Displaying items by tag: Chicago events

Welcome to Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills, and Margie Walsh has just been let go from another job. Facing eviction, could an old fling who made it out of Southie be a ticket to a new start? Margie is about to risk what little she has left to find out. With his humorous glow, David Lindsay-Abaire explores the struggles, shifting loyalties and unshakeable hopes that come with having next to nothing in America.

Good People is David Lindsay-Abaire's most personal play. Set in "Southie", the working-class neighborhood where he grew up, Good People shines a light on socioeconomic disparities, luck vs. meritocracy, and what it truly means to be "good people."   In David Lindsay-Abaire’s own words, "I have a deep love and respect for the people from my neighborhood. I waited to write it until I could do so responsibly and respectfully, aiming to challenge stereotypes by portraying my friends and relatives as "salt of the earth people”.

Ticket info:

Location of show: Theater Wit (Theater One), 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago, IL 60657

Dates: Running July 17-August 23    Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm

Opening Day: Sunday, July 19 at 3pm

Cast:  Jodi Kingsley (Margaret), Bryan Breau (Mike), Sandra Adjoumani (Kate), Maggie Cain (Dottie), Wendy Hayne (Jean), Steven Horn (Stevie)

Understudies: Sarah Sapperstein (Margaret), Tim Ashby (Mike), Tiffani Grace (Kate), Judith Laughlin (Dottie) Amber Dow (Jean), Wyatt DeLair (Stevie).

Joining Lauren Berman (Producer/Director), is Beep Trefts (Production Stage Manager), Kevin Rolfs (Set Designer), Levi Wilkins (Lighting Designer), Petter Wahlback (Sound Designer) Anika Splettstoeszer (Costume Designer), Emma Jean Golden (Props Designer), Carrie Hardin (Dialect Coach), Ollie Van Den Heuvel (Assistant Stage Manager), Cammerrron Baits (Social Media Manager),  Brittany Brown (Casting Director).

4 Chairs Theatre’s Mission:

4 Chairs Theatre is a not-for-profit theatre committed to providing a safe space for actors and audiences of all ages, cultures, genders, races, abilities and walks of life.  Our performances breathe humanity, empathy and truth.  We amplify voices that are often excluded and uncover hearts that are often hidden. By replacing "You're too..." and “You'll never..." with "You're enough" and "You will…" we are determined to change the world, one show at a time. Pull up a chair. You can sit with us.

Award-winning Redtwist Theatre presents Deserted, playing June 14 through August 2, a world premiere by Melanie Coffey and directed by Laura Sturm*, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Previews are Thursday, June 11 - Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. with a total running time of two hours including one intermission. Single tickets are now on sale for $10 - $60 at RedtwistTheatre.org with discounts available for seniors, students and veterans with pay-what-you-can for all Friday night performances. 

Jodie and Emma don't want to live in the city anymore. With dreams of a new life, a will to work hard and a generous grant, they set out into a desertified landscape. They nurture their garden in a dying world, but between a scorching climate and a very hungry neighbor, farming provides more challenges than anticipated. The couple struggles to plant their own roots and comes to realize growing on dead land may be a bigger challenge than expected. Will a dying Earth leave them deserted? 

The Deserted cast includes Macaria Chaparro Martinez (she/they, Jodie); Hannah McCauley (she/her, Emma); Emma Mansfield (she/they, Neighbor); Shenise Danyel (she/her, Cam) and Dontaye Albert (he/him, Hiker). 

The Deserted production team includes Melanie Coffey (she/her, playwright); Laura Sturm* (she/her, director); Wicker Laipple (they/they, assistant director); Michael Dias (he/him, fight director); Eliot Colin* (they/they, dramaturg); Courtney Abbott (she/they, intimacy director); Moe Kuhlmann (they/she; stage manager); Eric Luchen* (he/him, scenic designer); Leo Bassow* (he/him, props designer); Natalie Schoch (she/her, costume designer); Seojung Jang (she/her, lighting designer); Autumn R Dancy (she/her, sound designer); Dusty Brown* (they/they, technical director/executive artistic director); Joshua Servantez* (he/him, casting director)and Raine DeDominici* (they/she, production manager).

*indicates Redtwist Theatre Ensemble Member

ABOUT MELANIE COFFEY, playwright

Melanie Coffey is a Chicago-based playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker from Connecticut. She earned her MFA from Northwestern University’s Writing for the Screen + Stage program in 2020 and has had her work performed, read and/or screened in cities across the country, the United Kingdom and Canada. In Chicago, she has been lucky to work with Artemisia Theater, Avalanche Theater, Theatre L’Acadie, Pocket Theater, PrideArts, Redtwist Theatre and Red Theater. Recently, her science survival play, Time is a Color and the Color is Blue had its world premiere production with Avalanche Theater and was published at the same time. She is an ensemble member of Avalanche Theater and a member of the Ice Core Collective.

ABOUT LAURA STURM, director

Laura Sturm, a Redtwist company member, was most recently seen last fall as “Velma” in Chicago. Prior to that she played “Tamora” in Titus and “Rosie” in Bottle Fly. Strum received her MFA from Northern Illinois University and has been working professionally in the Chicago area for over 20 years. She has taught acting, movement, period styles and audition skills at various professional training studios in Chicago including Act One Studios. She currently teaches at Columbia College Chicago and has taught at several colleges in the area including NIU and North Central College. Her Chicago directing credits include Sarah Ruhl’s Melancholy Play and the world premiere of Barbara Lhota’s Phantom Pain, both with Organic Theater Company; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! (Quest Theatre Ensemble); the world premiere sci-fi existential comedy Ephemera and Sheridan’s The Rivals (Polarity Ensemble Theatre) and a world premiere of the original zoo musical Tuxedo Love (Theatre 5.2.1).

Over the years, Sturm has worked with many other Chicago theatres such as Northlight, Remy Bumppo, Victory Gardens, Promethean, Stage Left, Raven, New Colony, Mary-Arrchie, Boho, Signal, Bluebird Arts and Bailiwick, and she also spent a summer with the Texas Shakespeare Festival playing “Imogen” in Cymbeline and other roles. Other Chicago performances include as “Emma” in Stupid Fucking Bird, the title role in Lauren Gunderson’s Emilie, “Marie Antoinette” in The Revolutionists, as well as “Blanche Dubois,” “Titania” and “Gertrude” to name a few roles. She is also an artistic associate of the Constructivists theatre in Milwaukee and has worked on every one of their shows since inception in 2018. Additionally, she serves as a private acting and movement coach, as well as an intimacy choreographer.

ABOUT REDTWIST THEATRE

Redtwist, now celebrating its 21st anniversary, is an award-winning theatre company that stages up close and personal contemporary dramas annually in its intimate black box theatre housed proudly within the heart of Edgewater’s Bryn Mawr Historic District. 

Intimate performances at Redtwist are designed to place the theatre patron in the midst of the stories being told, making them accessible and riveting. Redtwist strives for excellence with every project and endeavors to take risks while offering opportunities for up-and-coming actors, designers and directors to work with established talent. Redtwist provides the very best Chicago storefront theatre experience from excellence on stage, to warm hospitality in a clean, friendly environment.

Award-winning Redtwist Theatre presents Deserted, playing June 14 through August 2, a world premiere by Melanie Coffey and directed by Laura Sturm*, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Previews are Thursday, June 11 - Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. with the press opening Sunday, June 14 at 3:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. with a total running time of two hours including one intermission. Single tickets are now on sale for $10 - $60 at RedtwistTheatre.org with discounts available for seniors, students and veterans with pay-what-you-can for all Friday night performances.

Black Ensemble Theater continues its 50^th Anniversary Season with the return of the celebrated musical revue Men of Soul, written and directed by Artistic Director Daryl D. Brooks. Men of Soul runs June 20-August 2, 2026, at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago.

Information and tickets are available at www.blackensemble.org, (773) 769-4451 and at the Black Ensemble Theater Box Office, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago. Please note the new curtains times: Fridays at 7:00pm, Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $69 (fees included). Valet parking is available for $15 (cash only).

Men of Soul is a fascinating musical journey featuring the music made famous by some of the greatest soul singers of all time. This uplifting, powerful celebration helps us understand the struggles of these men, and the strength it took for them to find their –soul. Featuring the music of Ray Charles, Luther Vandross, Lionel Richie, Jeffrey Osborne, Peabo Bryson, Joe Cocker, a tribute to Bill Withers, and more.

The cast includes: Jaitee Thomas, Vincent Jordan, Ben Woods, Dwight Neal, Tamara Batiest, Raven Carroll, Max Schingen, Kevin Pollack, and Chloe Johnson. The musicians and Adam Sherrod (keyboard), Myron Cherry (drums), Mike Dangeroux (guitar), Walter Harrington (bass), and Oscar Brown Jr (guitar).

The creative team is: Daryl Brooks (writer, director), Christopher Chase Carter (choreographer), Robert Reddrick (musical director) and Lyle Miller (vocal arranger). The designers are Sydney Lyn Thomas (scenic design), Denise Karczewski (lighting design), DJ Douglass (projection design), Gregory Graham (costume design) and Sean Alvarez (sound design). Harrison Orneals is the technical director, and Olivia Leslie is the stage manager.

The 5-Play Card

Black Ensemble Theatre's 5-Play Card is a digital ticket package unlike any other. At a cost of $280 (including fees), it offers a savings of $65 over regular ticket prices. One of the greatest perks of the 5-Play Card is its flexibility – use the five tickets any way you want! You can: bring five people to one show, treat yourself to five different shows, or use the 5-Play Card in any ticket number combination until all five tickets are spent.

The 5-Play Card is good for 18 months and becomes active immediately after purchasing. If you buy multiple 5-Play Card packages, please note that a maximum of five tickets can be redeemed on a single show date.

The 50^th Anniversary Season continues with:

You Can't Fake the Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music

Written and directed by Producing Managing Director Daryl D. Brooks

September 5-October 25, 2026

Opening: Sunday, September 13 at 3pm

Hop aboard the Mothership and take a groovy ride back to the era when Afros were high, bell-bottoms were tight, and the music was truly out of sight! You Can't Fake the Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music is a high-energy, feel-good celebration of the sound that defined a generation.

From Sly and the Family Stone to Parliament-Funkadelic to Earth, Wind & Fire, this electrifying production will have you dancing in the aisles and testifying to the unstoppable power of the Funk.

Ya dig?!

Jackie Taylor's The Other Cinderella

Written and directed by Founder & CEO Jackie Taylor

Music by Jackie Taylor and Michael Ward
December 12, 2026-January 24, 2027

Opening: Sunday, December 20, 2025

Jackie Taylor's The Other Cinderella is a beloved Black Ensemble Theater classic that has delighted audiences for 50 years.  This joyful African American version of the timeless fairy tale is filled with laughter, soul, and heart. In this story, Cinderella is from the projects, the Stepmamma works at the post office, the Fairygodmama hails from Jamaica, and the Brothers from the Hood keep the kingdom jumpin'!

Overflowing with show-stopping songs, vibrant dancing, and unforgettable characters, The Other Cinderella is a treasured family tradition, and the perfect way to close our 50th Anniversary Season, reminding us to embrace our greatness and follow our spirit!

Black Ensemble will continue with the Plays With A Purpose series for school groups, Black Playwrights Initiative, Soul of a Powerful Woman on June 7, 2026, the free summer outside concert series Fridays on the Green in August, and the annual Gala on October 15, 2026,

About Black Ensemble's Free to Be Village

Construction is underway on the new Studio Theater, the second phase of the visionary Free to BE Village. This intimate space will nurture new work, emerging voices, innovative storytelling, and the next generation of talent. It represents a bold step forward as we continue expanding the artistic possibilities of Black Ensemble Theater.

The Studio Theater, housed on the second floor of the Black Ensemble Cultural Center at 4450 N. Clark St., will be transformed into a 3,150 sq. ft., 150-seat performance space, plus a dance studio/rehearsal room and a dressing room. The Studio Theater was the final project designed by the outstanding late architect John Morris. The Studio Theater will have flexiblility to accommodate at least eight stage and seating configurations and will feature state-of-the-art lighting and sound design.

The inaugural season for the Studio theater will be announced in September or October. It will offer much needed space for new and experimental works, including the works of the Black Playwrights Initiative. The Studio theater will also include musical as well as non-musical stage productions. 

The architect is Morris Architects Planners; John Morris passed away in 2025. The construction administration phase by Seek Design. The contractor is Ujamaa Construction.

Funding for the project is generously provided by City of Chicago Community Development funds; Federal community project funds – Representative Jan Schakowsky and Representative Mike Quigley; Illinois Arts Council; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the State of Illinois DCEO.

Black Ensemble Theater   

Founded in 1976 by acclaimed producer, playwright, and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater on the culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse North Side in Uptown. Through its Educational Outreach Programs, Black Ensemble has served more than 10,000 young people. Its Four Play Season of Excellence has captivated audiences locally, nationally, and internationally with outstanding original musicals that entertain, uplift, and bridge cultural divides, reminding us that we are all one. Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed more than 5,000 artists.

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts and community engagement.  For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.  

Following is critically acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, Kokandy Productions once again celebrates the great Stephen Sondheim with a revival of his stunning masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George, the first Chicago storefront production in over 15 years! This beloved musical will play August 13 – November 1, 2026 in the intimate Chopin Downstairs Studio, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/SundayChicago. 

Directed and choreographed by Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham with music direction by Nick Sula, Sunday in the Park with George features a book by James Lapine with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Casting will be announced shortly.

About the Production

Inspired by the painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat, Sunday in the Park with George merges past and present into beautiful, poignant truths about life, love and the creation of art. One of the most acclaimed musicals of our time, this moving study of the enigmatic painter, Georges Seurat, won a Pulitzer Prize and was nominated for an astounding ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

"Sunday in the Park with George was one of the first shows I pitched to direct when interviewing to join the company back in 2018," says Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham. "It's almost a decade later and we're finally visiting this astonishing masterpiece. It feels like the right time. The show offers us a chance to reflect on what we've been creating and to look forward at what we still hope to achieve – both as a company and as individual artists. Sunday reminds us not to linger too much on the future or the past, but to focus on the present moment, to connect with each other in real space and time. What a gift that will be. What a gift it is to be together in a room, taking in a piece of art, having communal and singular experiences at the same time."

The production team includes Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), G "Max" Maxin IV (Lighting Design), Matt Reich (Sound Design), Syd Genco (Makeup Design), Keith Ryan (Wig and Hair Design), Shane Roberie (Casting Director), Nicholas Reinhart (Production Manager), Kendyl Meyer (Stage Manager), Ethan Colish (Assistant Stage Manager), Michael Coppola (Stage Management Intern), Scot Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director).

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Sunday in the Park with George

Book: James Lapine

Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Director and Choreographer: Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham

Music Director: Nick Sula

Location: Chopin Downstairs Studio, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, August 13 – Friday, August 28, 2026

Regular run: Sunday, August 30 – Sunday, November 1, 2026

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm.

Tickets: Previews $28.52* general admission, $39.19* reserved seating. Regular run $55.20* general admission, $65.87* reserved seating. Students/seniors $44.52*. There will be a limited number of lower-priced tickets (with code ARTIST) available to artists for each performance. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/SundayChicago. *Ticket prices include processing fees

Sunday in the Park with George is presented through

special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

About the Artists

Derek Van Barham (Director and Choreographer) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions. Directing credits include Children of Eden in Concert (Broadway In Chicago), Jekyll & Hyde (BIC/Kokandy), Amélie, Into the Woods, Alice by Heart, Sweeney Todd, American Psycho, Head Over Heels (4 Jeff Awards and 3 Jeff nominations, Kokandy); Spring Awakening (Flint Rep); Rock of Ages (Metropolis); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Miracle by Dan Savage, Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag) Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Carrie, Bat Boy, Merrily We Roll Along (CCPA/Roosevelt University). Choreography credits include Evil Dead (Jeff nomination), Coraline the Musical, Ghost Quartet and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes). He was previously named one of Windy City Times' 30 Under 30, and one of Newcity Magazine's 50 Players 2024 and 2026. MFA: CCPA/Roosevelt University. IG: @dvbarham

Nick Sula (Music Director) is an award-winning pianist and music director, proud to return to Kokandy Productions and the Chopin Theatre where he served as music director for the Jeff Award-winning productions of Jekyll & Hyde (Jeff Award for Outstanding Music Direction), Sweeney Todd (Jeff Award for Outstanding Music Direction), Into the Woods (Jeff Awards for Outstanding Music Direction and Orchestrations) and the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. Other Chicago theatre music direction credits include: Octet (Raven Theatre); Anything Goes (Porchlight Music Theatre); Ghost Quartet (Black Button Eyes Productions). As a professor of musical theatre he serves as a music director, instructor and vocal coach at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

About Kokandy Productions

Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theatre to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theatre artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theatre community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Scot T. Kokandy, Danielle Sparklin and Katie Svaicer. 

For additional information, visit kokandyproductions.com. 

Some theatrical experiences ask you to sit back and watch. "The Last Word" invites you to pull up a chair, have a cocktail, and tumble headfirst into a delightfully strange fever dream about life, death, friendship, and a very famous green liqueur.

Its title refers both to a classic cocktail and to the screenplay at the center of the evening, and the two become intertwined in ways that are clever, surprising, and ultimately moving. The story revolves around Chartreuse, the legendary French liqueur whose closely guarded recipe is known by only two monks at any given time. When Mike discovers one of those monks dying in the woods and is entrusted with the only known copy of the recipe, he faces an impossible choice: return it to the monastery or risk everything to preserve it himself.

Presented as a live screenplay reading, "The Last Word" (at the iO Theater on Kingsbury) cleverly blurs the line between stage play and film script. Plays are meant to be heard; screenplays are meant to be seen. It takes a special kind of theatrical imagination to make a screenplay reading compelling. Fortunately, this production understands that challenge and embraces it. Through lighting effects, sound design, music, and a constant sense of playful invention, the audience is encouraged to visualize the movie unfolding in their minds.

The evening begins with audience members seated around a long table draped in green, scripts spread out before them, and a bottle of Chartreuse placed prominently center stage like a sacred relic. As the cast settles in and begins reading, we gradually discover who these characters are and the wild journey ahead.

A great deal of credit belongs to host and narrator Declan Grogan, who guides the audience through the evening with infectious enthusiasm. Between the screenplay's four acts, Grogan pauses the action to introduce a specially crafted cocktail inspired by that portion of the story.

The first act is paired with a Chartreuse Swizzle, a bright tropical concoction made with gin, that eases the audience into the tale. The second act features a Green drink made with homemade herbal clove liqueur whose complexity mirrors the increasingly mysterious turns of the plot. A Bijou, rich and blood red, accompanies the third act as the story deepens and the stakes become more profound. Finally, the evening concludes with the iconic Last Word, the cocktail that inspired both the title and much of the play's thematic spirit. Grogan's descriptions are delivered with such enthusiasm and detail that even audience members unfamiliar with mixology may find themselves suddenly fascinated by botanical spirits, obscure liqueurs, and the mystical allure of Chartreuse itself.

The cast—James Cullinane, Rachel Thomas, Declan Grogan, Claire Glennon, Spencer Gallagher, Colleen Grogan, and Liam Mahon—fully commits to the material's offbeat humor and emotional sincerity. What initially appears to be an eccentric comedy gradually reveals deeper themes about mortality, legacy, and the connections we leave behind.

One of the evening's most unusual choices involves video montages featuring the loved ones of cast members speaking about their affection and appreciation for the cast member. At first, the device feels unexpected, even a little puzzling. Yet by the final scene, its purpose becomes crystal clear. The production's emotional threads suddenly converge, and what seemed odd earlier becomes genuinely beautiful.

In the end, "The Last Word" asks a deceptively simple question: We will all have a last word. What will yours be? The answer arrives not through grand speeches but through shared experiences, laughter, friendship, and perhaps a perfectly balanced cocktail. This is an inventive, heartfelt, and thoroughly unique theatrical experience that l have to experience again.

Highly Recommended
When: The Last Friday of the month - June 26, July 31, August 28
Where: iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury St. Chicago
Tickets: $50 general admission (Drink Package)
$20 general admission designated driver
Info: https://www.thelastwordshow.com/

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Studebaker Theater (Erica Berger and Jacob Harvey), P3 Productions (Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin) and Audible, in collaboration with Teatro Vista Productions, present the Chicago premiere of the acclaimed new musical Mexodus, written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, choreographed by Tony Thomas, and directed by David Mendizábal.

Mexodus plays a limited three-week run this fall at Chicago's historic Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building (410 S. Michigan Avenue) beginning November 6, 2026. Tickets go on sale next month at MexodusMusical.com.

The live-looping hip-hop musical Mexodus recently won four Lucille Lortel Awards including Outstanding Musical, four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical, three Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Music, one Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical, and one Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical, the first Off-Broadway musical to win the award in 30 years.

The Chicago premiere follows the musical's critically acclaimed twice-extended run at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre in New York in 2025 and current return Off-Broadway engagement at the Daryl Roth Theatre. Mexodus is now available as an Audible Original, featuring the entire musical recorded in immersive Dolby Atmos sound design and extending its reach to millions of listeners around the world.

The Studebaker Theater engagement of Mexodus represents a homecoming for Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson. Quijada is from the Chicago area, and Robinson also lived in the city. An early workshop and developmental performances of the musical were held in Chicago in 2021 and 2023.

Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson said, "We couldn't be more excited to bring Mexodus to Chicago. Not only do we both have connections to the city, but much of the development of Mexodus happened there. Chicago, pull up!"

"The season's first must-see musical" (The Wrap), Mexodus reveals a hidden chapter of American history. You know the story of the Underground Railroad that ran North, but this show takes you on the path that ran South by crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico. "[An] electrifying theatrical experience" (The New York Times) created and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, this groundbreaking live-looped musical follows a freedom seeker and an unlikely ally as they forge a remarkable bond that transcends borders.

Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin of P3 Productions said, "After building such a strong community around the show in New York City, we're thrilled to now bring this bold, original musical to Chicago audiences, especially at the historic Studebaker Theater. It's an honor to continue sharing the show's joy, energy, and message of solidarity with a city that feels so deeply connected to the spirit of Mexodus."

Kate Navin, Audible Head of Creative Development for North America, said: "It has been an honor to share Mexodus with the world, through the Audible Original release and on stage in New York, where it once again took the city by storm. We can't wait to present Brian and Nygel's groundbreaking musical in Chicago, where this work was nurtured during its development. As the production reaches more cities across the United States and listeners globally through Audible, we're continuing to broaden and honor this important story for audiences both in the theater and beyond."

Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater Proprietor Erica Berger said, "We are beyond proud to be a Co-Producer on Mexodus, one of the most exciting new musicals in recent memory. Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson are two exceptional artists with strong ties to Chicago. The Studebaker Theater has been a creative home to innovative theater artists for more than 125 years, and bringing Mexodus home to Chicago further emphasizes our commitment to that legacy." Managing Artistic Director Jacob Harvey added, "We're actively building new pathways for how commercial productions can find a home in Chicago. Mexodus is our first co-producer credit on an Off-Broadway production, but it won't be the last. This is a new era for the Studebaker, cementing us as the premier Chicago venue for developmental and acclaimed productions alike."

Artistic Director Wendy Mateo of Teatro Vista Productions said, "Teatro Vista Productions cultivates the telling of stories that accurately reflect our community and increase the authentic representations of us on stage and screen. We are extremely honored to have been a part of the world premieres of Brian's Where Did We Sit on the Bus? and Somewhere Over the Border. So this is a full circle moment for us to help bring Brian and Nygel back to Chicago and to share the story of Mexodus with our audiences."

Mexodus was developed in previous productions at New York Stage and Film (2021), Baltimore Center Stage & Mosaic Theater Company of DC (Spring 2024), and Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Fall 2024).

The creative team for Mexodus includes Riw Rakkulchon (Scenic Design), David Mendizábal (Costume Design), Mextly Couzin (Lighting Design), Mikhail Fiksel (Looping Systems Architecture and Sound Design), Johnny Moreno (Video/Projections Design), Tony Thomas (Choreographer), and Claire Yenson, C.S.A. (Casting). Hope Villanueva is the Production Stage Manager, and theatrical supervision is by Cath Bates with general management by Pemberley Productions.

TICKETS

Tickets go on sale in June at MexodusMusical.com.

ABOUT P3 PRODUCTIONS

P3 Productions is an award-winning producing team led by Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin, dedicated to uplifting new voices and communities. Recent Broadway productions include Call Me Izzy, Job, and How to Dance in Ohio. Upcoming: Wanted (formerly Gun & Powder), Mexodus, and The Ninth Woman. Recent Broadway and West End Co-Producing credits: Sunset Blvd, The Last Five Years, Just For Us, A Strange Loop, Orlando, and Next to Normal (West End). Learn more: www.p3.productions and follow @p3productions.nyc.

ABOUT AUDIBLE THEATER

Audible Theater makes outstanding performances and powerful storytelling available to live audiences in New York City and millions of people all over the world. Since founding in 2018, Audible Theater's dynamic mix of live and audio theater productions have been praised as "trailblazing" (Variety), "illuminating" (Forbes), and "an exemplary use of the medium" (The Observer).

Audible Theater productions have garnered more than 60 nominations and 14 wins across the theater awards landscape. More than 120 audio theater titles have released on Audible. Audible Theater has produced the multi-award-winning and seven-time Tony Award-nominated musical Dead Outlaw, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, book by Itamar Moses, conceived by David Yazbek, and directed by David Cromer; Hannah Moscovitch's play Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes starring Ella Beatty and Hugh Jackman; Sorry for Your Loss written by and starring Michael Cruz Kayne;  Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares written by and starring Laura Benanti; Alex Newell and the Gospel of a Diva written by and starring Alex Newell; Nostalgia: A Love Letter to NYC written by and starring Eva Noblezada; Girls & Boys starring Carey Mulligan; Harry Clarke starring Billy Crudup; and many others at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City. Audible Theater has also produced audio adaptions of acclaimed plays including Colman Domingo's Wild with Happy  starring Domingo, Oprah Winfrey, Sharon Washington, Alex Newell, and Tyler James Williams; David Henry Hwang's Yellow Face starring Daniel Dae Kim and Jason Biggs; David Auburn's Summer, 1976 starring Laura Linney and Jessica Hecht; and many more.

In May 2018, Audible announced that the Minetta Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village would serve as its creative home for live performances in New York, with Audible members receiving exclusive access to discounted tickets and related audio content. Since then, Audible has hosted and produced a wide variety of live performances at the Minetta Lane including dramatic plays, comedic shows, original musical performances, and more.

Since June 2017, Audible has commissioned 50 playwrights to receive support from its $5 million Emerging Playwrights Fund dedicated to developing innovative English-language works from around the globe. The initiative enables the creation of original plays driven by language and voice, keeping with Audible's core commitment to elevate listening experiences through powerful performances and extraordinary vocal storytelling. Emerging Playwrights commissions have included Evil Eye by Madhuri Shekar, The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson, Good Enemy by Yilong Liu, and more.

ABOUT AUDIBLE, INC.

Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering global audiences a powerful way to enhance and enrich their lives through extraordinary content. Audible's catalog includes more than 1,000,000 audio titles, including Audible Originals as well as audiobooks and podcasts from leading studios, print, audio and magazine publishers and world-renowned entertainers.

ABOUT THE STUDEBAKER THEATER

Located inside Chicago's landmarked Fine Arts Building, the Studebaker Theater is one of the city's most historic performance venues, led by Erica Berger and Jacob Harvey. Since its curtain first rose in 1898, the Studebaker stage has been graced by luminaries including Bob Hope, Peter O'Toole, Mae West, Ethel Barrymore, Geraldine Page, Vincent Price and many more. Following a major multi-million-dollar renovation led by Berger Realty Group and completed in 2022, the Studebaker has been home to NPR's popular news quiz show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" and has hosted performances from new musicals including 44: The Obama Musical, Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile, and Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Other recent productions include Ava: The Secret Conversations starring Elizabeth McGovern and Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol. Learn more at fineartsbuilding.com.

ABOUT TEATRO VISTA PRODUCTIONS

When the Chicago theater world wasn't ready for us, Teatro Vista Productions made space. For 35 years, we've told true stories that reflect our community. We're not just building on this amazing legacy; we are strengthening and expanding it for the future. Today we continue to actively engage in advocacy that seeks to increase the authentic representations of us on stage and screen. Teatro Vista Productions is led by Lorena Diaz (Executive Director), Wendy Mateo (Artistic Director) Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel (Associate Artistic Director) and Carina E. Sanchez (Board President).

Teatro Vista Productions believes artists of color are inherently genius across disciplines, experiences, media and diaspora. We center our collective of artists at the heart of everything we do. We empower them to create with their own voice by providing the tools and resources they need to thrive in the industry. Our work is timely, relevant and reflects our community. Now, as always, We Are Theater With A View. Join us across online channels at @teatrovista to experience the multidisciplinary talents of our Artistic Collective and visit teatrovista.org to stay connected to all things TVP. Pa'lante Juntos. Forward Together.

About Face Theatre is proud to announce its 32nd season featuring the Pulitzer Prize winning musical A Strange Loop and the Midwest Premiere of i never asked for a gofundme by Jayne Deely, directed by About Face Theatre Producing Artistic Director Megan Carney. In addition, the company continues its innovative touring performances and education programs throughout the region.

"About Face Theatre has always been a home for stories that challenge and affirm. The season ahead is no exception," states Megan Carney, Producing Artistic Director for About Face Theatre. "With these groundbreaking and exuberant works, we are continuing our legacy of centering fearless, joyful, and necessary LGBTQ+ voices. I can't wait to share these productions with Chicago audiences."

Overview of the Season

All performances will take place on the Johnson Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N Clark St in Chicago. Tickets for individual shows go on sale one month before previews at https://aboutfacetheatre.com. Secure your spot early by joining the About Face Futurists. To find out more about this monthly donor program, please visit aboutfacetheatre.com/support-us.

Showtimes are Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sun at 3:00pm.

A Strange Loop
book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
directed by About Face Theatre Artistic Associate Mikael Burke

In a co-production with Raven Theatre
October 8-November 8, 2026
 

Up first in October, About Face Theatre proudly presents the Chicago premiere of the Broadway smash hit A Strange Loop with book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson and Directed by About Face Theatre Artistic Associate Mikael Burke. This groundbreaking show won Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical at the 2022 Tony Awards. This is a co-production with Raven Theatre.

Usher is a Black, queer playwright who spends his days working as an usher on Broadway. He spends his nights struggling to write an original musical about a Black, queer playwright who spends his days working as an usher on Broadway. Lines blur, thoughts intrude, and soon he finds himself wrestling to break free from a very strange creative loop.This blistering, groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize winning musical explores identity, race and sexuality through the lens of a young artist at war with a chorus of his own demons and inner voices on a journey towards understanding and self love.

i never asked for a gofundme
by Jayne Deely
directed by About Face Theatre Producing Artistic Director Megan Carney
March 18 – April 17, 2027
Thursday, March 25, 2027 at 7:30pm

Millie and Avery return to Millie's hometown in Alabama seeking a quiet refuge for Avery's recovery from gender-affirming top surgery. One big misunderstanding spirals into a full-blown small-town spectacle in this hilarious and heartfelt comedy. Set against the backdrop of March Madness and the electric energy of WNBA season, the stakes keep rising. As the donations pile up and the pressure mounts, the couple is forced to confront what they truly stand to lose by telling the truth.

This remarkable new play was featured at La Jolla Latinx New Play Festival and the Distillery New Works Festival with Seattle Public Theater. The play was a Finalist at the National Playwrights Conference Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.

Mikael Burke (he/him), director of A Strange Loop, is a Chicago-based director, deviser, and educator. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre and Jeff Award-winning director, his recent credits include: Oak by Terry Guest (Urbanite Theatre, World Premiere); Othello by William Shakespeare (Theatreworks Colorado Springs); Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Notes from the Field by Anna Deveare Smith (TimeLine Theatre, Chicago Premiere); The Salvagers by Harrison David Rivers (Yale Repertory Theatre, World Premiere); Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris (Refracted Theatre Company, Chicago Premiere, winner of 8 Jeff Awards); Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest (About Face Theatre, Chicago Premiere, winner of 2 Jeff Awards); Clyde's by Lynn Nottage (Theaterworks Hartford). Mikael is also an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University and Roosevelt University. MFA, The Theatre School at DePaul University | mklburke.com

Megan Carney (she/her), director of i never asked for a gofundme, is the Producing Artistic Director of About Face Theater in Chicago, a company dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ equity through community building, education, and performance. She has worked extensively as a director, playwright, and teaching artist. Megan's work as a director and playwright has premiered in Chicago, New York, and through touring productions around the country including Audrey Cefaly's The Gulf (About Face Theatre) Danielle Pinnock's Body/Courage (Rivendell), Lisa Dillman's The Walls (Rivendell at Steppenwolf), and Holly Hughes' Let Them Eat Cake (Dixon Place, NYC) among many others. Megan served as the Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center, one of the Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change, at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she produced cultural programs and advanced inclusive policies. Carney is a certified mediator with the Center for Conflict Resolution and has a MFA in Theatre Arts from Virginia Tech with a focus on Directing and Public Dialogue. Her work has been recognized with theatre industry awards, the GLSEN Pathfinder Award, an APA Presidential Citation, and induction in Chicago's LGBT Hall of Fame.

Jayne Deely (they/them), writer of i never asked for a gofundme, is a Queens, NY born and bred boricua playwright and performer. Selected works: Legacy, When Pluto was a planet, I never asked for a gofundme, Walter Mercado Presents: A Queer Puerto Rican (Not Just) Christmxs Spectacular, and unqle play. Their plays have been developed with Seattle Public Theatre, the New Harmony Project, Breaking the Binary, Fresh Ground Pepper, theatre b, American Stage, Renaissance Theaterworks, and others. They were recently named to the Kilroy's Web 25-26 (for I never asked for a gofundme) and are currently under commission with a Sloan grant from EST. Jayne is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and the Dramatists Guild, and is based in Queens, NY. MFA, IU Bloomington.

Michael R. Jackson, writer of A Strange Loop, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, composer, and lyricist is the creator of A Strange Loop, which the New York Times has called a "bravura meta-musical." The piece – which took Jackson eighteen years to create – won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2020, eleven Tony Award nominations, a New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and two Tony Awards – for Best New Musical and Best Book. Jackson has been named one of TIME Magazine's "100 Most Influential People" (2022) and has received numerous awards including a New Professional Theatre Festival Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant, a Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, an ASCAP Foundation Harold Adamson Award, a Whiting Award, the Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, the Windham-Campbell Prize, and a Dramatist Guild Fellowship. He has appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, CBS Sunday Morning, and Late Night with Seth Meyers, to name a few. He wrote book, music, and lyrics for the musicals White Girl In Danger and A Strange Loop (2019 world premiere at Playwrights Horizons in co-production with Page 73 Productions). Jackson holds a BFA and MFA in playwriting and musical theatre writing from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

RAVEN THEATRE is proud to be a cultural cornerstone of Chicago's north side, where its artistic excellence is known among theatergoers and artists alike. Long acclaimed for its revivals of classic plays, Raven also gives voice to emerging playwrights whose work will help to shape the theatrical canon for years to come. Founded in 1983, Raven moved into its current home in 2002 with its 85-seat Johnson Stage and its 56-seat Schwartz Stage.

ABOUT FACE THEATRE advances LGBTQ+ equity through community building, education, and performance. Since our founding in 1995, we've been a national leader in producing groundbreaking theater throughout Chicago that centers and affirms people who identify as LGBTQ+ and other intersecting identities. Working with nationally recognized and emerging artists of all ages, our programs include award-winning productions, touring shows, a Youth Ensemble, and new work development through Re/Generation Studio. Learn more and get involved at aboutfacetheatre.com.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s (BWBTC) 2026 season opens with a world premiere, yo ho., by playwright SMJ, directed by JD Caudill and fight choreography by Carly “CB” Cason, July 19 - August 29 at The Edge Theater Off Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave. The running time is approximately two hours (including intermission). Preview performances are Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m., Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The open caption performances are Saturday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug.16 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Aug. 20 and Friday, Aug. 21 at 8 p.m.. The sensory friendly performances are Sunday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 9 at 3 p.m. and with the fully masked audience performances, Sunday, Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 at 3 p.m. Streaming dates for yo ho. will be announced at a future date. Tickets are $28 for students and seniors, $35 for general admission and are on sale now at BabesWithBlades.org.

yo ho. charts the journey of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two pirates aboard a campy, sexually charged ship facing immediate threat from the crown. Equal parts historical fantasy and introspective sexual and gender exploration, this play is a deeply emotional reimaging and reminder of queer history.

“This hilarious and saucy comedy is perfect for the summer," states Artistic Director Hayley Rice. “In many ways yo ho. is exactly the kind of show you would expect from BWBTC: swashbuckling swordfights between moments of illuminating the lost stories of marginalized identities. This script is also fresh, exciting and perhaps a little steamier than Babes’ offerings of the past.”

The ensemble cast of ten, in alphabetical order, features Stef Brundage (they/them, Calico Jack); Sierra Buffum (they/them, Mary Read); William Delforge (he/him, Chad/James); Schnaude Dorizan (she/her, Vanessa U/S); Stephanie Fongheiser (she/her, Anne Bonny U/S); Cris King (she/her, Calico Jack U/S); Rachel Sleek Bañuelos (she/her, Anne Bonny); Makenna Van Raalte (they/she, Mary Read U/S); Jacob Watson (he/they, Chad/James U/S) and Brittani Yawn (she/her, Vanessa).

The production team includes BWBTC ensemble members Line Bower (they/them, technical director); Jennifer Mohr (she/her, costume designer); Payton Shearn (she/they, production assistant) and Laura J. Wiley (she/her, lighting designer) as well as Carly “CB” Cason (they/she/any, fight choreographer); JD Caudill (they/them, director); Kat Coyl (they/them, assistant director); Amy C. Gilman (she/her, scenic designer); Rose Hamill (she/her, production manager); Alex Kingsley (they/them, sound designer); Meme Matteson (she/they, assistant fight choreographer); Grace Mealey (she/her, stage manager); Alyssa Vera Ramos (she/her/ella, intimacy designer) and SMJ (they/them, playwright).  

ABOUT SMJ, PLAYWRIGHT

SMJ is a mixed-Latiné, non-binary and New York City-based playwright, theatermaker and educator originally from Mount Vernon, OH. They are proud to be the executive director of Andy’s Summer Playhouse, a professional children’s theater in Wilton, New Hampshire, that specializes in creating world premiere work with local children and emerging professional artists. They were a 2022-2023 Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow. As a writer, their work has been seen in various forms with Ars Nova, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, New York Stage and Film, Latinx Playwrights Circle, The Orchard Project, Latiné Musical Theatre Lab, Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, Otterbein University and Manhattanville University. SMJ has been a finalist for the Princess Grace Award in Playwriting at New Dramatists and a semifinalist for the 2024 Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival as well as the O’Neill’s National Playwrights Conference (multiple times). They are a member of the Dramatists Guild and Ring of Keys. 

ABOUT JD CAUDILL, DIRECTOR

JD Caudill is a queer director, literary manager and music director. Their recent direction credits include The SpongeBob Musical (Kokandy Productions; Bowling Green State University), Sofa King Queer (Nothing Without A Company), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Haven Theatre), I Promised Myself to Live Faster (Hell in a Handbag), After the Blast (Broken Nose Theatre) and Southern Comfort (Pride Films and Plays). They’ve also directed for Bechdel Fests 4-6 + 8 and Book of Shadows (Broken Nose Theatre) and other plays at The New Colony, Haven Theatre, The Runaways Lab Theatre, New American Folk Theatre, Hobo Junction, 20% Theatre, Paragon Theatre, Otherworld Theatre, Arc Theatre, 16th Street Theatre, Stage Left, The Syndicates and Red Theatre. They have been a proud ensemble member of Hell in a Handbag for ten years, and served as an ensemble member and literary manager of Broken Nose Theatre for seven years. They are driven to make theatre because of the unique sense of community it creates by bringing people together in person to experience imaginative stories of hope and catharsis. As a director, their mission is to create queer art for everyone; they want queer audiences to experience new stories of authentic representation while helping non-queer audiences cultivate empathy for the LGBTQIA+ community. 

ABOUT CARLY “CB” CASON, FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER

Carly Belle is a founder of Counterfeit Combat, head acting coach with Model Act Studios and is thrilled to be swashbuckling with this great group of pirates! With roots deep in the heart of Texas, they have more than a decade of training and experience in combat for stage and screen. Other Chicago credits include: Bloodbound (Auriel Productions), Fencers of Panache (Fair in the Field), And They Were Shipmates (Counterfeit Combat) and Leap of Fate (Nonsense Productions).

ABOUT BABES WITH BLADES THEATRE COMPANY

Babes With Blades Theatre Company, for more than 25 years and moving into the future, strives to develop and present scripts focused on complex, dynamic (often combative) characters who continue to be underrepresented on theatre stages based on gender. Babes With Blades Theatre Company uses stage combat to tell stories that elevate the voices of underrepresented communities and dismantle the patriarchy.

In each element of its programming, BWBTC embraces two key concepts:

1)  Folks of marginalized genders and underrepresented communities are central to the story, driving the action rather than responding or submitting to it and

2)  Everyone is capable of a full emotional and physical range, up to and including violence and its consequences.

The company offers participants and patrons alike an unparalleled opportunity to experience every person as heroes and villains; rescuers and rescues; right, wrong and everywhere in between: exciting, vivid, dynamic PEOPLE. It’s as simple and as subversive as that.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT:

Babes With Blades Theatre Company produces theatre in venues located on the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. Many other tribes such as the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox also called this area home. This region that we now commonly refer to as “The Chicagoland Area”, has long been a center for Indigenous people to gather, trade and maintain kinship ties. Today, one of the largest urban Native American communities in the United States resides in Chicago. Members of this community continue to contribute to the life of this city and to celebrate their heritage, practice traditions and care for the land and waterways.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s (BWBTC) 2026 season opens with a world premiere, yo ho., by playwright SMJ, directed by JD Caudill and fight choreography by Carly “CB” Cason, July 19 - August 29 at The Edge Theater Off Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave. The running time is approximately two hours (including intermission). Preview performances are Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m., Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24 at 8 p.m. with the press opening Saturday, July 25 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The open caption performances are Saturday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug.16 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Aug. 20 and Friday, Aug. 21 at 8 p.m.. The sensory friendly performances are Sunday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 9 at 3 p.m. and with the fully masked audience performances, Sunday, Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 at 3 p.m. Streaming dates for yo ho. will be announced at a future date. Tickets are $28 for students and seniors, $35 for general admission and are on sale now at BabesWithBlades.org.

Chicago continues to produce some of the most exciting work in the country this Summer, offering a wide variety of plays and musicals, as well as comedy, dance, music, and more. To highlight these productions, The League of Chicago Theatres is publishing its Summer Theatre Guide, which showcases more than 100 productions; not just in Chicago's iconic theatre districts, but also across vibrant suburban communities. From Oak Park to Naperville, Glenview to Des Plaines, theatres across the region offer top-tier performances that make it easier than ever to experience the magic of live theatre close to home.

For additional details about this summer's performances and the Summer Theatre Guide visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Many summer shows will also be available at HotTix.org, Chicago's local, discounted ticketing service.

The following is a selection of notable work playing in Chicago this Summer, organized by location.

A selection of productions playing in theatres located Downtown are:

Brokeback Mountain

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

May 28 – June 28, 2026

When Ennis and Jack take jobs on the isolated Brokeback Mountain, all their certainties of life change forever as they flounder in unexpected emotional waters. This intense tale of a hidden love spans 20 years and is interwoven with soulful, original Country Western songs, performed live onstage.

Eugene Onegin

The Joffrey Ballet at Lyric Opera House

June 4 – 14, 2026

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century Russian society, this cautionary tale follows the enigmatic and aloof aristocrat after his fateful encounter with the earnest Tatiana. Richly layered and deeply human, Eugene Onegin explores the fragility of the human heart and how unspoken words can shape destinies.

Untitled Vampire Play

Lookingglass Theatre Company

June 4-July 12, 2026

This romantic-comedy-meets-horror-story world premiere by Kevin Douglas explores love, commitment, codependency...and, of course, vampires.

Champions of Magic

Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building

June 6 – July 5, 2026

The production that critics have described as 'the most spectacular show,' 'two hours of mind-twisting, logic-defying entertainment' and 'the summer blockbuster of magic shows.'

SUFFS

Broadway In Chicago at CIBC Theatre

June 7– 19, 2026

Direct from Broadway comes the acclaimed Tony Award®-winning musical Suffs about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote.

Kinky Boots

Broadway In Chicago at the James M. Nederlander Theatre

June 9 - 21, 2026

Kinky Boots follows the journey of two people with nothing in common—or so they think. As Charlie and Lola work together to turn a shoe factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they realized.

Iceboy!

Goodman Theatre

June 20 – July 26, 2026

Broadway's brightest star of 1938, Vera Vimm, 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 Eugene O'Neill and challenging his legendary mother for center stage.

A Musical Tribute to John Williams & Steven Spielberg

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

June 23, 2026

Celebrate the legendary collaboration between composer John Williams and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. From Jurassic Park and Jaws to Indiana Jones and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the scores born of this 50-year creative partnership have captured imaginations around the world.

Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

June 25 – 27, 2026

Embark on an epic adventure to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: A New Hope! Experience the iconic film like never before as CSO performs John Williams' legendary Oscar-winning score live.

& Juliet

Broadway in Chicago at Auditorium Theatre

July 22 - August 2, 2026

Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there's life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it.

Theatres are located in almost every neighborhood in Chicago.  A selection of productions playing throughout Chicago are:

Always...Patsy Cline

American Blues Theater

Playing through June 13, 2026

This musical play, complete with down home country humor and big-heart ed emotion, includes hits "Crazy," "I Fall to Pieces," "Sweet Dreams," "Walkin' After Midnight" and more!

LOKI-The End of the World Tour

Lifeline Theatre

Playing through June 13, 2026

In this World Premiere musical, Loki arrives at Asgard, bringing chaos, comedy, and three monstrous (maybe) children. In an us vs. them world, can we envision a new mythology?

The Targeted

A Red Orchid Theatre at Chopin Theatre

Playing through June 14, 2026

Welcome to the Solidarity and Truth Summit. A gathering of the most persecuted, tortured, and misunderstood people in the entire world. They call themselves Targeted Individuals, and they are victims of a vast and covert program of systematic torture, surveillance, and harassment by global intergovernmental powers.

OCTET

Raven Theatre Company

Playing through June 14, 2026

Hailed by the New York Times as "the most original and topical musical of the year" for its 2019 Off Broadway premiere, this inventive and acutely relevant piece reflects the perils of the digital age.

Antigone

Promethean Theatre Ensemble at The Den Theatre

May 31 - June 27, 2026

A timely production of the classic WW2 era adaptation made all the more relevant by recent local and national events.

Catch As Catch Can

Steppenwolf Theatre Company

June 4 - July 12, 2026

When a prodigal son returns to blue collar New England, his homecoming sets off a spiraling crisis for two families, threatening not only their relationships but their very identities. Spanning hilarity, stunning virtuosity and outright horror, this ferocious Chicago premiere—featuring an all-ensemble cast—must be witnessed to be believed.

As You Like It

Midsommer Flight

June 26 – August 2, 2026

Free outdoor performances of Shakespeare's As You Like It will be presented outdoors in six Chicago Parks District parks – Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, Gross Park, Nichols Park, Kelvyn Park, Winnemac Park, and Touhy Park. Banished from court by her uncle, Rosalind escapes to the Forest of Arden, where she disguises herself as man in order to win over her lover by trying to convince him he should forget her. Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic to enjoy this free programming.

Hair

Kokandy Productions at Chopin Theatre

July 2 - September 13, 2026

Exploring ideas of identity, community, global responsibility and peace, Hair remains relevant as ever as it examines what it means to be a young person in a changing world.

Marble
Gift Theatre at Copernicus Center

August 2 – August 30, 2026

Marble follows two married couples, Ben and Catherine, and their friends Art and Anne, whose comfortable lives begin to splinter after a shared dream triggers suspicion and desire.

A surreal and haunting exploration of two couples whose lives collide through shared dreams, this production anchors the company's homecoming to the neighborhood where it was founded.

Productions playing in the suburbs of Chicago include:

Nunsense
Drury Lane Theatre

June 10 – August 2, 2026

Get ready to laugh the summer away with nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken. This beloved revue, directed by E. Faye Butler, will have you in stitches as the five sisters stage a variety show fundraiser filled with outrageous musical numbers and zany comedy. 

A Little Night Music

Marriott Theatre

Playing June 17 – August 9, 2026

Set in 1900 Sweden, A Little Night Music explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress Desirée Armfeldt, and the men who love her. Amid a flurry of jealousy and suspicion, infinite possibilities of new romances and second chances bring endless surprises. Stephen Sondheim's witty, brilliant masterpiece.

Leopoldstadt

Writers Theatre

June 4 - July 19, 2026

At the dawn of the 20th century, Vienna is the heart of European culture. While an extended family gathers in the elegant Merz home for the holidays, two brothers-in-law passionately debate their conflicting visions for the future of their family and the Jewish people–a tension that will echo through the generations that follow.

The Producers

BrightSide Theatre at Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall

June 12 – 28, 2026

Mel Brooks' outrageous musical comedy about two schemers trying to stage the biggest Broadway flop of all time—only to accidentally create a smash hit!

The Last Five Years

Oil Lamp Theater

June 6 - July 5, 2026

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.

BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical

Highland Park Players at McGrath Family Performing Arts

July 17 – 26, 2026

Before she was hit-maker Carole King—she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical takes you back to where it all began and takes you on the ride of a lifetime. 

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Available discounted tickets will be listed at HotTix.org.

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 6 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.

The South Florida based YI Love Jewish and Chicago-based Arts Judaica proudly join forces to present a limited engagement of the Chicago Premiere production of L. M. Feldman's acclaimed theatrical mosaic A PEOPLE, at Theater Wit. A PEOPLE will be directed by world renowned actor, director and Jewish Culture activist Avi Hoffman, who is currently directing and will star in a Yiddish-language production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN, to be performed in Bucharest, Romania on May 30. Hoffman will play Willy Loman, a role for which he earned a Drama Desk nomination with New York's New Yiddish Rep in 2015. 

A PEOPLE invites Chicago audiences on a magical, lyrical journey through 5,000 years of Jewish identity, heritage, and humanity, brought to life by a dynamic ensemble of performers. The ensemble portrays a range of old and new-world characters, weaving together vignettes that question, affirm, and reimagine what it means to be part of a people. Historical and fictional characters, separated by generations, meet in a surreal landscape to explore their peoples' rich history and traditions, much of which they fear will be forgotten entirely. The play will preview June 18 and 19, 2026, prior to opening on Saturday, June 20^th at 7:30 pm, and play through July 5^th at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. No performance on Saturday, July 4.

A PEOPLE playwright LM Feldman's nine full-length plays have enjoyed numerous productions across the US. Feldman's script for A PEOPLE is sometimes hilarious, sometimes searingly honest, as it weaves together old and new-world  voices to explore how all individuals wrestle with, deny, or embrace their heritage. The result is a vivid collage of characters and moments that illuminate the way we see life, the way we want it, and the way it really is.

The cast of A PEOPLE includes Jin Ai, Daniel Boughton, Freya Churchwell, Zach Kunde, Douglas Levin, Xavier Mattison, Haley Schenk, and Charity Schultz. The production team, in addition to Hoffman as director, includes Zach Stinnet (Sound Designer), Dugan Kenaz-Mara (Sets/Props/Puppet Designer), Abby Gillette (Costume Designer), Katie Mae Ryan (Stage Manager), Karen Wallace (Lighting Designer), and Elayne LeTraunik (Producer). Sabrina Lipsitz is YI Executive Director and Olivia Flynn is YI Director of Marketing. 

YI Love Jewish is a global cultural initiative that advocates for Jewish Pride, builds cultural bridges and challenges antisemitism through the arts, while celebrating and promoting Jewish history, life, and culture, and their far-reaching impact on the world.

Arts Judaica, a Chicago-based 501(c)(3), is the city's only producing organization dedicated exclusively to exploring and celebrating Jewish history, culture, and arts through live theater, music, and educational programming. Together these two Jewish cultural organizations are presenting this play at Theatre Wit, a vital Lakeview venue known for its smart, intimate 98–99-seat black box spaces; they will bring together local and national voices in an accessible, neighborhood setting.

Tickets for A PEOPLE at Theater Wit are now available, with regular weekly performances Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm, through July 5. (No performance Saturday, July 4). Tickets can be reserved online at https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/572/performances#top, via Theatre Wit's box office (773) 975-8150, or in person at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657.

A PEOPLE
By L M Feldman
Directed by Avi Hoffman
June 18 – July 5, 2026
Press Opening Saturday, June 20 at 7:30 pm
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.
No performance Saturday, July 4
Tickets will be $32 with group rates of 10 or more at $30
Opening will be a VIP special for $100.

Tickets can be reserved online at https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/572/performances#top or via Theater Wit's box office (773) 975-8150, or in person at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
More information at www.artsjudaica.com
 
A PEOPLE is a magical, lyrical journey into heritage, tradition, religion and humanity. Through vignettes, music and monologues, L M Feldman holds up a mirror to 5000 years of Jewish history, reminding us that we're all descendants from somewhere, and we choose to embrace our lineage, deny it, or wrestle with it. Hilarious and terrifyingly honest.