From the Tony Award-winning author of The Band's Visit comes a provocative new play about identity, loyalty, and the complexities of unity.

A finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize, The Ally, written by Itamar Moses (Completeness, Dead Outlaw), directed by Jeremy Wechsler (Prayer for the French Republic), will receive its Midwest Premiere at Chicago’s Theater Wit in March. Moses’ newest play is a darkly funny and deeply human new play that asks: just whose side are you on?

Previews are March 20-29: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. Performances run through May 2: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. Exception: No show Thursday, April 2. Tickets are $18-$44. Run time is two hours with intermission. Purchase tickets at theaterwit.org, by calling (773) 975-8150, or in person at the Theater Wit box office. 

A student manifesto forces questions about identity and faith in The Ally

When Asaf’s student asks him to sign a petition condemning police brutality, he wants to do the right thing — until he realizes the manifesto turns out to be broader than he imagined, and every choice feels like betrayal. As the debate roars through his Midwestern campus and his ex-girlfriend takes the lead, Asaf is pulled into a political storm that tests his convictions and his sense of self. Will his fumbling entrée into activism help or hurt the cause? Who’s side is Asaf – and the audience – really on?

The Ally premiered off-Broadway at the Public Theater in February 2024. The New York Times called it “Important…Itamar Moses’ play offers eloquent arguments on all sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” New York Stage Review wrote “The Ally will most certainly give you the tools to wage a cogent, forceful argument, no matter what side you’re on.”

"I recognized myself in Asaf the moment I read this play," said Jeremy Wechsler, Theater Wit Artistic Director and director of The Ally. " Before October 7th, I — like a lot of American Jews on the left — held two ideas at once: that Israel was a haven and that the occupation was wrong. Itamar Moses saw, honestly before I did, that those two ideas were becoming impossible to hold simultaneously. But there are always two ways to answer the question ‘What do I believe?': what do I think, and what do I feel? Where we land on that spectrum is a constant negotiation between ourselves and the world around us. What The Ally asks — what it really demands — is that we face that negotiation honestly. Can we be good people when our hearts and our heads aren't aligned?”

The cast for Theater Wit’s Midwest Premiere of The Ally features Sharyon Culberson as Nakia, Eliyah Arman Ghaeini as Farid, Mira Kessler as Rachel, DeVaughn Asante Loman as Baron, Evan Ozer as Reuven, Jordan Lane Shappell as Asaf, and K Chinthana Sotakoun as Gwen.

Designers are Joe Schermoly (set), Matthew Eggers (costumes), Piper Kirchhofer (lights), Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (props), Joe Cerqua (composer and sound designer), Sarah Luse (stage manager), Matthew R. Chase (production manager) and Claire Simon (casting director).

Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont Ave., in the Belmont Theatre District in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Convenient parking is available for $10 across the street from the theater in the lot behind Kubo restaurant (pay at the Theater Wit box office.) Neighborhood street parking is available, as are private paid lots (tip: book ahead and at a discount with Spothero). Theater Wit is also accessible via the CTA 77 Belmont bus, and is three blocks west of the CTA Belmont Red/Brown/Purple line stop.

To learn more, visit theaterwit.org or follow the company onFacebook or Instagram. 

The new musical that will melt your heart just got even hotter! Emmy Award-winning actor Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) returns to his hometown this summer to join his wife, Emmy Award winner Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), for Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O'Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh. With music by Mark Hollman, lyrics by Mark Hollman and Jay Reiss and book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss, the Tony Award-winning creators behind Urinetown (Hollmann, with Greg Kotis) and The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Reiss, with Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn) premiere their newest musical in The Goodman's Centennial Season, directed by Marc Bruni (Broadway's The Great Gatsby and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical). Individual tickets ($44 – $164) go on sale Friday, March 20 at 10am for Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O'Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh, which appears in the 856-seat Albert Theatre June 20 – July 26, 2026* (opening night is June 29); call 312.443.3800 or GoodmanTheatre.org/Iceboy. *NOTE: The production dates for Iceboy! have shifted due to scheduling. Goodman Members or groups holding tickets will be contacted to make arrangements.

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

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

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

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

ABOUT THE ARTISTS 

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT THE GOODMAN

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hell in a Handbag Productions is excited to continue its 2025/26 season with the world premiere of The Golden Girls: The Cheese Pyramid, a new addition to its acclaimed "Lost Episodes" parody series. Written by Artistic Director David Cerda* and directed by Brigitte Ditmars**, this comedic production will run from May 8 – June 21, 2026 at The Clutch, Handbag's boutique performance space at 4335 N. Western Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at handbagproductions.org and buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/2078392. 

The cast includes ensemble members Kelly Bolton*, David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Scott Sawa* and Danne W. Taylor* with Honey West. Additional casting to be announced.

About the Production:

In this hilarious new adventure, Rose (Ed Jones*) finds herself in need of extra income and stumbles upon a unique business opportunity — the first multi-level marketing company in St. Olaf, introducing local households to the cheeses of her hometown.

Pretty soon Rose has a garage full of cheese, and no idea how to get rid of it.

Enter Blanche (Grant Drager*), Dorothy (David Cerda*) and Sophia (Kelly Bolton*) with their creative ideas to help Rose organize an unforgettable cheese party, with the audience invited as guests. The show asks: Can the girls save Rose from financial disaster using their party-planning expertise?

Chicago's beloved geriatric superstars return in an all-new Golden Girls escapade, promising to deliver their cheesiest episode yet.

The production team includes Marcus Klein* (Scenic Design), Liz Cooper (Lighting Designer), Danny Rockett (Sound Designer), Syd Genco** (Make-Up Design) and Keith Ryan* (Wig Design).

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member | **Denotes Handbag Associate Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: The Golden Girls: The Cheese Pyramid (A Lost Episodes Parody) – World Premiere!
Playwright: David Cerda*
Director: Brigitte Ditmars**
Cast (in alphabetical order): Kelly Bolton (Sophia), David Cerda* (Dorothy), Grant Drager* (Blanche), Ed Jones* (Rose), Scott Sawa (Stan), Danne W. Taylor* (Madame Zuhara) and Honey West (Ingrid Ostekongen). Additional casting to be announced.

Location: The Clutch, 4335 N. Western Ave., Chicago

Previews: Friday, May 8 at 7:30 pm, Saturday May 9 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, May 10 at 7:30 pm and Friday, May 15 at 7:30 pm
Opening: Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Sunday, May 17 – Sunday, June 21, 2026
Curtain Times: Fridays and Saturday at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm and 7 pm. Please note: there will be added Industry Night performances on Monday, June 12 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets: $32* previews, $44* advanced general admission, $47* at the door, $59* VIP/reserved seating. Group rates $38 for 10 or more. Tickets are now on sale at handbagproductions.org and buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/2078392. General admission tickets include a refreshment; VIP tickets include a refreshment, reserved premium seating and of course St. Olaf gourmet cheese. *Ticket prices include processing fees.

About the Artists

David Cerda (Playwright) is a founding member and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, now celebrating its 25^th anniversary. As resident playwright, he has written many Handbag productions as well as acted in them. His play, The Drag Seed was recently produced at LaMaMa Experimental Theater and his Golden Girls Lost Episodes parody shows have been produced around the country and featured in Golden Con: Thank you for being a Fan, the world's first fan convention dedicated to all things Golden Girls at Chicago's Navy Pier. Cerda is a proud inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and recipient of a Jeff Award for lifetime achievement for his 27 years (and counting) of work and service to the community. He lives in Chicago with his partner, Christopher.

Brigitte Ditmars (Director) is a Chicago based director/choreographer who has been performing, choreographing and directing with Handbag since their inaugural production of Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical.  Previous Handbag credits include Bewildered, Caged Dames, How Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Happene, Poseidon... (2010), Rip Nelson's Halloween Spooktacular; Lady X and many iterations of Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer. Additional directing credits include Always, Patsy Cline (Jeff Nomination – Firebrand Theatre), The Secret Council (First Folio Theatre), Schoolhouse Rock Live (Birmingham Children's Theatre), Rock of Ages (Timberlake Playhouse), Maybe Baby, It's You and Nunsense (Fox Valley Repertory). She has received two Joseph Jefferson Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for Reefer Madness (Circle Theatre) and Pinafore! (Bailiwick Repertory), as well as 3 additional nominations.

About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.

CHICAGO THE MUSICAL is BACK IN TOWN and is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one show stopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.

With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, CHICAGO is the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history -- and it shows no sign of ever slowing down!

There’s never been a better time to experience CHICAGO, Broadway’s razzle-dazzle smash. This triumphant hit musical is the recipient of 6 Tony Awards®, 2 Olivier Awards, a Grammy®, and thousands of standing ovations. You’ve got to come see why the name on everyone’s lips is still…CHICAGO.

The 2025-26 touring cast of CHICAGO features Ellie Roddy in her return to the cellblock as Roxie Hart, Claire Marshall making her debut as Velma Kelly along with Max Cervantes as Billy Flynn, Marc Christopher as Amos Hart, Illeana “illy” Kirven returning as Matron “Mama” Morton and J. Clanton as Mary Sunshine.

The cast also includes Tim Canali, Genevieve Hall, Jared Houde, Jaiden Jones, Amy Knips, Lacey Kohn, Helena Laing, Michael Mottram, Chandler James Pettus, Jake Siffert, Anna Speer, Nick Traficante, and returning cast members Terryn Cuozzo, Josh England, Serena Kozusko, Ryan McInnes and Angelliz M. Rosado Ramos. 

CHICAGO is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.   
  
This tour will be directed by David Hyslop with choreography by Gregory Butler based on the original direction by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and original choreography by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking. CHICAGO features scenic design by Tony Award winner John Lee Beatty, costume design by Tony Award winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award winner Ken Billington, sound design by Scott Lehrer, Supervising Music Director Robert Billig and casting by ARC.

The CHICAGO band will be led by Music Director and Conductor Andy Chen, Associate Conductor Chase Anderson and will include Erik Wakar, Jason Whitmore, Heather Kriesel, Matt TenBroek, Jordan Webb, Amanda Bateman, Landon Gaddis, Troy Bashor, Garrett Sullivan and Aaron Kan.

The stage management team is led by Sofia Rose Itskovich and Elspeth Bustard. The company management team is led by Marc Ciemiewicz and Jess Fernando. 

Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.

It’s no surprise that CHICAGO has wowed audiences from Mexico City to Moscow, from Sao Paulo to South Africa. The show has been seen in 36 different countries and seen by 33 million people worldwide and now it’s coming to your town!

Whether you're looking for your first Broadway musical, whether you've seen the Academy Award®-winning film and want to experience the show live on stage or whether you've seen it before and want to recapture the magic, CHICAGO always delivers!

CHICAGO is a production not to be missed. And all the reviewers agree.

TIME Magazine calls it “A Triumph,” Newsweek raves “Smashing” and Entertainment Weekly sums it up by calling CHICAGO “Broadway’s Most Electrifying Show.”

Come on, babe! Head to CHICAGO! We’re hotter than ever.

Connect with us on social:
https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoOnTour

https://www.tiktok.com/@chicagotour

https://www.instagram.com/ChicagoOnTour/

For more CHICAGO information: www.ChicagoOnTour.com


PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 5 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 6 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 7 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 8 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 9 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 10 – 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (As of February 19, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for CHICAGO THE MUSICAL will go on sale Friday, February 20 and range from $40.00 - $115.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Ticket price listed is when purchased in person at the box office. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT THE AUDITORIUM
The Auditorium, located at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, is an Illinois not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming to all of Chicago and beyond as The Theatre for the People. The organization is also committed to the continued restoration and preservation of this National Historic Landmark that originally opened in 1889. For more information on The Auditorium please visit AuditoriumTheatre.org.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 26 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, The Auditorium, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.
 

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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#broadwayinchicago

The Gift Theatre, led by Artistic Directors Brittany Burch and Jennifer Glasse, announces its 25^th Anniversary "Homecoming" Season. The landmark 2026 season features the return of the company's signature short play festival, a major Chicago premiere, and a new work by ensemble member Netta Walker, staged at iconic venues across the city including A Red Orchid Theatre, Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater, and a return to Jefferson Park at the Copernicus Center.

The 25^th Season includes the annual short play festival TEN 25^th, March 25-April 4, 2026, to take place at A Red Orchid Theatre. The Chicago Premiere of Marble by Marina Carr, August 2-30, 2026, will mark a return to the company's home neighborhood. Hayward, a world premiere by new ensemble member Netta Walker, October 14-November 22, will be presented at Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater. The season will close with a one-night event in December, the 25th Anniversary Benefête Performance at Jefferson Park's Copernicus Center.

Artistic Directors Brittany Burch and Jennifer Glasse comment, "As we look ahead, we're recommitting to our origins in Jefferson Park and actively exploring pathways to bring The Gift home again. Our 25th Anniversary 'Homecoming' season reflects that spirit—beginning with a winter gala and continuing this spring with TEN 25th at A Red Orchid Theatre and continuing with Marina Carr's captivating drama Marble, and Hayward, a new play by one of The Gift's newest ensemble members Netta Walker. We celebrate 25 years of intimate, ensemble-driven work by coming home—to our artists, audiences, and the neighborhoods that shaped the company."

Subscription packages are now on sale at thegifttheatre.org or by calling 773-283-7071. The Homecoming Subscription Package, $105, includes TEN 25^th, Marble and Hayward. The Homecoming Subscription Package+ Subscription Package, $170, includes TEN 25^th, Marble, Hayward and the 25th Anniversary Benefête Performance.  Subscribers save up to 15% off regular ticket prices, priority seating, free ticket exchanges and guaranteed seating to limited-run productions.

The 25^th Anniversary Homecoming Season is:

TEN 25^th

The Gift's Ten-Minute Play Festival of New Work

at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells St. in Chicago

March 25 – April 4, 2026

Tickets, $25, thegifttheatre.org and (773) 283-7071

TEN 25th features the work of Gift ensemble members Cyd Blakewell, Erica Weiss, Gregory Fenner, Jennifer Glasse, Jennifer Rumberger, John Gawlik, Kenny Mihlfried, Pat Weber, Paul D'Addario and Shanésia Davis.

TEN 25th features 10-minute world premiere plays from Chicago playwrights John Gawlik, Jennifer Rumberger, Gregory Fenner, Kimberly Dixon-Mays, Dolores Diaz, Stephanie Alison Walker, Emilio Williams, Jermaine Jenkins, and Brett Neveu.

MARBLE
Chicago Premiere by Marina Carr

at Copernicus Center – Kings Hall, 5216 W Lawrence Ave in Chicago

August 2 – August 30, 2026

Tickets, $45-$50, thegifttheatre.org and (773) 283-7071

individual tickets will be on sale this spring

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.

HAYWARD

World Premiere by ensemble member Netta Walker

Directed by AmBer Montgomery

featuring ensemble members Shanesia Davis and Gregory Fenner

at Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater, 1700 N. Halsted St in Chicago

October 14 – November 22

Tickets, $45-$50, will be available this summer through the Steppenwolf box office.

A reimagining of the classics Hamlet and Electra. The play follows the main character Luna, who on the day of her father's funeral, confesses to her siblings that she has seen her father's ghost. Staged in Steppenwolf's intimate 1700 Theater, this production continues The Gift's commitment to ensemble talent and bold new narratives.

25th ANNIVERSARY BENEFÊTE PERFORMANCE

at Copernicus Center — Gateway Theatre 5216 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL

December 7th 2026

Tickets $75, thegifttheatre.org and (773) 283-7071 tickets will be available this spring

The season will close out with a spectacular, one-night-only celebration honoring a quarter century of The Gift Theatre. This 25th Anniversary Benefête Performance, will be a night featuring our favorite scenes from over the years performed by ensemble members —the artists who have shaped this theatre across generations.

About The Gift Theatre
The Gift Theatre is a storefront nonprofit founded in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood, committed to creating accessible, inclusive, and impactful theatrical experiences. Our identity is defined by intimacy, collaboration, and a belief that live storytelling can inspire and transform both artist and audience. Our programming isn't bound by genre but guided by character-driven, emotionally rich storytelling rooted in truth. Whether surreal or starkly naturalistic, each play we share reflects our commitment to creating spaces of deep connection—among artists, between artist and audience, and within our community.

The Gift Theatre ensemble includes its newest members Jennifer Aparicio, Shanésia Davis, Angela Morris, Jennifer Rumberger, Netta Walker and Patrick Weber. They join fellow ensemble members Daniel Ahlfeld, Cyd Blakewell, Brittany Burch, Hillary Clemens Harbor, Jenny Connell Davis, John Kelly Connolly (in memoriam), Paul D'Addario, Brendan Donaldson, Will Eno,

James D. Farruggio, Gregory Fenner, Ed Flynn, Gabriel Franken, John Gawlik, Maggie Andersen Gawlik, Emjoy Gavino, Jennifer Glasse, Andrew Hinderaker, Chika Ike, Evan Michael Lee, Sarah Luse, Marti Lyons, Alexandra Main, Martel Manning, Laura Marks,Kenny Mihlfried, Benjamin Montague, William Nedved, Darci Nalepa, Keith Neagle, Lynda Newton, Sheldon Patinkin (in memoriam), Maureen Payne-Hahner, David Preis, David  Rabe, Mary Ann Thebus (in memoriam), Michael Patrick Thornton, Hannah Toriumi, Erica Weiss, Jay Worthington, and Kyle Zornes.

The Goodman announces an eight-performance extension for the world premiere of Marco Antonio Rodríguez's English stage adaptation of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao— based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Junot Díaz. Teatro Vista Artistic Director Wendy Mateo directs this world-premiere production, featuring Humboldt Park's Lenin Izquierdo in the title role of Oscar, leading a majority-Dominican cast. The Goodman's production complements Rodríguez's Spanish-language production, La Breve y Maravillosa Vida de Oscar Wao, which he wrote and directed for New York's Repertorio Español, where it currently appears in selected dates. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is on stage now, running through April 12 (opening night is March 2), in the 380-seat flexible Owen Theatre; extension week performances include April 7, 8 and 10 at 7:30pm, April 9 and 11 at 2pm and 7:30pm and April 12 at 2pm. For tickets ($34-94, subject to change), visit the Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), call 312.443.3800 or purchase online at GoodmanTheatre.org/Oscar. The Goodman is grateful for the support of The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust (Lead Sponsor of IDEAA Programming).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Marco Antonio Rodríguez

Based on the novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

Directed by Wendy Mateo
Original Spanish production by Repertorio Español

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

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

CREATIVE TEAM

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

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

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

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

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

ABOUT THE GOODMAN

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

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

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

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

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

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

TICKETS HERE

Trap Door Theatre is thrilled to continue its mainstage work of their 32nd season with a production of Trap Door's favorite playwright Stanislaw Witkiewicz's The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview, directed by Nicole Wiesner. The Cuttlefish will play March 19 – April 25, 2026 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W Cortland St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at trapdoortheatre.com or by calling (773)-384-0494. Press is encouraged to join on opening night, Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 8:00 pm.

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

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview

Author: Stanisław I. Witkiewicz

Translator: Daniel Gerould

Director: Nicole Wiesner

Cast (in alphabetical order): Venice Averyheart (Grumpus/Mother), Emily Lotspeich (Pope Julius II), David Lovejoy (King Hyrcan IV), Keith Surney (Statue of Alice d'Or), Gus Thomas (Ella), and Nicole Wiesner (Paweł Rockoffer).

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

Dates: Regular Run: Thursday, March 19th –Saturday, April 25th, 2026

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays 4/12 and 4/19 at 3PM.

Tickets: $32 with 2-for-1 admission on Thursdays. Tickets are currently available at https://our.show/the-cuttlefish or by calling (773) 384-0494.

Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, the Evanston theatre company that has been thrilling audiences with stories of the Black American and African diaspora experience since 1979, today announced its programming for the 2026 season. Tim Rhoze, the company's Producing Artistic Director since 2010, unveiled the slate of three plays, all of which were written by women and premiered in the 21^st Century. 
 
The season will open in May with GEE'S BEND, the 2008 play by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, which follows a family —Alice, her daughters Sadie and Nella, and Sadie's husband, Macon — from 1939 to 2000 as they experience segregation, family strife, and the Civil Rights movement. The play is set in the real-life community of Gee's Bend – an isolated community in central Alabama which has become known for the hand-stitched quilts made by generations of its women. DC Theater Arts said, "GEE'S BEND weaves the essence of the quilt into a theatrical experience that exalts universal themes of family, faith, and overcoming adversity in a deeply moving way. " GEE'S BEND was commissioned and produced by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and has been performed at Denver Center, Cleveland Playhouse, Kansas City Rep, Northlight Theatre, Philadelphia's Arden Theatre, and Hartford Stage, among others. The FJT production will play from May 23 through June 7. 
 
The season will continue in July with the Pulitzer Prize-nominated IN THE CONTINUUM —  a play that tells the parallel stories of two Black women, one in Los Angeles and one in Zimbabwe, who discover they are pregnant and HIV positive. It was written by the playwright and actress Danai Gurira (author of Broadway's ECLIPSED and cast member of HBO's THE WALKING DEAD) and the OBIE Award-winning actress and writer Nikkole Salter. It premiered at New York's Primary Stages in 2005 and was later produced at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, Washington D.C.'s Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and in Zimbabwe and South Africa. THE NEW YORK TIMES called it "A moving, smart, spirited and powerfully funny production."  It will be performed by Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre from July 25 through August 9. 
 
The season closer will be THE NICETIES, by Eleanor Burgess. This two-character play follows a 20-year-old Black college student meeting with her white professor to discuss the student's term paper about slavery's effect on the American Revolution. The paper's thesis is that the revolution would not have succeeded without the contributions of black slaves. The professor disagrees, and what begins as a polite clash in perspectives explodes into an urgent debate about race, history, and power. The world premiere of THE NICETIES, directed by Chicago's Kimberly Senior, was co-produced during the 2018-2019 season by the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, Massachusetts; Manhattan Theatre Club in New York, New York; and McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey. THE NEW YORK TIMES said it was "a bristling, provocative debate play about race and privilege in the United States, and it begs to be argued with." DC THEATER ARTS called it "a brilliant and important play." It will be performed by Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre from October 31 through November 15. 
 
Fleetwood–Jourdain Theatre will also produce the third annual Gloria Bond Clunie Playwright's Festival on July 18 and 19. The festival, named for the founder of Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre and acclaimed playwright Gloria Bond Clunie, will present professional staged readings of three new plays. Titles and playwrights to be announced.
 
Premium Gold Membership cards, priced at $90.00 and including four reserved seats that can be used in any combination throughout the season, are on sale now at https://app.amilia.com/store/en/cityofevanston/shop/memberships/70643 . The card also includes the added benefit of an automatic bonus seat, along with access to other exclusive specials during the season. Tickets to individual plays will be offered later in the year.
 
LISTING INFORMATION
 
GEE'S BEND
by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder
Directed by Tim Rhoze
May 23 – June 7, 2026
Saturdays at 7 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center
927 Noyes St., Evanston
Tickets $32.00, Students $10.00. On sale later this year at www.fjtheatre.com
Phone 847-866-5914
 
GEE'S BEND is the story of the Pettway women, quilters from the isolated community of Gee's Bend, Alabama. Beginning in 1939, the play follows Alice, her daughters Sadie and Nella, and Sadie's husband, Macon, through segregation, family strife, and the Civil Rights movement. Throughout their lives, the women's extraordinary quilts provide a respite from the turmoil around them. In the last act of the play, it is the year 2000; the quilts have been discovered as folk art and have become very valuable. Sadie is pleased with the recognition, but despite the lure of the big city, she returns to Gee's Bend and continues to quilt. Wilder's play explores the resilience of the human spirit, especially as it is expressed in art. 
 
IN THE CONTINUUM 
by Danai Gurira & Nikkole Salter
Directed by Tim Rhoze
July 25 – August 9, 2026
Saturdays at 7 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center
927 Noyes St., Evanston
Tickets $32.00, Students $10.00. On sale later this year at www.fjtheatre.com
Phone 847-866-5914
 
IN THE CONTINUUM puts a human face on the devastating impact of AIDS in Africa and America through the lives of two unforgettably courageous women. Living worlds apart, one in South Central LA and the other in Zimbabwe, each experiences a kaleidoscopic weekend of life-changing revelations in this story of parallel denials and self-discoveries.
 
THE NICETIES
by Eleanor Burgess 
Directed by Tim Rhoze
October 31 – November 15, 2026
Saturdays at 7 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center
927 Noyes St., Evanston
Tickets $32.00, Students $10.00. On sale later this year at www.fjtheatre.com
Phone 847-866-5914
 
Zoe, a Black student at a liberal arts college, is called into her white professor's office to discuss her paper about slavery's effect on the American Revolution. What begins as a polite clash in perspectives explodes into an urgent debate about race, history and power.
 
BIOS

Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder (Writer, GEE'S BEND) has written THE FURNITURE OF HOME, which deals with the Gulf Coast recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and premiered at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in 2009. Her play THE FLAG MAKER OF MARKET STREET followed at ASF in 2011. THE BONE ORCHARD was commissioned by the Denver Center Theatre and workshopped at the Perry Mansfield New Works Festival. Other plays include FRESH KILLS (Royal Court/London), THE FIRST DAY OF HUNTING SEASON (EST), and THE SPIRIT OF ECSTASY. 
 
Danai Gurira (Co-playwright, IN THE CONTINUUM) Is an award-winning playwright and actress. As a playwright, her works include Broadway's ECLIPSED (NAACP Award; Helen Hayes Award: Best New Play; Connecticut Critics Circle Award: Outstanding Production of a Play), IN THE CONTINUUM (OBIE Award, Outer Critics Award, Helen Hayes Award), and THE CONVERT (six Ovation Awards, Los Angeles Outer Critics Award). Danai's play FAMILIAR received its world premiere at Yale Rep in 2015. She is a recipient of the Whiting Award, a Hodder Fellow, and has been commissioned by Yale Rep, Center Theatre Group, Playwrights Horizons, and the Royal Court. She is currently developing a pilot for HBO. As an actor, she has appeared in the films THE VISITOR, and MOTHER OF GEORGE. She also played Isabella in NYSF's MEASURE FOR MEASURE (Equity Callaway Award) and currently plays Michonne on AMC's THE WALKING DEAD. She holds an MFA from Tisch, NYU. She was born in the US to Zimbabwean parents and raised in Zimbabwe. She is the co-founder of Almasi Arts, which works to give access and opportunity to the African Dramatic Artist.
 
Nikkole Salter (co-playwright, IN THE CONTINUUM). This Los Angeles-born, OBIE Award-winning actress and writer arrived on the professional scene with her co-authorship and co-performance (with Danai Gurira) of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated play, IN THE CONTINUUM. As a dramatist, Ms. Salter has written eight full-length plays, been commissioned for full-length work by six institutions, been produced on three continents in five countries, and has been published in 12 international publications. Her work has appeared in over 20 Off-Broadway, regional, and international theatres. Ms. Salter is also the co-librettist with composer/lyricist Nolan Williams Jr. of the musical GRACE and made her directorial debut opening the 2023/24 season of Baltimore Center Stage with a production of LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL. 
 
Eleanor Burgess (playwright, THE NICETIES). In addition to THE NICETIES, Eleanor Burgess's plays include WIFE OF A SALESMAN, START DOWN, CHILL, SPARKS FLY UPWARD, and GALILEE, 34.  Her work has been produced at theaters across the United States, including Manhattan Theatre Club, South Coast Rep, Geffen Playhouse, McCarter Theatre Center, Huntington Theatre Company, Writers Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, InterAct Theatre, Portland Stage, the Alliance Theatre and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival, as well as the Finborough Theatre in London. She has also written for film and television, including work on PERRY MASON for HBO, WE CRASHED for Apple TV+, INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE for AMC, and screenplays for Bad Robot, Amblin, and Anonymous Content. Originally from Massachusetts, she studied history at Yale College and Dramatic Writing at NYU/Tisch.
  
Tim Rhoze (Director, Producing Artistic Director) Tim Rhoze has been the Producing Artistic Director of Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre since 2010. His directing credits include: THE BALDWIN | GIOVANNI EXPERIENCE, PASS OVER, HONEYPOT: BLACK WOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN, UNTIL THE FLOOD, FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE/ WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF, 1619: THE JOURNEY OF A PEOPLE, THIS BITTER EARTH, THE LIGHT, AMERICAN SON, HOME, TWILIGHT: LOS ANGELES 1992, THE MEETING, FIRES IN THE MIRROR, BLACK BALLERINA (co-writer),  NUTCRACKER(ISH), CROWNS, HAVING OUR SAY, FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA, WOZA ALBERT!, GOING TO ST. IVES, SINGLE BLACK FEMALE, A SONG FOR CORETTA, YELLOWMAN, SWEET, LADY DAY AT EMERSON BAR & GRILL, BEAR COUNTRY, NOBODY, FENCES, PIANO LESSON, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN, K2, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, and others. Tim is also the writer/director of WHY NOT ME? A SAMMY DAVIS JR. STORY, and MAYA'S LAST POEM, both produced at FJT; and BLACK BALLERINA, produced at FJT and Pittsburgh Public Theatre. He was also co-writer and director of THE BALDWIN | GIOVANNI EXPERIENCE and A HOME ON THE LAKE. His performances in August Wilson's PIANO LESSON (1997) and JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE (2024) at the Goodman Theatre were nominated for Jeff Awards.
 
ABOUT FLEETWOOD-JOURDAIN THEATRE 

Founded in 1979, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre is a professional, award-winning theatre company that has been thrilling audiences with over four decades of unique, inspirational, and invigorating Black American and African Diaspora-centered storytelling. The company has been honored by the Black Theatre Alliance/Ira Aldridge Awards and is frequently listed as a top-rated Chicago theatre company. From original plays to the best of Broadway, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre has remained committed to supplying the very best in theatre. "Umoja!! ....Working Together in Unity" is the foundation from which FJT began and continues to thrive!
 
It is our mission to present powerful, thought-provoking, Theater Arts programming with a commitment to diversity and creative excellence. We are dedicated to providing a nurturing and creative environment for directors, playwrights, actors, designers, and stage managers. In this positive environment, they can further develop their creative skills and share their artistic expressions. The Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre is funded by the City of Evanston and in part by the Illinois Arts Council, A State Agency.

The Den Theatre today announced its lineup of April 2026 comedy shows at the theatre's Wicker Park stages at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., This month's highlights include Sammy Obeid on April 3 – 4 and April 6; Mohanad Elshieky on April 10; Sugar Sammy on April 11; Young Black & Funny on April 16; Adam Conover: Special Taping on April 18; Sarper Güven on April 19, Emma Grede on April 21, Michael Longfellow on April 24 – 25; Tinder Live With Lane Moore on April 26; and Dewayne Perkins on April 30. Tickets are now on sale at www.thedentheatre.com or by calling (773) 697-3830.

Sammy Obeid

Friday, April 3, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Monday, April 6, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets: $31 – $75

Sammy Obeid is a Lebanese-Palestinian American comedian born in Oakland, California. He double majored in business and mathematics at UC Berkeley before turning down a job at Google to pursue comedy full-time. Now the host of Netflix's 100 Humans, he has also appeared on NBC's Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent, as well as TBS's Conan. He is best known for his world record of performing comedy 1,001 nights in a row, a story featured in Time magazine and The New York Times.

Mohanad Elshieky

Friday, April 10, 2026 at 7:15 p.m. Tickets: $22 – $40

Mohanad Elshieky is a New York-based, Libyan-born comedian who made his national TV debut on Conan and has been featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Don't Tell Comedy and Comedy Central. He has toured with Pop Up Magazine and is currently a writer/consultant for the hit podcast Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He previously wrote for Lovett or Leave It and was one of the hosts of Lemonada's podcast I'm Sorry, where each week they unraveled the latest Twitter gaffes, petty beef and not-so-subtle shade.

He has also been featured in Kumail Nanjiani's Little America book. In 2024, Mohanad was selected as one of the SF Sketchfest Dozen, a spotlight series for comics on the verge of becoming the next big thing. In 2018, he appeared in an episode of Epix's Unprotected Sets and was listed as one of Thrillist's "50 Best Undiscovered Comics." Mohanad was also a digital producer on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

Elshieky combines a deceptively laid-back demeanor with a whip-smart perspective on politics and culture. The Portland Mercury called him "an undisputed genius of comedy," and he has been featured on podcasts including Lovett or Leave It, Pod Save The People and Harmontown. He has toured across the country with the critically acclaimed storytelling show Pop Up Magazine. Elshieky zeroes in on topics that seem off limits — then surprises you with how hard you're laughing.

Sugar Sammy

Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Tickets: $25 – $55

Sugar Sammy is one of the hottest comedians on the international circuit. The New York Times calls him "a fearless comic with a talent for provoking both laughter and outrage." He has performed more than 2,300 shows in 32 countries.

Described as "fluent in funny" by The Washington Post, he tackles cultural, social and political themes with charm and finesse. He is a master of crowd work and audience interaction.

Sugar Sammy's international television credits include specials broadcast on HBO Canada, Comedy Central Asia, Comedy Central India, CTV, The Comedy Network, The Comedy Channel, Dutch TV and Showtime Arabia. A television star on both sides of the Atlantic, he currently serves as a judge on La France a un Incroyable Talent, France's version of America's Got Talent.

Additional praise includes:

"A fearless comic with a talent for provoking both laughter and outrage." — The New York Times

"Fluent in Funny." — The Washington Post

"Sugar Sammy is a provocateur." — The Guardian

"The funniest man in France is a Quebecer." — GQ France

"Master of the punchline, rhythm and improv." — Télérama

"Comedy's new rock star." — Quotidien

Young Black & Funny

Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7:15 p.m.

Tickets: $22 – $40

This show is produced by Jasmine Burton and Benny Nwokebia.

Jasmine Burton is a barred attorney from Los Angeles living and working in Washington, D.C. She has performed stand-up throughout the DMV, including Room 808, Hotbed, DC Comedy Loft, The Port and DC Improv, and has opened and hosted for Matt Rife, Lil Rel, Zainab Johnson, Tony Woods, Aida Rodriguez, Earthquake and Stavros Halkias, among others seen on Netflix, HBO and Comedy Central. A blend of West Coast and East Coast swagger, Burton is best known for her high energy, punchlines and infusion of the law and her life experience into her comedy. She brings an edgy, witty and intellectual humor that keeps audiences at the edge of their seats — or falling out of them.

Born in Washington, D.C., Benny Nwokebia is half Nigerian and half Ethiopian and grew up overseas in Geneva, Switzerland. He has performed in New York City (Broadway Comedy Club, Stand NY, Greenwich and others), Washington, D.C. (DC Improv, Comedy Loft, Hotbed, Drafthouse and others), and internationally in Switzerland, Mexico and Canada (Zoo Fest, Just for Laughs). He has worked with Matt Rife, DeRay Davis, Nate Jackson, Zainab Johnson, Josh Johnson, Ian Lara and Tony Woods, among others. Most recently, he took second place in the 2023 Seattle International Comedy Competition. He was named runner-up in the Magooby's 2022 Comedian of the Year competition and winner of DC Improv's Comedy Kumite competition.

Adam Conover: Special Taping

Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Tickets: $25

Adam Conover is a comedian and the creator, writer and star of the hit series Adam Ruins Everything, an educational comedy that dispels common misconceptions. The New York Times calls it "one of history's most entertaining shows dedicated to the art of debunking" and refers to Conover as a "genial provocateur." On YouTube, his videos have amassed millions of views.

In 2022, his series The G Word premiered on Netflix. Produced in partnership with Barack Obama's Higher Ground Productions, it pulls back the curtain on how the federal government works using comedy and documentary storytelling.

Conover also hosted the Nickelodeon game show The Crystal Maze and recurs on the animated series BoJack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie. As a stand-up comedian, he performs regularly in top comedy clubs and colleges across the country.

Sarper Güven
Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 2:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., and 7:15 p.m.
Tickets: $30 – $55

Sarper Güven first gained worldwide attention as a reality TV star on TLC's hit show 90 Day Fiancé, where his bold personality and unique humor made him an unforgettable cast member. His presence on the show built him a strong international fanbase that now follows him to the comedy stage.

​​Quickly breaking into the U.S. stand-up scene, Güven delivers nearly one-hour sets filled with sharp, unapologetic takes on relationships, the struggles of marriage and the cultural differences of American life. His high-energy, fearless style and international perspective have already made him one of the fastest-rising comedians to watch.

Emma Grede: Start With Yourself Book Tour

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 7:15 p.m.

Tickets: $22 – $70

Emma Grede is the ultimate modern mogul, turning big ideas into some of today's most influential consumer brands. She is the co-founder and CEO of Good American, a founding partner of SKIMS, the co-founder of Safely and Off Season, and the voice behind the Aspire with Emma Grede podcast.

A leader with purpose, Grede also lends her time and expertise to global impact organizations, serving on the board of directors for the Obama Foundation and Baby2Baby, and recently became a King's Trust Ambassador. Her journey proves that success and substance go hand in hand.

Grede lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jens, and their four children.

Michael Longfellow

Friday, April 24, 2026 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Tickets: $22 – $40

Michael Longfellow is a comedian and stepson from Phoenix who completed three seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Prior to SNL, he was one of eight comedians chosen for the inaugural "Netflix Introducing..." Next Stars of Comedy showcase at the Netflix Is a Joke Festival. He was also selected as one of TBS's "Comics to Watch" at the New York Comedy Festival and went on to make his late-night debut on Conan. He was a favorite on NBC's comedy talent series Bring the Funny. Longfellow regularly tours festivals and clubs around the country.

Tinder Live With Lane Moore

Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 7:15 p.m.

Tickets: $22 – $50

Tinder Live! With Lane Moore is the critically acclaimed comedy show where Moore projects her dating app onto a screen, swipes through profiles live on stage, and the audience votes whether she swipes right or left, to cathartic, hilarious and surprisingly kind results.

Tinder Live is known as one of the best comedy shows around, selling out shows across the United States and Canada, headlining festivals such as SF Sketchfest, and maintaining a long-running monthly residency in New York City. The show has been named a critics' pick for Best Comedy Show by The New York Times, The Atlantic, Spin, The Guardian, Paper, VICE, Paste, Fast Company, Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, New York Magazine, The New York Post, Time Out, HuffPost, CBS and New York Observer.

Tinder Live regularly features special guests including David Cross, Janeane Garofalo, Anna Faris, Paul F. Tompkins, Amber Tamblyn, Sasheer Zamata, Ed Solomon, Lamorne Morris, Busy Philipps, David Koechner, Jon Glaser, Hari Kondabolu, Aparna Nancherla, Mara Wilson, Stacy London, Ashley Nicole Black, Jo Firestone, Laura Benanti, Amanda Knox, Stephanie March, James Urbaniak, Lizz Winstead, Heather Matarazzo, Scott Adsit, Grace Helbig, Sondre Lerche, JD Samson, Jean Grae and more.

Praise for Tinder Live With Lane Moore includes:

"Truly addictive entertainment... it's ingenious. The way she manipulates tone and pace reveals an artist supremely confident in her form." — The New York Times

"Tinder Live is great, it's so funny. Fantastic. Highly recommend." — David Cross

"Consistently funny. One of the best comedy shows around." — Vulture

"Compassionate and hilarious... it's a smash." — Spin

"A hilarious comedy show. Moore isn't cynical about love; she's just put in a lot of time in the trenches." — New York Magazine

"Tinder Live captures all the magic of this truly ridiculous era in app-based dating in real time. You'll relate to Moore's live-swiping and laugh at her reactions and messages to would-be suitors." — Vulture

"Blisteringly hilarious. In anyone else's hands this could feel mean-spirited, but Moore makes it cathartic, a bracing comedic espresso shot." — Brooklyn Based

"Tinder Live makes light of just how absurd and soul-sucking swiping through an endless procession of other human beings can become. Moore expertly steers the crowd from mean-heartedness to substance with each match." — VICE

Dewayne Perkins: How Being Black And Gay Made Me Better Than You!

Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $22 – $40

Dewayne Perkins is a writer, producer, actor and comedian who has emerged as one of the most-watched Black creatives in film and television today. Named one of Variety's "Comics to Watch," Vulture's "Comedians You Should and Will Know," and one of The New York Times' "Queer Young Comics Redefining American Humor," Perkins has steadily built his comedic portfolio over the years. His work has earned him Emmy, WGA and NAACP Image Award nominations.

Perkins currently stars opposite Seth Rogen in the critically acclaimed, award-winning Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio, which premiered March 26, 2025, and quickly emerged as one of the most celebrated freshman comedies of the year. The series made history as the most Emmy-winning first-season comedy series of all time, earning 13 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series. His role in The Studio followed his appearance opposite Keke Palmer and SZA in Sony's feature film One of Them Days, which was hailed by critics and earned a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

In 2023, Perkins co-wrote, produced and starred in the award-winning feature film The Blackening (Lionsgate), based on his Comedy Central digital short of the same name that went viral with more than 15 million views. The film premiered as a 2022 Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Madness selection and was theatrically released in June 2023. The Blackening earned nominations from the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, the GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Film and the Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Ensemble. Perkins received individual nominations for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) and a Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance. He is currently developing a sequel with MRC and Lionsgate alongside Tracy Oliver and E. Brian Dobbins.

Additional writing credits include Netflix's The Break with Michelle Wolf, Fox's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Peacock's The Amber Ruffin Show, which earned him an Emmy nomination. He also holds producing credits on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Peacock's Saved by the Bell, and Amazon's Sausage Party.

As an actor, Perkins has appeared on Netflix's The Upshaws, Peacock's Saved by the Bell, and IFC's Sherman's Showcase. He has written for the WGA Awards, The Webby Awards and the White House Correspondents Dinner, where one of his jokes was listed in The New Yorker's "Best Jokes of 2018."

As a stand-up comedian, he has been named one of Comedy Central's "Up Next" comedians, a 2019 "New Face" at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, one of Time Out New York's "Breakout LGBTQ Comedians to Watch," and was a finalist on NBC's Stand Up. He has also performed at Comedy Central's Clusterfest, SF Sketchfest and NBC's Breakout Festival.

Perkins splits his time between New York and Los Angeles, where he continues to develop multiple projects.