Drury Lane Theatre is thrilled to announce casting for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, a heartwarming journey through Carole King's inspirational life story, where her music shines as a beacon of hope and personal growth, playing January 29 – March 23, 2025. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical features a book by Douglas McGrath, words and music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, with music by arrangement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. At the helm of Drury Lane Theatre's production is director Jane Lanier, who most recently directed and choreographed Drury Lane's hit production A Chorus Line. The press opening is scheduled for Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 7pm.

Witness the captivating story of Carole King's meteoric rise to stardom, from humble beginnings to her undeniable status as one of the most celebrated voices in popular music. With melodies such as "I Feel the Earth Move" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," this production weaves an emotional tapestry rich with nostalgia. Beautiful isn't just a musical, it's an immersive celebration of resilience, creativity, and the authentic spirit of a music legend.

The cast of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is led by Samantha Gershman (Broadway's Water for Elephants and A Beautiful Noise) in the role of Carole King and features Alex Benoit (Gerry Goffin), Andrew MacNaughton (Barry Mann), Alexandra Palkovic (Cynthia Weil), Michael Lawrence Brown (Donny Kirshner), and Rebekah Ward (Genie Klein), along with Averis Anderson, Ryan Michael Armstrong, Anna Louise Bramlett, Lydia Burke, Raeven Carrol, Maxwell J. DeTonge, Alley Ellis, Ian Geers, Emily Goldberg, Mackenzy Jenkins, Alanna Lovely, Chamaya Moody, Austin Nelson Jr., Nataki Rennie, Mitzi Smith, Michael Turrentine, and Rico Velazquez. 

The creative team includes Jane Lanier (director), Gerry McIntyre (choreographer), Carolyn Brady (musical director), Misha Kachman (scenic designer), Nicole Boylan (costume designer), Julie Mack (lighting designer), Stephanie Farina (co-sound designer), Sarah Ramos (co-sound designer), Anthony Churchill (projection designer), Kevin Foster (wig designer), Cassy Schillo (properties designer), Larry Baker (production stage manager).

All events take place at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Single tickets for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical are on sale now and available by phone at (630) 530-0111 or online at www.drurylanetheatre.com. Groups of 10 or more can receive special group pricing.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is rated PG-13.

Fact Sheet / Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Title:                                                    Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Book by:                                              Douglas McGrath

Words and Music by:                      Gerry Goffin & Carole King and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil

Music by Arrangement with:      Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Orchestrations, Vocal and

Incidental Music

Arrangements by:     Steve Sidwell

Originally Produced on

Broadway by: Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Directed by:                                     Jane Lanier

Cast:                                                   

Samantha Gershman (Carole), Alex Benoit (Gerry Goffin), Andrew MacNaughton (Barry Mann), Alexandra Palkovic (Cynthia Weil), Michael Lawrence Brown (Donny Kirshner), and Rebekah Ward (Genie Klein) with Averis Anderson, Ryan Michael Armstrong, Anna Louise Bramlett, Lydia Burke, Raeven Carrol, Maxwell J. DeTonge, Alley Ellis, Ian Geers, Emily Goldberg, Mackenzy Jenkins, Alanna Lovely, Chamaya Moody, Austin Nelson Jr., Nataki Rennie, Mitzi Smith, Michael Turrentine, and Rico Velazquez. 

Creatives:                                          

Jane Lanier (director), Gerry McIntyre (choreographer), Carolyn Brady (musical director), Misha Kachman (scenic designer), Nicole Boylan (costume designer), Julie Mack (lighting designer), Stephanie Farina (co-sound designer), Sarah Ramos (co-sound designer), Anthony Churchill (projection designer), Kevin Foster (wig designer), Cassy Schillo (properties designer), Larry Baker (production stage manager).

Dates:                                                 January 29 – March 23, 2025

Press Opening:                              Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 7pm

Schedule:                                         Wednesdays and Thursdays: 1:30 p.m.

                                                            Thursdays: 7:00 p.m.

                                                            Fridays: 7:00 p.m.

                                                            Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

                                                            Sundays: 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.                               

Location:                                            Drury Lane Theatre at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace

Tickets:                                              Tickets range from $53.00 - $125

Group discounts available to groups of 10 or more

Dining and show packages available

Senior discounts available

Box Office:       100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace; (630) 530-0111; Monday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm

or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com

Season and Membership Information

Currently on stage is the spellbinding Disney's The Little Mermaid (November 6, 2024 – January 12, 2025); and the inspiring true story Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (January 29, 2025 – March 23, 2025) will close out the 2024/25 season.

The 2025/2026 season includes the Chicago premiere of The Da Vinci Code (April 9 – June 1, 2025), a love letter to a country music icon in Always...Patsy Cline (June 11 - August 3, 2025); the riveting thriller Dial M for Murder (September 3 - October 26, 2025); the divine feel-good musical comedy Sister Act (November 12, 2025 - January 11, 2026) and the exhilarating music of the Miami Sound Machine in On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan (January 28 - March 22, 2026).

Drury Lane Theatre's performance schedule for the 2025/2026 season is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Five-show Memberships for the 2025/2026 season are now on sale with packages starting at $229.25 - over 50% savings compared to single ticket prices. This includes priority theatre seating, dining credits at Lucille Restaurant, exclusive presale opportunities, and much more. For more information, visit DruryLaneTheatre.com/Subscribe.

Group tickets start at $45 and Student group tickets start at just $35.35. On-site dining is available at Lucille Restaurant with convenient pre-show or post-show prix fixe menus. To book a group of 10 people or more, call Group Services at 630-570-7272 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Give the gift of Drury Lane! Gift certificates to Drury Lane can be purchased in any denomination, never expire, and can be used for performances, at Lucille Restaurant or for Drury Lane Events. Gift certificates can be purchased online at drurylanetheatre.com/gift-certificates or by calling the box office.

Dining and Special Events

Excellence isn't limited to the stage at Drury Lane! Before or after the show, theatergoers can indulge in delicious onsite dining at Lucille Restaurant featuring seasonal pre-fixe menus and an elevated atmosphere to complete their experience. Boasting over a century of collective expertise in hospitality, the dedicated team ensures that you will be cared for with freshly prepared meals, handcrafted cocktails, and exceptional service. At Drury Lane, everything is in one place, so you will never be late for your performance.

Special Drury Lane holiday offerings include Holiday Afternoon Tea, Breakfast, Brunch and Dinner with Santa, and special New Year's Eve packages to ring in 2025 in style. Special event packages in conjunction with Disney's The Little Mermaid will also be available. All dining events are on sale at lucillerestaurant.com.

About Drury Lane Theatre  

Built from scratch. Built in Oakbrook. Built for you. 

Founded by Anthony DeSantis over 70 years ago, Drury Lane remains a family-run organization under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis. Drury Lane Theatre continues as a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, producing world-class theatre in collaboration with some of the nation's leading actors, directors, and creative minds. Drury Lane Theatre produces the highest quality theatrical experience that immerses and supports our artists and audiences in the exploration of what it means to be human and to experience the transcending power of the performing and visual arts. Drury Lane strives to create an environment in which every individual or group is welcomed, respected, supported, valued and able to fully experience and participate in this transformative art form. 

The theatre has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for over 360 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane proudly employs thousands of professional actors, musicians, designers, and crew members to entertain upwards of nine million audience members and counting.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world's most popular dance companies, returns to The Auditorium, Chicago's landmark stage at 50 E Ida B. Wells Drive, in four performances only, Friday-Sunday, March 7-9, 2025 as part of a coast-to-coast 2025 United States tour in a season celebrating the life and legacy of Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison (1943-2024). Led by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, the passionate spirit and extraordinary technique of Ailey's dancers will be showcased in two exciting programs featuring a trio of Chicago premieres alongside compelling new productions and beloved Ailey Classics including Alvin Ailey's must-see signature masterpiece Revelations. Tickets start at $39.00 and are now available at auditoriumtheatre.org or by calling The Auditorium's Ticket Service Center at 312.341.2300.

"Auditorium audiences welcome Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with great enthusiasm each Spring, knowing a joyful experience awaits, and this year's programming will be no exception. In this, the Company's 56^th visit to The Auditorium, we are saddened by the recent passing of the legendary Ailey dancer and Artistic Director, Judith Jamison, with whom we collaborated many times, but are pleased to pay tribute with a special opening night performance featuring an excerpt of Cry, the exuberant Ailey work that became her signature," said The Auditorium CEO Rich Regan. "And in addition to our public programming, we are proud to be offering two student performances by the Company this year, enabling The Auditorium to introduce thousands of students to this inspiring, dynamic company."

Chicago's own Vernard J. Gilmore will celebrate his farewell hometown engagement with Ailey, taking his final bow after 28 seasons with the Company. Currently the longest tenured Company member, the Englewood native began his professional dance training at Curie Performing and Creative Arts High School before receiving a scholarship to The Ailey School, performing with Ailey II, and joining Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1997.

In addition to the inspiring finale of Revelations for all performances, the programs for the 2025 Chicago engagement of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater are as follows:   

Friday, March 7 at 7:30pm & Sunday, March 9, at 3pm

• Grace(1999, Chicago Premiere of 25th anniversary production) Set to Duke Ellington's classic "Come Sunday," Peven Everett's hit "Gabriel," and the irresistible pulse of Fela Kuti's Afro-Pop, Ronald K. Brown's spellbinding work depicts individuals on a journey to the promised land, expanding from a single angel-like figure in white to the fireball intensity of 12 powerful dancers. Here, the secular and sacred meet in a tour-de-force connecting African and American dance.
• Finding Free(2024, Chicago Premiere) by former Company member Hope Boykin who returns to explore personal freedoms in this collaboration with pianist Matthew Whitaker who is composing an original score. This insightful work uses Boykin's movement-language and Whitaker's jazz- and gospel-influenced music to examine the challenges and restrictions throughout life's peaks and valleys that propel the journey forward.

*Friday only: Special Opening Night excerpt of Cry as a tribute to Ms. Jamison.  

• Cryexcerpt (1971) Alvin Ailey choreographed the solo ballet, Cry, as a birthday present for his mother; it went on to become an enduring work of American art. First danced by the legendary Judith Jamison, an excerpt of this powerful work dedicated to "all black women everywhere - especially our mothers" will be performed on the opening night program (Friday, March 7) as a tribute to Ms. Judith Jamison, the beloved Company dancer and Artistic Director Emerita who passed away in late 2024.

Saturday, March 8 at 1pm & 7:30pm

• Sacred Songs(2024, Chicago Premiere) by Matthew Rushing features music used in the original 1960 premiere of Alvin Ailey's seminal Revelations but later omitted when the piece was edited into the current version that has captivated audiences for decades. Drawing inspiration from the roots of Mr. Ailey's most venerated and consummate creation, this stirring new work will resurrect and reimagine those spirituals—with the collaboration of musical director Du'Bois A'Keen—as an offering to our present need for lamentation, faith, and joy.
• Treading(1979, Chicago Premiere of new production) by Elisa Monte is a sculptural, mesmerizing duet featuring fluid, intricate movements that combine with Steve Reich's evocative music to create an aura of mystery and sensuality.
• Many Angels(2024, Chicago Premiere) by Lar Lubovitch in his first premiere for the Company, features the native Chicago choreographer's renowned lush choreography and musicality set to Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5.  Many Angels is inspired by a question posed by 13th century theologian St. Thomas Aquinas, "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?," illustrating that some questions have no logical response but are understood as a question of faith.

Culminating each program will be Alvin Ailey's must-see American masterpiece Revelations, acclaimed around the world for sending hearts soaring and lifting audiences to their feet with its perfect blend of reverent grace and spiritual elation. Since its debut in 1960, Revelations has been moving audiences with its powerful storytelling and soul-stirring music, evoking timeless themes of determination, hope, and transcendence. An intimate reflection of Mr. Ailey's childhood memories of growing up in the South and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas, Revelations pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of the African American community and explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition. 

2025 Chicago program & performance schedule

Friday, March 7 at 7:30pm & Sunday, March 9, at 3pm

Grace, Finding Free, Cry* (excerpt), Revelations 

*Friday only: Special Opening Night excerpt of Cry as a tribute to Ms. Jamison.  

Saturday, March 8 at 1pm & 7:30pm

Sacred Songs, Treading, Many Angels, Revelations

In addition to these four public performances, the Company will present two student matinees at The Auditorium, reaching thousands of youths with an inspiring program of Ailey Classics on Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7 at 11am. 

About Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American "Cultural Ambassador to the World," grew from a now-fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Forged during a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, the Company was established to uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity. Founded by Alvin Ailey, the posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation's highest civilian honor. Before his untimely death in 1989, Mr. Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and for 21 years she led the Company to unprecedented success. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents—as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms—promoting the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year‐end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at The Auditorium; Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC; The Fox Theatre in Atlanta; Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA, and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate, and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours. The Ailey organization also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities, and lives of people of all ages; and Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey's permanent home—the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world—named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit ailey.org.

The compelling story of the life, work, and legacy of Alvin Ailey is the subject of Portrait of Ailey, a new eight-part documentary series available for free on PBS LearningMedia. Created by Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia Waters, Portrait of Ailey uses rare historical film and still images as well as contemporary footage to create a sweeping narrative of Mr. Ailey as a performer, choreographer, celebrity, teacher, social activist, arts advocate, and the creator of an enduring institution. All eight chapters are currently available online.

About The Auditorium

The Auditorium, located at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, is an Illinois not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming to all of Chicago and beyond as The Theatre for the People. The organization also is committed to the continued restoration and preservation of this National Historic Landmark that originally opened in 1889. The Auditorium's 2024-25 performance season features a dynamic mix of cultural events from ballet to rock and roll and everything in between. For more information on The Auditorium and a complete listing of events at The Auditorium, please visit AuditoriumTheatre.org.

Court Theatre – under the continuing leadership of Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, with interim artistic leadership from Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent and Senior Managing Producer Heidi Thompson Saunders – is thrilled to present Lorraine Hansberry's masterpiece A Raisin in the Sun, New York Drama Critics Award winner, Tony Award nominee for Best Play, and the first play written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway. This production will run January 31 – March 2, 2025 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. The press opening is Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 7:30pm. 

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a stunning portrayal of a family's fight for dignity and the right to dream. As the Youngers await their recently deceased patriarch's life insurance check, they allow themselves to imagine a bigger life – a life with room to breathe – until those plans are thrown into jeopardy. Hansberry's language rings as wise and prescient as ever in her moving answer to Langston Hughes's question, What happens to a dream deferred?

Staged sixty years after Lorraine Hansberry's passing, Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent (Antigone) brings Hansberry's masterpiece home to Chicago's vibrant South Side and Court's stage for the very first time.

The cast of A Raisin in the Sun includes Shanésia Davis (Lena Younger/Mama); Brian Keys (Walter Lee Younger); Kierra Bunch (Ruth Younger); Martasia Jones (Beneatha Younger); Jeremias Darville (Travis Younger); Di'Aire Wilson (Travis Younger, alternating); Eliott Johnson (Joseph Asagai); Charles Andrew Gardner (George Murchison); Julian Parker (Bobo); Vincent Teninty (Karl Lindner); and J. Nicole Brooks (Mrs. Johnson).

The creative team includes Andrew Boyce (scenic design); Raquel Adorno, with Associate Jeanette Rodriguez (costume design); Maximo Grano De Oro (lighting design); Willow James (sound design); Khalid Long, PhD (production dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA, with Associate Celeste M. Cooper (casting); Kate Ocker (production stage manager); and Jaclynn Joslin (assistant stage manager).

"Court Theatre's A Raisin in the Sun really is a homecoming," shares Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent. "This is a play about the South Side of Chicago – not just in the 1950s, but the South Side of Chicago that began at the dawn of the Great Migration and continues to live with us today. It's about people who came from far away and arrived in Chicago with hope for a better life – a life of their own choosing. A personal touchstone for many, we want to create numerous points of connection to this staging of Raisin, so we are also featuring a collection of public programs to foster even deeper engagement. We cannot wait to share this production and programming with you."

Accompanying this production of A Raisin in the Sun is a suite of public programs, including:

• Community Reads Series:Comprised of a social gathering, a book club, and a post-show discussion, the Community Reads Series offers opportunities to come together to discuss themes within A Raisin in the Sun, its inspiration, and its importance to the South Side. The Community Reads Social will be held on January 27, 2025 at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library; the Community Reads Book Club will be held on February 26, 2025 at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library; and the Community Reads Conversation will be held on March 1, 2025 at Court Theatre. Presented in partnership with Chicago Public Library at the Blackstone Branch.
• Agora: A Dream Deferred – Black Mobility and Housing:Join Court Theatre and the National Public Housing Museum for an evening of art, exploration, and conversation about the history of housing injustice. This event will be held on February 13, 2025 at the National Public Housing Museum, featuring Dr. Lisa Yun Lee; Robin Bartram, PhD; Adrienne Brown; Philip Garboden, PhD; and Sandra Jackson-Opoku. Presented in partnership with the National Public Housing Museum.
• Let's Talk About Art:Court Theatre joins the Let's Talk About Art series, Hyde Park Art Center's innovative hybrid learning program for older adults (65+), where participants explore visual and performing arts and create their own art inspired by performances they attend. This installation of the Let's Talk About Art series will be in response to A Raisin in the Sun. This series will take place from February 17, 2025 through February 20, 2025. Sessions will be conducted virtually, at Hyde Park Art Center, and at Court Theatre. Presented in partnership with the Hyde Park Art Center.
• BushmanScreening and Lecture: Join Court Theatre for a film screening of Bushman (1971), in partnership with the University of Chicago Film Studies Center to investigate the role of Pan-Africanism in A Raisin in the Sun, and how it informs Lorraine Hansberry's work, more broadly. This screening and lecture will be held at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts on February 21, 2025, featuring remarks from Antawan I. Byrd, PhD. Presented in partnership with the University of Chicago's Film Studies Center.

Tickets to A Raisin in the Sun and related events are available now by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472 or online at CourtTheatre.org.

About the Artists

LORRAINE HANSBERRY (Playwright, 1930-1965) is an American playwright, poet, activist, and writer from the South Side of Chicago. She was the daughter of a real estate entrepreneur, Carl Hansberry, and schoolteacher, Nannie Hansberry, as well as the niece of Pan-Africanist scholar and college professor Leo Hansberry. Her own family's landmark court case against discriminatory real estate covenants in Chicago would serve as inspiration for her foundational Broadway play, A Raisin in the Sun. Raisin, her best-known work, would eventually become a highly lauded film starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, and Diana Sands. Other works include (but are not limited to) To Be Young, Gifted and Black; Les Blancs; and The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window. During her career as a playwright, Hansberry wrote many articles and essays on literary criticism, racism, sexism, homophobia, world peace, and other social and political issues.

GABRIELLE RANDLE-BENT (Director, Senior Artistic Producer) has directed Antigone; The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (co-directed with Charles Newell); and The Island at Court Theatre; 1919 (Steppenwolf Theatre); and The Year of Magical Thinking (Remy Bumppo Theatre). She is a co-founder of the Civic Actor Studio, a leadership program of the University of Chicago's Office of Civic Engagement.

J. NICOLE BROOKS (Mrs. Johnson) is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist whose practice includes acting, writing, directing, and movement direction. Brooks is an ensemble member and Mellon Playwright in Residence at Lookingglass Theatre Company. Selected stage credits include Lottery Day (Goodman), Beyond Caring (Lookingglass), Immediate Family (Mark Taper Forum), Phèdre and La Bête (Court). Stage writing credits include Her Honor Jane Byrne (Lookingglass), 1919 (Steppenwolf), and HeLa (Sideshow Theatre Company). Television and film credits include guest and recurring roles on Chicago Fire, Emperor of Ocean Park, South Side, Fargo, and Candyman (Say My Name).

KIERRA BUNCH (Ruth Younger) is excited to join the cast of A Raisin in the Sun at Court. She was recently seen in August Wilson's Seven Guitars at Cincinnati Playhouse/Milwaukee Rep Tour, Chicago Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, Court's Two Trains Running, Definition Theatre's White, and Windy City Playhouse's production of Recipe For Disaster. Film/TV credits include The Chi, South Side, Shameless, Chicago Med, and Empire, as well as a series regular role on the Emmy Award-winning children's television show Green Screen Adventures. Kierra is proudly represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.

JEREMIAS DARVILLE (Travis Younger) is excited to be making his Court Theatre debut! He began his professional journey at a young age, having most recently co-starred in Chicago Fire. Additionally, Jeremias has been featured in numerous commercials and print campaigns. Outside of his busy career, he has a second-degree black belt in MMA, loves playing travel baseball, and plays the piano.

SHANÉSIA DAVIS (Lena Younger/Mama) is excited to return to Court Theatre. Her last appearance was in Native Son. Additional credits include works at Steppenwolf, Northlight, Porchlight, Goodman, and Congo Square, among others. She is a recipient of a Black Theatre Alliance Award, several Jeff nominations (most recently for Fences), and is an NAACP Image Award nominee. Select television credits include Chicago Stories: Ida B. Wells, Lovecraft Country, The Chi, Proven Innocent, Empire, Chicago Fire, and a series regular role on Early Edition. Shanésia is a published author/editor of Nine Questions Every Actor of Color..., and is a proud member of Equity and SAG/AFTRA unions.

CHARLES ANDREW GARDNER (George Murchison) is ecstatic to be making his Court Theatre debut! Recent Chicago theatre credits include Primary Trust, Objects in the Mirror, Stop.Reset. and Buzzer (Goodman); Boulevard of Bold Dreams, Kill Move Paradise, Paradise Blue, and My Kind of Town (TimeLine). Other Chicago credits: Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, and 16th Street. TV credits: Mayor of Kingstown; Somebody Somewhere; The Chi; Chicago Med; and Chicago P.D. Film credits: Heist 88, Olympia, and Long Ride Home. Charles is the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local President, a Company Member with TimeLine Theatre Company, a DePaul University professor, and owner/CEO of The Actor's Cup LLC and Stay Creative Clothing. @CharlesAndrewGardner.

ELIOTT JOHNSON (Joseph Asagai) is excited to make his Court Theatre debut in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Chicago area credits include The Little Foxes (Citadel Theatre) and A Solider's Heart (ClockWise Theatre). Off-Broadway: Othello (New Place Players). Regional: the Midwest premiere of Lombardi. Television credits include Chicago Fire, Empire, The Chi, and Swipe. Eliott holds his MFA From Pace University and is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio. Eliott is represented by Stewart Talent and Stein Entertainment.

MARTASIA JONES (Beneatha Younger) was born and raised in Chicago, and is an alumna of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Select regional theatre credits include Winter (Rivendell), Megastasis (Eclipse), Hoodoo Love (Raven), America V. 2.1: The Demise and Eventual Distinction of the American Negro and Fairview (Definition). Martasia has done print/commercial work for Walgreens Health & Wellness and Glidden Paint, and voiceovers for Lunchables and McDonald's. She worked on the Spike Lee joint Chi-Raq and has guest-starred on Chicago Med and The CW's 4400.

BRIAN KEYS (Walter Lee Younger) is an actor who hails from Chicago's South Side Englewood neighborhood. Court: Seven Guitars. Awards: Jeff Award, two BTAA Awards. Brian dedicates each and every performance to the memory of his mother, Beatrice Keys, and grandmother, Corine Keys. For a complete listing of theatre, television, and film credits, please visit www.iambriankeys.com.

JULIAN PARKER (Bobo) was most recently seen at Court Theatre in Antigone, directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent. Select Chicago credits: Pass Over, The Gospel of Franklin (Steppenwolf); An Octoroon, Genesis (Definition); Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare); Hamlet, Julius Caesar (Writers); Prowess (Jackalope); The Hairy Ape (Jeff Award–Performer in a Principal Role, Oracle Productions); and others. Film: Pass Over (directed by Spike Lee), Devonte, Swing Shift. Television: 61st Street, The Chi, Chicago P.D., and others. Education: BFA, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Parker is a co-founding member of Definition Theatre Company. Represented by Stewart Talent Agency and Authentic Talent Management.

VINCENT TENINTY (Karl Lindner) is honored to be making his Court Theatre debut! He has been acting in the Chicago area since 1999 and some of his credits include Mother Courage and Her Children and A Lesson Before Dying (Steppenwolf); Sweet Bird of Youth and Talking Pictures (Goodman); The Rainmaker (American Blues). Regional theatre credits include Soup, Stews, and Casseroles: 1976 (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); A Streetcar Named Desire and Hairspray (Cardinal Stage); The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, The Royale, Detroit, and Violet (TheatreSquared). His television credits include Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Justice, Lovecraft Country, Shameless, The Beast, and BOSS.

DI'AIRE WILSON (Travis Younger, alternating) discovered his passion for acting at a young age and has since performed in productions like The Factotum (Lyric Opera) and Pippin (Music Theater Works). His growing career includes appearances in commercials, short films, and web series. Outside of acting, Di'Aire participates in football, basketball, and bowling.

Fact Sheet / A Raisin in the Sun

Title:                 A Raisin in the Sun

By:                   Lorraine Hansberry

Directed by:     Gabrielle Randle-Bent, Senior Artistic Producer

Featuring: Shanésia Davis (Lena Younger/Mama); Brian Keys (Walter Lee Younger); Kierra Bunch (Ruth Younger); Martasia Jones (Beneatha Younger); Jeremias Darville (Travis Younger); Di'Aire Wilson (Travis Younger, alternating); Eliott Johnson (Joseph Asagai); Charles Andrew Gardner (George Murchison); Julian Parker (Bobo); Vincent Teninty (Karl Lindner); and J. Nicole Brooks (Mrs. Johnson).

Creatives: Andrew Boyce (scenic design); Raquel Adorno, with Associate Jeanette Rodriguez (costume design); Maximo Grano De Oro (lighting design); Willow James (sound design); Khalid Long, PhD (production dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA, with Associate Celeste M. Cooper (casting); Kate Ocker (production stage manager); and Jaclynn Joslin (assistant stage manager).

Dates:             

Previews:                    January 31 – February 7, 2025

Press Opening:          February 8, 2025 at 7:30pm

Regular Run:               February 9 – March 2, 2025

Schedule:        

Wed/Thurs/Fri:           7:30 p.m.

Sat/Sun:                     2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Accessible Performances:        

ASL Interpretation on March 1, 2025 at 12:30pm

Touch Tour on March 2, 2025 at 12:30pm

Audio Description and Open Captioning on March 2, 2025 at 2:00pm

Location:         Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets:          

$42.00 – $82.00 Previews

$58.00 – $90.00 Regular Run

Student, group, and military discounts available

Box Office:      Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

A Raisin in the Sun is sponsored by Gustavo Bamberger and Martha Van Haitsma, Bel Brands USA, Mesirow, and the Marion M. Lloyd Court Theatre Fund. A Raisin in the Sun is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.

Court Theatre will be participating in the 2025 Chicago Theatre Week by offering discounted tickets to A Raisin in the Sun. Chicago Theatre Week is an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago. As a program of the League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with Choose Chicago, CTW is in its 13th year and will take place February 6 – 16. Learn more at CourtTheatre.org.

Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago's historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.

 Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to present a searing revival of Sam Shepard's dark and beautiful masterpiece Fool for Love, directed by Jeremy Herrin, playing January 30 – March 16, 2025 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Single tickets are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. 

Fool for Love features ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain as Martin (The Minutes, Superior Donuts), Tim Hopper as The Old Man (The Thanksgiving Play, Downstate) and Caroline Neff as May (POTUS, Another Marriage) with Nick Gehlfuss as Eddie (Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire) in his Steppenwolf debut.

About the Production:

In a sweltering motel room in the Mojave Desert, May and Eddie lick their wounds and get ready for another relentless round. This brawl is eternal and infernal. And the Old Man is always watching.

Perhaps the sexiest, most haunting play of the 20th century, Fool for Love is a twisted and tequila-soaked love letter from Sam Shepard, one of the greatest American playwrights, indulging the need to get inside someone just to tear them apart.

Steppenwolf Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis comment, "Through the decades, Steppenwolf has returned again and again to Sam Shepard's searing body of work. His plays, filled with tension, symbol and muscle, pose delights and demands for actors and audiences alike. Fool for Love is no exception, with Eddie and May's iconic power struggle at the heart of this prize-winning masterpiece."

Davis and Francis add, "And–we can't stress enough–there's nothing quite like Shepard's work when we do it here. It's lightning in a bottle; it's visceral, timeless, contemporary and mythic all in one. For seven short weeks this winter, our Downstairs Theater will once again be transformed to a house of worship dedicated to Shepard, Steppenwolf's patron saint of irreverent, enigmatic and downright explosive American Drama."

The creative team includes Todd Rosenthal (Scenic Design), Raquel Adorno (Costume Design), Heather Gilbert (Lighting Design), Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Design), Samantha Kaufman (Fight and Intimacy Choreography), Kate DeVore (Vocal Coach), Jonathan L. Green (Dramaturg), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Tom Pearl (Producing Director), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting), Laura D. Glenn (Production Stage Manager) and Kathleen Barrett (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, click here.

Production Details:

Title: Fool for Love
Playwright: Sam Shepard
Director: Jeremy Herrin
Cast: Ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain (Martin), Tim Hopper (The Old Man) and Caroline Neff (May) with Nick Gehlfuss (Eddie).

Location: Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, January 30 – Friday, February 7, 2025
Press performance/Opening: Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Tuesday, February 11 – Sunday, March 16, 2025
Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be 7:30 pm performances on Tuesday, February 4, Wednesday, March 5 or Tuesday, March 11; there will not be 3 pm performances on Saturday, February 8 or Sunday, February 9; there will be an added 2 pm matinee on Wednesday, March 5.

Tickets: Single tickets for Fool for Love ($20 - $128) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are also currently on sale: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30.

Education and Engagement:

Throughout the 2024/25 season, Steppenwolf continues its commitment to the next generation of theatre learners, makers and appreciators with robust education and engagement programming. Programming includes dedicated student matinee performances during four of the five Membership Series productions including Noises Off, Leroy and Lucy, Fool for Love and The Book of Grace, in-school residencies in partnership with Chicago Public schools, workshops, panels and events specifically geared towards teens, as well as professional development trainings and resources for educators. Additionally, Steppenwolf is reimagining their community engagement and will pilot new public programming, continue accessibility programming and offer opportunities for deeper explorations for audiences throughout the season. For additional information about Steppenwolf's Education and Engagement programming and to register your school for a field trip visit steppenwolf.org/education-and-engagement/steppenwolf-field-trip-series.

Accessible Performance Dates:

Audio-Described and Touch Tour: Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 3 pm (1:30 pm touch tour)
Open-Captioned: Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 3 pm & Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 7:30 pm
ASL-Interpreted: Friday, March 7, 2025 at 7:30 pm

Artist Biographies:

Sam Shepard's (Playwright) first New York plays, Cowboys and The Rock Garden, were produced by Theatre Genesis in 1964. For several seasons, he worked with Off-Off-Broadway theatre groups including La MaMa and Caffe Cino. Eleven of his plays won Obie Awards, including Chicago, The Tooth of a Crime and Curse of the Starving Class. Other award-winning plays include Fool for Love, True West, A Lie of the Mind and Buried Child, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1979. In 1986, Shepard was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters and received the Gold Medal for Drama from the Academy in 1992. He was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame two years later. As a writer and director, he filmed Far North and Silent Tongue. As an actor, he appeared in numerous films, including The Right Stuff, Days of Heaven and Resurrection. His final works of prose, The One Inside and Spy of the First Person, were published in 2017, the year of his death.

Jeremy Herrin (Director) was previously Artistic Director of Headlong and is a Founding Director of Second Half Productions. Theatre includes: Children's Children (Almeida Theatre); Best of Enemies (Young Vic/ West End, South Bank Show Award for Best Theatre Production); All My Sons (The Old Vic); The Visit, or the Old Lady Comes to Call, The Plough and the Stars, Statement of Regret (National Theatre); People, Places and Things (National Theatre/ Headlong/ West End/ UK tour/ St. Ann's Warehouse, New York); This House (National Theatre/ Chichester Festival Theatres/ West End); Labour of Love (Olivier Award for Best Comedy); The Nether, That Face, South Downs, Absent Friends, Death and the Maiden, The Glass Menagerie (West End); Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies (RSC/ West End/ Broadway, Evening Standard Award for Best Director); Junkyard, The Absence of War, The Nether (Headlong); Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (International tour); The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare's Globe); Almost Famous (Old Globe, San Diego); Noises Off (Lyric Hammersmith/ West End); Haunted Child, The Heretic, Kin, Spur of the Moment, Off the Endz; The Priory (Olivier Award for Best Comedy), Tusk Tusk, The Vertical Hour, That Face (Royal Court); South Downs, Uncle Vanya (Chichester Festival Theatre); The Moderate Soprano (Hampstead Theatre); Marble (The Abbey, Dublin); The Family Reunion (Donmar Warehouse); Blackbird (Market Theatre, Johannesburg).

Cliff Chamberlain (Martin) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2018. Steppenwolf Theatre Company: The Minutes, Belleville, Clybourne Park, Theatrical Essays, Superior Donuts. Chicago: The Seagull (Goodman Theatre); The Sparrow (The House Theatre of Chicago). Broadway: The Minutes, Superior Donuts. Television: Homeland, Altered Carbon, The Act, Dirty John: Betty, Easy, State of Affairs, Chicago PD, Paper Girls, The Chair. Film: The Wise Kids, Win it All and Netflix's upcoming RIP. Cliff trained at UCSB and The School at Steppenwolf. "Love to R + E + E + C."

Nick Gehlfuss (Eddie) For its entire successful nearly decade-long run, Nick Gehlfuss was one of the leads (and fan-favorite) of Dick Wolf's hit series Chicago Med on NBC. Gehlfuss has portrayed Dr. Will Halstead since the first spinoff episode that launched the series and can often be seen on crossover episodes of Chicago PD and Chicago Fire. Prior to his television work, Gehlfuss made his stage debut in New York in Classic Stage Company's production of Midsummer Night's Dream (Lysander) starring opposite Bebe Neuwirth and Christina Ricci for which he received the prestigious Rosemarie Tichler Award for outstanding performance in a play. In Los Angeles, he starred in Neil Labute's Reasons to Be Pretty at the Geffen Playhouse. Nick has also been seen in recurring roles in Showtime's Shameless, HBO's Newsroom, Starz Power, as well as guest spots in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Good Wife, Person of Interest and Royal Pains. He holds a B.F.A. in Theater and an M.F.A. in Acting.

Tim Hopper (The Old Man) is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble. Recent roles at Steppenwolf include Caden in The Thanksgiving Play and Andy in Downstate, which traveled to the National Theatre in London, and to Playwrights Horizons in New York. He also appeared at the Goodman Theatre in the title role of Uncle Vanya. Television appearances include Chicago Fire, Emperor of Ocean Park, the Amazon series Utopia, Fargo, The Americans and Empire. Film appearances include Perpetrator; Knives and Skin, School of Rock and To Die For, among others. Off-Broadway: New York Theatre Workshop, Theatre for a New Audience, Vineyard Theatre and the Atlantic Theater. Internationally, the Edinburgh Festival and Antwerp's De Singel Theatre.

Caroline Neff (May) is a Steppenwolf ensemble member. At Steppenwolf, she was last seen in POTUS, Another Marriage, Describe the Night, Seagull, Dance Nation, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, You Got Older, Linda Vista (also Taper Forum and Broadway), The Fundamentals, The Flick, Airline Highway (also Broadway), The Way West, Three Sisters, Annie Bosh is Missing and Where We're Born. Select theatre credits include: Lettie (Jeff Award Best Actor; Victory Gardens Theater); Uncle Vanya (Goodman Theatre); A Brief History of Helen of Troy (Jeff Award for Best Actress), The Knowledge, Harper Regan, In Arabia We'd All Be Kings (Steep Theatre); The Downpour (Route 66 Theatre); Port (Griffin Theatre); 4000 Miles (Northlight Theatre); Moonshiner (Jackalope Theatre). Regional credits include: Peerless (Yale Repertory Theatre). Film and television credits include: FBI, Three Women, Let the Right One In, The Red Line, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Open Tables and Older Children, and heard in multiple Audible Projects such as: Song of the Northwoods, Crowded Hours, Denali and Boar's Nest. She is a proud company member of Steep Theatre and holds her BA from Columbia College.

Accessibility:

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

Sponsor Information:

United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from lead sponsors Allstate Insurance Company, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Caroline and Keating Crown, Good Chaos, Joyce Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Ron and Paula Mallicoat, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Robert Rivkin and Cindy Moelis, Shubert Foundation, Inc, Walder Foundation, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, ArentFox Schiff, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Conagra Brands Foundation, Steven and Nancy Crown, CRC Group, Rich and Margery Feitler, Julius Frankel Foundation, FROST CHICAGO, Goldman Sachs, Shmaila Tahir and Asheesh Goel, Bob and Amy Greenebaum, Kirkland & Ellis, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Christopher and Eileen Murphy, The Orlebeke Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker, Sacks Family Foundation, Smart Family Foundation of Illinois, Gary Sinise Foundation, Elliot A. Stultz, and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. 

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier Ensemble Theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions — from Balm in Gilead and Grapes of Wrath to August: Osage County, Downstate and The Brother/Sister Plays — have made this theatre legendary. Founded in 1976, Steppenwolf started as a group of teens performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 12 Tony Awards, and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair, Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the landscape of acting and performance.

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

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Artistic Director Braden Abraham, continues its 2024/25 Season with Frida...A Self Portrait, starring acclaimed writer and performer Vanessa Severo as both herself and legendary Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, directed by Joanie Schultz. Frida...A Self Portrait will run January 23 – February 23, 2025 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Friday, January 31, 2025 at 7:30pm. 

Tickets are on sale at Writers Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org.  

Iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was a woman who lived boldly, loved wildly, and painted prolifically in order to see herself and the world around her more clearly. Witness this extraordinary figure come to life onstage through playwright and performer Vanessa Severo, who brings breathtaking physicality and raw honesty to this stunningly creative production. With music and movement, Vanessa cracks open a powerful portal between herself and Frida, uncovering insights into the painter's physical limitations, complex love life, addictions, and, of course, the beauty in her art. 

Artistic Director Braden Abraham comments, "Vanessa and Joanie have crafted an intimate theatrical experience that transcends the traditional stage biography, creating a rich tapestry that honors Kahlo's complex legacy while simultaneously exploring the universal themes of identity, pain, and artistic expression."

In an interview with Cincinnati Playhouse, Vanessa Savero explained, "The concept of self-portraiture is such a tricky and blurred presentation today. In a world of selfies, filters and displaying our 'best lives' on social media, we have lost the concept of what real expression is. In looking at Frida Kahlo's self portraits, we find a woman unapologetically showing her pain and her current state of being. It can be uncomfortable and also unnerving for the viewer, yet on the other hand, we see something in ourselves relating to her state of being. When I decided to write Frida...A Self Portrait, I found that I could not just tell her story without telling my own. I had to present my own self portrait in order to honestly connect with hers." 

Frida...A Self Portrait has been touring to theatre companies across the country to rave reviews. It has previously played at Indiana Repertory Theatre, GEVA Theatre Center, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Portland Center Stage, and Kansas City Repertory Theatre.

Vanessa Severo (Writer / Performer) Vanessa has studied at Missouri State University, as well as The American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco. She is the recipient of the TCG 11th Round of the Fox Foundation resident Actor Fellowships, 2017, including the Carlsbad, CA Artist in Residency, 2022, as well as the winner of Dramatist Guild Grant 2022. She is certified in Suzuki Method, and Viewpoints under the instruction of Ellen Lauren, SITI Company. She is the playwright and actor of Frida...A Self Portrait (2020 Kilroys List). Other original works include: Dracula (World Premiere at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, 2024), Rubik (World Premiere, Spinning Tree Theatre, 2024), Sueno de Agua (World Premiere, Kansas City Repertory Theater 2022). Website: VanessaSevero.com

Joanie Schultz (Director) currently serves as Associate Artistic Director of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Her work has been seen in Chicago and regional theatres including The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Steep Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Portland Center Stage, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Everyman Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Studio Theatre, The Cleveland Play House, GEVA Theater Center, Indiana Repertory Theatre, LaJolla Playhouse, and Philadelphia Theatre Company. She has directed and assistant directed opera from the site specific to the grand stage with Chicago Opera Theater, the Bayview Music Festival, the Chicago Cultural Center, and New Millennium Orchestra. In 2017-18, Joanie was Artistic Director of WaterTower Theatre in Dallas, Texas, where she produced new and inclusive programming from community partnerships to world premiere plays. Prior to that, Joanie served as Associate Artistic Producer at Victory Gardens Theater, as part of the TCG/Mellon Foundation Leadership U One-on-One Fellowship. She was also a Drama League Fellow; The Goodman Theatre Michael Maggio Director Fellow; the SDSF Denham Fellow; and member of the Lincoln Center Theatre Directors Lab. She is an ensemble member at Steep Theatre Company and an artistic cabinet member at Studio Theatre in Washington DC. Joanie has taught through her own studio, Steep Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre, along with Columbia College Chicago, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Roosevelt University. She holds a B.A. in Theater Directing from Columbia College Chicago and an M.F.A. in Theater Directing from Northwestern University. For more information on Joanie's work, go to www.joanieschultz.com.

FACT SHEET / Frida...A Self Portrait 

Title: Frida...A Self Portrait 

Written and performed by: Vanessa Severo 

Directed by: Joanie Schultz 

Design Team: Jacqueline Penrod (scenic designer), Rachael Cady (lighting designer), Katherine Davis (costume designer) and Thomas Dixon (sound designer)

Dates: First performance: January 23, 2025

Press opening: Friday, January 31, 2025 at 7:30pm 

Closing performance: February 23, 2025

Performance Schedule:

Wednesdays: 3:00pm (February 5 & 19 only) and 7:30pm

Thursdays: 7:30pm 

Fridays: 7:30pm 

Saturdays: 3:00pm (except January 25) and 7:30pm 

Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm (January 26 only)

Open Captioned Performance: Thursday, February 13 at 7:30pm

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Saturday, February 15 at 3:00pm

Location: Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre; 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe 

Prices: Tickets begin at $35.

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org 

Frida...A Self Portrait Events 

Family Matinee 

Saturday, February 8 at 3pm 

Going to the theatre just got a little bit easier for parents and caregivers. Parents and caregivers can see the 3pm matinee of the production while their young ones engage in active creative play with WT Education's professional teaching artists.

The Final Word Audience Discussion 

Sunday, February 23 at 12pm 

Join WT Artistic staff and fellow audience members for a conversation about the themes and production elements of the show. 

Upcoming Education & Engagement Programs 

Show & Tell Storytelling 

Tuesday, February 4, March 18 and April 15 at 7pm 

Enjoy an engaging evening of storytelling at our monthly Show & Tell series. Each event features talented professional storytellers and celebrates unique themes in a relaxed environment. Tickets are Pay What You Can. 

Pop-Up Day Camps 

February 17 and April 21, 9am-3pm 

When school is off but you're not, WT Education is here to help. Young people ages 7-11 just might catch the theatre bug on this day-long creative adventure. 

Wake Up Words Family Playtime 

Sunday, February 2 and March 9 

Stories jump off the page on select Sunday mornings at Writers Theatre. Each Playtime pairs a favorite story with another art form and is a unique opportunity for young children and their families to create together. Designed for ages 3-6 and their parents/caregivers, siblings welcome.  

NOTES OF INTEREST:

• Frida...A Self Portrait arrives at Writers Theatre for its seventh full-length production, after acclaimed runs in Indianapolis, Rochester, NY, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Portland, OR, and Kansas City.

• Several of Frida Kahlo's iconic paintings are referenced and evoked in the staging and design of the play, including Frieda and Diego Rivera (1931), The Broken Column (1944), Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress (1926), Memory, the Heart (1937), The Two Fridas (1939), and Self Portrait with Cropped Hair (1940).

• Severo performed a shorter version of the play several times starting in 2014. A fellowship from Theatre Communications Group allowed her to travel to Mexico City and further research Kahlo's life. Joanie Schultz subsequently began collaborating with Severo as director, and the new full-length version of Frida had its world premiere at Kansas City Repertory Theatre in 2019.

• La Casa Azul, the Kahlo family home in Coyacán, Mexico City, Mexico, became the Museo Frida Kahlo in 1958. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico City.

WRITERS THEATRE 2024/25 SEASON 

The remainder of the season includes Brian Friel's touching Irish drama Translations, directed by Braden Abraham, and the World Premiere of Madhuri Shekar's Dhaba on Devon Avenue, directed by Chay Yew and produced in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company. 

Flex subscriptions are $260 (4-pack), $325 (5-pack) or $360 (6-pack). Season package subscribers receive exclusive benefits including complimentary ticket exchanges by phone and mail (upgrade fees may apply), access to special play readings and lectures, special "subscriber-rate" prices on additional tickets, discounts at the bar, on Writers Theatre merchandise, event rentals, and more. For a complete list of benefits visit writerstheatre.org. 

Season Packages are available online at www.writerstheatre.org, and at the Box Office by calling 847-242-6000. 

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES: 

WT offers Open Captioning on select dates for each production. Please visit writerstheatre.org/accessibility for more information. 

Throughout the season, Writers Theatre offers a variety of audience enrichment and special programming. This includes regularly occurring offerings like the Family Matinee Series, The Green Room artist interview series and podcast, and The Final Word Audience Discussion Series. Please visit writerstheatre.org/events for a full listing of upcoming offerings. 

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE 

Writers Theatre boldly looks to the future as it begins its 33rd season. Having captivated audiences for years with its dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible, the theatre is now a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called "America's finest regional theater company" by The Wall Street Journal. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Braden Abraham and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, the company is charting a path forward for the next 30 years.  

Since its founding in 1992, Writers Theatre has stayed true to its core values: valuing the power of the written word and uplifting the artists who bring that word to life. The company has produced over 140 productions—everything from inventive interpretations of classics to groundbreaking new work. In 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility designed by the internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to accommodate its growing audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy.  

Writers Theatre now welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each season and has helped establish the North Shore of Chicago as a premier cultural destination. Through its Literary Development Initiative, which has been responsible for the nurturing and premiering of over 30 world premieres, the theatre has established itself as a major originator of new theatrical works. Serving as an extension of the Writers Theatre mission, WT Education programs engage an average of 10,000 students each year with active learning opportunities centered around the written word. 

Invictus Theatre Company has announced programming for its 2025 season, its second in residence at the Windy City Playhouse. As in previous seasons, the company will present a mix of Shakespeare and landmark contemporary American dramas, all with insights that are applicable to the present. Additionally, the plays comprising the 2025 season will, to varying degrees, incorporate magical realism into their storytelling, making the point that supernatural forces are sometimes needed to help us understand our current reality. As Hamlet said, "There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
 
The season will open with Shakespeare's THE WINTER'S TALE, directed by Artistic Director Charles Askenaizer. One of the Bard's later plays, it has been termed by some critics as a comedy and, by others, a romance. A king suspects his wife of infidelity with his best friend and tears his family apart for revenge. With the help of some magic, his suspicions are eventually proven to be groundless and the family is put back together. The first three acts of this story of jealousy are filled with intense psychological drama, while the last two acts are comical and supply a happy ending. THE WINTER'S TALE will open to the press on Monday, March 17 at 7 p.m., following previews from March 11, and will play through April 20.
 
In June, Askenaizer will direct Tony Kushner's monumental ANGELS IN AMERICA, with a single cast performing both parts of the play in repertory. Both parts – PART ONE: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES and PART TWO: PERESTROIKA – will open on Saturday, June 28, following previews from June 13 (MILLENNIUM APPROACHES) and June 14  (PERESTROIKA).  The performance schedule (detailed below) will allow audiences the option to see the two parts in sequence on the same day, or on successive days. The final performance of MILLENNIUM APPROACHES will be on Saturday, September 6 at 12 p.m. and the final performance of PERESTROIKA will be Sunday, September 7 at 12 p.m.
 
ANGELS IN AMERICA skillfully weaves realistic scenes with fantasy and magical realism to examine the social, sexual, and religious issues facing the country as the AIDS crisis gains momentum in the 1980s. Some of the characters are fictional, others are historical figures (Roy Cohn, Ethel Rosenberg), some are ghosts, and some are angels. PART ONE: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES and PART TWO: PERESTROIKA each won, in different years, the Tony Award for Best Play. Additionally, MILLENNIUM APPROACHES won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
 
The season will close with THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND, by Marcus Gardley, a former playwright-in-residence at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theatre, directed by Aaron Reese Boseman. Boseman has previously directed Invictus's productions of TOPDPOG/UNDERDOG (2024), THE MOUNTAINTOP (2023), and A RAISIN IN THE SUN (2020). Gardley's drama, inspired by Federico Garcia Lorca's THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA, is set in 1813 New Orleans, as the French-owned Louisiana Territory is about to be acquired by the United States, threatening the liberty of the free people of color residing on the land. A young woman skilled in the art of voodoo and the appearance of a ghost play into this story set during a very real, but little-known and disturbing chapter of United States history. The press opening will be Monday, November 3 at 7 p.m., following previews from October 28, and playing to December 14.
 

Askenaizer says,

"The plays this season look at faith and hope. There is an element of magic in them, of wonder, that primes us for the fantastic revelation of a better tomorrow. The better tomorrow comes, or is promised in all of these plays, but not without considerable struggle beforehand. 
 
"In THE WINTER'S TALE, Leontes waits 16 years before finding his redemption and regeneration given at the hand of the one he most wronged. ANGELS IN AMERICA follows Prior Walter as he confronts angels in a battle for both physical survival and spiritual salvation amid the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. In THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND the family of Beartrice Albans seeks freedom and their own path outside of the matriarch's tight fist while America's painful history of slavery looms.
 
"Though the characters in these plays must endure immense trials, the promise of regeneration and renewal—often through mystical, almost miraculous means—guides them toward brighter days ahead. These plays remind us that, though the path may be long and fraught with difficulty; progress, redemption, and salvation await."

Invictus Theatre Company has been one of the most notable success stories among Chicago's storefront theatres in spite of the challenges facing the theater community in recent years. Founded in 2017, they were an itinerant company until the fall of 2021, when they established residency in the former Jackalope Frontier Theatre in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, renaming it the Reginald Vaughn Theatre in honor of a deceased founding member. In that space, they continued to build a reputation for intimate and honest interpretations of classics with fidelity to the original texts and close attention to character development. The company's extraordinarily successful 2021-22 season netted the company five Jeff Awards for its 13 nominations. When a fire gutted the Thorndale Avenue building housing the Reginald Vaughn Theatre in July 2023, the company was again homeless until early 2024, when they took up residence in the Windy City Playhouse on Irving Park Road. The company's inaugural season in that space included highly-regarded productions of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, Chekhov's THREE SISTERS, the Chicago premiere of NETWORK, and Shakespeare's THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH, all of which were Jeff recommended.

TALKIN BROADWAY's Christine Malcom said of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, Invictus's first production in the Windy City Playhouse, "In its new, much larger home at the Windy City Playhouse, Invictus Theatre Company loses none of the company's trademark intimacy or power..." The CHICAGO READER said of THREE SISTERS, "the performances are universally first-rate." Hugh Iglarsh of NEW CITY said Invictus's NETWORK was a "smart, deeply felt, absorbing production." Wesley David, writing for BUZZ CENTER STAGE, said THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH was "a potent, intense experience." Tickets and season subscriptions for the 2025 season will go on sale soon at www.invictustheatreco.com.

Kokandy Productions is pleased to open submissions for the 2025 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival (CMTF), returning April 3 – 6, 2025 on The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Five finalists will be chosen to perform concert presentations during the 2025 Festival, a vital opportunity for new musical development in Chicago. 

Submission guidelines, FAQs and applications can be found at kokandyproductions.com/cmtf. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, February 2, 2025. There is no fee to apply for or participate in the Festival. Finalists will be announced in early March 2025.

Now in its 8^th year, CMTF was created with the belief that there's a wealth of musical theatre creators in Chicago and around the country, but the high risks of producing new musicals offers limited opportunities for emerging authors to have their work seen and heard. CMTF is designed to provide much-needed artistic resources for writers to have their work supported, explored, and most importantly – performed!

Festival Producer Nicholas Reinhart comments, "In a world dominated by rehashed and 'rebooted' IP, it is an immense pleasure to support new musical theatre writers in bringing their original work to life, often for the very first time. During our exciting run at Steppenwolf in 2024, it was clear Chicago audiences are hungry for new work, and we are eager to continue to uplift and celebrate a new generation of talent this April at our home at The Chopin Theatre."

Since its inception in 2014 by Underscore Theatre Company, CMTF has brought 55 new musicals to Chicago stages. Following a four-year hiatus, CMTF returned last year under the stewardship of Kokandy Productions. During its first year back, the Festival received over 100 submissions, culminating in five concert presentations as part of Steppenwolf Theatre's LookOut Series.

Tickets for the 2025 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival will go on sale at a later date.

About Kokandy Productions

Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theatre to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theatre artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theatre community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot T. Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Scot T. Kokandy, Danielle Sparklin and Katie Svaicer. 

The Artistic Home will present the Chicago premiere of Mark O'Rowe's adaptation of Ibsen's HEDDA GABLER. This pioneering work of a woman trapped by societal expectations has sparked debate and intrigue for over a hundred years. Ibsen's classic gets a refreshing update in O'Rowe's translation. The Irish Times said "O'Rowe's superb and subtle new version is similarly contained, finessing Ibsenite naturalism into meticulously wrought, unfussy exchanges."
 
HEDDA GABLER will be directed by Monica Payne, longtime Artistic Home collaborator, and Associate Professor of Acting and Directing at Tulane University in New Orleans. Payne says, "this play feels as prescient now as it did when it was first performed in 1891. A woman in a loveless marriage, wanting to break free from society's rigid, brutal expectations. Hedda is bold, strong-willed, and unable to bear the small life that she is required to live."
 
A debate over Hedda Gabler has spanned generations.  Katy Hayes of the Irish Independent, in her review of O'Rowe's translation, called Hedda "the most intriguing female character ever created for the stage."
 
Press opening is Thursday, February 20 at 7:30 pm in The Den Theatre at 1331 N. Milwaukee Avenue.
 
The cast, announced today, includes Jeff Award winner Brookelyn Hébert* in the title role of Hedda. Jeff Award winner Todd Wojcik* will perform as Hedda's husband Jorge Tesman. Judge Brack will be played by John Mossman*, Jeff Award winner for his direction of The Artistic Home's REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT. The cast also includes Laura Coleman* as Berte, Ariana Lopez* as Thea, Dan Evashevski as Lovborg, and Jeff Award nominee Lynne Baker as Aunt Julle. Understudies will include Elizabeth Stam (u/s Thea), Delia Ford (u/s Berte, Aunt Julle), Martin Tebo (u/s Tessman), and others to be named.

The production team will be helmed by Kathy Scambiatterra* (Producing Artistic Director), Kristin Collins*(Casting Director), Kevin Hagan* (Scenic Design, Production Manager, Graphic Design), Petter Wahlbäck* (Sound Design and Original Music), Rachel Lambert* (Costume Design), Rachel Levy (Lighting Design), Randy Rozler* (Properties Design), Ted James* (Assistant Director), Tom McNelis* (Technical Director), and Ellie Fey (Master Electrician), Arlene Urquhart and Salvatore Scambiatterra (Co-Producers).
 
The Artistic Home performs at The Den Theatre, and also maintains an acting studio and rehearsal space at 3054 N. Milwaukee Avenue in the Avondale/Logan neighborhood. Tickets are $35 general, $20 student, and  $20 for previews. Tickets will be on sale soon at www.theartistichome.org.
 
* Artistic Home ensemble member
 
LISTING INFORMATION
 
HEDDA GABLER
By Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Mark O'Rowe
Directed by Monica Payne
February 15 – March 23, 2025
Previews Saturday, February 15 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, February 16 at 3:00 pm and Wednesday, February 19 at 7:30 pm
Press Opening Thursday. February 20 at 7:30 pm
Regular run performance times Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm.
The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago
Ticket prices  Regular performances: $35 general, $20 students/seniors; previews $20 all seats
Tickets available at www.thedentheatre.com, or by phone at 773-697-3830
More information at www.theartistichome.org
Hedda Tesman returns from her honeymoon to the brutal banality of domestic life: an agonizingly bland husband; a living room full of dying flowers; and a house that is too large, too cluttered, too bourgeois for the once unstoppable Hedda Gabler. Both tormented and merciless, she is caught between her appetite for sensation and acute awareness of  public perception. Mark O'Rowe's stunning contemporary adaptation is a mesmerizing study of power, control, and self-deception and a nuanced portrait of one of the most fascinating figures in modern drama.

BIOS

Monica Payne (Director) is a theatre and film director, whose work intersects bold physicality, deep emotion, and collective ritual. She is the founder of Theatre Lumina, an ensemble devoted to cross-cultural collaboration and international exchange.
 
Her projects include devised work, literary adaptations, new plays, music videos, and short films. Her most recent piece, RITUAL, premiered in New Orleans in May of 2023. Payne has directed throughout the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh and her devised work, SONG OF HOME, toured to Eastern Europe. She was a Resident Director at Trap Door Theatre (Chicago) for several years and is a member of SDC, The Lincoln Center Director's Lab, and Director's Lab West. Previously an actress, she has worked with many prestigious ensembles, including Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
 
Payne holds an MFA in Directing from the UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television, and has been a Meisner-based acting teacher for many years. She has taught for The School at Steppenwolf, Steppenwolf Classes West, The Latino Theatre Company, The Robert Mello Studio, The Artistic Home, and her own studios in L.A. and Chicago. At the college level, she has taught at UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, and Point Park University, where she also served as the Head of Graduate Acting.  She is an Associate Professor at Tulane University (New Orleans), where she also serves as Head of Directing. She teaches classes for the Theatre and Dance Department, as well as Digital Media Practices.
 
Her short film MIMI is currently in post-production. In the fall of 2024, she and Tulane colleague Casey Beck  co-produced VISION(ARY), a conference on gender equity in theatre, film, and literature.
 
Mark O'Rowe (Adapter) Mark O'Rowe is a playwright and film writer whose second play, HOWIE THE ROOKIE, won the George Devine Award when it premiered at London's Bush Theatre in 1999. In 2007 he wrote TERMINUS, a series of interlocking monologues, which received rave reviews when it opened at Dublin's Abbey Theatre and won a Fringe First when it transferred to the Edinburgh Festival in 2008. O'Rowe's adaptation of Daniel Clay's novel BROKEN was directed by Rufus Norris (LONDON ROAD) and stars Cillian Murphy and Tim Roth. In 2013 Mark directed a critically acclaimed new production of HOWIE THE ROOKIE re-imagined for one actor, starring Tom Vaughn-Lawlor and produced by Landmark Productions. Mark's new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play, HEDDA GABLER, opened at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in April 2015.

Henrik Ibsen (Playwright) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered theatrical realism, but also wrote lyrical epic works. His major works include BRAND, PEER GYNT, EMPEROR AND GALILEAN, A DOLL'S HOUSE, GHOSTS, AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, THE WILD DUCK, ROSMERSHOLM, HEDDA GABLER, THE MASTER BUILDER, and WHEN WE DEAD AWAKEN. Ibsen is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare, and A DOLL'S HOUSE was the world's most performed play in 2006.
 
ABOUT THE ARTISTIC HOME
 
The Artistic Home is noted for their innovative and intimate presentations of rarely produced classics as well for developing new works. The company has been frequently honored in the Jeff Awards. For 2023, they received nine nominations for WITCH and DYING FOR IT, including a nomination for Production of a Play (DYING FOR IT) and win for Kevin Hagan's scenic design of DYING FOR IT. In 2022, they received nine nominations and two wins – one for New Work (MALAPERT LOVE, written by artistic associate Siah Berlatsky) and one for Supporting Actor in a play (Todd Wojcik – in THE PAVILION). The company's 2022 nominations also included two for Best Play production (MALAPERT LOVE and THE PAVILION). The Artistic Home was one of the big winners in the 2019 Jeff Awards, with four awards including Production of a Play, Director of a Play, Principal Performer in a Play, and Sound Design, all for REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT. Brookelyn Hébert won a Jeff as Principal Performer in a Play for the company's 2020 production of ADA AND THE ENGINE. The company was nominated for Jeff Awards in 2019 for ROCK 'N' ROLL, and in 2018 for HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE.
 
Other memorable productions of recent years include 2017's WEDDING BAND, BY THE BOG OF CATS and THE SCHOOL FOR LIES; their Jeff-nominated productions of THE SEAGULL, WATCH ON THE RHINE, MACBETH and THE LATE HENRY MOSS; and their 2013 Jeff Award-winner THE GODDESS. Other Artistic Home productions include the Jeff-Award-winning production of JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK, which also received three After Dark Awards, the Jeff-Nominated SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, THE TALLEST MAN, LANDSCAPE OF THE BODY, NATURAL AFFECTION, FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS, AFTER THE FALL and PEER GYNT (which also received an After Dark award for Direction).
 
For more than 26 years, The Artistic Home has consistently produced compelling theatre in Chicago. First formed in 1998 with the belief that the actor is at the heart of great theater, the company strives to give birth to unforgettable moments; to touch audiences who are increasingly distanced from human contact; to readdress the classics and explore new works with passion.