Promethean Theatre Ensemble announced today it will stage the Chicago premiere of BLOOD OF THE LAMB, by Arlene Hutton, a gripping two-woman, Kafka-esque, thriller. In a time about two days from now, Nessa, traveling from LAX to JFK, finds herself diverted to Dallas. Trapped in a room with Val, a lawyer, Nessa just wants to leave on the next plane out. But this is Texas, and Nessa is pregnant and Val is on the phone with legislators who are pulling the strings. BLOOD OF THE LAMB premiered in 2023 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where THE GUARDIAN called the 70-minute intermissionless drama "an acutely tense drama of reproductive rights." It received a 2025 Drama Desk Award Nomination for Outstanding Play for its 2024 off-Broadway premiere in 2024, which BROADWAYWORLD called "an essential must-see show." BLOOD OF THE LAMB will play at Chicago's Den Theatre following previews on September 3 and 4. It will play through October 3.
Anna C. Bahow, an ensemble member with Promethean and an Artistic Associate with Silk Road Cultural Center and the International Voices Project, will direct two alternate casts. Bahow says, "this double casting will allow us to give four great women actors a chance to show their skills in these incredibly challenging roles that are so pertinent to the pressing concerns of women's reproductive health." One cast will feature Heather Dennis* (title role in PTE's ANTIGONE) as Nessa and Kirsten D'Aurelio as Val, and the other cast will include Meghann Tabor* (Ismene in PTE's ANTIGONE) as Nessa and Delia Ford (emeritus member of Babes with Blades) as Val.
There will be a press opening for each cast, with Tabor and Ford performing on Saturday, September 5 at 7:30 pm and Dennis and D'Aurelio performing on Sunday, September 6 at 3:00 pm. For the remainder of the schedule, D'Aurelio and Dennis will perform Thursdays and Saturdays, and Tabor and Ford will perform Fridays and Sundays. Tabor and Ford will perform the Thursday, September 3 preview and the Tuesday, September 29 industry night performance, and D'Aurelio and Dennis will perform the Friday, September 4 preview and the Tuesday, September 22 industry night performance.
Tickets are $35 general, $25 students and seniors and are on sale at https://www.prometheantheatre.org or The Den Theatre Box Office, 773-697-3830.
BLOOD OF THE LAMB
By Arlene Hutton
Directed by Anna C. Bahow
September 3 – October 3, 2026
Previews Thursday September 3 and Friday, September 4 at 8 pm
Regular Run: Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm.
Industry Night performances Tuesdays September 22 and 29 at 8 pm
The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago 60622
Ticket Prices: $35 general, $25 students and seniors
For tickets, visit https://www.prometheantheatre.org or The Den Theatre Box Office, 773-697-3830.
A searing drama about bureaucratic chaos in a post-Roe America. When pregnant Nessa's transcontinental flight is diverted to Dallas, she is detained with an unexpected adversary: a court-appointed attorney assigned to represent her baby and decide her future. BLOOD OF THE LAMB is an urgent post-Roe thriller about the choices taken from us—and the choices we can still make.
INTENDED AUDIENCE This production is intended for mature audiences, ages 16 and up. The content explores intense political and medical themes surrounding reproductive rights and medical procedures.
BIOS
Arlene Hutton (Playwright) is an alumna of New Dramatists, member of Ensemble Studio Theatre and recipient of a NYFA Fellowship. Her NIBROC TRILOGY includes the first FringeNYC production to transfer Off-Broadway, LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC (NY Drama League Best Play nomination), along with SEE ROCK CITY (In the Spirit of America Award) and GULF VIEW DRIVE (LA Weekly and Ovation Award nominations, 2018 Ovation Award for Best Production at Rubicon Theatre). Other works include ACCORDING TO THE CHORUS, RUNNING, I DREAM BEFORE I TAKE THE STAND, LETTERS TO SALA, THREE SISTERS BRONTË and AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. Her play for young audiences, Happy Worst Day Ever, was commissioned by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and was named winner of the 2010 Macy's New Play Prize.
Anna C. Bahow (Director) is a member of Promethean Theatre Ensemble. Committed to the development of new work and a diversity of voices she is an Artistic Associate with Silk Road Rising which foregrounds Asian, South Asian, and Middle Eastern artists, an Associate Artist with The International Voices Project which brings plays from around the world in translation to Chicago, and an Associate Artist at Chicago Dramatists. Bahow has received an After Dark Award for her directing, and her productions have received Chicago Jeff Awards for New Work and Use of Multi-Media. She was honored to have served as a Michael Maggio Fellow at the Goodman Theatre, is recipient of a 3ARTS WAVE Grant, and several Illinois and City of Chicago Individual Artist Grants. More about her work can be found at AnnaBahow.com
ABOUT PROMETHEAN THEATRE ENSEMBLE
Promethean Theatre Ensemble produces and develops ensemble-focused theatre with vibrant language in dynamic and purposeful storytelling. We select a service organization to support and promote with each production, bridging ideas within the play to real-world efforts to address challenges within our communities. Since its founding in 2005, Promethean has produced a body of work ranging from Shakespeare, 19th and 20th Century classics, and new work. The company was in the midst of its 14th season when the pandemic struck. ANTIGONE is Promethean's 36th production.
