Items filtered by date: November 2007

Let he without sin cast the first stone, Lyric’s “Don Giovanni” seemingly says when they bring up the house lights while the cast cheerfully sing about sinners being smote. Lyric Opera of Chicago kicks off the season with a thrilling revival of their 2014 collaboration with former Goodman artistic director Robert Falls.

Generally considered one of the best operas ever written, “Don Giovanni” sets a high bar for opera lovers, specifically Mozart fans. Oddly enough it was the first opera ever performed by the Lyric all the way back in 1954. Thankfully, you’re in good hands with legendary Chicago director Robert Falls at the helm. Falls returns to direct this remount of his 2014 production, and his fingerprints are all over it.

Falls is best known for the Broadway-ready new and classic works during his tenure at Goodman Theatre. Now that he’s retired from Goodman, he works in an emeritus capacity, bringing his signature style to other local institutions. Just last year he directed a celebrated revival of “Amadeus” at Steppenwolf, another Mozart-adjacent show.  His next directing project will be with Edgewater storefront company, Redtwist Theatre.

Christian Van Horn as Don Giovanni and Anna El-Khashem as Zerlina. Photo by Cory Weaver.

Opera plots can be a little hard to follow, but here, Falls delivers a concise and straight forward version that requires little flipping back and forth in the program. Scenes are neatly divided and each scene is larger than life thanks to Walt Spangler’s sets and Ana Kuzmanic’s costumes. Every scene is a feast for the senses, but not in a way that distracts from Mozart’s breathtaking music played by the Lyric Opera Orchestra led by Enrique Mazzola.

Don Giovanni is everyone’s favorite playboy. That is unless you’re one of the women he’s seduced and abandoned. Lyric not only cast wonderful singers in the roles, but they brought in singers who also exude the kind of sexuality and comic timing that makes this such a fun opera. Mozart had a playful sense of humor and the bromance between Christian Van Horn in the titular role and his sidekick Leporello played by the dashing Tommaso Barea is genuinely laugh out loud funny. Not to mention Van Horn’s commanding baritone.

The female ensemble: Donna Anna (Mane Galoyan), Donna Elvira (Nina Solodovnikova), and Zerlina (Anna El-Khashem) are all gorgeous singers, but each bring their characters to life in an almost slapstick way. Particularly Anna El-Khashem who gleefully sings to her husband that he’s free to beat her and pull out her hair because of her triste with Don Giovanni on their wedding night. The absurdity of the lyrics through her childlike yearning is hilarious.

“Don Giovanni” is hard to classify as either a comedy or a tragedy. Mozart’s operas tend to have a bright and cheery sound to them, but this one is less upbeat than say, “Marriage of Figaro” and the plot takes a decidedly more intense turn by the middle. It’s the best of both worlds. Mozart’s music paired with Falls’ theatrical sensibilities make this easily one of the most watchable operas ever produced. Clocking in at just under 3 and a half hours, nothing about this production feels redundant. Each moment is packed with enough amusement that a wry little grin will stay plastered on your face even after the final brava. (through November 1 at Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N Wacker Drive. (312) 827-5600)

https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2026-27/don-giovanni/

Teatro Vista Productions (TVP), the Midwest's only Latine-led Equity theatre company, in collaboration with Audible, presents Cafecito & Loops: A Mexodus Listening Tour Headed South, a FREE series of Sunday listening parties leading up to the Chicago premiere of Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson's hip hop musical Mexodus, playing at The Studebaker Theater November 7-21, 2026.

Cafecito & Loops will be held Sundays, October 11, 18, 25 and November 1, from noon to 4pm, at various locations throughout Chicago, with each stop mirroring a chapter in the play's journey.

"Teatro Vista is thrilled to partner with Audible, the Studebaker and P3 Productions to support Mexodus with Cafecito & Loops, an intentional journey that connects our communities directly to the play's groundbreaking music and message," says Teatro Vista Productions Artistic Director Wendy Mateo. "By mapping this listening tour southward we are tracing a path of artistic expression and resistance across Chicago. This free series is about making space for connection, conversation, and collective joy in neighborhoods that power our city's vibrant cultural landscape."

Teatro Vista Productions will host four listening parties featuring excerpts from the Audible Original, which features the entire musical recorded in immersive Dolby Atmos sound design, each stop acting as a chapter in the experience. These listening parties will be scattered throughout the city, strategically en route from Teatro Vista Productions' homebase at The Exchange in Jefferson Park to where Mexodus is playing at the Studebaker Theater downtown. The events are free and open to all.  Reservations are encouraged at: https://www.teatrovista.org/cafecito-and-loops-rsvp.

Teatro Vista Productions previously produced the world premieres of Brian Quijada's critically acclaimed Where Did We Sit on the Bus in 2016 (in association with DCASE and Victory Gardens Theater) and Somewhere Over the Border in 2022 as part of a rolling world premiere with Syracuse Stage and GEVA Theatre.

The Cafecito & Loops schedule is as follows:

Sunday, October 11, 12pm-4pm

The Exchange, home of Teatro Vista Productions in Jefferson Park

4800 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago

Sunday, October 18, 12pm-4pm

Magnifico Coffee Roasters & Coffee Shop in Avondale

3063 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago

Sunday, October 25, 12pm-4pm

Caña in West Town

1406 W Grand Ave, Chicago

Sunday, November 1, 12pm-4pm

Groundswell Coffee Roasters at the Fine Arts Building in the Chicago Loop

410 S Michigan Ave, Chicago

About Mexodus

Studebaker Theater, P3 Productions and Audible,

in collaboration with Teatro Vista Productions present

Mexodus

Written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson

Choreographed by Tony Thomas

Directed by David Mendizábal

Studebaker Theater, 410 S Michigan Ave, Chicago

November 7-21, 2026

Press Opening: Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30pm

Creators Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson perform this groundbreaking hip-hop musical, using live instruments to build a soundscape live each night incorporating looping to layer rhythms, melodies, and harmonies to create full arrangements on the spot at each performance.

Told through bold storytelling and sick beats, Mexodus reimagines the Underground Railroad heading south to Mexico—unearthing a powerful, untold chapter of American history. Called "thrilling" by The Washington Post and "genius in motion" by the San Francisco Chronicle, this is theatre you feel in your body and your bones.

Tickets for Mexodus are available through the Studebaker Theater Box Office, https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/mexodus/ or by calling (312) 753-3210.

About Teatro Vista Productions

Teatro Vista is a non-profit theatre and production company dedicated to multidisciplinary artists of color whose artistic expression on stage and beyond is rooted in the transformative power of owning and telling our own stories.

When the Chicago theater world wasn't ready for us, Teatro Vista Productions made space. For 36 years, we've told true stories that reflect our community. We're not just building on this amazing legacy; we're strengthening and expanding it for the future. Today we continue to actively engage in advocacy that seeks to increase the authentic representations of us on stage and screen.

Teatro Vista Productions believes we are stronger together — across disciplines, across experiences, across mediums, across diasporas. We center our collective of artists at the heart of everything we do. We empower our artists to create with their own authentic voice by providing the tools and resources they need to thrive in the industry. Our work is timely, relevant and authentically reflects our community. Now, as always, We Are Theater With A View.

The company is led by Executive Director Lorena Diaz, Artistic Director Wendy Mateo, and Associate Artistic Director Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel.

Follow TVP on social media & YouTube to experience the multidisciplinary talents of our Artistic Collective and stay connected. @teatrovista

They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're altogether ooky, The Addams Family.

Yes, ooky.

BrightSide Theatre’s production of The Addams Family Musical at the Theater at Meiley Swallow Hall feels like stepping back into the wonderfully odd world of a family we’ve all grown up with. There’s an immediate charm in seeing Gomez and Morticia - the passionately devoted, darkly elegant heads of the Addams clan - presiding over their spooky, loving household with the same theatrical flair that made them iconic. With a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, the show’s blend of gothic quirk, musical comedy warmth, and big-hearted family chaos lands with a personal, familiar joy that makes this staging especially inviting. And right at the center is Wednesday Addams, their sharp tongued, deadpan daughter whose unexpected leap into romance sets everything spiraling.

In this musical comedy, Wednesday has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet, decidedly “normal” young man from Ohio. Determined to prove she’s ready for something real, she asks her parents to host a dinner so the two families can meet - but she also begs Gomez to keep her engagement a secret from Morticia. That single request throws Gomez into a hilarious moral crisis, while Morticia senses something is off and the rest of the Addams household prepares for an evening guaranteed to go sideways. When the straight-laced Beinekes arrive, their collision with the gloriously eccentric Addamses sparks a night of confessions, misunderstandings, unexpected alliances, and more than a few supernatural surprises. What unfolds is a heartfelt, funny, and delightfully macabre exploration of love, loyalty, and the beautifully strange ways families learn to accept one another - quirks and all.

BrightSide’s production thrives on the strength of its performers, and this cast brings the Addams world to life with personality, precision, and a magnificently off-center spirit.

Scott Kelley and Samatha Keret (rear) as Gomez and Morticia and Ancestors in Brightside Theatre’s The Addams Family Musical. Photos by CM Stage Photography.

At the center of the production are Scott Kelley’s Gomez Addams and Samantha Keret’s Morticia Addams, who anchor the show with an easy chemistry that makes their partnership feel lived in and genuinely affectionate. Their banter and romantic interactions are fantastic - playful, sharp, and full of the kind of idiosyncratic mutual understanding that makes their marriage the emotional core of the evening. Kelley gives Gomez a warm, slightly frantic presence, the kind of theatrical bravado that feels both funny and sincere. Keret, with her beautiful voice and cool, elegant presence, matches him beat for beat, creating a dynamic that feels both grounded and pleasantly heightened. Together, they knock their roles out of the ballpark.

The ensemble - from the Addams clan to the buttoned-up Beinekes, along with the ghostly Ancestors who linger in the house until Wednesday’s journey toward love sets them free - brings strong energy and cohesion to the production, giving the show a vibrant foundation for some standout performances.

Lauren Mathews’ Wednesday Addams is terrific, offering a Wednesday who is smart, guarded, and brimming with the dry, deadpan wit audiences expect - but also carrying the emotional uncertainty of someone stepping into adulthood faster than she planned. Her performance captures a teenager caught between loyalty to her wonderfully strange family and the terrifying possibility of real change. Because the story ultimately revolves around love - romantic, familial, and everything in between - Mathews becomes the hinge of the entire narrative, and she handles that responsibility with clarity and confidence.

Collin Borisenko’s Uncle Fester adds a welcome dose of sweetness and eccentricity, leaning into Fester’s gentle oddball nature without tipping into caricature, while Amy Arbizzani’s Alice Beineke provides some of the evening’s biggest laughs as a tightly wound suburban mom whose unraveling becomes a comedic highlight. Arbizzani’s timing - and her ability to really belt when the moment calls for it - turns her musical outbursts into genuine showstoppers.

BrightSide’s creative team shapes this production with care and a clear affection for the material. Under De Haddad’s direction, the musical moves with clear, unfussy ease, balancing the story’s humor and heart while keeping the unconventional Addams world feeling cohesive and inviting. Shane Brown’s choreography adds light, well placed movement that supports the storytelling without crowding the stage, giving each number a clear, character focused lift. Phil Videckis leads the music with steady assurance, keeping the score’s personality and emotional beats aligned with the action. Cheryl Newman’s costumes offer a thoughtful blend of familiar Addams silhouettes and clean, stage ready designs, while Kurt Ottinger’s lighting brings subtle shifts in mood and color with just enough theatrical shadow to frame the world effectively. The production’s scenic design, crafted by Ariel Mozes, provides a space that feels both spooky and welcoming - a home that fits the Addams tribe and the story unfolding within it. One of the production’s most engaging details is the way the Ancestors drift in and out of the family portraits, turning the walls of the Addams home into a living gallery that observes the action as it unfolds.

Pugsley and Wednesday Addams (Carson Kelley and Lauren Mathews) in Brightside Theatre’s The Addams Family Musical. 

This is a funny show that is all about love, and BrightSide delivers that humor with a light, playful touch that keeps the audience laughing. And even when some of the jokes are predictable, they still land, because the delivery, timing, and sheer Addams‑style absurdity make the familiar feel fun rather than tired. I did wonder whether comedy born sixty years ago would still resonate with today’s crowd, but the production blends the classic Addams deadpan with a few modern winks - including some sly innuendo and contemporary asides - that make the jokes feel fresh without betraying the spirit of the original. The crowd was a mix of longtime Addams fans and newer generations, something made instantly clear when the familiar theme kicked in - a handful snapped right on cue while others clapped along. It was a fun blend of reactions, and the overall effect showed that the humor lands for everyone.

Big musical moments like When You’re an Addams burst with playful choreography and gothic silliness, setting the tone right from the start. Later, Full Disclosure turns a family dinner into a brilliantly chaotic spectacle, layering jokes, reveals, and ensemble energy in a way that feels both sharp and amusingly messy. Morticia’s Just Around the Corner is another highlight - a charming bit of dark humor built around her cheerful pun that “death is just around the coroner… get it?” delivered with exactly the kind of melodramatic glint the character thrives on.

For so many of us, The Addams Family began in grainy black and white reruns on TV - the kind you’d stumble upon on a quiet afternoon, or watch curled up on the couch, instantly pulled into that wonderfully odd little world. Those episodes became part of childhood in a way that sticks, shaping our sense of humor and giving us characters who felt strange, sweet, and strangely familiar all at once. Seeing the Addamses still make people smile today - onstage, in full color, with all their offbeat charm intact - is a reminder of how enduring they are. Decades later, they’re still beautifully weird, still welcoming, and still capable of bringing out that same simple, shared joy.

BrightSide Theatre’s The Addams Family Musical is recommended, offering a spirited, nostalgic, and thoroughly enjoyable night out for audiences of all ages. The production runs October 2–18, 2026 at the Theater at Meiley Swallow Hall at North Central College, located at 31 S. Ellsworth St. in Naperville. With an estimated running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermission, it’s an evening that delivers plenty of laughs, charm, and quirky family fun - a welcome return to the wonderfully weird world of the Addams clan.

https://brightsidetheatre.com/the-addams-family/

With Halloween creeping closer, there’s something fitting about revisiting one of opera’s earliest flirtations with macabre horror - especially in a production presented and performed by Chicago City Opera (COT). Der Vampyr may not enjoy the mainstream familiarity of later supernatural works, but its mix of moonlit superstition, doomed romance, and aristocratic menace makes it an ideal October offering. As audiences lean into the season’s appetite for the eerie, Marschner’s opera emerges as a surprisingly modern ancestor to everything from Victorian melodrama to contemporary horror musicals.

Though often treated as a standalone curiosity, Der Vampyr has a lineage that begins well outside the opera house. The story originates with John Polidori’s 1819 prose tale The Vampyre, one of the first works to codify the seductive, aristocratic vampire archetype. Polidori’s narrative was adapted into a German stage play by Heinrich Ludwig Ritter, whose dramatization became the direct source for Wilhelm August Wohlbrück’s libretto. Heinrich Marschner’s 1828 opera builds on Ritter’s theatrical version, shaping the material into a darkly romantic, musically driven narrative that blends early Romantic lyricism with gothic theatrics. In short: Polidori’s story inspired Ritter’s play, and Ritter’s play became the foundation for Marschner’s opera.

Set in early 19th century Scotland, the opera follows Lord Ruthven, a charismatic nobleman cursed with vampirism and bound to claim new victims before dawn or face eternal damnation. After surviving a near fatal attack, the young hero Edgar becomes unknowingly entangled in Ruthven’s hunt. Ruthven first targets the innocent Janthe, luring her to a ruined castle under the guise of seduction, and later sets his sights on Malwina, Edgar’s beloved, whose wedding night becomes his final opportunity to fulfill his deadly pact. As Edgar pieces together the truth, the opera accelerates toward a frantic race against sunrise: Ruthven’s identity is exposed, his supernatural bargain collapses, and the community rallies to save Malwina as the vampire is ultimately destroyed. What remains is a blend of gothic suspense, romantic rescue, and early Romantic moral drama - a seasonally perfect slice of operatic horror as Halloween approaches.

Jeremiah Strickler commands the evening as Lord Ruthven, delivering a performance that blends aristocratic charm with a chilling, predatory stillness. His presence anchors the production - vocally assured, theatrically magnetic, and always in control of the opera’s gothic pulse. Opposite him, Jordan Loyd brings a clear, earnest intensity to Edgar Aubry, shaping the role with a bright tenor and a palpable sense of moral urgency. Loyd had some of the most spectacular and heartfelt vocal moments of the evening, particularly toward the end of Act II as he reflects on his past love. Jessie Lyons’ Malwina adds welcome tenderness, her lyrical phrasing and grounded sincerity adding to the opera’s romantic core. Ariel Emma’s Janthe provides one of the night’s most striking early moments, her brief arc handled with vivid color and fearless commitment, and some of the notes she held were genuinely astounding - the kind that stop the room for a beat. Keaton Payne’s Humphrey von Davenaut provides a sturdy, authoritative counterweight, shaped by both his assured delivery and his expressive, sharply drawn presence. Meanwhile, Molly Clementz (also the production’s graphic designer) brings Emmy Perth to life with bright energy and an impressive finesse that lifts every moment she’s given, adding flashes of warmth, wit, and a polished musicality - especially in the way she shapes and sustains her notes with such control and clarity.

Bat Collazo’s George Dibdin and Kevin Wheatle’s John Berkley round out the ensemble with crisp, well-shaped character work that keeps the world of the opera humming with specificity.

Jerimiah Strickler (rear) Molly Clemenntz (left) and Bat Collazo in Chicago City Opera's Der Vampyr.

One of the unexpected pleasures of the evening was simply hearing each singer on their own - every voice carrying its own color, character, and emotional weight. But when paired, those timbres intertwined with a striking naturalness, and in the moments when all eight sang off one another at once, the result was nothing short of exquisite. The ensemble sound had a richness and immediacy that felt almost architectural, each voice reinforcing the next until the room seemed to vibrate with a unified, resonant force. It was a reminder of how thrilling Marschner’s writing can be when performed by artists who listen as intently as they sing.

Behind the scenes, Alexis Enyart conducts with sharp dramatic instinct, shaping Marschner’s score with clarity and momentum. SarahAnn Sutter’s direction deepens the production’s impact, treating Der Vampyr not merely as gothic spectacle but as a living, breathing psychological drama. She embraces the opera’s supernatural flair with confidence - the shadows, the proximity, the sudden shifts in tone - yet she never lets the human stakes slip away. Sutter has a keen sense for spatial storytelling, using the venue’s architecture to heighten tension and intimacy; she sends performers through the aisles and along the home’s sweeping historic staircase, activating much of the house as part of the dramatic landscape. Her staging choices reveal a director who understands how early Romantic horror works best: not through excess, but through precision, ambience, and emotional clarity. Supported by Jordan Crice’s deft piano work and Adam Nicholson’s distinctive set design, the result is a production where every element feels intentionally placed and dramatically charged. Thanks to this talented cast and creative team, Chicago City Opera builds a world where early Romantic horror feels both stylish and surprisingly immediate.

Although Der Vampyr travels through a handful Chicago area venues during its run, the performance I attended on opening night unfolded inside the storied Colvin House - a location that feels almost predestined for this opera. Colvin House, beautifully placed across the street from Lake Michigan on the corner of Thorndale Avenue and Sheridan Road, proves to be an inspired setting for Der Vampyr, its historic architecture and intimate, richly textured rooms amplifying the opera’s gothic mood in ways a traditional proscenium simply can’t match. The building’s carved woodwork, shadow friendly corners, period furnishings, and old-world elegance create a natural sense of suspense and closeness, allowing the audience to feel almost inside the drama rather than observing it from a distance. The scale of the space heightens the tension - Ruthven’s entrances feel more dangerous, Janthe’s fate more immediate, Malwina’s peril more personal. Colvin House becomes a living extension of the opera’s supernatural world and a perfect match for Marschner’s early Romantic horror.

Despite all its strengths, the evening wasn’t without a minor but noticeable drawback. Although brief stretches of dialogue were exchanged in English, the opera itself is sung in its original German, making the surtitles essential for most. Unfortunately, the monitor displaying those subtitles sat off to the front side and too low to be easily seen by much of the audience; only those in the unobstructed front section had a consistently clear view. Sitting in the third row opposite the monitor side, I was able to catch most of the surtitles when first‑row head movement allowed, but many around me – and further back - were blocked entirely. I’m no set designer, but raising the monitor and centering it - even if it encroached slightly into the stage picture - would make the surtitles far more accessible, a small trade off that would greatly improve audience experience. In the meantime, I strongly recommend that attendees read the Act I and Act II synopsis in the program before the performance begins; with that context in hand, most will have a solid grasp of the unfolding drama even if the surtitles prove difficult to see.

Regardless of that small hiccup, the opera itself remained a beautiful, wonderfully performed experience - rich in mood, artistry, and musical power.

Der Vampyr is recommended as a rare and atmospheric experience - the kind of intimate, site specific opera that feels tailor made for October. For audiences looking to embrace the season with something truly unique, this production offers a gothic thrill you won’t find anywhere else. Upcoming performances include Wednesday, October 7 at Colvin House (7pm), Friday, October 9 at Fulton Street Art Center (7pm), and Sunday, October 11 at Skokie Theatre (3pm).

https://www.chicagocityopera.com/

Avalanche Theatre announces the world premiere production of They Broke Up by Chicago playwright Skyler Tarnas, November 6–22, 2026.  Opening November 7 at 7:30pm) at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 Ridge Ave.

They Broke Up is Avalanche's first world premiere presented at their new home as a resident company at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. The play is the professional full-length debut from playwright Skyler Tarnas, an ensemble member of Avalanche and graduate of Northwestern University's Writing for the Screen and Stage MFA program.

They Broke Up — which was originally developed in Avalanche's new play incubator the Next Draft Series in 2024 — is an apocalyptic absurdist comedy centered around a friend group trying to weather both the end of the world and the much more devastating end of a relationship. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit avalanchetheatre.com/event-details/they-broke-up.

"They Broke Up is one of the most fun, distinct, and laugh-out-loud plays we've come across at Avalanche. Skyler has such a clear voice and vision for this play, which made the workshop a delight," says Avalanche Theatre's Artistic Director Alexander Attea, who also will perform in production as Brett. "In the two years that we've been working on this play, it has grown and changed in some weird and wonderful ways; all while staying rooted in the comedy and tragedy of this insane group of friends having to grapple with the reality of being themselves."

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

"I remember reading three grotesquely awful news stories in a row in a Trader Joe's parking lot and then dissociating heavily next to the oranges. I realized that's what this play was going to try to capture... the constant overload of tragedy and the deranged sense of detachment I felt like I needed to get through the day, letting numbness shut out helpfulness and growth," says playwright Skyler Tarnas. "I love how absurd I got to be with language and logic in this piece."

Avalanche Theatre's world premiere of They Broke Up plays Nov 6 - 22, 2026, at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble at 5779 Ridge Ave. Tickets are now available starting at an early-bird rate of $25 through September 15th and then increasing to $35 at AvalancheTheatre.com. A special edition of the script, published by Avalanche Theatre, will also be available for purchase as a ticket add-on.

The cast of They Broke Up features Avalanche Theatre ensemble members Gabriela Diaz, Alexander Attea, Ky Anderson, and Mitch Fischer. The cast also includes Reagan James, Jack Disselhorst, Maya McEntyre, and Jo Tannous. Understudies for the production are Lily Lourigan, Nathan Keiller, Becca Anderson, Curen Feliciani, Katie Bevil, and Matt Schutz.

They Broke Up is directed by Avalanche Theatre ensemble member Owen Hickle-Edwards. The design team includes Avalanche Executive Director Zoe Sjogerman (Production Manager), Emma Crumption (Stage Manager), Yukta Sinha (Assistant Stage Manager), Alishiana Uyao (Technical Director), Nathan Keiller (Lighting Designer), Drew McCall (Sound Designer), Eel Black (Costume Designer), Ab Rieve (Props Designer), and Tristin Hall (Intimacy Designer).

They Broke Up

World Premiere

By Skyler Tarnas

Directed by Owen Hickle-Edwards

Nov 6 - 22 (Opening night Friday Nov 6 at 7:30pm) at Rivendell Ensemble Theatre

Information

Tickets: www.AvalancheTheatre.com

General Admission Tickets: $35 - $45

About Avalanche Theatre

Avalanche Theatre, founded in 2019 by Alexander Attea and Zoe Sjogerman, is Chicago's new home for new play development. With a mission centered on developing new plays by Chicago playwrights, Avalanche has workshopped scripts that have gone on to be seen on stages including the Goodman Theatre, Shattered Globe Theatre, Alleyway Theatre, Silk Road Cultural Center, Renaissance Theatreworks, and others, as well as recognition from the Maxim Mazumdar New Play Award and as Finalists & Semi-Finalists for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. Through its script development programs like the Next Draft Series and its monthly Show & Tell events, Avalanche is committed to elevating the voices of Chicago's emerging playwrights.

Oil Lamp Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its next production and the final production in its 2026 season, It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, November 20 - December 27, adapted by Joe Landry and directed by Becca Holloway at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road. The schedule includes preview performances Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. with the opening performance Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances on Dec. 2 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m, Dec. 16 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. There will also be an understudy performance on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $30 for previews and $55 for the run at OilLampTheater.org.  

This heartwarming production is the perfect way to embrace the spirit of the Christmas season. Experience unmatched holiday cheer with Frank Capra's beloved classic, It's a Wonderful Life, reimagined as a captivating Live Radio Play, complete with foley sound effects and set in Oil Lamp Theater’s WBFR radio studio.

Audiences are invited to journey to Bedford Falls, where George Bailey's troubles lead him to wish he was never born. Clarence, an angel sent to intervene, steps in to make his wishes come true and George quickly learns just how blessed he is and how many lives he has touched.

The cast of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play includes Ethan Smith (he/him, Jake Laurents); India Huy (she/her, Sally Applewhite); Adam Schulmerich (he/him, Freddie Filmore); Baxter Konstans (he/him, Harry “Jazzbo” Haywood); Julia Hope Budd (she/her, Lana Sherwood); Anthony Augustine  (he/him, Foley Artist); Christopher Ratliff (he/him, U/S Jake Laurents); Aly Mackenzie (she/her, U/S Sally Applewhite); Neil Figuracion (any, U/S Freddie Filmore); Payton Nesci (he/him, U/S Harry “Jazzbo” Haywood); Katherine Abel (she/her, U/S Lana Sherwood) and John N Williams (he/him, U/S Foley Artist).  

The production team includes Becca Holloway (she/her, director); Anthony Doyle (he/him, stage manager); Trenton Jones (he/him, scenic designer); Rachel D. Hemm (she/her, lighting designer); Taylor Pfenning (she/her, costume designer); Elly Burke (she/her, props designer); Conner Nicoson (they/them, technical director); Connor Windle (she/her, production manager and sound designer) and Rose Leisner (she/her, company manager). 

ABOUT JOE LANDRY, playwright

Joe Landry's plays have been produced across the country and internationally and include It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (named one of the top-ten most produced plays by American Theatre Magazine). His other Live Radio Play adaptations include Vintage Hitchcock, Meet Me in St. Louis, War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast and A Christmas Carol, published through Playscripts/Broadway Licensing and Concord. Other plays include The Wicked Stage, Reefer Madness, Numb and Hitchcocked!. He attended Playwrights Horizons/NYU and has taught playwriting at Sacred Heart University.

ABOUT BECCA HOLLOWAY, director

Becca Holloway is a director/choreographer based in Chicago. She’s thrilled to return to Oil Lamp Theater, where she made her directorial debut 10 years ago! Favorite directing credits include Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince, Wise Guys, Die Hard 4 Your Luv (The Factory Theater), Muted (Red Theater) and Wanderlust and The Muses (Chicago Music Theater Festival). As an associate director: Godspell (Music Theater Works) and the upcoming Sunday in the Park with George (Paramount Theatre). Holloway has also worked extensively as a casting director for more than 30 productions including work with Wicked and The Lion King. 

Christmas Day is in our grasp. Why the vodka? Glad you asked! 

Who's Holiday! brings R-rated Cindy-Lou Who back to Theater Wit for her sixth consecutive year of adults-only holiday fun. 

Step inside Chicago’s #1 holiday bedazzled mobile home to meet Cindy Lou-Who, now 40, as she reveals the shocking true story of all the crazy things that happened after her Christmas Eve encounter with the Grinch. Veronica Garza, who earned a Jeff nomination for originating the role in Chicago, and recently won a 2026 Jeff Award for Best Performer in a Supporting Role in Marriott Theatre’s A Little Night Music, is back as Cindy Lou-Who – funny, flirty and foul-mouthed as ever.

First Cindy-Lou welcomes audiences into her mobile home at the base of Mount Crumpit for a festive holiday party. After plying her guests with party snacks and Malort, she spills the green tea about the twisted turns her life took after her Christmas Eve encounter with the Grinch.

The Chicago Reader called Wit’s annual holiday bon bon “a hell of a lot of fun…Garza’s performance offers surprises for her audience at every nook and cranny.” “Raunchy, hilarious, and shatteringly honest, you won’t even care that a tear sneaked out," raved Third Coast Review. Chicago Theater Review wrote Who’s Holiday! is “a very funny, often poignant production guided with panache by an excellent director.”

Director Christopher Pazdernik returns to direct Wit’s sixth outing of this hilarious, heartfelt holiday comedy by Matthew Lombardo. Also back is Angela Weber Miller’s Jeff Award-winning, Seuss-inspired set. Designers include Shelley Strasser, lights; Uriel Gomez, costumes; Lonnae Hickman, props, and Matthew R. Chase, sound and production manager.

Opening Night is Friday, November 27 at 7 p.m. Performances run through December 27: Saturday, November 28 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, November 29 at 3 p.m.; Monday, November 30 at 7 p.m. (Industry Night); Thursday and Friday, December 3 and 4 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, December 5 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, December 6 at 3 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, December 10 and 11 at
7 p.m.; Saturday, December 12 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, December 13 at 3 p.m.; Thursday, December 17 at 7 p.m., Friday, December 18 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Saturday, December 19 at
7 p.m.; Sunday, December 20 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.; Tuesday, December 22 at 7 p.m., Wednesday, December 23 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, December 26 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.: and Sunday, December 27 at 3 p.m. Run time is 70 minutes, no intermission. Tickets are $42-$70. Who’s Holiday! is for adults only. Tickets for children 12 and under are $500. Purchase tickets at theaterwit.org or call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150.

Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Convenient parking is available for $10 across the street in the lot behind Kubo restaurant (pay at the Theater Wit box office.) Neighborhood street parking is available, as are private paid lots (tip: book ahead and at a discount with Spothero). Theater Wit is also accessible via the CTA 77 Belmont bus, and is three blocks west of the CTA Belmont Red/Brown/Purple line stop. 

To learn more, visit theaterwit.org  or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.

The Sarah Siddons Society is pleased to present its 2026 Award to actress and director Victoria Clark, who recently starred in Kimberly Akimbo as Kimberly on Broadway, for which she won the 2023 Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical, as well as a Grammy nomination. Clark also originated the role of Margaret Johnson in The Light in the Piazza both at Chicago's Goodman Theatre and on Broadway, which earned her the 2005 Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical. Additional Tony nominations include Sister Act, Gigi and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. Most recently, she appeared in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway world premiere of Joshua Owen's play Human Things.  

The Society's annual Award is presented to an individual who has achieved outstanding artistic achievement in theatre. Ms. Clark will be honored at the Society's 2026 Benefit on Monday, November 9, 2026 at The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St. in Chicago. (6 pm reception, 7 pm program).

Following a reception, the evening's program will include musical selections from Ms. Clark's most memorable shows performed by some of Chicago's most acclaimed theatre artists including Marta Bady, Lillian Castillo, Marya Grandy and Heidi Kettenring under the co-direction of Christopher Chase Carter and Christopher Pazdernik, with music direction by Linda Madonia. The evening, hosted by longtime Chicago radio personality Patti Vasquez, will also feature the induction of the Sarah Siddons Society 2026 Scholarship Recipients.

Single tickets and a variety of sponsorship opportunities are currently available here. All proceeds benefit the Sarah Siddons Society Scholarship Program, dedicated to funding scholarships for promising theater arts students at top Chicago area universities.

While in town to accept her award, Victoria Clark will lead a presentation for Chicago-area university theatre arts students at the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. 

Sarah Siddons Society President Martin Balogh comments, "We are excited to honor Victoria Clark, the luminous, dynamic and highly respected Broadway actress. In addition to her extraordinary accomplishments as a performer, Victoria's work as a director, writer and teacher has established her as a highly regarded, versatile and truly well-rounded theatrical artist. Her remarkable breadth of talent and dedication to the theatre make her an especially deserving honoree."

More about Victoria Clark

In addition to appearing in fourteen Broadway shows, Victoria Clark's many film and television credits include The Gilded Age, Elsbeth, Almost Family, The Blacklist, Homeland, 911-Nashville, Pose, The Happening, Cradle Will Rock, Hallmark's One Royal Holiday, among others. Clark has had the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall several times, singing Ma Joad in the opera The Grapes of Wrath by Ricky Ian Gordon, and Katisha in the Master Voices production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, directed and conducted by Ted Sperling.

Clark is also a director (Love Life for New York City Center's Encores! series) and avid educator, serving as Artist in Residence at both Duke University and Pace University. She is a frequent guest lecturer and Master Class Teacher at her alma mater Yale University. She is currently back at work re-writing her one-woman show for the 245^th time and will hopefully get it up sometime in the next 2-3 decades. 

Clark is the proud mama of green energy consultant and innovator Thomas Guest and resides in New York City with her husband Tom and their two Golden Retrievers Ollie (Zen Master) and Gracie (Naughty Princess). IG: victoriajclark

About Sarah Siddons Society

Since its inception, the mission of the Society has been to fund scholarships to promising theater arts students at top Chicago area universities including; The Theater Department, Columbia College; The Theatre School at DePaul University; Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, Northwestern University School of Communications and the School of Theatre and Dance at Northern Illinois University. For additional information, visit sarahsiddonssociety.org.

At fifteen, the world can feel like a television show you haven't quite figured out how to turn off.

For Salma (Jacqueline Guillen), it may be even more difficult. She watches too much television—especially detective shows—and has begun to see the world through the eyes of a detective. So when Maria (Andrea Ferro) disappears, Salma doesn't simply wonder where her friend is. She decides to investigate.

She recruits Este (Carmen Berkeley) and Phoebe (Ariana Burks) to help her find Maria, and Phanèsia Pharel's Dead Girl's Quinceañera takes off from there.

Produced by Goodman Theatre in association with Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, the production is a collective World Premiere with Barrington Stage Company and Hartford Stage. Directed by Melia Bensussen, the play has at times the quick-cut energy of the procedural television shows that inspired Pharel when she originally conceived the work.

And it moves fast.

Very fast.

Pharel understands the language of fifteen-year-old girls—the rapid-fire speech, the sudden shifts in thought, the jokes that arrive in the middle of serious conversations and the ability to move from one subject to another without warning. These girls don't simply talk; they process.

And Salma processes everything like a detective.

Television has given her a vocabulary for understanding crime, clues and suspects. She has watched enough procedural television shows to believe she knows how an investigation works. There is something funny about her confidence, but there is also something unsettling about it. For all the light-heartedness there’s an air that something isn’t right.

Pharel wisely doesn't allow that danger to become the only thing we see. The girls joke, argue, tease one another and behave like fifteen-year-olds. Their humor is genuine, but it also creates an increasingly uneasy contrast with what may be happening beyond their immediate world.

That contrast gives the play its darker edge.

The girls are dealing with situations that are far more adult than they are. Salma's television education has taught her that mysteries have clues and crimes have solutions. But real life doesn't necessarily follow the rules of a television show.

The four girls come from distinctly different cultural backgrounds. Salma is Cuban, Este is Salvadorian, Phoebe is Dominican/Haitian, and her cousin Maria is Dominican. Their different cultural experiences shape their ideas about family, friendship, behavior and what it means to grow up American, while their interactions allow Pharel to explore questions of identity, belonging and how young people see one another across economic and cultural lines. Yet they share something equally important: they are all approximately fifteen years old, and they are all American.

Pharel doesn't present Latino identity as one uniform experience. Instead, she allows the girls' differences to shape their relationships and their understanding of the world. They are negotiating family expectations, cultural identity and American teenage life simultaneously.

Dead Girl’s Quinceañera is ambitious, culturally layered and unapologetically youthful. Pharel gives us four girls who may come from different places, but who share the complicated experience of growing up American while carrying the histories, expectations and family secrets that shape who they are. As those secrets begin to surface, friendship is tested, identities are questioned, and the girls are forced to confront realities far beyond their years.

Ultimately, this is a play about friendship, identity and agency—and about young women discovering that sometimes the most important story is the one they have the courage to uncover for themselves.

RECOMMENDED

When: Through Nov. 1 (Extended through November 8th!)

Where: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.

Tickets: $34-$79

Info: www.goodmantheatre.org

Box Office: 312-443-3800