Given its affiliation with the University of Chicago, it should come as no surprise that this theater knows its way around the classics, from Molière to Ibsen. The productions here, however, are far from stuffy academic exercises: The vibrant, energetic takes on well-known works draw some of the finest actors in the city. In recent years, Court's seasons have included at least one musical (Tony Kushner's Caroline, or Change and Raisin, based on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun), as well as plays by modern masters such as August Wilson and Tom Stoppard. It's a bit of trek to get here from downtown (I'd recommend a cab at night), but no matter what show is playing when you're in town, it's well worth the trip for theater lovers.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Chicago 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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