'Time Stands Still' ★★★★

The title of Donald Margulies' provocative play seems to refer to the moment when a photojournalist, confronted by one of the world's many unresolved horrors, captures an image of one of its victims with a single, well-timed shot. Should the photographer have spent that moment finding food for the starving kid, instead of using human pain to secure a place on the front page? On Broadway, the four-character play "Time Stands Still" felt like a highly experienced playwright's star vehicle for a debate around such moral questions. Margulies is exploring whether it's possible to get addicted to the pain of others as if it were a drug. But Austin Pendleton's organic direction at the Steppenwolf Theatre goes much further, extending the play's human pulse beyond its starring role. -- Chris Jones<br><br><b>Through May 13 at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.; $20-$78 at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org</b>

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( April 19, 2012 )

The title of Donald Margulies' provocative play seems to refer to the moment when a photojournalist, confronted by one of the world's many unresolved horrors, captures an image of one of its victims with a single, well-timed shot. Should the photographer have spent that moment finding food for the starving kid, instead of using human pain to secure a place on the front page? On Broadway, the four-character play "Time Stands Still" felt like a highly experienced playwright's star vehicle for a debate around such moral questions. Margulies is exploring whether it's possible to get addicted to the pain of others as if it were a drug. But Austin Pendleton's organic direction at the Steppenwolf Theatre goes much further, extending the play's human pulse beyond its starring role. -- Chris Jones

Through May 13 at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.; $20-$78 at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org