Displaying items by tag: plays Chicago

Producers Kevin McCollum and Kurt Deutsch, along with Broadway In Chicago are thrilled to announce that single tickets for THE NOTEBOOK, a new musical based on the best-selling novel that inspired the iconic film, will go on sale on Monday, May 4. THE NOTEBOOK will play Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.) for a limited two-week engagement, August 4 - 16. Returning to Chicago following the world premiere in Summer 2022, audiences in Chicago are about to fall in love all over again with this beloved story.

“THE NOTEBOOK is ultimately a celebration of life, love, and the power of memory,” said producers Kevin McCollum and Kurt Deutsch . “Audiences first fell in love with this timeless story as a novel, then as an iconic film, and now they can experience it anew as a moving musical event. With multi-platinum artist Ingrid Michaelson’s unforgettable score and Tony Award nominated Bekah Brunstetter’s beautifully crafted book, THE NOTEBOOK comes to life on stage in a way that will resonate deeply with audiences across North America.”

Allie and Noah, two people from different worlds, share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart. “Full of butterfly-inducing highs and beautiful songs” (Entertainment Weekly), THE NOTEBOOK a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love.

Based on the book that has sold millions of copies worldwide and a film that is one of the highest-grossing romantic dramas of all-time, the musical adaptation of THE NOTEBOOK played Broadway at the Schoenfeld Theatre from March 2024 to December 2024 following a critically acclaimed world premiere engagement at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in the fall of 2022.

“Absolutely gorgeous. Not to be missed.” – Chicago Tribune

THE NOTEBOOK features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson and a book by playwright Bekah Brunstetter (writer and producer on NBC's “This Is Us,” The Cake). The production is directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (Aida, The Wiz), with choreography by Katie Spelman (Associate Choreographer on Moulin Rouge! The Musical).

“Romantic, life-affirming and ingeniously adapted.” – USA Today

The creative team for the tour includes scenic design by David Zinn and Brett J. Banakis, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Ben Stanton, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Mia Neal, and projection design by Lucy Mackinnon. The production’s music supervisor is Carmel Dean, who also collaborated on arrangements with Ingrid Michaelson and on orchestrations with John Clancy, and the music director is Tina Faye. Casting by The Telsey Office, Patrick Goodwin , CSA.

The production was recently recognized with three 2024 Tony Award nominations (Best Book of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical), Drama League Award nominations for Outstanding Production of a Musical, two Distinguished Performance Awards and the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical.

“A love story for the ages.” – The New York Daily News

Atlantic Records officially released the Grammy-nominated THE NOTEBOOK (Original Broadway Cast Recording), with a score that Vanity Fair calls “strikingly beautiful” by multiplatinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, available  HERE.

Following its release, THE NOTEBOOK (Original Broadway Cast Recording) debuted at #1 on the Top Broadway chart in Music Connect, with breakout single “My Days” now surpassing 9 million streams on Spotify alone.

www.NotebookMusical.com

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PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, August 4 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 5 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 6 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 7 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 8 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 9 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 11 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 12 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 13 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 14 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 15 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 16 – 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (as of April 30, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for THE NOTEBOOK will go on sale on Monday, May 4 and range from $37.00 - $127.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Ticket price listed is when purchased in person at the box office. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 26 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, The Auditorium, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.
 

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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The South Florida based YI Love Jewish and Chicago-based Arts Judaica proudly join forces to present a limited engagement of the Chicago Premiere production of L. M. Feldman's acclaimed theatrical mosaic A PEOPLE, at Theater Wit. Directed by world renowned actor, director and Jewish Culture activist Avi Hoffman, A PEOPLE invites Chicago audiences on a magical, lyrical journey through 5,000 years of Jewish identity, heritage, and humanity, brought to life by a dynamic ensemble of performers. The ensemble portrays a range of old and new-world characters, weaving together vignettes that question, affirm, and reimagine what it means to be part of a people. Historical and fictional characters, separated by generations, meet in a surreal landscape to explore their peoples' rich history and traditions, much of which they fear will be forgotten entirely. The play will preview June 18 and 19, 2026, prior to opening on Saturday, June 20^th at 7:30 pm,  and play through July 5^th. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. There will be a special matinee celebrating  'Jewish Pride and Independence Day', Saturday, July 4 at 2:00 pm, as part of an ongoing initiative to celebrate Jewish Pride through world-class theater. 

Feldman's script is sometimes hilarious, sometimes searingly honest, as it weaves together old and new-world  voices to explore how all individuals wrestle with, deny, or embrace their heritage. The result is a vivid collage of characters and moments that illuminate the way we see life, the way we want it, and the way it really is.

YI Love Jewish is a global cultural initiative that advocates for Jewish Pride, builds cultural bridges and challenges antisemitism through the arts, while celebrating and promoting Jewish history, life, and culture, and their far-reaching impact on the world.

Arts Judaica, a Chicago-based 501(c)(3), is the city's only producing organization dedicated exclusively to exploring and celebrating Jewish history, culture, and arts through live theater, music, and educational programming. Together these two Jewish cultural organizations are presenting this play at Theatre Wit, a vital Lakeview venue known for its smart, intimate 98–99-seat black box spaces; they will bring together local and national voices in an accessible, neighborhood setting.

Tickets for A PEOPLE at Theater Wit are now available, with regular weekly performances Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm. Tickets can be reserved online at https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/572/performances#top or via Theatre Wit's box office (773) 975-8150, or in person at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657. For press materials, including show logo, production photos, and artist headshots, or to schedule interviews and press comps, please contact John Olson. 

LISTING INFORMATION
 
A PEOPLE
By L M Feldman
Directed by Avi Hoffman
June 18 – July 5, 2026
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.
Tickets will be $36 with group rates of 10 or more at $32
Opening will be a VIP special for $100.
Tickets can be reserved online at https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/572/performances#top or via Theater Wit's box office (773) 975-8150, or in person at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
More information at www.artsjudaica.com
 
A PEOPLE is a magical, lyrical journey into heritage, tradition, religion and humanity. Through vignettes, music and monologues, L M Feldman holds up a mirror to 5000 years of Jewish history, reminding us that we're all descendants from somewhere, and we choose to embrace our lineage, deny it, or wrestle with it. Hilarious and terrifyingly honest.
 
BIOS
 
L M Feldman (Playwright) is a queer, feminist playwright (and circus artist) who pens plays that are wildly theatrical but deeply intimate. Formally ambitious plays that move and take up space. Plays that are questioning, wrestling, and asking. Plays without answers. Plays about women and queers, plays about outsiders and searchers. Plays grappling with voice and agency, opportunity and access, history and its wake. Plays about the human connection. Plays that seek to be a greater, communal, rare theatrical event in which something transcendent transpires - for those both onstage & off.

Her plays include THRIVE, OR WHAT YOU WILL (Page 73 Residency, New Georges Audrey Residency); ANOTHER KIND OF SILENCE (Magic Theatre Virgin Play Festival, PlayPenn Conference, Playwrights Realm Fellowship, FEWW Prize Honorable Mention); AMANUENSIS (Georgetown University); A PEOPLE (Orbiter 3, Jewish Plays Project); THE EGG-LAYERS (Jane Chambers Honorable Mention, New Georges/Barnard College commission); GRACE, OR THE ART OF CLIMBING (Denver Center, Art House Productions, Nice People Theatre, ATCA/Steinberg New Play Award Nomination, Barrymore Nomination); ensemble-devised works, including GUMSHOE (New Paradise Labs + Free Library of Philadelphia + Rosenbach Museum), WAR OF THE WORLDS: PHILADELPHIA (Swim Pony + Drexel University), AND IF YOU LOSE YOUR WAY, OR A FOOD ODYSSEY (The Invisible Dog, New York Innovative Theatre Award Nomination), and others; and a baker's dozen of short plays. She has been nominated for the Barrie and Bernice Stavis Playwright Award, Wendy Wasserstein Prize, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and the Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award. She was awarded an artist grant through the Boomerang Fund and a creation grant from the State of Vermont, and she has been an artist-in-residence at Terra Firma, SPACE at Ryder Farm, the School of Making Thinking, Tofte Lake Center, Montana Artists Refuge, Montana Repertory Theatre, Sewanee University of the South, Cornell University, and Theater Emory/Brave New Works Festival. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, L is also a New Georges Affiliated Artist, a devised-work collaborator, a teacher of playwriting (Bryn Mawr College, Lantern Theatre/Jefferson Medical School, PlayPenn), and a freelance dramaturg.
 
Avi Hoffman (Director) - Founder and CEO of Yiddishkayt Initiative, Avi Hoffman is a world-famous actor, who specializes in Jewish culture and Yiddish theater. His long-running "Too Jewish" trilogy has been seen by millions on PBS and in venues around the world. Based in Miami, Florida, he has produced and presented shows throughout North America, Europe and Israel. International Festivals include Romania, Poland, New York, Toronto, Montreal, Tel-Aviv and other European cities and countries. His connections in the theater, entertainment and film communities are extensive. He was awarded Congressional recognition, was invited to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis and was inducted into the Bronx Jewish Hall of Fame for his lifetime work advancing Jewish culture and was named a "Sage" by THE NEW YORK TIMES.      
 
ABOUT ARTS JUDAICA
Arts Judaica is dedicated exclusively to showcasing Jewish arts, culture, and history. As the only organization of its kind in the Chicago are, Arts Judaica serves as a vital platform for preserving and celebrating Jewish heritage through compelling performances, educational programs, and community outreach initiatives.

Our mission is to illuminate the richness of Jewish traditions and history, with a particular focus on educating audiences about pivotal events such as the Holocaust. Through thought-provoking productions, dynamic workshops, and meaningful collaborations, we aim to foster understanding, promote cultural dialogue, and inspire reflection among diverse audiences.

Arts Judaica, a tax exempt, 501c3 entity, is a unique and vibrant live theater/music/education organization based in Chicago, dedicated exclusively to showcasing Jewish arts, culture, and history. As the only organization of its kind in the city, Arts Judaica serves as a vital platform for preserving and celebrating Jewish heritage through compelling performances, educational programs, and community outreach initiatives. You can also see more about our work at https://www.artsjudaica.com.
 
ABOUT YI LOVE JEWISH
Performing arts, media, publishing, education, language, and literature, the mission of YI Love Jewish is to instill Jewish Pride and combat antisemitism by promoting Jewish history, life, and culture and their far-reaching impact on the contemporary world. Based in Miami-Dade County and in partnership with the University of Miami, YI Love Jewish builds engagement and forges multi-cultural and diverse connections through an immersive and varied range of programming for audiences around the globe. More information at YI Love Jewish https://yilovejewish.org

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE), the professional Equity theater company in residence at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), announced it will mark its 40th anniversary season with three productions spanning beloved literary adaptations, classic suspense and broad British comedy. The season opens with "Louisa May Alcott's Little Women," by Lauren Gunderson (Nov. 12-Dec. 13). It will be followed by "Dial M for Murder" adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, from the original by Frederick Knott,  directed by Steve Scott (Jan. 28-Feb. 28) and Richard Bean's "One Man, Two Guvnors" directed by Ensemble member Connie Canaday Howard (May 6-June 6).

"Forty years of sharing stories on stage has been made possible by our outstanding community of audience members who have made Buffalo Theatre Ensemble their theatrical home. These plays, filled with humor and heart, are a thank you to our loyal patrons and an open invitation to new friends to experience Buffalo Theatre Ensemble during this milestone season,"says Daniel Millhouse, Interim Managing Artistic Director.

BTE's 2026-2027 three-play season is as follows.

"Louisa May Alcott's Little Women"
By Lauren Gunderson
Director to be Announced
Nov. 12 – Dec. 13, 2026
Preview: Thursday, Nov. 12, Press Opening: Friday, Nov. 13
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Thursday - Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday
Note: No show on Thursday Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving); added performance Saturday, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m.

In Lauren Gunderson's fresh and heartfelt adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel "Little Women," the beloved four March sisters step onto the stage with new vitality and emotional clarity. As Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy navigate growing up during the Civil War in Massachusetts, they chase dreams, confront loss and discover the fierce power of family. Gunderson, co-writer of the popular "Christmas at Pemberly" trilogy, illuminates Alcott's timeless story, celebrating imagination, resilience and the enduring bonds that shape who we become. Splash Magazine calls it, "an absolute delight from start to finish," and Chicago Stage and Screen calls it, "a heartwarming experience perfect for the holiday season."

"Dial M for Murder"
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original by Frederick Knott
Directed by Steve Scott
Jan. 28 – Feb. 28, 2027
Preview: Thursday, Jan. 28, Press Opening: Friday, Jan. 29
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Thursday - Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday

A sophisticated game of cat and mouse unfolds in this classic suspense thriller when a carefully constructed murder plot begins to unravel in unexpected ways. What follows is a razor-sharp battle of wits filled with deception, twists and chilling surprises. The Chicago Sun-Times says, "'Dial M' calls up a noirish universe filled with shady corners and shadier characters," and the Chicago Tribune calls it, "an entertaining evening of old-fashioned suspense." Originally written for a 1952 BBC broadcast, Knott's play was adapted for London and Broadway stages, TV and a 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film starring Ray Miland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings.

"One Man, Two Guvnors"
By Richard Bean
Based on "The Servant of Two Masters" by Carlo Goldoni
With "Tomorrow Looks Good from Here," Music by Grant Olding, Lyrics by Richard Bean  and Grant Olding
Directed by Connie Canaday Howard
May 6-June 6, 2027
Preview: Thursday, May 6, Press Opening: Friday, May 7
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Thursday - Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday

The perpetually hungry Francis Henshall accidentally winds up employed by two men: a fearsome gangster and a criminal on the run. Both guvnors are entangled in a web of schemes, shakedowns and seductions. To keep his double-dealing a secret, Henshall must juggle both guvnors, chase a decent meal and win the girl. Playwright Bean transports the classic commedia dell'arte tale "The Servant of Two Masters" (1746) into the bright, brash world of seaside Brighton in 1963. Daily Variety calls "One Man, Two Guvnors" "...sheer comic delirium," and London Theatre calls it "one of the funniest shows I've seen ... a rip-roaring hit."

For each play, there will be a pre-show discussion before the Thursday preview performances, and a post-show discussion following the second Friday performance. There will be an ASL Performance on the fourth Thursday of each run.

Tickets

Subscriptions are now on sale. Those subscribing by June 10 save 25% off single show ticket prices. After that date, subscribers receive 20% off single show ticket prices. A Season Flex-Pass is also available redeemable for each production during BTE's 2026-2027 Season. Subscriber benefits include free ticket exchanges, invitations to subscriber nights, a subscription to the SuBTExt newsletter, 10% discount at the MAC Gift Shop and two complimentary tickets to a COD student performance. Subscriptions are $103.50 (Adult) and $99 (Senior) - add $9/subscription for all-in pricing. Online flex-pass subscription is $103.50, plus $9 subscription fee and additional online fees.  

Single show tickets for all BTE shows are $46. For all-in pricing visit AtTheMAC.org or call the box office at 630.942.4000. BTE's 2026-2027 Season performances will take place in the Playhouse Theatre of the McAninch Arts Center located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage. .

Single show tickets go on sale in July. For all-i n]pricing visit AtTheMAC.org or call the box office at 630.942.4000. Single show tickets for all BTE shows are $46. BTE's 2026-2027 Season performances will take place in the Playhouse Theatre of the McAninch Arts Center located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage.
About Buffalo Theatre Ensemble 

The mission of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble is to provide a forum in which artists, scholars, writers, students and community members explore new ideas and provocative issues through the production of quality theater for the enjoyment of its audiences. Since 1986 BTE has staged more than 125 productions. The Artistic Staff for BTE includes Daniel Millhouse* (Interim Managing Artistic Director), and Bryan Burke+* (Business Manager).

BTE Ensemble members are Aly Renee Amidei^, Robert Jordan Bailey*, Amelia Barrett*, Bryan Burke*, Connie Canaday Howard*, Rebecca Cox, Lisa Dawn, Nick DuFloth, Jon Gantt, Christopher Kriz^, Laura Leonardo Ownby, Michael W. Moon, Kurt Naebig*, Galen G. Ramsey*, William "Sandy" Smillie* and Kelli Walker. For more information about BTE, visit btechicago.com. 

*Denotes member of Actors' Equity;  ^Denotes member of United Scenic Artists

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble is partially supported and funded by generous grants from Arts DuPage, Choose DuPage, College of DuPage Foundation, The Norm Woodel Inspiration Fund, the DuPage Foundation, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

About The MAC  

McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), the outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college's academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. For more information visit AtTheMAC.org.

A show somewhere between a play, standup act, memoir, and PowerPoint presentation. A show so chaotic you think it could never work. A show only Brendan Hunt could so perfectly pull off. Hunt’s solo performance is as hilarious as it is unexpectedly emotional, striking a balance between humor and trauma that only a child of divorce could pull off.

Hunt begins in 2022 with the story of the impromptu opportunity he had to meet Paul McCartney. Despite getting the opportunity by virtue of being a celebrity himself, Hunt – a lifelong, second-generation Beatles fan – was starstruck and wanted to tell Paul everything. He refrained, however, and thus The Movement You Need was born: a show where, instead, Hunt tells you everything he wanted to tell Paul. What unfolds is less a traditional narrative and more a kind of extended, often chaotic, and retrospective confession that uses that near-miss encounter as a framing device. It’s a clever but risky structure that gives the show both direction and elasticity, allowing Hunt to bounce between stories, timelines, and emotional registers (as well as lean into his personal neuroticism) without ever letting us forget that he’s fangirling to Sir Paul McCartney.

Loosely structured like a memoir, the show traces Hunt’s life from his earliest memories through adulthood and into fatherhood. Along the way, he paints a picture of growing up as a child of divorce and the son of an addict, filtering those experiences through humor that feels both self-aware and disarmingly honest. The performance leans into its rough edges in a way that works in its favor – featuring remarkably bad impressions, authentically cringey home videos, and stories that range from deeply processed to intentionally brushed past. Often, the line between curated and embarrassing is difficult to walk well (and such is the risk of making art) but as both a writer and performer, under the incredible direction of Ashley Rodbro, Hunt does so perfectly.

The evening, however, actually included more than one Brendan: Brendan Hunt, an avid Beatles fan, and an audience member who we will refer to as Brendan #2 – the lone, brave audience member who admitted to not being a Beatles fan at all. Centering a play around a fandom, even one of the largest of all time, is a premise that, on paper, might seem limiting. And yet, while Hunt’s love for the Beatles is the backbone of the piece, it’s not the barrier to entry you might expect. The show ultimately isn’t about encyclopedic knowledge of the band; it’s about memory, identity, and the stories we carry with us, as well as the way that we use something – anything – to form connections with those around us, even in the hardest of circumstances.

Technically, the production is just as thoroughly considered as the writing. The set strikes a careful balance between cozy realism and subtle nostalgia, creating a space that feels lived-in without becoming cluttered. Design elements – from Meredith Ries’s scenic work to Nick Solyom’s lighting, Kate Marvin’s sound, and Stefania Bulbarella’s projections – support the storytelling without overpowering it. Under the direction of Ashley Rodbro, everything feels intentional, giving Hunt the space to carry the show while ensuring the world around him remains fully realized and reflects his theatrical background, but never overpowering his performance.

Brendan Hunt’s one-man play-comedy-memoir hybrid is, from its writing to acting to production, one of the most cohesive and well-executed pieces of art I have seen in a long time. One big creative risk, the result is a show that feels less like something you watched and more like something you experienced alongside him. It’s funny, yes, and often wildly so – but it’s the emotional honesty underneath that gives it weight, turning what could have been a niche concept into something far more universal.

The Movement You Need: An Evening with Brendan Hunt is running at Steppenwolf Theatre through May 10th. More information and tickets are available at https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets--events/seasons-/2025-26/the-movement-you-need/.

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

Steppenwolf's LookOut Series is proud to unveil its lineup for Summer 2026, marking ten years of steadfast dedication to Chicago performing artists and companies across form and discipline.

Since launching in 2016, the LookOut Series has hosted 1,043 performances of 365 unique engagements spanning dance, drag, music, comedy, puppetry, storytelling, experimental work and theatre. Over 69,000 patrons have come through the doors of the 1700 Theater to witness the work of more than 3,200 local artists. And the series has injected nearly one million dollars directly into the wallets of the artists and companies that it bolsters.

From June through August, LookOut is throwing a summer-long party to celebrate! Of the 18 unique engagements announced, highlights include many returning acts, including: the homecoming of the cult-classic variety show Erik and Jessie and Everyone You Know (hosted by Erik Hellman and Jessie Fisher), an experimental blending of sound and myth from the indescribable artist collective Mocrep (returning to Steppenwolf for the first time since 2019), the 11th Steppenwolf-hosted iteration of the endlessly popular storytelling showcase You're Being Ridiculous and the triumphant return of local drag icon Bambi Banks with a two week run of an all new drag parody show.

But the summer wouldn't be complete without newcomers to the LookOut Series performing at Steppenwolf for the first time. First time performers include: the comedy show Women Off-Colour, complete with sketches, musical numbers and more, The Lizzie McGuire Movie: The Play fresh off a sold out run at Color Club, award-winning "Comic-To-Watch" in the Chicago standup scene Deanna Ortiz and the Chicago premiere of Forgottonia, a music and storytelling show about West Central Illinois.

Steppenwolf Creative Producer and Co-Founder of the LookOut Series Patrick Zakem comments, "As Steppenwolf nears the end of its 50th Anniversary Season, we're excited to mark another institutional milestone: ten years of the endlessly eclectic LookOut Series. When we launched this program in May 2016, we didn't really imagine that we would still be going ten years later. But over the last decade, LookOut's programming has grown to be a vital resource for Chicago artists of all stripes, from dance and drag to comedy and music. We can't wait to celebrate with old friends and new – see you in the 1700 Theater!"

All LookOut performances take place in Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater, an intimate and flexible venue nestled behind Front Bar, 1700 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Tickets, which range in price from $13 – $50*, are now on sale by visiting steppenwolf.org/lookout or by calling the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. *Pricing includes a $3 fee

The full Lookout Summer 2026 Season (in chronological order):

You're Being Ridiculous: Plot Twist 
Dates: Thursday, June 4 – Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, June 6 at 3 pm 
Ticket Price: $30
Description: At You're Being Ridiculous, real people tell true stories about their lives. Each performance is linked by rotating themes, and by the desire to make you laugh... and, once in a while, cry. Our motto: Good stories are better than good times. We laugh at ourselves and laugh with each other. Everyone has a story to tell. What's yours? 

Softie 
by Tim Felton
Dates: Friday, June 12 & Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Price: $20
Description: Sometimes a dad is also a daddy. And sometimes that daddy is also a Softie. Chicago-based comedian, Tim Felton (picture the lovechild of Mr. Rogers Pee-wee Herman and Buster Bluth), invites you along in his journey as he figures out how to connect with people as he gets older... and softer.  

Jillian Ebanks: 
Who All Gone Be There? 
Directed by Kiley Fitzgerald 
Dates: Thursday, June 18 at 7:30 pm 
Ticket Price: $23
Description: Life for Jillian in her 30s has been one big, weird party, and all she has wanted to know is Who All Gone Be There? Come join Jillian for this live taping of new material as she explores the guest list of her life through comedy. 

Funny Slut 
A solo show by Deanna Ortiz
Dates: Saturday, June 20 & Sunday, June 21 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Price: $25
Description: Deanna Ortiz used to think her job was just posting thirst traps for porn stars. Turns out, it was also therapy... with a 401(k). In Funny Slut, Deanna tells the hilarious and unexpectedly heartfelt story of working in social media for the adult entertainment industry where she learned to embrace chaos, confidence and her inner hot girl. 

Mocrep Presents: 
I Live Every Day
Dates: Thursday, June 25 – Saturday, June 27 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Price: $13 – $53
Description: The "mostly performance, arguably music" Chicago-based collective Mocrep returns to the LookOut Series. I Live Every Day is a noisy yet mellifluous riff on twang, repetition, feedback and kitchen appliances simultaneously inspired by the myth of Narcissus and the music of Tammy Wynette. 

Women Off-Colour 
Featuring Anelga Hajjar, Alondra Rios and Mantra
Dates: Wednesday, July 1 – Friday, July 3 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Price: $23
Description: Ethnicities we've dated, ethnicities who've wronged us, dads (alive and not), older sister trauma, ethnic moms, cycles we want to break and growing up with curves. These are some of the topics Mantra, Alondra and Anelga muse on in Women Off-Colour. Featuring musical numbers, sketches and monologues, this show invites women to be offensive, wrong and unapologetic.  

Erik and Jessie and Everyone You Know: 
Past and Future
Dates: Monday, July 6 & Tuesday, July 7 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Price: $43
Description: Ten years ago, Erik Hellman and Jessie Fischer brought everyone they knew to celebrate the opening of the 1700 Theater. Now EVERYONE will return for two nights, TWO DIFFERENT SHOWS! Monday: we visit the PAST. Tuesday: we visit the FUTURE. Join us for either or both. 

Derek Begrudgingly Presents: 
The Lizzie McGuire Movie: The Play
Dates: Friday, July 10 & Saturday, July 11 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, July 11 at 3 pm
Ticket Price: $28 
Description: After two sold out runs at Color Club and winning runner up in Chicago Reader's Best New Play category, The Lizzie McGuire Movie: The Play is back to show you what dreams are really made of. Through dance, drag, a live band, over-the-top acting and giant DIY cardboard props, this parody production reimagines Lizzie McGuire's iconic trip to Rome in a way Disney would never allow and finally answers the question, "what the hell happened to Miranda??" 

Nervous Breakdown in G Minor 
by Lewis Rawlinson 
Dates: Friday, July 17 & Saturday, July 18 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, July 19 at 3 pm 
Ticket Price: $30
Description: How do you pursue an art form you love when you no longer feel you belong? In this solo show with live music, Lewis Rawlinson traces his journey through queerness, addiction and mental health. Nervous Breakdown in G Minor is a lyrical autobiography about growing up Mormon in Montana, training as a classical cellist and confronting the realities of pursuing a life in music.  

Dream Devis: The Death and Life Of 
Created by Abhijeet & Leha Salam
Dates: Thursday, July 23 – Saturday, July 25 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, July 26 at 3 pm 
Ticket Price: $33
Description: Dream Devis, Chicago's trans femme South Asian collective, return to Steppenwolf after their sold-out eponymous show last year. Join our Devis for an existentialist romp through time, history, mythology and pop culture through song, dance and comedy. 

The Real Time – Live! 
With Briana Bower, Ian Paul Custer, Kelan M Smith, Jack Morsovillo & Lior Shragg
Dates: Thursday, July 30 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Price: $23
Description: The Real Time is a Chicago-based female-fronted five-piece band specializing in unique original music. Their music blends multiple eras and genres resulting in their pop-rock-funk sound. They'll be sure to get you movin' and groovin' with their upbeat jams and four-part harmonies. Come rock out with them! 

Michiganderish 
Written and performed by Julie Ganey
Music by Mike Przygoda, Directed by Ann Filmer 
Dates: Saturday, August 1 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, August 2 at 3 pm 
Ticket Price: $15 – $50
Description: Julie Ganey finds a little place for her family to get away from it all in the Great Lakes State and discovers it's not that simple. Cue chainsaws, chipmunks, menacing deer and eco-heroes! Michiganderish is a solo show about apocalyptic nature, reaping what we sow and an examination of what it means to truly belong to a place. 

The Not That Late Show
Dates: Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Price: $23
Description: Blending news-driven comedy with late-night-style interviews, The Not That Late Show is a Chicago-based variety show that aims to create space for people to live, laugh, learn... and leave at a reasonable hour. A show for Chicago, by Chicago. 

Chris Vallillo Presents:
Forgottonia
Dates: Saturday, August 8 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, August 9 at 3 pm
Ticket Price: $25
Description: Forgottonia is a musical journey through the evolution of the people and places in rural Midwestern America as seen through the eyes of songwriter Chris Vallillo. Vallillo combines storytelling and live music with the images of award-winning rural photographer Tim Schroll to create an audio-visual love letter to the region's past, present and future. 

Dionna Griffin-Irons:
This is My Moment 
Directed by Anthony Irons with music by Alexander Burke
Dates: Thursday, August 13 – Saturday, August 15 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Price: $38
Description: Blending "theatricalized" essays, satirical songs and poetic prose, This is My Moment features the real life story of a woman who has experienced the best life has to offer – a kingpin lover from the past, a jail adventure that tests her faith and a comedy career that teaches the gift of saying "Yes." 

Carl Chadek: You're Not Right for That!
Dates: Wednesday, August 19 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Price: $38
Description: Carl Chadek: You're Not Right for That! is an old-school style cabaret with music from Broadway, the great American songbook, classic pop and just maybe a little comedy. Think dinner jackets, evening gowns and martinis. Nobody is right for everything, and auditioning can be, well, interesting.  

Claire Lochmueller:
CRACKS
A one-trans-woman dark comedy memoir 
Dates: Friday, August 21 & Saturday, August 22 at 7:30 pm
Ticket Price: $15 – $30
Description: Through a hybrid of storytelling, stand-up comedy and theatre, this one-trans-woman dark comedy memoir by Claire Lochmueller details a journey from a childhood in the Catholic Church/JROTC military school to a career as a multi-award-winning trans theatre-maker. CRACKS navigates topics of gender identity, substance abuse and finding joy in a story about how two lives, through laughter and tears, became one trans identity. 

Bambi Banks Presents: 
Clue University: A Drag Parody
By Neutral Gena 
Dates: Thursday, August 27 – Sunday, September 6; Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Ticket Price: $33
Description: Bambi Banks returns to the LookOut Series with Clue University, a slasher parody play that combines all the fun and whimsy of the game of Clue with the complicated world of a collegiate rush week. In this thrilling murder mystery, six Sorority Sisters must unmask a killer living amongst them, testing their bonds of sisterhood and bringing to light the question: is blood thicker than power? 

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, Conagra Brands Foundation, Rich and Margery Feitler, FROST CHICAGO, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Orlebeke Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Sacks Family Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Thoma Bravo, and Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. uncil and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. 

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier Ensemble Theater with 50 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 Theatre and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1975 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise, Steppenwolf started as a group of young people in their teens and early 20s 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 E. Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance.

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

Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre today announced full casting and production team for its season-opening production of GEE'S BEND, the 2008 play by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, to play Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons from May 23 to June 7 at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center at 927 Noyes Street in Evanston. GEE'S BEND follows a family —Alice, her daughters Sadie and Nella, and Sadie's husband, Macon — from 1939 to 2002 as they experience segregation, family strife, the Civil Rights movement, and celebrity. The play is set in the real-life community of Gee's Bend – an isolated community in West Alabama's Black Belt, which has become known for the hand-stitched quilts made by generations of its women. 

Tim Rhoze, Producing Artistic Director of the company since 2010, will direct the production and design the set. His cast features Toccara Castleman, who is double-cast as Alice, the matriarch of the family, and later as Asia, Alice's granddaughter. Castleman is a multidisciplinary writer and actress whose credits include CONFEDERATES at Redtwist Theatre and I DON'T WANT TO PLAY MYSELF at The Tank in New York City. Alice's daughter Nella will be played by Jasmine Robertson, who performed in the two-actor cast of FJT'S UNTIL THE FLOOD in 2024, and was seen there most recently in 2025's HONEYPOT: BLACK SOUTHERN WOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN. Cast in the lead role as Alice's youngest daughter, Sadie, is Kaitlyn Fields, a recent graduate of Northwestern University, who was among the cast members of HONEYPOT. Sadie's husband, Macon, will be performed by Rashun Carter, whose Chicago stage credits include GODS AND MONSTERS at Theater Wit and REASONS: A TRIBUTE TO EARTH, WIND AND FIRE for Black Ensemble Theatre.

The GEE'S BEND production team, in addition to Rhoze as director and set designer, includes David Goodman-Edberg (Lighting Designer), Rick Sims (Sound Designer), Kate Parker Barrows (Costume Designer), Sarah Kaiser (Muralist), Ben Blount (Props Designer), Melissa Blount (Quilting Instructor), Howard Godfrey Jr. (Musical Director), Charity Moody (Assistant Musical Director), Tuesdai B. Perry (Movement Specialist), Phil Timberlake (Dialect Coach), Bria Walker-Rhoze (Artistic Associate/Dramaturg), Tara Malpass (Production Stage Manager), Mary Dixon (Assistant Stage Manager), Shadana Patterson (Graphic Artist), Sholo Beverly (Poster Artist); Sholo Beverly, Sally Peipmeir, and Monica Sageman (Scenic Painters); and Shane Rogers (Technical Director/Set Builder). 

 DC Theater Arts said, "GEE'S BEND weaves the essence of the quilt into a theatrical experience that exalts universal themes of family, faith, and overcoming adversity in a deeply moving way. "GEE'S BEND was commissioned and produced by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and has been performed at Denver Center, Cleveland Playhouse, Kansas City Rep, Northlight Theatre, Philadelphia's Arden Theatre, and Hartford Stage, among others. 
 
Tickets to GEE'S BEND are $33 and can be purchased at fjtheatre.com. Students and seniors can purchase tickets for $20 at the box office on the day of the performance. FJT is also offering Premium Gold Membership cards for $90.00 that include four reserved seats for any of the productions of the 2026 season, and other exclusive bonuses. The card can be purchased on Evanston's Parks and Recreation site. 
 
LISTING INFORMATION
 
GEE'S BEND
by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder
Directed by Tim Rhoze
May 23 – June 7, 2026
Saturdays at 7 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center
927 Noyes St., Evanston
Tickets $33.00, Students and Seniors $20.00 at the box office. On sale at www.fjtheatre.com
Phone 847-866-5914
 
GEE'S BEND is the story of the Pettway women, quilters from the isolated community of Gee's Bend, Alabama. Beginning in 1939, the play follows Alice, her daughters Nella and Sadie, who is inspired by the real-life Gee's Bend descendant Mary Lee Bendolph, and Sadie's husband, Macon, through segregation, family strife, and the Civil Rights movement. Throughout their lives, the women's extraordinary quilts provide a respite from the turmoil around them. In the finale, Part III of the play, it is the year 2002; the quilts have been discovered as highly praised and sought-after folk art. Sadie, now 78 years old, is delighted with the recognition, and despite the lure of celebrity and the big city, she returns home to Gee's Bend and continues her lifelong passion for quilting. Wilder's play explores the resilience of the human spirit, especially as it is expressed in art, language, and gospel music. 
 
BIOS

Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder (Writer, GEE'S BEND) has written THE FURNITURE OF HOME, which deals with the Gulf Coast recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and premiered at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in 2009. Her play THE FLAG MAKER OF MARKET STREET followed at ASF in 2011. THE BONE ORCHARD was commissioned by the Denver Center Theatre and workshopped at the Perry Mansfield New Works Festival. Other plays include FRESH KILLS (Royal Court/London), THE FIRST DAY OF HUNTING SEASON (EST), and THE SPIRIT OF ECSTASY. 
 
Tim Rhoze (Director, Artistic Director) Tim Rhoze has been the Producing Artistic Director of Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre since 2010. His directing credits include: THE BALDWIN | GIOVANNI EXPERIENCE, PASS OVER, HONEYPOT: BLACK WOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN, UNTIL THE FLOOD, FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE/ WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF, 1619: THE JOURNEY OF A PEOPLE, THIS BITTER EARTH, , THE LIGHT, AMERICAN SON, HOME, TWILIGHT: LOS ANGELES 1992, THE MEETING, FIRES IN THE MIRROR, BLACK BALLERINA (co-writer),  NUTCRACKER(ISH), CROWNS, HAVING OUR SAY, FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA, WOZA ALBERT!, GOING TO ST. IVES, SINGLE BLACK FEMALE, A SONG FOR CORETTA, YELLOWMAN, SWEET, LADY DAY AT EMERSON BAR & GRILL, BEAR COUNTRY, NOBODY, FENCES, PIANO LESSON, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN, K2, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, and others. Tim is also the writer/director of WHY NOT ME? A SAMMY DAVIS JR. STORY, and MAYA'S LAST POEM, both produced at FJT; and BLACK BALLERINA, produced at FJT and Pittsburgh Public Theatre. He was also co-writer and director of THE BALDWIN | GIOVANNI EXPERIENCE and A HOME ON THE LAKE. His performances in August Wilson's PIANO LESSON (1997) and JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE (2024) at the Goodman Theatre were nominated for Jeff Awards.
 
ABOUT FLEETWOOD-JOURDAIN THEATRE 

Founded in 1979, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre is a professional, award-winning theatre company that has been thrilling audiences with over four decades of unique, inspirational, and invigorating Black American and African Diaspora-centered storytelling. The company has been honored by the Black Theatre Alliance/Ira Aldridge Awards and is frequently listed as a top-rated Chicago theatre company. From original plays to the best of Broadway, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre has remained committed to supplying the very best in theatre. "Umoja!! ....Working Together in Unity" is the foundation from which FJT began and continues to thrive!
 
Our mission is to present captivating and intellectually stimulating productions, embody artistic excellence, maintain a steadfast commitment to community engagement, and foster the development of diverse established and emerging artists while honoring the rich history of Black theatre. The Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre is funded by the City of Evanston and in part by the Illinois Arts Council, A State Agency.

Dark comedies built around relationship dynamics have always drawn me in because they reveal conflict with a kind of honesty that feels both familiar and unpredictable. When couples clash, the humor isn’t just situational; it’s rooted in history, habit, and the tiny emotional landmines only long-term partners know how to trigger. Fault fits squarely into that tradition, taking the everyday rhythms of a long marriage and pushing them just far enough to expose the raw, funny, and uncomfortable truths beneath the surface. That blend of recognition and surprise is exactly what makes this kind of comedy so compelling, and why Fault lands with such a specific charge.

That sense of intimate volatility is exactly what Jason Alexander explores in his return to Chicago Shakespeare Theater. With Fault, he brings the sharp directorial instinct he showed in his earlier CST production Judgment Day and applies it to a far more contained emotional landscape. In this world premiere written by Scooter Pietsch, he shapes the play’s tightening grid of tension and moral uncertainty with a touch that feels both precise and unexpectedly humane. The result is a tightly focused piece driven by tension that sparks almost instantly - less an explosive outburst than a controlled shift in the room - with the personal fractures between the characters steering the story toward its breaking point.

Pictured are Enrico Colantoni (Jerry), Playwright Scooter Pietsch, Rebecca Spence (Lucy), Nick Marini (Shaun), and Director Jason Alexander. April 18– May 24, 2026, in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Photo by Justin Barbin.

In Fault, the night detonates the moment Jerry Green walks in expecting to celebrate a career defining merger and instead finds his wife, Lucy, in an intimate moment with a young man she has just met, Shaun. What could have ended in a single, stunned confrontation instead becomes the spark for a long, spiraling night in which no one is allowed to leave, and nothing stays contained. The shock of the discovery quickly gives way to a volatile mix of accusations, shifting alliances, and long suppressed grievances, turning their home into a closed-door standoff where every truth feels like a trap and every explanation opens a deeper wound. Jerry and Lucy have long operated as a high functioning power couple, relying on professional unity to keep their marriage steady; once that balance collapses, the cracks at home widen just as quickly. It is interesting that Pietsch also underscores the irony that Jerry’s career‑defining merger has just made the couple newly minted billionaires after a long string of failures, and yet - proving that all the money in the world can’t change some people - they still behave like high‑achieving narcissists, turning their blame and abuse on each other and on the young stranger they’ve invited into their lavish home.

As the hours stretch on, the situation tilts from chaotic to revealing, exposing the fractures that have been quietly shaping this marriage for decades. Jerry’s need for control, Lucy’s hunger for something unspoken, and Shaun’s unexpected presence collide in ways that force each of them to confront what they’ve been avoiding. What begins as a moment of betrayal becomes a full-scale excavation of loyalty, resentment, and the stories couples tell themselves to stay intact. The play’s dark humor emerges from this escalating tension - how quickly a single mistake can unravel a life, and how a marriage can be tested most brutally not by the act itself, but by everything it brings to the surface. And just to remind you, this is a comedy - and a hilarious one at that.

Jerry even admits at one point that arguments never really have winners, a truth he delivers with the weary certainty of someone who has spent years circling the same conversational battlegrounds. Yet the play understands something deeper and more uncomfortable: that couples can become strangely addicted to the very banter that exhausts them. The back‑and‑forth may bruise, but it also affirms a shared language, a familiar rhythm, a way of feeling alive inside a relationship that has otherwise gone quiet. In Fault, that warped need becomes both a source of comedy and a mirror held up to the audience, revealing how easily love and combat can blur when two people know each other too well.

For all its blistering comedy, Fault is threaded with the quieter, more unsettling realizations that come with aging - what it means to feel your desirability slipping, to lose track of the person you married, or to crave the parts of yourself you fear have vanished. The betrayals at the center of the play aren’t just about infidelity; they’re about the desperate need to feel seen, wanted, and alive again. Beneath the chaos and sharp-edged humor runs a steady pulse of vulnerability, as each character confronts the version of themselves they’ve been avoiding. And just when the night seems like it can’t twist any further, the play barrels into a smash bang ending that lands with real force - the kind that sends audiences out buzzing, debating, and replaying the final moments long after the curtain comes down.

Presenting the world premiere dark comedy Fault, by Scooter Pietsch and directed by Jason Alexander. Featuring Enrico Colantoni (Jerry) and Nick Marini (Shaun). Photo by Justin Barbin.

The cast of Fault features three principal performers, each driving a different charge in the play’s volatile, rapidly escalating night. Enrico Colantoni gives Jerry Green a grounded, lived in presence, letting decades of pent up frustration surface through tightly controlled physical choices and a dry comic timing that makes his smallest shifts register. Opposite him, Chicago favorite Rebecca Spence shapes Lucy Green with a blend of wit, restraint, and emotional clarity; her sharp physical beats and instinctive timing keep each exchange taut while still allowing the humor to flicker through. Shaun, whose chance encounter with Lucy at the bar leads him into the Green household, played by Nick Marini, adds a destabilizing charge to the night, using quick, reactive movement and an agile sense of timing to tilt the dynamic just enough to expose the deeper fractures beneath the couple’s carefully maintained surface.

Their combined work is strengthened by the breadth of experience each actor brings to the stage. Colantoni’s long career in film and television, including standout turns in Veronica Mars and Galaxy Quest, gives his performance a steady, lived in weight. Spence, a Chicago mainstay with a Jeff Award and recent visibility in The Madison, brings sharp focus and emotional clarity to Lucy. Marini adds a younger charge to the trio, drawing on credits like Cobra Kai and Dropout TV to shape a presence that subtly disrupts the relationship dynamic.

The action unfolds inside a tastefully appointed luxury home crafted by scenic designer Paul Tate DePoo III, who gives the Greens a space that gleams with success without ever feeling sterile. A streamlined bar sits at the rear of the room, and the warm finishes, refined furnishings, and subtle touches make the environment inviting rather than ostentatious - a polished retreat that still feels lived in. It’s the kind of setting that should radiate comfort and control, yet under Alexander’s direction it gradually sharpens, its clean lines and curated surfaces taking on a quiet tension as the night begins to break down.

Alexander’s own trajectory mirrors that same level of craft, extending far beyond the stage. Although Jason Alexander is widely known for his television work on Seinfeld and film roles ranging from Pretty Woman to Shallow Hal, he brings none of that celebrity shorthand to Fault. Instead, his decades in front of the camera seem to refine his instincts behind the table. His sense of timing, character shaping, and emotional pacing reflect the precision of someone who has lived inside stories of every scale. It’s a résumé that could easily overshadow a production, yet here it deepens his approach, grounding the play’s volatility in choices that feel thoughtful rather than showy.

Running just ninety minutes without an intermission, Fault maintains a tight, steady pulse that matches the tightening chamber of its late-night unraveling. Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the world premiere through May 26, offering audiences a sharply observed look at a marriage pushed past its breaking point. What stays with you isn’t only the tension or the humor, but the clarity of the production itself, which recognizes how a single, seismic domestic shift can rattle everything a couple has built, sending shockwaves through a foundation that once seemed unshakeable.

Highly recommended.

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

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

For its 13^th free summer production, Midsommer Flight will present one of Shakespeare's most highly regarded and popular comedies. AS YOU LIKE IT, known for its witty dialogue, pastoral setting, and the strong female lead Rosalind, is one of Shakespeare's 10 most frequently produced plays. It takes some of Shakespeare's frequent tropes - intra-family conflicts, gender disguises, and lovers who must overcome obstacles in order to be together – and creates a lighthearted, romantic comedy that has been praised for its sophisticated banter. True to the comedy's famous line – "All the World's a Stage" – Midsommer Flight will again be creating natural stages in six Chicago parks over six summer weekends. The company will crisscross the city, with performances on the near south side (Chicago Women's Park and Gardens), farther south at Nichols Park in the Hyde Park neighborhood, the west side (Kelvyn Park), and the north side (Gross (Theodore) Park in Lincoln Square, Winnemac Park in Ravenswood, and Touhy Park in Rogers Park). Opening night is Friday, June 26 at 6 pm at Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, 1801 South Indiana Avenue in the South Loop (Near South Side).
 
Founding Artistic Director Beth Wolf (she/her/hers), named one of NEW CITY STAGE's 2026 "50 Players Who Really Perform for Chicago," announced her cast of 12 principals and six understudies today. Appearing as Rosalind, who like her father Duke Senior is banished from court by her uncle Duke Frederick, is Stephanie Mattos* (she/her). Barry Irving* (he/him) will play both Duke Frederick and Duke Senior. Orlando, who is attracted to Rosalind and flees to the Forest of Arden to escape a death threat from his brother, will be played by Thomas Russell (he/they). Orlando's brother, Oliver, will be played by Ian Voltaire Deanes (he/him). Ebby Offord* (she/they) will appear as Rosalind's loyal cousin Celia, who travels to the forest with Rosalind. Accompanying Rosalind and Celia to the forest is Touchstone, the Court Jester, to be played by Chase Wheaton-Werle. Jack Morsovillo* (he/him) will be Jaques, a melancholy and dramatic lord who camps with Duke Senior in the forest.
 
In the forest, the exiles meet the shepherds Silvius (Brandon Beach*, he/him) and Audrey (Jennifer Mohr, she/her). Silvius has unrequited love for the shepherdess Phebe (Triniti Cruz, she/her), who falls in love with Rosalind while Rosalind is disguised as a man. Meanwhile, Audrey is charmed by Touchstone.
 
Also in the principal cast are Connor O. Locklin (he/him) in multiple roles (Charles / First Lord in forest / MarText / Second Brother), and Riley Samuel Merritt (he/him) as Amiens and First Lord at court. The understudies are Alexander P. Garza (he/him, u/s Duke Frederick and Duke Senior), Jerome Michael Jones (he/him, u/s Orlando, Oliver), MJ Handsome (she/they, u/s Rosalind, Celia), Robert Wood Frank (he/him, u/s Silvius, Touchstone), Matt Keeley (he/him/his, u/s Charles / First Lord in forest / MarText / Second Brother, Jaques, Amiens), and Siyi Wang (she/her/hers, u/s Audrey, Phebe).

The AS YOU LIKE IT production team will include Rachel Sypniewski (she/her/hers, Costume Designer), Jeremiah Barr (he/him/his, Scenic/Props Designer), Jack Morsovillo* (he/him/his, Music Director), Will Wilhelm (they/them/theirs, Text Coach), Bryson David Hoff (he/him/his, Vocal Coach), Courtney Abbott (they/them/theirs, Intimacy Director), Thomas Russell (he/they, Fight Director), Becca Holloway (she/her/hers, Casting Director), Hailey Piorek (she/her/hers, Stage Manager), Chloe Steuber (she/her/hers, Assistant Stage Manager), and Joshua Pennington* (he/they, Assistant Director).

*Indicates Midsommer Flight Artistic Ensemble member
 
Midsommer Flight's productions are performed in natural sunlight and without amplified sound, much as they were done in the Bard's day. Midsommer Flight has become one of Chicago's best-loved and most highly regarded producers of free summer Shakespeare. THIRD COAST REVIEW's Nancy Bishop, in her 3-1/2-star review of 2024's ROMEO AND JULIET summed it up by writing, "Is there anything as lovely as theater in the park on a warm summer evening?" Tristan Bruns of NEW CITY said in his review of 2025's LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, " ...the sun had died down and a light breeze cut the humidity. Monarch butterflies tumbled through the air and rested on laps. Midsommer's ebullient take on Shakespeare matched the surroundings perfectly...This is the Shakespeare I want to see on a cool summer evening, sitting in a folding chair and sipping a LaCroix beside a butterfly companion."
 
LISTING INFORMATION

AS YOU LIKE IT
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Producing Artistic Director Beth Wolf
June 26 - August 2, 2026
Fridays, Saturdays*, and Sundays at 6 pm, Thursday, July 2 at 6 pm
*No performance Saturday, July 4
Admission is free (donations gladly accepted)
Opening night – Friday, June 26, 6 pm in Chicago Women's Park and Garden, 1801 S. Indiana Ave, 60614
 
Performed in six different Chicago Park District parks

• June 26, 27, 28 at Chicago Women's Park and Garden, 1801 S. Indiana Avenue, 60616
• July 2, 3, 5 at Gross (Theodore) Park, 2708 W Lawrence Avenue, 60625
• July 10, 11, 12 at Nichols Park, 1355 E 53rd Street, 60615
• July 17, 18, 19 at Kelvyn Park, 4438 W Wrightwood, 60639
• July 24, 25, 26 at Winnemac Park, 5100 N Leavitt, 60625
• July 31, August 1, 2 at Touhy Park, 7348 N Paulina Avenue, 60626

AS YOU LIKE IT is a vibrant Shakespearean comedy that wittily explores love and gender roles. Banished from court by her uncle, Rosalind escapes to the Forest of Arden, where she disguises herself as man in order to win over her lover by trying to convince him he should forget her. The play examines various types of love—from passionate to superficial to mature—offering a nuanced look at romantic relationships and human connection and playfully exploring the fluidity of gender roles. Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic to enjoy this free programming. Seating is first-come, first-served, and audience members can bring their own blankets or chairs. 

Free Reservations are encouraged but not required. Those with reservations will be contacted in the event of weather cancellations or other last-minute updates. Reservations will be available through the Midsommer Flight website at www.midsommerflight.com beginning on June 1. Show information on website at www.midsommerflight.com, including detailed schedule and info about directions and parking at each park.
 
ABOUT MIDSOMMER FLIGHT. Midsommer Flight is a theatre company dedicated to presenting high quality, accessible productions of Shakespeare's plays in Chicago communities. After the company's well-received inaugural production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM in 2012, the Chicago City Council honored Midsommer Flight with a resolution praising "the Midsommer Flight theater troupe on their dedication to bringing the arts to underserved communities."  The company incorporated as a not-for-profit in the state of Illinois in early 2013 and has produced ROMEO AND JULIET (2013, 2024), MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (2014), MACBETH (2015), TWELFTH NIGHT (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) AS YOU LIKE IT (2016), HAMLET (2017), THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (2018), THE TEMPEST (2019), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (2012 AND 2022), CYMBELINE (2023), and LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST (2025). The company was nominated in 2019 for the third time for the League of Chicago Theatres "Emerging Theatre Award."
 
Midsommer Flight is committed to presenting financially accessible theatre. Productions are 100% free to the public (donations gratefully accepted). Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic to enjoy this free programming. For more information visit www.midsommerflight.com. 
 
ABOUT NIGHT OUT IN THE PARKS
 
AS YOU LIKE IT is presented as part of the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series, supported by the Mayor's Office and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The Night Out in the Parks program presents cultural events year-round in neighborhood parks throughout the city. The Chicago Park District in partnership with local artists and organizations, presents engaging events and performances that enhance quality of life across Chicago and amplify the artistic and cultural vibrancy in every neighborhood. Through multiple disciplines, which include theater, music, movies, dance, site-specific work, nature programs, and community festivals, the series aims to support Chicago-based artists, facilitate community-based partnerships and programs, cultivate civic engagement, and ensure equity in access to the arts for all Chicagoans. For more information, please visit www.nightoutintheparks.com.

Mother-daughter relationships are somehow deemed different.  More seminal than the bond between a father and son. More instinctive than between sisters.  When trust is broken, all bets can certainly be off.  But that doesn’t seem to be the case for Thelma and Jesse, a mom and her daughter who live together in Marsha Norman’s magnificent ‘night Mother, just opening at Redtwist Theatre in Edgewater.  They have a balance and flow that suggests a seasoned understanding.  A harmonic acceptance of their lives together.

Thelma, played so fully by Redtwist ensemble member, Kathy Ruhl, is a pleasing mix of pragmatism and discreet earnestness.  A woman who’s lived a long life, withstood a lot and is making the most of the years in her final season.  Knitting on her well-cushioned sofa, cell phone dangling from her lanyard, TV playing in the background, she’s thinking about how she’s going to satisfy her sugar fix.  And settles on a snowball before contemplating many other options as the evening passes.

Thanks to the prodigious thought and scrupulous detail Bobbie Buie poured into the set design, Thelma’s modest home has the soft glow of easy unpretentious comfort.  Everywhere there are signs that point to a contentment that’s been well earned.  The world she created, along with Harper Justus’s precise and subtle sound design, saturated you in place.

Anne Sheridan Smith in the role of her daughter, Jesse, is much more wired; frenzied in an organized way.  When she shoots out of her bedroom door, she’s clearly a woman on a mission to get a lot of things done.  Quickly.  As she settles down, she’s simply determinedly methodical and impressively so.  There’s some light haggling with her mother.  It seems like something they just occasionally do.  Normal.  Tonight, giving her mother a manicure is high on Jesse’s to do list.  It’s not long before they settle down at the kitchen table and normal goes away.  

A small cloud of foreboding drifted in when Jesse began looking for some things in their makeshift attic. One of them is a gun. When her mother keeps pressing her on why she wants or needs one, she forces her daughter’s hand. Jesse declares to her mother, not coldly but matter-of-factly, that tonight she’s going to use it to kill herself.

It’s the kind of statement that instantly triggers incredulity.  And automatically, by reflex, Thelma’s “mom” response zooms past tilt.  Even though she may not initially believe Jesse, she hears her.   And intuitively she wants to fix it as she struggles to even comprehend the magnitude of what she’s been told.   ‘night Mother soon becomes a push and pull with Jesse always exhibiting the greater strength against a formidable opponent.  She has the inner conviction to see this grim task through.  You can sense that when she first told her mother what she was going to do. Like her mother, we too want to know why.

A dissection of one person’s why is what this intricate and intimate story is all about.  And the way Smith inhabits her character, she functions as an outstandingly plausible stand-in for many of us.   People who not only have had enough but also look at themselves and don’t see enough. 

Her mother doesn’t really understand. Not at first.  It’s as the tandem airing of their lives that reveals how it’s come to this. 

Well into this gripping one act performance, wonderfully directed by Redtwist’s Artistic Director, Dusty Brown, Thelma describes herself as a “plain country woman”.  Life for her is something you just did.  It’s the kind of existence where naivete and ignorance may thrive in abundance, but neither carries an especially detrimental cost.  When it came to Jesse’s early childhood rearing of Jesse though, perhaps it did. Thelma and her husband discovered late in their daughter’s development that the fits she experienced as a child were epileptic.   Undiagnosed and untreated for far too long, Jesse internalized them as manifestations of a personal flaw.  A flaw that inevitably, in her mind, produced terrible consequences.

She never directly states it, but it’s clear she blames herself for the way her son, Ricky, is turning out.  A thief, drugs, regularly in run-ins with the police.  Thelma says it’s just a phase.  He’ll grow out if it and be a “fine young man”.  But through a haze that’s draped in quiet anguish, Jesse senses otherwise.  It’s the same with her ex-husband. In Cecil’s case, he was there and then he was gone.  The man her mother found for her, who she came to love and who chose not to stay.

They’re all hard blows.  Jesse has weathered them.  Now it sounds like she’s tired.  Sick of it all.  Living with her mother.  Lonely present.  Lonely future.  She’s felt this way for so long that she’s used the last 10 years to plan for this night.    She’s gotten it so fine-tuned, she can give her mother detailed instructions on who to call when after the deed is done, and why.

For this compassionate plunge into the unthinkable, Marsha Norman won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1983.  A native of Kentucky, you can hear a faint sound of the south in the way Thelma and Jesse talk to one another.  The weight of the subject matter, the care in which these two women are drawn and portrayed, the way every argument Thelma raises against this tragic decision is rebuffed by unswayable conviction, keeps you rapt.  A sliver of life captured beautifully and unforgettably on the stage.

‘night Mother

Through May 24, 2026

Redtwist Theatre

1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

Chicago, IL    60660

For tickets and more information:  https://www.redtwisttheatre.org

Highly Recommended

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