Photo: Jeremy Dop

Go see Mojada at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre before the play closes on August 11.

BELLEVILLE
Through 8/25 Steppenwolf ensemble members Alena Arenas and Kate Arrington star in Amy Herzog’s troubling psychological thriller of young Americans living dangerously in Paris. $44–$78. Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N Halsted. steppenwolf.org.

BIG LAKE, BIG CITY
Through 8/11 David Schwimmer directs Keith Huff’s (A Steady Rain, House of Cards) noir-infused thriller about shady characters including crooked coroners, femmes fatales, and a guy with a screwdriver stuck in his head. With two area celebrities on the case, this is sure to be a local blockbuster. $22–$70. Lookingglass Theatre, 821 N Michigan. lookingglasstheatre.org.

BLOOD WEDDING
Through 8/11 Federico Garcia Lorca’s play echoes the symbol-laden tragedies of ancient Greece with its depiction of doomed lovers, a botched nuptial celebration, and a murder with long-term consequences. $18–$20. Pursuit Productions at Studio BE, 3110 N Sheffield. pursuitproductions.co.

DEATH AND HARRY HOUDINI
Through 8/11 The amazing Dennis Watkins reprises his stunner about the life and magic of Houdini, complete with the master illusionist’s infamous water tank escape. $25–$40. House Theatre of Chicago at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W Division. thehousetheatre.com.

HOW TO MAKE A RAINBOW
Through 8/18 The outsider artist Joseph Cornell was an autodidact whose interests in subjects as disparate as astronomy and literature influenced his work. Playwright Mike Brayndick explores Cornell’s vivid imagination in this dramatic rendering. $20. $15 students, seniors. On the Spot Theatre Company at Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N Lincoln. onthespottheatrecompany.weebly.com.

INVASION
Through 9/1 A whirling exploration of immigration, language, racism, and identity, Anna Bahow directs this piece plotted with politics and terrorism. Previews through 8/3, $25. Regular run $35. Silk Road Rising at the Chicago Temple Building, 77 W Washington. silkroadrising.org.

MINE
Through 8/11 It’s a fine, uneasy line between madness and reality in the Chicago premiere of Laura Marks’s contemporary thriller, in which a mother wonders whether her newborn is actually hers. Marti Lyons directs. $30. Gift Theatre, 4802 N Milwaukee. thegifttheatre.org.

MOJADA Critic’s Pick
Through 8/11 Moving the action from ancient Greece to Pilsen, the playwright Luis Alfaro updates Euripides’s drama of a scorned woman and her doomed children. $30–$60. Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N Lincoln. victorygardens.org.

SIMPATICO Critic’s Pick
Through 8/25 Dado directs a killer cast that includes Guy Van Swearingen and Michael Shannon in Sam Shepard’s twisting noir of fixed horse races, false identities, blackmail, and other nefariousness. $25–$30. A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells. aredorchidtheatre.org.

YELLOW MOON
Through 8/4 David Greig spins the story of Leila and Lee, a pair of Scottish teens who embark on a wild, violent trek across the highlands in search of Lee’s long-gone father. $35–$60. Writers Theatre’s Bookstore Space, 664 Vernon, Glencoe. writerstheatre.org.

Check back for more events:
Music: Folk, Country, World | Music: Classical, New Music, Opera | Theatre: Dramas
Music: Rock, Pop, Hip Hop | Theatre: Comedies | Music: Classic Rock, Blues, Soul
Theatre: Musicals | Art Galleries | Museums | Best of the Rest