Open Space Arts has announced casting for its Chicago premiere of A THIRD WAY, a sharply funny, deeply compassionate new play that reimagines what love, marriage, and family can look like in the 21st century. Winner of the Del Shores Foundation Playwriting Award, the play received its acclaimed world premiere in 2024 at Actor's Express in Atlanta, where it was praised for its emotional honesty, contemporary relevance, and nuanced queer storytelling. ARTSATL said, it was "deeply introspective" in addition to having "some truly hilarious moments, with a playful energy throughout." Open Space Arts' founder David G. Zak, who was recently nominated for the Jeff Awards for Direction – Short Run Production for OSA's MR. PARKER, is directing. A THIRD WAY will play in Open Space Arts' intimate 25-seat theatre at 1411 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago. It will play three weekends, from April 3 through 19.

At the center of the play are Nico and Matt, a married couple committed to building a relationship that exists outside traditional binaries. When familiar figures from the past and unexpected new connections enter their world, long-standing assumptions are quietly—and sometimes explosively—challenged. With humor, warmth, and razor-sharp insight, A THIRD WAY explores the fragile balance between desire and responsibility, freedom and commitment. Rather than offering easy answers, the play invites audiences to sit inside uncertainty, asking what it really means to choose love when there are no clear rules.

Zak Wilson and Chris Sylvie have been cast as Matt and Nico. Wilson, who will play Matt, was seen most recently in the area as Karl and Steve for CLYBOURNE PARK with Buffalo Theatre Ensemble. He has also appeared in numerous productions with the prestigious Asolo Rep in Sarasota, Florida. Sylvie, who appeared in Open Space Arts' SUNSETS, will play Nico. Oliver Maalouf (of Steep Theatre's HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE (AGAIN)) is playing Haamid, a one-time hookup of the couple who becomes more seriously involved with Matt. Erica, Nico's best friend who has her own challenges finding a relationship, will be played by Alondra Rios, who recently appeared in LAS BORINQUEÑAS at Visión Latino and SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM at Oil Lamp Theatre. 

The production team for A THIRD WAY includes Zach Stinett (Sound Design), Jade Andrews (Costume Design), Devin Meseke (Scenic Design), Ethan Brentlinger (Lighting Design), Greta Zandstra (Intimacy Director), and Claire Ragusa (Stage Manager).

With humor, warmth, and razor-sharp insight, A THIRD WAY explores the fragile balance between desire and responsibility, freedom and commitment. Rather than offering easy answers, the play invites audiences to sit inside uncertainty, asking what it really means to choose love when there are no clear rules.

Intimate in scale but expansive in implication, A THIRD WAY speaks to contemporary audiences navigating evolving definitions of partnership, family, and belonging—without telling them what to think.

Open Space Arts' A THIRD WAY will open on Friday, April 3 at 7:30 pm and play through Sunday, April 19, 2026. Performances will be at Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson in Chicago. Tickets are $30 and are on sale now at www.openspacearts.org. 
 
LISTING INFORMATION
 
A THIRD WAY
By Lee Osorio
CHICAGO PREMIERE
Directed by David G. Zak
April 3-19, 2026
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm
Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago
Tickets $30.00 general admission, $25.00 students and seniors. On sale now at www.openspacearts.org. 
 
Nico and Matt are a married couple committed to building a relationship that exists outside traditional binaries. When familiar figures from the past and unexpected new connections enter their world, long-standing assumptions are quietly—and sometimes explosively—challenged. With humor, warmth, and razor-sharp insight, A THIRD WAY explores the fragile balance between desire and responsibility, freedom and commitment. Rather than offering easy answers, the play invites audiences to sit inside uncertainty, asking what it really means to choose love when there are no clear rules.

Intimate in scale but expansive in implication, A THIRD WAY speaks to contemporary audiences navigating evolving definitions of partnership, family, and belonging—without telling them what to think.

Lee Osorio (playwright) is an award-winning playwright and actor whose work centers queer lives, cultural intersections, and the emotional complexity of modern relationships. Based in Atlanta, Osorio is a longtime collaborator with Actor's Express, where he has developed and premiered multiple works.

He is the recipient of the 2023 Del Shores Foundation Playwriting Award,recognizing A THIRD WAY for its originality, compassion, and contribution to contemporary queer theatre. As an actor, Osorio is a former Alliance Theatre Acting Apprentice and has appeared on stages throughout the Southeast, bringing a performer's instinct for rhythm, dialogue, and character to his writing.
 
Osorio's plays are known for blending humor with emotional honesty and resisting easy moral conclusions in favor of deeply human portraits. A THIRD WAY represents his most ambitious work to date.

David G. Zak (Director) has won seven Jeff Awards in Chicago, including four for Directing (ANIMAL FARM, DR. SEX, PARADE, POPE JOAN), two for writing (THE HIROSHIMA PROJECT, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO) and a special Jeff for "Fostering Diversity in Chicago Theater." He was recently nominated for his direction MR. PARKER, produced by Open Space Arts in earlyb2025. In his 27-year stint as Artistic Director of Bailiwick Repertory, he directed the world premiere production of THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER, the US premieres of Sir Peter Hall's ANIMAL FARM and JERRY SPRINGER – THE OPERA, and many original works including the political dramas THE HIROSHIMA PROJECT and SIN: A CARDINAL DEPOSED. He has directed in London (THE IRISH CURSE), Seoul (DOLLHOUSE, FANTASTICK, THE GHOST'S COOKBOOK), Dublin (OH, HOLY ALLEN GINSBERG, AT THE FLASH), Boston (SIN: A CARDINAL DEPOSED), Los Angeles (DR. SEX, AT THE FLASH) and New York (MARLOWE and POSEIDON: AN UPSIDE-DOWN MUSICAL). His productions of the American Premieres of JERRY SPRINGER – THE OPERA, Sir Peter Hall's ANIMAL FARM, PARADE, POPE JOAN, and Dennis DeYoung's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME all won the Jeff Award for best musical. His most recent Chicago productions have included: MY LIFE AS A COWBOY, THE BOY FROM OZ, Terrence McNally's SOME MEN, AFTERGLOW, PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT, THE BOOK OF MERMAN, HIS GREATNESS, and UNDER THE RAINBOW FLAG. He was inducted into Chicago's Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2013.

OPEN SPACE ARTS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to combating homophobia and transphobia through the transformative power of creativity and cultural expression. Our mission is to foster inclusivity, promote understanding, and empower marginalized communities by utilizing various artistic mediums to challenge discriminatory beliefs and attitudes. OSA recently received six Joseph Jefferson Award nomination (short run categories) for its work in 2025, including Production, Direction, Principal Performer, and Featured Performer, for MR. PARKER. Last year,  OSA won some of the top honors in the f Jeff Awards for work produced in 2024, including Production of a Play – Short Run (COCK), Direction of a Play – Short Run (Michael D. Graham - LIGHT SWITCH), Performer in a Principal Role – Short Run  (Philip Andrew Monnett – LIGHT SWITCH), and Performer in a Supporting Role – Short Run (Sonya Robinson – COCK) . Additionally, Open Space Arts has produced SUNSETS: TWO ACTS ON A BEACH, ROSENBERG, MASSAGE THERAPY, MERCY KILLING, MR. PARKER, "it's been ten years since everyone died. a play about final girls," SCANDALOUS BOY, GANGSTA BABY, DORIAN and THE KRAMER PROJECT in live performances. OSA also produces the Queer Expressions Film Fest, a hybrid fest of streaming and in-person events, which runs from November 1 to July 1 annually. Open Space Arts is led by David Zak.