ChiIL Live Shows

Fantastic Negrito at Reva and David Logan Center For The Arts April 11, 2026

2026-04-11T14:49:00.002-05:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Fantastic Negrito

Performing at Reva and David Logan Center For The Arts

April 11, 2026

“Reimagining the blues for a new age — and audience.” - LA Times

TOP WEEKEND PICKS: TONIGHT 4/11 Fantastic Negrito at Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts! We'll be there covering the concert for ChiIL Live Shows. Can't wait to catch this incredibly talented performer live.

Limited tickets still available:
General
$37.00 ($33.00 ticket price + $4.00 fees)

UChicago Faculty/Staff
$30.00 ($26.00 ticket price + $4.00 fees)
Limit 1 per valid ID

Free Youth
$0.00 (NO Ticket Fee)
Limit 1 per adult ticket. Must be under 12 years-old.

“It’s the truest testament in believing not only is change gonna come, but it is here.” - Rolling Stone

Blending grit, soul, funk, rock, and blues, Fantastic Negrito has built a global following with performances that transcend genre and are communal between artist and audience. Since winning the inaugural NPR Tiny Desk Contest, he’s continued to reshape contemporary roots music, earning acclaim at major festivals worldwide and collaborating with artists like Sting, E-40, and Tank and the Bangas -- all a testament to the breadth and power of his artistry.

“Ripping up any blueprint for how a blues album should sound.” - American Songwriter

3x GRAMMY® Award-winner Fantastic Negrito released his highly anticipated album, Son of a Broken Man, on October 18, 2024 via his own Storefront Records. This album sees Fantastic Negrito encapsulating his inimitable style, from hard-hitting guitar riffs to expressive ballads, with the unexpected twists that have become his trademark. It stands as one of his most personal works to date, exploring family, deception, and the human desire to hide the true self as he dives deep into the struggle between father and son.

“Something like Led Zeppelin’s debut, Negrito is too weird and wired to stay in the blues channel, though he is unlikely to head off toward hobbits. He is headed somewhere, that’s for sure.” - Pitchfork
Born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, Fantastic Negrito's story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of music. By now much has been made of Negrito’s unique story – growing up in an orthodox Muslim household, a doomed major label deal, the near-fatal car crash that permanently damaged his guitar playing hand—as well as the remarkable redemption arc that began in 2015, when he won the first-ever NPR Tiny Desk Contest. He has since earned three GRAMMY® Awards for “Best Contemporary Blues Album," and shared stages with everyone from Sturgill Simpson to Chris Cornell to Bruce Springsteen. He's collaborated in the studio with the likes of Sting, E-40, and Tank and The Bangas, performed on countless headline world tours and at festivals such as Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Newport Folk, and WOMAD, and founded the Revolution Plantation, an urban farm aimed at youth education and empowerment.
“You’ll see that newly rediscovered purpose in his eyes and hear it in his voice.” - NPR

Listen to his album here: Son of a Broken Man

For full tour dates and information check out his site HERE.

League of Chicago Theatres' Deal Hunt Is Back April 14-22, 2026

2026-04-11T13:54:00.000-05:00

League of Chicago Theatres welcomes Spring with the return of Deal Hunt

Dozens of participating shows are offering an additional $5 off

already discounted tickets on Hot Tix

The League of Chicago Theatres announces the popular spring theatre promotion Deal Hunt, bringing audiences the best of Chicago theatre at unbeatable prices.

Redeemable from April 14-22, 2026, Hot Tix patrons receive an extra $5 off already-discounted theater tickets for participating performances throughout the Spring season by using the code “Deal Hunt” at www.HotTix.org.

Marissa Lynn Jones, Executive Director of the League of Chicago Theatres, comments, “We are so excited about Spring’s arrival, bringing with it an abundance of new productions to Chicago stages. To kick-start the season, we are proud to bring back Deal Hunt to Hot Tix, making theatre even more accessible and affordable than ever.”

To date, 36 productions are participating, including: A Streetcar Named Desire, MadKap Productions at Skokie Theatre; Amplify Queer Joy, Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble at Center on Halsted; Birthday Candles, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble at McAninch Arts Center; Building American Pop, Chicago a cappella at Nichols Concert Hall; Chamber Music Series: Saint-Saëns, Vieuxtemps, and Fauré, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at Harris Theater for Music and Dance; Comedy Pageant, Stars & Garters Theater; Cosmic Comedy Hour and The Cosmic Underground Show, Cosmic Underground Theater; Deep Schwa, Doing Our Moms, Improvised Jane Austen, The Armando Diaz Experience, Whirled News Tonight and Devil’s Daughter at iO Theater; DIVIDED, The Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University; Do Something Pretty, Rivendell Theatre Company; Eelpout!, Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit; Father of the Bride, Drury Lane Theatre; FreakShow & Tell, Stars & Garters Theater; Heartbreak Hotel, Marriott Theatre; I Hate Hamlet, Saint Sebastian Players at St. Bonaventure; Jetlag, Physical Theater Festival at The Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago; Lizzy & The Triggermen, The Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University; LOKI-The End of the World Tour, Lifeline Theatre; M.A.S.T.E.R.M.I.N.D.S., Stars & Garters Theater; Modern Gentleman, About Face Theatre at Raven Theatre; moonwatchers, Lazy Susan Theatre Co.at Greenhouse Theater Center; Nomad by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Eastman, Harris Theater for Music and Dance; Octet,Raven Theatre; Out Here, Court Theatre; Rising Stars Burlesque Revue, Stars & Garters Theater; Ruthless! The Musical, Citadel Theatre Company; The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview, Trap Door Theatre; The Sugar Wife, The Artistic Home at Theater Wit; The Trojan Women, Eos Theatre Company at Bramble Arts Loft; and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, at Studebaker Theater.

About Chicago theatre

Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 7 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. For more information, visit www.chicagoplays.com.

The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement

Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.

REVIEW: Idle Muse's Bite Sized Three Musketeers Is Big Fun!

2026-03-30T16:57:00.002-05:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

IDLE MUSE THEATRE COMPANY CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF PRODUCTIONS

WITH ROBERT KAUZLARIC’S

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

MARCH 26 - APRIL 25

AT THE EDGE OFF-BROADWAY

Artistic Director Evan Jackson Directs this Adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s Celebrated Adventure Novel

The total running time is two hours and 25 minutes including the intermission

All Production Photography by Steven Townshend, Distant Era

(L to R) Boomer Lusink, Brendan Hutt, Vanessa Copeland and Sam Neel

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Something huge is happening in what's arguably one of Chicago's smallest storefronts. The Edge Off Broadway theater, on Chicago's north east side, is an intimate, black box space with a seating capacity of just 45, and Idle Muse's latest will have you on the edge of your seat. Pick the front row for an adrenaline fueled adventure, full of sword and gun fights inches from your face. Think you know The Three Musketeers? Think again.

Jack Sharkey

(L to R) Troy Schaeflein and Joel Thompson

Troy Schaeflein (D’Artagnan), Jack Sharkey (Athos); Boomer Lusink (Porthos); and Xavier Lagunas (Aramis) are a joy to see in action, and play the kind of low-key folk heroes we still need more of today. By the time Benjamin Jouras hit the stage as posh, pampered Louis XIII, we were in stitches. The entire cast are consummate storytellers, and provide an action packed evening of thoroughly enjoyable live theatre.

(L to R) Caty Gordon and Benjamin Jouras

We're also longtime fans of Jeff Award-winning playwright, Robert Kauzlaric, as well as assistant director and violence director, Libby Beyreis. All in all this cast and crew form a fitting and fantastic launch for Idle Muse's 20th year of productions. The Three Musketeers is based on Alexander Dumas’s celebrated 1844 novel.

We couldn't stop laughing at this hilarious take on a classic. Reminiscent of Jackie Chan's drunken Master, Idle Muse's Three Musketeers are anything but slick and professional. They're a ragtag bunch of drunken, bumbling oafs, constantly underestimated, yet incredibly effective when it matters. We adored this tiny but mighty rendition, and count it as is a must see this spring.

Eric Duhon

Ready for a swashbuckling adventure that's big on laughs? Don't miss this! Recommended. Three out of four stars. ★★★

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly)

(L to R) Xavier Lagunas, Jack Sharkey and Boomer Lusink in THE THREE MUSKETEERS from Idle Muse Theatre, now playing through April 25 at The Edge Off-Broadway.

Idle Muse Theatre Company launches its 20th anniversary season with The Three Musketeers, March 26 - April 25, written by Robert Kauzlaric, directed by Idle Muse Artistic Director Evan Jackson adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas and originally commissioned for the 2010 Illinois Shakespeare Festival, at The Edge Off-Broadway Theater, 1133 W Catalpa Ave.

(L to R) Jamie Redwood and Troy Schaeflein

The performance schedule is Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., with an added Wednesday performance on April 22 at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are now on sale for $30 and $20 for seniors and students with $50 “pay it forward” tickets that assist in subsidizing tickets for those who may not be able to access the production otherwise. Tickets and additional group discounts are available at IdleMuse.org or the Idle Muse Theatre Company Box Office, 773.340.9438.

Idle Muse celebrates 20 years of productions with The Three Musketeers. Based on Alexander Dumas’s celebrated 1844 novel, the Jeff Award-winning Robert Kauzlaric adapts the French tale of swashbuckling intrigue, adventure and fellowship as newly-minted musketeer D’Artagnan and the famous “three inseparables,” Athos, Porthos and Aramis take on the machinations of a scheming cardinal and his minions.

(L to R) Xavier Lagunas, Jack Sharkey, Troy Schaeflein and Boomer Lusink

The Three Musketeers cast includes Troy Schaeflein~ (he/him, D’Artagnan); Jack Sharkey~ (he/him, Athos); Boomer Lusink (he/him, Porthos); Xavier Lagunas~ (he/him, Aramis); Jennifer Mohr~ (she/her, Milady); Joel Thompson~ (he/him, Rochefort); Eric Duhon (he/him, Richelieu); Benjamin Jouras (he/him, Louis XIII/Buckingham); Erik Schnitger~ (he/him, Treville); Vanessa Copeland (she/her, Jane Felton/Bonacieux); Brendan Hutt~ (he/him, Laporte); Sam Neel (he/him, Combat Ensemble); Jamie Redwood~ (she/her, Cosntance); Caty Gordon~ (she/her, Queen Anne); Ian Saderholm (he/him, u/s D’Artagnan) Elise Soeder (she/her, u/s Milady); Emily Pfriem (she/her, u/s Constance, u/s Jane Felton); Emely Cuestas (she/her, u/s Queen Anne); Alex George (they/them, u/s Porthos); Malachi Marrero (he/they, u/s Rochefort); Rick Adams (he/him, u/s Combat Ensemble); Derek Preston Ray (he/him, u/s Louis XIII/Buckingham) and Alex Hultman (they/them, u/s Laporte, u/s Aramis).

The creative team includes Robert Kauzlaric (he/him, playwright); Evan Jackson~ (he/him, director); Tristan Brandon~ (he/him, health and safety officer, props designer); Libby Beyreis~ (she/her, assistant director, violence director); Lindsey Chidester~ (she/her, stage manager); Beth Bruins~ (she/her, assistant stage manager); Kati Lechner~ (she/her, production manager, health and safety officer); Erin Alys (she/her, intimacy director); Brendan Hutt~ (he/him, violence director); Emma Rund (she/her, dramaturg); Jeremiah Barr (he/him, technical director, master carpenter); Laura J. Wiley~ (she/her, lighting & projection designer); L.J. Luthringer~ (he/him, sound designer and composer); Vicki Jablonski (she/her, costume designer); Breezy Snyder~ (she/they, scenic painter); Mara Kovacevic~ (she/her, house manager); Mario Mazzetti (they/he, dialect and voice direction); Elizabeth MacDougald~ (she/her, rehearsal fight coach); Caty Gordon~ (she/her, marketing and social media); Michael Dalberg~ (he/him, Idle Muse literary director) and Becky Warner~ (she/her, props designer).

~ Denotes Idle Muse Company Member

ABOUT ROBERT KAUZLARIC, PLAYWRIGHT

Robert Kauzlaric is a Chicago-based playwright, actor and director. He has written more than a dozen theatrical adaptations which have been performed in nearly forty of the United States, as well as in England, Ireland and Canada. His adaptations include The Island of Dr. Moreau (Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards: Best Production-Play and New Adaptation), The Picture of Dorian Gray (Non-Equity Jeff Nomination: New Adaptation), Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere (Non-Equity Jeff Award: New Adaptation), The Three Musketeers (commissioned for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival), Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone and The Woman in White, and a musical version of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. For children, Kauzlaric has written musical adaptations of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! (called "one of the best children's shows of the year" by The New York Times), Peter Brown's Flight of the Dodo, Mo Willems' Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and Richard and Florence Atwater's Mr. Popper's Penguins, as well as a fanciful twist on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, called Lions in Illyria.

ABOUT EVAN JACKSON, DIRECTOR

Evan Jackson serves as the artistic director of Idle Muse Theatre Company, a position he has had the honor of holding since the company’s inception. He has directed 16 previous productions for Idle Muse Theatre Company, including last season's Jeff-nominated Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The School for Scandal as well as the Jeff-recommended What the Weird Sisters Saw and Jeff-nominated The Last Queen of Camelot. At Idle Muse he also directed Upon this Shore: A Tale of Pericles and the Daughters of Tyre, Best for Winter, being a short Shakespeare adapted from the Winter’s Tale and other works, Equivocation, as well as The Lion in Winter and Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (both Jeff-Recommended). Other favorite Idle Muse productions include The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Talking Cure, Rites and Sacrifices, a world premiere by Chicago playwright Jennifer L. Mickelson, Enchanted April, and The Scullery Maid. He was also director and co-adapter of the original Shotgun Shakespeare: What the Weird Sisters Saw with Idle Muse company member Tristan Brandon. Outside directing projects include several short plays in the Martin de Maat New Works Festival at Boxer Rebellion Theatre and two summers serving as assistant director for Shakespeare on the Green in Lake Forest. Jackson is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, where he received his MFA in directing.

(L to R) Jennifer Mohr and Eric Duhon

(L to R) Jack Sharkey and Jennifer Mohr

ABOUT IDLE MUSE THEATRE COMPANY

Idle Muse Theatre Company’s mission is to produce theatre that is transporting, timely and true. The company was established in 2006 by theatre artists interested in exploring the relationship between individuals and the worlds they inhabit. Seeking to create production opportunities, they established a modern ‘guild’ of players and environment where theatre artists of different experiences and backgrounds could develop their craft. Today, IMTC remains focused on the following core values:

Transporting: We believe that great theatre removes both audience members and artists from their respective reality and transports them to another world.

Timely: We believe that human connection can be accomplished through meaningful, relevant, and accessible storytelling here and now.

True: We believe in unflinching honesty in the playing and storytelling.

Since 2022, Idle Muse Theatre Company has instituted a profit share model with artists and team members for each production. In addition to any stipend or payment for services, a full 50% of all box office revenue is reserved and divided evenly among the cast and production team.

Idle Muse Theatre Company launches its 20th anniversary season with The Three Musketeers, March 26 - April 25, written by Robert Kauzlaric, directed by Idle Muse Artistic Director Evan Jackson and adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas at The Edge Off-Broadway Theater, 1133 W Catalpa Ave. Previews are Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27 at 8 p.m. with the press opening Saturday, March 28 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., with an added Wednesday performance on April 22 at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are now on sale for $30 and $20 for seniors and students with $50 “pay it forward” tickets that assist in subsidizing tickets for those who may not be able to access the production otherwise. Tickets and additional group discounts are available at IdleMuse.org or the Idle Muse Theatre Company Box Office, 773.340.9438.

Row 1 (L to R): Playwright Robert Kauzlaric, Director Evan Jackson, Troy Schaeflein, Jack Sharkey and Boomer Lusink

Row 2 (L to R): Xavier Lagunas, Jennifer Mohr, Joel Thompson, Eric Duhon and Benjamin Jouras

Row 3 (L to R): Erik Schnitger, Vanessa Copeland, Brendan Hutt, Sam Neel and Jamie Redwood

Row 4 (L to R): Caty Gordon, Ian Saderholm, Elisa Soeder, Emily Pfriem and Emely Cuestas

Row 5 (L to R): Alex George, Malachi Marrero, Rick Adams, Derek Preston Ray and Alex Hultman

REVIEW: Multigenerational Murder Limbo: The World Premiere of The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana Now Playing Through April 5, 2026

2026-03-28T21:30:00.204-05:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Larkspur Productions Opens World Premiere of
The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana
By Gwyneth Forsythe
Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass
March 20th - April 5th at The Den Theatre

Sydney Genco in The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana

Photo by August Holiday Photography

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

As I pass the bottled water aisle I see Acqua Panna and Aquafina, and my mind turns to Aqua Tofana, the poison rumored to kill 600 men in 17th-century Italy. Was the herbalist and healer, Giulia Tofana, a monster serial killer, or a champion of battered women? How many did she save with her death-giving elixir? Who tells the story? It was fascinating to learn more about Giulia Tofana, trained by a mother who was murdered as a witch, who passed along her skills to her daughter who met the same fate.

You can hear the story straight from Giulia Tofana, from beyond the grave, through Sydney Genco, now through Sunday, April 5, 2026. We meet Tofana centuries after her death, still stuck in purgatory, as she's wracked with guilt for her daughter's fate, though clear of conscience for the women she freed from abusive men.

Murderer. Witch. Savior. Executed in 1659 for the murder of 600 men. That's how history remembers Giulia Tofana, the infamous creator of the Aqua Tofana poison. This is her story straight from Purgatory, thanks to Playwright, Gwyneth Forsythe. We adore the way this trio of women, Playwright: Gwyneth Forsythe, Director: Cheryl Snodgrass, and Cast: Sydney Genco (Giulia Tofana) humanize the tragic tale of another trio of women. This show reframes history and brings up important questions as relevant today as they were in the 1600s.

Why have we demonized and killed our healers for centuries? Why do men still abuse and murder women with few consequences? This production is sadly still all too timely. In our current Epstein scandle era, powerful men still abuse women and children with impunity and those who help them or speak out often bear consequences far greater than the abusers. Where are our twenty first century Tofanas when we need them? This production is a fascinating slice of history, and these three generations of badass healers and protectors are best not forgotten.

Anyone who adores Chicago's infamous queens of camp, Hell in a Handbag Productions, is likely familiar with both Sydney Genco (performer & makeup artist) and Cheryl Snodgrass (director). But you've never seen this power duo team up like this. There's no drag here or over the top parody. Genco gives us a quiet, candle lit reckoning for a woman who gave her life to save abused women, who's been stuck in limbo for centuries, because she can't make peace with the fate her daughter freely chose. This heart wrenching piece is a must see.

Head on over to The Den Theatre for some serious talk from a healer and helper of battered women from beyond the grave. Don't miss this macabre masterpiece. ChiIL Live Shows on our radar. Recommended. Three out of four stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Larkspur Productions is pleased to announce the world premiere of The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana. Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass, The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana will play March 20th - April 5th at The Den Theatre, 1331 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL.

Tickets are on sale at https://thedentheatre.com/performances/2026/3/20/the-posthumous-trial-of-giulia-tofana-the-den-theatre-comedy-club-chicago

This one person show is performed by Sydney Genco.

Comments playwright Gwyneth Forsythe: In a time when bodily autonomy and human rights are being actively taken away and the very idea of justice seems out of reach, stories from the past, like Giulia Tofana’s, are more important than ever. We cannot wait to share hers with you.

The production team includes Matthew York (Scenic Designer), Kate Kamphausen (Costume Designer), Garrett Bell (Lighting Designer), DJ Douglass (Sound Designer), Tina Haglund-Spitza (Props Designer), Tom Daniel (Scenic Carpenter), Henry Bender (Master Electrician) and Drew Donnelly (Technical Director).

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana

Playwright: Gwyneth Forsythe

Director: Cheryl Snodgrass

Cast: Sydney Genco (Giulia Tofana)

Location: The Den Theatre, 1331 N Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622

Regular run: March 20 – Sunday, April 5, 2026

Curtain Times: Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm. Sunday, April 5th at 3pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Monday, March 30th @ 8pm (Industry Night).

Tickets: General admission: $25. https://thedentheatre.com/performances/2026/3/20/the-posthumous-trial-of-giulia-tofana-the-den-theatre-comedy-club-chicago

About the Artists:

Gwyneth Forsythe (Playwright) is a writer, educator and theatre artist who splits her time between Iowa City and Chicago. She received two BAs (Theatre Arts and History) from the University of Iowa and her MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University, where she was awarded the Krevoy Screenwriting Prize. Gwyneth has worked as a freelance writer, taught for the Chicago City Colleges, and was a 2024 semi-finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Center's National Playwrights Conference. Last summer, her work was featured in the Heretic Theatre Festival produced by RJ Theatre Company in New York City. In the fall, she directed and produced “Ghosts on the Radio Vol. II: A Haunted Audio Anthology” for the Iowa Youth Writing Project and assistant-directed Global Express for the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. She has taught and developed writing courses in playwriting, screenwriting, horror, humor, and creative non-fiction for writers worldwide of all ages and experience levels.

Cheryl Snodgrass (Director) is passionate about directing new works. She is an alumni ensemble member of Hell in a Handbag where she’s directed multiple premieres including The Drag Seed, which performed at the famous LaMama Theatre in NYC. Other Handbag shows include The Birds, Scary Town, L’Imitation of Life, and Die, Mommie! Die! Cheryl has worked extensively as a visiting artist at Mill Mountain Theatre and Studio Roanoke (Roanoke, VA). She has also directed for a number of Chicago companies that include Sweetback, Glass Apple, Trap Door, The Foundlings, Tellin’ Tales, Jonny Staxx Presents, and Filet of Solo. Most recently, Cheryl directed John Cariani’s (playwright of Almost, Maine) new play Darker the Night Brighter the Stars for Penobscot Theatre in Bangor, ME and is very excited to be included in the published version as a premiere production.

REVIEW: The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview Now Playing at Trap Door Theatre Through April 25, 2026

2026-03-20T18:59:00.173-05:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Trap Door Theatre Presents

The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview

Written by Stanisław I. Witkiewicz

Translated by Daniel Gerould

Directed by Nicole Wiesner

March 19–April 25, 2026

Run time: 1 hour and 20 minutes without an intermission.

Tickets are $32 with two-for-one admission on Thursdays.

GUEST REVIEW

By Barbara Belcore

I walked into The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview at Trap Door Theater with no real sense of what I was about to see, and left a genuine fan. It is strange in a way that feels intentional rather than indulgent, fully committing to its own offbeat logic from the very beginning. Even before the play officially began, the actors were already on stage as the audience took their seats, moving slowly and deliberately, setting a tone that felt deeply ominous.

David Lovejoy (King Hyrcan IV) and Nicole Wiesner (Paweł Rockoffer). Credit for all production photos: Michal Janicki.

The production opens in a darker, more controlled space, but somewhere midway through it loosens its grip and transforms into something closer to an absurd fever dream. That shift could easily lose an audience, but here it has the opposite effect. The room stayed engaged, alive with reaction. There were gasps, giggles, and those involuntary sounds of agreement when something lands a little too well. It felt communal in a way that’s hard to manufacture, helped along by brief breaks of the fourth wall that ground the performance in flashes of real world context. In one moment, audience members are pulled in to serve bit parts, adding to the unpredictability and personal relevance of the experience.

At its core, the play explores the internal conflict of an artist being pulled to belong while still struggling to maintain control and individuality. That tension unfolds through a world where art, religion, philosophy, and identity are all pulled into orbit around a loud, self-proclaimed king of an imaginary kingdom. The metaphor is elastic enough to be interpreted in multiple ways, but grounded enough to keep you from drifting too far.

Keith Surney (Statue of Alice d’Or) and Nicole Wiesner (Paweł Rockoffer).

What makes it work is the cast’s complete commitment. They lean fully into the absurdity without ever winking at it, which gives the production its weight. It is not always clean or straightforward, but it is compelling throughout. If you’re willing to meet it where it is, it becomes a genuinely memorable experience. This is the kind of theater that stays with you long after you leave your seat. Highly recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars.

Barbara is a Chicago-area home birth midwife, maker, theater enthusiast, avid reader, and mom of two quirky, creative teens. She is currently snuggling three cats who are perpetually convinced that they have never been fed.

David Lovejoy (King Hyrcan IV) and Emily Lotspeich (Pope Julius II).

Trap Door Theatre is thrilled to continue its mainstage work of their 32nd season with a production of Trap Door’s favorite playwright Stanislaw Witkiewicz’s The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview, directed by Nicole Wiesner. The Cuttlefish will play March 19 – April 25, 2026 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W Cortland St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at trapdoortheatre.com or by calling (773)-384-0494.

The cast includes Venice Averyheart, Emily Lotspeich, David Lovejoy, Keith Surney, Gus Thomas, and Nicole Wiesner.

Part philosophical farce, part surreal fever dream—Witkiewicz’s The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview is a razor-sharp satire of art under pressure. In a world where creativity is consumed by control and individuality is crushed beneath the weight of conformity, an artist spirals into crisis—torn between integrity and survival, freedom and obedience. Witkiewicz exposes the seductive dance between artist and authority, where every act of creation risks becoming an act of submission. Decades ahead of its time, this anarchic comedy lays bare the modern artist’s impossible choice: stay true to your vision, or surrender it for comfort and applause.

The production team includes Merje Veski (Scenic Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), Richard Norwood (Lighting Design), Danny Rockett (Sound Design), Kasia Olechno (Stage Manager), Zsofia Otvos (Make Up Design), Dan Cobbler (Assistant Director), Milan Pribisic (Dramaturg), Michal Janicki (Graphic Design), and Dan Cobbler, Juliet Kang Huneke, Mitchell Jackson, and Gracie Wallace (Understudies).

Location: Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. Chicago, IL 60622

Dates: Regular Run: Thursday, March 19th –Saturday, April 25th, 2026Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays 4/12 and 4/19 at 3PM.

Tickets: $32 with 2-for-1 admission on Thursdays. Tickets are currently available at https://our.show/the-cuttlefish or by calling (773) 384-0494. Group tickets: Special group rates are available. For information, call (773) 384-0494 or email boxofficetrapdoor@gmail.com.

Plan your visit:

Free street parking is available.

Buses: #9 (Ashland), #50 (Damen), #72 (North), #73 (Armitage).

Metra: Clybourn metra stop.

Accessibility:

Trap Door Theatre is wheelchair accessible.

About the Artists

Stanislaw I. Witkiewicz (1885-1939) is one the most brilliant figures of the European avant-garde. Witkiewicz was a poet, painter, playwright, an expert on drugs, an early spokesman for a radically non-realistic theatre and an original philosopher and social critic of mass culture, post-industrial society, and the rise of totalitarianism. He was also a pioneer in serious experimentation with narcotics and prophetically recognized the growing importance that they would have on Western civilization. Witkiewicz committed suicide shortly after the outbreak of War in September of 1939. He is best knownfor his plays The Madman and the Nun, The Mother, The Water Hen, The Anonymous Work, and The Shoemakers.

Nicole Wiesner (she/her) joined the Trap ensemble in 1999, and currently serves as the Managing Director. Directing credits for the company: Minna, The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls, Phedre, Monsieur D’eon is a Woman, The Old Woman Broods, The White Plague, Decomposed Theatre Episode 5, The Martyrdom of Peter Ohey, Joan and the Fire, Nana, and The Mannequins’ Ball. Some of her favorite Trap acting credits include First Ladies (dir. Zeljko Djukic, Joseph Jefferson Citation: Outstanding Actress); OVERWEIGHT, unimportant: MISSHAPE (dir. Yasen Peyankov); and the title roles in The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant; Nana (dir. Beata Pilch) and Alice in Bed. (Director Dado). Regionally, she has appeared at the Goodman Theatre in 2666, directed by Robert Falls and Seth Bockley; Shining City directed by Robert Falls; and Passion Play, directed by Mark Wing-Davy (After Dark Award, Outstanding Performance). Other credits include Shining City at the Huntington Theatre in Boston; Passion Play at Yale Repertory Theatre and Epic Theatre NYC; The Book Thief (dir. Hallie Gordon), South of Settling (dir. Adam Goldstein) and Dublin Carol (Dir. Amy Morton) at Steppenwolf Theatre; Dying City (dir. Jason Loewith) at Next Theatre, Great Men of Science (dir. Tracy Letts) at Lookingglass Theatre; and Phedre (dir. JoAnn Akalitis) at The Court Theater.

About Trap Door Theatre

Founded in 1994 by Artistic Director Beata Pilch, Trap Door Theatre is dedicated to seeking out challenging, obscure, and culturally significant works rooted in political outcry that address timeless and borderless existential themes. Our mission is to provide a platform for voices that confront and question social norms, inspire dialogue, and foster understanding across diverse cultures and perspectives. Through bold, imaginative productions, we strive to push artistic boundaries and create transformative experiences for our audiences. We are committed to serving as a cultural hub for our community, supporting artists through equitable practices, and engaging audiences with works that illuminate the human condition in innovative and thought-provoking ways.

Trap Door Theatre is funded in part by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The Bayless Family Foundation, a CityArts Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The John R Halligan Charitable Fund, The Illinois Arts Council Agency, The Reva and David Logan Foundation, and the generosity of individuals like you.

For additional information, visit trapdoortheatre.com

Gus Thomas (Ella) and Venice Averyheart (Mother I/II and Foley Artist).

World Premiere: THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY Via Her Story Theatre March 28 - April 19, 2026 at The Den

2026-03-20T11:15:00.001-05:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Her Story Theatre presents World Premiere of

THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY

March 28 - April 19 at The Den

An aging novelist and a young writer of creative non-fiction flirt with the seduction and danger of storytelling as they play cat and mouse with conflicting versions of the truth.

Her Story Theatre has announced the World Premiere of Kurt McGinnis Brown’s two-hander THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY, to play March 28 – April 19 at The Den Theatre in Chicago. When young black journalist Xan Smith is assigned to interview the once successful, now aging white novelist, Henry Percival, the two form an unlikely bond during their contentious meetings. After Henry reveals something unexpected about his past, the two writers must consider the uncertain relationship of truth to storytelling in general, and specifically to the story of Henry’s life. THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY will keep audiences guessing as they follow its plot twists, surprises, and suspect decisions. The drama, which was workshopped at Chicago Dramatists in 2017 and Art Lit Lab in Madison, Wisconsin in 2016, is the work of prolific playwright Kurt McGinnis Brown, who has had plays produced across the country, including in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. The Jeff Award-winner and former Artistic Director of Strawdog Theatre Richard Shavzin will direct. Previews on March 28, 29 and 31. It will play through April 19.

Veteran Chicago actor and Actors Equity member Gary Houston, whose many credits include GEM OF THE OCEAN and JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE at the Goodman Theatre, will play the septuagenarian novelist Henry Percival. Shelby Marie Edwards, seen most recently in Pegasus Players’ YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL and RABBITS IN THEIR POCKETS at Lifeline Theatre, has been cast as the young journalist Xan Smith.

The production team includes Garrett Bell (Set Design), Sam Bessler (Lighting Design), Mary Bonnett (Costume Design), George Zahora (Sound Design), Wendye Clarendon* (Actors Equity member, Stage Manager), Morgan Watkinson and Josh Hogan (Assistant Stage Managers), Steve Kruse (Technical Director), Tristan Predmore (Lighting Technician), Nora Brooks (Scenic Painter), and Lucas Holeman (Carpenter).

Tickets to THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY are $40 for General Admission and $30.00 for Seniors plus taxes and fees) for regular performances; and $35 General Admission for previews. Students and industry members are $20.00 all performances, and group prices are $30.00 per person for all performances. Tickets are on sale now at www.thedenthreatre.com and The Den Theatre Box Office 773-697-3830.

Her Story Theatre

THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY

WORLD PREMIERE

By Kurt McGinnis Brown

Directed by Richard Shavzin

Featuring Gary Houston and Shelby Marie Edwards

March 28 – April 19, 2026

Previews Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, March 29 at 3:00 pm, and Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30 pm

Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm (No performance Easter Sunday, April 5)

The Den Theatre Upstairs Main Stage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago 60622

Ticket Prices: Previews – General Admission $35.00, plus taxes and fees. Regular performances - General Admission - $40.00, Seniors - $35.00. Students and industry $20.00 all performances. Groups $30.00 per person all performances.
Tickets on sale now at www.thedentheatre.com and The Den Theatre Box Office 773-697-3830
Info: www.HerStoryTheater.org

When young black journalist Xan Smith is assigned to interview the once successful, now aging, white novelist, Henry Percival, her mission is clear. She is prepared to dismantle his career with a scathing expose that will cement her own reputation as a fearless cultural critic. But during their contentious meetings, Henry reveals something unexpected about his past. As she digs deeper, the story she uncovers changes the one she came to write. Xan must decide what she's willing to tell, because in this game of perception and power, the biggest revelation may be about herself.

BIOS

Gary Houston (Henry Percival) was last seen onstage at the Goodman Theater in August Wilson's GEM OF THE OCEAN and JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE, both directed by Chuck Smith. As well as numerous film roles, Gary is a Jeff-nominated actor, with a long history of performances at Northlight, Writers Theatre, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Wisdom Bridge, National Jewish Theater and in the original Organic Theatre ensemble. As a former books and arts staffer for the CHICAGO SUN TIMES, he interviewed Studs Terkel, Saul Bellow, Joseph Heller, and Elie Wiesel. Gary is presently managing editor of CHICAGO QUARTERLY REVIEW and a member of Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA.

(Photo by Sandy Morris)

Shelby Marie Edwards (Xan Smith) is an actor-musician and solo performer. Chicago theatre Credits include RABBITS IN THEIR POCKETS (Lifeline Theatre), YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL (Pegasus Theatre Chicago), QUALIA (Subtext Studio Theatre), A BRONX TALE, THE WEDDING SINGER (Surging Films and Theatrics), HOLLY’S IVY, LOST HOME WIN HOME (Lifeline Theatre’s Fillet of Solo Festival). Regional credits include: ABIYOYO (Chicago Symphony Orchestra), FLEX (Summit Performance Indianapolis), CHICKEN & BISCUITS (Virginia Repertory Theatre), LITTLE WOMEN (Virginia Theatre Festival). Education: M.A. from the University of Chicago and B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University. Film Credits include HBO’s LOVECRAFT COUNTRY. Shelby is a proud alumna of Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s professional leadership program. IG: @ShelbyMarieEdwards

Kurt McGinnis Brown (Playwright) has had plays performed across the country, including in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. His fiction has appeared in national journals such as AMERICAN LITERARY REVIEW, DENVER QUARTERLY, GLIMMER TRAIN, and NEW LETTERS, and he recently completed a memoir about crime and creativity. Kurt’s work on land and poverty issues took him to Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Peru, and Russia; a few lives perhaps are better for it.

Richard Shavzin (Director) is delighted to have had the opportunity to help bring this excellent new play into the American theatrical canon. He has also directed the world premieres of the musical ANY SOMEONE AT ALL at Second City; DEFAMATION, TOPS OR BOTTOMS, and FALLOUT for Canamac Productions; TEN CENT NIGHT (Chicago Dramatists); NEVER THE BRIDESMAID (Polarity Ensemble), KLUB KOKOMO (PS Theatricals); and Studs Terkel's RACE at Strawdog Theatre, where he was the Artistic Director from 1993-1998 and won a Jeff for Direction for BURN THIS. He is a member of Perennial Theatre Company, an Artistic Affiliate Emeritus with American Blues, and an Associate Artist at Chicago Dramatists, where he has directed almost 100 readings of new plays over the last 32 years.

Mary Bonnett (Producing Artistic Director) is an award-winning artist who is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Her Story Theater. As a playwright, her work has been seen in Chicago, NYC, Houston, Philadelphia, Wyoming and Connecticut. She has written a series of plays on domestic sex trafficking in Chicago. Her work also includes monologues, one acts and full-length plays. She is a member of Chicago Dramatist, Dramatist Guild, Perennial Theatre, Chicago Radio Players and SAG-AFTRA. Her new play, THE NOVELIST, has most recently had readings in Chicago and London, England. Mary is also a novelist with a published children's book and an adult literary novel on the way. Since 2011, Her Story Theater's mission has been to shine bright lights in dark places on women and children in need of social justice and community support.

HER STORY THEATER
Her Story Theater was founded in 2011 and has focused primarily on raising awareness of the epidemic of sexual exploitation of minors and homelessness. The four produced plays in Her Story’s “Chicago Sex Trafficking Cycle” include SHADOW TOWN (2013), THE JOHNS (2014), MONEY MAKE'M SMILE (2016, 2017) and MONGER (2018). As a group, the plays depict domestic sex trafficking from the perspectives of the various participants – the traffickers, the youths who are trafficked, and the men who buy them. INVISIBLE (2019) is concerned with issues of bigotry, nativism and violence against minorities. Her Story Theater continues its work to raise awareness of the prevalence of domestic sex trafficking and the trauma-based victim through its touring presentations and programs.

Her Story Theater is a theater for social change. Through theater and the written word, our mission is to shine bright lights in dark places on women and children in need of social justice and community support. Since 2011, we have partnered with countless organizations to raise awareness on current issues that impact women and children. Her Story Theater is supported by Driehaus Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Illinois Arts Council, Oppenheimer Family Foundation, Com Ed Powering the Arts, Northern Trust, Sunlight Project, Vanguard Charitable and private donations.

World Premiere of The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana March 20th - April 5th at The Den Theatre

2026-03-20T11:02:00.002-05:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Larkspur Productions Opens World Premiere of
The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana
By Gwyneth Forsythe
Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass
March 20th - April 5th at The Den Theatre

Tickets are on sale at https://thedentheatre.com/performances/2026/3/20/the-posthumous-trial-of-giulia-tofana-the-den-theatre-comedy-club-chicago

This one person show is performed by Sydney Genco.

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana

Playwright: Gwyneth Forsythe

Director: Cheryl Snodgrass

Cast: Sydney Genco (Giulia Tofana)

Location: The Den Theatre, 1331 N Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622

Regular run: March 20 – Sunday, April 5, 2026

Curtain Times: Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm. Sunday, April 5th at 3pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Monday, March 30th @ 8pm (Industry Night).

Tickets: General admission: $25. https://thedentheatre.com/performances/2026/3/20/the-posthumous-trial-of-giulia-tofana-the-den-theatre-comedy-club-chicago

About the Artists:

Lyric Opera of Chicago Presents El último sueño de Frida y Diego March 21 – April 4, 2026

2026-03-18T20:55:26.970-05:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

When art transcends death: What you need to know about

El último sueño de Frida y Diego

the new Spanish-language opera at Lyric

Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz’s rapturous opera brings Frida Kahlo’s art and world to vivid operatic life, March 21 – April 4, 2026

Language: Sung in Spanish, with easy-to-follow projected English titles above the stage.
Running time: Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz’s El último sueño de Frida y Diego (The Last Dream of Frida and Diego), on stage March 21 – April 4, 2026. This new opera poses an impossible question: How would you spend a single day reunited with lost love? On the Day of the Dead, three years after her death, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo crosses over from the underworld for 24 fleeting hours with husband and artist Diego Rivera. What unfolds is a dreamlike journey through memory, passion, and everything they created together — both on canvas and in life.

I'll be there this Saturday for opening night, reviewing for ChiIL Live Shows. Check back soon for my full review. We've long adored Frida Kahlo's art and have seen several other iterations of her life and relationship with Diego Rivera on stage. We're excited to see Lyric's operatic take on this iconic couple.

Following its critically praised 2022 world premiere in San Diego, this opera, steeped in magical realism, arrives as the second full-length Spanish-language opera presented by Lyric, following Daniel Catán and Marcela Fuentes-Berain’s Florencia en el Amazonas in the 2021/22 Season. With vivid colors, music inspired by Mexican folk traditions, and staging that transforms the Lyric Opera House into a portal between worlds, this production brings Frida Kahlo’s artistic vision to theatrical life. Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack stars as Frida in her return to Lyric, joined by baritone Alfredo Daza in his Lyric debut as Diego, soprano Ana María Martínez as Catrina, and countertenor Key’mon W. Murrah in his Lyric debut as Leonardo. Director Lorena Maza and conductor Roberto Kalb, both in their Lyric debuts, lead a creative team that honors the Mexican culture and artistry at the opera’s heart.

A love story that transcends death. El último sueño de Frida y Diego unfolds in 1957, three years after Frida Kahlo’s death. Diego Rivera, aging and consumed by grief, longs for one final moment with Frida. In Mictlán, the Aztec underworld, Frida has found peace, free from the physical pain and heartbreak that defined her earthly life. But Catrina, Keeper of the Dead, insists she must accompany Diego as he nears the end of his life, while Leonardo, the spirit of a young actor, urges her to return — not just for Diego, but for herself and her art.

Frida agrees to return for 24 hours with one unbreakable rule: she cannot touch the living. Her reunion with Diego unfolds in magical realism as the two artists wander through Alameda Park and Casa Azul, rediscovering joy and trying to heal old wounds, both physical and emotional. When Frida breaks the rule and touches Diego, the memories of pain and trauma come flooding back. Yet even in suffering, she finds clarity: Art is the only way to outlive death.

Authors who capture the soul of the story. The creative partnership between composer Gabriela Lena Frank and librettist Nilo Cruz brings extraordinary credentials and deep cultural understanding to El último sueño de Frida y Diego. Their opera functions as both an intimate character study and a vibrant celebration of Mexican artistic heritage while speaking to universal themes of love, loss, and artistic legacy.

Grammy Award-winning composer Gabriela Lena Frank, recently named Musical America’s 2026 Composer of the Year, is one of America’s most celebrated living composers, known for music that explores her multicultural heritage — Peruvian, Chinese, Lithuanian, and Jewish — with particular focus on Latin American musical traditions. Born with high-moderate/near-profound hearing loss, Frank has become a powerful voice for disability representation in classical music, demonstrating that composers can create extraordinary work through different ways of experiencing sound. Frank has received numerous honors including the Latin Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition; the 2020 Heinz Award recognizing her for breaking gender, disability, and cultural barriers in classical music; a Guggenheim Fellowship; and commissions from major orchestras and opera companies worldwide. Her music weaves together orchestral colors with rhythms and melodies inspired by Mexican folk music, capturing the surrealist beauty of Frida’s visual art while honoring the emotional depth of her lived experience.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz created the libretto, bringing his gift for poetic, emotionally resonant language to Frida and Diego’s story. His Spanish text moves fluidly between the real and the imagined, the painful and the joyful, giving voice to Frida’s fierce independence, her artistic vision, and her complex relationship with Diego — a love marked by both deep devotion and profound betrayal. In 2003, Cruz became the first Latino to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Anna in the Tropics. His work is known for its lyrical beauty, its exploration of Latin American and Cuban-American experience, and its ability to find magic in everyday moments. Cruz previously collaborated with Lyric and composer Jimmy López in the 2015/16 Season for the world premiere of Bel Canto, based on the Ann Patchett novel.

A singing actress who embodies Frida’s fire and fragility. Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack returns to Lyric to star as Frida Kahlo, bringing to the role her acclaimed artistry and commanding stage presence. Mack recently appeared at Lyric as Angela in Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s The Listeners in the 2024/25 Season, earning praise for her dramatic intensity and vocal beauty. Her international career includes performances at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and major European houses. Known for her ability to inhabit complex, unconventional characters, Mack possesses both the rich, warm timbre ideal for Frank’s melodic writing and the dramatic fire needed to capture Frida’s indomitable spirit. Stephanie Sanchezsings the role of Frida on Wednesday, April 1.

A cast that brings passion and artistry to every role. Colombian baritone Alfredo Daza makes his Lyric debut as Diego Rivera, the legendary muralist whose tumultuous marriage to Frida forms the opera’s emotional core. Daza has performed at major opera houses throughout Latin America, Europe, and the United States, earning particular acclaim for his portrayals of complex, larger-than-life characters. His rich baritone and powerful stage presence make him ideal for Diego, whose outsized personality and artistic genius were matched only by his capacity for passionate and perilous living.

Puerto Rican soprano Ana María Martínez, on stage at Lyric this winter as Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, sings the role of Catrina, the skeletal Keeper of the Dead who bridges the worlds of the living and the departed. Martínez last appeared at Lyric in the title role of Florencia en el Amazonas in the 2021/22 Season. Her luminous soprano and elegant stage presence have made her one of the leading interpreters of Latin American opera, with performances at the Metropolitan Opera, LA Opera, and internationally. As Catrina, Martínez brings both authority and compassion to this figure drawn from Mexican Day of the Dead traditions.

Rising-star countertenor Key’mon W. Murrah makes his Lyric debut as Leonardo, the spirit who encourages Frida to return to the living world. Winner of Washington National Opera’s Marian Anderson Award in 2024, Murrah’s burgeoning career includes performances at major American opera companies, where his distinctive countertenor voice and natural charisma have earned critical praise. His portrayal of Leonardo provides a crucial voice urging Frida toward life and art, even as she resists.

The production also features Ensemble members from Lyric’s acclaimed artist-development program, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, including tenor Finn Sagal as 1st Villager, tenor Daniel Luis Espinal as 2nd Villager & A Young Man, bass-baritone Benjamin R. Sokol as 3rd Villager, soprano Adia Evansas 1st Frida Image, mezzo-soprano Alexis Peart as 2nd Frida Image, and mezzo-soprano Camille Robles as 3rd Frida Image. Mezzo-soprano Corinne Wallace-Crane sings the role of Guadalupe Ponti.

A conductor who honors the music’s cultural roots. Mexican-born conductor Roberto Kalb makes his Lyric debut leading El último sueño de Frida y Diego, bringing a deep understanding of both Latin American musical traditions and contemporary opera. He conducted the opera's world premiere at San Diego Opera and subsequent performances at San Francisco Opera. Music Director of Detroit Opera since 2022, Kalb has built an international career conducting orchestras and opera companies throughout the Americas and Europe. He has particular expertise in contemporary repertoire and works that incorporate folk music traditions into classical forms. His leadership ensures that Frank’s score receives performances that honor both its Mexican folk inspirations and its sophisticated orchestral writing. Under Kalb’s baton, the Lyric Opera Orchestra becomes an essential character in the storytelling, painting Frida’s emotional journey through sound. Chorus Director Michael Black leads the 44 members of the Lyric Opera Chorus.

A director who brings Frida’s visual world to life. Director Lorena Maza makes her Lyric debut with El último sueño de Frida y Diego, bringing her distinctive theatrical vision to this production. A native of Mexico, Maza brings cultural authenticity and deep understanding of the artistic traditions that shaped both Frida and Diego’s work. Her direction emphasizes the opera’s magical realism, creating a production where the boundaries between life and death, memory and reality, past and present, all dissolve into dreamlike theatrical poetry. Maza’s staging honors the surrealist touches that made Frida’s paintings so distinctive while ensuring the emotional truth of the story remains central.

A production that dazzles the eye. The creative team includes set designer Jorge Ballina in his Lyric debut, whose designs evoke both the vivid colors of Frida’s paintings and the liminal space between worlds; costume designer Eloise Kazan in her Lyric debut, whose creations honor Mexican traditional dress and incorporate surrealist elements; lighting designer Victor Zapatero in his Lyric debut; and choreographer August Tye, a longtime Lyric collaborator who has participated in more than three dozen productions. Together, they create a visual experience as rapturous as Frida’s own canvases — a production where endlessly blooming marigolds, skeletal Catrinas, and the jewel-toned walls of Casa Azul transport audiences into Frida’s artistic vision.

When art becomes the bridge between worlds. Beyond its story of love and loss, El último sueño de Frida y Diego is a celebration of Mexican culture and the Day of the Dead traditions that honor the continuing connection between the living and those who have passed. Like the candlelit ofrendas offered on Día de Muertos, this opera doesn’t simply portray two artists’ fantastical reunion but honors the rituals of remembrance that keep memory and love alive. Frank’s sweeping music and Cruz’s poetic libretto create an operatic experience as emotionally rich as the lives that inspired it — a work that affirms art’s power to transcend death and keep our most important connections alive forever.

Performance Dates: Six chances to see El último sueño de Frida y Diego:

Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 2 p.m.

Pre-performance talks: Ticketholders are invited to a free pre-opera talk on El último sueño de Frida y Diego's composition history and cultural context; the talks begin one hour before each performance in the theater’s Steiner Parquet (the main floor).

Accessibility: Audio description, a guided touch tour of the set, and SoundShirts are available at the Sunday, March 29 matinee performance. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the theater’s Steiner Parquet coat checks at all performances. For more information on these and other accessibility assets, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.

Production history: A co-production of San Diego Opera (world premiere, 2022) and San Francisco Opera.

Location: Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois.

For more information and tickets, visit lyricopera.org/frida or call 312.827.5600.

Lyric’s 2025/26 Season is presented by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation.

Lyric’s presentation of Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz’s El último sueño de Frida y Diego is generously made possible by the Zell Family Foundation, the Pritzker Foundation, and Ethel Gofen.

Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, United Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.

About Lyric
Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists — magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Facebook. #LongLivePassion

For more information, visit lyricopera.org.

Two Shows Only at Lyric Opera: Disney’s Mary Poppins in Concert Live to Film April 10 and 11th, 2026

2026-03-12T08:10:00.075-05:00

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:

Disney’s Mary Poppins in Concert Live to Film

Lyric Opera House Friday, April 10, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., and Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.

The running time for this performance is approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes, including one intermission.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Disney’s Mary Poppins in Concert Live to Film, featuring the full-length film projected on a massive screen above the stage while the award-winning musical score by composers Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman is performed live by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Parnther.

Released in 1964, Disney’s Mary Poppins received thirteen Academy Award nominations and won five Oscars, including Original Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and Original Score by Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman. The film stars Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke and remains one of the most celebrated musical films in cinema history.

A magical English nanny, Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews), flies out of the breezy London skies and into the home of two mischievous children and the hearts of their family. With the help of a carefree chimney sweep named Bert (Dick Van Dyke), the spirited nanny turns every chore into a game and every day into a “Jolly Holiday.” Share the music, the magic, and the joy of Mary Poppins with the whole family.

Audiences will hear the Sherman Brothers’ complete score performed live in sync with the film, including beloved songs such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

American conductor Anthony Parnther is widely recognized as one of today’s leading conductors of film and concert music. Parnther is in his sixth season as Music Director of California’s San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra and serves as conductor of the Gateways Festival Orchestra, which made its sold-out Carnegie Hall debut under his leadership. A specialist in film music, he has led recording sessions for major motion pictures and television series including Oppenheimer (Academy Award–winning), Encanto (Grammy Award–winning), The Mandalorian (Emmy Award–winning), Avatar: The Way of Water, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and has appeared with leading orchestras worldwide.

This presentation marks the second Movie Nights at Lyric title of the 2025/26 Season, following Disney and Pixar’s Coco in Concert Live to Film, which was presented last fall.

Disney’s Mary Poppins in Concert Live to Film will be performed at the Lyric Opera House on Friday, April 10, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., and Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. The Friday evening showing will feature American Sign Language interpretation and SoundShirt accessibility services.

Tickets start at $39. For tickets and more information, visit lyricopera.org/MaryPoppins. Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts.

Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, United Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.

United Airlines

Illinois Arts Council

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists—magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Facebook. #LongLivePassion For more information on Lyric's upcoming 2024/25 Season, visit lyricopera.org/newseason.

ICEBOY! Premieres at Goodman Theatre JUNE 20 – JULY 26, 2026

2026-03-02T15:56:00.003-06:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

NICK OFFERMAN SET TO JOIN MEGAN MULLALLY

FOR THE MUSICAL EVENT OF THE SUMMER:

ICEBOY!

OR THE COMPLETELY UNTRUE STORY OF HOW EUGENE O’NEILL CAME TO WRITE THE ICEMAN COMETH

**WITH MUSIC BY MARK HOLLMAN, LYRICS BY HOLLMAN AND JAY REISS, BOOK BY ERIN QUINN PURCELL AND REISS, DIRECTED BY MARC BRUNI**

***TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 20 AT 10AM***

The new musical that will melt your heart just got even hotter! Emmy Award-winning actor Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) returns to his hometown this summer to join his wife, Emmy Award winner Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), for Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh. With music by Mark Hollman, lyrics by Mark Hollman and Jay Reissand book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss, the Tony Award-winning creators behind Urinetown (Hollmann, with Greg Kotis) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Reiss, with Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn) premiere their newest musical in The Goodman’s Centennial Season, directed by Marc Bruni (Broadway’s The Great Gatsby and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical).

Individual tickets ($44 – $164) go on sale Friday, March 20 at 10am for Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh, which appears in the 856-seat Albert Theatre June 20 – July 26, 2026* (opening night is June 29); call 312.443.3800 or GoodmanTheatre.org/Iceboy. *NOTE: The production dates for Iceboy! have shifted due to scheduling. Goodman Members or groups holding tickets will be contacted to make arrangements.

“We are thoroughly excited to bring the heat of our marriage back to Chicago, the city where we both cut our theatrical teeth many years ago. Although we were hoping to mount a Tennessee Williams title, city officials reminded us that Chicago has developed an historical aversion to catching on fire and so we have agreed to this considerably less spicy but hilarious new musical called Iceboy!,” said Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman in a joint statement. “Everybody knows this is the best theater town in the country, and the prospect of working together at the venerated Goodman Theatre, which was so important to both of our early careers—especially during its Centennial Season—is just a very special full-circle moment, but within the bounds of the fire code."

Broadway’s brightest star of 1938, Vera Vimm (Megan Mullally), is at the top of her game. But when she adopts a 40,000-year-old Neanderthal discovered frozen in the Arctic, the spotlight begins to shift. As Iceboy thaws, he unexpectedly becomes a theatrical sensation, inspiring the “father of the American drama” Eugene O’Neill (Nick Offerman) and challenging his legendary mother for center stage. It’s All About Eve...if only Eve was a caveman. Complete cast and creative team will be announced soon.

“If you're really lucky, a musical comes your way that makes you breathless with laughter as it captures your heart. And the only thing better than concluding our Centennial Season on a literal high note, is the opportunity to welcome home two virtuoso actors, both of whom have deep Chicago roots,” said Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth. “Megan and Nick together on our stage is nothing short of a dream come true. We can’t wait to begin collaborating with them and the phenomenal Iceboy! creators to make something wholly new and special for our city this summer.”

The Goodman is grateful for the support of Edgerton Foundation (New Play Award), Mayer Brown (Lead Corporate Sponsor) and Athletico (Physical Therapy Provider).

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Megan Mullally (Vera Vimm) created the role of Karen Walker on Will & Grace, a role for which she went on to win two Emmys and four SAG awards. On Broadway, she has starred in How to Succeed in Business, Young Frankenstein, and Grease, in addition to Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall, opposite Nathan Lane. On-screen credits include Chasing Summer, Dicks: The Musical, The Righteous Gemstones, Party Down, Reservation Dogs, Bobs’s Burgers, Childrens Hospital, Parks and Recreation, and the upcoming film Goodbye Girl. She tours worldwide with her band Nancy And Beth as creator, lead singer and choreographer.

Nick Offerman (Eugene O’Neill) is an actor, author, humorist and woodworker whose credits include the Emmy award-winning role of Bill in The Last of Us (HBO), Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, Forest in Devs (FX), and Jinx in Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple). Stage credits include the role of Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces at the Huntington Theatre, Ulysses in Sharr White’s Annapurna, opposite Megan Mullally as Emma at The Odyssey/Evidence Room in LA and The New Group Off-Broadway, Adding Machine at The Minetta Lane (Off-Broadway) and many Chicago credits at Defiant Theatre (Founding Member), Steppenwolf, A Red Orchid, Wisdom Bridge, Chicago Shakespeare and, of course, his 1994 Goodman debut as The Keeper/Fight Captain in Richard II. Recent screen projects include Death by Lightning (Netflix), Sovereign, Voicemails For Isabel (Netflix), Civil War (written and directed by Alex Garland), The Pout Pout Fish, Origin (written and directed by Ava DuVernay), Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Fargo (FX), Smurfs, The Umbrella Academy (Netflix), and NBC’s Making It (co-host and executive producer). He is the voice of Beef Tobin in the FOX animated series The Great North and audiobook narrator for Wendell Berry’s latest, The Need to Be Whole.

Mark Hollmann (Music and Lyrics) won the Tony Award®, the Obie Award, and the National Broadway Theatre Award for his music and lyrics to Urinetown The Musical, which went from the 1999 New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) to receive 10 Tony Award® nominations and 11 Drama Desk Award nominations and win the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama League and the Lucille Lortel Awards for best musical. His other shows as composer/lyricist include The Sting (Paper Mill Playhouse), ZM (Village Theatre Beta Series), Yeast Nation (FringeNYC), Bigfoot and Other Lost Souls (Perseverance Theatre), and The Girl, The Grouch and The Goat (University of Kansas Theatre and Chance Theatre). For TV, he has written songs for the Disney Channel’s Johnny and the Sprites. He received his A.B. in music from the University of Chicago, where he won the Louis J. Sudler Award in the Performing and Creative Arts. He has taught at Princeton University, Columbia College Chicago and the Dramatists Guild Institute. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and the Dramatists Guild of America, and has served on the council of the Dramatists Guild as well as on the Tony Award® Nominating Committee.

Jay Reiss (Book and Lyrics) is one of the creators of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which won two Tony awards, and made his Broadway acting debut as the Bee’s word pronouncer, Vice Principal Douglas Panch. He co-wrote the screenplay for The Oranges, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and starred Hugh Laurie, Allison Janney, Oliver Platt and Catherine Keener. He wrote the documentary New Wave: Dare To Be Different, about legendary NY radio Station WLIR. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and later on Showtime. Reiss is a graduate of The Juilliard School’s playwriting program.

Native Illinoisan Erin Quinn Purcell (Book) has been a mainstay in New York’s downtown theater scene for more than 30 years. She was one of the founding members of the critically acclaimed adobe theatre company, and participated as an actor, writer and/or director in countless productions. Writing credits include Duet! A Romantic Fable (Broadway Play Publishing) The Fiona Apple Kwanzaa Explosion (PSNBC) the musical A Fish Story (Jonathan Larson Foundation award) and the Russ Meyer inspired Go-Go Kitty, Go! (Outstanding Play, 2005 New York Fringe Festival).

Marc Bruni (Director) helmed The Great Gatsby (Broadway, West End, Korea) as well as the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Broadway, West End, US and UK Tours, and in Australia- Helpmann Award Best Director). Other credits include Billie Jean (Chicago Shakes), The Sound of Music (Chicago Lyric), Bull Durham (Paper Mill), A Little Night Music (Geffen Hall), Trevor: The Musical (Stage 42, Disney+), Bye Bye Birdie, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, How to Succeed in Business..., 50 Years of Broadway (Kennedy Center), and Hey, Look Me Over!, Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream and Fanny (City Center Encores!), Tale of Despereaux (Old Globe, Berkeley), Love All (La Jolla), The Explorers Club (MTC), Ordinary Days (Roundabout), 9 shows for the St. Louis MUNY.

ABOUT THE GOODMAN
Since 1925, The Goodman has been more than a stage. A theatrical home for artists and a gathering space for community, it’s where stories come to life—bold in artistry and rich in history, deeply rooted in the city it serves.

Led by Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, The Goodman sparks conversation, connection and change through new plays, reimagined classics and large-scale musicals. With distinctions including nearly 200 world or American premieres, two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and nearly 200 Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman is proud to be the first theater to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” In addition, the theater frequently serves as a production partner—with national and international companies to Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters—to help amplify theatrical voices.

But The Goodman believes a more empathetic, more connected Chicago is created one story at a time, and counts as its greatest legacy the community it’s built. Generation-spanning productions and programs offer theater for a lifetime; from Theater for the Very Young (plays designed for ages 0-5) to the long-running annual A Christmas Carol, which has introduced new generations to theater over five decades, The Goodman is committed to being an asset for all of Chicago. Education and Engagement programs led by Clifford Director of Education and Engagement Jared Bellot and housed in the Alice Rapoport Center use the tools of theater to spark imagination, reflection and belonging. Each year, these programs reach thousands of people (85% from underserved communities) as well as educators, artists and lifelong learners across the city.

The Goodman stands on the unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations—and acknowledges the many other Nations for whom this land now called Chicago has long been home, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. The Goodman is proud to partner with the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum (Gichigamiin-Museum.org) and the Center for Native Futures (CenterForNativeFutures.org)—organizations devoted to honoring Indigenous stories, preserving cultural memory, and deepening public understanding.

The Goodman was founded by William O. Goodman and his family to honor the memory of Kenneth Sawyer Goodman—a visionary playwright whose bold ideas helped shape Chicago’s early cultural renaissance. That spirit of creativity and generosity endures today. In 2000, through the commitment of Mr. Goodman’s descendants—Albert Ivar Goodman and his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton—The Goodman opened the doors to its current home in the heart of the Loop.

Marsha Cruzan is Chair of the Goodman Theatre Board of Trustees; Diane Landgren is Women’s Board President; and Kelli Garcia is president of the Scenemakers Board for Young Professionals.

EXTENDED: Goodman Theatre's World Premiere of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Extends Thru April 12th, 2026

2026-02-26T16:19:00.051-06:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

ON STAGE NOW AND JUST EXTENDED:

THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF

OSCAR WAO

MARCO ANTONIO RODRÍGUEZ’S ENGLISH STAGE ADAPTATION OF JUNOT DÍAZ’S BELOVED NOVEL, ADDS 8 PERFORMANCES

The Goodman announces an eight-performance extension for the world premiere of Marco Antonio Rodríguez’s English stage adaptation of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao— based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Junot Díaz. Teatro Vista Artistic Director Wendy Mateo directs this world-premiere production, featuring Humboldt Park’s Lenin Izquierdo in the title role of Oscar, leading a majority-Dominican cast. I'll be out for opening night March 2nd, so check back soon for my full review.

The Goodman’s production complements Rodríguez’s Spanish-language production, La Breve y Maravillosa Vida de Oscar Wao, which he wrote and directed for New York’s Repertorio Español, where it currently appears in selected dates. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is on stage now, running through April 12, in the 380-seat flexible Owen Theatre; extension week performances include April 7, 8 and 10 at 7:30pm, April 9 and 11 at 2pm and 7:30pm and April 12 at 2pm. For tickets ($34-94, subject to change), visit the Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), call 312.443.3800 or purchase online at GoodmanTheatre.org/Oscar. The Goodman is grateful for the support of The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust (Lead Sponsor of IDEAA Programming).

“I still remember how I felt after I saw Marco’s Spanish adaptation in New York—stunned, like my world had just tilted,” said Junot Díaz, who won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award for his book The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. “The play didn’t just surprise me—it blew me away. The stage version is both a brilliant distillation and a powerful re-imagining of the novel’s deep material, but what is extraordinary is how truthfully Marco’s script engages with the traumas, histories of resilience and irrepressible hearts that made the story what it is. I’m very grateful to everyone at The Goodman—the crews, the actors, the folks behind the scenes making the magic happen. To be given two gifts like Marco’s play in two different languages is more than I ever expected in my lifetime.”

Oscar (Lenin Izquierdo) knows that a nerdy Dominican college freshman isn’t anyone’s idea of a romantic hero. But with the encouragement of Yunior (Kelvin Grullon), his new roommate, he is determined to give love another chance. As Oscar sets out from New Jersey to Santo Domingo to prove his undeniable hope, can he shake the dark “fukú” that has haunted his family for generations? Junot Díaz’s novel comes to vivid life in this English-language world-premiere adaption—a celebration of risk and the power of perseverance against all odds.

Junot Díaz is the author of the critically acclaimed Drown; The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; and This Is How You Lose Her, a New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist. His first picture book, Islandborn, was a New York Times Bestseller and won the CLASP Américas Award 2019.

Marco Antonio Rodríguez is a Dominican-American, award-winning bilingual writer. Named Top 50 Figure in LatinX and Latin American Theatre by Routledge. Acclaimed plays Ashes of Light and Barceló on the Rocks performed all over the world and published by NoPassport Press (available-Amazon.com & lulu.com). Acclaimed Spanish stage adaptation of Junot Díaz' The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao just celebrated five years Off-Broadway at the Spanish Repertory Theatre. His play, Bloom, acclaimed run-New York’s IATI theatre. Published by TRW. Half-hour pilot, Our Friendly Neighbors, produced in short film format by DominiRican Productions. National Hispanic Media Coalition Scriptwriters Program Fellow. The Movement Theatre Company x Black List Playwriting Commission winner where he developed his play, Walk-In. New play, Domino Effect, commissioned by People's Theatre Project, to have Off-Broadway world premiere-spring 2025. Recipient-New York Stage & Film and Space on Ryder Farm Residencies. Voices “Uncle Nestor” in Emmy nominated PBS Kids series Alma’s Way and “Alo” the unicorn on Netflix animated series Barbie: A Touch of Magic.

Wendy Mateo is the Producing Artistic Director of Teatro Vista and an actor, writer, director, filmmaker and content creator. Mateo has been seen throughout Chicago’s stages including the Second City and Lookingglass Theatre where she is an ensemble member. Mateo's directing credits include the play Not for Sale 2.0 by Guadalis del Carmen at UrbanTheater Company and ¡Bernarda! By Emilio Williams at Teatro Vista. On television and film, Mateo can be seen on Chicago Med (NBC), as Ronnie in Station Eleven(HBO) and Steve McQueen’s Widows. As a filmmaker, Wendy has written, directed and produced three short films including the latest, Hair, written and directed by Lorena Diaz and Wendy Mateo, now embarking on a film festival tour.

Founded in 1968, Repertorio Español produces an unparalleled repertoire of contemporary and classical plays from Spain, Latin America and the Latinx/e diaspora. Its rich programming spans Spanish Golden Age masterpieces by Calderón de la Barca, Lope de Vega and Ana Caro de Mallén; nearly the complete works of Federico García Lorca, including the rarely staged The Public; acclaimed plays from Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay and Puerto Rico; original adaptations of novels by Gabriel García Márquez, Junot Díaz, Julia Álvarez and Isabel Allende; and groundbreaking works by contemporary Latinx playwrights such as Nilo Cruz, Carmen Rivera, Caridad Svich and Marco Antonio Rodríguez. Presenting approximately 200 performances each year, Repertorio draws diverse audiences from across New York and beyond. The Company’s artistic excellence has been recognized with five OBIE Awards, two Drama Desk Awards and two New York State Governor’s Arts Awards. For tickets and more information, visit Repertorio.nyc.

Company of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (in alphabetical order)

By Marco Antonio Rodríguez
Based on the novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DíazDirected by Wendy Mateo
Original Spanish production by Repertorio Español

Rossmery Almonte...La Inca
Julissa Calderon...Lola
Yohanna Florentino...Beli
Kelvin Grullon...Yunior
Jalbelly Guzmán...Jenni/Ybon/Trujillo Woman
Lenin Izquierdo...Oscar
Arik Vega...Dionisio/Manny/Capitan/Goon

Understudies include Berny Balbuena (Oscar Wao), Jasmine Bracey (La Inca), Gabriela Furtado Coutinho (Jenni/Ybon/Trujillo Woman), Trey DeLuna (Dionisio/Manny/Capitan/Goon), Melissa F. DuPrey(Beli/Lola) and Adriel Irizarry (Yunior).

CREATIVE TEAM

Costume Designer...Raquel Adorno
Projection Designer...Stefania Bulbarella
Set Designer...Regina Garcia
Lighting Designer...Max Grano De Oro
Sound Designer...Willow James
Cultural Consultant...Rey Andújar
Dialect & Language Coach...Marco Antonio Rodríguez
Dialect & Language Coach Assistant...Yolanny Rodriguez
Intimacy and Violence/Movement Coordinator...Gregory Geffrard
Intimacy and Violence Assistant...Tatiana Bustamante
Movement Assistant...Chels Morgan
Script Assistant...Octavio Montes De Oca
Assistant Director...Lo Williams
Assistant Dramaturg...Anna Rogelio Joaquin
Line Producer and Dramaturg...Kat Zukaitis

Casting is by Lauren Port, CSA. Isabel Patt is the Production Stage Manager.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

Visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Access for more information about The Goodman’s accessibility efforts.

ASL-Interpreted...March 13 at 7:30pm – An ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.
Audio-Described...March 14 at 2pm; Touch Tour; 12:30pm – Action audibly enhanced via headset.
Spanish-Subtitled...March 14 at 7:30pm – Spanish-translated dialogue via LED sign.
Open-Captioned...March 15 at 2pm – LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

ABOUT THE GOODMAN
Since 1925, The Goodman has been more than a stage. A theatrical home for artists and a gathering space for community, it’s where stories come to life—bold in artistry and rich in history, deeply rooted in the city it serves.

Led by Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, The Goodman sparks conversation, connection and change through new plays, reimagined classics and large-scale musicals. With distinctions including nearly 200 world or American premieres, two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and nearly 200 Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman is proud to be the first theater to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” In addition, the theater frequently serves as a production partner—with national and international companies to Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters—to help amplify theatrical voices.

But The Goodman believes a more empathetic, more connected Chicago is created one story at a time, and counts as its greatest legacy the community it’s built. Generation-spanning productions and programs offer theater for a lifetime; from Theater for the Very Young (plays designed for ages 0-5) to the long-running annual A Christmas Carol, which has introduced new generations to theater over five decades, The Goodman is committed to being an asset for all of Chicago. Education and Engagement programs led by Clifford Director of Education and Engagement Jared Bellot and housed in the Alice Rapoport Center use the tools of theater to spark imagination, reflection and belonging. Each year, these programs reach thousands of people (85% from underserved communities) as well as educators, artists and lifelong learners across the city.

The Goodman stands on the unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations—and acknowledges the many other Nations for whom this land now called Chicago has long been home, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. The Goodman is proud to partner with the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum (Gichigamiin-Museum.org) and the Center for Native Futures (CenterForNativeFutures.org)—organizations devoted to honoring Indigenous stories, preserving cultural memory, and deepening public understanding.

The Goodman was founded by William O. Goodman and his family to honor the memory of Kenneth Sawyer Goodman—a visionary playwright whose bold ideas helped shape Chicago’s early cultural renaissance. That spirit of creativity and generosity endures today. In 2000, through the commitment of Mr. Goodman’s descendants—Albert Ivar Goodman and his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton—The Goodman opened the doors to its current home in the heart of the Loop.

Marsha Cruzan is Chair of the Goodman Theatre Board of Trustees; Diane Landgren is Women’s Board President; and Kelli Garcia is president of the Scenemakers Board for Young Professionals.

Additional Performance Added THIRD COAST PERCUSSION and TIGRAN HAMASYAN at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts Friday, March 13, 2026

2026-02-25T14:48:00.015-06:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

THIRD COAST PERCUSSION

announces additional performance for the sold-out double bill with jazz pianist

TIGRAN HAMASYAN
for one night only at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
Friday, March 13, 2026

Third Coast Percussion (TCP), a GRAMMY® Award-winning Chicago-based percussion quartet and GRAMMY®-nominated composer collective, announces an additional performance of its double bill program with jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts (915 E. 60th St.) on Friday, March 13, 2026, as part of the UChicago Presents series. The original two-hour performance at 7:30 p.m. is sold out, and a one-hour abbreviated performance at 5:00 p.m. has been added due to popular demand. This marks the first time TCP and Hamasyan share a stage, an extremely unique opportunity for Chicago audiences. Tickets start at $26, with $12 student tickets available, at tickets.uchicago.edu. For more information on TCP and its current season, visit thirdcoastpercussion.com.

Named “the hottest pianist in jazz” by The Guardian, Tigran Hamasyan’s jazz mastery—steeped in the folk rhythms of his Armenian heritage—meets the “creative fearlessness” (BBC Music Magazine) of GRAMMY®-winning Chicago quartet, Third Coast Percussion. Known for their kinetic precision and daring collaborations, TCP brings a percussive fire to Hamasyan’s blend of jazz improvisation and folk-inspired melodies. Together, they craft a bold, rhythm-fueled experience that pushes sound and musical form to their limits.

Executive Director David Skidmore shares, “Tigran is a huge inspiration for us, and the opportunity to share a show with him for our hometown crowd is a real honor.” In both performances, TCP will perform Hamasyan’s Sonata for Percussion and Etude No. 1, commissioned and recorded by the ensemble, followed by a solo piano set by Hamasyan. The 7:00 p.m. performance will also include the world premiere of a new piece by Sérgio Assad, performed by TCP.

About Tigran Hamasyan

Born in Gyumri, Armenia, in 1987, Tigran Hamasyan has established himself as one of the most remarkable and distinctive jazz-meets-rock pianists and composers of his generation. A piano virtuoso with formidable groove power, he seamlessly fuses potent jazz improvisation and progressive rock with the rich folkloric music of his native Armenia. His accolades include winning the Montreux Jazz Festival's piano competition in 2003, the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition in 2005, the Echo Jazz Award for International Piano Instrumentalist of the Year for his Nonesuch debut Mockroot (2015), and the Deutscher Jazzpreis in 2021. Hamasyan has earned praise from jazz luminaries including Herbie Hancock, Brad Mehldau, and the late Chick Corea, while building a dedicated following worldwide. As NPR notes: “With startling combinations of jazz, minimalist, electronic, folk and songwriterly elements...Hamasyan and his collaborators travel musical expanses marked with heavy grooves, ethereal voices, pristine piano playing and ancient melodies. You'll hear nothing else like this.”

About Third Coast Percussion

Third Coast Percussion (comprised of Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, David Skidmore) is a GRAMMY® Award-winning Chicago-based percussion quartet and GRAMMY®-nominated composer collective. For two decades, the ensemble has created exciting and unexpected performances that constantly redefine the classical music experience. The ensemble has been praised around the country for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, the “rare power” (Washington Post) of its recordings, and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune). A commission for a new work from composer Augusta Read Thomas in 2012 led to the realization that commissioning new musical works can be—and should be—as collaborative as any other artistic partnership. Through extensive workshopping and close contact with composers, Third Coast Percussion has commissioned and premiered new works by Philip Glass, Missy Mazzoli, Clarice Assad, Gemma Peacocke, Flutronix, Jlin, Tyondai Braxton, Augusta Read Thomas, Devonté Hynes, Georg Friedrich Haas, Donnacha Dennehy, Glenn Kotche, Christopher Cerrone, and David T. Little, among others, in addition to many of today’s leading up-and-coming composers through its Currents Creative Partnership program. Third Coast Percussion currently serves as ensemble-in-residence at Denison University.

Since its inception in 2005, TCP has released 23 feature albums, and appeared on 14 additional collaborative releases, gaining over 5 million listeners and 10 million streams on Spotify. Through extensive workshopping and close contact with composers, TCP has commissioned and premiered 125 new works. Bringing their uniquely compelling programs worldwide, TCP maintains a busy tour schedule, with past performances in 42 of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., plus international tour dates across four continents and 17 countries, amassing more than 300,000 audience members globally over two decades.

In its hometown of Chicago, TCP has always maintained strong ties to the vibrant artistic community. It has collaborated with Chicago institutions including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Uniting Voices Chicago choir, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Chicago Humanities Festival, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Adler Planetarium. TCP has performed at the grand opening of Maggie Daley Children’s Park; conducted residencies at the University of Chicago and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago; created multi-year collaborative projects with Chicago-based composers Jessie Montgomery, Clarice and Sérgio Assad, Augusta Read Thomas, Glenn Kotche, and chamber ensemble Eighth Blackbird; and taught thousands of students through partnerships with Uniting Voices Chicago, The People’s Music School, the Chicago Park District, Rush Hour Concerts, Urban Gateways, Changing Worlds and others.

More information on Third Coast Percussion HERE.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 52nd NON-EQUITY THEATER JEFF AWARDS

2026-02-05T08:48:00.001-06:00

THE JEFF AWARDS ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS

FOR THE 52nd ANNIVERSARY

NON-EQUITY THEATER AWARDS

Celebrating its 52nd anniversary awarding recognition for Non-Equity theater, the Joseph Jefferson Awards announces its nominations for theater excellence among Non-Equity theater during the 2025 season. In keeping with governing Jeff Awards procedures, ballots compiled throughout the entire Non-Equity season are comparatively analyzed to determine the nominees who will be represented in each category. This year’s Non-Equity awards spotlight 147 theater artists across 26 categories of excellence in theater production among shows from 26 companies. During the most recent season, which ran from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, Jeff Awards members attended 102 Non-Equity productions. From these, 47 productions became Jeff Recommended and, therefore, eligible for award nominations.

Theaters well known for their musicals garnered the most total nominations. Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre led the awards with 20 nominations for three productions, including “Diana the Musical” (10), “Urinetown” (9) and “Tell Me On A Sunday” (one). Kokandy Productions received a total of 17 nominations for “Jekyll and Hyde” which is tied for the largest number for a single production (10) with Theo Ubique’s “Diana: The Musical”, and an additional seven nominations for “Amélie”. Multiple productions at both Invictus Theatre Company and Red Theater earned their institutions 14 and 8 nominations, respectively.

Among New Work, five world premiere plays are in award consideration. In addition, Short Run Productions (nine to 17 performances) have nominees for Production, Direction, New Work, Performers in Principal and Supporting Roles and Design.

“Continuing our mission to recognize artistic and technical excellence on theater stages across Chicagoland we are thrilled to announce the nominees for the upcoming Non-Equity Awards,” said Paulette Petretti, Jeff Awards Chair. “As one of the most active and engaged theater awards organizations in the country, The Jeff Awards is professionally independent and voting members of the committee are unaffiliated with any theater companies or producing organizations. For decades, The Jeff Awards has judged thousands of plays and musicals and honored theatrical work across dozens of categories for eligible theater companies which have invited the organization to evaluate for awards consideration. We are honored to share this year’s nominations.”

2025 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES

PRODUCTION – PLAY
“Angels in America” – Invictus Theatre
“At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen” – The Story Theatre
“Girls & Boys” – Griffin Theatre Company
“One Party Consent” – First Floor Theater
“The Pilon” – Red Theater
“The School for Scandal” – Idle Muse Theatre Company

PRODUCTION – MUSICAL
“Amélie” – Kokandy Productions
“Diana: The Musical” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
“Jekyll & Hyde” – Kokandy Productions
“Urinetown” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

ENSEMBLE – PLAY
“Angels in America” – Invictus Theatre Company
“The Pilon” – Red Theater
“The School for Scandal” – Idle Muse Theatre Company
“Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery” – Pegasus Theatre Chicago
“Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter” – City Lit Theater Company

ENSEMBLE – MUSICAL
“Amélie” – Kokandy Productions
“Diana: The Musical” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
“Jekyll & Hyde” – Kokandy Productions
“Urinetown” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

NEW WORK
Zach Barr – “The Pilon” – Red Theater
Susan H. Pak – “The F*ck House” – Strawdog Theatre Company
Omer Abbas Salem – “One Party Consent” – First Floor Theater
Lisa Sanaye Dring – “Kairos” – Red Theater
Chase Wheaton-Werle – “The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince” – The Factory Theater

DIRECTOR – PLAY
Charles Askenaizer – “Angels in America” – Invictus Theatre
Mikael Burke – “At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen” – The Story Theatre
Jessica Love – “The Pilon” – Red Theater
Nadya Naumaan – “One Party Consent” – First Floor Theater
Robin Witt – “Girls & Boys” – Griffin Theatre Company

DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
Fred Anzevino & Brenda Didier – “Diana: The Musical” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Danny Kapinos – “Urinetown” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Derek Van Barham – “Amélie” – Kokandy Productions
Derek Van Barham – “Jekyll & Hyde” – Kokandy Productions

PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Kirk Anderson (Hamm) – “Endgame” – Facility Theatre
William Delforge (Gary) – “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus” – Redtwist Theatre
Terry Guest (Courtney / Anthony) – “At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen” – The Story Theatre
Ryan Hake (Prior Walter) – “Angels in America” – Invictus Theatre
Brookelyn Hébert (Hedda Gabler) – “Hedda Gabler” – The Artistic Home
Lenin Izquierdo (Angel Cruz) – “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” – City Lit Theater Company
Olivia Lindsay (Steff) – “The F*ck House” – Strawdog Theatre Company
David Lovejoy (Galileo) – “Galileo” – Trap Door Theatre
Seoyoung Park (Eliza) – “Tom & Eliza” – TUTA Theatre
Bradford Stevens (Lucius Jenkins) – “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” – City Lit Theater Company
Scott Westerman (Arthur Pryszbyszewski) – “Superior Donuts” – The Artistic Home

PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Jesús Barajas (Pablo) – “Kid Prince and Pablo” – Lifeline Theatre
Evan Bradford (Giorgio Bachetti) – “Passion” – Blank Theatre Company
Brittney Brown (Fosca) – “Passion” – Blank Theatre Company
Teah Kiang Mirabelli (Charity Hope Valentine) – “Sweet Charity” – Blank Theatre Company
David Moreland (Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde) – “Jekyll & Hyde” – Kokandy Productions
Kate McQuillan (Diana) – “Diana: The Musical” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Luke Nowakowski (Bobby Strong) – “Urinetown” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Aurora Penepacker (Amélie Poulain) – “Amélie” – Kokandy Productions
Joshua Zambrano (Kid Prince) – “Kid Prince and Pablo” – Lifeline Theatre

SOLO PERFORMER
Cynthia Marker (Woman) – “Girls & Boys” – Griffin Theatre Company
Dani Pike (Emma) – “Tell Me on a Sunday” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Patrick Blashill (Clarence Seward / Thomas Edison) – “The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince” – The Factory Theater
Amber Dow (Paulina) – “The Winter’s Tale” – Invictus Theatre Company
Caty Gordon (Lady Teazle) – “The School for Scandal” – Idle Muse Theatre Company
Michael D. Graham (Roy M. Cohn) – “Angels in America” – Invictus Theatre Company
Dakota Hughes (Liza Minnelli) – “Queen for a Day” – Hell in a Handbag Productions
Delia Kropp (Rhonda) – “The Pilon” – Red Theater
Cynthia Marker (Wendy Lee Evans) – “One Party Consent” – First Floor Theater
Hanna Rhode (Janice) – “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus” – Redtwist Theatre
Paul Michael Thomson (Vickie / Hunter) – “At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen” – The Story Theatre
Anne Trodden (Harper Amaty Pitt) – “Angels in America” – Invictus Theatre Company
Todd Wojcik (Jorge Tessman) – “Hedda Gabler” – The Artistic Home

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Joe Giovannetti (Nino Quincampoix) – “Amélie” – Kokandy Productions
Jacqueline Grandt (Queen / Barbara) – “Diana: The Musical” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Rachel Guth (Clara) – “Passion” – Blank Theatre Company
Ava Lane Stovall (Lucy Harris) – “Jekyll & Hyde” – Kokandy Productions
Emily McCormick (Emma Carew) – “Jekyll & Hyde” – Kokandy Productions
Amanda Rodriguez (Hope Cladwell) – “Urinetown” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Jack Saunders (Charles) – “Diana the Musical” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Ryan Stajmiger (Officer Lockstock) – “Urinetown” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Maya Tanaka Allwardt (Little Sally) – “Urinetown” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Colette Todd (Camilla) – “Diana: The Musical” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Shaina Toledo (Langhorne) – “Kid Prince and Pablo” – Lifeline Theatre Company

MUSIC DIRECTION
T.J. Anderson & Anna Wegener – “Amelie” – Kokandy Productions
Carolyn Brady – “Diana: The Musical” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Aaron Kaplan – “Passion” – Blank Theatre Company
Aaron Kaplan – “Urinetown” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Nick Sula – “Jekyll & Hyde” – Kokandy Productions

SCENIC DESIGN
Kevin Hagan – “Hedda Gabler” – The Artistic Home
Tatiana Kahvegian – “Tom & Eliza” – TUTA Theatre
Sotirios Livaditis – “Girls & Boys” – Griffin Theatre Company
Ruby Lowe – “Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter” – City Lit Theater Company
Manuel Ortiz – “The Pilon” – Red Theater
Kevin Rolfs – “The House That Will Not Stand” – Invictus Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN
Terrie Devine – “The House That Will Not Stand” – Invictus Theatre
Patty Halajian – “Diana: The Musical” - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Victoria Jablonski – “The School for Scandal” – Idle Muse Theatre Company
Rachel Lambert – “Hedda Gabler” – The Artistic Home
Jennifer Mohr – “The Blood Countess” - Idle Muse Theatre Company
Racquel Postigilione – “At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen” – The Story Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHY
Kasey Alfonso – “Kid Prince and Pablo” – Lifeline Theatre
Brenda Didier & Cameron Turner – “Diana: The Musical” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Brenda Didier – “Jekyll & Hyde” – Kokandy Productions
Brenda Didier – “Urinetown” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Lauryn Schmelzer – “Sweet Charity” – Blank Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN
Joe Griffin – “Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter” – City Lit Theater Company
Joe Griffin – “War of the Worlds” – Lifeline Theatre
L.J. Luthringer – “The Blood Countess” – Idle Muse Theatre Company
Matt Reich – “Jekyll & Hyde” – Kokandy Productions
Petter Wahlbäck – “Angels in America” -Invictus Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN
Brenden Marble – “At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen” – The Story Theatre
G. "Max" Maxin IV – “Amélie” – Kokandy Productions
G. "Max" Maxin IV – “Jekyll & Hyde” – Kokandy Productions
Keith Parham – “Tom & Eliza” – TUTA Theatre
Brandon Wardell – “Angels in America” – Invictus Theatre
Levi J. Wilkins – “The House That Will Not Stand” – Invictus Theatre

PROJECTION DESIGN
DJ Douglass – “Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter” – City Lit Theater Company
G. "Max" Maxin IV – “Angels in America” – Invictus Theatre
David Sajewich – “The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince” – The Factory Theater

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Jeremiah Barr – Puppet Design – “Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter” – City Lit Theater Company
David Blixt – Fight Choreography – “Superior Donuts” – The Artistic Home
Ayanna Bria Bakari – Wig Design – “At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen” – The Story Theatre
Victoria Jablonski – Wig Design – “The School for Scandal” – Idle Muse Theatre Company
Rachel Livingston – Properties Design – “The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince” – The Factory Theater
Robin Manganaro – Properties Design – “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus” – Redtwist Theatre
Chas Mathieu – Properties Design – “The Pilon” – Red Theater
Keith Ryan – Wig Design – “The Real Housewives of the North Pole” – Hell in a Handbag Productions
Petter Wahlbäck – Original Music – “The Winter’s Tale” – Invictus Theatre Company

PRODUCTION – SHORT RUN
“Bernhardt/Hamlet” – Edge of the Wood Theatre
“The Drowning Girls” – Three Crows Theatre
“Helena & Hermia in the Enamored Odyssey” – The Impostors Theatre Co.
“Mr. Parker” – Open Space Arts

DIRECTOR – SHORT RUN
Daniel King – “The Drowning Girls” – Three Crows Theatre
Tony Lawry – “Matt & Ben” – Theatre Above the Law
Stefan Roseen – “Helena & Hermia in the Enamored Odyssey” – The Impostors Theatre Co.
David G. Zak – “Mr. Parker” – Open Space Arts

NEW WORK – SHORT RUN
Dominick Alesia – “Helena & Hermia in the Enamored Odyssey” – The Impostors Theatre Co.
Greta Geiser – “The Pyg Hypothesis” – Theatre Above the Law

PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – SHORT RUN
Courtney Abbott (Sarah Bernhardt) – “Bernhardt/Hamlet” – Edge of the Wood Theatre
Connar Brown Sprenger (Matt & Ben) – “Matt & Ben” – Theatre Above the Law
Andrew Kain Miller (Terrence) – “Mr. Parker” – Open Space Arts
Shannon McEldowney (Hermia) – “Helena & Hermia in the Enamored Odyssey” – The Impostors Theatre Co.
Cameron Raasdal-Munro (Junior) – “Gangsta Baby” – Open Space Arts
Kendal Romero (Matt & Ben) – “Matt & Ben” – Theatre Above the Law

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – SHORT RUN
Riley Capp (Justin) – “Mr. Parker” – Open Space Arts
Abby Denault (Maureen) – “Rent” – Suring Films & Theatrics
Stephen Loch (Constant Coquelin) – “Bernhardt/Hamlet” – Edge of the Wood Theatre
Josh Odor (Senior) – “Gangsta Baby” – Open Space Arts
Ian Rigg (Nick Bottom) – “Helena & Hermia in the Enamored Odyssey” – The Impostors Theatre Co.
Sarah Wisterman (Professor Pickering) – “The Pyg Hypothesis” – Theatre Above the Law

DESIGN – SHORT RUN
Elizabeth Niemczyk, Costume Design – “Bernhardt/Hamlet” – Edge of the Wood Theatre
Toria Olivier, Costume Design – “Helena & Hermia in the Enamored Odyssey” – The Impostors Theatre Co.
Jae Robinson, Sound Design – “Pussy Sludge” – Facility Theatre

MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS

By Company
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre 20
Kokandy Productions 17
Invictus Theatre Company 14
Red Theater 8
City Lit Theater Company 7
Idle Muse Theatre Company 7
The Story Theatre 7
The Artistic Home 6
Blank Theatre Company 6
The Impostors Theatre Co. 6
Open Space Arts 6
Lifeline Theatre 5
Theatre Above the Law 5
Edge of the Wood Theatre 4
First Floor Theater 4
Griffin Theatre Company 4
The Factory Theater 4
Redtwist Theatre 3
TUTA Theatre 3
Facility Theatre 2
Hell in a Handbag Productions 2
Strawdog Theatre Company 2
Three Crows Theatre 2

By Production

“Diana: The Musical” 10
“Jekyll & Hyde” 10
“Angels in America” 9
“Urinetown” 9
“Amélie” 7
“At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen” 7
“The Pilon” 7
“Helena & Hermia in the Enamored Odyssey” 6
“The School for Scandal” 5
“Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter” 5
“Bernhardt/Hamlet” 4
“The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince” 4
“Girls & Boys” 4
“Hedda Gabler” 4
“Kid Prince and Pablo” 4
“Mr. Parker” 4
“One Party Consent” 4
“Passion” 4
“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus” 3
“The House That Will Not Stand” 3
“Matt & Ben” 3
“Tom & Eliza” 3
“The Blood Countess” 2
“The Drowning Girls 2
“The F*ck House” 2
“Gansta Baby” 2
“Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” 2
“The Pyg Hypothesis” 2
“Superior Donuts” 2
“Sweet Charity” 2
“The Winter’s Tale” 2

By Individual
Brenda Didier 4 (1 w/Fred Anzevino, 1 w/ Cameron Turner)
G “Max” Maxin IV 3
Joe Griffin 2
Victoria Jablonski 2
Aaron Kaplan 2
Cynthia Marker 2
Derek Van Barham 2
Petter Wahlbäck 2

ABOUT THE JEFF AWARDS

The Jeff Awards is one of the most active and engaged theater awards organizations in the country evaluating hundreds of theatrical productions annually and holding two awards ceremonies highlighting work over the past Equity and Non-Equity seasons. Through our recommendations, awards, and honors we help foster the growth of companies, encourage artists, bring new appreciation for diverse storytelling, and cultivate civic pride in the achievements of the Chicago theater community. Originally chartered in 1968 to recognize Equity productions, the Jeff Awards Non-Equity Wing was established in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union theater. he Jeff Awards is professionally independent and voting members of the committee are unaffiliated with any theater companies or producing organizations. For more information, visit www.jeffawards.org.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON NOMINATIONS AND THE AWARDS PROGRAM

The Jeff Awards website lists all current nominees, previous recipients and nominations, and other Jeff Awards information and news. Visit www.jeffawards.org.

The 52nd Anniversary Jeff Awards for Non-Equity Theater will be held Monday, March 23, 2026, at the Harris Theater in Chicago, IL. Doors will open at 6:00pm with a cash bar available, and the awards will begin at 7:00pm. Early Bird tickets will become available February 17, 2026, at www.jeffawards.org. General Admission tickets are $62.30 (includes ticket + required fees). A group rate of $54.25 (includes ticket + required fees) is available for parties of 10 or more by contacting the Harris Theater box office at 312-334-777. Festive cocktail attire is suggested, and the public is cordially invited. An after-party will be held at the theater with light food and a cash bar.

Chicago Opera Theater presents Chicago Premiere of Kurt Weill's 'Der Silbersee' March 4-8 & Free February Events As Well

2026-01-31T14:18:00.069-06:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Chicago Opera Theater presents Chicago Premiere of Kurt Weill’s

Der Silbersee (The Silver Lake)
March 4-8 at the Studebaker Theater

Two Free Public Events Exploring Art, Censorship, and Moral Reckoning add context and depth to the banned masterpiece

Chicago Opera Theater (COT) presents the Chicago premiere of Der Silbersee: Ein Wintermärchen (The Silver Lake – A Winter’s Fairy Tale), a genre-defying theatrical work with music by Kurt Weill and text by Georg Kaiser that was banned by the Nazi regime just weeks after its 1933 premiere. Directed by COT General Director Lawrence Edelson and conducted by James Lowe in his COT debut, this revelatory new production will be performed March 4 at 7:30 PM, and March 7 & 8 at 3:00 PM at the Studebaker Theater, 410 S Michigan Ave. Tickets are $50-$150 and are available now at cot.org. The work is presented in German with English supertitles.

Der Silbersee marked Kurt Weill’s final theatrical work before he was forced to flee Germany as a Jewish composer, escaping the rising tide of fascism and eventually making his home in the United States. A groundbreaking, long-suppressed work by the composer of The Threepenny Opera and Street Scene, Der Silbersee blurs the boundaries between opera, operetta, and musical theater. An act of artistic defiance at the moment of its creation, the work helped pave the way for modern music drama and remains a strikingly relevant reflection on humanity’s struggles and hopes. Der Silbersee tells the poignant story of Severin, a destitute man shot while stealing a pineapple, and Olim, the policeman who wounds him but later nurses him back to health as he seeks redemption. At its heart, this deeply human work asks a question that resonates with unsettling clarity today: How can we find reconciliation and hope in a fractured world?Weill’s extraordinary score—blending late-Romantic lyricism, sharp modernist edges, and the propulsive energy of popular song—moves seamlessly between satire, poignancy, and surrealism, underscoring the work’s emotional depth and political urgency.

COT General Director Lawrence Edelson on Der Silbersee: “When I first encountered Der Silbersee, I was struck not only by the circumstances in which it was written, but by how enduringly it speaks to our time. By cloaking a searing social critique in the language of a fairy tale, Kurt Weill and Georg Kaiser transformed political protest into poetic myth, using allegory to confront society in a moral winter. Written at a moment of profound political and ethical collapse, the work grapples with wealth inequality, the rise of fascism, and the violence of the state—forces that continue to forces that refuse to remain confined to history, resurfacing whenever societies lose their moral compass.. What makes the piece extraordinary, however, is that it refuses to surrender to despair. This theatrical masterpiece uncovers a profound hope—a belief that empathy and moral choice remain possible even when the world feels irreparably broken. Producing Der Silbersee today feels both like an act of remembrance and an act of resistance. I hope our new production allows contemporary audiences to encounter the work not as a historical artifact, but as a living moral inquiry—one that asks us, what kind of society we are choosing or allowing ourselves to become.”

The cast is led by tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali as Severin and bass-baritone Justin Hopkins as Olim. They are joined by soprano Ariana Strahl as Fennimore; tenor Dylan Morrongiello as Lottery Agent/Baron Laur; mezzo-soprano Leah Dexter as Frau von Luber; soprano Boya Wei and mezzo-soprano Sophia Maekawa as the Shopgirls; actor Korey Simeone as the Policeman/Doctor; and tenor Sam Grosby, baritones Evan Bravos and Leroy Davis, and bass-baritone Steele Fitzwater as the Four Youths. Jeffrey D. Kmiec is the Scenic Designer, Erik Reagan Teague is the costume designer, and Marcella Barbeau is the Lighting Designer.

In the weeks leading up to the opening, COT invites the public to deepen their engagement with Der Silbersee through two free, thought-provoking events that illuminate the opera’s historical context, artistic legacy, and striking contemporary relevance.

Free Public Event #1
1933: The Turning Point — Art, Oppression, and Resistance

Monday, February 9, 2026 | 6:30 PM
Harold Washington Library Center – Cindy Pritzker Auditorium

Chicago Opera Theater and the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center partner for an illuminating evening that explores how 1933 marked a profound rupture in the history of both Europe and the arts. That year, Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany ushered in the Nazi dictatorship, unleashing a systematic campaign of antisemitism, censorship, and cultural control. Within months, civil liberties were suspended, Jewish artists were expelled from their professions, and a new ideology of “racially pure” art replaced the creative pluralism of the Weimar Republic. Amid this upheaval, composer Kurt Weill and playwright Georg Kaiser premiered Der Silbersee. The work was banned within weeks of its debut and its creators forced into exile. Yet its music and message endure as a testament to the power of art to bear witness and to resist tyranny. 1933: The Turning Point — Art, Oppression, and Resistance combines live musical excerpts from Der Silbersee with historical context and dialogue, shedding light on how this masterpiece reflects the political and moral crises of its time. Together, COT and the Illinois Holocaust Museum invite audiences to reflect on how the lessons of 1933—when democracy collapsed, truth was suppressed, and art was silenced—remain urgently relevant today.

Free Public Event #2
Close-Up with Der Silbersee

Thursday, February 19, 2026 | 7:00 PM
Newberry Library

The subtitle of Der Silbersee translates into English as “A Winter’s Fairy Tale.” This deliberate reference to Heinrich Heine’sDeutschland: Ein Wintermärchen signals that the opera was never intended as a children’s fantasy, but as a poetic reflection on a society in moral winter—an idea that feels strikingly resonant today. Fairy tales are not solely escapist diversions; they are powerful vessels for moral clarity. Through the language of wonder, they confront fear, cruelty, loss, and redemption, shaping archetypes we recognize instinctively. Although Der Silbersee was not conceived as a child’s tale, director Lawrence Edelson became increasingly fascinated by how fairy tales are first encountered—not as literature, but as formative stories absorbed in childhood, when our sense of right and wrong is still taking shape. This insight inspired Edelson and his design collaborators to imagine the opera as unfolding within a child’s bedroom—not to make the work childish, but to reveal how innocence can perceive moral truth with piercing clarity. Join us at The Newberry Library for an engaging behind-the-scenes conversation to explore how the evocative visual world of this new production is being brought to life. The evening will also feature live excerpts from this unjustly neglected masterpiece, performed by members of the cast—an inspiring preview of Chicago Opera Theater’s upcoming production.

Both events are free, but advance registration is highly recommended due to limited seating capacity.

Leadership support for Der Silbersee has been provided by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc., New York, NY, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Production Co-Sponsors Ethel Gofen Penelope Steiner and Virigina Tobiason.

COT thanks Nancy Dehmlow and the Morse & Genius Operating Reserve Fund for their generous support of the 2025/26 Season.

About Chicago Opera Theater
Chicago Opera Theater’s mission is to enrich the lives of those who live, work and play in Chicago by bringing rarely produced and contemporary operas to life, supporting gifted emerging artists, and providing hands-on experiences with opera that entertain, empower creativity, and cultivate a lasting and meaningful connection to the arts. Guided by our core values, COT serves Chicago through unique, relevant, and innovative opera experiences that reflect the aspirations of our city — dynamic, inclusive, and forward-thinking — fostering inspiration, dialogue and belonging. Since its founding in 1973, COT has grown from a grassroots community-based company to a national leader in an increasingly vibrant, diverse, and forward-looking art form. COT has staged over 160 operas, including over 90 Chicago premieres and 50 operas by American composers. COT is led by General Director Lawrence Edelson who was appointed in 2023.

Chicago Opera Theater’s 2025/26 season continues with the concert world premiere of Trusted May 30, 2026 – the seventh opera commissioned and developed under the auspices of the Vanguard Initiative.
For more information on Chicago Opera Theater productions, visit chicagooperatheater.org/

Images: Top Right Chaz tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali; Middle Right Justin Hopkins; Both Right Leah Dexter; Bottom Middle Ariana Strahl; Bottom Left Top Lawrence Edelson; Bottom Left bottom James Lowe

REVIEW: The Outsider Now Playing Through February 22 at Oil Lamp Theater

2026-01-25T21:32:00.127-06:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Oil Lamp's Finding the Funny in Political Theatre

OIL LAMP THEATER’S 2026 SEASON KICKS OFF WITH
THE OUTSIDER

NOW PLAYING THROUGH FEBRUARY 22, 2026

DIRECTED BY SCOTT WESTERMAN

A Comedy of Campaign Chaos Kicks Off the New Season

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

In the weird microcosm that is Chicago Theatre, you can catch both The Outsider and The Outsiders playing this February. Lest you get confused, the first to open, Oil Lamp Theatre's political comedy, is a laugh out loud slice of hilarious human nature. What a welcome break from the alternating tragedy and absurdist theatre our actual US politics so often descend into these days.

We were charmed and amused by Ned Newley, a guy too smart, genuine, and nice to be governor. He's been running everything efficiently for years, behind the scenes, while the corrupt governor playboy takes credit for his work and goofs off. When the camera shy, bumbling 2nd in command becomes governor by default, the pr team runs triage and hilarity ensues. Newbie Newley won our hearts, and while the jokes and physical comedy provided a welcome breath of fresh laughter, there's depth and truth to this tale too. It's about time we take another look at slickness over substance; image over integrity, and start picking politicians with brains and a moral compass, over social media fluff that polls well.

The entire cast brought a high energy, playful vibe to the production, that's well worth a trek to suburban Glenview. Even my husband, a location sound engineer, who's done plenty of political press junkets over the decades, thought it was quite funny and spot on. He's run audio for Joe Biden (ABC: World News Tonight) and George W Bush (CNN), as well as lots of local politicians, so he found the crew bits particularly funny.

The Outsider's got our vote! Three out of three stars. ★★★ Recommended.

Kudos also to Oil Lamp on their recent expansion with the SPARK CENTER, which offers arts education for all ages with a focus on youth. In September 2025, Oil Lamp launched Light The Way, a transformative fundraising campaign designed to expand arts education, strengthen essential staff and establish a larger performance venue. Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've been covering Oil Lamp for years and we're excited to see what's next for this intrepid, suburban storefront. We hope they'll continue with the beloved, free chocolate chip cookies from Misericordia, in their new lobby, too.

Oil Lamp Theater’s first production of its 2026 season, The Outsider, written by Paul Slade Smith and directed by Scott Westerman, is now playing through February 22 at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road. The running time, including the intermission, is two hours and 15 minutes. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. There will be additional Wednesday performances Jan. 28 and Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. There will be an understudy performance on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.Tickets are on sale now for $30 for previews and $55 for the run at OilLampTheater.org.

When the sitting governor gets kicked out of office for, you guessed it, corruption, it’s time for someone new to take the throne… uh...the role. And the polls are in, it's time for an outsider. Enter bumbling brainiac Ned Newley. With bright ideas and hope in his eyes, he’s the perfect candidate - on paper. It will take a team of dedicated pollsters, campaign coordinators and more notecards than one can count, to turn him into a poised politician who can expertly avoid questions like it's his job. This knee-slappingly hilarious play will have the audience reaching across the aisle to share a laugh. Audiences may even find a renewed sense of hope for politics…okay maybe not… but they'll at least enjoy an absolutely hysterical and highly entertaining break from the news.

The cast of The Outsider includes (in alphabetical order) Andrew Bosworth (he/him, Arthur Vance); Sara DiPasquale (she/her, Rachel Parsons); Kenneth D. Johnson (he/him, A.C. Petersen); Michael Morrow (he/they, Dave Riley); Melody Rowland (she/her, Paige Caldwell); William Ryder (he/him, Ned Newley) and Jenna Steege (she/they, Louise Peakes) with understudies Sam Fain (he/they, U/S Ned Newley and U/S Arthur Vance); Stanley King (he/him, U/S A.C. Petersen); Megan Kueter (she/her, U/S Paige Caldwell and U/S Rachel Parsons); Sean Price (he/him, U/S Dave Riley), and Amy Yulish (she/her, U/S Louise Peakes).

The production team includes Scott Westerman (he/him, director); Sara Segneri (she/her, stage manager); Connor Windle (she/her, production manager); Rose Leisner (she/her, company manager); Spencer Donovan (he/him, scenic designer); Ellen Markus (she/her; properties designer); Janelle Smith (she/they; costume designer); Rachel D. Hemm (she/her, lighting designer); Alex Trinh (he/him, sound designer) and Andy Cahoon (he/him, technical director).

ABOUT PAUL SLADE SMITH, Playwright

Paul Slade Smith is an actor and playwright living in Brooklyn, New York with his wife, actress Erin Noel Grennan. He received a Helpmann Award nomination for his performance as “Willy Wonka” in the Australian premiere of the Broadway musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Stateside, his acting credits include: the original Broadway casts of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland and the 2018 Lincoln Center revival of My Fair Lady; U.S. national tours of Wicked (“Doctor Dillamond”), My Fair Lady (“Jaime”) and The Phantom of the Opera; and productions at American Repertory Theatre, The Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Paper Mill Playhouse, The Goodspeed, Geva Theatre Center, Asolo Repertory and Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, Texas. His TV credits include NBC's “The Blacklist” and “The Other Two” and “The Gilded Age”, both on HBO. He is the award-winning author of three plays: Unnecessary Farce, The Outsider and Theatre People, or the Angel Next Door.

ABOUT SCOTT WESTERMAN, Director

Scott Westerman is the founding artistic director of Go To Productions, a 501©3 nonprofit which develops projects that explore the nexus between live theatre and film. He created and directed the web series “Hamlet & Ophelia” which won Best Picture at the New York Film Awards, Best Web Series at the LA Film Awards and Best Mobile Series at the 2022 New Media Film Festival. Westerman has directed stage productions for The Artistic Home, Citadel Theatre, ChiArts, City Lit Theatre, Chimera Theatre Company, Beyond This Point, Barter Theatre, Stage Left Theatre, The Smithsonian Institution, American Theatre Company (Bridge) and Reverie Theatre Company. He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, an ensemble member with The Artistic Home, represented by Gray Talent Group and a teaching artist with Lookingglass Theatre, Writers Theatre and Filament Theatre. He has an MFA from The Shakespeare Theatre Academy. As an actor, he has worked with Steppenwolf Theatre, Writers Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Lookingglass, Northlight Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre Company and Ford’s Theatre in DC, Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, the Warehouse Theatre in South Carolina and the Barter Theatre in Virginia to name a few. On camera credits include “Chicago Fire,” “Machine Gun Preacher” and “Prison Break.”

MORE FROM FROM OIL LAMP THEATER

Poor Behavior
April 10 – May 10, 2026

By Theresa Rebeck
Directed by Lauren Katz
Preview Performances: Friday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 11 at 3 p.m.
Opening Night: Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances Wednesday, April 15 at 11 a.m and 3 p.m.; Wednesday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday April 29 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; and Wednesday May 6 at 7:30 p.m.

A visit from old friends takes an unexpected turn when a bombshell accusation throws niceties out the window. Hospitality turns to havoc. Sanity shatters into shambles. Manners take a backseat as two couples are pushed to their limits during a weekend in the country. Will they be able to pick up the pieces over wine and muffins or will their poor behavior leave them irrevocably broken? Find out in this sharp-witted play by acclaimed playwright Theresa Rebeck.

The Last 5 Years
June 5 – July 5, 2026

Book, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Christina Ramirez
Music Directed by Amy Branahl
Preview performances: Friday, June 5 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday June 6 at 3 p.m.
Opening Night: Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances Wednesday, June 10 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Wednesday June 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, June 24 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; and Wednesday July 1 at 7:30 p.m. There are no performances on Saturday July 4.

Straight from Broadway, Jason Robert Brown’s musical masterpiece The Last Five Years comes to Oil Lamp Theater. This widely beloved show takes audiences on the romantic rollercoaster of Jamie and Cathy as they fall in and out of love over the last five years. Told from each individual’s perspective – one chronologically and one backwards – audiences will be swept into the unique storytelling and find an anti-love story full of humor and heart. Hailed as a powerful and intimate production, this Drama Desk Award-winner for Outstanding Music is not to be missed.

I Love You Because
August 14 – September 13, 2026

Book and Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham
Music by Joshua Salzman
Directed by Scott Shallenbarger
Music Directed by Aaron Kahn
Preview Performances: Friday, Aug. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday Aug. 15 at 3 p.m .
Opening Night: Saturday, Aug. 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances Wednesday Aug. 19 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday September 2 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; and Wednesday September 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Modern dating is a mess. Sometimes to find Mr. Right you need to find Mr. Wrong even if that means seeing someone stuck on their ex, awkward encounters of the intimate kind and lots of horrible coffee dates. Opposites attract in this feel-good musical that will transport audiences into the heart of your favorite guilty pleasure rom-com. Created by acclaimed musical team Ryan Cunningham and Joshua Salzman and inspired by Jane Austen’s gold-standard romance novel “Pride and Prejudice,” this delightful musical will make you fall head over heels.

Dial M for Murder
October 2 – November 1, 2026\

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original play by Frederick Knott
Directed by Daniel King
Preview Performances: Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday Oct. 3 at 3 p.m.
Opening Night: Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Wednesday Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday Oct. 21 at 11:00 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Alfred Hitchcock’s adored, chilling thriller gets a modern twist that no one will see coming. A murderous misstep begins a high-stakes hunt for the real criminal as time is quickly running out. This captivating, heart-racing play leaves audiences on the edge of their seats while the mystery of the year unravels before their eyes. Will the clues unlock the right person, or will an innocent victim pay the price? The suspense is to die for…

*All productions, dates, creatives, etc. are subject to change.

ABOUT OIL LAMP THEATER

Oil Lamp Theater is a professional nonprofit performing arts organization in Glenview, Illinois, welcoming over 10,000 patrons annually from more than 225 communities—41% from Glenview and others from across the North Shore and Chicago. Since establishing its intimate 60-seat home in downtown Glenview in 2012, Oil Lamp has grown into a cultural beacon, earning recognition as “Best Live Theatre in the North Shore” for four consecutive years.

With more than 70 productions to date, Oil Lamp is known for its dynamic Mainstage season, special events and its resilience during the pandemic, when it innovated with drive-in performances and outdoor productions. Today, the theatre continues to foster connection, broaden horizons and illuminate the human condition through professional theater and year-round programming.

In addition to its productions, Oil Lamp recently expanded with the SPARK CENTER, which offers arts education for all ages with a focus on youth. These process-driven classes inspire a lifelong love of the arts while equipping students with creativity, confidence and critical life skills.

In September 2025, Oil Lamp launched Light The Way, a transformative fundraising campaign designed to expand arts education, strengthen essential staff and establish a larger performance venue with the goal of staying in downtown Glenview. Building on its roots as a scrappy storefront, Oil Lamp is evolving into a more robust organization—without losing the intimacy and warmth that define its theater experience. Oil Lamp Theater hopes this announcement inspires excitement throughout the community. Interested community members are invited to learn more by reaching out to the theater and staying tuned as additional news is shared in the near future. For information or to support the campaign go to OilLampTheater.org/Light-the-Way or reach out to Oil Lamp at light-the-way@oillamptheater.org.

Production photo credit: Gosia Matuszewska - GosiaPhotography.com for Oil Lamp Theater’s The Outsider, now playing through February 22 at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road in Glenview.

REVIEW: Laura Heit: The Matchbox Shows Now Playing Through January 25th, 2026

2026-01-23T16:57:00.000-06:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Chicago Puppet Fest presents:

Laura Heit: The Matchbox Shows

Laura Heit's unmatched!

We adored this wonderfully weird production. Think that late night, tiny, tabletop puppet fun might be your jam? This show has fire, wind, human created foley noises, and even puppet porn worthy of a 12 year old boy in a bathroom stall. She even becomes her own sequined backdrop with a delightful interplay of light, motion, and projection.

Portland, Oregon based Heit has 25 years of practice making miniature magic and has perfected her niche craft in a big way. Not one to be boxed in, this microcosm contains dreams, odd stories, and wickedly creative, delightful absurd scenarios. The art is so bad it's good. And her DIY vibe is also inspiring and makes me want to go home and make an entire mini world of oddities in the service of storytelling. Worth the admission price to see the teeny news helicopter with the pinwheel propellor! Recommended.

Laura Heit also has two nights of shorts playing at Music Box Theatre, which I was unable to get press tickets to review, and a free looping exhibition on the 4th floor of The Fine Arts Building which we loved. Check her out.

Exhibitions at The Puppet Hub
“Two Ways Down” by Laura Heit

An immersive shadow puppet and hand-drawn animated installation, by visiting puppet artist Laura Heit. Taking inspiration from the Hieronymus Bosch work, Garden of Earthly Delights, this fantastical piece reflects on the momentary nature of life using thrown shadows from tabletop dioramas and reflected and refracted animated projections to create a fleeting world where human-animal hybrids, specters, and body parts morph and flit across the walls.

Laura Heit: The Matchbox Shows

* 25th Anniversary of The Matchbox Shows *

Laura Heit walks on stage with a glass of wine wearing a sequined tube top. She takes her place behind a table and begins to bring to life her miniature cabaret. Playing the part of Miniature raconteur, sequined pyromaniac, Laura Heit performs teeny tiny puppet shows inside matchboxes.

A dead boyfriend, a sausage fairy, a tiger whisperer, a perfectionist, a bath-loving ghost, and many others play their parts in these uncanny micro plays. The miniature stages come to life with crankies, fire, and pop-up paper engineering. The puppet shows are simultaneously projected on a screen behind the table making the little tiny details of this portable variety show larger than life.

Event Details

Dates/Times:
Thursday, January 22 at 8 p.m.
Thursday, January 22 at 10 p.m.
Friday, January 23 at 8 p.m.
Friday, January 23 at 10 p.m.
Saturday, January 24 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, January 24 at 10 p.m.
Sunday, January 25 at 8 p.m.

Location:
Constellation
3111 N. Western Ave.

Cost:
$25 Regular
$20 Students and Seniors

Ages: 13 and up
Running Time: 50 mins

REVIEW: The Harlem Doll Palace at The 8th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Now Playing Through January 4, 2026

2026-01-23T16:17:00.000-06:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Alva Puppet Theater: The Harlem Doll Palace

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Don't let the demure looking tea party fool you. This show is full of harrowing true life tales of a contemporary break in, a theft, an assault, a flood, and generational family trauma dating back to the days of legalized slavery. It's also full of endurance, joy, famous visitors, and a passion for collecting thousands of valuable, historical dolls that borders on obsession. Welcome to The Harlem Doll Palace, based on the true story of Lenon Holder Hoyt, better known as Aunt Len, a public school art teacher for 40 years who created a doll museum in her Harlem brownstone.

We're huge fans of stories about interesting people and are so happy the story of Aunt Len and her passion project is being preserved. We weren't expecting the wonderful contemporary songs and the depth and breadth this historical puppet piece covers. Framing her story as a puppet show and anthropomorphizing her collection is strongly effective storytelling. We found this show not only informative, but entertaining as well, with strongly positive social justice, black, and queer elements. Highly recommended.

Chicago Puppet Fest and Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago present:

Alva Puppet Theater: The Harlem Doll Palace

Join the dolls from the “dollection” inside Aunt Len’s Doll and Toy Museum as they recreate their journeys to the museum and seek to keep its beloved founder alive while Harlem deteriorates around her.

Event Details

Dates/Times:
Thursday, January 22 at 4 p.m.
Thursday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 23 at 4 p.m.
Friday, January 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 24 at 6 p.m.

Location:
Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts, Theater East, UChicago
915 E. 60th St.

Cost:
$43 Regular
$35 Students and Seniors

Ages: 10 and up

Running Time: 80 mins

Click here for video and full details.

The 8th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Returns January 21-February 1, 2026

2026-01-19T20:44:00.272-06:00

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

The 8th

Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama we've been covering Chicago's vibrant puppet scene since 2008. And we've been extensively covering The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival since its inception in 2015. We are so fortunate here in Chicago, to host puppeteers from around the globe for 12 days of spectacular shows, intimate works and special events all over the city, January 21-February 1, 2026.

I love that modern puppetry has elevated from an often ignored, fringe element of theatre, begging for coverage, to a wildly popular genre, selling out shows at a record pace. Sadly, the bigger The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival has grown, the harder it's become to get press tickets to cover all the shows. Despite applying to review all 19 productions, they were only able to swing tickets to 7, and many of my top choices were sold out entirely or out of tickets for the press.

So I'll be featuring the heck out of the 7 I am able to see. Check back like we vote in Chicago, early and often. I'll be posting lots of social media updates and reviews as the fest ramps up. **** I've noted those I'm covering with 4 asterisks

Two of the ones I have to miss are Chicago locals, so I do hope they'll do a remount I can catch in the near future. I was shut out of covering Manual Cinema's The 4th Witch, as well as Rhynoceron by local puppeteer and Jeff Award-winning puppet designer KT Shivak. I'm also very much hoping for a remount of The Left Hand of Darkness, in from New York.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Many of the fest's offerings are geared toward adults, so be sure to check out age recommendations below and on the puppet fest's site.

MULTI CULTI: WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER Despite the USA's current administration's aversion to DEI and multiculturalism, we're thrilled that puppet artists from England, France, Norway, Denmark, India, Scotland, South Korea and Spain, are slated for the fest. The U.S. and Chicago cool kids are also well represented and we love the international friendships and collaborations the fest fosters. Fingers crossed all the performers and their puppets/sets/costumes safely make it through customs and enjoy their weeks in Chicago unmolested by ICE and Border Patrol!

NEED AN EXCUSE TO LEAVE THE COUCH? Bundle up and check out the 8th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, showcasing different forms of traditional and contemporary puppet styles, from bunraku-style to shadow puppetry, marionettes to object-based works.

Tickets to more than 100 shows, events and interactive workshops are on sale at chicagopuppetfest.org. Don’t wait. Despite Chicago’s cold winters, tickets to the Chicago Puppet Festival are always the hottest ticket in town come January. In fact, some shows are already sold out.

Highlights I'm covering include:

****Fan favorite Wakka Wakka, featuring artists from Norway and New York, opens this year’s festival with Dead as a Dodo, a mesmerizing musical odyssey about survival, transformation, and the power of true friendship. Infused with puppetry, humor, and stunningly innovative visual effects, Dead as a Dodo, commissioned by the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, takes audiences deep into the underworld, where two skeleton friends, a Dodo and a boy, may be shattering the established order of the dead.

This production is returning after a prior stint at the fest in 2024. I'll be happily catching this one again. It's excellent. Highly recommended. Don't miss this! Check out my past Dead as a Dodo review HERE: https://www.chiilmama.com/2024/01/world-premiere-of-wakka-wakkas.html

Dead as a Dodo
Wakka Wakka (Norway/U.S.)
Studebaker Theater, Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., downtown Chicago
January 21-25

Five shows: Wednesday, January 21 at 7 p.m.; Friday, January 23 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, January 24 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, January 25 at 2 p.m.

80 minutes
8 and up
Tickets: $40-$48

wakkawakka.org.dead-as-a-dodo

****In a late addition to the line-up, festival founder and artistic director Blair Thomas returns to the stage with his original new work Does a Dog Have Buddha Nature?, a large-scale, four-panel crankie offering insight into the rascally nature of a dog and his owner. I've enjoyed interviewing Blair Thomas several times over the years and rolling video on another of his infamous crankies for ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama. Check out those blasts from the past HERE:

Gorey's Gashlycrumb Tinies Puppet Show--Blair Thomas & Co

ChiIL Mama Chats with Puppeteers Blair Thomas and Magali Chouinard

ChiIL Mama's Houdini Box Interview With Blair Thomas and Hannah Kohl

Does a Dog Have Buddha Nature?
Blair Thomas (Chicago/U.S.)
Chopin Theater, 1543 W. Division St., Wicker Park
January 25-26

Four shows: Sunday, January 25 at 8 p.m.; Monday, January 26 at 2 p.m.,
5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

45 minutes
All Ages
Tickets $35-$45

****New York’s Alva Puppet Theatre presents The Harlem Doll Palace, based on the true story of Lenon Holder Hoyt, better known as Aunt Len, a beloved public school art teacher for 40 years who created a doll museum in her Harlem brownstone. Join the dolls from Aunt Len’s “dollection” as they recreate their journeys to their museum.

The Harlem Doll Palace
Alva Puppet Theatre (New York City/U.S.)
Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts, East Theater, UChicago, 915 E. 60th St., Hyde Park

January 22-24

Five shows: Thursday, January 22 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Friday, January 23 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, January 24 at 6 p.m.

80 minutes
10 and up
Tickets: $35-$43
alvapuppettheater.com/theharlemdollpalace

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List: a family friendly show & a 2 for 1 discount code too!

****Family audiences will love Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile by England’s Roald Dahl Story Company. In this mischievous musical, based on Dahl’s snappy book with toe-tapping tunes, the titular star weaves through the jungle with his tummy rumbling, while other jungle creatures foil his secret plans to stop this greedy brute. Audiences will go from the jungle into outer space and back again, just in time for a wild dance party!

Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile
Roald Dahl Story Company (England)
Studebaker Theater, Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., downtown Chicago
January 29-February 1

Seven shows: Thursday, January 29 at 1 p.m.; Friday, January 30 at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Saturday, January 31 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; Sunday, February 1 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
(Note: Post-festival performances continue through February 21)

55 minutes
All ages
Tickets: $40-48, with discounted tickets available for school groups
enormouscrocodilemusical.com

****India’s Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust makes their Chicago debut with About Ram, an experimental theatrical piece using excerpts from the Bhavbhuti's “Ramayana,” an epic tale and guide for Hindu principles like dharma, told through animation, digitally projected dance, masks and puppets.

About Ram
Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust (India)
Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan Ave., downtown Chicago
January 29-31

Four shows: Thursday, January 29 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, January 30 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.; Saturday, January 31 at 12 p.m.

60 minutes
5 and up
Tickets: $15-$35
katkatha.org

****Audiences of all ages will delight in the magic of sequined Portland puppet raconteur Laura Heit’s The Matchbox Shows, teeny tiny puppet shows performed inside matchboxes, “the smallest, greatest, bravest, show in the world.” In addition to seeing Heit perform live, catch Laura Heit: Short Films, a showcase of her short films featuring drawing, stop-motion and puppetry, presented in the fest’s first-ever collaboration with Chicago’s Music Box Theatre.

The Matchbox Shows
Laura Heit (Portland/U.S.)
Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave., Roscoe Village/Avondale
January 22-25

Seven shows: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, January 22- 24 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday, January 25 at 8 p.m.

50 minutes
13 and up
Tickets: $25-33

lauraheit.com/the-matchbox-shows

****From Seoul, South Korea comes Oil Pressure Vibrator created by and featuring Geumhyung Jeong, an artist who’s interested in the human body, the objects that surround it, with a particularly strange fascination with the excavator. Witness as Jeong plunges a big bucket into preconceptions about sexuality, technology and the body. For adult audiences only.

Oil Pressure Vibrator
Geumhyung Jeong (South Korea)
Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Wicker Park
January 30-31

Two shows: Friday, January 30 at 9 p.m. and Saturday, January 31 at 2 p.m.

60 minutes
18 and up
Tickets: $40-$48
geumhyungjeong.com

Puppets for FREE

If the hefty ticket prices are out of your reach this year, you can still catch both neighborhood tours for FREE, as well as the exhibits on the fourth floor of the Fine Arts Building and the Ellen Van Volkenburg Symposium puppet panels in person or streaming.

Giant Puppet Lanterns

In addition to the incredible pageant of international and U.S. puppetry artists, The Puppet Hub is back and open throughout the festival on the fourth floor of the Fine Arts Building. It’s the perfect place to relax between shows, meet up with friends, make new ones, and learn more about contemporary puppetry. Attractions include The Spoke & Bird Pop-Up Cafe, serving coffee, tea, winter soups and baked treats, the Pop-Up Puppet Shop, and two free exhibits: Two Ways Down, featuring festival artist Laura Heit’s exquisite hand-drawn animation and film inspired by Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” and a room full of giant lantern puppets created in the pre-festival workshop with Andrew Kim of Thingamugig.

Puppetry enthusiasts are also welcome to check out the free Ellen Van Volkenburg Symposium, the Catapult Artist Intensive, professional education workshops with visiting puppet artists, and more.

Now presented annually, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is the largest event of its kind in North America. Last year’s festival attracted a record audience – more than 22,000 fans of puppetry, ranging from Chicago residents to international guests who choose Chicago as their travel destination in the middle of January to enjoy world-class puppet productions from here and abroad.

Visit chicagopuppetfest.org for tickets and information about the 8th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, and sign up for the festival’s e-news. Follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram or Vimeo, hashtag #ChiPuppetFest.

Festival funders

Supporters of the 8th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival include the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Art Legacy Institute, Cheryl Lynn Bruce and Kerry James Marshall, The Chicago Community Trust, Chicago Park District Night Out in the Parks Program, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Ferdi Foundation/Julie Moller, Illinois Arts Council, Jentes Family Foundation/ Justine Jentes and Dan Kuruna, Paul Levy and Mia Park, The Reva & David Logan Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Manaaki Foundation, Marshall Frankel Foundation, Kristy and Brandon Moran, Pritzker Foundation, and Deb and Andy Wolkstein.

About the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Originally founded in 2015 as a project of Blair Thomas & Co., the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival has highlighted artists from nations including Belgium, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Puerto Rico, Poland, Scotland and South Africa as well as from Chicago and across the U.S. with the goal of promoting peace, equality, and justice on a global scale.

Already, the Chicago Puppet Festival is the largest of its kind in North America. Last year’s 2025 festival attracted a record 22,000+ audience members to 29 different Chicago venues large and small to enjoy an entertaining and eclectic array of puppet styles from around the world.

In 2022, the Festival moved from a biennial to an annual event, and tripled its footprint in Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building. It opened an expanded office suite, debuted the Chicago Puppet Studio, which designs and fabricates puppets for theaters and events around the U.S., and launched the Chicago Puppet Lab, an education space and developmental residency designed to incubate more works of boundary-breaking puppetry in Chicago, expand equity in the field of puppetry, and encourage interdisciplinary experimentation in puppet theater.

It’s fitting that the Fine Arts Building is home again to one of the most influential puppetry organizations in the world. In 1912, after Ellen Van Volkenburg founded the Little Theater of Chicago in the Fine Arts Building, she needed a name for the actors manipulating marionettes in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. So she credited them in the program with a new word, “puppeteer.” Many agree this marked the initial intersection of traditional puppetry with contemporary theater still practiced today, and now flourishing around the world.

Expanded operations are overseen by Artistic Director and Festival Founder Blair Thomas and Executive Director Sandy Smith Gerding, with Cameron Heinze and La Mar Brown, Business Managers; Taylor Bibat, Festival Coordinator and Director of Education; Deirdre Huckabay, Grants & Giving Manager; Jess Mott Wickstrom, Web + Visual Communication Designer; Margaret Nelson and Frank Rose, Festival Production Managers; Zachary Sun, Studio Coordinator; Tom Lee, Co-Director, Chicago Puppet Lab and Studio; Grace Needlman, Co-Director Chicago Puppet Lab; and Caitlin McLeod, Chicago Puppet Studio Project Manager.

For more information and the full lineup, visit chicagopuppetfest.org.

Marriott Theatre Presents Little Shop of Horrors January 21 Through March 15, 2026

2026-01-19T13:22:00.021-06:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Peter Blair, Executive Producer

Peter Marston Sullivan, Artistic Director
Presents

The Sci-Fi Cult Musical Favorite

Chicagoland’s longest-running musical theatre, Marriott Theatre, opens its highly anticipated 2026 season with the long-requested fan favorite, Little Shop of Horrors, previewing Wednesday, January 21, opening Wednesday, January 28, and running through Sunday, March 15. Directed and choreographed by Tommy Rapley (Marriott Theatre:James and the Giant Peach, Big Fish) and featuring music direction by Jeff Award winner Ryan T. Nelson, this production brings the beloved, darkly comic musical to life with a blend of sci-fi flair, 1960s pop, and outrageous theatrical imagination. I'll be out to review on Wednesday, February 11th, so check back shortly after for our full coverage.

Little Shop provides a tasty musical theatre recipe: start with well-intended people in dire and seemingly inescapable circumstances. Add a healthy handful of love, plenty of greed, a touch of murder, and a dash of carnivorous magicalplant from outer space. Mix well with a banging score by Alan Menken and the incredible talents of this Chicago-based cast, and you have yourself a rollicking good time. Puppets are the icing on the cake.

“I hope that audiences leave the theatre with guts sore from laughing, with hearts heavy for our tragic and loveable lovers, and with ears joyfully ringing with this delectable score,” said director and choreographer Tommy Rapley. “And also, with a little more empathy for the folks who are desperately trying to get by-well-intended people in dire and seemingly inescapable circumstances who haven’t succumbed to the murderous temptations of a man-eating plant… yet. Perhaps if we build better roads in and out of Skid Row, and care more for the people who live there, we can save the world before The Plant consumes us all.”

Little Shop of Horrors stars Jackson Evans as “Seymour” (Marriott Theatre: Singin’ in the Rain, A Christmas Story, Charlie Brown); Maya Rowe as “Audrey” (Marriott Theatre: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Disney's Finding Nemo; Theo Ubique: A Little Night Music–Jeff Award Winner, Best Supporting Actress); Andrew Mueller as “Orin & Others” (Marriott Theatre: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical–Jeff Award, Man of La Mancha, For The Boys); Mark David Kaplan as “Mr. Mushnik” (Marriott Theatre: Titanic, Oliver!, Anything Goes); Lorenzo Rush Jr. as “Audrey II (Voice)” (Marriott Theatre:Joseph…,A Christmas Story, The Wizard of Oz); with Lydia Burke, Daryn Harrell, Miciah Lathan, and Garrett Lutz; Ensemble Jordan Anthony Arredondo, and Ed Kross; and understudies Marta Bady, Dan Gold, Darryl D'Angelo Jones, and Arwen-Vira Marsh. Starting March 4th the role of “Audrey” will be played by Amanda Walker.

The artistic team features Costume Design by Amanda Vander Byl, Lighting Design by Jesse Klug, Sound Design by John Johnson, Scenic Design by Milo Bue, Props Design by Ivy Thomas, Puppet Design by Jesse Mooney-Bullock, Wig Design by Miguel Armstrong and Stage Manager Richard Strimer.
Little Shop of Horrors is scheduled to run Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., with select Thursday 1:00 p.m. shows.

Call for dinner-theatre, student, senior, and military discounts. Free parking is available at all performances.

To reserve tickets or become a Marriott Theatre subscriber, please call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to www.tickets.marriotttheatre.com. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information. To make a restaurant reservation, please call 847.634.0100.

The Auditorium Philms Concert Series continues with The Holiday in Concert with the Chicago Philharmonic, December 20th

2025-12-01T21:53:00.084-06:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

THE AUDITORIUM PHILMS CONCERT SERIES continues with

The Holiday in Concert

with the Chicago Philharmonic

One night only, Saturday, December 20 at 7:30 PM at The Auditorium

The Chicago Philharmonic performs the Hans Zimmer score live to film

Tis the season for holiday fun with family and friends, or maybe even a special date. It's also cuffing season, ya know. What better way to set the mood than with a fun romcom and a live orchestra? Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we adore The Auditorium Philms Concert Series. This blend of iconic movies and live accompaniment by the Chicago Philharmonic makes for an incomparable live-to-film experience. Cut the clutter this season and make some memories with an experiential gift instead.

The Auditorium (Chicago’s landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) and the Chicago Philharmonic bring a live-to-film experience of the beloved romcom The Holiday in Concert this festive season. The Chicago Philharmonic takes the Christmas classic and the score of world-renowned composer Hans Zimmer to new heights. The one-night-only presentation takes place Saturday, December 20 at 7:30 PM at The Auditorium, 50 E Ida B Wells Dr.

Tickets are limited, starting at $48, and are available at auditoriumtheatre.org or by calling The Auditorium’s Ticket Service Center at 312.341.2300

The popular Nancy Meyers romcom The Holiday stars Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black. The film tells the story of Amanda, who lives in LA as a movie trailer editor, and Iris, who lives in Surrey as a journalist. The two decide to swap houses for two weeks at Christmas – both trying to forget their troubled love lives, until love finds them anyway. The Holiday premiered in 2006 and was a commercial success, grossing $205.8 million worldwide. The upcoming live-to-film experience at The Auditorium with the Chicago Philharmonic brings the beloved holiday classic and Hans Zimmer’s score to Chicagoans for an unforgettable live holiday experience under the direction of long-time collaborator conductor Thiago Tiberio.

“Once again, we’re thrilled to welcome guests for another truly magical movie night,” said The Auditorium CEO Rich Regan. “Hans Zimmer’s unforgettable score from The Holiday will be brought to life by the Chicago Philharmonic in a way you’ve never experienced before. We invite everyone to come celebrate the season with music, warmth, and holiday joy here at The Auditorium.”

“We can't wait to bring this movie and score to The Auditorium,” said Chicago Philharmonic Executive Director Terell Johnson. “It's a beautiful, nostalgic way to celebrate the holidays, and another opportunity to show new audiences the magic of live symphonic performance."

About The Chicago Philharmonic Society

Founded by musicians of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in 1989, The Chicago Philharmonic Society is on a mission to reimagine the orchestra concert experience. With nearly 200 musician members and a unique system of musician governance, the organization is one of the most versatile, innovative, and ambitious orchestras in the country.

Chicago Philharmonic proudly collaborates with the greatest artists of our time, in every genre. Past collaborations have included The Joffrey Ballet, English National Ballet, Kishi Bashi, Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Joshua Bell, Tank and the Bangas, William Basinski, the American Ballet Theatre, Ryan Speedo Green, and more.

In 2021, Crain’s Business Chicago 40 Under 40 awardee Terell Johnson joined the organization as Executive Director. Since then, the orchestra has become a force for innovation and inclusion in the city’s performing arts ecosystem with a series of increasingly high-profile events. 2024 brought the orchestra’s debut at Lollapalooza Chicago with Icelandic jazz/pop sensation Laufey as the first orchestra to ever perform at the famed festival; a highly anticipated return to Ravinia Festival with a World Premiere tribute to Whitney Houston and a concert with the Violent Femmes; and the World Premiere tour of An Evening with Sleeping At Last culminating in a sold-out debut at Carnegie Hall. Learn more at www.chicagophil.org.

About Thiago Tiberio

Mr. Tiberio is a specialist in musical synchronization to film, having conducted orchestras in scoring sessions during most of his career. This naturally led to positions in live-to-picture concert productions, such as Star Wars Live in Concert, Pixar in Concert, Danny Elfman: Music from the Films of Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Lord of the Rings: Live to Projection, and others. He premiered the fully orchestrated version of Coco in Concert for Disney, closing the 2019 Ravinia Festival, with the Chicago Philharmonic.

Tiberio is the official conductor of America’s Wonders, the world’s first 3-dimensional, IMAX-style cinematic journey with live orchestra—a celebration of America’s most breathtaking national parks and cities with classical, pop, and original music meticulously synchronized to picture. He also composed and orchestrated a large portion of the music in the show.

About The Auditorium

The Auditorium, located at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, is an Illinois not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming to all of Chicago and beyond as The Theatre for the People. The organization is also committed to the continued restoration and preservation of this National Historic Landmark that originally opened in 1889. The Auditorium’s 2025-26 performance season features a dynamic mix of cultural events from ballet to rock and roll and everything in between. For more information on The Auditorium and a complete listing of events at The Auditorium please visit AuditoriumTheatre.org.

Theater Grottesco Presents ACTION AT A DISTANCE… IN 2025 NOVEMBER 13 - 16 AT FACILITY THEATER

2025-11-13T18:50:00.001-06:00

SIX PLAYS, FOUR ACTORS, ONE STAGE: COLLIDE IN

ACTION AT A DISTANCE… IN 2025

A BOLD THEATRICAL CHICAGO PREMIERE OF A FAY|GLASSMAN PERFORMANCE STAGED WITH THE COLLABORATION OF THEATER GROTTESCO

NOVEMBER 13 - 16 AT FACILITY THEATER

Santa Fe’s celebrated physical theater ensemble, Theater Grottesco, proudly announces a limited Chicago engagement for Action at a Distance … in 2025, November 13 - 16 at Facility Theater, 1138 N. California Ave. Action at a Distance … in 2025 is a bold theatrical experiment from Fay|Glassman Performance crafted in collaboration with Theater Grottesco.

This new production, graphically scored in detail, offers a kaleidoscopic theatrical experience that is closer to music composition and dance, blending six simultaneous plays performed on a 10ft x 10ft stage by four actors. In 2018, the two companies received a national grant from the Network of Ensemble Theaters for five weeks of outlandish theatrical research and development.

After four months of intensive work in 2025, the fully-developed production comes to Chicago for a limited engagement. The performance schedule is Thursday, Nov. 13 - Saturday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 and 8 p.m.

Theater Grottesco and Fay|Glassman Performance are committed to making the performances accessible. As part of this commitment, the companies welcome audiences with a sliding scale of ticket prices from $15 - $30.

Tickets are on sale now and available at: LisaFayAndJeffGlassmanDuo.org/tickets. Action at a Distance ... in 2025 is an original work of new theatrical form that breaches several of theatre’s conventional boundaries. Using techniques often found in film, musical composition and dance such as innovative physical “jump cuts” and “gestural choreography,” characters and actions depart from common representations of time and space, to create moments of astonishing synchronicity, while actors fluidly transform among multiple characters and interact across disparate scenes.

This dynamic, multilayered performance challenges traditional storytelling, immersing audiences in a constantly shifting mosaic of interactions and emotions. Action at a Distance … in 2025 follows the structural truths when people distraught and disconnected from one another live together, in imperceptible yet finely-tuned synchronicity, as do the actors on this stage. Much like the bustle of a crowded airport, Action at a Distance captures the unpredictability within human connections.

Six original plays happen simultaneously as performed by four dynamic actors who seamlessly switch between narratives using some of the techniques invented by the Fay|Glassman Performance duo, creating an ever-shifting structural mosaic of simultaneous stories, with juxtaposition, montage, irony and satire, brought to life on a 10ft x 10ft stage.

Six plays. One tiny stage. All happening at once. But what does that actually mean? The plays: 1. A family with a crying child frantically prepares to evacuate their home in advance of a hurricane. 2. An international human rights lawyer flees her international arms-dealing partner. 3. A filmmaker interviews a doctor who volunteered at the Occupy Wall Street tent camp in 2011. 4. A union local hosts an address by a revolutionary Venezuelan union leader. 5. An artist prepares a gallery installation of the UN negotiator's office for the 1948 Palestine Mandate, just before the negotiator’s assassination by the Stern Gang. 6. A financial mogul is unnerved by a rock, with a photo attached, smashing his window.

The Action at a Distance … in 2025 cast includes John Flax (he/him), Apollo Garcia Orellana (he/they), Elizabeth Glass (she/her) and Danielle Louise Reddick (she/her). The creative team includes Jeff Glassman (he/him, composition/director); Lisa Fay (she/her, composition); Elizabeth Glass (she/her, Santa Fe directing assistance); William Miglino (he/him, Santa Fe rehearsal manager); Richard Norwood (he/him, lighting, Chicago); Joshua Billiter (he/him, lighting, Santa Fe); Julie Williams (she/her, production manager and consultant, Chicago); Stefan Brun (he/him, production manager and consultant, Chicago); Marc Romanelli (photography) and Mariah Olesen (she/her, media materials, consulting and photography).

ABOUT THE LISA FAY AND JEFF GLASSMAN DUO (FAY|GLASSMAN PERFORMANCE) The Lisa Fay and Jeff Glassman Duo are known for creating theatre that ranges from humorous and disarming to mesmerizing and disorienting. Their work applies composed structures to ordinary human behavior, just as electronic music applies composed structures to ordinary sounds. The techniques they’ve developed over 40 years allow us to observe methodically re-organized behavior in social space. The reflections can be cathartic and awakening, opening windows on new ways of seeing humanity. New doubts and new truths arise about what’s happening “right now.”

ABOUT THEATER GROTTESCO Founded in Paris in 1983, Theater Grottesco is known internationally for visual and explosive physical productions. The Grottesco Ensemble rekindles interest in live performance by juxtaposing classical and modern theatrical styles with daring, poetic research of culture and imagination, giving voice to marginal elements of contemporary society and taking audiences to the brink of emotional wonder and soulful reflection. Theater Grottesco is celebrating its 29th year in Santa Fe and is a 2017 award winner of the National Theater Program.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS Both companies create collaboratively, involving intensive workshops, improvisation and experimentation with an eye toward making a new work of art instead of crafting an already existing play. Devising a new play often takes years. As for the work's rigorous movement, Glassman has said, “Theater Grottesco is the only company I know of that could handle the strange physicality of this work.” Special thanks for media and publicity materials and advising to Mariah Olesen, Santa Fe; to artists Myriah Duda and Koppany Pusztai, Santa Fe; to Estevan Vigil on lights, Santa Fe; Fay|Glassman Performance for their production support and to Lisa Fay for her keen and cracking good, decades long, artistic consultation and enduring support for this project.

This program supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO'S SEASON 48 FALL SERIES RETURNS NOVEMBER 14–23, 20

2025-11-12T11:33:00.007-06:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO RETURNS TO STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY FOR
SEASON 48 FALL SERIES
NOVEMBER 14–23, 2025

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO RETURNS TO STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY FOR SEASON 48 FALL SERIES, NOVEMBER 14–23, 2025 Program features Ohad Naharin’s Black Milk, Bob Fosse’s Percussion IV, Aszure Barton’s A Duo and Johan Inger’s IMPASSE Tickets for the Season 48 Fall Series Are Available Now at Hubbardstreetdance.com.

Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Hubbard Street), and Executive Director David McDermott are proud to announce programming for the company’s Season 48 Fall Series, marking Hubbard Street’s return to Steppenwolf Theatre Company following last season’s sold-out debut. The engagement runs Friday, November 14 through Sunday, November 23, 2025 in Steppenwolf’s intimate Downstairs Theater (1650 N. Halsted St.).

Following a record-breaking, landmark year of bold premieres and historic collaborations, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago launches Season 48 with a program that showcases the company’s extraordinary physicality, range, and commitment to presenting both fresh voices and iconic works. The Fall Series includes Ohad Naharin’s Black Milk, described by the Chicago Tribune as “by turns elegant and feral”; Percussion IV, originally choreographed by Bob Fosse for his Broadway hit Dancin’ and returning to the company as part of its ongoing collaboration with The Verdon Fosse® Legacy; A Duo, a dynamic duet by Resident Artist Aszure Barton continuing her creative residency, now in its third season; and IMPASSE, Johan Inger’s theatrical, exuberant favorite brimming with joy and inventive movement.

The return of Percussion IV to Hubbard Street marks a meaningful full-circle moment. Gwen Verdon’s admiration for the company began in the 1980s when she sought to adapt Bob Fosse’s works for concert dance, a vision that included staging Percussion IV for Hubbard Street during Fisher-Harrell’s tenure as a company dancer. Last season’s Fall Series marked the launch of a historic partnership with The Verdon Fosse® Legacy, making Hubbard Street the only company in the world authorized to hold a Bob Fosse work in its repertoire—a distinction that continues in Season 48.

“This program brings together four works that, collectively, speak to the vast possibilities of contemporary dance,” said Fisher-Harrell. “From the raw, elemental power of Naharin’s Black Milk to the precision and lineage embodied in Fosse’s Percussion IV, the inventiveness of Barton’s A Duo, and the exuberance of Inger’s IMPASSE, each piece challenges our artists in distinct ways while offering audiences an expansive journey through movement and emotion.”

Season 48 subscriptions and tickets are available now online or by calling the Hubbard Street Box Office at 312-850-9744, ext. 5. Tickets range from $23 to $128.80 (including fees). For ticket information, program details, or to learn more about how you can join in the movement, visit Hubbardstreetdance.com.

Hubbard Street is grateful to our Season 48 Partners Athletico Physical Therapy and the Illinois Arts Council for their continued support.

The Season 48 Fall Series performance schedule is as follows:

Fall Series at Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Downstairs Theater) November 14-23, 2025

Featuring: Black Milk by Ohad Naharin Percussion IV by Bob Fosse

A Duo by Resident Artist Aszure Barton

IMPASSE by Johan Inger

About Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s mission is to awaken the human spirit through contemporary dance, envisioning a dance landscape that is relevant and accessible to all.

For 48 years, Hubbard Street has been one of the most original forces in contemporary dance – bringing top choreographers and works to Chicago and beyond. Hubbard Street’s ever-evolving repertory, created by today’s leading choreographic voices, makes them a company that dancers aspire to join and performance venues all over the world are eager to host. To date, the main company has performed globally in 19 countries and 44 U.S. states.

At home in Chicago, Hubbard Street performs 20 times a year and delivers renowned education programs in 50 classrooms across 17 Chicagoland schools. Hubbard Street Education utilizes the choreographic process to teach essential problem-solving skills, creativity, and collaboration - expanding our reach beyond traditional concert dance audiences, ensuring that everyone has access to world-class dance and instruction.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago grew out of the Lou Conte Dance Studio in 1977, and Conte served as Artistic Director for 23 years. Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell began her tenure at the company in March 2021. In January 2022, Hubbard Street moved to their new home in Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue and acclaimed choreographer Aszure Barton was named Resident Artist in January 2023. Visit Hubbardstreetdance.com for more information.

About The Verdon Fosse® Legacy

The mission of The Verdon Fosse Legacy® is to promote, preserve, and protect the artistic and intellectual property of Bob Fosse® and Gwen Verdon. Through its range of educational programs, Legacy-sanctioned teachers and reconstructeurs teach Fosse® style, technique, and work ethic to students and professionals in the US & internationally. The Legacy aims to foster and educate performers, directors, and choreographers, as well as scholars and students interested in American film and musical theatre. It partners with universities, dance studios, museums, libraries, publishing companies, film screenings, and non-profit organizations to honor the work and methodology of Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse. The Verdon Fosse Legacy Professional Training Program’s mission is to empower today’s artists through diverse dance training, instilling the original integrity and intent of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon’s work to build uniquely powerful entertainers for tomorrow. The Verdon Fosse Legacy oversees the licensing of Bob Fosse’s work for non-profit and for-profit commercial use. The Legacy protects the image, artistic, and intellectual property of Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse and owns the trademarks for Fosse® and Bob Fosse® whose indelible influences can be seen across pop culture today.

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier Ensemble Theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the 1980 phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and now, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theater and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1976, Steppenwolf started as a group of teens performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance. Steppenwolf’s Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Court Theatre presents Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew November 14 – December 14, 2025

2025-10-22T09:35:00.027-05:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Court Theatre announces complete cast and creative team for Marti Lyons' adaptation of

The Taming of the Shrew

November 14 – December 14, 2025

Under the leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, Court Theatre is proud to present William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, adapted and directed by Marti Lyons (with Associate Director Daira Rodriguez). This production will run from November 14 – December 14, 2025 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Welcome to a tale of deception, disguise, and desire. The richest man in town has two daughters and one big problem: he refuses to marry the youngest, Bianca, until the eldest, Katherina, is married first. Much to her family’s dismay, Katherina repeatedly—and violently— rejects the men interested in her and her wealth, and refuses to sacrifice her independence. When a mysterious gentleman enters the mix, suddenly Kate sees that surrender is no sacrifice. Perhaps there is strength in submission.

Artistic Director of Remy Bumppo Theatre Company Marti Lyons turns William Shakespeare’s classic inside out, with a fresh interpretation focused on feminine desire. This is not your standard Shrew.

“I was drawn to adapt The Taming of the Shrew because of its unnerving timeliness,” shares Director and Adaptor Marti Lyons. “It is a piece that brims with contradictions that are urgent and resonant. This complex study of power continues to intrigue even as it provokes. I am thrilled to craft this production at Court Theatre with this superb company of artists, and I cannot wait for audiences to join us on this journey.”

Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman adds: "One of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, The Taming of the Shrew has been reimagined countless times because it invites us to debate vital questions about the complexity of human relationships and gender dynamics. We revere it as a classic precisely because of these complexities and perhaps because we all need a little bit of comic virtuosity to help us navigate ever-challenging times. As the first production of my tenure at Court, I look forward to diving into Shakespeare's canonical battle of wits alongside our audiences.”

The cast of The Taming of the Shrew includes Ryder Dean McDaniel (Tranio/Ensemble); Mark L. Montgomery (Baptista/Petruchio’s Servant/Ensemble); Melisa Soledad Pereyra (Katherina/Ensemble); Nate Santana (Lucentio/Ensemble); Samuel Taylor (Hortensio/Ensemble); Netta Walker (Bianca/Ensemble); Alex Weisman (Grumio/Ensemble); Monica West (Widow/Ensemble); Jay Whittaker (Petruchio/Ensemble); and Dexter Zollifcoffer (Gremio/Ensemble).

The creative team includes Jackie Fox (Scenic Designer): Kotryna Hilko (Costume Designer); Maximo Grano De Oro (Lighting Designer), with Sierra Walker (Associate Lighting Designer); Matthew Chapman (Sound Designer); Ethan Korvne (Composer); Tanya Palmer (Production Dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (Director of Casting and Artist Cultivation), with Celeste M. Cooper (Associate Casting Director); Danny Fender (Production Stage Manager); and Anna Vu (Assistant Stage Manager).

Tickets and subscription packages including The Taming of the Shrew are on sale now, and can be purchased online at CourtTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.

Complementing this production, Court is proud to partner with Jenn Freeman/Po’Chop on a presentation of their performance, THICK: a crumbling freak show. This event is free and open to the public, and reservations are highly encouraged. More information and tickets will be available at CourtTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.

About the Artists
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (Playwright, 1564–1616) was an English poet and playwright. He is widely considered to be the greatest writer in the English language. He wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets. His early plays were mainly comedies (e.g. Much Ado about Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and histories (e.g. Henry V). By the early seventeenth century, Shakespeare had begun to write plays in the genre of tragedy. These plays— such as Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear—often hinge on some fatal error or flaw in the lead character and provide fascinating insights into the darker aspects of human nature. These later plays are considered Shakespeare’s finest achievements.

MARTI LYONS (Director and Adaptor) is thrilled to return to Court Theatre, where she most recently directed Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?. Other recent credits include the world premiere of John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C., the world-premiere of Witch by Jen Silverman at Writers Theatre and the subsequent award-winning production at Geffen Playhouse in L.A., Botticelli in the Fire by Jordan Tannahill at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, her co-adaptation of Cymbeline at American Players Theatre, and ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, where she is Artistic Director. Lyons is also an ensemble member at The Gift Theatre and a member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

RYDER DEAN MCDANIEL (Tranio/Ensemble) is excited to be making his Court Theatre debut! He received his B.A. from Northwestern University in theatre and musical theatre. Recent credits include Hairspray (Uptown Theatre), Disaster! (Big Noise Theatre), Bacchanal (Fowl Players), Throbbin’ Wood (PrideArts), as well as As You Like It, Night Side Songs, and Cock Envy (Northwestern University). He sends a big thank you to this team, his roommates, and family. Represented by Big Mouth Talent and Asteria Artists.

MARK L. MONTGOMERY (Baptista/Petruchio’s Servant/Ensemble) has appeared in Court’s Iphigenia in Aulis, Agamemnon, and M. Butterfly. Chicago credits include Outside Mullingar (Jeff Award nominee – Performer in a Principal Role) and Brooklyn Laundry (Northlight); Camino Real, Stage Kiss, and A Christmas Carol (Goodman); Fascination (About Face); Want, The Time of Your Life, and The Wheel (Steppenwolf); In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) and Equivocation (Victory Gardens); Hedda Gabler and The Letters (Writers). He has also appeared in more than a dozen productions with Chicago Shakespeare Theater and recently completed a tour of Julius Caesar throughout France with Théâtre National de Bretagne.

MELISA SOLEDAD PEREYRA (Katherina/Ensemble) is making her Court Theatre debut. Chicago credits: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chicago Shakespeare), Blood Wedding (Lookingglass). Broadway credits: A Doll’s House (Hudson Theatre). Regional credits: Anna in the Tropics, The River Bride, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Macbeth, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, among others (American Players Theatre Core Company). Other regional work includes Huntington Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Indiana Repertory Theatre, South Coast Rep, among others. Upcoming television debut on an acclaimed sci-fi series on Apple TV. Represented by Gray Talent Group.

NATE SANTANA (Lucentio/Ensemble) is an Artistic Collective member at Teatro Vista and Creative Producer at Shattered Globe, where he recently directed Lobby Hero. Theatre: Ironbound (Raven Theatre); The Thanksgiving Play, Ironbound (Steppenwolf); The Legend of Georgia McBride, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (Northlight); Frankenstein, Sense and Sensibility (Indiana Repertory); Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet, Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night (Chicago Shakespeare); Marvin’s Room (Shattered Globe); Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy (Griffin); The Abuelas, White Tie Ball (Teatro Vista); The Rainmaker (BoHo). Television: Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., Suits, and The Exorcist. He studied at the School at Steppenwolf, the Moscow Art Theatre, and received his B.A. from Valparaiso University.

SAMUEL TAYLOR (Hortensio/Ensemble) returns to Court Theatre, having previously appeared in The Lady from the Sea. He is an Artistic Associate at Lookingglass Theatre. Other Chicago credits include work at Steppenwolf, TimeLine, Redmoon, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. He is a Co-Founder of the Back Room Shakespeare Project and author of the book My Life with the Shakespeare Cult. Regional credits include work at American Players Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Syracuse Stage, and the Guthrie Theater. On-camera credits include recurring roles on Boardwalk Empire, Red Line, and Crisis.

NETTA WALKER (Bianca/Ensemble) returns to Court after appearing in The Lion in Winter. Other Chicago credits include: How to Defend Yourself (Victory Gardens); Yen (Jeff Award – Performer in a Supporting Role, Raven Theatre); Hamlet, The Grapes of Wrath (The Gift); No Child (Definition Theatre); Continuity (Goodman); among many others. Film: Come As You Are, Whole. She played Keisha for three seasons on All American and All American: Homecoming, and has appeared in The Chi, The Big Leap, and Chicago Fire. Her original play keerah is being workshopped by Definition Theatre’s Amplify Festival, and she was selected as the playwright for the Blueprint Commission with First Floor Theater. Proudly represented by Paonessa Talent.

ALEX WEISMAN (Grumio/Ensemble) was previously in The Good Book at Court. Recent Chicago credits: Prayer For the French Republic (Northlight/Theater Wit) and An Act of God (Paramount). He is a two-time Jeff Award winner for The History Boys and Hand to God. Broadway: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (OBC). Select television: Frank on Sesame Street (GLAAD New Media Award), Chicago Fire/Med/P.D., Ted Lasso, New Amsterdam, Empire, Inventing Anna. Film: A Complete Unknown, An Acceptable Loss, and others. Founding stakeholder with Back Room Shakespeare and NU grad.

MONICA WEST (Widow/Ensemble) is making her Court Theatre debut. Chicago credits include Hand to God (Paramount Theatre); The Matchbox Magic Flute, The Music Man (Goodman Theatre); Eastland, Moby Dick (Lookingglass Theatre Company). Off-Broadway: The Glass Menagerie (Roundabout Theatre Company); Red Light Winter (Barrow Street Theatre); Germans in Paris (59E59). International: Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Royal Alexandra Theatre). Regional highlights: Guthrie Theater, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Westport Country Playhouse. TV: Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Law & Order, Underemployed. Ms. West is a graduate of Marquette University and an M.F.A. candidate in writing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

JAY WHITTAKER (Petruchio/Ensemble) returns to Court Theatre, having previously appeared in The Romance Cycle, Travesties, Cyrano, The Glass Menagerie, and The Wild Duck. Jay has worked at Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Northlight. Off-Broadway: Frank’s Home at Playwrights Horizons and Rose Rage at The Duke on 42nd Street. Regionally: Huntington, Shakespeare Theatre, and the Old Globe. Film: Unexpected Treasures, Gray Matter, Let’s Go to Prison, Death of a President, Dust Clouds, The Sea. Television: The Orville, Scream Queens, Chicago P.D., Prison Break, Early Edition. Jay recently wrote a short film that has premiered at five film festivals, and he is currently producing the feature film.

DEXTER ZOLLICOFFER (Gremio/Ensemble) has appeared at Court Theatre in Our Lan’ (2025 Spotlight Reading Series), The Lady from the Sea, King Hedley II, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and others. Other theatre credits: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Little Foxes, Dartmoor Prison (Goodman); Charm (Jeff Award – Actor in a Principal Role, Northlight); To Kill a Mockingbird, A Lesson Before Dying (Steppenwolf); Relatively Close, Knock Me a Kiss (Victory Gardens); and The Overwhelming (Next). Television and film credits include: Ghostlight, South Side, Joe Pera Talks to You, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Detroit 1-8-7, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, and Who Gets the Dog.

Dates: Previews: November 14 – November 21, 2025

Press Opening: November 22, 2025 at 7:30pm

Regular Run: November 23 – December 14, 2025

Schedule: Wed/Thurs/Fri: 7:30 p.m.

Sat/Sun: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Accessible ASL Interpretation on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 2:00pm

Performances: Touch Tour on Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 12:30pm
Open Captioning and Audio Description on Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 2:00pm

Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets: $42.00 – $74.00 Previews
$60.00 – $90.00 Regular Run

Student, group, and military discounts available
Box Office: Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

Winner of the 2022 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago’s historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.

WildDoor Theater Makes Chicago Debut With SMOKEFALL At Theater WIT November 10 – December 21, 2025

2025-10-18T17:58:00.001-05:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

WILD DOOR THEATER MAKES ITS CHICAGO DEBUT WITH

NOAH HAIDLE’S SMOKEFALL

AT THEATER WIT,

NOVEMBER 10 – DECEMBER 21

Gallant Directs the Poetic Meditation on how Families Fracture, Endure and Find Grace in the Ordinary

A new voice joins Chicago’s vibrant theater scene this fall as Wild Door Theater proudly launches its inaugural production, Smokefall, November 10 - December 21, by Noah Haidle and directed by Andrew Gallant, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Performed in the round for an intimate and immersive audience experience, Smokefall marks Wild Door Theater’s debut, signaling the company’s mission to create bold, heartfelt work that bridges theatrical imagination and emotional truth.

The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. There are no Thursday performances, Nov. 13 and Nov. 27 and an added performance, Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The running time, including intermission, is two hours. Tickets are $25–$39 and are available at WildDoorTheater.com.

Blending magical realism with aching humanity, Smokefall unfolds inside a crumbling Midwestern home where three generations navigate love, loss and the passage of time. Talking fetuses debate existence, a father vanishes and an apple tree grows through the home — all in a poetic meditation on how families fracture, endure and find grace in the ordinary.

Smokefall defies easy categorization: part family drama, part philosophical meditation and part surreal dreamscape. As Violet prepares to bring twin boys into the world, unseen forces swirl around her—the past and future, birth and decay, love and loss. With scenes shifting between heartbreak and humor, Smokefall explores what it means to begin again even when everything seems to fall apart.

“What moves me most about Smokefall,” says Director Andrew Gallant, “is how each character faces the quiet unraveling of their own small corner of the world — and yet, amidst that growing darkness, they find hope, courage and strength in one another. That’s what makes this play both timely and timeless.”

Performed in the round for an intimate and immersive audience experience, Smokefall marks Wild Door Theater’s debut — signaling the company’s mission to create bold, heartfelt work that bridges theatrical imagination and emotional truth.

The cast of Smokefall includes Isabella Isherwood (she/her, ensemble); Lucky Star (he/they, ensemble); Vilmarie Rosario (she/her, ensemble); Richard Schumacher (he/him, ensemble); Lauren Secrest (she/her, understudy); Katie Hope Noble (she/her, understudy) and Noah Moulton (he/him, understudy).

The production team is Andrew Gallant (he/him, director); Lauren Secrest (she/her, assistant director/assistant stage manager); Joshua Bennett (he/him, stage manager); Spencer Donovan (he/him, scenic designer); Saawan Tiwari (she/they, costume designer); Andy Cahoon (he/him, technical director); Kate Schnetzer (she/her, sound designer); Josiah Croegaert (he/him, lighting designer) and Adanna Eziri (she/her, props designer).

ABOUT NOAH HAIDLE, Playwright

Noah Haidle’s plays have been produced at South Coast Repertory, The Long Wharf Theater, The Goodman Theater, The Woolly Mammoth Theatre, The Huntington Theater and The Roundabout Theatre Company. Haidle has been commissioned by The Goodman Theater and written a screenplay for Scott Rudin Productions. He is a graduate of Princeton University and The Juilliard School, where he was a Lila Acheson Wallace playwright-in-residence. He is the recipient of three Lincoln Center Le Compte Du Nouy Awards, the 2005 Helen Merrill Award for Emerging Playwrights and an NEA/TCG theater residency grant.

ABOUT ANDREW GALLANT, Director

Andrew Gallant holds an M.F.A in acting from DePaul University, a postgraduate diploma from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, a BA in theatre from UW-Madison and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity. For the last 15 years, Gallant has worked professionally in Chicago as an actor, playwright, director and artistic director. His plays I Wish to Apologize to the People of Illinois, At the Center and Out of Tune Confessional were staged at The Agency Theater and his play Mackerel Sky is currently being adapted into a short film with festival submissions pending.

ABOUT WILD DOOR THEATER

Wild Door Theater embraces bold theatrical storytelling to create transformative experiences for Chicago audiences. With roots in the city’s storefront theater scene, they value truthful, ensemble-driven performances as they reimagine classics and develop new works that challenge, connect and inspire the community. On stage and beyond, they are committed to cultivating emerging talent, championing unexpected perspectives and recentering theater as vital to civic life.

(BACA) ANNOUNCES THE 2025 BLACK EXCELLENCE AWARDS NOVEMBER 3, 2025 AT BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER

2025-10-17T16:12:00.097-05:00

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

BLACK ARTS & CULTURE ALLIANCE OF CHICAGO (BACA) ANNOUNCES
THE 2025 BLACK EXCELLENCE AWARDS

THE EVENING OF CELEBRATION WILL BE HELD MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2025
AT BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER

Special honors will be awarded to Pemon Rami, Eve L. Ewing

and Professor Roxanne Stevenson, in addition to nominees in literature. visual arts, dance, theater and music

The Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago (BACA) announces the 2025 Black Excellence Awards, honoring and celebrating Chicago theatre, dance, music, film, literary, and visual artists. The 24th annual event will be held at 7:30pm on Monday, November 3, 2025, at Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark St. in Chicago.

For Black Excellence Awards tickets, event updates, and more information about the Black Arts and Culture Alliance of Chicago, visit https://www.bacachi.org/. Tickets are $50; $25 for students and seniors.

Throughout the evening, three Special Honor Awards will be presented to: Pemon Rami (Excellence in Film); Eve L. Ewing (Excellence in Literature); and Professor Roxanne Stevenson (Excellence in Music and Music Education).

The evening’s nominees are:

Literature
For Excellence in Community Engagement: Underground Bookstore, Da Book Joint, and Salty Books and Beans

Visual Arts
Gallery Exhibition: Faie African Art Gallery, Gallery Guichard, and Blanc Gallery

Artist: Dayo Laoye, Natasha Moustache, George Crump, and Ahmad Lee

Dance
Performance: Praize Production, Deeply Rooted, and Red Clay Dance

Choregraphy: Maiya Redding, Nicole Clarke Springer, Enneressa LaNette, Rasheida Smith and Brandee Lathon

Theater
Production: Definition Theater, Black Ensemble Theater, Theater 47, MPAACT and Pegasus Theater

Production Director: Jackie Taylor, Tyrone Phillips, Carla Stillwell, Daryl D. Brooks, John Ruffin and Ilesa Duncan

Actor Male: Ronald L. Connor, Vincent Jordan, Tamarus Harvel and Michael Kenady

Actor Female: Rhonda Preston, Alexandria Crawford, Tamara Batiest, Ariya Hawkins and Caitlin Dobbins

Special Recognition Director: Lili Ann Brown, Malika Stampley, Ron OJ Parson, Shanesia Davis, Awoye Timpo and Gabrielle Randle-Bent

Special Recognition Actor/Actress: Anji White, Gregory Fenner, Namir Smallwood, Brittney Mack, Kelvin Roston, Jr. and Shanesia Davis

Music
Female Vocalist: Lucy Smith and Zemrah

Male Vocalist: Gregory Gibbs, Theodis Rogers Jazz Trio and Jovan Watson

About The Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago
The mission of the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago is to collectively advance excellence in the work of the Black arts and culture sector. The Alliance works to increase interaction, communication and development of black arts organizations and artists, while delivering programs that increase their visibility, marketability, stability, and sustainability.

Founded in 1997 as the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago and rebranded the Black Arts & Cultural Alliance of Chicago (BACA) in 2023, BACA offers a diverse range of events and programs that celebrate the rich heritage of the Black arts community in Chicago. Events and programs are designed to engage, educate, and inspire individuals (artists and patrons) who are passionate about Chicago’s Black arts and culture.

With new leadership in November 2024, the organization has been reorganized and revitalized, including a return to its original mission and a new focus in building the Board and programming, increasing membership, and creating websites that appropriately support BACA’s mission and purpose.

BACA is going strong after 28 years, with a full slate of events and programs celebrating the rich heritage of the Black arts community in Chicago.

In August 2025, BACA launched the Black Arts Directory of Chicago to serve as a vibrant online hub for African American and minority performing arts and culture in Chicago and beyond. The directory spotlights theatre, dance, music, and cultural events to celebrate rich artistic traditions. BACA prioritizes connecting audiences with diverse cultural experiences, showcasing the talents of Black and Brown artists that showcase the dynamic ingenuity and creativity of Chicago’s Black artists and organizations. It celebrates the rich narratives, historical relevance and artistic expressions that define African American and minority performing arts.

To find out more and view the Black Arts Directory visit https://www.blackartsdirectory.org/. The Black Arts Directory is made possible by an Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

The BACA staff is Executive Director Luther Goins, Grants Writer & Development Manager Ilesa Duncan, and PR, Marketing & Design Director Doc Wheeler. The Board of Directors includes President Jackie Taylor, Vice President Sydney Chatman, and members Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Troy O. Pryor, Portia McFarland, William Gill, Ericka Ratcliff, Shawn Wallace, Daryl D. Brooks, and Roxanna Conner.

Upcoming BACA Events and Programs include:

Black Excellence Awards Ceremony 2025
Monday, November 3, 2025, 7:30pm-9:00pm
Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N Clark St, Chicago
Tickets: $25-$50
https://www.bacachi.org/

The Black Excellence Awards Ceremony, presented annually by the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago, honors, celebrates, supports, and promotes Chicago theatre, dance, music, film, literary, and visual artists.

Martin Luther King Celebration: The Black Arts & Culture Town Hall
January 19, 2026

This celebration and panel discussion honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and discusses the challenges and commonalities faced by Black artists and arts organizations and will launch the 2026 Black to Black Workshop Series.

Black to Black Series: Entertainment Business for the Black Artist
March 2026

Workshops
Black to Black Series: Working & Thriving in Chicago
May 2026
Panel Discussion

Cookout In The Blackyard Summer Networking Event
August 2026
Join BACA for an amazing networking opportunity featuring barbecue, drink, music, and fun.

Black to Black Series: History & Fundamentals of Black Organizations
October 2026
Workshops & Auditions

Black Excellence Awards
November 2026

Black Arts Hall of Fame 2026
November 2026

About Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago (BACA)
The mission of the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago is to collectively advance excellence in the work of the Black arts and culture sector. The Alliance works to increase interaction, communication and development of black arts organizations and artists, while delivering programs that increase their visibility, marketability, stability, and sustainability.

For tickets, event updates, and more information about the Black Arts and Culture Alliance of Chicago, visit https://www.bacachi.org/.

ChiIL Live Shows

Fantastic Negrito at Reva and David Logan Center For The Arts April 11, 2026

League of Chicago Theatres' Deal Hunt Is Back April 14-22, 2026

REVIEW: Idle Muse's Bite Sized Three Musketeers Is Big Fun!

REVIEW: Multigenerational Murder Limbo: The World Premiere of The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana Now Playing Through April 5, 2026

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Larkspur Productions Opens World Premiere ofThe Posthumous Trial of Giulia TofanaBy Gwyneth ForsytheDirected by Cheryl SnodgrassMarch 20th - April 5th at The Den Theatre

REVIEW: The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview Now Playing at Trap Door Theatre Through April 25, 2026

World Premiere: THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY Via Her Story Theatre March 28 - April 19, 2026 at The Den

World Premiere of The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana March 20th - April 5th at The Den Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Larkspur Productions Opens World Premiere ofThe Posthumous Trial of Giulia TofanaBy Gwyneth ForsytheDirected by Cheryl SnodgrassMarch 20th - April 5th at The Den Theatre

Lyric Opera of Chicago Presents El último sueño de Frida y Diego March 21 – April 4, 2026

Two Shows Only at Lyric Opera: Disney’s Mary Poppins in Concert Live to Film April 10 and 11th, 2026

ICEBOY! Premieres at Goodman Theatre JUNE 20 – JULY 26, 2026

EXTENDED: Goodman Theatre's World Premiere of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Extends Thru April 12th, 2026

Additional Performance Added THIRD COAST PERCUSSION and TIGRAN HAMASYAN at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts Friday, March 13, 2026

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 52nd NON-EQUITY THEATER JEFF AWARDS

Chicago Opera Theater presents Chicago Premiere of Kurt Weill's 'Der Silbersee' March 4-8 & Free February Events As Well

REVIEW: The Outsider Now Playing Through February 22 at Oil Lamp Theater

REVIEW: Laura Heit: The Matchbox Shows Now Playing Through January 25th, 2026

REVIEW: The Harlem Doll Palace at The 8th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Now Playing Through January 4, 2026

The 8th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Returns January 21-February 1, 2026

Marriott Theatre Presents Little Shop of Horrors January 21 Through March 15, 2026

The Auditorium Philms Concert Series continues with The Holiday in Concert with the Chicago Philharmonic, December 20th

Theater Grottesco Presents ACTION AT A DISTANCE… IN 2025 NOVEMBER 13 - 16 AT FACILITY THEATER

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO'S SEASON 48 FALL SERIES RETURNS NOVEMBER 14–23, 20

Court Theatre presents Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew November 14 – December 14, 2025

WildDoor Theater Makes Chicago Debut With SMOKEFALL At Theater WIT November 10 – December 21, 2025

(BACA) ANNOUNCES THE 2025 BLACK EXCELLENCE AWARDS NOVEMBER 3, 2025 AT BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER

Larkspur Productions Opens World Premiere of
The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana
By Gwyneth Forsythe
Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass
March 20th - April 5th at The Den Theatre

Larkspur Productions Opens World Premiere of
The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana
By Gwyneth Forsythe
Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass
March 20th - April 5th at The Den Theatre