Kris Vire is a Chicago-based arts journalist and critic.

I spent over a decade on staff at Time Out Chicago, where I began writing as a freelance theater critic and reporter in 2005, joined the staff as a theater critic in 2007 and eventually reached the level of senior editor. I also wrote for Time Out about comedy, dance, film, TV, LGBTQ events and issues, travel, and just about everything else under the sun. 

I’ve logged a lot of time as a guest on TV, radio and podcasts, including repeat appearances on WGN Radio’s “Dean Richards’ Sunday Morning,” a regular theater segment on ABC 7 Chicago’s 11am newscast, on-camera appearances on Fox 32 Chicago and CBS 2 Chicago and additional radio segments on WGN and WBEZ. 

Words-wise, my writing has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, American Theatre magazine, Fodor’s Travel, The Guardian, the Chicago trade paper PerformInk and the web publication Gapers Block, where I was a founding staff member.

I’m a native of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and attended the University of Arkansas (Woo Pig Sooie!) before starting my professional life in Chicago. In my off hours, you're likely to find me drinking good beer, attempting new recipes in the kitchen, reading comic books and watching either baseball or old seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race.