Good afternoon! Raven Theatre has announced its new season: Michael R. Jackson's "A Strange Loop," to open in October under the direction of Mikael Burke; "The Glass Menagerie" in February 2027, directed by new artistic director Jonathan Berry; and, in April, Sharyn Rothstein's "Tell Me I'm Not Crazy," directed by Georgette Verdin.

I am sometimes asked if I always want a show to be good before I walk in the door. My usual answer is that what I most hope for is something that will be interesting and challenging to write about as a critic, which often tracks with good. But when it comes to a new theater for a much-loved company like TimeLine Theatre, the answer is, yes, I fervently hoped its debut production of "An Enemy of the People" would be good. Who wants to rain on that level of parade? Happily, the show is not only good but exceptional, and entirely not to be missed, and it comes with the chance to put eyes on Chicago's newest theater. Very much our latest addition to Chris Jones Recommends.

Also, this last week, I wrote about the opposite of cheering the opening of a new theater — worrying about the fate of an old one, in this case, the old Blackstone Theatre, which I, for one, would like to see return to first-class operations. (It's currently operating under the Merle Reskin name and is owned by DePaul University, but the university is vacating the building at the end of May.) What are the chances of that?

The Jeff Awards Committee said this week that it is shelving its Non-Equity Jeffs at the end of this month and putting the whole thing on pause. This is due to many of the companies pulling themselves out of eligibility as a protest against a Jeff going to an artist about whom there had been allegations of previous inappropriate behavior. The Jeffs really didn't have any choice here, given that they would have been judging only a small subset of the scene, and most reasonable people can see that they cannot easily rescind a Jeff while a theater's investigation into the matter is still underway. No awards organization would do that.

Thrilled to report that the Burt Bacharach revue "Going Bacharach" is extending at the Apollo Theater and is hiring some local singers. Outstanding news. It's a great show if you've not had the pleasure.

Bravo to David Cromer for his Drama Desk achievement award this weekend. (Though "Lifetime award" is a bit ridiculous; the dude remains mid-career.) And there are a few really great performances to enjoy in "Covenant" at the Goodman Theatre. I recommend that one, too, along with “South Pacific” at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora.

— Chris Jones, chief theater critic

Our current list of Chris Jones Recommends: “Theater of the Mind” in an open run by the Goodman at the Reid Murdoch Building; “Heartbreak Hotel” through May 31 at the Marriott Theatre; “Windfall” through May 31 in Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theatre; “Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon” through June 21 at the Apollo Theater; “Job” through June 14 at Writers Theatre; “Octet” through June 21 at Raven Theatre; “Pandemonium, Please Hold” in an open run on the Second City Mainstage; “An Enemy of the People” through June 14 at TimeLine Theatre; “Covenant” through May 31 in the Goodman’s Owen Theatre; “South Pacific” through June 14 at the Paramount Theatre.