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MadKap Productions is pleased to present the Tennessee Williams' classic play A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE for 13 live performances at the Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave in Downtown Skokie from March 27 thru April 26, 2026, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm, with one Wed. matinee on April 15 at 1:30 pm. There are no performances April 3 - 5. Tickets are $42 general admission, $38 for seniors and students and can be purchased online at SkokieTheatre.org or by calling 847-677-7761

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is considered to be one of the great classics of the American theatre.  When Blanche DuBois, a troubled woman with a dark past, moves in with her sister Stella and her volatile husband Stanley, she learns that genteel pretensions are no match for the harsh realities symbolized by her brutish brother-in-law.  It is an emotionally charged drama that explores desire, delusion, and the harsh realities of human nature

The play won both the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the Tony Award for Best Play.  The movie version won the Golden Globe for Best Picture.  Vivian Leigh won the Best Actress award for her portrayal of Blanche, a role originated by Jessica Tandy on Broadway.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE stars Hailey Hance as Blanche, with Elyna Mellen as Stella, Nathaniel Kohlmeier as Stanley, and Denis Vorobyev as Mitch.  The cast also features AJ Carchi, Wyatt DeLair, Neil Figuracion, Kimmy Higginbotham, and Dee Dee Logan

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is directed by Wayne Mell, who founded MadKap productions with producer Wendy Kaplan in 2012.  Set Design is by Brian Wasserman, with Lighting Design by Pat Henderson, Costume Design by Dame Erickson, Property Design by Michael Dwiggins and Sound Design by Elijah McTiernan.  Laine Rogers is the Assistant Director, with Intimacy Direction by Krista Retka and Fight Choreography by Brian Plocharczyk.

COMPANY is the final production in MadKap Productions' 11th season at Skokie Theatre, which started in July with A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM and included productions of PIPPIN, DEATHTRAP, .and most recently COMPANY.

For reservations or additional information, visit SkokieTheatre.org, or call the box office at 847-677-7761

About MadKap Productions

MadKap is celebrating its 11th year at Skokie Theatre and is the recipient of the 2019 Artistic Excellence award from the Village of Skokie Fine Arts Commission.  Wendy Kaplan and Wayne Mell formed MadKap Productions in 2011 and have premiered ground-breaking new plays like Clutter: The True Story of the Collier Brothers Who Never Threw Anything Out and Mr. Shaw Goes To Hollywood,  and Side Effects May Include, the semi-autobiographical account of Seinfeld writer Marc Jaffe's experiences with Parkinson's Disease which toured nationally, raising funds for Shaking With Laughter and The Michael J. Fox Foundation.  MadKap Productions was formerly a resident production company at the Greenhouse Theater Center in Chicago.  In February of 2014, MadKap Productions took over management of the Skokie Theatre with the goal of establishing a full-time performing arts center. 

About Skokie Theatre

The Skokie Theatre was originally built in 1912 and served as the local movie theatre for the people who lived in the Skokie area.  The building fell into disrepair, until 2006 when the Skokie Valley Music Foundation spent over 1.2 million dollars to refurbish it and create a music hall that is unlike any other in the area.  Its 140 comfortable seats, perfect acoustics, and elegant art deco architecture makes it a Skokie landmark.  MadKap Productions took over management of the building in February, 2014 with the goal of establishing a full-time performing arts center.  When not presenting plays, audiences can experience cabaret and concerts, dance, and comedy acts.

King Odysseus returns home to Ithaca after twenty years’ absence: ten years’ fighting the Trojan War (it takes time to build a big enough wooden horse), followed by a ten-year journey during which everything that could go wrong does go wrong: think rush-hour traffic on the Kennedy under construction. When he finally arrives, Odysseus finds yet another complication: in his absence a hundred men have undertaken to lay claim to his throne, actually taking up residence in Odysseus’ palace, scarfing down his harvests, seducing his servants, and harassing his wife.

Penelope has made every effort to discourage the putative suitors, her most recent gambit being a challenge to string Odysseus’ mighty bow, then use it to shoot an arrow through a line of a dozen axe handles. That’s pretty serious and, unsurprisingly, none of the opportunists manages. Everyone is amazed therefore when a stranger (Odysseus disguised as a beggar) nails it. The disappointed contenders aren’t happy about this, and are further aggrieved when the ‘beggar’ throws off his rags, identifies himself, and advises the intruders to hit the road.

Odysseus, legitimately vexed at the situation, answers their disgruntlement with violence and all hundred freeloaders are … well, the proper verb is in question, as it’s unclear whether Odysseus righteously executes or viciously murders them. This is the issue we explore in TRIAL OF ODYSSEUS: is Odysseus a champion, heroically defending his title, his home, and his family? Or is he a villain, goaded by jealous rage into a frenzy of unwonted slaughter?

TRIAL OF ODYSSEUS was … what to call it? to be honest it was not truly theater. TRIAL OF ODYSSEUS was presented as an actual trial, with Antonio M Romanucci and Daisy Ayllón of Romanucci & Blandin LLC prosecuting and Patrick M. Collins and Tinos Diamantatos of King & Spalding LLP arguing for the defense. A panel of four judges (Georgia M Alexakis, Sara L Ellis, Jeffrey G Chrones and Anthony C. Kyrikopoulos) and twelve jurors examined and cross-examined both the witness Phimeus (Leonardo Sfondouris) and Odysseus, played by Christos Vasilopoulos.

The final decision, however, was ours. Each audience member was provided with their choice of two tokens, blue for guilty and white for innocent. At the close of examination these tokens were collected and their count served as the verdict: Odysseus was found Not Guilty., I suspect that those voting Guilty did so from the viewpoint of twenty-first century law. I can’t believe anyone in the Bronze Age, roughly 1200 BCE, would not fully sympathize with Odysseus’ reaction, however grisly.

I’m totally ignorant of judicial matters, and someone better acquainted with legal procedure might have found problems with how the trial was portrayed, but I thought it was as credible as it was entertaining. For one, it certainly reflected the delay encountered in our modern magisterial system, as the event under arbitration occurred more than 3,000 years ago. A real trial for first-degree murder would probably incorporate less humor, but the Court had no difficulty drawing parallels across the three-millennium time difference; many of these comments were quite amusing and were certainly appreciated by the audience.

TRIAL OF ODYSSEUS was instructive, engaging, and just plain fun! The bad news is that it was a single production; there will be no further performances. But keep your eye on the National Hellenic Museum, as they offer regular events and exhibitions.

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

Get ready - those phones are about to explode, and Sam is already spinning like a top trying to catch every single one. It’s a full‑blown ring‑storm, and he’s diving into it with the hectic energy of someone who knows the chaos is coming and still can’t outrun it.

A brisk, razor‑funny powder keg of a play, Fully Committed tracks a single frantic day in the life of Sam, the lone reservationist at one of Manhattan’s most elite - and most impossible - restaurant. Becky Mode’s script is a full‑tilt high‑wire act, and Mike Newquist tears across nearly forty characters with the kind of breakneck precision that makes your head spin. As Sam, he’s already a live wire - but then he’s also snapping into entitled celebrities, neurotic assistants, tyrannical chefs, and every flavor of fine‑dining madness that dares to ring his desk. It’s dazzling, anxious, and wildly fun to watch him juggle it all without ever dropping the thread. The comedy snaps because each character is so sharply etched, and Newquist seamlessly shifts among them with the kind of finesse that turns mayhem into art.

At its heart, the nearly 90-minute play gleefully skewers the rituals of status and the agitated, almost feral hunger for exclusivity, exposing just how ridiculous people become when a reservation turns into a badge of power. Sam becomes the unseen fulcrum of that world, and his day unravels from merely hectic to outright surreal as he absorbs tantrums, negotiates impossible demands, and fights to keep a grip on his own sense of worth. Watching Newquist as Sam behind that reservation desk in a constant tinderbox had me instantly aware that I wouldn’t survive two hours in his shoes. His frantic charm and barely contained panic sells the chaos and sparks a whole new respect for the people who actually thrive in that kind of daily combustion.

Fully Committed lands as hard as it does because it’s rooted in real industry absurdity. Mode shaped these characters straight out of real restaurant‑world encounters, giving the show a mix of satirical whirlwind and a bite of truth that feels both sharply recognizable and wickedly real.

Throughout the play, I loved how Sam’s dad kept slipping into the heavy commotion with that gentle, grounding voice - just long enough to let the whole room exhale. Each time he called, Sam’s entire demeanor flipped in an instant; you could watch him go from frazzled to peaceful like someone had hit a reset switch. Those brief check-ins made it clear how a few steady words from a gentle, supportive father (or friend/family member) can cut straight through the noise, offering a tiny pocket of calm even when everything else is burning down around him.

Mike Newquist is pure kinetic joy onstage, delivering a commanding turn in Fully Committed. The Chicago‑based actor and improviser thrives in the city’s storefront trenches, bouncing between sharp‑edged comedy, character chameleon work, and the kind of ensemble disorder where anything can - and usually does - happen. He’s popped up with PrideArts, AstonRep, and The Comrades, tackling everything from contemporary drama to high-velocity comic mayhem. In Fully Committed, it’s his quick‑switch agility that makes him a blast to watch.

Directed by Derek Bertelsen, this Chicago staging arrives with a jolt of fresh energy and real immediacy. Newquist’s performance becomes the engine that drives the whole night, while Bertelsen keeps the momentum razor‑sharp, the pacing tight, and every character shift snapping cleanly into place.

The Den Theatre hosts the run March 13–28, 2026, with performances on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for Fully Committed at The Den Theatre are just $26. For tickets and/or any more show information, click here.

Recommended.

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

Chicago's Fine Arts Building is excited to bring the legendary comedians and improvisers of Bluebird Improv to the historic Studebaker Theater (410 S. Michigan Avenue) for one night only, Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are now on sale starting at $40. For more information, visit fineartsbuilding.com/events/bluebird-improv.

Made up of some of comedy's most recognizable faces from TV and movies, Bluebird Improv was formed out of a shared love for improvising and entertaining audiences. Every performance is a fully improvised, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Bluebird Improv is produced by former longtime Second City producer Beth Kligerman.

The cast of the Studebaker Theater performance on May 16 includes two-time Emmy Award nominee and Chicago native Matt Walsh from HBO's award-winning comedy series Veep and Netflix's new series Vladimir. Walsh also appeared on Apple TV's acclaimed limited series Manhunt, the CBS series Ghosts, and in recent films Novocaine with Jack Quaid and The Good Half with Nick Jonas. Walsh originated memorable roles in several popular comedy films including Life of the Party, Old School, Starsky and Hutch, Ted, and Keeping Up with the Joneses.

Additional Bluebird Improv cast members appearing at the Studebaker Theater are Marc Evan Jackson (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, The Baby-Sitters Club) and Second City alumni Brad Morris (Curb Your Enthusiasm, A.P. Bio, The Good Place) and Joe Canale (The Mindy Project).

Tickets for Bluebird Improv at the Studebaker Theater on Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. are now on sale starting at $40. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit fineartsbuilding.com/events/bluebird-improv.

Bluebird Improv is a collective of legendary comedians who tour the world performing shows that are fully improvised, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Made up of some of comedy's most recognizable faces from TV and movies, as well as some that will become your new favorites, Bluebird was formed out of a shared, (still) burning love for improvising and entertaining audiences. Each and every show is completely unscripted and totally unique—a short conversation with a couple of audience members at the top of the show inspires the spontaneous, unhinged and beautifully hilarious comedy mayhem that ensues! For more information, visit bluebirdimprov.com.

Artist Bios

Matt Walsh is a two-time Emmy-nominated actor from HBO's award-winning comedy series Veep, and cast member of Apple TV's acclaimed limited series Manhunt. He is also a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. Walsh will next be seen in Paramount Pictures' Novocaine starring Jack Quaid, Maybe We Should starring Heather Graham, Little Lorraine starring Stephen Amell, and Utopia's Not An Artist where he co-stars opposite Rza from the Wu Tang Clan. Recently, he appeared in Hulu's Unplugging, which he co-wrote, and starred alongside Eva Longoria. He can also be seen in The Good Half starring Nick Jonas. Walsh has appeared in memorable roles in several popular comedy films including Life of the Party, Old School, Starsky and Hutch, Ted, and Keeping Up With The Joneses. Other credits include the CBS series Ghosts, Fox Searchlight's Flamin' Hot, and the recent Father of the Bride film.

Walsh currently does a podcast Second in Command with his Veep co-star Timothy Simons.

In addition to his film and TV work, Walsh is also a charitable founder of Open Book with his wife Morgan. The charity donates LGBTQ affirming books to public elementary schools around the country. Matt resides in Los Angeles with his wife Morgan Walsh and their three children.

Joe Canale has been improvising around the world for the past 30 years, including stints at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam and The Second City Mainstage in Chicago amongst many others. TV appearances include The Mindy Project and Fair Game with Brock Everett. His greatest pleasure is derived from performing live improv for an audience.

Marc Evan Jackson is best known for his roles as Kevin on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Shawn on The Good Place, attorney Trevor Nelsson on Parks & Recreation, and Mary Anne's dad Richard Spier on The Baby-Sitters Club. You may also recognize his voice from Podcasts such as The Good Place: The Podcast, or as Sparks Nevada in The Thrilling Adventure Hour. Marc moved from the Second City to Los Angeles in 2001, where he taught improv at Second City Hollywood and in 2003 formed a long-form improv group of other Second City alumni called The 313, an homage to Detroit. Marc is also the co-founder of The Detroit Creativity Project, a nonprofit that teaches the life-changing skill of improv in Detroit middle and high schools free of charge.

Brad Morris is a veteran TV and film writer, producer, actor, director and improviser. An alum of four of Chicago's Second City's Mainstage revues, the iO Theatre and The Annoyance, Brad is a member of the renowned long form improvisational groups, The Reckoning and Uncle's Brother with Tim Meadows. Brad has improvised around the world with the Second City National Touring company and Matt Walsh and Friends for the USO. As a TV writer, Brad spent three seasons as a producer on the TBS comedy Cougar Town, was a producer on the Showtime series Dice, and was co-ep and head writer for seasons 1 and 2 of the critically acclaimed series for Paramount and Seeso, Bajillion Dollar Properties. Brad has sold original scripts and development to ABC, TBS, Sony and Warner Brothers. On the film side, Brad co-wrote and produced the independent film Unplugging, starring Matt Walsh and Eva Longoria. He is also producing the independent film Stoners and Saints, starring Dylan Gelula and Matt Berry. Brad also recently co-wrote Family Squares, and a movie for Paramount, Rear Naked Choke, produced by Margot Robbie.

As an actor, Brad has starred as a series regular in several network and cable pilots, and has appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, Modern Family, The Office, The League, Key and Peele, Great News, Playing House, Dice, F is For Family, Friends From College and The Good Place. He has appeared in the films Search Party, Sing, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and Jay Roach's Bombshell. Brad can also be heard on his new improvisational podcast, Business Trips, that he co-hosts with Mike O'Brien.

About the Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater

The Fine Arts Building is a home for art in all forms: from pioneers like Poetry magazine's founding publisher Harriet Monroe, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz illustrator W. W. Denslow, sculptor Lorado Taft and the Chicago Little Theatre, to the ongoing legacies of painters, musicians, booksellers, puppeteers, dancers, photographers and craftspeople who inhabit the building today, the Fine Arts Building is buzzing with more than a century of Chicago creativity and innovation. A Chicago Landmark since 1978, the building features original manually-operated elevators, Art Nouveau murals from the late 19th century and the recently renovated Studebaker Theater, one of the city's most historic performance venues. The Studebaker has been graced by performances from luminaries such as Bob Hope, Peter O'Toole, Mae West, Ethel Barrymore, Geraldine Page, Vincent Price, and many more. Today, it hosts performances of musicals, opera, puppetry, comedy, dance and more from a wide variety of organizations. Since its curtain first rose, the Studebaker Theater has been recognized as an architectural gem and one of the most important live theatrical venues in Chicago. For more information, visit fineartsbuilding.com.

The year is 1952. Television is rapidly gaining popularity over radio, to the delight of some and the disgust of others. Senator Joseph McCarthy has just been re-elected and is accusing hundreds of people of having connections to the Communist Party, provoking a nationwide climate of paranoid hysteria. Thousands of people, particularly in the mass media, are being blacklisted and expelled from their jobs. One would think (hope!) the lessons of this Red Scare might relieve us of government overreach and of accusations due to differing ideologies … sadly, not so much, as attested to by Stephen Colbert.

CHANGING CHANNELS opens in a backstage dressing room at the DuMont Television Network, a dressing room tenanted by Maggie Carlin (Kat Evans) for her popular comedy show. Kat Evans as Maggie Carlin and Orion Lay-Sleeper as her comedic partner Eddie Gilroy are both absolutely terrific. I don’t generally like comedy; a television laugh track is like fingernails on a blackboard to me, but as CHANGING CHANNELS takes place on the set of a comedy TV show, some jokes are inevitable. Happily, they are truly good jokes. We all know the sound of an audience trying to laugh cos they know it’s expected, as opposed to honestly breaking up over a droll line delivered skillfully, and in CHANGING CHANNELS even I was LOL! And later when the script turned serious, Evans and Lay-Sleeper both demonstrated superior range.

Skyler Tipton played Maggie’s husband Peter Bell, a truly stellar spouse, unswerving in his devotion and succor (I love using the word ‘succor’ – it’s like getting away with talking dirty). Andrew Pappas plays the handyman Kenny, a role that might have been a bit part but turns out to be pivotal. It’s not easy to flesh out a character from only a handful of appearances and lines, but Pappas succeeds in making Kenny real, a person whom one might like to have around.

Eddie’s lawyer, misfortunately (albeit appropriately) named Bullets, is played by Johnny Moran. The lawyer arrives bearing tidings of great joy – a breakthrough advance for Maggie and Eddie’s show! Next, however, he has to deliver the caveat: in order to accept the promotion they must sign a document that amounts to a loyalty pledge. Here is the crux around which the story turns: refusal to sign is not so much what anyone wants to do; it’s being expected to sign that rankles.

The set, designed by Joe Larkin, was inspired. The entire show takes place in Maggie’s backstage dressing room, giving the performance a pleasing sense of intimacy – Maggie can make all her many costume changes right onstage behind the big dress/costume rack – it is, after all, her dressing room! The wall is hung with posters showing some of Maggie and Eddie’s performances, and I was delighted to see on the coffee table a vintage copy of True Confessions – brilliant prop, Meg X McGrath! Emily McConnell’s costumes were spot on, totally in sync with the characters and the period, as well as a shining testament to Chicago’s resale shops! Lighting by Liz Cooper and Sound by Petter Wahlbeck combined to form an effective vintage milieu. And the overall smooth production is a testament to Stage Manager Tseela Sokolin-Maimon’s skill.

Why did I like CHANGING CHANNELS so much, given my dislike of comedy theatre? Well, CHANGING CHANNELS isn’t truly a comedy show – the comic repartee is because the characters are comediennes. The play itself, while very funny at times, is actually political commentary, and the raillery serves to lighten and brighten what might otherwise have been a heavy-handed delivery of the message. To my mind this serves to make the message more powerful as well as more accessible.

Edmund Burke said:” The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men [sic] to do nothing.” Hear hear!

CHANGING CHANNELS plays at City Lit Theatre, 1020 W Bryn Mawr Ave, through April 12

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, and Teatro Vista Productions are pleased to announce the world premiere production of TVP Artistic Collective member Paloma Nozicka’s* BOTH, as a part of a new, multi-year partnership between the two Chicago institutions. Directed by Georgette Verdin, BOTH will play April 11 – May 10, 2026 in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater, 1700 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. A special Steppenwolf member and Teatro Vista Productions VIP pre-sale begins Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 12 pm. Tickets are on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.

The multi-year partnership between Teatro Vista Productions and Steppenwolf brings two of Chicago’s most vital ensemble theaters together to present ambitious productions to Chicago audiences. Teatro Vista Productions is set to stage a full-length run of a play each season over the next three years in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater, in an exciting collaboration reflecting the unique artistic ambitions of both companies. The innovative partnership also provides opportunities for Teatro Vista Productions to build institutional capacity after recent record-breaking artistic achievement with shows including The Dream King and Memorabilia. With Teatro Vista Productions in residency at Steppenwolf, both companies look forward to modeling a relationship that they hope will inspire further collaboration in Chicago’s iconic theater community amongst organizations of all sizes.

BOTH follows on the success of Teatro Vista Productions’ recent world premiere productions in the 1700 Theater: La Havana Madrid (2017), Enough to Let the Light In (also by Nozicka, 2022) and ¡Bernarda! (2023). 

Steppenwolf Executive Director E. Brooke Flanagan comments, “For the last decade, Steppenwolf and Teatro Vista Productions have been frequent collaborators, but under this new, multi-year model, we are weaving the two institutions into an even closer relationship. We are thrilled to play host for the ambitions of this extraordinary company: from rehearsals to performances, from donor events to audience engagement opportunities.” 

“Staging the world premiere of BOTH by TVP Artistic Collective member, Paloma Nozicka, as the kick-off to our multi-year Steppenwolf Theatre Company residency is the ultimate fulfillment of our mission,” shared TVP Artistic Director Wendy Mateo and Executive Director Lorena Diaz. “BOTH is a gritty, character-driven look into complicated family dynamics and chosen truths. Great family dramas are a signature of the Steppenwolf brand. To provide our artists with this stage, in the birthplace of ensemble theater in Chicago, is a dream come true. This synchronicity is a moment of profound pride for our theater. As we celebrate our 35^th year, we continue to lean into the idea of radical abundance. And with the support of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, we get to do just that. Pa’lante, Juntos. Forward, Together.”

BOTH will feature TVP Artistic Collective members Charín Álvarez*, Eddie Martinez*, Ayssette Muñoz* and Paloma Nozicka* with Brian King and Yona Moises Olivares.

*Denotes TVP Artistic Collective member

About the Production:

Xochi is dealing with a lot: a difficult pregnancy, a new relationship, a family that can't stand her and the loss of her twin brother Sebastian, who was declared missing last year. As she tries to navigate her life (and keep her sanity), the impossible happens: Sebastian reappears. Her family is overjoyed, but Xochi is suspicious: where has he been? And why does this version of Sebastian seem so different than the one she knew? BOTH is an eerie examination of family, love, memory, and which version of the truth is the one worth believing.

The creative team includes Sotirios Livaditis (Scenic Design), Johan H. Gallardo* (Costume Design), Maximo Grano De Oro (Lighting Design), Satya Chávez (Sound Design), Shokie Tseumah (Properties Design), Greg Geffrard (Intimacy and Violence), Estrellita Beatriz (Production Manager), Janyce Caraballo (Assistant Director), Adelina Feldman-Schultz* (Casting Director), Julie Jachym (Production Stage Manager) and Olivia Ellery (Assistant Stage Manager).

Production Details:

Title: BOTH

Playwright: TVP Artistic Collective member Paloma Nozicka*

Director: Georgette Verdin

Cast (in alphabetical order): Charín Álvarez* (Angela), Brian King (Sam), Eddie Martinez* (Juan), Ayssette Muñoz* (Cynthia), Paloma Nozicka* (Xochi) and Yona Moises Olivares (Sebastian)

Covers: Aaron Barker (Cover Sam), Tatiana Bustamante (Cover Cynthia), Lorena Diaz (Cover Angela), Leonel Garza (Cover Juan), El Río (Cover Sebastian) and Amelia Roque (Cover Xochi) 

Location: Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Saturday, April 11 – Thursday, April 16, 2026

Opening: Friday, April 17, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Saturday, April 18 – Sunday, May 10, 2026 

Curtain Times: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a 7:30 pm performance on Saturday, May 9, 2026

Tickets: Single tickets for BOTH ($47*) go on sale to the general public Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 12 pm at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. All preview performances and Wednesday performances will be Pay-What-You-Will. *Price includes a $3 processing fee

Artist Biographies:

Paloma Nozicka (Playwright) is an actor, writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Playwriting credits include Enough to Let the Light In (2023 Jeff Awards nominee for Best New Work) and BOTH (2025 O'Neill National Playwrights Conference finalist). Screenwriting credits include Enough to Let the Light In (feature), Horns (feature), Each Lovely Thing (short), HUGE (short). Directing credits include Each Lovely Thing (official selection at the Austin Film Festival, Cleveland International; “Best Screenplay” at the New Filmmakers LA “Best of 2024” awards). She was a member of the 2023/2024 Geffen Playhouse Writer’s Room. She is a member of the Teatro Vista Productions collective, a company member with Jackalope Theatre Company and a member of SAG-AFTRA.

Georgette Verdin (Director) is the Associate Artistic Director of Northlight Theatre and a member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Recent directing credits include: the World Premieres of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women (Northlight Theatre); The Singularity Play (Jackalope Theatre); A Mile in The Dark (Interrobang Theatre Project/Rivendell Theatre Ensemble); Enough to Let the Light In (Teatro Vista Productions) and Spay (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble); the U.S. premiere of The Writer (Steep Theatre); and the Chicago Premieres of Mary Jane and Dial M for Murder (Northlight Theatre), This Wide Night (Shattered Globe/Interrobang Theatre Project) and Ironbound (Raven Theatre). Georgette is a five-time Joseph Jefferson Awards nominated director, the 2022 Michael Maggio Directing Fellow at Goodman Theatre and was a 2024 3Arts Award nominee. She's been profiled in NewCity’s 2023 “Players: Who Really Performs for Chicago” and in Chicago Reader’s “Best of Chicago 2022.” She is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. georgetteverdin.com

Charín Álvarez’s (Angela) theatre credits include: A Home What Howls, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, La Ruta, The Infidel, Ordinary Yearning, Fermi at Steppenwolf Theatre; Lettie, Mojada, Oedipus El Rey, Anna in the Tropics, A Park in the House at Victory Gardens Theatre; The Scene at Writer’s Theatre; Inherit The Wind, 2666, Pedro Paramo, El Nogalar, Dollhouse and Electricidad at Goodman Theatre; Anna in the Tropics, Passage, Skin of Our Teeth and Clean House with Remy Bumppo’ “Bernarda!, In the Time of the Butterflies, Our Lady of the Underpass, I Put the Fear of Mexico in ‘Em, Dreamlandia, Another Part of the House with Teatro Vista; Water by the Spoonful at Court Theatre; A Work of Art at Chicago Dramatists Theatre; What We Once Felt with About Face Theatre; Kita & Fernanda with 16th Street Theatre; Esperanza Rising with Chicago Children’s Theatre; Two Sisters and a Piano at Apple Tree Theatre; Generic Latina with Teatro Luna; La Casa de Bernarda Alba with Aguijon Theatre. Film/TV credits include: Somebody Somewhere, Paper Girls, Ripple Effects, Chicago Med, Easy, Shameless, Chicago Fire, Mob Doctor, Boss,  Chicago Code, Approach Alone, Rooftop Wars, Arc of a Bird, Were the World Mine, Chicago Overcoat, First and Only Lesson, Dogwalker, Rogers Park, Olympia: Manual on How to Live Your Life, Signature Move, En Algun Lugar, Princess Cyd, Single File, Teacher, Hala, Saint Frances, The Rounding, Heartsong, Museum, Last Drop, Single Car Crashes, Adult Children, Ghostlight, Ask a Punk and Kombucha.

Brian King (Sam) was recently seen in HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, NBC’s The Irrational and Showtime’s The Chi. Other TV credits include Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Boss, Leverage, Empire, Detroit 1-8-7, Crisis, Mob Doctor and Prison Break. His most recent film credits include Candyman, Widows, Man of Steel, Seneca and A Light Beneath Their Feet. Other Chicago stage credits include TimeLine Theatre's Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars, Steppenwolf Theatre’s Fair Use, The North Plan and The Drunken City. 

Eddie Martinez (Juan) is a member of Teatro Vista Artist Collective previously seen in Parachute Men, Fade and Hope (Victory Gardens and Den Theatre). Other credits include: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Our Lady of 121^st Street (Steppenwolf); Native Gardens (Old Globe); Fade (Denver Center, Cherry Lane, Theater Works Hartford); As You Like It (Denver Center); Big Lake Big City, Cascabel, Circus Quixote (Lookingglass); Rightlynd (Victory Gardens); Bull (Paramount); Ugly Lies The Bone (Shattered Globe). Film/TV credits include: Sense8 (Netflix), Sirens (USA), Chicago Fire (NBC), Shameless (Showtime) Justified: Primeval (FX) and The Dilemma (Universal). Member of Actors' Equity Association.

Ayssette Muñoz (Cynthia) is a Mexican American actor/director from the Rio Grande Valley. In 2015, the Chicago Tribune featured her as one of the “Top 10 Hot New Faces of Chicago Theatre'' and in 2019, she was nominated for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play" from the Alliance of Latinx Theatre Artists of Chicago. She is a proud teaching artist at Steppenwolf Theatre and an Artistic Collective Member at Teatro Vista. Favorite acting credits include: Teatro Vista, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Lookingglass, Rivendell Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, Definition Theatre. On-camera credits: The Bear, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D. Associate directing credits: Arthur & Friends Make a Musical (Marriott Theatre), An Educated Guess (Definition Theatre, Jeff Recommended), Somewhere Over the Border (Teatro Vista, Jeff Recommended, winner of Best Director, Best Ensemble and Best Production of a Musical) Represented by Big Mouth Talent. ayssettemunoz.com

Paloma Nozicka (Xochi) is thrilled to make her Teatro Vista debut. Chicago theatre credits (selected): The Thanksgiving Play (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Teddy Ferrara (Goodman Theatre); Native Gardens (Victory Gardens Theatre); Bobby Clearly (Steep Theatre); The Harvest (Griffin Theatre); In the Canyon, The Light Fantastic, Exit Strategy, Long Way Go Down (Jackalope Theatre Company). Regional: Citizen Detective (Geffen Playhouse); Boeing Boeing (TheatreSquared). Television: The Irrational, Chicago Med, Proven Innocent, Chicago P.D., The Red Line, Empire. Nozicka was a 2023 Jeff Awards nominee for "Best New Work" for her play Enough to Let the Light In. She is a member of the TVP collective, a Jackalope Theatre Company member and a proud member of SAG-AFTRA.

Yona Moises Olivares (Sebastian) Chicago: Much Ado About Nothing (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Sanctuary City (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Gender Play, or what you Will (About Face Theatre); Anna in the Tropics (Remy Bumppo); Same Sects (Haven Chicago); When Harry Met Rehab (Greenhouse Theater). Regional: Anna in the Tropics, The Winter’s Tale (American Players Theatre); How to Defend Yourself, We’ve Come to Believe, A Christmas Carol, Dracula (Actors Theatre of Louisville). Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Accessibility:

Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater is equipped with an induction hearing loop and assistive listening devices (ALDs) are available upon request. 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/plan-your-visit/accessibility or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Sponsor Information:

The LookOut Series is supported in part by the Walder Foundation. 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, Steven and Nancy Crown, Conagra Brands Foundation, Rich and Margery Feitler, FROST CHICAGO, Joyce Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, The Orlebeke Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker, Sacks Family Foundation, Smart Family Foundation of Illinois, and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

About Teatro Vista Productions:

When the Chicago theater world wasn’t ready for us, Teatro Vista Productions made space. For 35 years, we’ve told true stories that reflect our community. We’re not just building on this amazing legacy; we’re strengthening and expanding it for the future. Today we continue to actively engage in advocacy that seeks to increase the authentic representations of us on stage and screen.

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

Lorena Diaz (Executive Director), Wendy Mateo (Artistic Director) and Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel (Associate Artistic Director). 

Follow us on Social Media & YouTube to experience the multidisciplinary talents of our Artistic Collective and stay connected to all things TVP! We’ll see you there! @teatrovista

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier Ensemble Theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the 1980 phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and now, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theater and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1976, Steppenwolf started as a group of teens performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the 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.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, proudly announces its inaugural season in the company's new home at 1012 Church Street in Downtown Evanston. With its own venue built from the ground up, Northlight will open its doors with a celebratory gala planned for August 15, 2026, and the first public performance on September 9, 2026.  Northlight will welcome subscribers, supporters and the public in advance with opportunities to explore and celebrate the new venue.

The five-play 2026-2027 season, including three world premieres, opens with Jeffrey Hatcher's The Front Page, a world premiere adaptation of the rapid-fire classic comedy that also inspired the 1940 film His Girl Friday. The season continues with the world premiere of Lauren M. Gunderson's new love story All the World, followed by The American Five by Chess Jakobs, about the planning of the March on Washington and the speech that inspired Americans to act toward their shared vision of equality and justice for all. Northlight will then present the 2024 Pulitzer Prize Finalist Here There Are Blueberries by Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich. The season concludes with the world premiere of Art Manke's Pearl's in the House about the life and music of trail-blazer Pearl Bailey.

Subscriptions to the 2026-2027 Northlight Season are available at northlight.org/subscribe or 847.563.8400. With its wide range of ticket prices, discounted subscription packages and complimentary parking at the 1800 Maple Garage, Northlight remains of one of the best theatrical values in Chicagoland. Package options include traditional 5-Play Subscriptions and 4-Ticket Flex Passes.

The new state-of-the-art facility is a major component in the arts and cultural scene in Chicagoland and the North Shore and features approximately 285 comfortable seats with excellent sight lines, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, a dedicated box office and contemporary bar/café in the lobby, a second floor rehearsal and event space, and lounge and gathering areas on the first and second floors. Located in the heart of downtown, with easy, nearby access to parking and public transportation via CTA and Metra, Northlight will contribute to a vibrant local economy and will serve as an economic driver for downtown Evanston.

Artistic Director BJ Jones comments, "Opening our brand-new theatre in our founding hometown is a truly special moment. I cannot begin to list the artists, ticket buyers and donors who, over 50 years, delivered us to this moment. In their honor we offer a season rendered by the finest of Chicago's artists, beginning with a refreshed Chicago classic, and continuing with world class work, presented through a local lens."

Executive Director Timothy J. Evans adds, "After five decades, Northlight Theatre finally has a home of its own. A home in the heart of a revitalized downtown Evanston entertainment district steps from public transportation, parking, restaurants, shops, and Northwestern University. Our long-awaited homecoming to Evanston will transform the theatre landscape on the North Shore and Chicago. The New Northlight will serve as a vital place for exchanging ideas, storytelling, community gathering and a long-needed cultural hub for the many communities we serve. We can't wait to share it." 

The 2026-2027 season includes:

The World Premiere of

The Front Page

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher

From the original by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur

Directed by BJ Jones

Featuring Kate Fry and Timothy Edward Kane

September 9 - October 18, 2026

A world premiere adaptation of the rapid-fire classic comedy that also inspired the 1940 film His Girl Friday.

In a 1930s Chicago press room, wise-cracking reporters are abuzz with the latest news: ace reporter Hildy Johnson is quitting her job and getting married. Editor Walter Burns has no intention of letting her go– out of the newsroom, or into the arms of another man. When a death row convict manages a daring escape, Walter wrangles Hildy into covering one last irresistible story, a tangle of rival reporters, crooked politicians, and a scoop too big to ignore!

The World Premiere of

All the World

By Lauren M. Gunderson

Directed by Jessica Thebus

November 11 - December 20, 2026

'Tis the season for a love story! Gunderson's signature blend of romance, wit, and bittersweet beauty shines in this world premiere.

Two actors find themselves in an ever-shifting relationship during the most emotionally charged time of the year: the holidays. Set amidst the backstages and quick changes of the world's most beloved seasonal classics, they try to keep the mess of their private lives offstage, whether they're falling in love or falling apart. Surprising, heartbreaking, and hopeful, All the World reminds us why—year after year—we keep stepping into the light, telling the story, and leaving it all on the stage.

The American Five

By Chess Jakobs

Directed by Mikael Burke

February 3 - March 3, 2027

"In rousing resistance to injustice and inspiring cohesion and connection, this play is a triumph of doing what it's about!" – DC Theater Arts

"I have a dream..." The words that galvanized a nation weren't written alone. Through late nights and shared meals, differing approaches but collective dreams, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison, and Clarence B. Jones plan the March on Washington and craft a speech to inspire Americans to act toward their shared vision of equality and justice for all. On their way to shaping a defining moment in the civil rights movement, five individuals became a family. Together, they became history.

Here There Are Blueberries
By Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich

Directed by Charles Newell

April 7 - May 17, 2027

2024 Pulitzer Prize Finalist | 2025 Lucille Lortel Award Winner for Outstanding Play | Two-time Helen Hayes Award Winner | Named one of the "10 Best Plays of 2024" by The Wall Street Journal

In 2007, a mysterious album featuring Nazi-era photographs arrived at the desk of a U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum archivist. As curators unravel the shocking truth behind the images, the album soon makes headlines and ignites a debate that reverberates far beyond the museum walls. Based on real events, Here There Are Blueberries tells the story of these historical photographs—what they reveal about the perpetrators of the Holocaust, and our own humanity.

The World Premiere of

Pearl's in the House

By Art Manke

Directed by Kenneth L. Roberson

Featuring E. Faye Butler

June 7 - July 18, 2027

The life and music of trail-blazer Pearl Bailey take center stage in this compelling world premiere.

Legendary performer Pearl Bailey navigated the waters of being a Black woman in America the only way she knew how – through her music. On the eve of a scheduled performance in the Reagan White House she agrees to an interview, not expecting the ambitious journalist who calls into question some of her more controversial choices. The personal and political come into sharp conflict as the savvy entertainer reveals her multi-faceted life through flashbacks and some of her most memorable songs.

Subscriptions to the 2026-2027 Northlight Season are available at northlight.org/subscribe or 847.563.8400. With its wide range of ticket prices, discounted subscription packages and complimentary parking at the 1800 Maple Garage, Northlight remains of one of the best theatrical values in Chicagoland. Package options include traditional 5-Play Subscriptions and 4-Ticket Flex Passes.

Traditional Subscriptions range in price from $180 to $325. See the entire 5-Play inaugural season with Northlight's most popular package. Returning subscribers can receive a 10% Founders Discount when they subscribe by May 15, 2026. Seniors 65+ receive $10 off 5-Play Subscriptions on Wednesday matinees or evenings. The Senior Discount applies to Premium or Standard seating on full price subscriptions. Discounts may not be combined.

Flex pass options are $159-$295. Receive four ticket credits to use how you please: see four shows, attend two shows as a couple, or bring three friends to one performance. Flex passes can be booked up to one hour before curtain and can also be purchased online.

Curtain times are: Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

The complete 2026-2027 season will be performed in Northlight's new home at 1012 Church Street in Downtown Evanston.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from BMO; Bulley & Andrews; Byline Bank; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, Inc.; Evanston Community Foundation; Franklin Square Foundation; Full Circle Foundation; Grumman Butkus Associates; Hagerty Consulting; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; John R Halligan Charitable Fund; Kirkland & Ellis; LionBird; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Mabadi Realty; Mammel Family Foundation; Modestus Bauer Foundation; Northwestern University; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; The Revada Foundation of the Logan Family; Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation; The Schubert Foundation, Inc.; SLOAN; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners.

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Founded in 1974 with its inaugural season in 1975-76, the organization has mounted over 250 productions, including more than 45 world premieres. Northlight has earned 238 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 37 Awards, as well as 11 Edgerton Foundation for New Play Awards. As one of the area's premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Physical Theater Festival Chicago is proud to announce the full lineup for its 13th anniversary celebration, June 1 - 7. The Festival kicks off Monday, June 1 and Tuesday, June 2 with two nights of local artists’ showcasing new work, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. The Festival continues with five days of international and national performances, workshops and conversations also at Theater Wit and The Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. Artists and companies scheduled to perform during the seven-day special event include: the Chicago return of Argentinian’s physical chameleon Luciano Rosso; the United States premiere of Peruvian mask theater ensemble Compañia de Teatro Físico; Korean-American powerhouse Sora Baek and Portland’s all ages clown duo A Little Bit OFF. The Physical Theater Festival of Chicago also announces a new partnership with The Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago which will host the premiere of award-winning Belgian company Chaliwaté. Tickets for individual shows at Theater Wit are $36, (general admission); $23, (industry/students/seniors/veterans) and for The Dance Center at Columbia shows: $40, (general admission);$26, (industry/students/seniors/veterans). Festival passes for all out-of-town shows are $159 (general admission) and $89, (industry/students/seniors/veterans). Tickets and passes may be purchased at PhysicalFestival.com.

Physical Theater Festival Chicago brings to Chicago audience-beloved, ​award-winning and critically acclaimed new dramas, comedies and dramedies from around the world that inspire theatergoers and local artists to reimagine what a live theater experience can be and do across cultures, languages and genres. Showcasing a variety of genres, including Clown, Mime, Improv, Puppet and Object Theater, Circus, Dance and Street Theater, ​award-winning and critically acclaimed new dramas, comedies and dramedies, the Physical Theatre Festival also includes workshops and post-show discussions building a connection between audiences and artists. 

“Every show we are bringing this year is filled with hope, humanity, joy and beauty. They celebrate the very best of the human spirit in a spectacular and original way, brought to the stage by these extraordinary artists and companies,” said Artistic Director Alice da Cunha. “Each year, we do our best to host a theater celebration, and I am so excited to gather with our audiences, new and old, and experience the 13th edition together.”

“We’re taking a big step forward this year with a new partner – The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago. Together, we’ll be hosting a world-class company from Belgium called Chaliwaté in the South Loop. We’re also thrilled to continue our partnership with Lakeview East’s Theater Wit for the fourth year. We’ll be hosting incredible shows there from Chicago to Peru all week long. As always, we’re excited to celebrate physical theater in a community-forward way with cultural exchange at the forefront,” added Executive Director Marc Frost.

13TH PHYSICAL THEATER FESTIVAL CHICAGO CALENDAR OF EVENTS

(Information on companies and individual artists may be found at PhysicalFestival.com. Workshops, post-show discussions and classes will be announced in April.)

Performances at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.

Monday, June 1 at 7 p.m. 

Scratch Night

Scratch Night is a curated theater showcase of works-in-progress featuring innovative local theater makers. Scratch Night features six previews of original contemporary, visual and physical theater by different Chicago artists to foster their development. Produced by local curators, Scratch Night aims to provide a social space for community, conversation and collaboration.

Tuesday, June 2 at 7 p.m.

Being Made in Chicago Night

Being Made in Chicago will spotlight two new works from Chicago-based artists and companies who have previously performed at Scratch Night. Join us as we celebrate the creativity and resilience of our local physical theater community right in sweet home, Chicago!

Wednesday, June 3, Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m.

Los Regalos/The Gifts by Compañia de Teatro Fisico (Peru)

The international section of the festival opens with this beloved multi-award winning show from Peru. A father and his two sons live alone in a house without women.The most routine of tasks such as preparing breakfast, bathing

or housework turns into real adventures when tackled by three inexperienced men and their fear of now knowing what they are doing. The journey that the elder brother needs to make in order to leave home, and the fear of saying goodbye to the ones we love, will be the starting point of our story.

The June 3 performance of Los Regalos/The Gifts will be followed by a meet and greet and talk back with the artists and a Peruvian reception sponsored by Tanta Chicago and the Consulate General of Peru in Chicago.

Wednesday, June 3 at 9:00 p.m., Saturday, June 6 at 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 7 at 11 a.m.

Beau and Aero by A Little Bit OFF (Seattle, USA)

Multi-award winning Beau and Aero ask the question, “What if the Wright brothers went wrong?” Beau and Aero is an acrobatic, slapstick, latex-heavy comedy featuring two incompetent aviators on their quest for flight. Pompous pilot Beau and his clueless co-pilot Aero have crash landed. The unlikely aeronautic duo tries everything to get back into the air - from propellers and parachutes, to balloons of all sizes, but to no avail. Distracted by their own imaginations, and the notably unhelpful contents of their emergency supply crate, the two tumble through hijinks and comedic conundrums, before emerging out the other side. The show blends clown with elements of acrobatics, mime, and puppetry, with wordless humor that will tickle audiences of all ages and languages. A strong vintage aesthetic paired with the duo’s ridiculous antics onstage is a nostalgic nod to timeless classics of old American Vaudeville. It’s like Charlie Chaplin meets Amelia Earhart. 

Thursday, June 4 at 7 p.m. and Friday, June 5 at 7:30 p.m.

SELL ME: I am from North Korea by Sora Baek (South Korea/USA)

A sold-out hit at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and performed in the United States. Capitol Center, this powerful, fast-paced solo piece is inspired by the true stories of courageous North Korean women defectors. On her fifteenth birthday, Jisun, a North Korean girl, decides to sell herself to an old man to buy medicine for her dying mother. After risking her life crossing into China, she learns her body is considered worthless. Will she survive in a merciless foreign land where her very existence is illegal?

Thursday, June 4 - Saturday, June 6 at 9 p.m. 

Apocalipsync by Luciano Rosso (Argentina/France)

The Argentine actor from Un Poyo Rojo (Physical Theater Festival 2025), takes audiences on an extravagant journey with his one-man show Apocalipsync. Born during the spring 2020 pandemic, this show offers a reflection on isolation, creativity and a cartoon-like view of our contemporary world. Luciano Rosso brilliantly embodies around forty eccentric and witty characters who accompany him on an endless journey within the solitude of his apartment. On stage, he uses his elastic body to showcase his many talents: dance, clowning, contortion and especially lip sync. It is an exhilarating and hilarious performance about the many inventive ways we find to escape boredom.

Performances at The Dance Center At Columbia College

​​1306 S. Michigan Ave.

Thursday, June 4 and Friday, June 5 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 6 at 2 and 6 p.m. 

Jetlag by Chaliwaté (Belgium)

Jetlag is, above all, an emotional journey—one that is constantly out of step.

Moving between airports, from crowded transit zones to the confined cabin of an airplane, a man struggles to keep his loneliness at bay. Caught between exhilaration and confusion as he travels from one place to the next, space and time begin to blur, and he dreams of a new beginning. Yet as he moves forward in his quest, he comes to realize that things may not unfold as he had hoped.

ABOUT ALICE DA CUNHA, CO-FOUNDER and ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Alice de Cunha is a Chicago-based Brazilian and Portuguese actress, director and producer. She co-directed with Sandra Marquez the multi-award winning Teatro Vista show The Dream King. Acting credits include Steppenwolf Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Theater 503, as well as House Theater for which she received a Jeff Award for Best Ensemble for United Flight 232.

She is the artistic director and co-founder of Chicago’s Physical Theater Festival, an annual festival committed to present in our city international acts that represent the future of what theater can be and do. She has extensive experience in the international theater festival sector and has worked, among other festivals at CASA (UK), Shortcutz London, TODOS (Portugal) and the Chicago Latino Film Festival. De Cunha is an artistic consultant to Theater Unspeakable and an adjunct professor at Loyola University.

ABOUT MARC FROST, CO-FOUNDER and EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Marc Frost is an actor, deviser, educator and Chicago native who has performed and produced work in Brazil, Ireland, Spain, the United States and the United Kingdom. He created Theater Unspeakable as a platform for original works of devised, physical theater. Based in Chicago, the award-winning company has toured nationally, performing at venues including Lincoln Center Education (NY) and Kennedy Center (DC). He currently teaches at Roosevelt University. Frost is also a proud graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute’s 14-Week Training Program for Commercial Theatre Producers in New York City.​​

ABOUT PHYSICAL THEATER FESTIVAL CHICAGO

Physical Theater Festival Chicago brings to Chicago audience-beloved, virtuosic live performances from around the world that inspire theatergoers and local artists to reimagine what a live theater experience can be and do across cultures, languages and genres. Launched in 2014 by Alice da Cunha and Marc Frost the festival was founded to introduce a more progressive, physical approach to theater-making in Chicago.

Now in its 13th year, the festival showcases award-winning, ensemble-created works spanning traditions such as clown, mime, improv, puppetry, object theater, circus, dance and street performance, while also highlighting outstanding artists and Chicago companies.

The 2026 Festival partners include Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, International Latino Cultural Center Of Chicago, The Dance Center At Columbia College, Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, Theater Unspeakable, Consulate General Of Argentina and Consulate General Of Peru.

Idle Muse Theatre Company launches its 20th anniversary season with The Three Musketeers, March 26 - April 25, written by Robert Kauzlaric, directed by Idle Muse Artistic Director Evan Jackson adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas and originally commissioned for the 2010 Illinois Shakespeare Festival, at The Edge Off-Broadway Theater, 1133 W Catalpa Ave. Previews are Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., with an added Wednesday performance on April 22 at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are now on sale for $30 and $20 for seniors and students with $50 "pay it forward" tickets that assist in subsidizing tickets for those who may not be able to access the production otherwise. Tickets and additional group discounts are available at IdleMuse.org or the Idle Muse Theatre Company Box Office, 773.340.9438.

Idle Muse celebrates 20 years of productions with The Three Musketeers. Based on Alexander Dumas's celebrated 1844 novel, the Jeff Award-winning Robert Kauzlaric adapts the French tale of swashbuckling intrigue, adventure and fellowship as newly-minted musketeer D'Artagnan and the famous "three inseparables," Athos, Porthos and Aramis take on the machinations of a scheming cardinal and his minions.

The Three Musketeers cast includes Troy Schaeflein~ (he/him, D'Artagnan); Jack Sharkey~ (he/him, Athos); Boomer Lusink (he/him, Porthos); Xavier Lagunas~ (he/him, Aramis); Jennifer Mohr~ (she/her, Milady); Joel Thompson~ (he/him, Rochefort); Eric Duhon (he/him, Richelieu); Benjamin Jouras (he/him, Louis XIII/Buckingham);  Erik Schnitger~ (he/him, Treville); Vanessa Copeland (she/her, Jane Felton/Bonacieux); Brendan Hutt~ (he/him, Laporte); Sam Neel (he/him, Combat Ensemble); Jamie Redwood~ (she/her, Cosntance); Caty Gordon~ (she/her, Queen Anne); Ian Saderholm (he/him, u/s D'Artagnan) Elise Soeder (she/her, u/s Milady); Emily Pfriem (she/her, u/s Constance, u/s Jane Felton); Emely Cuestas (she/her, u/s Queen Anne); Alex George (they/them, u/s Porthos); Malachi Marrero (he/they, u/s Rochefort); Rick Adams (he/him, u/s Combat Ensemble); Derek Preston Ray (he/him, u/s Louis XIII/Buckingham) and Alex Hultman (they/them, u/s Laporte, u/s Aramis).

The creative team includes Robert Kauzlaric (he/him, playwright); Evan Jackson~ (he/him, director);  Tristan Brandon~ (he/him, health and safety officer, props designer); Libby Beyreis~ (he/him, assistant director, violence director); Lindsey Chidester~ (she/her, stage manager); Beth Bruins~ (she/her, assistant stage manager); Kati Lechner~ (she/her, production manager, health and safety officer); Erin Alys (she/her, intimacy director); Brendan Hutt~ (he/him, violence director); Emma Rund (she/her, dramaturg); Jeremiah Barr (he/him, technical director, master carpenter); Laura J. Wiley~ (she/her, lighting & projection designer); L.J. Luthringer~ (he/him, sound designer and composer); Vicki Jablonski (she/her, costume designer); Breezy Snyder~ (she/they, scenic painter); Mara Kovacevic~ (she/her, house manager); Mario Mazzetti (they/he, dialect and voice direction); Elizabeth MacDougald~ (she/her, rehearsal fight coach); Caty Gordon~ (she/her, marketing and social media); Michael Dalberg~ (he/him, Idle Muse literary director) and Becky Warner~ (she/her, props designer).

~ Denotes Idle Muse Company Member

ABOUT ROBERT KAUZLARIC, PLAYWRIGHT 

Robert Kauzlaric is a Chicago-based playwright, actor and director. He has written more than a dozen theatrical adaptations which have been performed in nearly forty of the United States, as well as in England, Ireland and Canada. His adaptations include The Island of Dr. Moreau (Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards: Best Production-Play and New Adaptation), The Picture of Dorian Gray (Non-Equity Jeff Nomination: New Adaptation), Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere (Non-Equity Jeff Award: New Adaptation), The Three Musketeers (commissioned for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival), Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone and The Woman in White, and a musical version of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. For children, Kauzlaric has written musical adaptations of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! (called "one of the best children's shows of the year" by The New York Times), Peter Brown's Flight of the Dodo, Mo Willems' Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and Richard and Florence Atwater's Mr. Popper's Penguins, as well as a fanciful twist on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, called Lions in Illyria.

ABOUT EVAN JACKSON, DIRECTOR

Evan Jackson serves as the artistic director of Idle Muse Theatre Company, a position he has had the honor of holding since the company's inception. He has directed 16 previous productions for Idle Muse Theatre Company, including last season's Jeff-nominated Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The School for Scandal as well as the Jeff-recommended What the Weird Sisters Saw and Jeff-nominated The Last Queen of Camelot. At Idle Muse he also directed Upon this Shore: A Tale of Pericles and the Daughters of Tyre, Best for Winter, being a short Shakespeare adapted from the Winter's Tale and other works, Equivocation, as well as The Lion in Winter and Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (both Jeff-Recommended). Other favorite Idle Muse productions include The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Talking Cure, Rites and Sacrifices, a world premiere by Chicago playwright Jennifer L. Mickelson, Enchanted April, and The Scullery Maid. He was also director and co-adapter of the original Shotgun Shakespeare: What the Weird Sisters Saw with Idle Muse company member Tristan Brandon. Outside directing projects include several short plays in the Martin de Maat New Works Festival at Boxer Rebellion Theatre and two summers serving as assistant director for Shakespeare on the Green in Lake Forest. Jackson is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, where he received his MFA in directing.

ABOUT IDLE MUSE THEATRE COMPANY 

Idle Muse Theatre Company's mission is to produce theatre that is transporting,  timely and true. The company was established in 2006 by theatre artists interested in exploring the relationship between individuals and the worlds they inhabit. Seeking to create production opportunities, they established a modern 'guild' of players and environment where theatre artists of different experiences and backgrounds could develop their craft. Today, IMTC remains focused on the following core values:

Transporting: We believe that great theatre removes both audience members and  artists from their respective reality and transports them to another world.

Timely: We believe that human connection can be accomplished through  meaningful, relevant, and accessible storytelling here and now.

True: We believe in unflinching honesty in the playing and storytelling.

Since 2022, Idle Muse Theatre Company has instituted a profit share model with artists and team members for each production. In addition to any stipend or payment for services, a full 50% of all box office revenue is reserved and divided evenly among the cast and production team.

Idle Muse Theatre Company launches its 20th anniversary season with The Three Musketeers, March 26 - April 25, written by Robert Kauzlaric, directed by Idle Muse Artistic Director Evan Jackson and adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas at The Edge Off-Broadway Theater, 1133 W Catalpa Ave. Previews are Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27 at 8 p.m. with the press opening Saturday, March 28 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., with an added Wednesday performance on April 22 at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are now on sale for $30 and $20 for seniors and students with $50 "pay it forward" tickets that assist in subsidizing tickets for those who may not be able to access the production otherwise. Tickets and additional group discounts are available at IdleMuse.org or the Idle Muse Theatre Company Box Office, 773.340.9438.