Displaying items by tag: Goodman Theatre

Based on the novel by Junot Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao follows neurodivergent and perpetually lovelorn college student Oscar as he fixates on the fukú – a generational curse he believes has haunted his family’s love lives for decades. Oscar’s college roommate and his sister Lola by his side, the trio journeys to Santo Domingo, uncovering more about Oscar and Lola’s family history and the fukú than none of them bargained for.

At the heart of the story is the trio of Oscar (Lenin D’Anthony Izquierdo), Yunior (Kelvin Grullon), and Lola (Julissa Calderon), who are as messy, spirited, and loving as three college kids can be. Their chemistry feels genuinely lived-in: the easy humor, the sharp edges, the quiet loyalties. Their dynamic perfectly captures the complexities of chosen family, blurred boundaries, and sibling devotion, all while keeping the audience constantly laughing. 

While often sharp and funny, Oscar and Lola’s mother, Beli (Yohanna Florentino), delivers the production’s most devastating performance. She embodies the tension of someone trying – fiercely, desperately – to do right by her children, yet repeatedly falling short. Florentino’s performance is astonishingly intimate; even in a full theatre, she makes it feel as though her pain is being shared one-on-one with each audience member.

The show – especially in its first act – is funny, self-aware, and unabashedly camp. Although set among college-aged characters in the 1990s, Director Wendy Mateo has made the show feel timeless and accessible to audiences of all ages. The script incorporates a significant amount of Spanish, most often through colloquial phrases and biting insults, yet the cast’s physicality and clarity ensure that no translation is required to follow the emotional stakes. It’s a compelling reminder that audiences don’t need to speak Spanish to fully appreciate bilingual storytelling when the performances are this grounded.

Where the production occasionally stumbles is in its visual storytelling, particularly once the setting shifts to Santo Domingo. The scenic design’s abstract, college-forward aesthetic serves the first half well, but meshes less cohesively with the production’s second act shift into heightened spiritual and video game-inspired imagery. This evolution also introduces more disruptive set transitions – unlike the fluid, almost invisible shifts of Act One, several Act Two changes require full stops in the action, interrupting momentum and dampening the pacing. At its best, the projections and gaming motifs cleverly mirror Oscar’s inner grasp of reality and the story’s mythic foundation. At their weakest, however, they overtake the truly human stakes at the center of the narrative.

One moment in particular – a key story from Beli’s past – is partially rendered through animation and projection rather than live performance. Given the emotional precision already established onstage, the stylistic shift feels jarring and unintentionally distances the audience from what should be an intimate revelation. The production’s reliance on heightened, game-like aesthetics resurfaces in later confrontations as well, occasionally pushing character choices toward exaggeration at moments that call for gravity. The result is a tonal imbalance that slightly undercuts the weight of the story’s final turns.

While the stage adaptation diverges in notable ways from the novel, the production stands strongest when viewed as its own interpretation rather than a strict retelling. That said, the emotional core of Oscar’s story remains intact and, by the final moments, the theatre is silent enough to hear a pin drop – a testament to the emotional weight the cast ultimately earns.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is running in The Goodman’s Owen Theatre through April 12th. Tickets are available at https://www.goodmantheatre.org/show/the-brief-wondrous-life-of-oscar-wao/.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com.

Teamwork, bravery and fun are at the forefront of Splish Splash: A Day on the Lake, The Goodman's latest Theater for the Very Young (TVY) offering for theatergoers 0-5 and their adult friends and family.  Co-directed by Jamal Howard (The Lizard y El Sol) and Ellie Levine (Threshold's RAIN at Filament Theatre), this nautical adventure—recently extended through March 22—was developed in collaboration with Northwestern undergraduate students and 2- to 5-year-olds from Total Child Preschool in Evanston. Splish Splash: A Day on the Lake appears in The Goodman's Alice Center in an extended run over two more weekends: March 7, 8, 21 and 22. Splish Splash also appears at three Chicago Public Schools—Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy, Gregory Academy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Elementary School—March 9-13.  For tickets ($13 adults 18+; $18 kids 12 months-17 years; under 12 months free), visit the Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), call 312.443.3800 or purchase at GoodmanTheatre.org/Splash. The Goodman is grateful for the support of Wintrust Commercial Bank (Community Programs Sponsor) and Kirkland & Ellis, LLP (Arts in Community Sponsor).

When the moon tumbles into the lake and breaks into pieces, it's up to a brave crew of young sailors to help the Great Blue Heron and their friends—Crayfish, Beaver, Turtle and Yellow Perch—put it back together again. Through songs, puppetry and joyful hands-on play, little ones and their grown-ups will dive into an underwater world of wildlife, wonder and waves. The cast includes Kylie Anderson (BOOK UP!), Sonia Goldberg (Kokandy Productions' Amélie), Tina Muñoz Pandya (The Matchbox Magic Flute) and Michael-Forest (Mikey) Walden (Refracted Theatre Company's Tambo & Bones).

Previous Goodman Theatre Theater for the Very Young productions include BOOK UP! (2025), The Lizard Y El Sol (2024) and In My Granny's Garden (2023).

Full company of Splish Splash: A Day on the Lake (in alphabetical order)

Developed in collaboration with Northwestern University's Imagine U

Co-directed by Jamal Howard and Ellie Levine

Kylie Anderson...Splash/Teaching Artist
Sonia Goldberg...Splish/Teaching Artist
Tina Muñoz Pandya...Blue Heron
Michael-Forest (Mikey) Walden...Sailor

CREATIVE TEAM

Set/Props/Costume Designer...Jillian Gryzlak 
Sound Designer...Stephen Moore 
Line Producer...Jared Bellot 
Production Associate...Jojo Wallenberg 
Production Assistant...Lauren Westfahl
Build Assistant...Ellie Terrell
Build Assistant...Kevin Rieg

Devised in collaboration with Madelyn Cantzler, Laura Fajardo-Riascos, Grace Hall, Ani Lawit, Andrew McCarthy, Kennedy Naseem, Sophie Pong, Ajayla Self and Ella Waffner.

Casting is by Lauren Port, CSA. 

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. 

TICKETS HERE

The new musical that will melt your heart just got even hotter! Emmy Award-winning actor Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) returns to his hometown this summer to join his wife, Emmy Award winner Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), for Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O'Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh. With music by Mark Hollman, lyrics by Mark Hollman 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) premiere their newest musical in The Goodman's Centennial Season, directed by Marc Bruni (Broadway's The Great Gatsby and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical). Individual tickets ($44 – $164) go on sale Friday, March 20 at 10am for Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O'Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh, which appears in the 856-seat Albert Theatre June 20 – July 26, 2026* (opening night is June 29); call 312.443.3800 or GoodmanTheatre.org/Iceboy. *NOTE: The production dates for Iceboy! have shifted due to scheduling. Goodman Members or groups holding tickets will be contacted to make arrangements.

"We are thoroughly excited to bring the heat of our marriage back to Chicago, the city where we both cut our theatrical teeth many years ago. Although we were hoping to mount a Tennessee Williams title, city officials reminded us that Chicago has developed an historical aversion to catching on fire and so we have agreed to this considerably less spicy but hilarious new musical called Iceboy!," said Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman in a joint statement. "Everybody knows this is the best theater town in the country, and the prospect of working together at the venerated Goodman Theatre, which was so important to both of our early careers—especially during its Centennial Season—is just a very special full-circle moment, but within the bounds of the fire code."

Broadway's brightest star of 1938, 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 thaws, he unexpectedly becomes a theatrical sensation, inspiring the "father of the American drama" Eugene O'Neill (Nick Offerman) and challenging his legendary mother for center stage. It's All About Eve...if only Eve was a caveman. Complete cast and creative team will be announced soon.

"If you're really lucky, a musical comes your way that makes you breathless with laughter as it captures your heart. And the only thing better than concluding our Centennial Season on a literal high note, is the opportunity to welcome home two virtuoso actors, both of whom have deep Chicago roots," said Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth. "Megan and Nick together on our stage is nothing short of a dream come true. We can't wait to begin collaborating with them and the phenomenal Iceboy! creators to make something wholly new and special for our city this summer."

The Goodman is grateful for the support of Edgerton Foundation (New Play Award), Mayer Brown (Lead Corporate Sponsor) and Athletico (Physical Therapy Provider).

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, Bobs'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) is an actor, author, humorist and woodworker whose 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 include the role of Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces at the Huntington Theatre, Ulysses in Sharr White's Annapurna, opposite Megan Mullally as Emma at The Odyssey/Evidence Room in LA and The New Group Off-Broadway, Adding Machine at The Minetta Lane (Off-Broadway) and many Chicago credits at Defiant Theatre (Founding Member), Steppenwolf, A Red Orchid, Wisdom Bridge, Chicago Shakespeare and, of course, his 1994 Goodman debut as The Keeper/Fight Captain in Richard II. Recent screen projects include Death by Lightning (Netflix), Sovereign, Voicemails For Isabel (Netflix), Civil War (written and directed by Alex Garland), The Pout Pout Fish, Origin (written and directed by Ava DuVernay), Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Fargo (FX), Smurfs, The Umbrella Academy (Netflix), and NBC's Making It (co-host and executive producer). He is the voice of Beef Tobin in the FOX animated series The Great North and audiobook narrator for Wendell Berry's latest, The Need to Be Whole.

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 25^th 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.

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. 

The Goodman announces an eight-performance extension for the world premiere of Marco Antonio Rodríguez's English stage adaptation of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao— based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Junot Díaz. Teatro Vista Artistic Director Wendy Mateo directs this world-premiere production, featuring Humboldt Park's Lenin Izquierdo in the title role of Oscar, leading a majority-Dominican cast. The Goodman's production complements Rodríguez's Spanish-language production, La Breve y Maravillosa Vida de Oscar Wao, which he wrote and directed for New York's Repertorio Español, where it currently appears in selected dates. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is on stage now, running through April 12 (opening night is March 2), in the 380-seat flexible Owen Theatre; extension week performances include April 7, 8 and 10 at 7:30pm, April 9 and 11 at 2pm and 7:30pm and April 12 at 2pm. For tickets ($34-94, subject to change), visit the Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), call 312.443.3800 or purchase online at GoodmanTheatre.org/Oscar. The Goodman is grateful for the support of The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust (Lead Sponsor of IDEAA Programming).

"I still remember how I felt after I saw Marco's Spanish adaptation in New York—stunned, like my world had just tilted," said Junot Díaz, who won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award for his book The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. "The play didn't just surprise me—it blew me away. The stage version is both a brilliant distillation and a powerful re-imagining of the novel's deep material, but what is extraordinary is how truthfully Marco's script engages with the traumas, histories of resilience and irrepressible hearts that made the story what it is. I'm very grateful to everyone at The Goodman—the crews, the actors, the folks behind the scenes making the magic happen. To be given two gifts like Marco's play in two different languages is more than I ever expected in my lifetime."

Oscar (Lenin Izquierdo) knows that a nerdy Dominican college freshman isn't anyone's idea of a romantic hero. But with the encouragement of Yunior (Kelvin Grullon), his new roommate, he is determined to give love another chance. As Oscar sets out from New Jersey to Santo Domingo to prove his undeniable hope, can he shake the dark "fukú" that has haunted his family for generations? Junot Díaz's novel comes to vivid life in this English-language world-premiere adaption—a celebration of risk and the power of perseverance against all odds. 

Junot Díaz is the author of the critically acclaimed Drown; The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; and This Is How You Lose Her, a New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist. His first picture book, Islandborn, was a New York Times Bestseller and won the CLASP Américas Award 2019. 

Marco Antonio Rodríguez is a Dominican-American, award-winning bilingual writer.  Named Top 50 Figure in LatinX and Latin American Theatre by Routledge. Acclaimed plays Ashes of Light and Barceló on the Rocks performed all over the world and published by NoPassport Press (available-Amazon.com & lulu.com). Acclaimed Spanish stage adaptation of Junot Díaz' The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao just celebrated five years Off-Broadway at the Spanish Repertory Theatre. His play, Bloom, acclaimed run-New York's IATI theatre. Published by TRW. Half-hour pilot, Our Friendly Neighbors, produced in short film format by DominiRican Productions. National Hispanic Media Coalition Scriptwriters Program Fellow. The Movement Theatre Company x Black List Playwriting Commission winner where he developed his play, Walk-In. New play, Domino Effect, commissioned by People's Theatre Project, to have Off-Broadway world premiere-spring 2025. Recipient-New York Stage & Film and Space on Ryder Farm Residencies. Voices "Uncle Nestor" in Emmy nominated PBS Kids series Alma's Way and "Alo" the unicorn on Netflix animated series Barbie: A Touch of Magic. 

Wendy Mateo is the Producing Artistic Director of Teatro Vista and an actor, writer, director, filmmaker and content creator. Mateo has been seen throughout Chicago's stages including the Second City and Lookingglass Theatre where she is an ensemble member. Mateo's directing credits include the play Not for Sale 2.0 by Guadalis del Carmen at UrbanTheater Company and ¡Bernarda! By Emilio Williams at Teatro Vista. On television and film, Mateo can be seen on Chicago Med (NBC), as Ronnie in Station Eleven (HBO) and Steve McQueen's Widows. As a filmmaker, Wendy has written, directed and produced three short films including the latest, Hair, written and directed by Lorena Diaz and Wendy Mateo, now embarking on a film festival tour.

Founded in 1968, Repertorio Español produces an unparalleled repertoire of contemporary and classical plays from Spain, Latin America and the Latinx/e diaspora. Its rich programming spans Spanish Golden Age masterpieces by Calderón de la Barca, Lope de Vega and Ana Caro de Mallén; nearly the complete works of Federico García Lorca, including the rarely staged The Public; acclaimed plays from Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay and Puerto Rico; original adaptations of novels by Gabriel García Márquez, Junot Díaz, Julia Álvarez and Isabel Allende; and groundbreaking works by contemporary Latinx playwrights such as Nilo Cruz, Carmen Rivera, Caridad Svich and Marco Antonio Rodríguez. Presenting approximately 200 performances each year, Repertorio draws diverse audiences from across New York and beyond. The Company's artistic excellence has been recognized with five OBIE Awards, two Drama Desk Awards and two New York State Governor's Arts Awards. For tickets and more information, visit Repertorio.nyc.

Company of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (in alphabetical order)

By Marco Antonio Rodríguez

Based on the novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

Directed by Wendy Mateo
Original Spanish production by Repertorio Español

Rossmery Almonte...La Inca 
Julissa Calderon...Lola 
Yohanna Florentino...Beli 
Kelvin Grullon...Yunior 
Jalbelly Guzmán...Jenni/Ybon/Trujillo Woman 
Lenin Izquierdo...Oscar 
Arik Vega...Dionisio/Manny/Capitan/Goon

Understudies include Berny Balbuena (Oscar Wao), Jasmine Bracey (La Inca), Gabriela Furtado Coutinho (Jenni/Ybon/Trujillo Woman), Trey DeLuna (Dionisio/Manny/Capitan/Goon), Melissa F. DuPrey (Beli/Lola) and Adriel Irizarry (Yunior). 

CREATIVE TEAM

Costume Designer...Raquel Adorno 
Projection Designer...Stefania Bulbarella 
Set Designer...Regina Garcia 
Lighting Designer...Max Grano De Oro 
Sound Designer...Willow James 
Cultural Consultant...Rey Andújar 
Dialect & Language Coach...Marco Antonio Rodríguez
Dialect & Language Coach Assistant...Yolanny Rodriguez 
Intimacy and Violence/Movement Coordinator...Gregory Geffrard 
Intimacy and Violence Assistant...Tatiana Bustamante 
Movement Assistant...Chels Morgan 
Script Assistant...Octavio Montes De Oca 
Assistant Director...Lo Williams 
Assistant Dramaturg...Anna Rogelio Joaquin 
Line Producer and Dramaturg...Kat Zukaitis 

Casting is by Lauren Port, CSA. Isabel Patt is the Production Stage Manager.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

Visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Access for more information about The Goodman's accessibility efforts.

ASL-Interpreted...March 13 at 7:30pm – An ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played. 
Audio-Described...March 14 at 2pm; Touch Tour; 12:30pm – Action audibly enhanced via headset. 
Spanish-Subtitled...March 14 at 7:30pm – Spanish-translated dialogue via LED sign.
Open-Captioned...March 15 at 2pm – LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

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. 

TICKETS HERE

The Goodman's Centennial 2025/2026 Season continues with the Chicago premiere of Covenant, Chicagoland native playwright York Walker's "striking Southern gothic work" (New York Times) hailed as "blackout-and-blood-curdling-scream deliciousness" (New York Magazine). BOLD Artistic Producer Malkia Stampley is set to direct a cast including Debo Balogun (graveyard shift), Ashli Rene Funches (A Red Orchid Theatre's IS GOD IS), Jaeda LaVonne (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's Twelfth Night), Felicia Oduh (The Nacirema Society) and Anji White (Fat Ham). Understudies will be announced at a later date. Covenant appears May 2 through May 31 (opening night is May 11) in the 350-seat flexible Owen Theatre. For tickets ($24 - $64; on sale Feb. 20), visit the Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), call 312.443.3800 or purchase online at GoodmanTheatre.org/Covenant. The Goodman is grateful for the support of BOLD Ventures (Production Sponsor), Tabet, DiVito & Rothstein (Corporate Supporter) and The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust (Lead Sponsor of IDEAA Programming).

"Covenant is about young love, the secrets we hold and the role faith plays when we are haunted by our choices," said director Malkia Stampley, who most recently directed a 2026 New Stages Festival reading and the critically acclaimed 48th annual A Christmas Carol. "While I personally connect with the religious themes in the story as a pastor's daughter, many will connect with the folklore nature of this story and the thrilling and chilling ride this story takes you on. The characters York built in Covenant will sweep away audiences and my goal is to tell this story honestly, organically, full of heart and grit."

Expect one devilish twist after another in Covenant, an "undeniably spooky (and) absolutely enjoyable" (TheaterMania) mythic and suspenseful new play. Johnny "Honeycomb" James (Debo Balogun) left his small Georgia town a struggling guitarist—and returned a blues star, to the surprise of sisters Violet (Felicia Oduh) and Avery (Jaeda LaVonne), their mother (Anji White) and their best friend Ruthie (Ashli Rene Funches). As rumors of a darker deal abound, it becomes clear that he's not the only one with a secret...or seeking salvation. This tense thriller explores the power of belief and the thin line between rumor and truth. Covenant premiered at Roundabout Theatre Company in 2023 to critical acclaim, earning a New York Times Critics Pick.

York Walker is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He is the inaugural recipient of both the Vineyard Theatre's Colman Domingo Award and the John Singleton Screenwriting Award. His work includes Holcomb & Hart (Victory Garden's New Plays For A New Year Festival), The Séance (Winner of the John Singleton Screenwriting Competition, 48 Hours... in Harlem), Covenant (Colman Domingo Award, Roundabout Underground, South Coast Repertory's Pacific Playwrights Festival, Fire This Time Festival) and Soul Records (workshops with Manhattan Theatre Club, the Vineyard Theatre and Roundabout Theatre Company). York is currently developing new works with Roundabout Theatre Company, South Coast Repertory Theatre, The Geffen Playhouse and Goodman Theatre. His contributions extend to the realm of television, having served as Story Editor and Staff Writer for two seasons on Dick Wolf's hit series, FBI. York is a graduate of the MFA Acting program from the American Conservatory Theatre.

Malkia Stampley is a twice Jeff-nominated director from Milwaukee and The Goodman's BOLD Artistic Producer. Her Goodman Theatre directing credits include A Christmas Carol, Primary Trust, In My Granny's Garden and New Stages Festival's Cephianne's Reflection and This Part of His Life Blooms. Select directing credits: No Such Thing (Rivendell); Girls on Sand (Northern Sky); Nina Simone: Four Women (Milwaukee Rep); The October Storm (Raven); Boulevard of Bold Dreams (TimeLine); STEW (Shattered Globe); Black Nativity (Black Arts MKE); The Gift of the Magi (American Players); Five Guys Named Moe (Skylight Music); Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grille (Farmers Alley); Exit Strategy (Northwestern).

Company of Covenant (in alphabetical order)

By York Walker

Directed by Malkia Stampley

Debo Balogun...Johnny James 
Ashli Rene Funches...Ruthie 
Jaeda LaVonne...Avery 
Felicia Oduh...Violet 
Anji White...Mama

CREATIVE TEAM

Costume Designer...Evelyn Danner 
Set Designer...Ryan Emens 
Lighting Designer...Gina Patterson 
Sound Designer...Dee Etti-Williams 
Music Director and Composer...Mike Przygoda 
Voice and Dialect Coach...Shadana Patterson 
Associate Director and Movement Director...Tor Campbell 
Illusion Consultants...Benjamin Barnes and Trent James 
Intimacy...Jyreika Guest 
Line Producer...Lena Romano

Original Casting by Trent Stork. Additional Casting by Lauren Port, CSA. Tyra Bullock and Lena Romano are the Dramaturgs.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

Visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Access for more information about The Goodman's accessibility efforts.

ASL-Interpreted...May 22  at 7:30pm – An ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played. 
Audio-Described...May 23 at 2pm; Touch Tour; 12:30pm – Action audibly enhanced via headset. 
Spanish-Subtitled...May 23 at 7:30pm – Spanish-translated dialogue via LED sign.
Open-Captioned...May 24 at 2pm – LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

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. 

Holiday is a play written by Philip Barry in 1928 before the tragic stock market crash of 1929.  It has been made into two movies, most notably in 1938 starring Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. This adaptation, artfully authored by Richard Greenberg, has brought a case study in the class system and its relationship with money and assets is not only thought-provoking but clever.  The use of modern idioms mixed with classic patter delivery of movies of the thirties and forties keeps the audience rapt awaiting the next joke or witticism to land.  The direction by Robert Falls is a translation of reticence and underlying suppressed emotion of a family possessing generational wealth on the upper east side of New York City. Falls delivers Greenberg’s words in a manner so true that the piece has a voyeuristic tone.

The play opens in the main modernized parlor of a Manhattan mansion so beautifully appointed that audible gasps could be heard throughout the audience. The scenic design by Walt Spangler is so spot on in depicting “Old Money” right down to the mallard decoys on the mantel that it transports everyone into the Seton family fortunes.  Lighting designer Amith Chandrashaker’s work baths the Seton family like a beautifully seated family portrait.  When the curtains are parted to allow daylight to seep into the parlor, it makes one question what time they arrived at the theatre.  It is in this opening scene that we meet the Seton family and guests.  Julia Seton (played by Molly Griggs) the compliant entitled daughter and her new beau, Johnny Case played with great range by Luigi Sottile. Linda Seton, the defiant sibling seeking to change the world and identify with the residents and children of Red Hook played with just the right mixture of outrage and vulnerability by Bryce Gangel and Ned Seton (Wesley Taylor), the youngest namesake brother who has failed to measure up. And, the scion of the fortune, Edward Seton played with steely reserve by Jordan Lage who ensures “the equilibrium of the house is not disrupted” as one scene tells us.

The story unfolds as Julia is besotted with Johnny Case, a new beau met in a “spa”, and we watch her try to mold him into a man to join the family business after first making his own millions. Case ended up in the “spa” through an intervention by friends who realized he was working himself to misery. Being around the family and relations of Julia Johnny begins to reexamine his life’s purpose and path.  With a healthy dose of sarcasm from Linda and Ned we see wealth and privilege scoffed at as much as it is valued and revered by Julia.  Johnny is a ping pong ball in the family’s game of emotions and parlayed witticisms. We travel in time through a season of proposal and an engagement announcement to other reasons to celebrate. We visit the childhood traumas of a mother dying young of cancer with her dreams of being a prima ballerina dashed by Edward Seton and his insistence on the importance of an heir. Each child is a character study in the privilege and travails of the very wealthy.  Johnny Case, who is first viewed as a pawn in their family games goes through his own evolution and the realism of wealth, money and power. Wesley Taylor is the standout of a well guided and directed ensemble.  He plays Ned with such mirth, hilarity and tragic pain that one moment he has you laughing and the next on the verge of tears. Every scene he is in becomes pivotal.

The other unexpected “star” of this show is the scenic design and transition.  One moment you are in the parlor and then next act transported to the childhood nursery/playroom of memories styled by their mother.  It hardly seems possible but in almost a magical fable like scene change we end up in the parlor.  It’s a feat rarely seen on stage and every member of the design and stage management team needs to be aware that their contribution to this piece is pivotal, both literally and figuratively. The scenic design alone is a reason not to miss this show but go for the laughs and beautiful line delivery such as “Alexa stop the joy”.  Modern, relatable and beautifully delivered.

There’s nothing not to love about Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn but Robert Fall’s direction of these talents honor this beautifully written adaptation which is a mini-Holiday for anyone who attends.

HOLIDAY, now playing at the Goodman’s Albert Theatre in Chicago through March 1, 2026.

https://www.goodmantheatre.org for ticket and performance time information.

Mary Beth Euker is a founding director of Cricket Theatre Company in Lake Zurich, Illinois, has appeared in shows at Devonshire Theatre in Skokie and Woodstock Opera House and directs in Lake Zurich at various schools and for Cricket.

*UPDATE - Extended through March 8th

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com.

Goodman Theatre celebrates 100 years and looks to the future with the opening of Chicago’s newest cultural attraction, Theater of the Mind—a one-of-a-kind theatrical immersive experience by Academy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning artist David Byrne with writer Mala Gaonkar. Today, director Andrew Scoville proudly announces the 11-member, all-Chicago cast who will steward the 75-minute journey of self-reflection, discovery and imagination: James Earl Jones  II (Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Come from Away national tours), Elizabeth Laidlaw (Goodman’s The Penelopiad, The Rose Tattoo) Helen Joo Lee (Goodman’s A Christmas Carol), Em Modaff (Paramount Theatre’s Fun Home, School of Rock), Victor Musoni (Chicago Shakespeare’s Rome Sweet Home, Definition Theatre and Goodman’s Fat Ham), AJ Paramo (Goodman’s Revolution(s)), Shariba Rivers (American Players Theatre’s The Barber and the Untamed Prince, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Kelli Simpkins (MCC’s Charm), Lucky Stiff (Goodman’s A Christmas Carol), and understudies Maidenwena Alba (Albany Park Theater Project’s Port of Entry) and Emily Zhang (Strawdog Theatre’s The F*ck House).  Theater of the Mind appears March 11 – May 31, 2026, at the Reid Murdoch Building (333 N. LaSalle). Tickets ($66-$96, subject to change) are available at the Goodman Theatre Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), by calling 312.443.3800 or by purchasing online at TheaterOfTheMindChicago.com.

"We are so proud to welcome Theater of the Mind with its fantastic company of Chicago’s boldest actors to the heart of downtown this Spring,” said Goodman Theatre Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth. “In planning our Centennial Season, it felt essential to go big—to offer something courageous, wildly creative and new—and double down on what it means to be Chicago’s flagship theater. Unprecedented in size and scope, this is exactly the kind of envelope-pushing project that has long been a hallmark of a theater that has continued to reinvent itself over the past century. We’re grateful to David, Mala and Andrew for this unique collaboration—as well as to those who have shown early support and look forward to sharing Theater of the Mind with our city next month.”

“This city has a wild amount of talent, and I feel so lucky to have this extraordinary group of actors joining Theater of the Mind. Our Guides play such an important role, stewarding each group of audience members through this intimate experience that challenges our perception of reality. I can't wait for this group to lead the way,” said director Andrew Scoville. 

The Goodman is grateful for the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Illinois Office of Tourism, Northern Trust and Friedman Properties. Theater of the Mind is produced here in special arrangement with Arbutus, a not-for-profit founded by David Byrne to celebrate, re-present, and amplify ideas found in surprising places.

Company of Theater of the Mind

Co-created by David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar

Directed by Andrew Scoville

Guides: James Earl Jones II, Elizabeth Laidlaw, Helen Joo Lee, Em Modaff, Victor Musoni, AJ Paramo, Shariba Rivers, Kelli Simpkins, and Lucky Stiff

Understudy: Emily Zhang

Assistant Director/Understudy: Maidenwena Alba

Creative Team

Technology Director: Heidi Boisvert, PhD

Technology Producer: LeeAnn Rossi

Scenic Designer: Neil Patel

Costume Designer: Sarita Fellows

Lighting Designer: Jeannette Oi-Suk Yew

Sound Designer: Cody Spencer

Associate Scenic Designer: Lisa Orzolek

Associate Costume Designer: Caryn Klein

Associate Lighting Designer: Brian Elston

Associate Sound Designer: Forrest Gregor

Local Assistant Scenic Designer: Ryan Emmens

Assistant Directors: Maidenwena Alba, Betty Hart, and Amanda Berg Wilson

Production Manager: Matt Marsden

Technical Director: Brian Claggett

Props Department Head: Adam Weiss-Halliwell

General Manager: Karen Berry

Casting is by:  Lauren Port, CSA

Performance Schedule

Starting March 11, Theater of the Mind will be staged Tuesday evenings starting at 6 pm; Wednesdays starting at 2 pm; Thursday evenings starting at 6 pm; Friday evenings starting at 5 pm; Saturdays starting at noon; and Sunday afternoons starting at 12:30 pm. Performances begin every 15 minutes, and each includes 16 audience members. A complete schedule can be found at theaterofthemindchicago.com

About Goodman Theatre

Theater of the Mind makes its Midwest debut during The Goodman’s Centennial 25/26 Season. Since 1925, The Goodman has been 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 world and American premieres, Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards, and Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman is proud to be the first theater to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” 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. 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.

Goodman Theatre’s 2025 production of A Christmas Carol delivers a reimagined yet reverently faithful vision of Charles Dickens’ enduring holiday masterpiece. Directed by BOLD Artistic Producer Malkia Stampley, the staging infuses fresh energy into the familiar tale, striking a delicate balance between honoring tradition and embracing innovation.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted miser who scorns Christmas and human kindness. On Christmas Eve, he is confronted by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley, and guided by three spectral visitors - the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Their haunting revelations force Scrooge to witness his own failings, the hardships of others, and the bleak destiny awaiting him. Awakened to the power of compassion and generosity, he greets Christmas morning as a transformed man - joyful, benevolent, and fully embracing the spirit of the season.

At the center of this transformation is Christopher Donahue, returning to the role of Ebenezer Scrooge with a performance that brims with nuance. Donahue embodies the character’s frosty detachment and biting cynicism with precision, while gradually revealing the vulnerability and humanity that make Scrooge’s redemption so powerful. His portrayal anchors the production, ensuring that audiences experience not only the spectacle of Dickens’ ghosts and festive scenes, but also the emotional depth of one man’s journey from isolation to generosity.

Surrounding him is an ensemble that blends the wisdom of seasoned Goodman veterans with the energy of exciting newcomers, forging a dynamic interplay that keeps the production alive and ever-evolving. Their chemistry, paired with imaginative staging and subtle special effects, ensures that longtime patrons experience the story anew while first-time audiences are swept into its magic.

Beyond the performances, the production dazzles with fresh choreography, inventive musical direction, revitalized design elements and special effects that elevate the performance. The stage becomes a canvas of contrasts: the eerie, otherworldly visitations of Marley and the Ghosts unfold with haunting theatricality, while the warmth and intimacy of the Cratchit household radiate joy and tenderness.

Every moment is meticulously layered with detail, reminding us that Dickens’ tale is more than a seasonal tradition—it is a living parable of generosity, compassion, and the enduring bonds of community.

(L-R) Jon Hudson Odom, Ella Boparai, Carmelo Kelly, Viva Boresi, Bethany Thomas, A’mia Imani, Henry Lombardo, Sól Fuller and Helen Joo Lee.

For close to fifty years, Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol has stood as a defining ritual of Chicago’s holiday season—a theatrical gathering place where generations of families, friends, and theatergoers return year after year. More than just a retelling of Dickens’ classic, the production has become a civic tradition, woven into the fabric of the city’s winter celebrations.

This year’s staging carries that legacy forward with renewed vitality, reminding audiences why the story continues to resonate across centuries. At its core, A Christmas Carol is not simply the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption; it is a parable about the power of empathy, generosity, and human connection. Goodman’s production magnifies those themes by transforming the theatre itself into a communal space - where laughter, music, and the haunting presence of Dickens’ ghosts converge to awaken the spirit of compassion.

The endurance of this holiday cornerstone lies in its dual nature: it is both deeply personal, charting one man’s journey from isolation to belonging, and profoundly collective, celebrating the bonds that unite a community. Each performance becomes a reminder that the true gift of the season is not material wealth, but the shared warmth of kindness and fellowship.

The cast assembled for Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol is nothing short of outstanding. Christopher Donahue, stepping into the role of Ebenezer Scrooge after Larry Yando’s celebrated tenure, delivers a performance that is both commanding and deeply human. His portrayal captures the character’s sharp edges and biting cynicism, yet gradually reveals the warmth and vulnerability that make Scrooge’s transformation so moving - you can’t help but be won over by him. Donahue was nothing short of electrifying, also bringing a masterful sense of graceful physical comedy to the role. He embodied the rakish, childlike exuberance and sheer JOY that floods Scrooge when he discovers it’s not too late to transform his life.

One of the evening’s biggest laughs came as Donahue realized that only a single night had passed with the spirits—despite their showing him years of missteps and warning that he must change his ways immediately or face a hated death and generations of sorrow. The audience roared, and I’ve never heard such sustained laughter in this production before. It was pure delight.

Ella Boparai brings a radiant charm to Tiny Tim, embodying the innocence and hope that anchor the story’s emotional core. The ensemble as a whole is vibrant and cohesive, each member contributing to the production’s energy and richness.

Among the spirits, Bethany Thomas shines with grandeur and generosity as the Ghost of Christmas Present, while Daniel José Molina delivers a chilling, spectral presence as the Ghost of Christmas Future. Lucky Stiff rounds out the trio with a compelling and evocative Ghost of Christmas Past, guiding Scrooge through memories with both tenderness and gravity.

 (L-R) Christopher Donahue and Daniel José Molina.

Jon Hudson Odom brings remarkable depth to Bob Cratchit, embodying Dickens’ humble clerk with a warmth and sincerity that make him the beating heart of the production. His performance captures Cratchit’s quiet resilience and steadfast kindness, elevating the role from supporting character to emotional cornerstone. Odom’s nuanced portrayal balances gentle humor with the weight of hardship, reflecting the struggles of working families while never losing sight of Cratchit’s unwavering optimism.

In scenes with the Cratchit family, Odom radiates tenderness and devotion, particularly in his interactions with Tiny Tim. The father-son bond he conveys is both poignant and inspiring, a reminder of the fragile yet enduring hope that sustains the family through adversity. His presence underscores the stark contrast between Scrooge’s cold isolation and the Cratchits’ warmth, amplifying the play’s central themes of compassion, perseverance, and the transformative power of love.

Together, this company breathes fresh life into Dickens’ timeless tale, ensuring that every scene resonates with theatrical magic and emotional depth.

I wholeheartedly encourage audiences to experience this beloved Goodman holiday tradition - an annual production that never fails to capture the true spirit of the season. For anyone eager to embrace the warmth, wonder, and festive magic of Christmastime, A Christmas Carol at Goodman Theatre is the perfect way to step into the holiday “spirit.”

A Christmas Carol is being performed at Goodman Theatre through December 31^st. For tickets and/or more show information, visit https://www.goodmantheatre.org/show/a-christmas-carol/.

Goodman Theatre announced today that its highly-anticipated presentation of Theater of the Mind, by Academy, Grammy and Tony Award-winning artist David Byrne (Broadway’s Here Lies Love with Fatboy Slim, American Utopia and the renowned group Talking Heads) with writer Mala Gaonkar, will make its Chicago debut March 11 – May 31, 2026 (opening night is March 25, 2026) at the Reid Murdoch Building, 333 N. LaSalle. Tickets ($66-$96, subject to change) will be available for sale starting Friday, November 7 at 10 am, at the Goodman Theatre Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), by calling 312.443.3800 or by purchasing online at TheaterOfTheMindChicago.com. The Goodman is grateful for the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Illinois Office of Tourism, Northern Trust, and Friedman Properties.

“The Goodman is thrilled to introduce Theater of the Mind to Chicago audiences and to showcase the singular creativity of David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar,” said Goodman Theatre Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth. “Our Centennial Season welcomes audiences to experience all of the ‘feels’ and Theater of the Mind engages all of the senses, making it a perfect addition to our landmark season. We hope for this production to be an ongoing attraction that sparks joy, conversation and community.”

A one-of-a-kind theatrical experience audiences will see, feel, taste, and hear, this intimate and immersive journey of how we perceive and create our worlds is inspired by both historical and current neuroscience research. Under Director Andrew Scoville and Technology Director Heidi Boisvert, PhD, Theater of the Mind is a 15,000-square-foot immersive experience taking just sixteen audience members at a time through a 75-minute journey of self-reflection, discovery, and imagination, inspired by and grounded in neuroscience.

"Mala and I have long been fascinated by the science behind these experiences; though reading about the phenomena involved is exciting, it’s quite something else to actually experience it,” said co-creator David Byrne. “It’s a different level of understanding, a different kind of knowledge—visceral, immediate, and profound. The film and theater adage ‘show, don’t tell’ became a guiding principle in discovering a way to include these experiences in an entertaining and engaging show. A show in which the audience makes many of the inferences for themselves, without being told by us what it means. For me, the broader implications that these phenomena have in our lives, our sense of the world, and our sense of self is key.”

“For a few years, David and I partnered with several cognitive neuroscience labs to see how some of the most basic human intuitions determine how humans react," said co-creator Mala Gaonkar. "What we concluded was that the experiments and ideas of the labs we partnered with, several of which we embedded in our narrative, seemed as engaging as any piece of theater. We began referring to this project as a ‘Neuro Funhouse,’ but as we worked on it, we came to realize that it was evolving to be something more than that. It has made us rethink some of our own beliefs and assumptions, to see ourselves and the world in a different way. We hope that it might have a similar effect on our audience—and think of science and theater in a new way."

Led by a Guide whose stories are inspired from the creators' lives, audiences will explore how they perceive the world through sensory experiments that reveal the inner mysteries of the brain. Casting for the multiple roles of the Guide will be announced after the new year.

Caution: the brain may wander! Side effects may include a distrust of your own senses, a disorientation of self, and a mild to severely good time. You may not be who you think you are. But we're all in it together.

Theater of the Mind had its World Premiere on August 31, 2022, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Starting March 11, Theater of the Mind will be staged Tuesday evenings starting at 6 pm; Wednesday afternoons starting at 2 pm and evenings starting at 6 pm; Thursday evenings starting at 6 pm; Friday evenings starting at 5 pm; Saturday afternoons starting at noon and evenings at 6 pm; and Sunday afternoons starting at 12:30 pm. Performances begin every 15 minutes, and each includes 16 audience members. A complete schedule can be found at theaterofthemindchicago.com.

ABOUT THE CREATORS

David Byrne (Co-Creator) is a musician, performer, writer, and multidisciplinary artist whose creative ventures have captivated audiences since 1975, when he co-founded the renowned group Talking Heads. In addition to Theater of the Mind, recent works include Here Lies Love, a musical with music by Byrne and Fatboy Slim (2023), SOCIAL! at The Park Avenue Armory, the Broadway production of Byrne’s American Utopia (2019) as well as the Spike Lee-directed film version (2020), the launch of his Reasons to be Cheerful online magazine (2019), and the solo album American Utopia (2018). To date, Byrne has published five books including How Music Works (2012).

Mala Gaonkar (Co-Creator) has more than 20 years of experience investing behind technology trends. She was a founding partner of the investment management firm Lone Pine Capital in 1998. In 2022, Gaonkar launched her own firm, SurgoCap Partners, focused on the disruptive effects of technology within broad industry categories. Gaonkar’s focus is on multi-disciplinary thinking, including using the tools of data science, artificial intelligence, and behavioral science to solve problems.  She has embraced this approach both through her investing career as well as through Surgo Ventures, a foundation that she co-founded in 2015. Gaonkar is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Business School.

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS

Andrew Scoville (Director), a native of west suburban Elmhurst, is a New York-based theater director specializing in immersive layouts, technological landscapes, and hybrid-genre theater-making with an emphasis on integrating science ideas into theatrical experiences. Credits include The Brobot Johnson Experience (Bushwick Starr, The New York Times Critics' Pick), Escape the Planet (NY Hall of Science commission with astronomer Moiya McTier),  People Doing Math podcast and, as Associate director: Here Lies Love (dir. Alex Timbers, Public Theater, National Theater UK, Seattle Rep), Sweeney Todd (dir Bill Buckhurst, Barrow Street Theater), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (dir Alex Timbers, Broadway).

Heidi Boisvert, PhD (Technology Director) is an interdisciplinary artist, experience designer, creative technologist, and researcher investigating the neurobiological and socio-cultural impacts of media and technology. Her work focuses on how the body, senses, and emotions influence perception and social change. She is currently mapping the world’s first media genome with careful attention to its ethical implications. She founded future Perfect lab, a creative agency and think tank that works with social justice organizations to design playful emerging media campaigns to transform the public imagination. She also co-founded XTH, a company developing novel forms of expression through biotechnology and the human body.

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

As previously announced, Theater of the Mind makes its Midwest debut during The Goodman’s Centennial 25/26 Season. Since 1925, The Goodman has been 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 world and American premieres, Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards, and Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman is proud to be the first theater to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” 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. 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.

Goodman Theatre launches its 2025/26 season at the Owen with Revolution(s), a world premiere musical that thunders with urgency and defiance. Written by Zayd Ayers Dohrn—2016 Horton Foote New American Play Prize winner and son of Bill Ayers, co-founder of the Weather Underground—the play carries the weight of history and the pulse of rebellion. With music by Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave fame and direction by Steve H. Broadnax III, Revolution(s) explodes onto the stage as both a call to arms and a meditation on generational resistance.

Dohrn’s daring script weaves two timelines into one charged narrative. In 1989, African-American veteran Leon (Al’Jaleel McGhee) and his quick-thinking, idealistic wife Emma (Jackie Burns) find themselves fugitives, forced to flee with their newborn twin sons. Their flight captures the uneasy tension of a generation torn between paranoia and hope—a time when the dream of revolution still felt urgent and within reach. Fast forward to 2016, and those twins, now adults, grapple with the legacy their parents left behind. Hampton (Aaron James McKenzie), scarred by his service in Afghanistan, abandons his post and returns to Chicago’s South Side and to Lucia (Alysia Velez), his undocumented girlfriend who anchors him to a fragile sense of home. His brother Ernie (Jakiem Hart), once a prodigy on the guitar, has withdrawn from both his talent and the world—until Hampton’s unraveling forces him to confront the very past he’s been avoiding.

Broadnax directs with a ferocity that mirrors the play’s title, blending moments of tenderness and chaos with cinematic precision. He builds scenes that combust with tension and intimate ache, often within the same breath. The design work—gritty projections, steel scaffolding, and stark, rhythmic lighting—evokes both the bunker of a warehouse and the battlefield. There’s an immediacy here: revolution is not a metaphor, but a lived inheritance.

(L-R) Jakeim Hart and Aaron James McKenzie in Revolution(s).

Then there’s the music—pure Morello. The score, straight from the Rage Against the Machine playbook, fuses electric rebellion with spiritual yearning. Songs like “Battle Sirens,” “Hold the Line,” and “Whatever It Takes” roar as anthems of resistance, while “Rise to Power” and “Promenade” reveal unexpected warmth and vulnerability. The songs don’t so much advance the narrative as expand it, offering philosophical texture instead of plot propulsion. In Revolution(s), music is both protest and prayer—an act of survival.

What happens when the spirit of rebellion is passed down like trauma? What does it mean to inherit both resistance and loss? Revolution(s) suggests that revolution isn’t merely an act—it’s a legacy, coded into the body like memory or pain. Leon and Emma’s defiance becomes both a beacon and a burden for their sons, who carry the scars of a fight they didn’t choose but can’t escape. For Hampton, rebellion manifests as a restless need to confront authority—even when the war he’s fighting is within himself. For Ernie, it’s the refusal to participate, a quieter but no less radical protest against expectation. The play’s most haunting insight is that revolution reshapes generations; its victories inspire, but its wounds linger.

Dohrn’s writing captures this duality with compassion and fury, showing that to inherit rebellion is to inherit a question—how do you keep fighting without becoming consumed by the fire your parents lit?

Revolution(s) is a work of conviction—raw, restless, and unapologetically alive. It asks hard questions about legacy, freedom, and what we’re willing to sacrifice for change. In a cultural moment of complacency by our elected representatives, Revolution(s) doesn’t just remind us of what rebellion sounds like—it dares us to remember why it matters.

Highly Recommended

When: Through Nov. 16th
Where: Goodman Theater (170 N. Dearborn)
Tickets: $34-$104
Info: goodmantheatre.org

*This review is also shared on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!