Displaying items by tag: chicago theatre

At this stage of his career, David Byrne’s name alone fills concert halls and theaters.  The “singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker” is best known for his affiliation with the rock band Talking Heads.  It’s likely less known that he’s also been awarded both an Oscar and a Tony for the uniqueness of his creative perceptions in other artistic spheres.

Byrne’s latest project involves very little music and instead explores the complex nuances of the human mind; a relatively new area of interest for him and one that’s been consuming large amounts of his attention.  Created in conjunction with his spouse, businesswoman and entrepreneur Gala Gaonkar, Theater of the Mind is the imaginative byproduct of that fascination.  Debuting as one of the productions celebrating the Goodman Theatre’s centennial anniversary late last year, the show, directed by Andrew Scoville, opened in the Spring of ’26 and has been sustaining a very strong appeal ever since.

Byrne calls the production “an immersive Science Theater project” that peers into a rarely opened door.   Behind it are valuable clues into how pliable our perceptions of experiences and memories can be over both long and short periods of time.  That malleability extends to our perceptions of ourselves.  What we think of our own identity can change over time or in an instant.  Byrne and Gaonkar’s science driven theatrical effort actively prods and plays with those concepts by creating an environment where they can be tested and validated in real time by ordinary people. 

Photos by Todd Rosenberg.

It’s a highly sophisticated time sensitive endeavor that on the surface looks smooth and meticulously organized.  Continuously running multiple shows from 5:00 to 8:30pm, reservations are available at 15-minute intervals.  This allows the staggering of several 75-minute shows over the time span.  It’s not unusual for ticketholders with different reservation times to be grouped together for the same performance.  Every show features a central character named David who acts as both the central subject of the show and the guide who walks you through the arch of his life.

Because shows run concurrently, the cast is comprised of several Davids whose talent base is periodically refreshed as it was recently.

Unlike most immersive theatrical performances that remove the fourth wall by bringing audience members onto the stage as silent observers, Theater of the Mind requires a multi-tiered investment.  First you’re asked, and given the means, to shed and then replace your identity.  Perhaps even more importantly, you’ll periodically be asked to do very specific things.  All of them are best accomplished if you relax the automatic inhibitions most of us have when we find ourselves among strangers.  Theater of the Mind is a different environment.  Relinquishing yourself to the moment will generate the most gratifying outcomes.  None of the requests are unusual or difficult and all of them end with an unexpected revelation. 

Chicago audience members experienceTheater of Mind, David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar’sone-of-a-kind immersive theater experience, directed by Andrew Scoville, produced as part of Goodman Theatre’s Centennial 100th Anniversary season.

Some suggest this type of theatrical effort might not be for everyone.  Because the project upends convention so thoroughly, many who attend a performance have little idea of what to expect and may unconsciously create their own assumptions about what’s in store.  Blocking those impulses and homing in on mindful receptivity proves an asset in a venture like this.  It ensures the wealth of interesting and often stimulatingly provocative information David shares and reenforces is received and processed easily and deeply.

Shortly after we meet him, we notice inconsistencies between what he tells us about himself and what we see.  As he continues to share key facts about himself, he intentionally highlights the vulnerability of our perceptions by casually and methodically conducting experiments that make us question whether what we’re seeing is real or a mental deception.  His first simple demonstration prepares our minds for more examples that will call into question the viability of the reality we’re experiencing.  That theme gets expanded as we follow David from rooms that look like places where experiments happen to rooms that could be in a domestic dwelling.  Others simulate outdoor spaces or even discos. 

These spaces make up David’s “memory palace” and strong links are always provided that tie them together.  And in all of them we’re given opportunities to reexamine our own past experiences, assumptions and even convictions about the past and ourselves just as he reassesses his.  Thrown in are exercises that challenge our perception of the natural world and our ability to adapt to it.

As our guide, David uses his own life to show how our relationships with others are susceptible to misreadings. Whether it’s near the beginning, in the middle or approaching the end, where we are in life often plays a key role in determining how we see and understand the world around us as well as the people in it.  Among the many subtly brilliant feats Theater of the Mind accomplishes is the ability to time travel and return to periods in David’s childhood that take on a completely different tenor from the vantage point of maturity. 

Through their thoughtfully imaginative only-in-Chicago project, Byrne and Gaonkar have discovered a way to expand our appreciation of and respect for the mind’s capabilities.  They’ve also provided valuable lessons on how its perceptions can be skewed by either physical or psychological influences.  Both things leave us better prepared to weigh our judgments and opinions with equanimity.

Theater of the Mind

Extended to January 3, 2027

Reid Murdoch Building at 333 N. LaSalle Street

Chicago, IL  60610

For more information and tickets:  https://my.goodmantheatre.org/19246/19834

Small-town scandal ignites the Albert Theatre stage this winter at the Chicago premiere of Kimberly Belflower's Tony Award-nominated Broadway smash hit John Proctor Is the Villain—the country's most-produced production this season. Marti Lyons makes her Goodman directing debut, returning to the play after helming its 2022 world premiere at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. The principal cast includes Mea Allen (The Village Theatre's All Nighter), Kason Chesky (Red Theater's The Seagull), Isabella Star LaBlanc (HBO's True Detective), Jack Lancaster (Swing State), Katherine Mallen Kupferer (Independent Film Company's Mouse), Felicia Oduh (Covenant), Audrey Parker (Guthrie Theatre's Louisa May Alcott's Little Women), Daniel Petzold (The Public's Sally & Tom) and Ani Tonoyan (Theatre Latté Da's Indecent). Understudies will be announced at a later date. John Proctor Is the Villain—a co-production with Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis—appears in the 856-seat Albert Theatre January 23 – February 21. Opening Night is February 1. For tickets ($34 - $114; on sale November 6), call 312.443.3800 or purchase online at GoodmanTheatre.org/JohnProctor.

"It is such an honor and a joy for me to get to return to this play in Chicago, at a theater I love so much," said director Marti Lyons, who was The Goodman's 2015 Michael Maggio Directing Fellow. "Almost five years after its world premiere, it feels like we're living in a different world. Yet there's still so much that's relevant and unnervingly familiar in this story, so its importance remains. I feel so much joy in getting to come back to the piece as a different artist and a different person." 

Fueled by pop music, optimism and fury, five young women are about to light up some of the darkest secrets of their one-stoplight town. The Chicago premiere of the Tony Award-nominated Broadway smash sensation—hailed as "the new era of cool-girl theater" (BrooklynRail.org) "igniting its own cultural moment" (Variety)—pulses with humor and energy. Heroes, villains and who gets blamed when the hysteria starts are up for debate in this "vital, hilarious, thrilling and urgently necessary" (The New York Times) unflinching perspective of a generation staking its claim.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Kimberly Belflower is a playwright and educator originally from a small town in Appalachian Georgia. Plays include: John Proctor Is the Villain (2025 Broadway directed by Danya Taymor and starring Sadie Sink, Tony Award Nominee for Best Play; 2024 Huntington Theatre, 2022 Studio Theatre, 2019 Kilroys List); Lost Girl (2018 Milwaukee Rep, Kennedy Center Darrell Ayers National Playwriting Award); Saint Pigtail (commissioned and developed by Studio Theatre, 2023 O'Neill Finalist). Kimberly has also worked with South Coast Rep, Manhattan Theatre Club, Alliance Theatre, Ojai Playwrights Conference, the Farm Theatre, We the Women, Less Than Rent, among others. Kimberly worked for two years as a narrative lead for Meow Wolf, Santa Fe's celebrated arts and entertainment company, where she wrote a short film with original music by Beach House. She proudly holds an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin and teaches playwriting at Emory University in Atlanta.

Marti Lyons is thrilled to return to John Proctor Is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower after directing the world premiere of the play at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C in 2022. Marti most recently directed Hedda Gabler, adapted by Christopher Shinn, and Art by Yasmina Reza at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, where she is Artistic Director, and her adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew at Court Theatre. Other select credits include Little Women adapted by Kate Hamill at Seattle Repertory Theatre and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Wife of a Salesman by Eleanor Burgess at Milwaukee Rep, Sense and Sensibility adapted by Jessica Swale, and Cymbeline at American Players Theatre, The Wolves by Sarah Delappe and Kings by Sarah Burgess at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. Selected other credits include: The Niceties by Eleanor Burgess at Writers Theatre; Cymbeline at American Players Theatre; The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe and Kings by Sarah Burgess at Studio Theatre; the world-premiere of How to Defend Yourself by Liliana Padilla, a Victory Gardens and Actors Theatre of Louisville co-production; Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee at Victory Gardens and City Theatre; Witch by Jen Silverman at Geffen Playhouse and Writers Theatre (LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Direction); Native Gardens by Karen Zacarías at Victory Gardens; Botticelli in the Fire by Jordan Tannahill at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; I, Banquo at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Title and Deed by Will Eno at Lookingglass Theatre Company and Laura Marks' Bethany and Mine at The Gift Theatre. Lyons is also an ensemble member at The Gift Theatre and a member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Cast of John Proctor Is the Villain
By Kimberly Belflower
Directed by Marti Lyons
A co-production with Guthrie Theater

Mea Allen...Shelby Holcomb 
Kason Chesky...Mason Adams 
Isabella Star LaBlanc...Bailey Gallagher 
Jack Lancaster...Lee Turner 
Katherine Mallen Kupferer...Beth Powell 
Felicia Oduh...Nell Shaw 
Audrey Parker...Raelynn Nix 
Daniel Petzold...Carter Smith 
Ani Tonoyan...Ivy Watkins

Creative Team

Choreographer...Erin Kilmurray 
Intimacy & Violence...Samantha Kaufman 
Voice & Dialect...Shadana Patterson 
Sound Designer...Melanie Chen Cole 
Set Designer...Lex Liang 
Lighting Designer...Jason Lynch 
Costume Designer...Jessica Pabst 
Assistant Director...Lorenzo Rush Jr. 
Line Producer...Malkia Stampley 

Casting by Lauren Port, CSA, and Jennifer Liestman, CSA. Nikki Blue is the Production Stage Manager. Krista Kanderski is the Assistant Stage Manager. Sarah Slight is the Dramaturg, with Dramaturgical Support by Anna Rogelio Joaquin.

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

ASL-Interpreted...February 12 at 7:30pm – An ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.
Audio-Described...February 13 at 2pm; Touch Tour; 12:00pm – Action audibly enhanced via headset.
Spanish-Subtitled...February 13 at 7:30pm – Spanish-translated dialogue via LED sign.
Open-Captioned...February 14 at 2pm – LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

American Blues Theater announces its 25^th Anniversary production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from Frank Capra's film and directed by Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! will run November 19 – December 27, 2026.

It's a Wonderful Life is a quarter-century Chicago tradition.  With its first production in 2004, this marks the 25th anniversary of this original, holiday smash hit, making it the second longest-running holiday play in the entire city of Chicago. It is the longest running production of It's a Wonderful Life in the nation as we celebrate the 80^th anniversary of Frank Capra's classic film.

George Bailey – the Everyman from small town Bedford Falls whose dreams of escape and adventure were stopped by family obligation and civic duty – has fallen onto desperate times. Only a miracle can save him from despair. Told as a radio play with original music and classic holiday carols, it's "the don't miss show of the season" (Chicago Tribune). The annual production will feature favorite American Blues actors. For 25 years, American Blues has treated audiences to a live retelling of the Frank Capra classic in a 1940s radio broadcast tradition, making It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! a Chicago tradition as the city's second-longest running holiday production!

"For 25 years, It's a Wonderful Life has been part of the holiday traditions of Chicago families, and it means so much to us that audiences continue to return year after year," said Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside. "Some have followed us from theater to theater, and we've had the joy of watching generations of families experience Bedford Falls together. This anniversary is especially meaningful because, for the first time since our inaugural reading, every cast member is part of the American Blues ensemble. There's something wonderful about celebrating this milestone with the artists who have helped make this production what it is. We can't wait to welcome everyone to our Lincoln Avenue home to share in the music, laughter, and spirit of community that make this story so enduring."

Tickets are $34.50 - $119.50 (no hidden fees) are available at www.americanbluestheater.com or by calling (773) 654-3103. 

The cast of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! includes Audrey Billings* (Mary Bailey & others), Manny Buckley* (Joseph & others), Dara Cameron* (Violet & others), Ian Paul Custer* (Clarence/Mr. Potter & others), Michael Mahler* (George Bailey), Zack Schultz* (Harry & others), J.G. Smith* (Foley & others) and Lauren Vogel* (musician & others). Molly Hernandez* is the understudy. This is the first year since the inaugural reading that every cast member is a company member.  

The creative team includes Gwendolyn Whiteside* (director), Michael Mahler* (music direction & jingle composer), Austin Cook* (original score), Grant Sabin* (scenic), Katy Peterson Viccellio (lights), Lily Walls* (costumes), Elyse Dolan* (set dressing, projections & properties design), Michael Trudeau* (asst lighting design & technical director), and Richard Lundy* (production stage manager).

*Denotes ensemble member or artistic affiliate of American Blues Theater 

During each performance, one person (any age) will be honored with a Hometown Hero tribute, which includes a short personal testimonial, a projected photo, a certificate, and two (2) complimentary tickets to the show. Nominations can be made at www.americanbluestheater.com for anyone who has shown remarkable courage in the face of challenge. Whether it's standing up for what's right, helping others in a time of need, or overcoming personal obstacles with determination, It's a Wonderful Life celebrates those who inspire us through their bravery.

A special "It's A Wonderful Party" will be held Saturday, December 5 at 6pm with a Variety Show at 7pm. Tickets are $75.00 (no hidden fees) and available at www.americanbluestheater.com or by calling (773) 654-3103.

About the Artists
FRANK CAPRA (May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his leading films are It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It with You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). During World War II, Capra served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and produced propaganda films. After World War II, Capra's career declined as his later films, such as It's a Wonderful Life (1946), performed poorly when they were first released. In ensuing decades, however, It's a Wonderful Life and other Capra films were revisited favorably by critics. Capra was nominated for six Academy Awards and won three. His films collectively garnered 53 Academy Award nominations between 1933 and 1961. He served as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, worked alongside the Writers Guild of America, and was head of the Directors Guild of America. Frank Capra married twice and had four children. One of his sons, Frank Capra Jr., and grandson Frank Capra III have both made their careers in the film industry.

GWENDOLYN WHITESIDE (Executive Artistic Director/Director) is a proud ensemble member of American Blues Theater and has served as Executive Artistic Director since 2010. This marks her 12th anniversary directing It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, earning two Jeff Award nominations for Midsize Production and Short Run Production. Career highlights include creating the nationally recognized Blue Ink Playwriting Award, launching a new work development program, introducing arts education initiatives, and integrating community service into the company's mission. Operationally, she grew the annual budget from zero to $1.25 million, secured the company's first-ever operating reserve and endowment, and permanent home. Her service includes work on panels and boards for the National Endowment for the Arts, Network of Ensemble Theaters, and League of Chicago Theatres, as well as membership in the National Theatre Conference. Whiteside holds a Kellogg Executive Scholar Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Northwestern University, an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BS from Northwestern University. Her work as a producer and director has earned 18 Jeff Awards and nominations. As an actor, she has received six Jeff Awards and nominations across Solo Performance, Principal, Supporting, and Ensemble categories, as well as two After Dark Awards, a Broadway World Chicago Award, recognition in Newcity's Players Hall of Fame, and selection as American Theatre's "Chicago Theatre Worker You Should Know."

MICHAEL MAHLER (Music Director, George) is a proud ensemble member of American Blues Theater where he has appeared in many productions, including The Last Wide Open, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Jeff Award – Music Direction), Little Shop of Horrors (Jeff nomination musical-midsize), Hank Williams: Lost Highway (Jeff Award musical midsize), Side Man, and 15 years of It's a Wonderful Life. He also music directed Always...Patsy Cline at Blues (Jeff nomination music direction and musical-midsize). Other recent roles include: The Irish and How They Got That Way (Porchlight), The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk (Northlight); Music Man (Marriott), and Into the Woods (Writers); Michael is a Jeff-award-winning composer / lyricist and music director, and proud husband to Dara Cameron and father to Ezra.

AUDREY BILLINGS (Mary & others) is a proud ensemble member of American Blues Theater and thrilled to be returning to Bedford Falls for another year. She most recently appeared as Adele in Things With Friends (Jeff Award nomination for ensemble-play) and has also been seen in The Commons, Blue Ink Festival, and The Ripped Festival. Some favorite roles outside of Blues include: Emilie in A Red Orchid Theatre's production of The Moors, Christmas Eve in the long-running production of Avenue Q at the Mercury Theater, Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, Antonia in Man of la Mancha, and Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof. She has graced the stages at the Paramount Theatre, Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Theatre at the Center, and Lookingglass Theatre Company. Audrey is the managing director at A Red Orchid Theatre and bookkeeper for Visionary Eye Care Professionals.

MANNY BUCKLEY (Joseph & others) is a proud ensemble member of American Blues Theater. He is a Chicago-based producer, director, actor, and writer. Manny last directed King Hedley II and August Wilson's Seven Guitars, which won the 2024 Non Equity Jeff Award for best production, at City Lit Theatre. Other directing credits include Driving Miss Daisy, The Bad Seed (Jedlicka Performing Arts), Kingdom, an audio play (Broken Nose Theatre); and The One Minute Play Festival. Additional acting credits outside of American Blues include work with Chicago Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Court, Victory Gardens, Chicago Dramatists, Next Theater, House Theatre, Shattered Globe Theater, Cincinnati Children's Theatre, and Studio Theatre. Film credits: Proven Innocent, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, The US Navy, Northwestern University, and The Onion. Mr. Buckley has received nominations for the Joseph Jefferson Award, the Helen Hayes Award, and the 3Arts Award; he is the recipient of both a Black Theater Alliance Award and Black Excellence Award.

DARA CAMERON (Violet & others) is a proud ensemble member of American Blues Theater and is grateful to perform once again at her artistic home. Favorite credits include The Last Wide Open, The Spitfire Grill (Jeff nomination), and Little Shop of Horrors (Jeff nomination musical) at American Blues Theater; Fiddler on the Roof, Seussical, Sunset Boulevard (Drury Lane); Old Jews Telling Jokes (Royal George and Off-Broadway); The Secret of My Success (Paramount Theatre); Elf, Hero (Jeff nomination), South Pacific, October Sky, Sister Act, City of Angels, Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz, Fiddler on the Roof (Marriott Theatre); The Addams Family (Mercury Theater); and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Theatre at the Center). She is a graduate of Northwestern University and a proud member of Actors' Equity. Dara is married to actor and composer Michael Mahler. When they're not singing in Bedford Falls together, they're busy embarrassing their way-cooler-than-them eight-year-old son, Ezra.

IAN PAUL CUSTER (Clarence / Mr. Potter & others) is a Chicago actor, musician, and a proud ensemble member of American Blues Theater. American Blues credits include: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Jeff Award, Best Ensemble, Best Musical – Midsize), The Columnist (Jeff Nomination production-midsize), Little Shop of Horrors, and It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! (Jeff Nominations for Best Play-midsize and ensemble). Chicago credits:  safronia (Lyric Opera), Dial M for Murder (Drury Lane); Waitress, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Paramount Theatre); Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812 (Writers Theatre); 33 Variations (Jeff Award– Best Production, Midsize), and To Master the Art (TimeLine Theatre), Annie Bosh is Missing (Steppenwolf Theatre), High Holidays (Goodman Theatre). Ian has also had the pleasure of working with Marriott Theatre, Theatre Wit, A Red Orchid Theatre, MPAACT, and Court Theatre. Regional credits: Hero: The Musical (Asolo Rep Theatre), Cymbeline (Notre Dame Shakespeare), Peter Pan (360 Entertainment – London, England). Television credits: Somebody Somewhere, APB, Empire, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD.  Ian received his BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University. 

ZACK SHULTZ (Harry & others) is a proud artistic affiliate of American Blues Theater. Previous American Blues credits – fifth year with Its a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!; Come Back, Little Sheba (Jeff Award nomination for production-midsize). His other Chicago theatre work includes Four Loves Festival with Chicago Dramatists and you can see him regularly as a Wendella boat tour guide on the Chicago river! His film work includes the roll of Ernie in "Itchy Fingers" and Jerry in the short film "Holy Hell".

J.G. SMITH (Foley & others) is a proud ensemble member of American Blues Theater. Credits with Blues include The Last Wide Open, On Clover Road (Jeff nomination production-midsize), Ripped Fest, and workshops of The Cratchits (in America), The Thanksgiving Play and On the Greenbelt. Other theatre: Inanimate (Theater Wit); I And You (Peninsula Players); Mother of the Maid (Northlight); Plantation! (Lookingglass); The Art of Sisters (Vision Productions); MARYSHELLEYSHOW (National Tour, Chicago Fringe, TheTankNYC); Peter and the Starcatcher (City Equity Theatre); Alice in Wonderland, As You Like It, King Lear, A Christmas Carol (Alabama Shakespeare); and Censored on Final Approach (The GYM at Judson). Film: Argus (WarnerMedia), Knives and Skin (IFCMidnight), The Dancing Monkey, Dreaming Grand Avenue, and Stephen Cone's Pry Me Open. TV: Short Comings (MTV), The World's Astonishing News! (NTV), Dorm Therapy (YouTube), and several national commercials. J.G. is a member of Actors' Equity and repped by Paonessa Talent.

LAUREN VOGEL (Musician & others) is a proud artistic affiliate of American Blues Theater, where she has been seen in Always...Patsy Cline; Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story; The AmBlues Jubilee; and The Best Damn Thing. She is a Jeff Award winning ensemblist, actor, and musician. She has performed previously at A Red Orchid Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Steppenwolf Garage, The Hypocrites, Feinstein's/54 Below, Trap Door Theatre, The Getty Villa, Chicago Children's Theatre, and more. TV/FILM: 99 Perfect Boyfriends, Chicago HR., and The Evilmoji. She has spent the past five years in LA writing, acting, and producing. She is represented by The Daniel Hoff Agency and AEFH.

MOLLY HERNANDEZ (Understudy) is a proud artistic affiliate of American Blues Theater. Always...Patsy Cline* (American Blues Theater), Buddy Holly Story* (American Blues Theater); Berlin* (World Premiere Court Theatre); The Little Mermaid (Drury Lane); Revolution(s), Lucha Teotl*, American Mariachi*, Rust, A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); Buddy Holly Story (Marriott Theatre); The Scorpions' Sting (Lyric Opera); Into the Woods* (Paramount Theatre); Alice Through the Lookingglass* (Lookingglass Theatre, PBS); Into the Woods (Writer's Theatre); Into the Breeches (Northlight Theatre); Masterclass (TimeLine Theatre); The Most Happy Fella (Theo Ubique). Television – Power: Book IV (STARZ); Chicago Med (NBC); Chicago PD (NBC); APB (FOX). Actors Gymnasium Circus Conservatory 2019, BA Spanish Loyola University Chicago 2018. Proud member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA. *Jeff Award & nominations

It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

Title:                             It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

Adapted From:              Frank Capra's Film

Director:                       Gwendolyn Whiteside*

Music Director and jingle composer:     Michael Mahler*

Score composer:           Austin Cook*

*Ensemble member or artistic affiliate of American Blues Theater

Dates:                          November 19 – December 27, 2026

Opening:                       Sunday, November 22, 2026, 2:30pm

Schedule:                     

Monday:            7:00pm (Dec 14 only)

Wednesdays:            2:00pm (Dec 2 only); 7:00pm (Nov. 25 and Dec. 23 only)

Thursdays:             7:00pm (no show on Thanksgiving)

Fridays:             7:30pm (no show on Christmas)

Saturdays:             4:00pm (no shows on Nov, 21, Dec. 5 or Dec. 26) and 7:30pm (no Dec. 5)

Sundays:           2:30pm (no Dec 6)

The runtime is 90 minutes. Arrive 20 minutes before curtain for a fun interactive pre-show.

Location:                      American Blues Theater, 5627 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago

Ticket prices:                Tickets range $34.50 - $119.50 (no hidden fees)

Box office:                    Buy online at www.americanbluestheater.com or by calling (773) 654-3103

Special Access events: $34.50 per ticket, call to purchase

Touch tour: Sunday, November 29 at 1:30pm

American Sign Language-interpreted performance: Friday, December 4 at 7:30pm

Notes of Interest:

• It's a Wonderful Life is a quarter-century Chicago tradition.  With its first production in 2004, this marks the 25th anniversary of this holiday smash hit, making it the second longest-running holiday play in the entire city of Chicago, only behind The Goodman's A Christmas Carol. It is the longest running production of It's a Wonderful Life in the nation.

• Frank Capra's classic film is celebrating its 80^th anniversary.

• Ensemble Member Michael Mahler, who joined the production in 2011 as its announcer and pianist and later became music director, takes on the iconic role of George Bailey for the first time this season. Over the years, Mahler has become a fixture of the production, entertaining audiences with improvised commercial jingles, musical games, and an ever-growing assortment of characters.

• The experience begins 20 minutes before each performance with an interactive musical pre-show that welcomes audiences into the world of a 1940s radio broadcast. This festive introduction showcases an ensemble of Chicago's favorite musical theater performers.

• The "Hometown Hero" tribute: During every performance, the theater honors a real person from the community with a Hometown Hero presentation. The honoree receives a personal testimonial, a projected photo, a certificate, and two complimentary tickets to celebrate their everyday courage.

About American Blues Theater

Winner of the prestigious National Theatre Company Award from American Theatre Wing (Tony Awards). American Blues Theater is an ensemble of artists committed to producing new and classic diverse stories that ask the question: "What does it mean to be American?"

The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Ensemble theater in Chicago. As of 2025, the theater and artists received 265 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and 44 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades.

Few authors have mastered the art of the whodunit quite like Agatha Christie, whose intricate mysteries continue to captivate audiences decades after they were first penned. Adapted for the stage by Leslie Darbon from the prized author’s celebrated novel, A Murder Is Announced, the Saint Sebastian Players bring one of Christie's most ingenious puzzles to life at St. Bonaventure, blending suspense, humor, and a colorful collection of suspects into an evening of classic detective theater. Filled with secrets, red herrings, and unexpected twists, the production invites audiences to play detective alongside Christie's beloved amateur sleuth, Miss Marple, as she untangles a mystery that proves far more complicated than anyone initially suspects.

The intrigue begins when the residents of the quiet English village of Chipping Cleghorn discover a peculiar notice in the local newspaper announcing that a murder will take place at the home of Letitia Blacklock at a specific time and date. Assuming it must be some sort of joke or party game, curious neighbors gather at the appointed hour, only to find themselves present when an actual murder occurs. As the investigation unfolds, hidden identities, long-buried secrets, and unexpected motives begin to emerge from beneath the village's seemingly respectable facade. With suspicion falling on nearly everyone involved, Miss Marple gradually pieces together the clues, patiently separating fact from deception until the startling truth is revealed. Rich in wit and packed with clever misdirection, A Murder Is Announced remains one of the incomparable crime novelist’s most satisfying mysteries, rewarding audiences with a puzzle that keeps them guessing until the very end.

As the intrigue deepens, the Saint Sebastian Players benefit from a cast that readily embraces the source material's suspense and sly sense of humor. Abby McEntee's Miss Marple is confidently in command throughout, bringing a sharp intelligence and quiet determination to the role while skillfully connecting the dots that elude everyone else. Eric S. Prahl makes for a likable and engaging Inspector Craddock, balancing the character's investigative instincts with an approachable charm that keeps audiences invested in the case. Dawn Cole nearly steals every scene she enters as Mitzi, delivering some of the evening's biggest laughs through impeccable comic timing and a wonderfully authentic-sounding Hungarian accent. Emilia Barrosse is equally entertaining as Dora Bunner, injecting warmth, nervous energy, and several well-earned moments of humor into the proceedings. Meanwhile, Jill Chukerman Test provides a steady presence as Letitia Blacklock, maintaining the poise and composure necessary for a character suddenly thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Supported by a capable ensemble that includes Shelley DeHosse, Adam Hoak, Sophie Marantette, Molly McGillivray-Smith, Joleigh Reiss, and Sam Waddell, the company creates a lively collection of suspects and witnesses that makes nearly every character seem capable of murder.

(left) Eric S. Prahl as Inspector Craddock and Abby McEntee as Miss Marple. Photo by Laura Peterson.

Under Aliza Feder's assured direction, the story unfolds with a steady sense of momentum, adeptly balancing the author's trademark suspense with moments of humor and character-driven warmth. Part of the production's success lies in its well-judged pacing, which allows the ensemble's strong chemistry to shine as characters exchange accusations, secrets, and surprising new information throughout the evening. Feder keeps the large ensemble moving fluidly throughout the production, ensuring that the stage never feels overcrowded despite the number of suspects constantly drifting in and out of the action. Much of that success is aided by Emil Zbella's impressive scenic design, which transforms the stage into a spacious, period-authentic English drawing room that immediately establishes the play's setting and atmosphere. The expansive set provides ample room for the cast to spread out naturally while still maintaining the intimacy necessary for a classic drawing-room mystery. Grace M. Weir's costumes further enhance the production's sense of time and place, outfitting each character in attire that feels true to the era while helping to define their personalities and social standing. Feder's direction, coupled with the scenic design and costuming, provides a strong framework for the story's many surprises and discoveries.

This was my first visit to a Saint Sebastian Players production, and I came away very impressed. The company's home at St. Bonaventure possesses an appeal all its own, with the church environment creating a setting quite different from that of a traditional theater. The cozy lobby, lined with photographs from past productions, provides a welcoming place to gather before curtain, while the performance space offers comfortable sightlines and ample room for the action to unfold. Supported by an expansive stage and an impressive set, the venue complements the production nicely and helped make the evening an enjoyable introduction to the company.

With its engaging cast, sharp direction, impressive production values, and one of Agatha Christie's most entertaining mysteries, A Murder Is Announced delivers an evening of classic theatrical suspense. The production is well-acted, well-paced, and filled with enough twists, turns, and unexpected detours to keep audiences guessing until the final reveal. Whether you're a longtime Christie devotee or simply enjoy a good whodunit, Saint Sebastian Players Theatre Company's latest offering proves to be an enjoyable and rewarding detective tale that should satisfy fans of the genre.

A Murder Is Announced runs through November 15th at St. Bonaventure with a runing time of two hours and thirty minutes, which includes a fifteen minute intermission.

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

Highly recommended.

What is Mexodus? Part concert, part theatrical journey, and part history lesson, it explores a rarely told chapter of the Underground Railroad in which enslaved Black Americans sought freedom not in the North, but across the Mexican border. Following Mexico's abolition of slavery in 1829, enslaved Black Americans fleeing bondage in Texas found a path to freedom across the southern frontier, though the trek remained perilous and uncertain. Created and performed by Chicago native Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus combines innovative live-looping, movement, and storytelling under the direction of David Mendizábal and choreography by Tony Thomas. Now playing at Chicago's historic Studebaker Theater, the production offers a fresh and compelling perspective on a little-known chapter of American history.

The story follows an escaped enslaved man who flees Texas for Mexico, where he encounters an unexpected ally and discovers that freedom, while attainable, is never simple. As the pair navigate cultural divisions, political tensions, and the lingering realities of oppression, Mexodus reveals a powerful tale of resilience, friendship, and liberation. Together, their journey becomes a moving exploration of companionship and human connection amid a world shaped by division and oppression.

But it is the way this story is told that truly sets Mexodus apart. One of Mexodus's most distinctive features is its virtuosic use of live-looping, a process that proves fascinating to watch unfold. Quijada and Robinson serve not only as performers but as the production's orchestra, creating beats, rhythms, harmonies, and sound effects in real time through a combination of voice, percussion, and live instrumentation. The score draws heavily from hip-hop while incorporating spoken word, layered vocals, and atmospheric sound design, resulting in a soundscape that is both modern and richly theatrical. Seemingly every instrument imaginable finds its way into this staging, showcasing the artists' remarkable versatility and creativity.

Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson in Mexodus. Photo by Thomas Mundell.

Beyond its impressive musicianship, Mexodus also departs from conventional musical theater structure. Mexodus unfolds as a fluid blend of concert, historical exploration, spoken-word performance, and dramatic storytelling. Quijada and Robinson make full use of the performance space, shifting seamlessly between narration, character work, choreography, and music-making. As they travel across the stage, performance, movement, and music-making merge into a seamless theatrical language, creating an experience in which storytelling unfolds through both sound and motion. At times, audiences may find themselves just as captivated by the remarkable process of watching the music take shape in real time as they are by the narrative itself. For many, however, that genre-defying approach is precisely what makes the production so engaging, allowing the history at its center to feel immediate, contemporary, and emotionally resonant.

At the center of Mexodus are Quijada and Robinson, two tremendously talented and charismatic performers whose effortless collaboration makes even the show's most technically demanding moments appear natural. Their chemistry is undeniable, creating a sense of spontaneity and joy that carries throughout the evening. Behind the scenes, Music Director Alan Mendez expertly shapes Mexodus' rich musical tapestry, while Mikhail Fiksel's sophisticated looping systems architecture and sound design provide the foundation that makes the show's ambitious live music creation possible. Complemented by Johnny Moreno's evocative projections integrated into Riw Rakkulchon's scenic design, the show delivers a captivating theatrical experience for both the eyes and ears. The collaboration between P3 Productions, Audible, and Teatro Vista further underscores the ambitious scope of the undertaking.

By blending history, music, and performance into a seamless whole, Mexodus brings a little-known chapter of the Underground Railroad vividly to life in the most unique of ways. The production's inventive use of live-looping and its dynamic central performers create an experience unlike anything else currently on Chicago stages. Mexodus plays a limited three-week run at Chicago's historic Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Avenue, from November 7 through November 21, 2026. For additional information and tickets, click here. 

Highly recommended.

There are more important things in the world to worry about. At some point in our lives we’ve heard this phrase, often uttered when the other person, or persons, find the matter being discussed as unimportant. Take a break up of good friends, for example. A break up on its surface is small in comparison with the grander issues of the world. But to those individuals who broke up, and those closest to them, it’s more earth-shattering than the actual shattering of the world. Inevitably there will be someone who listens to your story about this cataclysmic break up only for them to find no importance of the matter and dismiss it as unimportant, reminding you that there are more important things in the world to worry about. But what if the break up was in fact more catastrophic than the literal end of the world? Avalanche Theatre’s They Broke Up, now playing at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, explores just this.

Photos by Alex Albrecht.

It's New Year's Eve, and it sure looks like the world is ending. But much more importantly, Brett and Amy have just broken up. As aliens pollute the water, zombies run for Congress, birds ravage the housing market, and apocalyptic cult plans for the end of days, Brett and Amy's friends scheme to reunite them while the ex-couple themselves try to navigate a world with an end-date and a world without each other. They Broke Up is an apocalyptic absurdist comedy centered around a friend group trying to weather both the end of the world and the much more devastating end of a relationship.

If the synopsis for They Broke Up reads a bit extra, a little too much, it’s because it is. Throughout the nearly three-hour production the cast of characters reveal themselves and the absurd world around them through fast-paced, self-deprecating, hyper-self-aware, farcical and troupe-tiptoeing dialogue that needed a level of attention of presence that not even an Italian Opera requires. The true plot of The Break Up is hidden somewhere between the flesh-eating party vying for political dominance and conspiracy theories around South Dakota. If you’re able to find decent rent from the bird landlords and avoid being sworn into a cult, you might be able to find the message or point to the production. There might be more important things to focus on, but They Broke Up spends entirely too much time on the subplots and quirky commentary about the world around them that the audience forgets the plot is not the end of the world but the break up of the two main characters. Perhaps that was the intention of the playwright. “I remember reading three grotesquely awful news stories in a row in a Trader Joe's parking lot and then dissociating heavily next to the oranges,” said playwright Skyler Tarnas. “I realized that's what this play was going to try to capture... the constant overload of tragedy and the deranged sense of detachment I felt like I needed to get through the day, letting numbness shut out helpfulness and growth.” The characters do wonderfully portray a true sense of apathy to the insane events around them through quick-witted delivery and commanding physical comedy. But the plot is entirely lost to the world the characters are in. The break up itself is mentioned with the same blasé narrative as one of the characters near-death experiences with the land-hoarding birds. Occasionally humorous but entirely too much, The Break Up as a play has potential to capture the apathetic, dissociative yet endearing heart of the Gen Z generation with some careful trimming and tightening of the play.

The Break Up was workshopped with Avalanche Theatre, now in residence at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Avalanche Theatre was found in 2019 and focuses on developing new plays by Chicago playwrights. It’s an incubator for young playwrights, a place for original ideas and plays to be workshopped and tested out through programs like Next Draft Series and monthly Show & Tell events. Avalanche is a unique space that focuses on elevating the voices of Chicago’s emerging playwrights such as Tarnas’ They Broke Up. "They Broke Up is one of the most fun, distinct, and laugh-out-loud plays we've come across at Avalanche,” says Avalanche Theatre’s Artistic Director Alexander Attea, who plays Brett in the production of They Broke Up. Originally written in 2024, the play has changed and evolved to eventually be the production now running at Rivendell in November, though it still needs work. The nearly three-hour production is exhaustive with repeated troupes and subplots like personal particle colliders that can be entirely removed without losing any of the dark humor or nonchalance that helps deliver the laugh-out-loud moments. Jokes can be delivered once with great effect, the second or third attempts at delivery cleaned up, and more attention and focus to what you’d want the audience to take away from the production. Is it purely absurdist and pointless? If yes, then why should we even care about the break up at all? Are we actually rooting for the break up or are we rooting against it? Not even the cast of characters had a strong opinion one way or another. Even with all that, The Break Up is an original play with potential to convey the apathetic viewpoint that marks an entire generation.

There are more important things in the world than a break up, yes, but if the whole point is to care about the break up, shouldn’t we focus more on that than the actual things happening in the world? Even if we’re completely unbothered and apathetic to it? You decide, or don’t, I don’t have an opinion one way or another. Avalanche Theatre’s world premiere of They Broke Up plays through November 22^nd at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (5779 Ridge Ave. Chicago). For more information and to purchase tickets, visit avalanchetheatre.com/event-details/they-broke-up.

First published by Hans Christian Andersen in 1844, The Snow Queen has captivated readers for nearly two centuries. Now, The Impostors Theatre Company brings the cherished fairy tale to life at The Den Theatre, reimagining the story as a theatrical adventure that blends wonder, danger, and the enduring power of friendship.

At the heart of the story are Gerda and Kay, two close friends whose lives are upended when a shard of an enchanted mirror becomes lodged in Kay's eye and heart, distorting his perception of the world and leaving him vulnerable to the influence of the mysterious Snow Queen. Drawn away to her frozen realm, Kay vanishes into a kingdom of ice and solitude. Refusing to abandon him, Gerda embarks on a perilous quest to bring him home, navigating a series of magical encounters that test her courage, resilience, and unwavering devotion to her friend.

The shattered magic mirror in The Snow Queen scatters countless shards across the world, infecting humanity one fragment at a time. Even the smallest speck can transform the sunniest disposition into one clouded by despair, not merely pessimism. When a shard pierces the heart or eye, every good thing suddenly appears bad, close friends seem like enemies, and life becomes a perpetual half-empty glass. For Gerda, time is of the essence, as Kay's infection deepens with each passing day, threatening to permanently sever his connection to the people and world he once loved.

The mirror shards can also serve as a compelling metaphor for what has been recognized since the 1980s as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the very real form of depression often triggered by long winters and a lack of warmth and sunlight, something I personally identify with. As the Snow Queen's seemingly endless winter tightens its grip on the world, joy, hope, and bonds of friendship slowly fade. It's a theme that resonates deeply with me, capturing the emotional weight that darker, colder months can bring and reminding us how essential warmth, light, and companionship are to our well-being.

Another theme here is the avoidant male struggle with a depressed ego and the difficulty of expressing love for his best friend. In this story, it is the boy, not the girl, who is pierced by the negative energy of the Snow Queen and finds himself unable to escape the freezing grasp of numbness and despair. As the infection worsens, Kay becomes increasingly disconnected from the love and joy that once defined him. His journey becomes a battle not only against the Snow Queen's influence, but against his own fading ability to recognize and hold onto the emotional connections that matter most. Ultimately, The Snow Queen is a timeless tale about love, resilience, and the comfort of human connection triumphing over fear, isolation, and despair.

At the center of The Snow Queen are Shannon McEldowney as the determined Gerda and Cee Scallen as the conflicted Kay. Gerda's quest drives the narrative, making McEldowney the emotional anchor of the production, while Scallen's portrayal of Kay charts the character's transformation from devoted friend to a boy caught under a dangerous spell. McEldowney brings heart and determination to Gerda, while Scallen effectively captures Kay's gradual emotional withdrawal. Supporting them is a versatile ensemble of storytellers who bring Gerda's fantastical world to life, including Courtney Marie as the enigmatic Snow Queen, whose imposing and mysterious presence looms over the adventure even when she is not on stage, alongside Hilary Sanzel as the Raven, Bryson David Hoff as the Reindeer, Mara Currens as the Robber Girl, JA Loyd as the Old Woman, Mab De Guzman as the Sprite, Mary Ross as Grandma, and Eilish Morse-O'Rourke as Mother. Together, they embody the colorful characters, guides, and adversaries Gerda encounters along her quest through Andersen's enchanted landscape.

Cee Scallen as Kay (left) with Eilish Morse-O'Rourke as Mother. Photo by Kyle Smart.

Playwright Mallory Swisher, a founding member of The Impostors Theatre Company, adapts Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale under the skilled direction of ITC artistic director Stefan Roseen, a Jeff Award-winning director, with Anna Roemer, the company's resident choreographer and co-founder of Schoolhouse Shakespeare Company, serving as co-director and choreographer. Roseen also serves as Scenic and Sound Designer.

The production also benefits from the wonderfully inventive work of Kimzyn Campbell (Puppet Director), Jackie Bobbit (Props Designer/Puppet Assistant), and Jessica Dommer (Puppet Designer/Props Assistant). Their imaginative use of puppets and props brings Andersen's fantastical world to life in unexpected ways, encouraging audiences to fill in the gaps with their own imagination and proving that creativity can be every bit as magical as special effects.

One especially memorable touch was keeping the theater slightly chilled throughout the performance. It was never uncomfortable but just cool enough to make audiences feel as though they had stepped into the Snow Queen's frozen realm. Equally delightful was the decision to offer blankets to guests as they entered, allowing theatregoers to stay warm and cozy while soaking in the atmosphere. It's a small detail, but one that beautifully enhanced the sense of immersion and demonstrated the production's commitment to creating a complete theatrical experience.

Beneath its fairy tale trappings, The Impostors Theatre Company's production reminds audiences that perseverance, loyalty, compassion, and the transformative power of love remain powerful forces in an increasingly disconnected world. Gerda's journey is not merely an adventure through an enchanted landscape, but a testament to the courage required to hold onto hope when confronted by fear, loss, and isolation. In an age when genuine human connection can often feel fragile, the story's enduring message about empathy and resilience remains as relevant as ever, reminding audiences that even the coldest hearts can be reached through kindness and determination.

I also want to commend both The Den Theatre and The Impostors Theatre Company for their thoughtful accommodation of patrons with disabilities. The Den's intimate upstairs performance space is accessible via an elevator upon request for those unable to navigate the stairs, and I was encouraged to see several guests using wheelchairs and canes able to access the theater comfortably. Equally appreciated was the kindness shown by The Impostors team when arranging seating. Not only did they place me on an aisle to make navigating the space easier, but they took the additional step of asking exactly how many stairs I could comfortably manage in order to provide the best possible view. That rare gesture was especially meaningful because every disability is different, and one never truly knows what another person experiences with their disability or what challenges they may be managing beyond what is visible. It was a simple act of consideration, but one that demonstrated a genuine understanding that accessibility is not a one-size-fits-all matter.

Recommended for audiences of all ages.

The Snow Queen runs November 5 through December 6 at The Den Theatre's Upstairs Mainstage, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Opening weekend performances take place Thursday, November 5, and Friday, November 6, at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $20, with reserved seating available for $25. Tickets may be purchased through The Den Theatre box office.

Dear Rhoda invites audiences into the chaotic world of 1920s Chicago, where love refuses to surrender to fear. Inspired by the letters of Chicago bookseller Jerry Nedwick, found locked in a trunk for more than 90 years, this timeless love story with live music is written by co-authors Donna Russell and David Ranney (University of Illinois Chicago Professor Emeritus) and adapted and directed by Peter Garino, Artistic Director of The Shakespeare Project of Chicago.

"This wonderful love story, locked in a trunk for more than 90 years, got a grip on both Donna and I. Two lovers, one running a bookstore in Chicago, the other locked up in a TB sanitarium, were somehow able to strengthen their love amidst the tumultuous events of the 1920s," says Ranney.

Jerry and Rhoda meet at the Dil Pickle Club, a bohemian haven for artists, radicals, and free-thinkers. Drawn together by shared ideals and an undeniable connection, their love ignites. But as a devastating disease spreads, prejudice tightens its grip, and society teeters on the brink of upheaval, will their love endure?

The production stars J.G. Smith, an ensemble member of American Blues Theatre, as Rhoda Katz, and veteran New York actor Tom Morin as Jerry Nedwick. The ensemble features Josh Carpenter, Joe Fernandez, Jenny Hoppes, Dev Kennedy, Tim Kough, Dina Monk, and Allison Sokolowski. Shawn Wallace provides live piano accompaniment.

The creative team includes Lia Wallfish (costumes), Sierra Walker (lighting), Hannah Dykstra (projection design), Naya Tadavarthy (set decoration/properties), Hannah Amell (dramaturg), and Christopher Prentice (stage manager).

Tickets and Information

Venue: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60657

Dates: January 7-24, 2027

Performance Schedule:

• Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m.
• Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Sundays at 2 p.m.
• Additional performance Wednesday, January 20 at 2 p.m.

Runtime: Approximately 2 hours, including one 10-minute intermission

Tickets: $30. Groups of 10 or more save $5 per ticket. Theater Wit members attend as part of their membership.

Visit Dear Rhoda for tickets and additional information, including the historical background behind the production.

About The Shakespeare Project of Chicago

Since its founding in 1995, The Shakespeare Project of Chicago has presented more than 150 staged readings of the works of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries, performed by professional actors in public libraries and at Chicago's Newberry Library. The company's education outreach program also brings Shakespeare workshops and abridged productions to local schools.

For more information, visit The Shakespeare Project of Chicago.

About Theater Wit

As a production company, Theater Wit is dedicated to producing humorous, challenging, and intelligent plays that speak with a contemporary theatrical voice. As an institution, it serves as a hub for Chicago's neighborhood theater community.

Led by Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler, Theater Wit hosts a variety of storefront theatre companies in its three 99-seat performance spaces, giving audiences access to a wide range of productions and artists from across the Chicago theater landscape.

 The puppets are coming!

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the largest of its kind in North America, has announced the line-up for its 9th edition, January 20-31, 2027.

As before, the Festival will run 12 consecutive days, with shows and events popping up at dozens of venues large and small all across Chicago. Back bigger than ever, Festival goers can look forward to a huge array of puppet shows and experiences in 2027, including:

Fresh off his performance at United Center, Canadian sensation Kid Koala brings his multimedia magic to open the Festival with The Storyville Mosquito. While he’s in town, Kid Koala invites the entire family to show off their best robot dance moves at his all-ages morning Robot Dance Party, one show only!

It’s the Festival’s most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational show yet -  the Chicago premiere of Puppet Up! Co-created by Brian Henson (Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island), Puppet Up! blends unhinged feats of improv comedy, the unparalleled skill of Henson puppeteers, and recreations of classic Henson pieces. This is big. Like, really big.
Climb in the back of an ambulance and go on a wild, 25-minute race against time through the streets of Chicago with On Call from Canada’s Théâtre à Bout Portant. This intense show is staged entirely inside a moving ambulance for just three spectators at a time, ten departures per day.

Be the first to see The Daemon, a brand new, world premiere, genre-busting multimedia work exploring the fight to be human in a digital age from Chicago’s own Manual Cinema. Local puppeteer Myra Su will also debut Stripes, a new work featuring tabletop puppets built around barcode readers and light sensors. Both works are commissioned in part by the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival.

Take in three jaw-dropping works of puppet theater from Compagnie Tchaïka (Belgium/Chile), including Sisypholia, a free show featuring a modern-day Sisyphus rolling a giant ball of fast fashion through public spaces in Chicago. 

See two incredible shows from Japan, three acclaimed productions from France, one work from Spain and another from Catalonia, along with two stop-motion film festivals from Scotland.  Plus, from India comes a one-hour version and a seven-day ritual installation experience of The Ramayana featuring highly-skilled shadow puppet artists and live musicians.

Enjoy a gourmet dinner for 12 by acclaimed Chicago chef Christopher Sullivan, then step away for ConCordis, a short, private show for one featuring Brazilian puppet artist Nina Vogel, all staged at a private location in Wicker Park.

2027 also marks the return of the always popular late-night puppet cabarets, Nasty, Brutish & Short. Throughout the festival, the Free Neighborhood Tour will bring Out With It, a family-friendly show from Chicago’s Rough House Puppet Arts, to venues and community spaces all over the city.
 
Puppetry enthusiasts are also welcome to check out the free Ellen Van Volkenburg Symposium, and the Catapult Artist Intensive, professional education workshops with visiting puppet artists.

And so much more. In sum, this year’s festival will present more than 100 shows and events throughout the city, introducing audiences to a diverse range of classic and contemporary puppetry styles performed by puppet artists from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Catalonia, Chile, France, India, Japan, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Chicago and New York.

Be gone, bad weather. Voted Best Performing Arts Festival by the readers of the Chicago Reader, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is Chicago’s favorite winter staycation and a magnet for international visitors, welcoming  25,000+ audience members. The Chicago Puppet Fest is a great way to warm up your January with a wide range of fascinating shows, from tiny stages to huge theaters, adults only to family friendly, shadow puppetry to bunraku-style, spectacle events to intimate, miniature works 

Tickets to the 9th Chicago Puppet Festival go on sale in mid-November. Don’t wait. Despite Chicago’s cold winters, Puppet Festival tickets are the hottest seats in town come January. Sign-up for e-updates, request the 2027 festival brochure, learn more about the artists, plan your festival show schedule, recruit your friends, and purchase tickets at chicagopuppetfest.org.

Following is the preliminary line-up for the 9th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival (shows are listed in chronological order, by start date/time.) Stay tuned for further special event and ticketing information including showtimes and prices:

The Storyville Mosquito
Kid Koala (Canada)
January 20-24
Studebaker Theater, Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., downtown Chicago
Ages 6 and up

A young mosquito leaves his small town in the country to seek fame and fortune in the big city and fulfill his dream of playing in one of the greatest bands of all time, in this multimedia experience featuring miniature sets, live puppetry, cinematography, and live music by Kid Koala, fresh off his recent performance at United Center.

On Call
Théâtre à Bout Portant (Canada)
January 20-31 (no performances Monday, January 25)
Ten departures per day
Ages 18 and up

Staged entirely inside a moving ambulance, On Call is an intensely powerful, one-of-a-kind theatrical experience staged for just three brave spectators at a time. Climb inside and witness the fragility of human life and the fears of EMTs everywhere in this 25-minute trip through time on the streets of Chicago.
 

ConCordis
Nina Vogel (Brazil) with Chef Christopher Sullivan of Twilight Kitchen (Chicago)
A gourmet dinner plus one-on-one puppet show, held at a private location in Wicker Park
Thursday through Sunday, January 21-24 and January 28-31

Three seatings per night: 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
16 and up

Take a seat at this unique farm-to-table, family-style gourmet dinner for 12, paired with a short, intimate puppet show – performed for just one viewer at a time – that reveals what truly makes one’s heart beat. 

LOCO
Compagnie Tchaïka (Belgium/Chile)
At the Biograph Theatre’s Začek-McVay Mainstage, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park
January 21-23
Ages 12 and up

Inspired by Nikolai Gogol’s “Diary of a Madman,” LOCO is an absurdist tale exploring the blurred boundary between sanity and madness in a wildly surrealist ballet that leaves audiences spellbound.

An Ocean of Love
Compagnie La Salamandre (France)
Presented at Steppenwolf Theatre’s Merle Reskin Space, 1624 N. Halsted St., Lincoln Park
January 21-31
Ages 7 and up

Two employees in grey smocks make paper boats to escape their work, which turns into a charmingly funny and poetic, puppet-like odyssey across a stormy ocean, all immersed in a delicate world of paper. Inspired by the graphic novel of the same name.

Spa & Beauty

Geumhyung Jeong (South Korea)

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Crown Room, 220 E. Chicago Ave., downtown Chicago
January 21-24

Ages 18 and up

This provocative exhibition turns into a hands-on demonstration by the artist guiding small groups through tutorials using beauty and body care products that touch our naked body on a daily basis. Brushes, sponges, soaps and other functional objects form a disconcerting display that invites onlookers to reconsider their ideas of beauty, intimacy, self-care and consumption. 

Stripes
Myra Su (Chicago)
Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Wicker Park
January 21-24
All Ages

From the Walder Foundation’s Platform award-winning artist Myra Su comes a new work commissioned in part by the Festival. Newly innovated puppets built around barcode readers and light sensors navigate, process, and understand their environment, creating an immersive world and story where the sensorial experience of puppets bridge tech and life through music and light.

The Y - feel like flying
Yldor Llach (Catalonia)
CircEsteem, 4730 N. Sheridan Rd., in Uptown
January 21-31
All ages

A nimble tamer becomes increasingly intent on training his beast - a bicycle - to fly him to the moon in this singularly unique, multidisciplinary street circus featuring puppets, magic, theatre, poetry, acrobatics and a lot of audience participation. Not to be missed.

Yoroboshi

Satoko Ichihara (Japan)
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Edlis Neeson Theater, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Downtown
January 21-24

Ages 18 and up

*Subject matter may venture into adult themes or subject matter. Parental discretion is advised.

One of Japan’s most uncompromising playwright-directors makes her American debut with this utterly unpredictable feminist refashioning of this centuries-old Japanese fable about an abandoned, grossly mistreated blind boy abandoned by his parents: a traffic-autonomaton father and a sex doll mother. 

Sisypholia

Compagnie Tchaïka (Belgium/Chile)
MCA Plaza and other locations TBA
January 22-24

Free, open to the public
All ages

An everyday Sisyphus rolls a giant ball of fast fashion through public spaces in Chicago until he returns to his starting point. And just like the legendary Sisyphus, he is deep in his absurd reality, igniting an ironic engine of chaos that promises to extract audiences and passersby from the compulsive rhythm of today’s consumer culture.

Tholpavakoothu Ramayana Ritual Installation Experience

Harisree Kannan Tholpavakoothu Kalakendram (India)

Location TBA

January 22-28

All ages

Traditionally performed as marathon rituals in India’s Bhadrakali temples that last as many as 64 nights, this company tells the story of The Ramayana while showcasing Tholpavakoothu shadow puppetry. This installation is a more open-ended meditation and appreciation opportunity to come briefly or visit for all seven days to immerse yourself. Each ticket has a timed entry for a given day but once inside you can be there as long as you’d like that night. In sum, the installation features over 150 puppets, live music, performers capable of reciting as many as 2,100 slokas, and Tamil, Sanskrit and Malayalam language.

The Ramayana Leather Shadow Puppet Show of Kerala
Harisree Kannan Tholpavakoothu Kalakendram (India)

Location TBA

January 22-28
All ages

Join these fourteenth-generation puppeteers from the Kerala region in India as they employ traditional leather shadow puppets to share a one-hour performance of a section from The Ramayana.

Nasty, Brutish & Short
Rough House Puppet Arts (Chicago/International)
Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave., Roscoe Village/Avondale
Friday and Saturday, January 22 and 23 and January 29 at 30 at 10:30 p.m.
16 and up

Eyebrows meet lowbrows at Rough House’s adults-only late show where fancy international out-of-town puppet artists join fan favorite Noah Ginex and emcee Jameson with legendary Chicago puppeteers for a wild night of fellowship and experimental puppet revelry.

Robot Dance Party
Kid Koala (Canada)
Sunday, January 24, 11 a.m.
At CircEsteem, 4730 N. Sheridan Rd., in Uptown
All ages

Music. Robots. Bleeps and blorps—it’s a morning robot dance party for adults and for kids! Participants build custom, one-of-a-kind robot costumes from scratch using provided cardboard and craft materials, then hit the dance floor to show off their robot moves while Kid Koala spins his favorite tracks.

Une Traversée
Compagnie Tchaïka (Belgium/Chile)
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Edlis Neeson Theater, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Downtown
January 26-28

Ages 10 and up

Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” aided by puppets and the misappropriation of objects, Une Traversée explores how consciousness and imagination activate to face a world torn apart by war, as seen by the eyes of a child undertaking a very important crossing.  

Along the Tokaido Highway (working title)
Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo: The Koryū Nishikawa Troupe (Japan)
Lookingglass Theatre, 163 E. Pearson St., downtown Chicago
January 28-31
All ages

Japan’s national treasure and fifth-generation master puppeteer Koryū Nishikawa V brings this beautiful production blending traditional kuruma ningyō puppetry with contemporary staging to tell a classic story about the Tokaido Highway, the most important historical highway in Japan.

If It Were a Movie
Macarena Recuerda Shepherd (Spain)
The Dance Center Columbia College Chicago, 1306 S. Michigan Ave., South Loop
January 28-30
Ages 14 and up

In this remarkable reconfiguring of puppetry as Foley artistry, audience members wearing high-tech earphones watch and listen as an impossible film is created in their own minds. Sound in cinema is entirely rethought in the theatrical scene. Sounds that dramatize, fictionalize or re-signify the images they touch, producing strangeness, humor, and becoming a metaphor for traveling from the plausible to the unreal.

Little Theater at the World’s Edge - Opus II
Théâtre de la Massue (France)
Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Wicker Park

January 28-31
Ages 13 and up

The audience surrounds the stage, a hazy, rugged landscape emerges, gradually populated by puppets with sculpted faces, each meticulously participating in a clever little machine made of wood, salvaged objects and strings to create a moving metaphor for the human condition.

The Daemon
Manual Cinema (Chicago)
Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts, Performance Hall, UChicago, 915 E. 60th St., Hyde Park
January 28-31
Ages 12 and up

In a genre-bending new production, Manual Cinema presents a triptych of stories about technology, language, history, and human connection. Told entirely without dialogue, and using Manual Cinema’s beguiling pastiche of shadow puppetry, live feed video, and original music, this darkly comic production explores the fight to be human in a digital age.

Puppet Up!

Brian Henson (New York)
Studebaker Theater, Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., downtown Chicago
January 29-31
16 and up
*Subject matter may venture into adult themes or subject matter. Parental discretion is advised.

Our most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational show yet! Co-created by Brian Henson (Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island), Puppet Up! blends unhinged feats of improv comedy, the unparalleled skill of Henson puppeteers, and recreations of classic pieces originally created by Jim and Jane Henson that haven’t been seen in decades.

 
Free Neighborhood Tour
Out With It by Rough House Puppet Arts, featuring Claire Saxe
Dates and locations TBA
All ages
Free

Chicago puppeteer Claire Saxe will pop up in different Chicago neighborhoods throughout the Festival to present free performances of Rough House’s new, family-friendly work Out With It, a playful collision of puppetry, clown, and the forces of chaos.

Film Screening – Project Hail Mary
With special guest James Ortiz (New York)
Film Row Cinema at Columbia College, 1104 S. Wabash, South Loop
Monday, January 25
Two screenings: 4 p.m. (followed by a talkback) and 7:30 p.m.
Ages 13 and up

Enjoy an exclusive screening of the acclaimed 2026 sci fi epic Project Hail Mary with special guest James Ortiz, who voiced and co-puppeteered the film’s character, Rocky, giving star Ryan Gosling a run for his money as the film’s most lovable character.

Film Screening – Manipulate Festival Program A: The Best of Scottish Stop Motion Short Films (Scotland)
Film Row Cinema at Columbia College, 1104 S. Wabash, South Loop
Presented in partnership with Columbia College Chicago School of Film and Television
Tuesday and Wednesday, January 26 and 27 at 5 p.m.
Ages 16 and up

From award-winning filmmakers to emerging talents, this “best of” line-up demonstrates why Scotland is a vibrant force in animated storytelling, showcasing an extraordinary diversity of stop‑motion techniques, spanning sand and stones, felt and clay, puppets, objects, machines and more.

Film Screening – Manipulate Festival Program B: Best of International Stop Motion Short Films
Film Row Cinema at Columbia College, 1104 S. Wabash, South Loop
Presented in partnership with Columbia College Chicago School of Film and Television
Tuesday and Wednesday, January 26 and 27 at 7 p.m.
Ages 16 and up

This international lineup celebrates the extraordinary diversity of stop‑motion technique with films from ten countries across four continents, each offering a distinct cultural and material approach to tell intimate, beautifully crafted tales of love, loss, memory and belonging. 

Film Screening - Dear Stranger (Japan, Taiwan, U.S.)
Film Row Cinema at Columbia College, 1104 S. Wabash, South Loop
Date TBA

A Japanese man and Taiwanese-American wife's immigrant lives unravel when their son disappears while she works as a theater puppet director. The kidnapping reveals hidden secrets, testing their emotional limits and moral boundaries. Featuring puppet direction by Blair Thomas, creations by the Chicago Puppet Studio and performances by celebrated actors Gwei Lun-Mei and Hidetoshi Nishijima.

Opening Night Prelude Reception
Fine Arts Building, 3rd Floor Balcony, 410 S. Michigan Ave., downtown Chicago
Wednesday, January 20, 5:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.

Join top supporters, festival leadership, staff and the Artistic Directors from the shows being presented this year in the Festival for drinks and hors d’oeuvres to toast the opening of the 9th edition of the Chicago Puppet Festival. Sponsored in honor of Board Member, Jordan Shields.

Opening Night Post-Show Party
Fine Arts Building, Curtiss Hall, 10th Floor, 410 S. Michigan Ave., downtown Chicago
Wednesday, January 20, 8:30 to 10:15 p.m.

Celebrate Opening Night with international puppet artists who have come to Chicago to share their astonishing and delightful acts for the next 12 days of the festival. Enjoy drinks, dessert and puppetry of course! 

Closing Party
Location TBA

The Closing Night Party is always the hottest ticket in town. Details coming soon.

The Catapult Artist Intensive
January 22-24, January 25-27 and January 29-3

Ages 18 and up
Cost: $635 (No application required. Hotel not included, but a hotel discount is available at the Warwick Allerton Hotel, 701 N. Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago.)

The Catapult Artist Intensive returns bigger than before, with not two but three unique professional multi-day sessions to inspire and inform practicing artists of all disciplines. Over each three-day period, participants take a deep dive into puppetry with a curated, guided experience of the Festival programming. Join an intimate cohort, escorted by a professional leader, for discussions, backstage access and more. Deemed the best way to experience the Festival deeply (per AD Blair Thomas).

New this year: the Festival introduces the Mid-Week Workshop Intensive, which offers three full days of workshops with Festival artists. In the evenings, the Mid-Week cohort will attend Festival programming. 

The Ellen Van Volkenburg Puppetry Symposium
Four free panel discussions presented by the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Downtown

Saturday and Sunday, January 23 and 24, and January 30 and 31, 10 a.m. and Noon
Stay tuned for topics and speakers

Named in honor of Little Theatre of Chicago director Ellen Van Volkenburg, who coined the term “puppeteer” in 1912, the Festival’s annual symposium brings together puppetry enthusiasts, scholars and festival artists from Chicago, the U.S. and internationally for free discussions around the intersection of puppetry with other disciplines and ideas.

Get your tickets, and enjoy a discount at The Warwick Allerton Hotel, the Official Hotel of the Chicago Puppet Festival

Visit chicagopuppetfest.org for tickets and information about the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. Follow the fest on Facebook, Instagram or Vimeo, hashtag #ChiPuppetFest.

The Warwick Allerton Hotel, 701 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago, is the Official Hotel of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. Use discount code PUPPETFEST2027 during festival dates. Visit warwickhotels.com/warwick-allerton-chicago or call (312) 440-1500 to reserve.

Festival Funders

Supporters of the 9th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival include the Paul Angell Foundation, Cheryl Lynn Bruce and Kerry James Marshall, Chicago Park District Night Out in the Parks Program, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Ginger Farley, Ferdi Foundation, Julie Moller, The Marshall Frankel Foundation, Elizabeth Frankel, Illinois Arts Council, Jentes Family Foundation, Justine Jentes and Dan Kuruna, the Paul A. Levy Trust, Mia Park and Ali Levy, Manaaki Foundation, Sue Crothers-Gee and Bill Gee, Kristy and Brandon Moran, Leesa and Jes Sherborne, Sarah Donovan and Jordan Shields, John Supera, Caylei and Nicholas Vogelzang, and Deb and Andy Wolkstein.

About the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Since its inception in 2015 as a project of Blair Thomas & Co., the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival promotes peace, equality, and justice on a global scale, presenting artists presented from around the world including Belgium, Chile, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Puerto Rico, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea and Spain as well as from Chicago and across the U.S.

In 2022, the festival moved from a biennial to an annual event, while it tripled its footprint in Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building, opened its own in-house puppet fabrication division, the increasingly sought after Chicago Puppet Studio, and launched the Chicago Puppet Lab, now in its 6th cohort. The organization has increased its work to support new work development and enjoys an education space and developmental residency at the studio designed to continually help incubate more works of boundary-breaking puppetry in Chicago.

It’s kismet that the Fine Arts Building is home again to one of the most influential puppetry organizations in the world. In 1912, after Ellen Van Volkenburg founded the Little Theater of Chicago in the Fine Arts Building. She needed a name for the actors manipulating marionettes in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, so she credited them in the program with a new word, “puppeteer.” Many agree this marked the initial intersection of traditional puppetry with contemporary theater still practiced today, and now flourishing around the world.

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival continues to grow and expand under the guidance of Co-Founder and Artistic Director Blair Thomas, Executive Director Sandy Smith Gerding, a dedicated staff, and a generous, active board of directors. For more, visit chicagopuppetfest.org and follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram or Vimeo, hashtag #ChiPuppetFest.