Nina Metz has the Chicago Tribune review for "Bordello" at Chicago Dramatists, a world premiere by playwright Aline Lathrop that chronicles the lives of women employed at a Nevada brothel. Read the ★★ review here.

She also reviews "Laika Dog in Space" by the Neo-Futurists, a play all-too-thinly based on the first animal in orbit, a stray dog launched by the Soviets in 1957. Read the ★½ review here.

If you've ever driven along Ashland Avenue somewhere close to 11 p.m. and seen a crowd of people in line outside a funeral parlor, here's why.

The Neo-Futurists' late-night comedy, "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind," has now been running an incredible 20 years since its inauguration by Neo-Futurist founder Greg Allen.

Beginning Friday and going through December 15, the Neos will begin a series of anniversary performances. Various illustrious alumnae are expected to appear at the late-night attraction, which features a rotating roster of really, really short plays. I last saw this Chicago legend about a year ago. I had a great time. For many years, a full house has meant that the theater company orders pizza for everyone.

Prices are going up, effective Jan. 1. Admission will now be $9 plus the roll of a single die. That's up from a base of $7. But score a low digit and you're still in and out for about the cost of a movie.

THEATER REVIEW

According to the Neo-Futurist hotline, snagging a seat to the19-year-old, late-night show "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" involves getting there at least 45 minutes in advance and standing in line outside the Nelson Funeral Home. I did my stints in line a decade or more ago — a bit farther down the street at the old Annoyance Theatre, where critics were always treated like scum.

So last weekend, I picked the 7 p.m. Sunday performance of "TMLMTBGB" — supposedly but not actually a more sedate performance. I showed up, rolled the die that determines the entry price (I hit a 6, so it cost me $13) and then snagged almost the very last seat in the 150-seat theater. That's good news for everyone, since the Neos have been ordering pizza for the audience for years every time they sell out. That's one pizza for 150 people, but it's still a nice gesture.

And I was blown away at the palpable audience demand for a show that's been running for nearly two decades.

I hadn't seen "TMLMTBGB" in more than 10 years. These days, it attracts a diverse but mostly youthful crowd—everything from middle-school kids to couples on a date. And there's also a surprisingly large number of parent-child pairings. It's like "TMLMTBGB" has become a kind of user-friendly, entry-level attraction to the gritty Chicago fringe.

And what of the show? It's a lot more polished than you might think. I had a very good time.