged 

SpaceX Reportedly Targeting 2026 IPO That Could Rival Saudi Aramco’s Historic Listing

Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/10/2025 – 07:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/spacex-reportedly-targeting-2026-ipo-could-rival-saudi-aramcos-historic-listing 

Deena and Lonnie Givens’ children faced a towering task when they flipped on Wilmette’s holiday lights Saturday.

Especially when the larger-than-life switch stood taller than both of them.

The Givens’ 5-year old daughter, Sloan, and 2-year-old son, Beau, nevertheless managed to turn on the lights decorating the Christmas tree and the entire snow-covered green in front of Village Hall. Sloan cheered, while Beau looked ahead with his mouth agape, perhaps in astonishment.

Their momentary but momentous role arose from an ask by Wilmette Village President Senta Plunkett. Deena Givens, who sits on the village’s Human Relations Commission, said she works closely with Plunkett.

“It was just one of those things that just all came together,” Deena Givens said.

And so the Givens basked in the resplendence around them, including what Plunkett told the crowd were the more than 8,000 lights on the tree alone.

The village had planted the white fir four years ago, replacing a tall but declining tree, Plunkett told Pioneer Press. The fir started out at 14 feet. Since then, while the tree shot upward, the decorations in the square have largely stayed the same, save for a few undisclosed tweaks.

The Wilmette Christmas tree stands tall above the revelers who came for the tree lighting on Dec. 6, 2025. Four years ago, the village planted the white fir when it stood only 14 feet tall, according to Plunkett. (Shun Graves/for Pioneer Press)

“We don’t want to give all our trade secrets away,” said Brigitte Berger-Raish, Wilmette’s engineering and public works director. The department plans the decorations.

Ahead of the tree lighting, children played in the snow while the New Trier Swing Choir performed carols in front of Village Hall. Earlier in the day, Santa appeared downtown and the Wilmette Theatre showed “Elf” as part of what the village called “Holiday Happenings.”

Wilmette Village President Senta Plunkett speaks to the crowd before the Christmas tree lighting at Wilmette Village Hall on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (Shun Graves/for Pioneer Press)

Morgan Russo came with her husband and their children. They brought Finley, 3, and Lucy, 1, to see the lights for the first time.

“We’ve lived here for about four years, but we haven’t ever come to see this,” Russo said. “And I think our kids are now at the age where we want to start having traditions, so we thought this would be a fun tradition to start.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/wilmette-siblings-flip-the-switch-to-light-holiday-tree-green/ 

It’s not easy to distinguish between brothers Kyle and Brogan Banker based on statistics and accolades.

But Washington Township coach Scott Bowersock knows there are more differences between 6-foot-2 senior guard Kyle Banker and 5-10 sophomore guard Brogan Banker than size and age.

“Brogan has a more laid-back personality,” Bowersock said. “Kyle is more focused or lasered in, both on the court and in the classroom. Both are good players and students, but Kyle has more of a direct approach, while Brogan takes things slow and doesn’t let things bother him. Kyle’s improving in that regard, too, but it stems from the fact that he wants to win.”

With Kyle Banker, who is averaging 13.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3.3 steals, and Brogan Banker, who is averaging 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals, winning has become commonplace for the defending Porter County Conference champion Senators (3-0, 1-0). Both players were named all-conference for a team that won 21 games last season.

But they have taken different paths to this point.

Kyle Banker, a team captain, is in his third varsity season and also excels in volleyball even as he deals with osteochondritis dissecans, a joint condition that can cause bone and cartilage to break loose. He had three surgeries for the condition as a sophomore. After the first two, he said, he had “giant holes where cartilage should be.” The third surgery allowed him to return to the sport he loves.

“I learned to rely heavily on my team and my brother,” Kyle Banker said. “I couldn’t have gotten through everything without him and my parents. I had God as well. God helped me through everything. I prayed constantly, as I do now, and that helped me through the entire thing.

“It was extremely mentally demanding and physically demanding. The pain I experienced was horrible, but it was all worth it, and I’m here today.”

Brogan Banker burst onto the scene as a freshman last season.

“I don’t look at players in terms of what grade they’re in,” Bowersock said. “I look at, ‘Can they help us?’ Brogan started on varsity with us the entire summer heading into his freshman year. Obviously, there was a lot for him to learn, and there were growing pains. But it was his competitive nature that sold me.

“Ultimately, he was very consistent and ended up leading us in scoring.”

Washington Township’s Brogan Banker, right, puts up a shot over Boone Grove’s Joey Taylor during a Porter County Conference game in Valparaiso on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

Brogan said he struggled with the size of opponents and the pace of the varsity game early last season, but his self-confidence didn’t waver. He’s aware that teams will be more prepared to face him this season, but he’s not worried about what they might throw his way.

“I’ve grown within my jump shot, and I’m working on the pull-up a lot more,” Brogan Banker said. “It’s been going in lately, so I don’t think a lot of defenses will be ready for that. I just have to play my game and do what I do. I’ve got to show that I’m the better player out there, and that no matter what they have, I’ll still outshine their defense.”

Speaking of showing who’s the better player, Brogan Banker said he also wants to prove he’s the better Banker, although he doesn’t think that affects his play.

“Since I could remember, I’ve always been pushing to be the better brother,” Brogan Banker said. “I’m always trying to be more competitive and have a step on Kyle. I always want to be better than him. It’s how siblings are.

“We have a little brother, Rigsby, who’s in sixth grade now. I love playing against him because it makes me realize he’s competitive with me like I was with Kyle. But of course I’m always trying to be the best brother out of the three.”

Washington Township’s Kyle Banker (23) lines up a shot during a Porter County Conference game against Boone Grove in Valparaiso on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

Kyle Banker feels the same way.

“We’re constantly pushing each other, fighting to see who’s better and who can win the one-on-one at home,” Kyle Banker said. “We have a huge thing about dunking, like who can get up higher, who has the higher vertical, that sort of thing.

“But at the end of the day, we’re constantly pushing each other to be better, and that definitely translates to the court.”

Where the Banker brothers and their teammates hope to win the program’s first sectional title.

“The next big leap for our program is taking that next step in the postseason,” Bowersock said. “In 90-plus years at Washington Township, we’ve never won a sectional championship.

“We’ve won conference championships since I’ve been here, but there’s two things we haven’t done yet, and that’s make a run in the postseason and win a PCC Tournament championship. Those are high on our priority list, and if we win, it’ll be because those two made a huge contribution along with some other guys.”

Noah Poser is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/basketball-washington-township-kyle-banker-and-brogan-banker/ 

State Department Has Revoked 85,000 Visas Since January, Official Says

Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/10/2025 – 07:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/state-department-has-revoked-85000-visas-january-official-says 

Por DOUG FEINBERG

A’ja Wilson se destacó nuevamente en la WNBA en 2025, ganando un cuarto MVP sin precedentes mientras sus Las Vegas Aces lograron un tercer campeonato en cuatro temporadas.

Por eso, el miércoles fue reconocida como la Deportista Femenina del Año por The Associated Press por primera vez en su carrera. Es el segundo año consecutivo que una jugadora de baloncesto gana el premio, después de que Caitlin Clark fuera homenajeada en 2024.

“Es un honor cuando piensas en el grupo de mujeres que han ganado antes”, afirmó Wilson en una entrevista telefónica. “Solo tener mi nombre como parte de eso, es una bendición”.

Wilson es apenas la quinta jugadora de baloncesto en ser reconocida como la Deportista Femenina del Año desde que se presentó por primera vez en 1931, tras Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995), Candace Parker (2008, 2021) y Clark.

Un grupo de 47 periodistas deportivos de AP y sus miembros votaron. Wilson recibió 17 votos, la estrella del tenis Aryna Sabalenka fue segunda con nueve y Paige Bueckers fue tercera con cinco.

“Las cosas que ha hecho en la cancha nunca se han hecho. Para mí, ella está en una categoría propia”, comentó la entrenadora de las Aces, Becky Hammon, sobre Wilson. “La gente siempre pregunta quién está en tu monte Rushmore. Yo digo que ella está en el Everest, no hay nadie allá arriba con ella”.

Shohei Ohtani ganó el martes el premio al Atleta Masculino del Año de AP por cuarta vez.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/aja-wilson-gana-el-premio-ap-a-la-deportista-femenina-del-ao-tras-su-histrico-4to-mvp-de-la-wnba/ 

The stretch run is here for the Chicago Bears, who are hunting their first playoff berth since 2020 with four games remaining in the regular season.

Coming off a 28-21 loss in Green Bay that dropped them out of first place and behind the Packers in the NFC North, the Bears (9-3) will look to bounce back Sunday at Soldier Field against the Cleveland Browns (3-10). But first, the Tribune’s Brad Biggs reaches into his weekly Bears mailbag.

Do you see the Bears opening games with a two-minute offense/mindset? Caleb Williams excels in these scenarios, less thinking, more reaction. They can always revert/incorporate ground and pound afterward. — @beardown3354

Ben Johnson certainly could consider implementing an up-tempo approach early in games. We’ve seen various Bears offenses do that over the years at different points. I don’t know if I’d expect to see that Sunday against a talented Cleveland Browns defense that ranks No. 1 in the league against the pass, allowing only 165.2 yards per game. The Browns have been really stingy against quarterbacks, and it’s likelier that Johnson will lean into the strength of his offense — the line — and try to establish a physical tone from the start.

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard hit the Browns for 161 yards with touchdowns of 65 and 32 yards last week, but that was uncharacteristic of how Cleveland plays the run. One theory is that Myles Garrett, who needs three sacks to set the NFL’s single-season record, was going for broke against a poor Titans team to try to get the record at home in front of Browns fans.

The Browns are 13th in the league in rushing defense, allowing 107.7 yards per game, but fourth in yards per carry allowed (3.85). Pollard and the Baltimore Ravens’ Derrick Henry are the only backs to reach 100 yards against Cleveland this season.

The Bears offense has been decent in the first quarter this season, averaging 5.7 points to rank seventh in the league. The Los Angeles Rams are first at 7.7. Johnson’s offense has produced three touchdowns and two field goals in 13 opening drives, although two of the touchdowns came in the first two weeks. The Bears haven’t scored on their first possession since the Nov. 2 victory in Cincinnati. In four of the last six games, they scored a touchdown on their second offensive series.

While the Bears had a slow start in Green Bay — they converted only 1 of 7 third downs in the first half — they haven’t really been slow starters over the course of the season. The Packers have a very talented defense too. You’d imagine there are some pass concepts Johnson wants to get to early Sunday, but the Bears probably will see if they can pick up where they left off in Green Bay by opening holes for the running game, especially after the Titans had success on the ground last week in Cleveland.

Why has it taken Ryan Poles four years to assemble a below-average defensive line? How was Ben Johnson able to fix Poles’ offensive line in one offseason that took Poles four years to put together? — @bennerbjammin

There’s a lot going on here. For starters, you have to acknowledge that the turnaround by the offensive line this season — which has required coaching from Johnson, Dan Roushar and others — followed an offseason of moves that Poles initiated. He was the one who traded for and then extended the contracts of guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and paid center Drew Dalman in free agency. You can’t say Poles built poor offensive lines and then ignore his role in acquiring the players who are now playing at a higher level. The Bears also have gotten natural growth out of Poles’ 2023 first-round pick, right tackle Darnell Wright, and he finally has assembled some quality depth for the group.

I’d agree that the defensive line has been underwhelming this season. My first reaction is that, coming off a five-win season, it’s difficult to fix everything in one offseason. The priority was very clear: The Bears needed to get better on the offensive line, specifically on the interior, to give Caleb Williams a chance to develop in his second season after he took a league-high 68 sacks as a rookie. The Bears poured resources — both money and four draft picks (one each in the trades for Thuney and Jackson and the selections of Ozzy Trapilo and Luke Newman) — into the offensive line.

Investments were made on the defensive line as well, and those haven’t been as profitable. Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon Nov. 2 in Cincinnati, and a right knee injury hampered defensive tackle Grady Jarrett early in the season. Neither of those free-agent signings has produced the impact the team was hoping for. Gervon Dexter Sr. hasn’t turned it on consistently at defensive tackle either, and he remains a bit of an enigma — a large, powerful guy who is too hard to notice in too many games.

The defensive line is a question mark if you’re wondering how the team will fare in the critical stretch run against strong opponents, and it’s certainly an area of concern if you talk about about playoff football. Maybe the line can step Sunday against a Browns team that could be looking at wholesale changes on the offensive line after the season. Cleveland inserted ex-Bear Teven Jenkins into the lineup last week at right guard in place of Wyatt Teller.

The defensive line looks an area that will be a priority in the offseason.

Do you think 2-2 in the final four games is enough to get the Bears into the playoffs? — @greggisp

Chicago Bears announce ticket plan for potential home playoff games

It certainly looks like an 11-6 record would, at minimum, be enough to secure a wild-card spot. Ben Johnson and his staff have done a pretty good job of keeping the focus on the task at hand, so I don’t think there will be any fear of players or staff looking ahead to the Dec. 20 rematch with the Packers. They know they have to put together a solid game to beat a Browns team that upset Green Bay earlier in the season.

With four games remaining, things can shift in a hurry. The Bears went from the No. 1 position in the NFC to No. 7 with the loss in Green Bay. Things could flip just as quickly this week, especially with the Packers (9-3-1) playing the Broncos (11-2) in Denver and the Detroit Lions (8-5) visiting the Rams (10-3). It could be a topsy-turvy race down the stretch, and 11 wins might be the magic number for the seventh and final seed in the NFC.

I am puzzled at how absent DJ Moore has been in the passing game over the year other than screen passes. I know he has had a couple of decent games but it seems as if he is just not getting targeted as a receiver as much as Colston Loveland or Rome Odunze or now Cole Kmet. Happy to see Kmet involved more but it seems as if DJ is just not getting looks by Caleb Williams. Is this a misperception on my part or is it part of the play-calling design? Seems like a massive talent going relatively underused. — Niren A., Riverside, Calif.

Bears wide receiver DJ Moore makes a move after a catch against the Eagles on Nov. 28, 2025, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Moore ranks second on the team with 66 targets, although he had only three, tied for a season low, in Sunday’s loss in Green Bay. It’s well-documented that he caught only one pass for a 4-yard loss, and that came on the heels of having only two receptions for 17 yards in the win in Philadelphia.

There’s no question Moore should have been a bigger part of the offense against the Packers, especially with a foot injury sidelining Odunze (team-high 90 targets), and that’s something Ben Johnson lamented when he spoke Monday.

“I thought he ran some pretty good routes over the course of the day and we just couldn’t give him the ball, which that was not the intent,” Johnson said. “I thought going into the game we might’ve had more for him than any other player in the offense. And so was a little surprised at the end when I saw the stat sheet for one catch. That was disappointing.”

Williams missed Moore badly on the first third down of the game. The Bears faced third-and-15 on their 23-yard line, and Moore came open on a dagger route at about the Packers 40. The throw sailed high over Moore — so high that it wasn’t playable for the safety who was 5 yards behind him.

The ball fluttered out of Williams’ hand, so I wanted to see if it was perhaps deflected at the line. It was not. Maybe the footwork was off a little. If you look closely, I don’t think Williams was stepping toward the target, but I won’t pretend to be an expert on quarterback fundamentals.

The bottom line is Moore was open for a first down and the throw was far off the mark.

“We just left it a little bit high there early in the game,” Johnson said, referring to that play. “Something that I’ve talked about over the last few weeks with Caleb is, ‘Man, how can I best serve him to get him in a rhythm early in games?’ So when we can, we can have some strong starts to the first half.

“And when you’re asking your first completion to be an 18-yard dagger route, that’s not always the easiest thing, particularly in those elements on the road like that. So something that he’s certainly capable of doing — he makes that throw all the time in practice — and yet we weren’t able to do it there (Sunday) that early in the game.”

The Bears have a lot of mouths to feed on offense, and Moore is one that needs more opportunities because he’s an explosive player in the open field. I’d imagine the coaching staff will look to get Moore unlocked this week against the Browns.

I watched that play over and over. It looks like Caleb Williams had DJ Moore open. Either Moore was supposed to drag or he was really not running to get open. Looks like he was going half speed. Check it out. — Phil S.

If you watched the final offensive play a few times, you noticed Moore had to navigate some traffic coming through the backfield. He was a late option for Williams on the play, and the reason he popped open was Keisean Nixon, who had him in man coverage, bailed to pick up tight end Cole Kmet in the end zone. So Moore didn’t really pop wide open until Nixon was retreating to Kmet and Williams was throwing that way. The problem was Williams was a little late deciding on Kmet and then underthrew the ball, which Nixon picked off.

I don’t think Moore was running half speed. He was probably the fourth option on the play after Kmet, running back D’Andre Swift (who was just about triple-covered in the bust by the Packers) and Williams pulling the ball down and running for the line to gain. It would have been a highly difficult throw for Williams to target Moore on that play.

Did the officials miss a penalty when Theo Benedet was cut on the goal-line play where he was an eligible receiver? — Ron V., McHenry

Colston Loveland (84) celebrates his touchdown with fellow Bears tight ends Durham Smythe (81) and Cole Kmet (85) in the fourth quarter against the Packers on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Benedet was an eligible lineman on the third-and-goal play from the Green Bay 1-yard line. He came in motion and was cut down by Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. The Bears said Benedet was the primary read on the play. Fortunately for them, tight end Colston Loveland popped loose uncovered on the back side of the play for an easy touchdown throw from Caleb Williams.

The Bears seemed adamant there should have been a penalty on Cooper on the play, and an officiating source, after watching the play, concurred.

My source said a low block outside of the tight end box is illegal, and the rule applies to defensive players as well.

“Corners were taking out linemen pulling downfield, so they made that action by the defense illegal too,” the source said.

Carl Jones Jr. was one of the more productive players on special teams. Why did the Bears waive him and then lose him to Baltimore? — Doug E., Darien

The Bears waived Jones on Saturday to create a spot on the 53-man roster for offensive lineman Jordan McFadden. T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell returned for the game in Green Bay, so the Bears had four linebackers. They should be getting another back soon when Tremaine Edmunds (groin) returns from injured reserve.

Related Articles

I suspect the team hoped to re-sign Jones to the practice squad, but that didn’t happen when the Ravens claimed him on waivers. He was third on the team in special teams tackles and did a solid job. The Bears are not light in that area now, and rookie linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II should be back from a shoulder injury sooner rather than later.

It looks to me like the Bears probably wanted McFadden on the roster to serve as a reserve guard, filling the role rookie Luke Newman played before he suffered a foot injury. That’s my best guess at the situation, and that would mean Ryan Bates is serving as the backup center.

Losing Jones on waivers is a sign the roster is getting a little bit better. Bad teams don’t have players sniped from them as often.

Any way to get out of the Kyler Gordon contract? Buddy never plays. — @bearsluvr12

There was a handful of questions about Gordon and the three-year, $40 million extension he signed during the offseason. Seemingly everyone is frustrated by the injuries that have plagued him since August — from Gordon to coaches to fans alike. Trust me, no one is more dispirited than Gordon, who badly wants to be out there.

The Bears aren’t going to move on from Gordon less than a year after making him the highest-paid slot cornerback in the league. His contract included $21.256 million fully guaranteed, which includes his $10 million base salary in 2026. The Bears will have to make a decision on Gordon after the 2026 season. He has a $10 million base salary for 2027, and it becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the league year.

We’ll see if there’s a chance Gordon can get back on the field this season, but it’s to the point the team can’t count on him to be available.

“It’s disappointing,” Ben Johnson said Monday. “I wish I had a better feel for the individual, but with him being out as much as he has, I haven’t really gotten to see him on the field and competing to get to know him like I’d like to at this point.

“I do know that the biggest predictor of a soft-tissue injury is having a previous one. He’s in this rut right now that we’re not able to get out of. We’re going to exhaust all of our resources in and outside of the building to make sure that we’re addressing it and doing what we can to get him back and healthy again.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/chicago-bears-mailbag-caleb-williams-dj-moore/ 

Angels hovering anew over Chicago’s North Side. The return of Brian Friel. And a “Raisin” we could call our own.

Here’s our annual celebration of the best Chicago shows of the year, in order, with an additional 10 in alphabetical order that almost made our list. As is our longtime practice, we’ve limited our choices to productions that originated in the Chicago area; otherwise you’d find the Lyric Opera’s sumptuous “Medea,” director David Cromer’s Goodman Theatre staging of “The Antiquities” from New York, the knockout touring casts of “Parade” and “The Sound of Music,” and other such worthies on this annual list of shows we won’t quickly forget.

1: “Angels in America” by Invictus Theatre

A phenomenal achievement for a neighborhood, storefront company with a low budget, the Invictus “Angels’ was the best non-Equity production here since before the pandemic and in many ways was a necessary reminder of the historic vitality of Chicago’s non-union theater scene, where young artists first made their mark before going on to oft-formidable careers. It’s our pick for the best show of the year. Aside from the audacity of the programming risk, director Charles Askenaizer’s fast-moving, rotating-repertory stagings of the constituent “Millennium Approaches” and “Perestroika” in the former Windy City Playhouse was visually compelling, richly acted throughout the cast, and allowed for audiences to experience this great play in a contemporary context. Everyone here gave of their hearts and souls to this project and the results were profoundly joyous.

The cast of “Translations” at Writers Theatre in Glencoe. (Michael Brosilow)

2: “Translations” at Writers Theatre

Chicago has a singular tradition of potent stagings of Irish drama,  the plays of Brian Friel in particular, and this Writers Theatre production of one of Friel’s greatest works from 1980 was a welcome return to a tradition that has felt a tad moribund in recent years. Director Braden Abraham began his production in total darkness before revealing the grand work of the designers Andrew Boyce and Maximo Grano De Oro that immersed the audience in the rolling hills and gorgeous sunsets of Ballybeg. This past year, Writers has really amped up its ability to use the assets of its main theater to immerse its audience in the environments of its shows and this one created such a vivid world as to be wholly engulfing. No stereotypes were tolerated; instead, we got Friel’s rich evocation of characters both flawed and vulnerable, and the love of his home that informed so much of his great dramas of regular folks struggling with time and change.

Kierra Bunch and Brian Keys in “A Raisin in the Sun” at Court Theatre in Hyde Park. (Michael Brosilow)

3: “A Raisin in the Sun” at Court Theatre

The first of three excellent Court Theatre shows on this list, director Gabrielle Randle-Bent’s production understood that in Chicago, and Hyde Park especially, “Raisin” is a local play. That’s thanks in no small part to a gorgeously crafted set design from Boyce (what a year he had). Not only did this feel and move like Chicago, but the staging felt wholly reflective of the genius of Lorraine Hansberry, one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century whose life was cut short when just reaching its creative prime. Randle-Bent’s overtly kinetic approach to classics has sometimes come off as pretentious, but here it worked superbly well, as she crafted the movement of a South Side Chicago family, fighting off racism and internal conflicts as they all lived out their frustrations and pursued their varied dreams even as they went about their everyday business. The director had a superb cast, including Kierra Bunch as Ruth Younger and the riveting Shanésia Davis as Lena Younger. All of the issues of interest to this singularly intellectual author were honored, but never at the expense of the simple reality of a family who just wants to breathe fresh air.

Lee (Ben Page) and Austin (Jack Ball) in Sam Shepard’s play “True West” in the Paramount’s Copley Theatre in Aurora. (Brett Beiner)

4: “True West” at Paramount’s Copley Theatre

Alas, Paramount Theatre’s Bold Series (I never much liked the name) was the victim of fiscal cutbacks this year. But we still had director Jim Corti’s knockout “True West,” a new staging of Sam Shepard’s famous drama of sibling rivalry, long associated with a signature production at the Steppenwolf Theatre. There was nary a fake note in this intense staging, which honored Shepard’s intentions. In the script, the playwright demands no deviations from simple realism when it comes to the stage design and Lauren M. Nichols’ set both followed those strictures and subtly undermined them, as a great “True West” designer should. I’d gotten off the train in Aurora moments before, only to be catapulted by this show to the outskirts of the Mojave Desert. There, two brothers beat each other to a psychological and metaphysical pulp and the actors Jack Ball and Ben Page were up for rendering every last blow, as fueled by their characters’ crushing insecurities.

Tim Hopper and Emilie Maureen Hanson in “Mr. Wolf” at Steppenwolf Theatre. (Michael Brosilow)

5: “Mr. Wolf” at Steppenwolf Theatre

Playwright Rajiv Joseph’s humanistic and deeply felt 2015 drama about a girl abducted at a young age and returned to her parents years later is not an easy one for audiences to grasp. Word was, the show did not sell especially well. But audiences who did come witnessed, to my mind, one of the best Steppenwolf productions in recent memory, a moving drama that fully captured the agony behind the central questions Joseph’s script was asking: How can parents handle a child who has changed immeasurably since they last saw her? How do step-parents deal with a family crisis that preceded their entry into the family? When we have lost someone and she comes back, how do we calibrate the joy of the return versus the pain of the lost years? All of these issues have import beyond the script and director K. Todd Freeman’s staging was replete with a kinetic, restless set from Walt Spangler that matched the roiled humans walking around in a fog on stage.

Ayanna Bria Bakari, Sharriese Hamilton, Patrick Newson Jr., Joshua L. Green and Ronald L. Conner in “Big White Fog” at Court Theatre. (Michael Brosilow)

6: “Big White Fog” at Court Theatre

Director Ron OJ Parson took on one of Chicago’s mostly lost plays, a 1938 drama by Theodore Ward that clearly influenced Hansberry when she wrote “A Raisin in the Sun.” “Big White Fog” is not the poetic equal of that classic, but Parson gave this inter-generational story life, vitality and exuberance as it charted the difficulties and victories of another Black Chicago family, this one living on South Dearborn Street during the Depression. Parson’s cast included 17 actors, and its director clearly realized that the title of the drama referred not only to the racist attitudes against which the family must fight but to how the “big white fog” influenced how early 20th century Black Chicagoans felt about each other.  I saw an understudy, Bridget Adams-King, in an important role and the difficulty of her assignment only deepened her work, matching the other members of Parson’s superb ensemble, including the superb twosome of Greta Oglesby and Joshua L. Green.

Emma Jo Boyden (foreground) and Adam Schulmerich in “Lobby Hero” by Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit. (Michael Brosilow)

7: “Lobby Hero” by Shattered Globe Theatre

This hugely entertaining off-Loop production of Kenneth Lonergan’s 2001 play felt like another throwback to the glory days of off-Loop theater, typified as it was by excellent ensemble acting and a willingness to probe the ennui of urban life. Director Nate Santana’s production featured a star turn from Elliot Esquivel, who played the titular security guard, condemned to react to the comings and goings of his residential building, a character whose ordinariness does not stop one crisis after another from arriving at his buzzer. Here, too, a low budget did not stop a set designer, in this case José Manuel Díaz-Soto, from creating a witty, evocative design that fit both the play and the emotional intimacy of this superb production. The show pulsed with life.

Deborah Hay and Mark Bedard as Beatrice and Benedick in “Much Ado About Nothing” in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier. (Kyle Flubacker)

8: “Much Ado about Nothing” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Chicago Shakespeare’s “Much Ado” was an end-of-year treat on Navy Pier, superbly well-spoken, unpretentious and both generous and welcoming to its audience. The director, Selina Cadell, used older performers in Deborah Hay and Mark Bedard to play the famously belligerent Beatrice and Benedick, and that worked beautifully, raising the stakes for both of them. But the biggest pleasure here came when the actors engaged in direct banter with the folks in the seats. Given the snowy start to the winter season, spending quality time in the Italian sunlight with this group of artists was especially welcome.

Brandon Ruiter, HB Ward, Raven Whitley, Kate Collins, Mo Shipley, Elizabeth Laidlaw and Ellie Duffey in “Berlin” at Court Theatre. (Michael Brosilow)

9: “Berlin” at Court Theatre

Court Theatre had an extraordinary 2025, with the majority of its productions among the best of the year. Adapted by the Chicago writer Mickle Maher and directed by former Court Theatre artistic director Charles Newell, “Berlin” was based on the graphic novel by Jason Lutes, recounting the story of Berlin from 1928 to 1933, through a variety of characters who occupy its streets and bedrooms. Metaphorically speaking, this Court world premiere was a multifaceted exploration of the fall of a free and liberal city and its authoritarian takeover. Not everything worked; the project was immensely challenging. Yet it somehow managed to contain as much of Lutes’ vision as would be humanly possible. It was quite the experience and indicative of Newell’s decades-long legacy of excellence at this theater and in this city.

Ava Lane Stovall, David Moreland and cast in “Jekyll & Hyde” by Kokandy Productions at the Chopin Theatre. (Evan Hanover)

10: “Jekyll and Hyde” by Kokandy Productions

This famously campy Frank Wildhorn musical might seem like a strange inclusion on such a list; it’s rarely been a favorite of critics. But audiences have always been another matter when it comes to Wildhorn’s boffo tuners and people have been flocking to see this intimate new staging of a show stocked like Walmart at Christmas with power ballads, sung here with quite astonishing prowess by the likes of Ava Lane Stovall, a musical star in waiting if ever Chicago has one. Director Derek Van Barham’s production was inventive and pulsing with life and we saw 15 musicians crammed into the back of the theater, belting out those killer songs. The year 2025 was Kokandy’s moment, indeed.

Ten more, in alphabetical order:  “Blackbird” by the New Theatre Project; “Catch Me If You Can” at Marriott Theatre; “Cygnus” by Gift Theatre; “Gaslight” at Northlight Theatre; “Iraq, But Funny” at Lookingglass Theatre; “Memorabilia” by Teatro Vista, “Paranormal Activity” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; “Tell Me On a Sunday” by Theo Ubique Theatre; “White Christmas” at Paramount Theatre; “You Will Get Sick” at Steppenwolf Theatre.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/best-theater-2025/