Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to conclude its 50th Anniversary Season with the Chicago premiere of Mia Chung's theatrical tour-de-force Catch as Catch Can, directed by ensemble member Amy Morton, playing June 4 – July 12, 2026 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Single tickets are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. 

Longtime ensemble member Gary Cole (NCIS, Veep, The West Wing) returns to the Chicago stage for the first time in over 25 years, joined by fellow ensemble members Audrey Francis (The Thanksgiving Play, Noises Off, The Doppelgänger) and Tim Hopper (Mr. Wolf, Fool for Love, Downstate).

About the Production:

When a prodigal son returns to blue collar New England, his homecoming sets off a spiraling crisis for two families, threatening not only their relationships but their very identities. In Mia Chung's wildly inventive Catch as Catch Can, three actors take on six roles, bridging generation and gender, in a theatrical tour-de-force that upends the kitchen sink drama and asks what happens when we refuse to play the roles we're prescribed. Spanning hilarity, stunning virtuosity and outright horror, this ferocious Chicago premiere must be witnessed to be believed.

The creative team includes Andrew Boyce (Scenic Design), Izumi Inaba (Costume Design), Yuki Nakase Link (Lighting Design), Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Design), Kate DeVore (Dialect and Voice Coach), Jonathan L. Green (Dramaturg), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Elise Hausken (Production Manager), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting), Laura D. Glenn (Production Stage Manager) and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, click here.

Production Details:

Title: Catch as Catch Can
Playwright: Mia Chung
Director: ensemble member Amy Morton
Cast: ensemble members Gary Cole (Roberta Lavecchia/Robbie Lavecchia), Audrey Francis (Lon Lavecchia/Daniela Lavecchia) and Tim Hopper (Theresa Phelan/Tim Phelan).

Location: Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, June 4 – Saturday, June 13, 2026
Opening: Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 6 pm
Regular run: Tuesday, June 16 – Sunday, July 12, 2026
Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be 7:30 pm performances on Tuesday, June 9, Friday, June 19 (Juneteenth); Saturday, July 4 (Independence Day) or Tuesday, July 7; there will not be a 3 pm performance on Saturday, July 4 (Independence Day); there will be an added 2 pm matinee on Wednesday, July 1; there will be an added 7:30 performance on Sunday, July 5.

Tickets: Single tickets for Catch as Catch Can ($20 – $120*) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are currently on sale at steppenwolf.org/memberships: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30. *Pricing includes an $8.50 handling fee

Steppenwolf offers 20 tickets for $20 (no added fees) for each performance of every membership series production. Use promo code 20FOR20 to redeem this offer online, available in advance until they're sold out for every main series show. Limit 2 tickets per person. You can also purchase by phone at (312) 335-1650 on the day-of show at 12 pm for main series performances. Limit 2 tickets per person.

Accessible Performance Dates:

Audio-Described and Touch Tour:  Sunday, June 28 at 3 pm (1:30 pm Touch Tour)
Open-Captioned: Thursday, June 25 at 7:30 pm & Saturday, July 11 at 3 pm
ASL-Interpreted: Friday, July 10 at 7:30 pm

Education and Engagement:

Throughout the 2025/26 season, Steppenwolf continues its commitment to the next generation of theatre learners, makers and appreciators with robust education and engagement programming. During the school year, programming includes dedicated student matinee performances for four of the five Membership Series productions, in-school residencies in partnership with Chicago Public schools, a series of on-site workshops in artmaking and theater production, events specifically geared towards teens, as well as professional development trainings and resources for educators. Additionally, Steppenwolf is reimagining their community engagement and will pilot new public programming, continue accessibility programming and offer opportunities for deeper explorations for audiences throughout the season. For additional information about Steppenwolf's Education and Engagement programming and to register your school for a field trip visit steppenwolf.org/education-and-engagement/steppenwolf-field-trip-series.

Artist Biographies:

Mia Chung (Playwright) received a 2024 MacDowell Fellow, 2023 Whiting Award for Drama and a 2022 MAP grant for a new music-theatre work. Her play Catch as Catch Can premiered at Playwrights Horizons in Fall 2022 (2018 World Premiere, Off-Off-Broadway, Page 73). Additional work: Ball in the Air (NAATCO/Public Theater 2022), Double Take (PH Almanac 2021), This Exquisite Corpse (multiple awards), You For Me For You (Royal Court, National Theatre Company of Korea, Woolly Mammoth, multiple regionals. Published: Bloomsbury Methuen). Awards, commissions, residencies include: Clubbed Thumb, Helen Merrill, Loewe Award for Music-Theatre, MTC/Sloan, NYTW, Playwrights' Center/Jerome, Playwrights Horizons/Steinberg, Playwrights Realm, South Coast Rep, SPACE/Ryder Farm. Alum: Huntington Playwriting Fellows, Ma-Yi Writers Lab, New Dramatists.

Amy Morton (Director) is an actor and director. She has performed in or directed many plays at Steppenwolf including: Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Tony nomination), August: Osage County (Tony nomination), One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (also on Broadway), Hir, Cherry Orchard, The Berlin Circle, Three Days of Rain, The Unmentionables, Space, The Royal Family and many others. She has directed Guards at the Taj (both Atlantic Theatre and Steppenwolf), Glengarry Glen Ross, Clybourne Park, American Buffalo, The Dresser, The Pillowman, Topdog/Underdog, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Alliance Theatre), Awake and Sing (Northlight Theatre), and many others. Film: Rookie of the Year, 8MM, Falling Down, Backdraft, Up in the Air, Bluebird, It Ends With Us. Television: The Bear, Bluebloods, Girls, Homeland, currently a regular on Chicago P.D. as Sgt. Trudy Platt. Before joining Steppenwolf, Amy was a member of the Remains Theatre for 15 years.

Gary Cole (Roberta Lavecchia/Robbie Lavecchia) has been a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company Ensemble since 1986. Past Steppenwolf credits include: Balm in Gilead, Tracers, Frank's Wild Years, Closer and August: Osage County. Off-Broadway: True West, Orphans (both of which originated at Steppenwolf), and the premiere of Sam Shepard's Heartless. Television: West Wing, Entourage, Chicago Fire, The Good Wife, The Good Fight, Suits, Veep and NCIS. Voiceover work includes: Family Guy, Big Mouth and Archer. Film: In the Line of Fire, A Simple Plan, Dodgeball, Office Space, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Pineapple Express.

Audrey Francis (Lon Lavecchia/Daniela Lavecchia) currently serves as Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre, alongside Glenn Davis, where she has been an Ensemble member since 2017. Audrey directed You Will Get Sick in Steppenwolf's 2024/25 season and POTUS in the 2023/24 season. She has performed on stage in Noises Off, The Thanksgiving Play, The Herd, Between Riverside and Crazy, The Fundamentals, The Doppelgänger (an international farce) and Dance Nation. TV and film credits include Justified: City Primeval, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Empire, Perpetrator, Knives and Skin and Later Days. Audrey is an acting coach for NBC, Fox, Showtime and Amazon. She is also the co-founder of Black Box Acting and the co-creator of Steppenwolf's corporate training program, Steppenwolf IMPACT.

Tim Hopper (Theresa Phelan/Tim Phelan) is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble. Recent roles at Steppenwolf include Mr. Wolf in Mr. Wolf and Andy in Downstate, which traveled to the National Theatre in London, and to Playwrights Horizons in New York. Television appearances include Chicago Fire, Emperor of Ocean Park, the Amazon series Utopia, Fargo, The Americans, and Empire. Film appearances include the upcoming A24 film Enemies, as well as Perpetrator; Knives and Skin, School of Rock and To Die For, among others. Off-Broadway: New York Theatre Workshop, Vineyard Theatre and the Atlantic Theater. Internationally, the Edinburgh Festival and Antwerp's De Singel Theatre.

Accessibility: 

As a commitment to make the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each STC production. Assistive listening devices (ALDs), large-print programs and Braille programs are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sponsor Information:

Catch as Catch Can is supported in part by Jenner & Block. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from lead sponsors Allstate Insurance Company, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies, Caroline and Keating Crown, Julius Frankel Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Shubert Foundation, Inc, Walder Foundation, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Conagra Brands Foundation, Rich and Margery Feitler, FROST CHICAGO, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Orlebeke Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Sacks Family Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Thoma Bravo, Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker, and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier Ensemble Theater with 50 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the 1980 phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and now, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theatre and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1975 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise, Steppenwolf started as a group of young people in their teens and early 20s performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director E. Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance.

Steppenwolf's Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (CRDT) is pleased to announce its Spring 2026 Concert Series, URGENT MOTION/SHARED GROUND, presented by the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. Thursday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 2 at 12 p.m. Tickets are $10 - $30, (free for Columbia College students) and available now at CerquaRivera.org. The approximate runtime is 75 minutes.

CRDT's URGENT MOTION/SHARED GROUND features performances of original dance and music by the company's professional dance ensemble and jazz orchestra. The program will feature two new world premieres: Immense World by Shannon Alvis and Joe Cerqua and We Intersect by Monique Haley and Joe Cerqua. Also featured, and back by popular demand, A Place Between Earth & Sky by Shannon Alvis and Clarice Assad.  In this program, the company meets a world in turmoil with movement and music that listens, reflects. This performance is an exploration of who we are, where we've been and where we're headed, together.

The Spring 2026 Concert Program Includes:

Immense World: A World Premiere 

by Shannon Alvis (Hubbard Street Dance Chicago) and Composition by Co-Founder Joe Cerqua, Additional Composition: Richard M. Jones with arrangement by Joe Cerqua

Lyrical and sensitive, a new work of dance theatre exploring the relationship between humans and nature

Victims of Comfort

Music by Keb' Mo'

Featuring Joe Cerqua (vocalist) & Stu Greenspan (guitar & CRDT music director)

We Intersect: A World Premiere

by Monique Haley (River North Chicago Dance) and Composition by Kendrick Scott (Founder, World Culture Music), arrangement by Joe Cerqua

Rooted in jazz and blues, this is a consideration of loops of prejudice and the promise of community

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Music by Paul Simon, Arrangement by Joe Cerqua

Featuring Joe Cerqua and Margaret Murphy-Webb (vocalists)

A Place Between Earth & Sky (2019): Revival

By Shannon Alvis (Hubbard Street Dance Chicago) and Composition by Clarice Assad (2009 Latin Grammy and 2022 Grammy nominee)

A propulsive and ethereal work that uses the framework of a day to consider the arc of a life

ABOUT CERQUA RIVERA DANCE THEATRE

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre gathers people to contemplate our unique distinctions and common humanity. We offer recognition and respect to the full breadth of our community and nurture empathy and understanding to improve the quality of life everywhere we go. We are proudly and visibly multicultural, exploring the intersection of heritage, culture, and identity through high quality, original dance and music rooted in diverse and authentic personal narratives.

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre presents URGENT MOTION/SHARED GROUND, presented by the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. Thursday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 2 at 12 p.m. Tickets are $10 - $30, (free for Columbia College students) and available now at CerquaRivera.org. The approximate runtime is 75 minutes.

Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce that single tickets for the first national tour of SUFFS, the acclaimed Tony Award®-winning  musical about the passionate American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote, will go on sale Monday, March 30. The inspiring, award-winning musical will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a limited two-week engagement, July 7-19.

Created by Shaina Taub, the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season, this “thrilling, inspiring and dazzlingly entertaining” (Variety) new musical boldly explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over. It’s a given that the women of the suffragist movement—who called themselves “Suffs” for short—were brilliant, but as they fought tirelessly for the right to vote, they were also flawed, stubborn, passionate and funny. SUFFS tells their story: the remarkable friendships, the heartbreak, and how this movement brought them together—or, in some cases, tore them apart.

SUFFS is winner of the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical, two Drama Desk Awards including Best Score, and is “unquestionably the most emotionally stirring musical of the season” (Chicago Tribune). The successful Broadway production played a 10-month run at the Music Box Theatre from April 18, 2024, through January 5, 2025, and the first national tour marches across North America, after launching this past September in Seattle, WA.
 

“THRILLING, INSPIRING, AND DAZZLINGLY ENTERTAINING.” – Variety

SUFFS features book, music and lyrics by Tony Award®-winner Shaina Taub, direction by Tony Award-nominee Leigh Silverman (Violet, Yellow Face), choreography by Mayte Natalio (How to Dance in Ohio), music supervision by Andrea Grody, scenic design by Christine Peters, original Broadway scenic design by Tony Award-nominee Riccardo Hernández (Jagged Little Pill), costume design by Oscar and Tony Award-winner Paul Tazewell (Hamilton, Death Becomes Her), lighting design by Tony Award-nominee Lap Chi Chu (Camelot ), hair and wig design by award-winning Charles G. Lapointe, makeup design by Joe Dulude II, sound design by Jason Crystal (Sweeney Todd) with associate Sun Hee Kil (Choir Boy), orchestrations by Tony Award-winner Michael Starobin (Next to Normal), vocal arrangements by Shaina Taub and Andrea Grody (The Band’s Visit), incidental music arrangements by Shaina Taub, Andrea Grody, and Michael Starobin, associate direction by Lori Elizabeth Parquet, associate choreography by Hawley Gould, and general management by 101 Productions, Ltd.

The Grammy-Award nominated Original Cast Recording of SUFFS is available from Atlantic Records here.

For information about SUFFS visit suffsmusical.com. Follow on Instagram, TikTok , X , YouTube, and Facebook @SUFFSMusical

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, July 7 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 8 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 9 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 10 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 11 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 12 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 14 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 15 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 16 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 17 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 18 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 19 – 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (as of March 26, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for SUFFS will go on sale on Monday, March 30 and range from $38.00 - $133.00 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 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.
Follow @BroadwayInChicago on
Facebook ● Instagram ● TikTok ● Bluesky ● YouTube
#broadwayinchicago

The Opera Festival of Chicago announces its sixth season with the theme Bohemian Tragedy and that tickets are now on sale for the 2026 season, June 13 - July 5.

The 2026 Opera Festival of Chicago kicks off with its leading artists in concert in Very Verismo! on Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jarvis Opera Hall at DePaul University, 800 W. Belden Ave.  

The first fully-staged opera, La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, opens Friday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. with additional performances Wednesday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 5 at 2 p.m. at the George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie.

The final production of the season is Adriana Lecouvreur by Francesco Cilea, Sunday, June 28 at 2 p.m and Friday, July 3 at 7:30 p.m., also at the George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie.

Press release, images and headshots here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RDBX-1yxprtvF9XogxojSb7O0RCFVfHk?usp=sharing

More information here: OperaFestivalChicago.org

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Chicago's only professional theater that seeks to advance women through the power of storytelling, announces the cast for the world premiere of Do Something Pretty by Melissa Ross (The Luckiest, Thinner Than Water, Nice Girl,  A Life Extra Ordinary), directed by Rivendell favorite, Jessica Fisch (The Firebirds Take the Field, I Wanna F**king Tear You Apart). Do Something Pretty runs May 2 – June 7, 2026, as part of Rivendell's 30^th Anniversary Season of new plays. 

The 30^th Anniversary Season takes place at Rivendell's home, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago. Tickets are priced at $28 for previews and $38 for regular performances. Angel and Sponsor tickets are priced $58 and $88 and include a donation. Discounts are available for seniors, students, and military. Tickets go on sale March 23 at rivendelltheatre.org/dosomethingpretty and (773) 334-7728.

Summer of 1992. The United States is in a recession. Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton is about to run for president. Kurt is married to Courtney. Yo MTV Raps is on the TV.  And Zach Morris is the only kid with a cell phone.

On a hot August night in a small Massachusetts town the last few weeks before school starts. Three teens try to navigate their way through the murky path to adulthood. Phoebe wants to grow up. Jason wants Evie. And Evie just wants to get as far away from everyone as she possibly can.

Artistic Director Tara Mallen comments, "A few years ago, I was inducted into to the world of Melissa Ross when I was cast in one of her (stunning) plays The Luckiest at Raven Theatre. What struck me most was these complicated, messy, outrageously human women that Melissa centers in all her plays are all portrayed as subjects rather than objects. In 2026, it shouldn't be the case that this is a rarity—but I promise you that it is. So, when Melissa reached out asking if Rivendell might be interested in her brand-new play depicting two sisters—one on the brink of teendom and the other on the edge of adulthood—I jumped at the chance. I am so delighted to welcome Chicago audiences to hearken back to 1992 and bring Do Something Pretty to our stage at Rivendell."

This world premiere production of Do Something Pretty marks ensemble member Katherine Mallen Kupferer's (Phoebe) Rivendell debut. ​The cast also features Jasper Johnson (Matt), Reilly Oh (Jason) and Jocelyn Zamudio (Evie).

The creative team includes Daira Rodriguez (Assistant Director), Lindsay Mummert (Scenic Design), Saawan Tiwari (Costume Design), Sierra Walker (Lighting Design), Eric Backus (Sound Design), and RTE Ensemble Members Sarah Slight (Dramaturg), and Caroline Michele Uy (Associate Dramaturg). The Production Stage Manager is Rita Vreeland and the Artistic Producer is RTE Member Pat Fries (Artistic Producer).

Rivendell is offering a special mid-season RivPass good for the remainder of its 30th Anniversary Season. The $65 subscription includes a ticket to the 2^nd and 3^rd mainstage shows.  Purchase this offer atrivendelltheatre.org/tickets or by emailing General Manager Trisha Hooper at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Do Something Pretty lead production sponsors are Maureen and Anna Miller. Rivendell's 30th Anniversary Season is sponsored by Sharon I. Furiya.

FACTS / Do Something Pretty

Do Something Pretty

A world premiere by Melissa Ross

Directed by Jessica Fisch

May 2 – June 7, 2026

Cast: RTE member Katherine Mallen Kupferer (Phoebe) with Jasper Johnson (Matt), Reilly Oh (Jason) and Jocelyn Zamudio (Evie).

Creative Team: Daira Rodriguez (Assistant Director), Lindsay Mummert (Scenic Design), Saawan Tiwari (Costume Design), Sierra Walker (Lighting Design), Eric Backus (Sound Design), and RTE Ensemble Members Sarah Slight (Co-Dramaturg), and Caroline Michele Uy (Co-Dramaturg). The Production Stage Manager is Rita Vreeland and the Artistic Producer is RTE Member Pat Fries.

Dates:

Previews: May 2-8, 2026

Saturday, May 2 at 8pm

Sunday, May 3 at 3 pm

Tuesday, May 5 at 8pm

Wednesday, May 6 at 8pm

Thursday, May 7 at 8pm

Friday, May 8, at 8pm

Gala Opening: Sunday, May 10 at 6pm

Press Opening: Monday, May 11 at 7pm

Regular Run: May 15 – June 7, 2026

Thursday-Saturday at 8pm; Saturday at 4pm

Added Performances: Sundays, May 24 and May 31 at 3pm

Open Caption: Thurs May 21 at 8pm; Saturday May 30 at 4pm

Town Halls: Friday May 8, Young Industry Professionals; Saturday May 23 after 4pm performance

Chicago's First Floor Theater today announced the cast and production team for the Chicago Premiere production of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY, written by reid tang and directed by Tina El Gamal, running May  7 – June 6, 2026 (previews May 7, 9, 10, and 13) on The Schwartz Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets ($10 – $40) available at www.firstfloortheater.com.

Originally developed through Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks Festival, WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY is an experimental dark comedy that explores chaos, alienation, and the absurdities of modern capitalism. Framed as "a catalog of all the possible phone calls that exist," the play, which is "not about Amazon, not about Jeff Bezos, and certainly not about Elon Musk," unfolds through surreal encounters and fractured conversations, creating a genre-bending theatrical experience that blends humor, technology, and existential dread. 

"WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY sits right at the center of First Floor Theater's mission," said Andrew Cutler, Artistic Producer of First Floor Theater. "It's hilarious, dark, and incisive, and it invites the kind of bold theatrical choices our artists love to make. Presenting the production at Raven Theatre also gives us the chance to introduce our work to a new neighborhood and new audiences in Chicago."

"I'm always drawn to plays that are 'out there' - a little scary and untouchable, wacky and daring," said Tina El Gamal, director of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY. "reid tang's bird's-eye view of humanity's struggle to stay human is exactly that. It grapples with the costs of innovation and consumption as they threaten to outpace our humanity and asks, just how far are we willing to go to keep up with the next-day deliveries? It's funny, unsettling, and unexpectedly moving–exactly the kind of work I want to make with this incredible team."

The cast includes Sahar Dika, Jenn Geiger, and Alice Wu, with understudies Joelle Denhof, Kennedy Frazier, and Maliha Sayed.

The production team is led by director Tina El Gamal and includes Conchita Avitia* (Lighting Designer), Spencer Donovan* (Scenic Designer), Adelina Feldman-Schultz (Casting Director), Olivia Gregorich (Assistant Director & Dramaturg), Samantha Kaufman (Violence & Intimacy Director), Kendyl Meyer* (Stage Manager), Lo Ramos (Props Designer), Jae Robinson (Sound Designer), and Nathan Rohrer (Costume Designer)

* Denotes First Floor Theater Company Member

First Floor Theater's Chicago premiere of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY runs May 7 – June 6, 2026, with previews May 7, 9, 10, and 13. Performances are held Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. at The Schwartz Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets range from $10 – $40. To purchase tickets, visit www.firstfloortheater.com. 

WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY

Written By: reid tang

Directed By: Tina El Gamal

Cast: Sahar Dika, Jenn Geiger, and Alice Wu, with understudies Joelle Denhof, Kennedy Frazier, and Maliha Sayed

Production Team: Conchita Avitia* (Lighting Designer), Spencer Donovan* (Scenic Designer), Adelina Feldman-Schultz (Casting Director), Olivia Gregorich (Assistant Director & Dramaturg), Samantha Kaufman (Violence & Intimacy Director), Kendyl Meyer* (Stage Manager), Lo Ramos (Props Designer), Jae Robinson (Sound Designer), and Nathan Rohrer (Costume Designer)

*Denotes First Floor Theater Company Member

Dates: May 7 – June 6, 2026 (Previews May 7, 9, 10, 13)

Schedule: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m.

Run Time: 90 minutes

Location: The Schwartz Stage at Raven Theatre (6157 N. Clark St., Chicago)

Tickets: General Admission: $10 - $40

Limited number of $10 access tickets available for all public performances.

Box Office: https://www.firstfloortheater.com

ABOUT reid tang

reid tang (Playwright) writes plays and things shaped like plays. Their work includes ISABEL (NAATCO), DEBT (co-written w/ Adrian Einspanier, developed with Pride Plays, New York Stage and Film & Breaking the Binary Theatre); WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY (Clubbed Thumb Summerworks); FUTURE WIFE (Relentless Award Honorable Mention, Goethe-Institut Beijing, Theatertreffen Stückemarkt); and PARTY IN A GOOGLE SHEET (New Georges). They're under commission with Breaking the Binary Theatre and New York Theatre Workshop, and a past recipient of the Sundance Institute Interdisciplinary Program Grant. Currently, they're a resident playwright at New Dramatists, and have been part of Ars Nova's Play Group, the New Georges Jam, Clubbed Thumb's Early Career Writers' Group, and NYTW's 2050 Fellowship. They grew up in Singapore and presently live in Brooklyn, NY. They received their MFA from the New School of Drama. www.reidtang.com 

ABOUT TINA EL GAMAL

Tina El Gamal (Director) is a Chicago-based actor, director, and producer. They have worked at theatres across the country, including Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare, Portland Opera, Silk Road Cultural Center, Steep Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Farmers Alley, and more. Tina was featured in Newcity Mag's Players 50 2022. They hold a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is represented by Big Mouth Talent. www.tinaelgamal.com

ABOUT SAHAR DIKA

Sahar Dika is a Chicago-based actor and writer. She is thrilled to be making her First Floor debut! Other Chicago readings and productions include BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA (U/S), SHARON, and PRETTY SHAHID (A Red Orchid Theatre); WISH YOU WERE HERE (Remy Bumppo; U/S); MODERN WOMEN and NEST (The Story Theatre); CRUSHED (The Understudy); HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN (Steep); MODERN WOMEN and LAYLIANA (Goodman Theatre); DOUG and PRETTY SHAHID (Jackalope Theatre Company); MOSQUE4MOSQUE (Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Scout); VENUS IN FUR (Circle Theatre; U/S) and MOSQUE ALERT (Silk Road Rising). Television and film credits include Chicago Fire, Emperor Of Ocean Park, Christmas With Felicity, Monuments,  Good Years, and Happy Hour. She is represented by DDO Artists Agency and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA.

ABOUT JENN GEIGER

Jenn Geiger is an actor and artist. She's recently performed in Chicago in ANTIGONICK and GHOST FETUS at Trap Door Theatre, Runaways Lab Theater, and Rhino Fest. Regional credits include A CHRISTMAS CAROL and THE MANY DEATHS OF NATHAN STUBBLEFIELD (Actors Theatre of Louisville). International credits include MEDUSA (Global Hive Laboratories at Steppenwolf LookOut and Pleasance Theatre London). Jenn is an ensemble member at Avalanche Theatre and an alum of the Professional Training Company at Actors Theatre of Louisville and Ohio State University.

ABOUT ALICE WU

Alice Wu can't wait to share WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY with audiences. Recent Chicago credits include VEAL, REVOLUTION (u/s) (A Red Orchid Theatre); THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH (Remy Bumppo); THE PETS (Bramble Theatre); TIME IS A COLOR AND THE COLOR IS BLUE (Avalanche Theatre); A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Midsommer Flight); and ARABIA, ARABIA! (The Plagiarists). Additional select regional credits include THE MANY DEATHS OF NATHAN STUBBLEFIELD (Humana Festival) and CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION (u/s) (Actors Theatre of Louisville). TV and film credits include Chicago Fire, Empire, Hive Wheelhouse, and Tears to a Glass Eye. Alice received their BFA at NDSU and the Professional Training Company acting apprenticeship at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Alice is a company member with Avalanche Theatre and Red Theatre and is represented by DDO Artists Agency. 

Chicago’s Shattered Globe Theatre presents the hilarious and surreal fantasia on Midwestern masculinity you’ve all been waiting for: the World Premiere of Eelpout! by Paul W. Kruse, directed by Jeremy Ohringer, April 17-May 30, 2026.

Meet Sven Svensen and Ole Olsen, best buds since kindergarten. When they gather to celebrate Ole’s wedding to Lena with an ice-fishing bachelor party, an unexpected confession begins to crack their plans wide open. As the beer flows and temperatures drop, Sven and Ole hook into deeper truths, along with a talking fish.

Cast your rod and catch Eelpout!, both a bottom-feeding fish native to the upper Midwest AND Chicago’s must-see world premiere comedy this spring. Previews start April 17. Performances run through May 30 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets are $20-$60. For tickets and information, visit sgtheatre.org. 

“I am grateful to direct at Shattered Globe for the first time with this world premiere that epitomizes why I love theater: it’s wild, wondrous, and makes me laugh until it hurts,” said director Jeremy Ohringer. “The play also interrogates the fragility of masculinity and invites us to ask, ‘what must we shed in order to live authentically?’ I cannot wait to share Paul’s incredible play! I bet audiences fall for it hook, line, and sinker.”

Shattered Globe Theatre’s cast for Eelpout! features SGT Ensemble Member Rebecca Jordan (she/her) as Holly with Jesús Barajas (he/they) as Eelpout, Dinah Berkeley (they/them) as Lars, Carl Hallberg (he/they) as Ole, Taigé Lauren (she/her) as Heidi, Lydia Moss (she/her) as Lena, and Jeff Rodriguez (she/her) as Sven.

The production team is Paul W. Kruse (playwright), Jeremy Ohringer (director), Eleanor Kahn (set), Delena Bradley (costume designer), Sierra Walker (lighting designer), Saskia Bakker (props designer), Christopher Kriz (original music and sound designer), Kristina Fluty (intimacy director), Benjamin Murphy (assistant director), Tina Jach (stage manager) and Alexa Berkowitz (production manager).

Ticket information for Eelpout!

The first preview of Eelpout! on Friday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. is Pay-What-You-Can. Previews continue Saturday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, April 19 at 3 p.m., and Wednesday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through May 30: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. No show Friday, April 24. There’s an added 3 p.m. matinee on closing day, Saturday, May 30. Run time is 90 minutes with no intermission.

For tickets and information, visit sgtheatre.org, call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150, or purchase in person at Theater Wit. Take advantage of early-bird discounts. Otherwise, previews are $25. Performances are $20-$60 ($20 for students, veterans, active military, teachers, and under 30; $40 general admission; $60 for those who want to support accessible theater). For group discounts, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (773) 770-0333.

Visit SGTheatre.org for more show information, including photos and video clips, news of special events, accessible and waived ticket programs and show content warnings. For the latest updates, follow @shatteredglobe on Facebook and Instagram.

Access Services

Audio Description and a Touch Tour for patrons who are blind or have low vision will be offered on Friday, May 22. The Touch Tour begins at 6:15 p.m. Show at 7:30 p.m. 

Shattered Globe will offer a captioned performance on Sunday, May 24 at
3 p.m. for patrons with hearing loss. Assisted Listening Devices are available for all performances.

Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible. All patrons with disability needs are invited to purchase $20 access tickets with the code “ACCESS20” at Theater Wit’s checkout page. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to ensure the theater can reserve the right seat for your needs.

Music of Remembrance (MOR) presents the world premiere of The Dialogue of Memories, a new opera by composer Tom Cipullo and acclaimed Chicago Tribune journalist Howard Reich, on a three-city U.S. tour this May. The work marks the first time Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel is portrayed as a character in an opera, drawing on Reich's real-life friendship with Wiesel and his investigation into his mother's long-hidden past.

Performances take place at Benaroya Hall in Seattle (May 17), Presidio Theatre in San Francisco (May 20), and the Studebaker Theater in Chicago (May 23-24).

The opera opens with Reich's line, "I suffer from an event I have not even experienced." When his mother Sonia's trauma from the Holocaust resurfaces late in life, Reich is drawn into a history his family had long avoided.

As he begins to uncover his mother's past, Reich forms an unexpected bond with Wiesel, who appears throughout the opera as a guiding presence. As in life, Wiesel challenges Reich to ask questions, tell his mother's story, and reckon with what he has inherited – and what he chooses to do with it.

In the final moments of the work, Wiesel's message is direct: "We are ordered to hope."

"When I published my mother's story, my identity as the son of Holocaust survivors was revealed on the front page of the Chicago Tribune," said journalist Howard Reich. "This was a secret I'd been urged to keep my entire life. My friendship with Elie Wiesel changed how I understood my family's silence – and my own responsibility to break it."

The premiere comes as the world marks the 10th anniversary of Elie Wiesel's passing. The last generation of Holocaust survivors is fading, and firsthand testimony is giving way to accounts passed down across generations.

"Elie Wiesel spent his life insisting that these stories be told," said MOR Artistic Director Mina Miller. "Bringing him to the stage now, ten years after his death, raises the question of who carries that responsibility forward."

That sense of inheritance extends into Cipullo's score, which weaves echoes of Schumann, Gershwin, and Tchaikovsky into his own contemporary musical language. The opera unfolds in episodic scenes that move between past and present as Reich pieces together his mother's history.

For nearly three decades, MOR has excavated long-silenced voices while expanding the repertory with commissions that confront injustice through music. The Dialogue of Memories brings those strands together, transforming a deeply personal story drawn from Reich's own life into a new opera. Audiences in Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago can now experience Reich's story – a reflection on legacies still unfolding in families around the world.

The Dialogue of Memories
World Premiere Tour • Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago

Composer: Tom Cipullo

Librettist: Howard Reich with Tom Cipullo
Based on The Art of Inventing Hope: Intimate Conversations with Elie Wiesel

Conductor: Alastair Willis

Director: Erich Parce

Media Design: Peter Crompton

Elie Wiesel: Daniel Belcher

Sonia Reich: Megan Marino

Howard Reich: Dominic Armstrong

MOR Chamber Ensemble: Christina Medawar, flute; Laura DeLuca, clarinet; Mikhail Shmidt, violin; Walter Gray, cello; Cristina Valdes, piano

Sunday, May 17, 2026 @ 4:00pm

Seattle, Washington

Benaroya Hall (200 University Street)

Tickets $60; Students $25 (ID required)

https://musicofremembrance.org/show-details/memories

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 @ 7:30pm

San Francisco, California

Presidio Theatre (99 Moraga Avenue)

Tickets $38–71

https://musicofremembrance.org/show-details/memoriessf

Saturday, May 23, 2026 @ 7:30pm

Sunday, May 24, 2026 @ 3:00pm

Chicago, Illinois

Studebaker Theater (Fine Arts Building)

Tickets $35–75

https://musicofremembrance.org/show-details/memorieschi