Two Edge Theater, a reincarnation of the Edge Theater Company that enjoyed eight successful seasons in the Denver, Colorado area, will mount A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE as its first production in the Chicago area, in collaboration with Chicago's Gwydion Theatre. Rick Yaconis, the founder of both Two Edge Theater and its Colorado predecessor, will play the longshoreman Eddie Carbone. Yaconis's many roles in the Chicago area include another iconic Miller character, Willy Loman, in Gwydion's 2025 production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN. A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE will be directed by Robert Tobin, founding artistic director of Chicago's Aston Rep Theatre, seen on stage earlier this year in Aston Rep's UNCLE VANYA. A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE will be performed in the Studio Theater of the Chopin Theater, 1543 West Division Street, Chicago, from December 4, 2026, through January 10, 2027. 

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, which premiered on Broadway in 1956, is a tragedy set in a 1950s Brooklyn Italian-immigrant community. A Sicilian-American longshoreman, Eddie Carbone, develops an obsessive, incestuous desire for his orphaned niece that leads him to betray his family and community when she falls in love with an undocumented immigrant. In addition to Yaconis as Eddie, the cast will be led by Katherine Schwartz as Eddie's wife Beatrice, Natalie Tangeman as the niece Catherine; Jesse Kortus as Rodolpho, the immigrant with whom Catherine falls in love; John Wehrman as Marco, Beatrice's cousin who is living with their family and is an undocumented immigrant; and Jim Morely as Alfieri, the attorney who narrates the story. The supporting cast, who will all play multiple roles, includes Cesar Gonzales (Tony/ensemble), Marshall Kious (Mike/ensemble), Melissa Paris (Mrs. Lipari/ensemble), Darren Price (Louis/ensemble), and Rocco Renda (Mr.  Lipari/ensemble).

The design team includes two-time Jeff Award winner Kevin Rolfs (Set Designer), Samantha Barr (Lighting Designer), Nick Cochran (Costume Designer), Rick Reid (Sound Associate), Kate Lass (Fight and Intimacy Director), and Patty Yaconis (Props Designer). Katie Espinoza is Assistant Production Manager and Stage Manager.
 
Tickets for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE are $35.00 ($30.00 if purchased by October 31) and are on sale now at https://twoedgetheater.com. The preview on Thursday, December 4, which is also the production's final dress rehearsal, will be free and open to the public.

Two Edge Theater Company in collaboration with Gwydion Theatre Company

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
By Arthur Miller
Directed by Robert Tobin
December 4, 2026 – January 10, 2027

Chopin Theater 
1543 W. Division Street, Chicago 60642
Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 4 pm
No performances December 24, 25 or January 1
Tickets $35.00 ($30.00 if purchased by October 31), on sale now at https://twoedgetheater.com
Free final dress rehearsal/preview on Thursday, December 3

Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman living in Red Hook, Brooklyn, harbors an obsessive love for his niece Catherine. When two illegal immigrants arrive from Sicily — relatives seeking a new life in America — the fragile balance of his world begins to crack. Miller's masterwork is a story of family loyalty, the immigrant dream, and the dangerous line between love and possession. It's  raw, relentless, and devastating.

Chicago's historic Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater are thrilled to announce their Halloween co-production of Manual Cinema's acclaimed Frankenstein has added two additional performances due to popular demand on Wednesday Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. The production runs for five performances only, October 28–November 1, 2026, at the Studebaker Theater (410 S. Michigan Avenue). For tickets and more information, visit fineartsbuilding.com/frankenstein.

In Manual Cinema's thrilling version of the classic Gothic tale Frankenstein, the Chicago-based Emmy Award-winning performance collective imaginatively combines shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and live sound effects and music in a haunting show unlike any other. The production stitches together the fictional story of Frankenstein with the biography of the original novel's author, Mary Shelley, to create an unexpected tale about the beauty and horror of creation.

Frankenstein is adapted from the novel by Mary Shelley, with a concept by Drew Dir. The production is devised by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace and Julia Miller. Original music and sound design are by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter.

Tickets for Frankenstein at the Studebaker Theater (410 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago) are now on sale for $35-$85, with student tickets available for $25 with ID. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit fineartsbuilding.com/frankenstein.

Frankenstein performance times are:

Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 1 at 3 p.m.

About the Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater

The Fine Arts Building, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2023, is a home for art in all forms: from pioneers like Poetry magazine's founding publisher Harriet Monroe, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, illustrator W. W. Denslow, sculptor Lorado Taft and the Chicago Little Theatre, to the ongoing legacies of painters, musicians, booksellers, puppeteers, dancers, photographers and craftspeople who inhabit the building today, the Fine Arts Building is buzzing with more than a century of Chicago creativity and innovation.

A Chicago Landmark since 1978, the building features original Art Nouveau murals from the late 19th century and the Studebaker Theater, one of the city's oldest and most significant live theatrical venues. Following a major multi-million-dollar renovation of the Studebaker led by Berger Realty Group and completed in 2022, the theater has been home to NPR's popular news quiz show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" and has hosted performances from new musicals including 44: The Obama Musical, Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile, and Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, along with productions Ava: The Secret Conversations starring Elizabeth McGovern and Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol. For more information, visit fineartsbuilding.com.

About Manual Cinema

Manual Cinema is an Emmy Award-winning performance collective, design studio, and film/video production company founded in 2010 by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller and Kyle Vegter. Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive stories for stage and screen. Using vintage overhead projectors, multiple screens, puppets, actors, live feed cameras, multi-channel sound design, and live music, Manual Cinema transforms the experience of attending the cinema and imbues it with liveness, ingenuity, and theatricality.

The company was awarded an Emmy in 2017 for "The Forger," a video created for The New York Times, and named Chicago Artists of the Year in 2018 by the Chicago Tribune. Their shadow puppet animations were featured in the 2021 film remake of Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta and produced by Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions. In collaboration with the Obama Foundation and Batwin + Robin Productions, Manual Cinema created two animated films for the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago, Ten Letters a Day and Power of Place.

Recent productions include Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About A Terrible Monster, based on books by Mo Willems, an adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and a revamped production of The Magic City, based on Edith Nesbit's 1910 novel. In 2023, Manual Cinema completed production on their first self-produced short film, Future Feeling, and toured with folk rock band Iron & Wine the following year. In Summer 2025, Manual Cinema premiered their latest feature production, The 4th Witch—a bold and imaginative inversion of Macbeth that is now touring.

Trap Door Theatre is thrilled to continue its 33rd season with Any Rebellion of Will, written by S.L. Daniels and directed by Spencer Huffman. Any Rebellion of Will will play October 8th – November 1st, 2026 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W Cortland St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at trapdoortheatre.com or by calling (773)-384-0494.

The cast will include Shawna Franks, Camilla Frontain, Lenin Izquierdo, and Lawrence Grimm.

A dark absurdist comedy with a twist of vaudeville, Any Rebellion of Will finds a depressed, anguished Will being kicked out of his authoritative parents' home on his 25th birthday. Will returns home with an odd, mystical street performer Giselle who ignites a rebellious passion in Will, and a demented, destructive mania in his parents. 

This production is housed under our Trap Open Series and is being independently produced by a grant from the Independent Projects Initiative and Grey Area Productions.

Any Rebellion of Will

Author: S.L. Daniels

Director: Spencer Huffman

Cast (in alphabetical order): Shawna Franks (Mona), Camilla Frontain (Giselle), Lawrence Grimm (Ferdinand), and Lenin Izquierdo (Will).

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

Regular Run: Thursday, October 8th –Saturday, November 1st, 2026

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 pm. Sundays at 2:00 pm.

Press performance: Press are encouraged to attend on or after Friday, October 9th.

Tickets: $5-$30. Tickets are currently available at https://our.show/any-rebellion-of-will or by calling (773) 384-0494.

Jonathan James Productions presents the world premiere of The Years Between Us, a new play by Liana Sonenclar, directed by Liam Pietrzyk. Developed with New York Stage and Film, the play previously received a New York reading starring AnnaSophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia), Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things), and Tony nominee Julia Lester (Into the Woods). This production features Kate Cvengros, Julian Rus, and Michaela Horn, with performances October 15, 16, and 18 at The Lodge Performing Arts Center in Elgin.

The Years Between Us is a comedy with heart about three young people caught between childhood and adulthood. When Lacey (25) unexpectedly returns home, the kids she once babysat, Josh (17) and Tessa (15), are reunited with their childhood hero, just as each of them is struggling to grow up. Josh needs a date, Tessa needs a punching bag, and Lacey needs a lot. In a world without role models, can these three make it through together?

Liana Sonenclar is a New York-based writer represented by WME. Her work has been presented with New York Stage and Film, The New Group, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Dorset Theater Festival, and The Hearth, among others. Her short film To Be Honest screened at thirteen festivals and won four Best of Fest awards. She studied English at the University of Chicago and holds a BFA in Acting from NYU Tisch.

"I wrote this play at a time in my life I felt torn over the line between adolescence and adulthood. It means the world to me to premiere in Chicago, where I started my theater journey at 18. It almost feels like returning home," said Sonenclar.

"Liana's writing undoubtedly sets a bar for character depth in writing. From hilarious, dark-comedy to deep intricate meaning, Liana knows what it means to express the human condition. From the moment I saw the depth my actors brought to the first rehearsal, I knew I wanted to be completely hands on with this project," said director Liam Pietrzyk.

"I first became enamored with Liana's writing when I saw a recording of a staged reading in New York City of another one of her pieces, Before This New Year, starring Natalia Dyer from Stranger Things. Liana has a unique style unlike any other playwright I've read - profound yet youthful, humorous yet grounded in realism. I just knew I had to collaborate with her and bring one of her works to Chicago. It took me a few years and a few attempts, but we finally made it happen. When she sent me The Years Between Us, I knew from just the first few pages that I wanted to be the one to produce the world premier" said Executive Producer Jonathan James.

Jonathan James (Executive Producer) is a Chicagoland director, producer, music director, and vocal and acting coach who began his career as an actor at age six. He served as youth vocal and acting coach for Broadway in Chicago and Chicagoland Theatre Fund's Children of Eden at the Cadillac Palace. His recent directing credits include the Lou Award-nominated Prodigal Son for Elgin Theater Company, Independent Players' The Outsiders, both which he transferred to the Athenaeum Center, and a staged reading of The Importance of Being Earnest for The Lodge Foundation. He has music-directed Heathers and tick, tick...BOOM! for Point2Productions and co-founded the Chicagoland Theatre Fund and JK Entertainment where he serves as Executive Director.

Performance Information
The Years Between Us by Liana Sonenclar
October 15 and 16 at 8 PM; October 18 at 2 PM
The Lodge Performing Arts Center, 18 Villa Ct, Elgin, IL 60120
Tickets: $20; students and seniors $15
https://ticketstripe.com/yearsbetweenus

Run time: 1 hour

Through music, documentary video, sound, photos and live actors, “SANCTUARY STORIES: A JOURNALISM THEATER PROJECT” captures in words and images the lives and communities deeply connected with — and affected by — immigration in Chicago. 

This “living documentary” is a unique and unprecedented adventure in multimedia storytelling that brings journalism to life. 

The stories presented by the actors are based on extensive reporting, told verbatim from interview transcripts. And they are complemented with vivid documentary video and sound, illustrating the thoughts and storytelling, showing the Chicagoans behind the stories.

The project returns after an incredibly successful run in January that sold out in its first weekend.

Among those portrayed are clergy who have stepped forward to help immigrants; a veteran Immigration Court judge who resigned over a changed system; a politician driven to join demonstrators; a young immigrant who frets that the successful life she has found can be instantly swept away; and a refugee who cannot sleep or smile because of the torture he suffered for years as he made his way to the U.S.

The evening also features insights from visual journalists who’ve been covering the crackdown, as well as original music by Chicago singer-songwriter Flo Estes.

After the premiere showing on Northwestern’s campus, one former Chicago Tribune journalist wrote: “Just when you think there are no new ideas... this ‘journalism theater project’ called SANCTUARY STORIES comes along from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.”

The production is the work of Emmy award-winning documentarian Craig Duff, a former video journalist at CNN, the New York Times and Time Magazine. Duff is now a journalism professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School. He is also an actor and theater artist. Stephen Franklin, a former Chicago Tribune journalist, Borderless Magazine contributor and trainer for Chicago’s immigrant and minority news media, conducted the reporting and interviews.

Performing the stories is a cast of talented Chicago actors: Gabriela Barrios, George Dougherty, Amber Dow, Flo Estes, Jean Marie Koon, Lori Navarrete, Matt Specht and Caonguyen Vu. 

Duff serves as narrator and created the documentary video elements, and Jeff Award-winning Petter Wahlbäck crafted the sound design and music. Riley Bulson serves as stage manager and Brenden Marble will design the lighting for the Athenaeum shows.

The performances also feature two original songs, including “I Come From the World,” by Flo Estes, who will perform it live to video accompaniment with Emily Haden Lee on supporting vocals.

The project attempts to create a Chicago story in the way that the great storyteller Studs Terkel immortalized our everyday lives. It honors Chicago’s history as a national leader as a Sanctuary City, begun with the drive in the 1980s to give sanctuary to Central Americans fleeing wars and violence. It is a tribute to the vibrant and imaginative theatre community that draws inspiration from Chicago's vibrant life.

LISTING INFORMATION

SANCTUARY STORIES: A JOURNALISM THEATER PROJECT

Devised and directed by Craig Duff, Based on interviews conducted by Stephen Franklin

Original Music by Petter Wahlbäck

October 9-18, 2026

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm, with an additional matinee on Saturday, October 17 at 2pm. 

Studio B, The Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture

2936 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657.

Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at https://athenaeumcenter.org/events/2026/sanctuary-stories-a-journalism-theater-project/

Additional information can be found at https://sanctuarystories.org and on Instagram @sanctuarystorieschicago

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Red Theater is thrilled to announce the cast and production team of the world premiere of Church Hurt by Brynne Frauenhoffer and directed by Jessica Love, running October 24 - November 21, 2026 at The Edge Off Broadway in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave. Tickets are available now at www.redtheater.org.

When Mar gets hired at the church she grew up in, she’s reunited with her onetime youth group besties Faith, who has become head of People Operations, and Julie, who serves as an outspoken volunteer with progressive goals. Though the three once bonded over Relient K songs and scripture, now they must reconcile very different faith journeys in the intervening years. Old wounds and new points of view disrupt ministry efforts as queerness and the non-denominational movement collide. - New Play Exchange

The production features Alice Wu as Faith, Sara Sadjadi as Mar, and Laura Michele Erle as Julie. Understudies include Mindy Shore for Faith, Sara BenBella for Mar, and Hailey Hance for Julie.

Comments Artistic Directors Clare Brennan and Wyatt Kent, “Church Hurt is our third world premiere from a Chicago playwright in as many seasons, and we’re so fortunate to be collaborating with Brynne for the first time. This tight-knit narrative features two stalwarts of the storefront scene, as well as Sara Sadjadi’s debut on Chicago’s stage after a season with Door Shakespeare and Milwaukee Rep. With director Jessica Love back at the helm after her incredible work on last season’s The Pilon, this production will pull you into this story of queerness, faith, female friendship, and stress-tested trust.”

The production team includes Emily Marrazzo (assistant director), Sarah Patisaul (stage manager), Rose Johnson (scenic design), Suzanne Barnes (props design), Amina Gilbert (lighting design), kClare McKellaston (costume design), Kate Schnetzer (sound design), Skyler Simpson (poster design), Faith Decker (photographer), Daniel Bird Tobin (audience experience dramaturg), AJ Mueth (technical director), Becca Holloway (casting director), Cailyn Murray (casting associate), Hunter Baumann-Cole (director of production), Wyatt Kent and Clare Brennan (co-artistic directors).

PRODUCTION DETAILS

Title: Church Hurt

Playwright: Brynne Frauenhoffer

Director: Jessica Love

Cast: Alice Wu (Faith), Sara Sadjadi (Mar), Laura Michele Erle (Julie), Mindy Shore (u/s Faith), Sara BenBella (u/s Mar), and Hailey Hance (u/s Julie).

Production Team: Emily Marrazzo (assistant director), Sarah Patisaul (stage manager), Rose Johnson (scenic design), Suzanne Barnes (props design), Amina Gilbert (lighting design), kClare McKellaston (costume design), Kate Schnetzer (sound design), Skyler Simpson (poster design), Faith Decker (photographer), Daniel Bird Tobin (audience experience dramaturg), AJ Mueth (technical director), Becca Holloway (casting director), Cailyn Murray (casting associate), Hunter Baumann-Cole (director of production), Wyatt Kent and Clare Brennan (co-artistic directors).

Location: The Edge Off Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave, Chicago

Opening night: Saturday, October 24, 2026 @ 7:30P

Previews: Wednesday, October 21, Thursday, October 22, & Friday, October 23, 2026 @ 7:30P

Run dates: Saturday October 24 - Saturday November 21, 2026

Curtain times: Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays @ 7:30P, Sundays @ 3P

Tickets: General admission tickets are $35. As part of Red’s mission to make theater by putting people first, a limited number of $10 access tickets are available for students, artists, or anyone on a tight budget. Purchasing a ticket at our $50 pay-it-forward tier helps us sustain Red’s accessibility efforts. Tickets are currently available at www.redtheater.org. A limited number of access tickets are available for every performance. Use code ACCESS at checkout for $10 tickets. Monday nights are Industry Nights! Artists and service industry professionals can use code RELIENTK for half price tickets.

Direct Box Office Link: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35021/production/1284321

A Red Orchid Theatre is pleased open its 34^th Season, exploring the theme of "world on fire," with the Chicago premiere of Will Arbery's politically-charged drama Heroes of the Fourth Turning, directed by Ensemble member dado*, playing October 29 – December 6, 2026 at 1531 N. Wells St. in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. Single tickets are now on sale at aredorchidtheatre.org or by calling (312) 943-8722. Season subscriptions are currently available.

Heroes of the Fourth Turning features Ensemble Member Kirsten Fitzgerald* with Magdalena Dalzell, Isa Grofsorean, Beck Nolan and Nate Santana.

About the Production:

It's nearing midnight in Wyoming, where four recent graduates have gathered to celebrate their beloved mentor and professor Gina, newly inducted as president of their tiny Catholic liberal arts college. The reunion spirals into spiritual chaos, clashing generational politics and a vicious fight to be understood. Offering grace and disarming clarity, this haunting play speaks to the torn heart of a country at war with itself.

The production team includes Ensemble Member Grant Sabin* (Scenic Designer), Madeleine Shows (Costume Designer), Josiah Croegaert (Lighting Designer), Ethan Korvne (Composer & Sound Designer), Eel Black (Props Designer), Chels Morgan (Violence & Intimacy Director), Caroline Michele Uy (Dramaturg), Omar Fernandez (Assistant Director), Kira Nutter (Production Manager), Tom Daniel (Technical Director), Mark Brown (Master Electrician), JC Widman (Stage Manager) and Faith Locke (Assistant Stage Manager).

*Denotes A Red Orchid Theatre Ensemble Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Heroes of the Fourth Turning

Playwright: Will Arbery
Director: Ensemble member dado*
Cast: Ensemble Member Kirsten Fitzgerald* (Gina) with Magdalena Dalzell (Emily), Isa Grofsorean (Teresa), Beck Nolan (Kevin) and Nate Santana (Justin).

Understudies: Rachel Ives (Emily & Teresa), Kyle Ringley (Justin & Kevin) and Sarafina Vecchio (Gina).

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, October 29 at 7 pm, Friday, October 30 at 7 pm, Sunday, November 1 at 3 pm, Thursday, November 5 at 7 pm and Friday, November 6 at 7 pm

Opening: Sunday, November 8 at 6 pm

Regular run: Thursday, November 12 – Sunday, December 6, 2026
Curtain Times: Thursdays and Fridays at 7 pm; Saturdays 3 pm & 7 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be performances on Saturday, October 31 at 7 pm (Halloween) or Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving); there will be an added Industry Night performance on Monday, November 23 at 7 pm.

Tickets: Previews: $33 – $44*. Regular run: $55*. Access, student, senior, and group discounts available. Single tickets are now on sale at aredorchidtheatre.org or by calling (312) 943-8722. Season subscriptions are currently available. *Ticket prices include a processing fee.

Red Bike is an intimate, movement‑driven play that follows a young person navigating a town transforming faster than they can comprehend. Told through memory, motion, and the rhythm of a bicycle, the play traces The Kid’s journey through shifting streets, storefronts, neighborhoods, and the larger questions of money, power, childhood, and belonging. As the world around them is bought, sold, and renamed, Red Bike asks what we hold onto—and what we lose—when the place that raised us begins to disappear.

Staged inside the Berger Park Coach House, this production offers audiences a close‑up theatrical experience where language, movement, and community shape the storytelling, capturing the raw immediacy of being eleven years old.

Red Bike opens Friday and runs Thursdays and Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm through October 24. Performance dates and ticket information are available at: https://events.humanitix.com/red-bike-by-caridad-svich-btc

More details, including rehearsal photos and behind‑the‑scenes previews, can be found on Backyard Theatre Company’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backyardtheatreco/.