Items filtered by date: November 2007

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 51st Season with the world premiere of Chicago playwright Stephanie Alison Walker's biting satire Adirondack Chair Circle, directed by Tony Award winner Pam MacKinnon (Downstate, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), playing October 22 — December 6, 2026 in Steppenwolf's Ensemble Theater, 1646 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Single tickets are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. 

Adirondack Chair Circle will feature ensemble member Caroline Neff (Mr. Wolf, Fool for Love, POTUS, Another Marriage), with additional casting to be announced shortly.

About the Production:

A gaggle of suburban moms, armed with pickleball paddles and hard kombucha, are ready to take on the school board in the fight of their lives: attempting to ban the controversial books available to their kids in the school library. But is this trusted inner circle all on the same page? A piercing world premiere from a Chicago playwright, Stephanie Alison Walker's Adirondack Chair Circle exposes the hilarious hypocrisy of the causes we claim and the company we keep. And has a damn good time doing it.

The creative team includes Todd Rosenthal (Scenic Design), Izumi Inaba (Costume Design), Barbara Samuels (Lighting Design), Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Design), Nicholas Hussong (Projection Design), Kate DeVore (Vocal Coach), Bryar Barborka (Dramaturg), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Elise Hausken (Production Manager), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting), Michelle Medvin (Production Stage Manager) and Kathleen Barrett (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, click here.

Production Details:

Title: Adirondack Chair Circle
Playwright: Stephanie Alison Walker
Director: Pam MacKinnon
Cast: ensemble member Caroline Neff (Evelyn Grace). Additional casting to be announced.

Location: Steppenwolf's Ensemble Theater, 1646 N. Halsted St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, October 22 – Saturday, October 31, 2026
Opening: Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 6 pm
Regular run: Tuesday, November 3 – Sunday, December 6, 2026
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, October 27, Thursday, November 5, Tuesday, November 10, Wednesday, November 18, Wednesday, November 25, Thursday, November 26 and Tuesday, December 1; there will be an added 2 pm matinees on Wednesday, November 25 and Wednesday, December 2.

Tickets: Classic Memberships starting as low as $165 are now on sale for Steppenwolf's 2026/27 season at steppenwolf.org/myseason. Single tickets for Adirondack Chair Circle ($20 – $149*) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are currently on sale: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30. *Pricing includes an $8.50 handling fee

Steppenwolf offers 20 tickets for $20 (no added fees) for each performance of every membership series production. Use promo code 20FOR20 to redeem this offer online, available in advance until they're sold out for every main series show. Limit 2 tickets per person. You can also purchase by phone at (312) 335-1650 on the day-of show at 12 pm for main series performances. Limit 2 tickets per person.

Accessible Performance Dates:

Audio-Described and Touch Tour: Sunday, November 22 at 3 pm (1:30 pm Touch Tour)
Open-Captioned: Saturday, November 7 at 3 pm, Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, November 28 at 3 pm
ASL-Interpreted: Friday, December 4 at 7:30 pm

Education and Engagement:

Throughout the 2026/27 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 Topdog/Underdog, Adirondack Chair Circle, The Comeuppance and Ellen B., 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. For additional information about Steppenwolf's Education and Engagement programming and to register your school for a field trip visit steppenwolf.org/education-community/school-teacher-programs/field-trips.

Artist Biographies:

Stephanie Alison Walker (Playwright) is an internationally-produced, award-winning playwright whose work is known for the personalization of the political, humor in darkness and the dramatization of the resilience of women. She is a native Chicagoburbian who has lived all over including London, Buenos Aires, San Juan Island and fifteen years in Los Angeles. She received her Bachelors in English/Creative Writing and Spanish from the University of Colorado and her Master of Professional Writing from the University of California. She began writing plays while working for Fox Theatricals in Chicago. Her play about the housing crisis, American Home, was the inaugural winner of American Blues Theatre's Blue Ink Award. Her play about the mothers of the disappeared in Argentina, The Madres, received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere at Teatro Vista in Chicago, Skylight Theatre Company in L.A., Moxie Theatre in San Diego and Shrewd Theatre Company in Austin. It was the 2019 Winner of the Francesca Primus Prize, winner of the Ashland New Plays Festival, the Generations Prize and semi-finalist for the CTG/ Humanitas Prize for playwriting. Her follow-up play The Abuelas, premiered at Teatro Vista and was recently adapted into a short film titled The Birthday Gift. The Art of Disappearing was a finalist for the Primus Prize and enjoyed critical praise for the world premiere in Chicago by 16th Street Theater in 2015. Friends with Guns, her play about liberals and gun ownership was an O'Neill Finalist, winner of Best New Play at the 2019 Valley Theatre Awards, and had its Chicago premiere by A Short Leap Theatre Company in 2025. Sophia Hayden Deserves Better tells the story of the architect of the Woman's Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and was recently a part of Gglassfest by Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago. The Ordeal of Water, inspired by the first women to work as Longshoremen at the Port of Los Angeles, was most recently a part of Bay Street Theater's New Works Festival. Adirondack Chair Circle, her play that tackles suburban book-banning moms, was developed at The Inkwell Theater Company and A Red Orchid's Studio at A Red Orchid. Her short plays have been anthologized by Smith & Kraus. Her full-lengths are published by Broadway Publishing, Inc. In addition to writing plays, she is currently adapting Friends with Guns and The Abuelas as features while raising two spirited boys and selling real estate in the suburbs of Chicago. She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America, Honor Roll Playwrights, NNPN Affiliated Artist, and a proud alumni of the Playwrights Union. stephaniealisonwalker.com

Pam MacKinnon (Director) is a Tony, Drama Desk and multi-Obie Award winning director. She is the artistic director of American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. She has directed more than eighty productions. Her Tony Award-winning production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? originated at Steppenwolf. Her production of Bruce Norris's Downstate (Steppenwolf, National Theatre and Playwrights Horizons) was celebrated with several Jeff Awards and won Pam her second Obie. She served as president of SDC, the national Union of choreographers and directors.

Caroline Neff (Evelyn Grace) is a Steppenwolf ensemble member. At Steppenwolf, she was last seen in Mr. Wolf, Fool for Love, 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. Assistive listening devices (ALDs), large-print programs and Braille 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, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies, Caroline and Keating Crown, Julius Frankel Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Shubert Foundation, Inc, Walder Foundation, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Rich and Margery Feitler, FROST CHICAGO, Jessica and Dominic Green Family Fund, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Orlebeke Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Sacks Family Foundation, Gary Sinise Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Thoma Bravo, and Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.            

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier Ensemble Theater with 51 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the early phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and more recently, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theatre and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise, Steppenwolf started as a group of friends in their teens and early 20s performing in the basement of a school in Highland Park, Illinois. 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, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director E. Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits 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 Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, concluded its 2025/26 season by shattering box office, attendance, and fundraising records, and cementing its position as a premier national hub for theatre excellence and community engagement. The critically acclaimed five-show season in the Studio Gang Architects-designed building at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe, earned a collective 17 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations, recognizing every production, including Hershey Felder's Rachmaninoff and the Tsar, As You Like It, Two Sisters and a Piano, JOB, and Leopoldstadt.

The season was anchored by unprecedented audience demand, including a record-breaking extension for Max Wolf Friedlich's JOB, which became the highest-grossing show in the history of the Gillian Theatre, and the historic staging of Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt, the largest and highest-revenue production in the company's history.

"From the moment we started planning, we knew this was an ambitious season. And our success across so many fronts is a testament to the artists, staff, and board of Writers Theatre," said Artistic Director Braden Abraham. "We are fortunate to have one of the most passionate and savvy audiences anywhere, and we were thrilled to welcome so many new patrons through our doors for the first time. I could not be prouder of what we've accomplished together this year."

"At a time when arts organizations continue to navigate significant economic and funding challenges, this season has been a powerful reminder of what is possible when community responds with extraordinary confidence, enthusiasm and generosity," said Executive Director Kate Lipuma. "Record-breaking ticket sales, the most successful gala in our history, and an ambitious season of critically acclaimed productions demonstrate that audiences continue to invest in meaningful artistic experiences."

By the Numbers: A Year of Historic Growth
Writers Theatre saw year-over-year operational growth from the 2024/25 season to the 2025/26 season:

• Single Ticket Revenue: Surged from $1.5 million to $2.45 million, an increase of over 63%.
• Subscribers: Grew from 3,180 to 3,688 patrons.
• Total Attendance: Jumped from 46,600 to 55,917 attendees.
• Average Paid Capacity: Rose sharply from 68% to an outstanding 86%.

Commitment to Artistic Development and New Work

Writers Theatre continued to invest in the Chicago artist community by employing 75 Chicago-area artists on its stages during the 2025/26 season, the highest number in recent history, bringing the theatre's four-season total to 243 unique local actors.

With the belief that language is at the center of the theatrical experience, Writers Theatre continued its long-term commitment to developing new work and being a welcoming home for playwrights. During the 2025/26 season, Writers Theatre began work on two new commissions: Rammel Chan's Tomato Tattoo and Matthew C. Yee's Songs from the Underworld. Additionally, the theatre hosted several readings and workshops over the course of the season to further the development of a number of in-process projects:

• Frankenstein - Kyle Hatley and Dana Omar's ghostly indie rock version of the Mary Shelley classic
• Within Our Lifetime - a new play about psychic mediums in Victorian New England by Erik Hellman
• Aping Jane - a transformational one-woman show about Jane Goodall and her many animal companions by playwright Aurora Real de Asua 

Unprecedented Community Philanthropy
The record-breaking season was fueled by extraordinary donor support. A dedicated campaign united 40 visionary donors who invested over $1.3 million specifically to make the epic scale of Leopoldstadt possible. This generosity propelled total seasonal operating support to nearly $4 million.

Additional philanthropic milestones included welcoming Adam S. Garber (Levenfeld Pearlstein), Mollie Gawronski (BMO) and Katie E. Henderson (Northern Trust) to the Board of Trustees, and raising over $1 million at the 2026 WordPlay Gala, "A Little Night Music," which honored Rick and Deann Bayless.

Beyond the stage, donor support made possible The Stoppard Series, a community education series that invited patrons into meaningful conversations about the timely themes of Leopoldstadt, creating space for dialogue, reflection and connection. The series was highly collaborative, partnering with cultural institutions, including The Illinois Holocaust & Education Center, Sukkat Shalom, Resetting the Table and Jewish Studio Project with lecturers from University of Notre Dame, Loyola University, DePaul University and The School at the Art Institute.

Arts Engagement and Education Expanded Footprint
Mirroring the company's core mission, Arts Engagement and Education at Writers Theatre had a robust year of community integration and academic collaboration. Driven by a commitment to curiosity, excellence, language, conversation and the cultivation of artists of all ages, WT Education engaged nearly 5,000 patrons of all ages. Programming spanned across three areas: Onsite Programs, School-Based Programs, and Theatre for Young Audiences. Highlights include:

• Student Matinees: Welcomed 1,165 students and teachers to performances, marking an increase of 200 attendees.
• Onsite Youth Programs: Engaged 226 community members through pop-up day camps, spring break camps, and Wake Up Words.
• Theatre for the Very Young: Attracted 712 patrons to early-childhood offerings, including Kerfuffle's Bookworms, behold!, and Alliance Theatre's The Birthday of the World.
• The Novel Series, WT flagship program:
• Reached 848 students across 35 classrooms in 11 regional schools.
• Over 54% (6 out of 11) of participating schools are classified as low-income.
• Partnered with Communities in Schools – Chicago to add new institutions, including Johnnie Colemon Elementary and Mather High School.
• Translated 8 out of 14 curricula into Spanish, successfully executing a full residency and final presentation entirely in Spanish.
• Collaborated with 10 returning teachers to build upon multi-year academic programming.

Looking Ahead: The 35th Anniversary Season
Building on this remarkable momentum, Writers Theatre is launching its 35th Season with its first preview on August 13, continuing the company's dedication to world-class storytelling:

Sisters

Written by Matthew Libby
Directed by Jessica Thebus

August 13 – November 8, 2026

Matilda and Greta have always been there for one another, through joy and grief and homework and boyfriends. They're as close as sisters can be—even if Greta is artificial intelligence. As Matilda ages and Greta longs for independence, their relationship begins to be tested like never before. Told over the course of 90 years, Sisters is a riveting and thought-provoking new play about the future of family. 

The Royale

Written by Marco Ramirez
Directed by Tyrone Phillips

October 22 – November 29, 2026

Jay is a really good boxer, so good they call him "The Sport." He's won his last seventy-six fights and has his sights set on being crowned the next heavyweight champion. But it's 1905, and in the Jim Crow era, a Black man doesn't get to fight a reigning white champion. When a surprising chance at the title appears, Jay gears up for the fight of his life—where the stakes are staggeringly high inside the ring and out. Inspired by real-world boxer Jack Johnson, this adrenaline rush of a play by Marco Ramirez (Orange is the New Black, Buena Vista Social Club) is a kinetic and poetic portrayal of what it takes and what it costs to make history. 

Noël Coward's Brief Encounter

Adapted for the stage by Emma Rice

Adapted from the play Still Life and the screenplay Brief Encounter, both by Noël Coward
Directed by Shana Cooper

Choreographed by William Carlos Angulo

Music Supervision by Matt Deitchman

February 11 – March 28, 2027

An ordinary commute becomes a whirlwind instant of once-in-a-lifetime possibility. Laura, a suburban housewife, and Alec, a married doctor, meet by chance in a busy railway station. As their weekly encounters continue and they fall more passionately and wildly in love, the pair is forced to reconsider their settled lives and decide if this romance is undeniably hopeless or worth risking everything for. Based on the beloved Noël Coward film, this critically acclaimed stage adaptation features live performances of an indelible selection of Coward's best songs. You won't want to miss one of the greatest love stories of all time brought to dazzling life with music, movement and theatrical magic.

Creditors 

By August Strindberg 

Adapted by Jen Silverman 
Directed by Braden Abraham 

April 8 – July 3, 2027 

Adi, a struggling painter, is on holiday at the seaside with his glamorous wife, Tekla, who has recently published a wildly successful book. Left alone at the hotel while his wife is celebrated, Adi strikes up a conversation with a magnetic stranger, Gustav. As the two talk into the night, their budding friendship enters darker waters when Gustav becomes fixated on Tekla and Adi's relationship. This classic psychological thriller by August Strindberg, newly adapted with biting wit by Jen Silverman (Witch, The Roommate), is an electrifying portrayal of three souls trapped in an intricate web of deception, seduction and revelation. 

Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me

A new play with music

Book by Hershey Felder

With music by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Bartok, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin and Williams

May 5 – June 27, 2027
Press Opening: Friday, May 7 at 7:30pm

Hershey Felder, known for his hit portrayals of musical geniuses in his beloved composer series, now takes the stage as a different musical artist: himself. In this deeply moving new play, Felder pulls back the curtain on his own story. Growing up in Montreal as the child of Polish and Hungarian immigrants, a young Felder discovers the piano, its captivating music connecting him to his unsuspected heritage, while opening up a remarkable new world full of adventure, possibility, heartbreak, and connection.

Featuring performances of beloved compositions by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Bartók, and more, Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me recounts the inspiration behind Felder's illustrious career of more than 6,000 performances across the globe and offers a poignant and profoundly touching portrait of the power of music.

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE

Writers Theatre proudly celebrates its 35th Season.  

From its beginnings in the back room of a Glencoe bookstore, Writers Theatre established what would become its defining conviction: that vibrant language and exceptional performances in an intimate setting create a transformative theatrical experience. Today, the company is a major cultural destination in the Chicago region with a national reputation for artistic excellence, heralded by The Wall Street Journal as "America's finest regional theatre company."

Founded in 1992, Writers has produced over 160 productions—from inventive interpretations of classics to groundbreaking new work. In 2016, the company opened a state-of-the-art theatre center designed by the internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects. The new facility includes the 255-seat Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre and the flexible 100-seat Gillian Theatre, spaces designed to preserve the company's trademark intimacy and bring audiences up close to Chicago's finest actors. The building's striking glass atrium serves as a welcoming gathering space for artists, staff and the community, open daily for reading, working and conversation.  

Led by Executive Director Kate Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, Writers Theatre welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each year. The company has established itself as an important originator of new theatrical work, having produced over 30 world premieres in its history—including Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol, Witch by Jen Silverman, Trevor the Musical by Dan Collins and Julianne Wick Davis, A Minister's Wife by Austin Pendleton, Jan Tranen and Josh Schmidt, The Savannah Disputation by Evan Smith and Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus's adaptation of Crime and Punishment. 

Education and community engagement remain central to Writers Theatre's mission. Each season, the organization reaches more than 5,000 students and adults through school matinees, in-school residencies and curriculum-based programs that introduce young people to professional theatre. Writers Theatre also offers a wide range of free programs for the broader community, including readings, lectures and partnerships with local organizations that make theatre accessible to audiences of all ages. 

Located just 20 miles north of downtown Chicago, Writers Theatre offers artists and audiences a setting that combines world-class theatre with the calm and accessibility of Chicago's North Shore. As Writers Theatre enters its 35th season, the company continues its commitment to artistic excellence, meaningful storytelling and the uniquely powerful connection that only intimate theatre can create. 

Chicago Magic Lounge welcomes back acclaimed magician David Parr as its Fall Artist in Residence with David Parr: Time Traveler, a new theatrical experience that uncovers the places where history, mystery and magic collide. A winner of the coveted Penn & Teller: Fool Us trophy and the Lounge's first Artist in Residence, Parr returns Wednesdays at 7 p.m., October 7 – December 16, inviting audiences to explore forgotten legends, remarkable true stories and unexplained mysteries—where history is often stranger than fiction.

History has secrets. Magic helps uncover them.

Combining captivating storytelling with masterful sleight of hand, David Parr: Time Traveler uncovers remarkable moments from the past where fact and folklore blur together. Audiences will encounter a 16th-century book on magic so controversial it was ordered destroyed by a king, pull up a chair at Deadwood's legendary Dead Man's Hand poker game, glimpse Thomas Edison's fascination with the paranormal, and even venture into the mysteries of fortune telling and prophetic dreams.

Every performance is a reminder that the world is still full of surprises and mysteries, and that history is often far stranger than the version we learn in school.

"This show is like finding a box full of cool stuff in a forgotten corner of the attic," said Parr. "It's a reminder that we live in a world of surprises and mysteries. Beyond that, it reminds us that history is much weirder than the version we learn in school."

David Parr: Time Traveler plays Wednesdays at 7 p.m., October 7 – December 16, 2026. Tickets are $44 (Standard) and $50 (Front Row), plus applicable fees. Tickets for all Chicago Magic Lounge performances are available at the box office, (312) 366-4500 or online at chicagomagiclounge.com.

Each evening begins with close-up magic performed right at guests' tables by Chicago Magic Lounge's talented house magicians. Between performances, audiences can enjoy craft cocktails, small plates and the vintage ambiance of the Harry Blackstone Cabaret.

About David Parr
David Parr is a winner of the coveted Penn & Teller: Fool Us trophy and creator of one of Chicago's longest-running magic shows, recognized by the Travel Channel as one of the nation's top magic shows. He performs regularly at the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood and was the first Artist in Residence at Chicago Magic Lounge. Parr is also the author of several acclaimed books on the art of magic, and his original creations are performed by magicians around the world.

Special One-Night-Only Series This September
Before David Parr begins his residency in October, Chicago Magic Lounge will kick off its fall season with One Night Only, a five-week series featuring a different acclaimed magician every Wednesday evening. Each special engagement showcases a distinct voice in contemporary magic—from impossible mind reading and world-class sleight of hand to theatrical storytelling and grand illusion—giving audiences five unique performances, each presented for one night only.

Mark Toland
September 2
Mark Toland knows what you're thinking—and proves it—in The Mystery Show, his fast-paced, interactive mind-reading performance. As featured on NBC, ABC, FOX, WGN, TEDx, NPR and CBS, and winner of the Chicago Theatre Award for Best Special Event, Toland dazzles audiences with psychological illusions and mysteries of the mind.

Trent James
September 9
Award-winning magician Trent James combines astonishing sleight of hand, sharp humor and infectious enthusiasm to create an unforgettable live experience. Having performed around the world and headlined renowned venues including Chicago Magic Lounge and the Magic Castle, his mission is simple: to make audiences fall in love with magic.

Paige Thompson
September 16
Known for her captivating stage presence, quick wit and refreshingly offbeat approach to magic, Paige Thompson is a resident company member of Chicago Magic Lounge. She has appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and performed for audiences around the world, from luxury cruise ships to some of magic's most celebrated stages, creating experiences that feel personal, surprising and full of genuine wonder.

Walter King Jr. "The Spellbinder"
September 23
Known as "The Spellbinder," Walter King Jr. is an award-winning illusionist and Chicago native whose pioneering career has spanned nearly four decades. Blending illusion with hip-hop music, dance and theatrical storytelling, he creates larger-than-life experiences that showcase both his innovative artistry and enduring passion for wonder.

Benjamin Barnes
September 30
Benjamin Barnes is an acclaimed magician, producer and Entertainment Director of Chicago Magic Lounge. Combining world-class sleight of hand with a warm, engaging stage presence, he has become a favorite of audiences nationwide, with appearances on Masters of Illusion, Penn & Teller: Fool Us (where he fooled the hosts), and some of magic's most celebrated stages.

Tickets for One Night Only are $44 (Standard) and $50 (Front Row), plus applicable fees.

New at Chicago Magic Lounge: The Bewitching Hour

Chicago Magic Lounge also introduces The Bewitching Hour, a new happy hour experience offered exclusively in The Performance Bar every Monday through Wednesday from 8–10 p.m.

Guests can enjoy specially priced cocktails, a rotating seasonal cocktail, featured wines and the close-up bar magic that makes an evening at Chicago Magic Lounge unlike anywhere else. No reservations or tickets are required. The Performance Bar is reserved for guests 21 and over, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Also Happening at Chicago Magic Lounge

The Close-Up Show
Mondays at 7 p.m.
Tickets: General Admission $37

The Showcase
Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
Tickets: Standard $39; Front Row $44

The Signature Show
Thursdays–Sundays at 7 p.m.; Fridays & Saturdays at 10 p.m.

Tickets: Front Row $95–$103; Premium Main Floor $84–$95; Standard $74–$84; Mezzanine $63–$68

Tickets for all Chicago Magic Lounge performances are available at the box office, (312) 366-4500 or online at chicagomagiclounge.com. Chicago Magic Lounge is a 21+ venue. Guests ages 16 and older may attend ticketed evening performances when accompanied by a legal guardian.

For a complete schedule of performances and more information about Chicago Magic Lounge, resident and guest performers, please visit chicagomagiclounge.com.

Nearly fifty years after its groundbreaking premiere, Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf remains one of the most important works ever written for the American stage. Neither conventional play nor musical, Shange called her work a "choreopoem," a seamless fusion of poetry, dance, music, and theatrical ritual that forever changed the landscape of Black theatre.

When the work premiered in 1976 it shattered theatrical conventions. The original production gave Black women something rarely afforded on the American stage: the authority to tell their own stories without apology, through language that was lyrical, raw, sensual, political, and deeply personal. At a time when Black women were often relegated to supporting roles in theatre, Shange centered their voices, their pain, their joy, and ultimately, their survival. The production earned multiple Tony Award nominations and cemented itself as a cornerstone of the American theatrical canon.

Its relevance today is perhaps even more striking. In an era shaped by conversations surrounding gender-based violence, mental health, reproductive autonomy, identity, and the ongoing struggle for Black women to be fully seen and heard, Shange's words continue to resonate with astonishing clarity. The emotional truths embedded in her poetry refuse to age.

ETA Creative Arts Foundation's production, directed by Donn Carl Harper, wisely understands that the strength of for colored girls lies in trusting Shange's language. Harper resists the temptation to over-direct or impose unnecessary concepts upon the material. His direction is careful, respectful, and largely unobtrusive, allowing the poetry to remain the undeniable centerpiece.

The production, however, begins on an unfortunate note. Opening night started approximately thirty minutes late, a delay that inevitably affected the audience's energy. Compounding that issue was the decision to open with Nina Simone's haunting "Four Women." While Simone's anthem is unquestionably a masterpiece and shares thematic kinship with Shange's work, its placement here felt somewhat gratuitous. After already waiting half an hour, the audience was asked to spend another five minutes listening to a recorded song while nothing occurred onstage. Rather than heightening anticipation, the extended prelude tested the audience's patience before the choreopoem had the opportunity to speak for itself.

Once the production settles into Shange's text, however, it finds its rhythm.

Levi Wilkins' abstract scenic design provides an uncluttered visual landscape that allows the performers to inhabit both literal and emotional spaces. His lighting effectively supports the shifting moods of the evening, although both scenic and lighting concepts occasionally seem content to complement the material rather than challenge it. Given the limitless theatrical possibilities inherent in a choreopoem, I wish he would have made bolder visual choices that embrace the work's dreamlike qualities.

Markene Peavy's costume designs honor the play's iconic color symbolism, a safe choice, but it doesn't distinguish each woman as individuals, a missed opportunity.  Peavy's choreography becomes the production's most compelling storytelling device. Rather than serving as decorative movement between monologues, the choreography extends Shange's language into the body, allowing emotion to continue flowing.

Among the ensemble, Madison Savannah (Lady in Purple) emerges as an exceptional physical storyteller. Her dancing possesses remarkable precision, grace, and emotional transparency, making every movement feel deeply connected to the poetry. She consistently commands attention without disrupting the ensemble's collective balance.

The performances throughout demonstrate a clear understanding that these women are not individual characters so much as facets of a shared experience.

Tina Marie (Lady in Red) delivers her poetry with commanding authority and emotional maturity. Margo Harper (Lady in Blue) brings quiet dignity and introspection, while Deborah Ross (Lady in Green) grounds her moments with warmth and humanity. Tracey Renee (Lady in Orange) finds welcome humor amid the heartbreak, providing necessary moments of emotional release. L.A. Holts (Lady in Yellow) infuses her work with youthful vitality and infectious spirit. Kennedi Coleman (Lady in Brown) offers moments of thoughtful restraint that contribute beautifully to the ensemble's collective voice.

Opening night also presented an increasingly familiar frustration that falls outside the production itself but nonetheless affected the theatrical experience. The persistent glow of cell phones and repeated audience distractions proved difficult to ignore. Theatre remains one of the few art forms built upon a shared agreement between artists and audience to be fully present in the moment. When that agreement is repeatedly broken, everyone in the room loses something.

Even with its uneven opening and a few missed opportunities for greater theatrical imagination,

ETA's production succeeds where it matters most: it trusts Shange.

That trust is ultimately enough.

Nearly fifty years after its premiere, for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow Is enuf continues to remind audiences that Black women's stories are not peripheral to the American experience - they are central to it. Their pain, laughter, sensuality, vulnerability, resilience, and joy remain as urgent today as they were in 1976.

Shange did more than write a play. She created a language for survival.

ETA Creative Arts Foundation honors that legacy with sincerity, sensitivity, and respect, reminding us that some masterpieces require no reinvention- only artists willing to listen deeply enough to let them speak.

Recommended

When:   thru August 31
Where: 7558 South Chicago Ave Chicago
Tickets: $30 - $50 general admission

Info: www.etacreativearts.org

A quick history lesson: Anne Bonny and Mary Read are two of history’s most famous female pirates. Both women disguised themselves as men and sailed under the command of Captain Calico Jack Rackham, where they became part of the same crew. There has long been speculation that they may have had a romantic relationship, though there is no widely accepted historical evidence to support it.

That essentially sums up the history covered by yo ho., SMJ’s original play which reimagines Anne and Mary’s story in a very queer, very explicit way. Described as “equal parts historical fantasy and introspective sexual and gender exploration,” the production has far more interest in the latter than the former. It uses these historical figures less as a subject to interrogate than as a launching point for a silly, raunchy, gay pirate adventure.

This is not inherently a bad thing – director JD Caudill’s production is clearly committed to creating both queer joy and comedic sexual exploration on stage, and for queer artists to come together to make something. yo ho. may not be as historically based or polished as it markets itself to be, but with accurate marketing, there is definitely an audience to love the show.

The cast is the heart of the production. The outrageous script makes room for the entire cast to throw themselves into spicy, raunchy, hilarious, and sometimes sacrilegious moments for multiple characters, whether that be ensemble playing multiple roles or one character with two alter egos. Two particular standouts were William Delforge (Chad/James) and Brittani Yawn (Vanessa) – both cast members carried the production, playing multiple roles with great comedic timing and execution, and larger-than-life physical comedy. Funny on their own, Delforge and Yawn only became more powerful when playing off of each other.

(L to R) Rachel Sleek Bañuelos and Sierra Bryn in the world premiere of yo ho.

This constant-humor approach does limit the nuance of character relationships that can be developed; however, it does not mean that the show was void of emotionally moving moments. Rachel Sleek-Banuelos’ eleventh-hour monologue is stunningly moving; despite the moment feeling a bit out of place in the script overall, Banuelos temporarily silences the theatre and lands it perfectly regardless. However, in the end, the play’s ending unfortunately does lean into a gimmick that feels more abrupt than satisfying.

For a company called Babes with Blades, though, the clearest strength is exactly where it should be: the fighting. The stage combat is consistently impressive, but the swordplay in particular is fast, dynamic, and genuinely intimidating from only a few feet away. Even when the choreography is visibly choreographed, it never becomes mechanical. Carly “CB” Carson’s fight choreography has momentum and danger, nearly intimidating to be sitting mere feet from.

The technical production also feels surprisingly considered for the polish of the show. The set creates a convincing pirate-world atmosphere within The Edge’s black-box space, though some scene changes feel more complicated than the material requires. In general, yo ho. can feel disproportionately unserious compared with its technical ambition: the energy is closer to an enthusiastic college-theater production than the fully realized historical fantasy its marketing material promises.

Still, there is an audience for this show. The theatregoer who wants a messy, high-energy night of queer pirate smut – perhaps with friends after a nearby Edgewater happy hour – may have a genuinely great time. For everyone else, yo ho. is best approached with the understanding that it is not a sweeping historical drama, but an overwhelmingly unserious fantasy which features strong sword fighting and a few flashes of something more.

yo ho. is running Thursdays through Sundays at The Edge Off-Broadway through August 29th. Tickets are available at BabesWithBlades.org

Today, Goodman Theatre achieves a new milestone in its 100th anniversary season: Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins announce that Iceboy! or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O'Neill Came to Write "The Iceman Cometh" starring Emmy Award winners Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss, and book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss, has become the theater's all-time best-selling production. Running at 99% capacity, Iceboy! has welcomed more than 53,000 audience members from across the nation and 23 countries—breaking previous top attendance records held by War Paint (52,851 in 2016) and The Who's Tommy (50,980 in 2023)—with two weeks remaining in its three-time extended run. This success joins that of the downtown debut of Raven Theatre's Octet (extended through August 2) and the improv stand TJ & Dave (tonight, July 31, August 1)—both of which have gone clean. In addition, free outdoor performances of the family-friendly The Lizard y El Sol have drawn record crowds—more than 1,200 people—during the first week of its 12-park tour with destinations from Ashburn Park to Norwood Park, prompting a four-performance extension at Chicago Public Libraries (Little Italy, Uptown, Altgeld Gardens and McKinley Park). The Goodman's productions of Dennis Watkins' The Magic Parlour and David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar's Theater of the Mind continue extended runs. For tickets and more information about each offering, visit GoodmanTheatre.org.

"This week alone, The Goodman will serve 13,000 Chicagoans with programs in neighborhoods all over the city. This is The Goodman at 100, meeting audiences in this moment, and we could not be more proud," said John Collins, Executive Director. "By design, the goal of this Centennial Season—expertly curated by Susan Booth and executed by our world-class Artistic, Education and Engagement, Production and Administrative teams—was to push past what was previously thought possible in order to serve more audiences, in more neighborhoods with more programs than ever before. As we look to begin 'our second century' this fall, we hope to build on this success achieved together with our audiences and supporters." 

Iceboy! or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O'Neill Came to Write "The Iceman Cometh," appears in the 856-seat Albert Theatre through August 16. For tickets ($74 - $259, subject to change) call 312.443.3800 (12 noon- 5pm) or purchase online at GoodmanTheatre.org/Iceboy. Looking for tickets to a sold-out performance? A limited number of $75 stand-by tickets are available for purchase on the day of performance (by telephone only). Additionally, a limited number of $20 tickets are offered through a daily lottery; visit TodayTix.com/Iceboy for details. The Goodman is grateful for the support of its Iceboy! sponsors: Edgerton Foundation (New Play Award), Mayer Brown (Lead Corporate Sponsor) and Athletico (The Official Physical Therapy Provider for Goodman Theatre).

In Iceboy!, Broadway's brightest star of 1939, Vera Vimm (Megan Mullally), is at the top of her game. But when she adopts a 40,000-year-old Neanderthal discovered frozen in the Arctic, the spotlight begins to shift. As Iceboy (Grey Henson) thaws, he unexpectedly becomes a theatrical sensation, inspiring the "father of the American drama" Eugene O'Neill (Nick Offerman) and challenging Vera for center stage. A "highly original, frothy nightcap to a Centennial Season of successful productions, and a nice way to kick off The Goodman's next act" (Newcity), Iceboy! features music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss, and book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss—the Tony Award-winning creators behind Urinetown (Hollmann, with Greg Kotis) and The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Reiss, with Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn). Marc Bruni directs and JoAnn M. Hunter choreographs. The cast also includes Cedric Yarbrough (Comedy Central's Reno 911!), Tony Award nominee Sarah Stiles (Broadway's Tootsie) and Alex Goodrich (Marriott Theatre's Hero: The Musical), together with Donterrio (Nightbirds), Melanie Brezill (A Christmas Carol), Will Koski (Paramount Theatre's Into the Woods), Linda Mugleston (Broadway's The Music Man), Shawn Pfautsch (The Matchbox Magic Flute), Andrea San Miguel (The Penelopiad), Will Lidke (Theo Ubique's Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Leah Morrow (Marriott Theatre's Heartbreak Hotel) and Jeff Parker (Betrayal).

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Megan Mullally (Vera Vimm) created the role of Karen Walker on Will & Grace, a role for which she went on to win two Emmys and four SAG awards. On Broadway, she has starred in How to Succeed in Business, Young Frankenstein, and Grease, in addition to Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall, opposite Nathan Lane. On-screen credits include Chasing Summer, Dicks: The Musical, The Righteous Gemstones, Party Down, Reservation Dogs, Bob's Burgers, Childrens Hospital, Parks and Recreation, and the upcoming film Goodbye Girl. She tours worldwide with her band Nancy And Beth as creator, lead singer and choreographer.

Nick Offerman (Eugene O'Neill) returns to The Goodman, where he debuted as The Keeper/Fight Captain in Richard II (1994). Offerman's credits include the Emmy award-winning role of Bill in The Last of Us (HBO), Ron Swanson on NBC's Parks and Recreation, Forest in Devs (FX), and Jinx in Margo's Got Money Troubles (Apple). Stage credits: A Confederacy of Dunces (Huntington Theatre), Annapurna, opposite Megan Mullally (The Odyssey/Evidence Room in LA & Off-Broadway), and Chicago credits at Defiant Theatre (Founding Member), Steppenwolf, A Red Orchid, Wisdom Bridge and Chicago Shakes. Recent: Death by Lightning (Netflix), Sovereign, Civil War (by Alex Garland), Origin (by Ava DuVernay), Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Fargo (FX), The Umbrella Academy (Netflix), and NBC's Making It. He hosts the WNYC radio series A Wonder Is What It Is, dedicated to the poetry of Wendell Berry.

Grey Henson (Iceboy) was most recently seen as Bigfoot in Bigfoot! The Musical Off-Broadway, for which he earned a Drama League Award nomination. Broadway credits include Buddy in the 2024 revival of Elf The Musical (Drama Desk Award nomination), Damian in Mean Girls The Musical (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Storyteller 2 in Shucked, and Elder McKinley in The Book of Mormon, a role that he originated on the first national tour. Other credits include Michael in tick, tick... BOOM! at the Kennedy Center and Tate in the Netflix series Girls5Eva. Carnegie Mellon University Drama.

Cedric Yarbrough (Floyd Richards) is a multi-hyphenate performer recently seen in Clint Eastwood's latest film Juror #2, the Netflix film Unfrosted and the AMC series Lucky Hank. He starred in ABC's Speechless, The Goldbergs, CBS' Carol's Second Act, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Key and Peele. The Minnesotan began his career with 8 seasons of Comedy Central's hit Reno 911! as "Deputy S. Jones." He was seen in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The House, The Boss and Black Dynamite. Yarbrough is also a talented voice-over artist whose work includes Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, Bojack Horseman, Kung Fu Panda 4 and the Peabody Award-winning The Boondocks.

Sarah Stiles (Lambert) is a two-time Tony Award-nominated actor for Tootsie and Hand to God. Other Broadway: On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Avenue Q and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Off-Broadway: The Imaginary Invalid (Red Bull); Into the Woods (Delacorte); Vanities (Second Stage). Stiles stars opposite Kevin James in the Netflix comedy The Crew, is Gladys in the critically acclaimed EPIX Original Series Get Shorty and Bonnie on Showtime's Billions. She voices Spinel in Steven Universe (Cartoon Network) and Mimzy in Hazbin Hotel (Amazon). Film: Transformers: Rise of the Beast, This Will Never Work, Unsane. 

Alex Goodrich (Frankenstein) is thawed to make his Goodman Theatre debut! Chicago credits include several shows at Court Theater, Marriott Theater, Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, Royal George, Drury Lane and Writers Theater. He's been nominated several times for a Jeff award and won once. TV credits include Chicago Fire and Shining Girls on Apple TV+. 

Mark Hollmann (Music and Lyrics) won the Tony Award®, the Obie Award, and the National Broadway Theatre Award for his music and lyrics to Urinetown The Musical, which went from the 1999 New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) to receive 10 Tony Award® nominations and 11 Drama Desk Award nominations and win the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama League and the Lucille Lortel Awards for best musical.  His other shows as composer/lyricist include The Sting (Paper Mill Playhouse), ZM (Village Theatre Beta Series), Yeast Nation (FringeNYC), Bigfoot and Other Lost Souls (Perseverance Theatre), and The Girl, The Grouch and The Goat (University of Kansas Theatre and Chance Theatre).  For TV, he has written songs for the Disney Channel's Johnny and the Sprites.  He received his A.B. in music from the University of Chicago, where he won the Louis J. Sudler Award in the Performing and Creative Arts.  He has taught at Princeton University, Columbia College Chicago and the Dramatists Guild Institute.  He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and the Dramatists Guild of America, and has served on the council of the Dramatists Guild as well as on the Tony Award® Nominating Committee. 

Jay Reiss (Book and Lyrics) is one of the creators of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which won two Tony awards, and made his Broadway acting debut as the Bee's word pronouncer, Vice Principal Douglas Panch. He co-wrote the screenplay for The Oranges, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and starred Hugh Laurie, Allison Janney, Oliver Platt and Catherine Keener. He wrote the documentary New Wave: Dare To Be Different, about legendary NY radio Station WLIR. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and later on Showtime. Reiss is a graduate of The Juilliard School's playwriting program. 

Native Illinoisan Erin Quinn Purcell (Book) has been a mainstay in New York's downtown theater scene for more than 30 years. She was one of the founding members of the critically acclaimed adobe theatre company, and participated as an actor, writer and/or director in countless productions. Writing credits include Duet! A Romantic Fable (Broadway Play Publishing), The Fiona Apple Kwanzaa Explosion (PSNBC), the musical A Fish Story (Jonathan Larson Foundation award) and the Russ Meyer inspired Go-Go Kitty, Go! (Outstanding Play, 2005 New York Fringe Festival). 

Marc Bruni (Director) helmed The Great Gatsby (Broadway, West End, Korea) as well as the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Broadway, West End, US and UK Tours, and in Australia- Helpmann Award Best Director). Other credits include Billie Jean (Chicago Shakes), The Sound of Music (Chicago Lyric), Bull Durham (Paper Mill), A Little Night Music (Geffen Hall), Trevor: The Musical (Stage 42, Disney+), Bye Bye Birdie, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, How to Succeed in Business..., 50 Years of Broadway (Kennedy Center), and Hey, Look Me Over!, Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream and Fanny (City Center Encores!), Tale of Despereaux (Old Globe, Berkeley), Love All (La Jolla), The Explorers Club (MTC), Ordinary Days (Roundabout), 9 shows for the St. Louis MUNY.  

Company of Iceboy! or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O'Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh

Music By Mark Hollmann

Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss

Book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss

Directed by Marc Bruni

Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter

Alex Goodrich...Frankenstein 
Grey Henson... Iceboy 
Megan Mullally...Vera Vimm 
Nick Offerman...Eugene O'Neill
Sarah Stiles...Lambert 
Cedric Yarbrough...Floyd Richards
Donterrio, Melanie Brezill, Will Koski, Linda Mugleston, Shawn Pfautsch, Andrea San Miguel...Ensemble 
Will Lidke, Leah Morrow, Jeff Parker...Swing

CREATIVE TEAM

Set Designer...Paul Tate dePoo III 
Lighting Designer...Jen Schriever 
Costume Designer...Linda Cho 
Wig & Hair Designer...Charles "Chuck" LaPointe 
Sound Designer...Connor Wang 
Music Director/Conductor/Pianist/Additional Arrangements...Vadim Feichtner 
Orchestrations...Bruce Coughlin 
Music Preparation...John Blane 
Voice & Dialect...Michelle Lopez-Rios 
Violence & Intimacy...Chels Morgan 
Associate Director...Keira Fromm 
Associate Sound Designer...Emily Hayman 
Associate Choreographer...Liz Ramos 
Associate Costume Designer...Patrick Bevilacqua 
Associate Wig & Hair Designer/Makeup Designer...Rachael Geier 
Associate Lighting Designer...Paul Vaillancourt 
Associate Set Designer...Kaitlyn Peterson 
Assistant Director...Lo Williams 
Assistant Music Director and Cover Conductor...Jo Ann Daugherty 
Music Assistant...Jordan Klein 
Assistant Sound Designer...Emily Lynch 
Assistant Lighting Designer...Emma Berry
Assistant Set Designer...Ben Hirschfield
Script and Production Assistant...Molly Rosen 
Production Assistant...Tuesday Thacker 
Line Producer...Malkia Stampley 
Second Line Producer...Adam Belcuore

Casting by Lauren Port, CSA and NY Casting by Jim Carnahan, CSA and Jason Thinger, CSA. Jennifer Gregory is the Production Stage Manager. Nikki Blue and Beth Koehler are the Stage Managers.

ABOUT THE GOODMAN

Since 1925, The Goodman has been more than a stage. A theatrical home for artists and a gathering space for community, it's where stories come to life—bold in artistry and rich in history, deeply rooted in the city it serves.

Led by Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, The Goodman sparks conversation, connection and change through new plays, reimagined classics and large-scale musicals. With distinctions including nearly 200 world or American premieres, two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and nearly 200 Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman is proud to be the first theater to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson's "American Century Cycle." In addition, the theater frequently serves as a production partner—with national and international companies to Chicago's Off-Loop theaters—to help amplify theatrical voices.

But The Goodman believes a more empathetic, more connected Chicago is created one story at a time, and counts as its greatest legacy the community it's built. Generation-spanning productions and programs offer theater for a lifetime; from Theater for the Very Young (plays designed for ages 0-5) to the long-running annual A Christmas Carol, which has introduced new generations to theater over five decades, The Goodman is committed to being an asset for all of Chicago. Education and Engagement programs led by Clifford Director of Education and Engagement Jared Bellot and housed in the Alice Rapoport Center use the tools of theater to spark imagination, reflection and belonging. Each year, these programs reach thousands of people (85% from underserved communities) as well as educators, artists and lifelong learners across the city.

The Goodman stands on the unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations—and acknowledges the many other Nations for whom this land now called Chicago has long been home, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. The Goodman is proud to partner with the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum (Gichigamiin-Museum.org) and the Center for Native Futures (CenterForNativeFutures.org)—organizations devoted to honoring Indigenous stories, preserving cultural memory, and deepening public understanding.

The Goodman was founded by William O. Goodman and his family to honor the memory of Kenneth Sawyer Goodman—a visionary playwright whose bold ideas helped shape Chicago's early cultural renaissance. That spirit of creativity and generosity endures today. In 2000, through the commitment of Mr. Goodman's descendants—Albert Ivar Goodman and his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton—The Goodman opened the doors to its current home in the heart of the Loop.

Marsha Cruzan is Chair of the Goodman Theatre Board of Trustees; Diane Landgren is Women's Board President; and Kelli Garcia is president of the Scenemakers Board for Young Professionals. 

Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia, along with Broadway In Chicago announced today that Tony Award® winner J. Harrison Ghee will star as “Mary Todd Lincoln” when Oh, Mary! comes to Chicago for a strictly limited engagement from January 19— February 7, 2027, at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre. Additional casting will be announced in the coming months.

Reservations for groups of 10+ are available now by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling 312-977-1710. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Individual tickets, with a select number of premium seats available, will go on sale to the public at a later date but audiences can register online at https://cloud.response.broadwayinchicago.com/oh-mary-email-sign-up to receive first access when tickets become available. Subscribers may add tickets to their subscription by clicking here  or calling (312) 977-1717. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

“I have seen Oh, Mary! three times and relished the beauty of this show—how different people shine so brightly in these roles, and yet you see the influence of Cole all over the production. The opportunity to get a crack at Mary Todd Lincoln is beyond a dream come true,” said J. Harrison Ghee. “We all possess so much within us. If we surrender to circumstances, we will find the possibility for expansion beyond belief. We are going to set the road on fire with this electrifyingly hilarious play.”

Written by Tony and Olivier Award winner Cole Escola and directed by Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! opened on Broadway on July 11, 2024, and continues to play at the Lyceum Theatre, where it became the first show in the theatre’s 121-year history to gross more than $1,000,000 in a single week.

Oh, Mary! has since broken its own box office record thirteen times and became the first show of the 2024-25 Broadway season to recoup its investment. Oh, Mary! opened to rave reviews in London’s West End on December 18, 2025, and won the 2026 Olivier Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play.

Oh, Mary! is a dark comedy about a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism, and suppressed desires abound in this one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot (playwright Cole Escola).

The full creative team includes dots (Scenic Designer), Holly Pierson (Costume Designer), Cha See (Lighting Designer), Daniel Kluger (Sound Design and Original Music), Drew Levy (Sound Designer), Leah J. Loukas (Wig Designer), Addison Heeren (Props Supervision), and David Dabbon (Musical Arrangements). Casting by Henry Russell Bergstein, CSA.

Oh, Mary! is produced by Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia with Bob Boyett, The Council, Jean Doumanian Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, Jay Marcus & George Strus, Irony Point, Richard Batchelder/Bradley Reynolds, Tyler Mount/Tommy Doyle, Nelson & Tao, Palomares Miller & Rosenberg, and ShowTown Productions.
 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT OH, MARY!

“You’ll be losing your mind with joy.” —The New York Times, Critic’s Pick

"The funniest show on Broadway.” —New York Post

“★★★★★ The funniest play in years. Oh, Mary! is dizzyingly, breathtakingly funny, the kind of funny that ambushes your body into uncontained laughter.” —Time Out New York

“A singular work of virtuoso comedy that is as inventive and shrewd as it is absolutely stupid.” —The Daily Beast

“There’s funny, there’s very funny, and then there’s Oh, Mary!” —Deadline

“80 minutes of almost uninterrupted laughter. A work of genius.” —The Hollywood Reporter

“Unquestionably the funniest, gayest, campiest play Broadway has seen in years.” —Variety

“Oh, Mary!‘s sharp writing, breakneck pace, and campy performances keep the theater in hysterics until the curtain falls.” —Queerty
 

CONNECT WITH OH, MARY!
@OhMaryPlay
OhMaryPlay.com

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Chicago's only professional theater that seeks to advance women through the power of storytelling, announces the cast for the final world premiere of its 30th Anniversary season, Bonnie's Last Flight by Eliza Bent (The Regulars, Karen, I Said), directed by Rivendell Ensemble member Devon de Mayo (The Tasters, Laura and the Sea & Scientific Method). Bonnie's Last Flight runs September 12 – October 17, 2026, as part of Rivendell's 30^th Anniversary Season of new plays. 

The 30^th Anniversary Season takes place at Rivendell's home, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago. Tickets are $28 for previews and $38 for regular performances. Angel and Sponsor tickets are $58 and $88 and include a donation. Discounts are available for seniors, students, and military. Tickets and more information at rivendelltheatre.org/bonnieslastflight or (773) 334-7728.

It's Jan's retirement flight. Everyone knows, except for Greig, Jan's best friend and coworker of many years. As Greig waxes nostalgic, Jan worries about life post-retirement. LeeAnne, a klutzy newbie flight attendant with a dark past, must avoid her ex on the plane while Captain, a waggish pilot with a weakness for Bloody Marys, is caught in a love triangle. Erik, the co-pilot with a heart of gold, can't get a word in edgewise. Presiding over the flight is the OG of travel: Mark Twain.

In a comedy set on everyone's least favorite mode of transit, we must reckon with our crew's dreams and regrets and ask ourselves: What does it take to really start living?

Artistic Director Tara Mallen comments, "The final production in our 30th anniversary season, Bonnie's Last Flight, is exactly the kind of groundbreaking new work we champion at Rivendell. Eliza Bent's quirky comedy helmed by longtime ensemble member Devon de Mayo features an extraordinary cast anchored by four of Rivendell's most gifted ensemble members and joined by the multi-talented actor, playwright and Tony Award-winning producer Paul Oakley Stovall. We are delighted to introduce Eliza's fresh and singular voice to Chicago audiences and share this wonderfully offbeat play that reminds us that it's never too late to chart a new course."

This world premiere production of Bonnie's Last Flight features ensemble members Rebecca Spence, Eric Slater, Jessica Ervin, and Glenn Obrero, with Paul Oakley Stovall.

Rivendell's 30th Anniversary Season is sponsored by Sharon I. Furiya.

FACTS / Bonnie's Last Flight

Bonnie's Last Flight

A world premiere by Eliza Bent

Directed by Devon de Mayo

September 12 – October 17, 2026

Creative Team: RTE members Regina García (Scenic Design) and Tanya Palmer (Dramaturg) with Saawan Tiwari (Costume Design), Garrett Bell (Lighting Design), and Satya Chávez (Sound Design). The Production Stage Manager is Anna Vu and Mia Maccarella is Asst. Stage Manager.

Dates:

Previews: September 12-19, 2026

Saturday, September 12 at 8pm

Sunday, September 13 at 3 pm

Thursday, September 18 at 8pm

Friday, September 19 at 8pm

Saturday, September 19 at 8pm

Gala Opening: Sunday, September 20 at 6pm

Regular Run: September 24 – October  17, 2026

Thursday-Saturday at 8pm; Saturday at 4pm

Added Sunday Matinees: September 13 & October 11 at 3pm

Industry Performance: Monday, September 28 at 8pm

Open Captioned performances:

Saturday October 10 at 4pm

Saturday October 17 at 4pm

About the Artists

Eliza Bent (Playwright) is the love-grandchild of Lily Tomlin, Pee Wee Herman, and Mr. Peanut. Bentertainments include plays (The Regulars), solo pieces (Karen, I Said, which the New York Times described as a "wicked satire"), adaptations, and hybrid affairs. Bent's works have been developed, workshopped, and produced at the Abrons Arts Center, JACK, the New Ohio, the Atlantic Theatre, the Bushwick Starr and New York Theatre Workshop's Next Door Series. Residencies: MacDowell, SPACE on Ryder Farm, New Georges, Target Margin Institute Fellow, Goodman Theatre Playwrights Unit. Bent's short film Summer's Last Swim was an official selection for Downtown LA's 2023 Film festival and a Chicago Filmmakers Best LGBTQ+. As a performer Bent has toured internationally with the Obie-award winning ensemble Half Straddle and Bent's stand-up special Penguin in Your Ear has bowed at the Brick in Brooklyn, the Elysian in LA, Crashbox in LA, Color Club in Chicago and Benson Theatre in Omaha, NE. A perennial guest of the Great Plains Theatre Commons, Bent has a BA in philosophy from Boston College and MFA in playwriting from Brooklyn College. Currently on faculty at Northwestern University's Radio TV & Film department.

Devon de Mayo (Director) is thrilled to be back at Rivendell where she has been an ensemble member since 2019 and has directed The Tasters, Laura and the Sea & The Scientific Method at Rivendell. Most recently, she directed Untitled Vampire Play at Lookingglass Theater. Directing credits include: The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Gift Theatre); In Every Generation, If I Forget (Victory Gardens); First Love is the Revolution (Steep Theatre); Women Laughing Alone With Salad (Theatre Wit); The Burn (Steppenwolf Theatre); Harvey (Court Theatre); Sycamore (Raven Theatre); You on the Moors Now (The Hypocrites); Animals Out of Paper (Shattered Globe Theatre); You Can't Take it With You, and Lost in Yonkers (Northlight Theatre); Everything is Illuminated and Compulsion (Next); Roadkill Confidential, The Whole World is Watching, As Told by the Vivian Girls and The Twins Would Like to Say (Dog & Pony). Devon served as Resident Director on Prima Facie and The Audience (both on Broadway). She co-wrote and co-directed Guerra: A Clown Play, a collaboration with Mexico City-based artists La Piara (performances in New York, Chicago, Albuquerque, Mexico City and Bogota). Devon is an Assistant Professor and the Director of Performance in TAPS at the University of Chicago.

Jessica Ervin is an ensemble member at Rivendell where she originated the role of Annie in Rivendell's Jeff Award-winning production of Motherhouse. Other credits with Rivendell include: No Such Thing, Dry Land (Jeff Nomination – Actress in a Principal Role), I Wanna F*cking Tear You Apart, The Firebirds Take the Field, and understudying Pivot, Scientific Method, Alias Grace, and the tour of Women at War. Jessica's other theatrical work includes roles with Goodman, Audible's Minetta Lane (New York), Strawdog, A Red Orchid, Walkabout, Kalliope and Co., and Prop Thtr. On-screen, she has appeared on Chicago Fire (NBC), and in the films Regret Like That, Princess Cyd, Provo, Lucid, and Late Bloomer, in addition to other shorts and a commercial for CDW NetApp. Jessica is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf and Ball State University. She is proud to be represented by the Actor's Talent Group. www.jessicaervin.com

Glenn Obrero is a member and Casting Associate of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Rivendell: Scientific Method, Wipeout, and Pivot. He was recently seen in The Targeted at A Red Orchid Theatre. Select Chicago Theater credits: The Great Leap (Steppenwolf Theatre), 20K Leagues Under The Seas (Lookingglass Theatre), The Chinese Lady (Timeline Theatre), Ironbound (Raven Theatre), and A Tale of Two Cities (Shattered Globe Theatre). Regional Theatre: Peninsula Players Theatre, Kitchen Theatre, and Asolo Repertory Theatre. Film: When Cats Fly (Wonderphil Ent), InIt2WinIt (Gnarly Naldo) and Wheelhouse (Protea). TV: Chicago Fire (NBC) and Next (FOX). Ensemble: Griffin Theatre. Representation: Gray Talent Group.

Eric Slater has been a member of the Rivendell Ensemble since 2005 and has worked on more than fifteen projects in that time including The Tasters, Cal In Camo, Alias Grace and Rasheeda Speaking. Slater was also the associate director of Pivot earlier this season. Some other Chicago credits include: Inherit the Wind, The Cherry Orchard, This Happened Once At The Romance Depot Off i-87 in Westchester, Support Group For Men, Smokefall, Feathers And Teeth (Goodman); The Doppelganger (an international farce) (Steppenwolf); Tiny Beautiful Things, Hand To God (Victory Gardens); Small Jokes About Monsters (16th Street). Off-Broadway: Juvenal Players (The Kitchen); The Dudley's: A Family Game! (Theatre for a New City); Our Greatest Year (Kraine & The Brick); Original cast of Gloryana (Workshop Production, The Public Theatre & The York Theater). Film: Regret Like That, In The Flood, You Don't Belong Here, Widows, The Try Out. TV:"Monster: The Ed Gein Story", "Emperor of Ocean Park", "Fargo", "Chicago Fire". This Spring he directed the critically acclaimed Spaceman by Leegrid Stevens with [producingbody]. Slater has also written and directed his first short film, Moon Thief, currently in post-production.

Rebecca Spence is a Rivendell ensemble member and was last seen on their stage in The Firebirds Take the Field. Other RTE credits: How the World Began, WRENS and These Shining Lives. Additional theatrical credits include work with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Lookingglass, TimeLine Theatre Company, Windy City Playhouse and Theatre Wit. Film credits include: Candyman, Heist 88, Princess Cyd, Man of Steel, Contagion, The Dilemma, Public Enemies, Grace is Gone and The Break-Up. She may be seen currently as Liliana Weeks in the new Taylor Sheridan series The Madison (Paramount+), and in recurring roles in Dark Matter (AppleTV+); Mr. Throwback (NBC); Power Book IV: FORCE (Starz); 61st Street (CW) and Paper Girls (Amazon Prime). Other television roles include: Lady in the Lake, The Big Leap, Utopia, Empire, Easy, Boss, Crisis, Chicago Fire, Betrayal, The Mob Doctor, Detroit 1-8-7, The Chicago Code, The Beast and Prison Break.

Paul Oakley Stovall makes his Rivendell debut! Paul is an accomplished theatre practitioner, winning his first Tony Award as a producer of A Strange Loop and performing the role of George Washington in the 1st national tour of Hamilton for over 4 years. He has also toured with Rent and Once On This Island and has performed regionally across the US and in Japan. He is a four-time Jeff nominee for his work in his hometown of Chicago as an actor, director and playwright. His film/tv appearances include Shameless (SHO), Chicago Fire (NBC), Empire (FOX), and the late Robert Altman's The Company, and his afro-futurism sci fi web series Tulsa can be seen on Amazon Prime. His play Immediate Family has been directed across the country by the legend Phylicia Rashad, and his co-adaptation of James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room which he also directed, garnered rave reviews, including making the New York Times best of theatre list in 2025. Paul was a proud advance associate lead and media logistics coordinator, traveling to over 15 countries for the two terms of forever First Lady Michelle Obama. He served as Executive Producer and Creative Director of the inaugural Juneteenth UnityFest, and of the 2024 NAACP Legal Defense Fund Annual Gala.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble's 30^th Anniversary Season

It's Women's Work. And for 30 years, it has been our work.

Rivendell is celebrating three decades of groundbreaking, women-centered storytelling with three world premiere plays that embody its legacy of centering women's voices, sparking crucial dialogues and advocating for women. This season is both a celebration of Rivendell's award-winning past and an invitation to experience the bold narratives shaping the future. The 30^th season launched in February with a fully sold-out run of the world premiere of Alex Lubisher's Pivot directed by longtime ensemble member, Hallie Gordon. It was followed up with the  world premiere of Melissa Ross' Do Something Pretty, marking ensemble member Katherine Mallen Kupferer's Rivendell debut. The 2026 season concludes with this hilarious and offbeat new play Bonnie's Last Flight by Eliza Bent.

The 30th anniversary marks a pivotal moment for Rivendell — a time to celebrate all we've built and invest in what's next. This campaign fuels the next chapter of our work as a leader in new play development for women playwrights and a vital platform for emerging and established artists. As Chicago's only women-focused Equity storefront theatre, Rivendell has produced 57 acclaimed works, earned 16 Joseph Jefferson Awards and over forty nominations, and serves more than 250 artists and 4,000 audience members each year through partnerships, performances, and community engagement.  To learn more about our 30th Anniversary Season Campaign and how you can play a part, email Artistic Director Tara Mallen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information about Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, visit http://rivendelltheatre.org. Follow Rivendell on Facebook at Facebook.com/rivendelltheatre and on Instagram at @rivendelltheatre.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is supported by generous grants from: SIF Fund at The Chicago Community Trust; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Shubert Foundation; Bayless Family Foundation; Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; Illinois Arts Council Agency; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Wintrust and Sara and the 2 C Dogs. Community support by: Amazing Edibles, Revolution Brewing and Tablescapes.

The nonprofit service organization 3Arts announces the date for its annual 3Arts Awards Celebration, a festive evening of dynamic performances by Chicago artists and the announcement of the recipients of unrestricted grants to artists working in the performing, teaching, and visual arts. The 2026 3Arts Awards Celebration takes place at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (205 E Randolph) on Monday, October 26, at 5:30pm. Tickets for the event, which includes a welcome reception, awards program, and a jubilant after-party, are $150 (general admission) and $300 (VIP) with a limited number of $50 tickets available for industry professionals. Tickets will be available at 3arts.org/tickets in early September. Funds raised during the event will be split between 3Arts and Chicago nonprofit, Center for Native Futures.

"When artists rise, communities rise with them,” says Cat Tager, Executive Director of 3Arts. "Because art isn't a luxury; it's a foundation of any thriving community. As we head into our 20th year in 2027, we are looking forward to celebrating the milestone of putting $10 million directly into the hands of Chicago artists, and to continuing our mission to provide the critical programming that helps those artists to experiment, to take risks, and to elevate our communities.”

Thirty-six artists will be honored at this year’s program, which distributes unrestricted awards across three categories: the 3Arts Awards ($30,000 each), Next Level Awards ($50,000 each), and the peer-selected Make a Wave Awards ($2,000 each). The celebratory evening will also feature powerful performances by three past 3Arts awardees.

Expanded for 2026, the Next Level Awards will now include two awards in Music and two in Theater, made possible by support from the Paul Angell Foundation. This marks the first time these unrestricted grants will be available to musicians and theater artists, following the initiative's initial launch in Visual Arts (2020) and subsequent expansion into Teaching Arts.

3Arts has distributed more than $10 million in grants to more than 3,050 artists since 2007. 3Arts awardees reflect 66% women artists, 74% artists of color, and 17% Deaf or disabled artists.

2026 3Arts Awards Celebration

Dates:                 Monday, October 26, 2026

                              5:30pm Welcome Reception

                              6:30pm Awards Celebration and Performances

                              7:45pm After Party

Location:           Harris Theater for Music and Dance

                              205 East Randolph Drive

Tickets:              Tickets are $50-$300 and can be purchased in early September at 3arts.org/tickets and via the Harris Theater Box Office at 312.334.7777.

About 3Arts

Founded in 1912 with a history centered on women artists and reimagined as an arts service organization in 2007, 3Arts supports artists in the Chicago metropolitan and greater Carbondale areas working in the performing, teaching, and visual arts, including women-identified artists, artists of color, and Deaf and disabled artists. The 3Arts Awards were launched in 2007 to provide unrestricted awards, project funding, residencies, professional development opportunities, and promotion to help artists take creative risks, build sustainable careers, and contribute to the cultural vitality of Chicago and the broader region.

3Arts extends special thanks to the 2026 Award Partners: The HMS Fund, The SIF Fund at the Chicago Community Foundation, Stan Lipkin & Evelyn Appell Lipkin, and MSU Federal Credit Union.

One of the ten 3Arts Awards, the 2026 3Arts/MSUFCU Community Award celebrates the collective generosity of artists and supporters across Chicago, whose contributions made the award possible.

3Arts also recognizes support for the Next Level Awards from an anonymous donor at The Chicago Community Foundation, the Paul Angell Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

For more information about 3Arts, please visit www.3arts.org.

A new company, Heart of Gold Theatre, is presenting the Chicago premiere of Mike Barlett’s An Intervention. Bartlett is a noted British playwright, whose future-conjectural work Charles III received five Tony nominations in 2016, including Best New Play. Bartlett’s Cock (2009) and its companion work Bull (2013) played to accolades off-Broadway in New York. 

Directed by Aaron Henrickson and just 75 minutes long in five acts, An Intervention is played against a velvet curtain with no set, intended by Bartlett to resemble a vaudeville comedy act. There we see two 30-something friends: character A is played by a sparkling Amanda Egle and B is played more circumspectly by Taylor Adams. They are caught in the middle of an energized, fast-paced repartee that when we first see them has been reduced to single-word declamations and terse phrases (“Oh.” “Yeah.” ‘You - “ “Yup.”) 

Their tone conveys a dispute of some kind, but the audience doesn’t yet know what it’s about. “I don’t believe it,” says A; “Well it’s true,” B retorts. Context soon reveals it is over the matter of a military intervention in a Middle East war. 

First performed in 2014, it was a period that saw the rise of ISIS, the Gaza War by Israel against Palestine, and the entry of the U.S.-led coalition into Iraq, among other conflicts. But the timeliness (and unfortunate timelessness) of the setting makes An Intervention very much of-the-moment. 

The character A, we learn, has just come back from a protest against the intervention, only to learn that B, whom she counts as a trusted friend, supports it. He even encourages it to happen. She is crestfallen, and the argument moves on to the nature of their friendship.

Stepping down from the stage with one foot, B gives us his take on A in a lengthy aside. Later A will do likewise about  B. So the argument is no longer centered on the politics or justice of the impending military action, but about how these two feel about each other. 

What we see are two friends whose friendship is based on loving to argue. Well, actually, it’s a bit more than that. Because they love to argue about politics, for example, their regular argumentative battlegrounds form a vehicle for intimacy. 

Subsequent acts—here are five in this tightly wound show—reveal more about their lives at large. Periodically the two reach through the curtains for props - a harmonica, wine glasses, and lots of liquor. The two also take issue with each other's personal lives. B charges A with being an alcoholic (another type of intervention), while A argues against B’s romance with a “harridan” and soon their friendship reaches a breaking point.

Many months later, in the last act, the threads are tied together in such a satisfying resolution that the continuously puzzling nature of that opening scene is successfully explained. 

Adams, the founder and artistic director of Heart of Gold and (full disclosure) a personal friend, has brought us a play for the moment. When we argue, as Adams tells us in the program, aren’t we asking, “Why aren’t you the person I want you to be? Why can’t you be … less like that?” 

Bartlett has written a “thinking” play in An Intervention, in which the dramatic tensions are equally “characters” in the work. So producer and co-star Adams has given us a deft bit of dramaturgy in bringing it to  Chicago audiences. 

The play examines the timely matter of how human beings can engage each other while bearing deeply held convictions that conflict. Nothing could be more important to our civic life than to seek guidance and clarity on this issue, which vexes us continuously. This is what theater is for. 

The production also resurrects to the Chicago theater scene Pierce Hall in the landmark Chicago Temple Building. Pierce, fittingly, was home for the Silk Road Theatre Project, formed after 9/11 to address the challenges of backlash facing Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African communities. 

Finally, because I know this producer and actor well, I have watched most of the steps along the way in development of the performance you will see. The passion a single individual must muster to licence a worthy script from a noted author, to secure a stage, to field a corps of able actors, director, lighting, costumes, and then to publicize and market ticket sales - well as the thousands working in this field in Chicago well know - it’s not an enterprise for the faint of heart. The inevitable rise and fall of the fortunes of a single production are familiar territory for this city’s theater producers. We in the audience are spared the sturm und drang. The lights come up and a polished presentation appears, as if by magic.Though magical, a stage show takes hard hard work. 

Recommended, An Intervention runs through August 9, 2026 at 7:30 pm at Pierce Hall, the lower level theater in the Temple Building, 77 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago.