Displaying items by tag: plays Chicago

Mother-daughter relationships are somehow deemed different.  More seminal than the bond between a father and son. More instinctive than between sisters.  When trust is broken, all bets can certainly be off.  But that doesn’t seem to be the case for Thelma and Jesse, a mom and her daughter who live together in Marsha Norman’s magnificent ‘night Mother, just opening at Redtwist Theatre in Edgewater.  They have a balance and flow that suggests a seasoned understanding.  A harmonic acceptance of their lives together.

Thelma, played so fully by Redtwist ensemble member, Kathy Ruhl, is a pleasing mix of pragmatism and discreet earnestness.  A woman who’s lived a long life, withstood a lot and is making the most of the years in her final season.  Knitting on her well-cushioned sofa, cell phone dangling from her lanyard, TV playing in the background, she’s thinking about how she’s going to satisfy her sugar fix.  And settles on a snowball before contemplating many other options as the evening passes.

Thanks to the prodigious thought and scrupulous detail Bobbie Buie poured into the set design, Thelma’s modest home has the soft glow of easy unpretentious comfort.  Everywhere there are signs that point to a contentment that’s been well earned.  The world she created, along with Harper Justus’s precise and subtle sound design, saturated you in place.

Anne Sheridan Smith in the role of her daughter, Jesse, is much more wired; frenzied in an organized way.  When she shoots out of her bedroom door, she’s clearly a woman on a mission to get a lot of things done.  Quickly.  As she settles down, she’s simply determinedly methodical and impressively so.  There’s some light haggling with her mother.  It seems like something they just occasionally do.  Normal.  Tonight, giving her mother a manicure is high on Jesse’s to do list.  It’s not long before they settle down at the kitchen table and normal goes away.  

A small cloud of foreboding drifted in when Jesse began looking for some things in their makeshift attic. One of them is a gun. When her mother keeps pressing her on why she wants or needs one, she forces her daughter’s hand. Jesse declares to her mother, not coldly but matter-of-factly, that tonight she’s going to use it to kill herself.

It’s the kind of statement that instantly triggers incredulity.  And automatically, by reflex, Thelma’s “mom” response zooms past tilt.  Even though she may not initially believe Jesse, she hears her.   And intuitively she wants to fix it as she struggles to even comprehend the magnitude of what she’s been told.   ‘night Mother soon becomes a push and pull with Jesse always exhibiting the greater strength against a formidable opponent.  She has the inner conviction to see this grim task through.  You can sense that when she first told her mother what she was going to do. Like her mother, we too want to know why.

A dissection of one person’s why is what this intricate and intimate story is all about.  And the way Smith inhabits her character, she functions as an outstandingly plausible stand-in for many of us.   People who not only have had enough but also look at themselves and don’t see enough. 

Her mother doesn’t really understand. Not at first.  It’s as the tandem airing of their lives that reveals how it’s come to this. 

Well into this gripping one act performance, wonderfully directed by Redtwist’s Artistic Director, Dusty Brown, Thelma describes herself as a “plain country woman”.  Life for her is something you just did.  It’s the kind of existence where naivete and ignorance may thrive in abundance, but neither carries an especially detrimental cost.  When it came to Jesse’s early childhood rearing of Jesse though, perhaps it did. Thelma and her husband discovered late in their daughter’s development that the fits she experienced as a child were epileptic.   Undiagnosed and untreated for far too long, Jesse internalized them as manifestations of a personal flaw.  A flaw that inevitably, in her mind, produced terrible consequences.

She never directly states it, but it’s clear she blames herself for the way her son, Ricky, is turning out.  A thief, drugs, regularly in run-ins with the police.  Thelma says it’s just a phase.  He’ll grow out if it and be a “fine young man”.  But through a haze that’s draped in quiet anguish, Jesse senses otherwise.  It’s the same with her ex-husband. In Cecil’s case, he was there and then he was gone.  The man her mother found for her, who she came to love and who chose not to stay.

They’re all hard blows.  Jesse has weathered them.  Now it sounds like she’s tired.  Sick of it all.  Living with her mother.  Lonely present.  Lonely future.  She’s felt this way for so long that she’s used the last 10 years to plan for this night.    She’s gotten it so fine-tuned, she can give her mother detailed instructions on who to call when after the deed is done, and why.

For this compassionate plunge into the unthinkable, Marsha Norman won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1983.  A native of Kentucky, you can hear a faint sound of the south in the way Thelma and Jesse talk to one another.  The weight of the subject matter, the care in which these two women are drawn and portrayed, the way every argument Thelma raises against this tragic decision is rebuffed by unswayable conviction, keeps you rapt.  A sliver of life captured beautifully and unforgettably on the stage.

‘night Mother

Through May 24, 2026

Redtwist Theatre

1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

Chicago, IL    60660

For tickets and more information:  https://www.redtwisttheatre.org

Highly Recommended

Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s, Windfall arrives with all the promise its pedigree suggests. Written by Academy Award–winning ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney and directed by Awoye Timpo, the production aspires to be a pulsing, lyrical meditation on grief, justice, and the uneasy intersection of activism and capitalism. What unfolds instead is a work rich in intention but frustratingly elusive in execution.

The play centers on a protest encampment that erupts into violence, culminating in the shooting of Eli, a member of Never Wrestle Justice - a group of activists unafraid to raise their voices. In the aftermath, Marcus (Glenn Davis), who has transitioned, lingers alongside his aging adoptive father, Mr. Mano (Michael Potts). Mano is left reeling, unable to fully accept the reported death of his child, Eli (Esco Jouléy). It’s a potent premise: a father who refuses to confirm his child’s death, a government eager to offer a financial settlement, and a moral dilemma that questions whether survival can - or should - be measured in dollars. Tarell Alvin McCraney frames the story as a “chosen family” drama, but the emotional foundation never fully coheres.

Marcus urges Mano to identify Eli’s body and accept the settlement, arguing that “blood money is still money.” Yet Mano resists, clinging to the unbearable ambiguity of loss. The arrival of various state representatives - played with dynamic range by Alana Arenas as First Lady, Miss Second, and The Last One - pushes the narrative into increasingly surreal territory. These figures, along with Jon Michael Hill and Namir Smallwood in multiple roles, embody a bureaucratic machine that is at once apologetic, predatory, and opaque.

There are flashes of McCraney’s signature lyricism, particularly in the spectral appearances of Eli. Whether ghost, memory, or manifestation of guilt, Eli’s presence should anchor the play’s emotional core. Instead, it muddies the stakes. When Eli ultimately reappears - alive, defiant, and ready to fight - the revelation feels less like a cathartic turn and more like a narrative sleight of hand that the play hasn’t earned.

This points to the central issue: the characters are too thinly drawn to sustain the weight of the play’s ideas. We see Mano’s grief, Marcus’s urgency to settle, and Eli’s activism, but we rarely feel them. The stakes, which should be life-altering, register as curiously low. Even the moral dilemma - to take the money or resist the system - never fully ignites because the emotional investment isn’t there.

Timpo’s direction leans into the play’s abstraction, emphasizing its communal and ritualistic elements. At times, this works; the staging has a fluidity that suggests a world where reality and memory bleed into one another. But the lack of clarity ultimately undermines the experience. Confusion becomes less a deliberate aesthetic choice and more a barrier to engagement.

There is also the question of place. Though the play is set in Chicago, it rarely feels rooted there. References to Rainbow Beach or Pequod’s Pizza read as surface-level markers rather than lived-in details. For a story so deeply tied to protest, policing, and community, the absence of a tangible sense of Chicago is a missed opportunity.

Still, the performances strive to elevate the material. Arenas is the undeniable standout, bringing vitality and nuance to each of her roles. Whenever she takes the stage, the play briefly finds its pulse. Potts lends dignity to Mano, though the script gives him limited room to build a fully realized arc.

McCraney has proven himself to be a playwright of profound depth and clarity. Windfall gestures toward that brilliance but never quite achieves it. It is a communal experience, yes - but one that leaves you searching for emotional and narrative footing long after the final moment fades.

Somewhat Recommended

When:   Through May 31

Where:  Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted

Tickets: $20 - $148.50

Box Office: 312-335-1650

www.steppenwolf.org

AstonRep Productions, the theatre and film production company that has produced over 30 stage productions in Chicago, has announced it will be the first company in the US to bring Liisa Repo-Martell's adaptation of Chekhov's UNCLE VANYA to audiences. Repo-Martell's script, which was first produced by Toronto's Crow's Theatre in 2022, has been praised for its contemporary and colloquial language. The Toronto online arts magazine INTERMISSION said, "it is delicate and wholly faithful to Chekhov's story... relatable and even startlingly contemporary, affirming the timelessness of the themes Chekhov explored in his writing." The Crow's Theatre production was remounted in 2024 at Toronto's CAA Theatre and was named one of the top ten productions of the year by both THE GLOBE AND MAIL and THE TORONTO STAR. AstonRep's production will be directed by Derek Bertelsen, who recently helmed the revival of the hit comedy FULLY COMMITTED at The Den Theatre and has directed many of AstonRep's productions.  Bertelsen was co-founder/artistic director of The Comrades theater company from 2016-2020.

Bertelsen's cast will feature Rian Jairell in the title role of Vanya – a bitter and broken man who wonders what he might have done with his life if he had not committed to managing the family estate. Jairell's previous roles with AstonRep include Ariel in THE PILLOWMAN and Jerry in BETRAYAL. The beautiful Helena, who captivates all the characters, will be played by Andi Muriel, seen recently in THE TOTALITY OF ALL THINGS for Redtwist Theatre and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST for Strawdog Theatre. Robert Tobin, who was Founder and Artistic Director of AstonRep Theatre Company, will be Astrov, a neighbor and overworked country doctor who feels ruined by provincial life. Tobin's recent credits include ARMS AND THE MAN for Forest Theatre Company and THE PILLOWMAN with AstonRep. Another PILLOWMAN castmate, Natalie Hurdle, will play Sonya, who has loyally steadfastly worked to maintain the estate, and is deeply attracted to Dr. Astrov.

Cast as Vanya's mother Maria is Mary Mikva (of TIME IS A COLOR AND THE COLOR IS BLUE  for Avalanche Theatre). Geoff Issac, seen recently in MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS for Deerfield Theatre, will be the pompous and egotistical failed scholar Serebryakov. Liz Cloud (of AstonRep's BURIED CHILD) will be the nurse Marina, and Mike Rogalski (ELEKTRA – Forest Theatre Company) will play Telegin, an impoverished landowner who works on the estate.

The UNCLE VANYA production team will include Jeremiah Barr (set, lighting and properties design), Natalie Shoch (costume design), Samantha Barr (lighting design), Melanie Thompson (sound design), Bethany Hart (assistant director and vocal coach), and Nevaeh Mansur (Stage Manager). 

Tickets to UNCLE VANYA are $25.00 and will be on sale beginning April 25 at www.astonrep.com or by phone at or (312) 620-4583.

Chicago Opera Theater (COT) closes its 2025/26 season with the concert premiere of a new opera Trusted - the seventh full-length opera developed through COT’s Vanguard Initiative. Composed by Aaron Israel Levin to a libretto by Marella Martin Koch, Trusted was developed over the course of Levin’s two year tenure as COT’s Vanguard Composer. Earlier this season, audiences were invited to view a piano-vocal workshop of the opera and provide feedback. Now, audiences can see how the piece has developed since the first workshop in its fully orchestrated premiere. Trusted will be presented on Saturday, May 30 at 3:00 p.m. at The Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building, 410 S Michigan Ave. Tickets are $30-$70 and available at chicagooperatheater.org.

Founded in 2018, COT’s Vanguard Initiative is a two-year residency for composers ready to enter the world of opera. Participants are immersed in every aspect of the art form, from repertoire study and vocal writing to administration and production, culminating in a commissioned full-length opera.

“It’s easy to imagine that new operas arrive fully formed from the minds of a composer and librettist. In reality, they are built over time—through collaboration, experimentation, and the opportunity to hear the work come to life at different stages of its development,” explains COT’s General Director Lawrence Edelson. “This past fall, we invited audiences not only to experience an early version of this exciting new work, but to actively engage with it—offering invaluable feedback to Aaron and Marella through Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process. By opening the workshop process to the public, we’re able to bring fresh perspective to the creators while also demystifying how a new opera actually comes into being. The insights we gathered during that first workshop were instrumental as Aaron and Marella continued refining the piece in advance of the upcoming Concert World Premiere.”

About Trusted

Set against the backdrop of a high-stakes financial scandal, Trusted is an intimate exploration of deception, betrayal, and the emotional toll of broken faith. When an accomplished financial advisor is exposed for orchestrating a decades-long fraud, the fallout extends far beyond his clients — it fractures the very foundation of his family. His two daughters struggle to reconcile the man they knew with the crimes he has committed. As the truth unravels, so do their own perceptions of loyalty, morality, and the fragile nature of trust itself. Through a dynamic score by COT’s Vanguard Composer in Residence Aaron Israel Levin, and a taut, contemporary libretto by Marella Martin Koch, the opera delves into the complexities of family bonds, the weight of inherited legacies, and the search for redemption in a world where trust—once lost—may never be regained.

The Concert World Premiere of Trusted will be conducted by Eli Chen. The cast features sopranos Tracy Cantin and Meghan Kasanders, mezzo-soprano Quinn Middleman, and bass-baritone Kyle Albertson. Kate Pitt serves as dramaturg.

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.

For more information on Chicago Opera Theater productions, visit chicagooperatheater.org/

On Monday, May the 4th, Steep Theatre will present the first public staged reading of playwright Dan Aibel's new work The Making, a revisionist retelling of the story behind the film that would become a cultural phenomenon: George Lucas's Star Wars. The reading will be directed by Steep ensemble member Jonathan Berry and will be performed at the Edge Theater in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. May the 4th is the unofficial international holiday honoring the Star Wars film franchise. 

A history play set in the 1970s, The Making visits husband and wife filmmakers George and Marcia at the beginning of new projects that will shape the creative landscape for a generation. The reading will feature Steep Ensemble Members Nate Faust, Ashlyn Lozano, Peter Moore, and others.

Playwright Dan Aibel's work has been developed and/or produced by American Theater Co., Stage Left Theatre, The New Group, P73, Rattlestick, Sundance, the Detroit Rep, Syracuse Stage and The Commissary with directors Daniel Aukin, Margot Bordelon and James Macdonald among others. A Sundance Theatre Lab fellow, winner of the Eileen Heckart Drama Prize and finalist for the P73 Playwriting Fellowship, the Jerome New York Fellowship and the Princess Grace Award, Dan's plays have been published by Smith & Kraus and Concord Theatricals.

Director Jonathan Berry is the Artistic Director of Raven Theater and served as Artistic Director of The Penobscot Theatre Company in Bangor, Maine, from 2022 to 2025. He is a proud ensemble member of both Steep Theatre and Griffin Theatre and a former Artistic Producer at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Steep Credits include: Paris, Red Rex, Earthquakes in London, Posh, The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle, If There Is I Haven't Found it Yet, The Knowledge, Festen, Moment, The Hollow Lands and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.  He directed the Steppenwolf productions of: Lindiwe, The Children, You Got Older, Constellations, and the SYA productions of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, The Crucible, and A Separate Peace.  In 25 years, he's directed nearly 100 productions in Chicago. Most recently, he directed the Chicago premiere of Ugly Lies the Bone for Shattered Globe. He has taught acting, directing, and viewpoints at University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Acting Studio Chicago, Columbia College and many of Chicago's professional acting schools. He taught viewpoints and served as the director for The School at Steppenwolf. 

WHAT:

The Making by Dan Aibel

Directed by Steep Ensemble Member Jonathan Berry

A history play set in the 1970s, The Making visits husband and wife filmmakers George and Marcia at the beginning of new projects that will shape the creative landscape for a generation. 

WHEN: 

Monday, May the 4th, 2026, 7:30PM

WHERE:

The Edge Theater

5451 North Broadway, Chicago, Illinois

The Making will be performed at the Edge Theater as Steep continues construction on its new home, targeted to open Fall of this year.

TICKET INFORMATION:

Tickets $10-$30 available at https://steeptheatre.com/the-making

Screwball comedy went the way of the dinosaur after the 1940s, but Northlight Theatre attempts to revive it with The Angel Next Door.

For those unfamiliar, screwball was a film subgenre that mixed romance, slapstick, and banter, like Mentos and Coke, and watched them explode to great effect. Stars like Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, William Powell, and Barbara Stanwyck delivered punchlines like a punch to the gut and made the over-the-top plotlines land with ease. A modern-day screwball comedy is a welcome idea. Unfortunately, The Angel Next Door doesn’t quite fly to its predecessors’ heights.

Written by Paul Slade Smith, this comedy was adapted from Ferenc Molnar’s Play at the Castle. It follows Oliver Adams, played by Garrett Lutz, who just finished his first novel. It’s set to be adapted for the stage by married playwrights, Arthur and Charlotte Sanders (Sean Fortunato and Katy Sullivan). They desperately need a hit after their last venture flopped, and their only hope is Oliver’s book.

Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned, and the bright-eyed, innocent author discovers that the beautiful Margot Bell (Aja Alcazar), his love and the novel’s inspiration, has been intimate with Victor Pratt (Andres Enriquez), Broadway’s favorite baritone. It’s then up to Charlotte to bring the two together before Oliver flushes his dreams – and everyone else’s – down the drain.

The Angel Next Door is a love letter to theatre, poking fun at stage tropes, breaking the fourth wall, and preaching about the importance of laughter and escapism in today’s world. In fact, by the end, an unbeliever, Olga (Erin Noel Grennan), the maid, is converted. Unfortunately, the script is so saturated with inside jokes, that the plot is only as deep as a puddle. The first act feels like one long set-up for a mediocre pay-off in the second. Much of the time is spent in exposition or watching characters react to scenes the audience watched happen moments ago.

The cast is the saving grace. The entire troupe, with the exception of Sullivan, actually performed their same parts in Peninsula Players Theatre’s 2024 production. Linda Fortunato, Peninsula’s Artistic Director, directed those performances and also directs Northlight’s version, guiding the production with confidence and clarity even though this particular script doesn’t quite rise to meet her.

Sean Fortunato and Katy Sullivan work wonderfully together as the veteran playwrights who have been through it all. Alcazar balances Margot’s ego and grace well, making it easy to understand why it was love at first sight for Oliver. Enriquez is hilarious as the dumb Victor, who is always ten steps behind everyone else and gets lost in his own reflection. Alcazar and Enriquez also have great physicality, and it was fun to watch the flair they added to simple movements, like sitting down with style or stomping their foot. Erin Noel Grennan steals every scene as the grim Olga. Her comedic timing and presence make this kooky character pop.

Ultimately, The Angel Next Door has all of the parts of a solid comedy but in the wrong proportions. For example, Olga is a crowd-favorite, but scenes would occasionally stall to give her joke after joke. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing, especially when the audience got very few interactions between Oliver and Margot, despite everyone’s future hinging on their romance.

Still, The Angel Next Door delivers an enjoyable experience, lifted by a strong cast, even if it doesn’t linger long after the curtain falls.

For more information, visit https://northlight.org/series/the-angel-next-door/.

Promethean Theatre Ensemble has announced it will perform the Lewis Galantiere adaptation of Jean Anouilh's ANTIGONE, from May 31 through June 28 at the Den Theatre. Anouilh's play, which premiered in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1944, was itself an adaptation of the Greek play by Sophocles, believed to have been written in 441 BC. In the original myth of Antigone, the heroine defies King Creon's decree forbidding the burial of her brother. In Anouilh's adaptation, Antigone's dilemma is recast as a choice between following one's conscience and moral code versus capitulation to a totalitarian government. The play was a covert symbol of the French Resistance, with Antigone's "No" to Creon mirroring the French refusal to submit to German occupation. Galantiere's adaptation of Anouilh's text, which premiered on Broadway in 1946 replaced Anouilh's formal French with accessible prose that frequently uses American vernacular and has become the preferred version of ANTIGONE for contemporary performances. It also lightly shifted the tone to make the parallels to WWII more explicit for American audiences who hadn't lived through the occupation. This version employs relatable characters, unexpected humor, and accessible yet poetic language. 

Promethean's modern dress production, set in present times in a city very much like ours, will be directed by ensemble member Elaine Carlson, whose many roles with Promethean include Eleanor in THE LION IN WINTER, and the title roles in THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT and MRS. WARREN'S PRFOESSION. ANTIGONE will be performed from May 31 – June 27 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago.  The production will play through Saturday, June 27.

Carlson says,  "the theme of Sophocles' drama – choosing what is right over what is expedient - is timeless, but Galantiere's adaptation puts it into a setting that makes it even more immediate.  Maybe this time Antigone's courage will be contagious."
 
Carlson's cast will feature Promethean Ensemble members Heather Dennis as Antigone, Artistic Director Jared Dennis as Creon, Meghann Tabor as Ismene, Joshua Servantez as Haemon, Gunner Bradley as First Guard, Brendan Hutt as Second Guard, and Christina Renee Jones as the Chorus. The cast also includes marssie Mencotti (nurse), Gavin Blayne (Third Guard/ Messenger), Anthony J. Harris (Page), and Alex George (Eurydice). Understudies are Alex George (u/s Chorus), Anna Rose Steinmeyer (Antigone), Chris Lysy (Creon), Layke Fowler (u/s Haemon), Dame Grant (u/s Guards/Messenger), and Jennifer Mohr (u/s Ismene/Nurse/Eurydice/Page).

The ANTIGONE design team includes Trevor Dotson (Scenic Designer), Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Designer), Stefanie Senior (Sound Designer), RobbyMoe Reeves (Lighting Designer), Maureen Yasko (Violence and Intimacy Designer), and Tristan Brandon* (Props Designer). Also on the production team are Hayley Rice (Assistant Director), Alexa Berkowitz* (Production Manager), Esau Andaleon (Stage Manager), and Jeremiah Barr* (Technical Director).

• Indicates Promethean Theatre Ensemble member.

ANTIGONE
Written by Jean Anouilh, Adapted by Lewis Galantiere
Directed by Elaine Carlson
May 31 – June 27, 2026
Previews Sunday May 31 at 7 pm and Monday, June 1 at 8 pm
Regular Run: Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm. Additional matinees on Saturdays June 13 and 20 at 3 pm
The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago 60622
Ticket Prices: $35 general, $25 students and seniors
For tickets, visit https://www.prometheantheatre.org/project/antigone/ or The Den Theatre Box Office, 773-697-3830.

Contemporary adaptation of Jean Anouilh's poetic drama of a woman forced to choose between following her moral compass and obedience to the laws of her rulers. First produced under Nazi censorship in 1944 Paris, Anouilh's ANTIGONE explores the conflict between individual conscience and political expediency. Then as now, "going along to get along" wasn't tragedy from ancient history - it was personal tragedy with real world consequences.

Writer and performer Eileen Byrne brings her acclaimed one-woman play Running with Coffee to Chicago for two performances only, presented at Lookingglass Theatre Company's Water Tower Water Works. Following successful runs in the Chicago suburbs and New York City, this intimate and deeply human solo performance will be presented Saturday, May 16, at 7:00pm and Sunday, May 17 at 1:00pm on stage in the Lookingglass lobby in the historic Water Tower Water Works, 163 Pearson Street.

Tickets, $35, are available through the Lookingglass box office at 312.337.0665 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Proceeds will benefit North Shore Senior Center. Seating is limited to 85 per performance.

In Running with Coffee, Byrne portrays eleven characters in a tour-de-force solo performance drawn from her own lived experience. When a daughter opens her home to her separated parents, one living with dementia, she finds herself navigating the emotional, logistical, and deeply personal realities of caregiving. Blending humor with poignancy, the play explores memory loss, mental health, and the quiet isolation that can exist within families.

Writer/performer Eileen Byrne comments, "This is a very personal story for me, balancing humor with real-life, mid-life struggles. By stepping into the shoes of these characters, I portray the chaotic beauty of this family faced with dementia and decades of distance. There is an incredible, healing power in finally telling your own story and I am overjoyed to be sharing it again with Chicago audiences."

Critics have praised Byrne's dynamic performance and emotional depth. Theater Pizzazz called the piece "a tale that touched the heart with sadness, regret, and guilt," noting that Byrne "assumed the characters in her personal orbit... shifting quickly into each... masterfully." Wilmette Living described the work as "a hilarious yet heartfelt look at caregiving, mid-life challenges, mental health, and the everyday chaos of a family adjusting to major life changes."

With limited seating and just two performances, Running with Coffee offers Chicago audiences a rare opportunity to experience this moving and timely work in an intimate setting. To learn more about the production, visit www.eileenbyrne.org/running-with-coffee.

Eileen Byrne is a playwright and actress who portrays eleven characters in the critically acclaimed Running With Coffee, which she recently performed off-Broadway in the United Solo Festival, Theater Row. She earned a Best Actress nomination for her performance in the 2024 1st Irish Festival. The show was first workshopped and staged for the Br!nk New Play Festival for women playwrights in Milwaukee in September 2022. Byrne's other works include The Middle (Playwrights and Artists Festival, Know Theatre in Binghamton, NY), The Gettysburg Redress (Rockford New Words Fest -West Side Show Room in Rockford, IL),. Snowglobal Warming (Players Theatre/ Zoom), the Best in Show--2019 BooFest winning play Wingman, Tenants (NYC Fest-Players Theatre), Allegations (2nd Act Players/MeToo Festival in Evanston and The One That's a Play (Stage 773).

A native of Queens, New York, Eileen Byrne is a graduate of Fordham University and holds a Master's degree from Northwestern University.

FACT SHEET / Running with Coffee

Title: Running with Coffee
Written and Performed by: Eileen Byrne

Schedule: 

Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 7:00pm

Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 1:00pm

Location:  Lookingglass Theatre Company, 163 Pearson Street, Chicago          
Outer Lobby (East Wall Stage)

Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes

Tickets: $35

Box Office:  Buy online at lookingglasstheatre.org or by phone at (312) 337-0665

The Lookingglass box office is located at Water Tower Water Works, 163 Pearson Street, Chicago, IL 60611