Emmy and SAG Award winner Brendan Hunt comes back to his hometown of Chicago this spring to present his one-man autobiographical show The Movement You Need: An Evening with Brendan Hunt. Produced by Tiwary Entertainment Group and Lead Producer Vivek J. Tiwary and directed by Ashley Rodbro, this Broadway-bound, three-week limited engagement runs at Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. from April 19 - May 10, 2026.

Emmy and SAG Award winner Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso's co-creator/writer/"Coach Beard") presents his hilarious new one-man show fueled by bittersweet memories of his Chicago childhood, a love for The Beatles that got him through it, and the tongue-tied moment he met Paul McCartney. The Movement You Need is a laugh-filled love letter to the family that makes us, the music that shapes us, and the crazy shit life throws our way.

Bringing The Movement You Need to this city is deeply personal to Hunt: "I'm proud to be from Chicago. Performing in my hometown is a joy in any circumstance, but particularly with this show, which has so much Chicago in it. I consider Steppenwolf to be holy ground, and the chance to perform on that stage is an honor and a privilege." 

Tickets, priced $55-$105,* go on sale to the public on January 29, 2026, at 12pm at steppenwolf.org/movement, (312) 335-1650; 1650 N Halsted St., Chicago. A special Steppenwolf member pre-sale begins Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 12pm. Student rush tickets are $15 and are available the day of performance through the box office one hour before showtime.

 *Pricing includes a $10 handling fee.

The performance schedule is: Tuesdays-Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 3:00pm and 7:30pm (no shows on Saturday, May 9); Sundays at 3pm; and 7:30pm (Sunday, April 26 only).

The new production features scenic design by Meredith Ries, lighting design by Nick Solyom, sound design by Kate Marvin and projection design by Stefania Bulbarella. Elie Landau serves as Executive Producer. 

Brendan Hunt (playwright/performer) is an award-winning actor, screenwriter, and playwright living in Los Angeles, best known for co-creating the international hit Apple TV series Ted Lasso along with Jason Sudeikis, Joe Kelly and Bill Lawrence. He is also an ensemble member for the show, portraying Ted's trusty assistant Coach Beard. In its first two seasons the show won consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, a Peabody Award, and many others.

A Chicago native and a veteran of sketch and improv comedy, Brendan's first professional gig was as a performer and writer with Amsterdam's notorious comedy theater Boom Chicago, where he performed with Sudeikis, Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele, Ike Barinholtz, Amber Ruffin, Heather Anne Campbell, and many more. His solo show about that experience, Five Years in Amsterdam, debuted at IO West in Los Angeles, and went on to be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, UCB LA, UCB NY, Second City e.t.c., and the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.

In theater, Brendan has twice been nominated for LA Theater's Ovation Awards, winning one for Best Actor in a Musical. His two plays, Absolutely Filthy and The Art Couple, both had sold-out LA runs, with the former winning Best Show at both the Hollywood Fringe Festival and the New York International Fringe Festival. His newest solo work The Movement You Need just completed a sold-out run at the Soho Playhouse in Manhattan and is eyeing a Broadway debut.

TV and film appearances include Bless This Mess, Community, Parks and Rec, Key & Peele, and the upcoming indie science fiction film Terrestrial. Brendan also voiced the character of "Gunther Melmac" in Pixar's latest animated film Elio.

His time in Amsterdam engendered in him a passion for the sport of football that would eventually prove to be life-changing, leading not only to Ted Lasso, but also finding him as co-host of Apple News' wildly successful World Cup podcast After the Whistle with NBC Sports' Rebecca Lowe.

Brendan is currently shooting Season 4 of Ted Lasso.

Ashley Rodbro (director) is a Mexican-American director focused on new work, musicals, and comedy. She is currently developing projects with Disney Theatrical and Lively McCabe and will direct a world premiere of a new Kristoffer Diaz play at The Warehouse Theater in 2026. She recently directed BriTanick: Dummy at the Soho Theatre in London and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She has developed work at Ars Nova, Signature Theater Company, Edinburgh Fringe, CAP 21, Musical Theater Factory, 54 Below, Yale, the New York Fringe Festival, Marin Theater Company, and more.

Previously, Ashley served as Worldwide Supervising Associate Director for the original production of Moulin Rouge!: The Musical, working alongside Alex Timbers from its early development through Broadway, setting new companies in Australia, London, Germany, and a National Tour, and leading the international directing team. She was also the Resident Director for Hamilton as a part of Tommy Kail's directing team, opening the "And Peggy" company in Puerto Rico, starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, and maintaining the Resident Company in San Francisco. Her Associate work expands to comedy specials, working with Timbers on John Mulaney's Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (Netflix), Oh, Hello on Broadway (Netflix), and Alex Edelman's Just For Us (HBO).   

During the COVID-19 crisis, Ashley founded Heredia Vision, creating film and digital content that puts women at the forefront of the creative process. In this role, she spearheaded major collaborations including the virtual special Broadway Does Mother's Day and NYTW's documentary and virtual event, 25 Years of RENT.

Her short films have screened at festivals nationwide, and her writing has received multiple awards and honors. She is a graduate of Yale College. @ashleyrodbro ashleyrodbro.com 

Vivek J. Tiwary (Lead Producer) is an acclaimed producer of musical entertainment from Tony Award-winning Broadway shows to groundbreaking immersive experiences, a Grammy Award-winning record producer, a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a media financier/investor. He is the founder of Tiwary Entertainment Group (TEG+).

Vivek is currently a lead producer of Hamlet Hail to the Thief, a stage production based on Shakespeare's masterpiece and Radiohead's seminal album. Vivek's past Broadway hits include Alanis Morissette's Tony Award-winning Jagged Little Pill; Vivek also won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for producing the Jagged Little Pill cast recording. Other hit Broadway productions Vivek has either been a financier or Producer on include such groundbreaking work as Green Day's American Idiot, A Raisin In The Sun, The Addams Family, A Little Night Music, and both of Mel Brooks' musicals The Producers and Young Frankenstein. Combined, these productions have won 25 Tony Awards and 59 Tony nominations.

Vivek's graphic novel The Fifth Beatle was a #1 New York Times Bestseller and won numerous literary awards including the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award and two Harvey Awards. It's a Lambda Literary Finalist for Best LGBT Graphic Novel and has been added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives. Vivek secured unprecedented access to Beatles music for a proposed film adaptation.

Vivek is also a pioneering producer in the world of site-specific, tech-based, and immersive music experiences. He consulted on the creation and development of The Walking Dead Escape and The Walking Dead Experience. He served on the Board of Directors for New York's seminal GAle GAtes et al—considered to be the founders of immersive theatre. He also produced experiential shows and installations for boundary-pushing companies such as The Wooster Group, Fischerspooner, and the São Paulo Art Biennial.

Prior to founding TEG and online music education/empowerment company StarPolish, Vivek held a number of major label music industry positions and has worked with artists covering the entire musical spectrum from Bruce Springsteen to Britney Spears.

Among many charitable pursuits, Vivek is the Co-Founder of Musicians On Call, a nonprofit organization that uses music and entertainment to complement the healing process. Vivek is a two-time honoree (2020, 2021) of Gold House's A100 List to celebrate Asians and Asian American & Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and their transformative contributions to society. He lives in New York with his inspiring wife Tracy and their delightful children Kavi and Nandini.

About Tiwary Entertainment Group:

TEG+ is the only production company that focuses on collaborating with the music industry and celebrity artists to create work that is narrative, experiential, and/or immersive. TEG+ develops, finances, and produces with a platform nimble approach-- producing across the media spectrum for Broadway, film, television, graphic novels, the metaverse, Augmented & Mixed Reality, and beyond. TEG+ works solely with High Profile Music-- A-list musicians, music catalogs, composers, estates, record labels, and music publishers. Current projects include Radiohead's Hamlet Hail to the Thief and Brendan Hunt's Beatles-centered The Movement You Need. Past projects include Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, Green Day's American Idiot, and The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story. TEG+ projects have won multiple industry awards including 25 Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, 2 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards, and more. Notable points of recognition for TEG+ projects include a #1 New York Times Bestseller and inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Visit TiwaryEnt.com.

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.

Court Theatre, under the continuing leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, is proud to present the new musical, Out Here. Directed by Chay Yew, this charming and bold take on the American kitchen sink drama brings Court's 2025/26 season to a joyous conclusion. This production will run April 10 – May 10, 2026 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. 

The cast of Out Here includes Becca Ayers (Dawn); Cliff Chamberlain (Brian); Ellie Duffey (Cleo); Alex Goodrich (Martin); Z Mowry (Jet); Amanda Pulcini (Gina); and Bethany Thomas (Robin).

The creative team includes Christie Chiles Twillie (Music Supervisor); Breon Arzell (Movement Director); Andrew Boyce and Lauren M. Nichols (Co-Scenic Designers); Christine Pascual (Costume Designer); Lee Fiskness (Lighting Designer); Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Design); David J. Levin (Production Dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (Director of Casting and Artist Cultivation), with Celeste M. Cooper (Associate Casting Director); Katrina Herrmann (Production Stage Manager); and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager).

Dawn has a house, a husband, and a family, but she wants more. She wants her ex-girlfriend, Robin. She wants nothing to change and she wants everything to change, and she wants to control all the terms. As she's caught between what's been and what's next, Dawn must learn to reimagine her expectations, harmonize with loved ones, and trust the process. If she can do all that, she might just learn a new song. Strikingly original, Out Here explores the unexpected freedom in relinquishing control, and how, sometimes, you have to break something apart to create something better.

Life happens outside of your comfort zone. Out Here is a courageous new musical, developed through an extended and dynamic collaboration between Court Theatre and the Neubauer Collegium at the University of Chicago. Audiences will have the rare opportunity to be the first to experience this fresh and intimate look at a family reconfiguring itself and rediscovering joy.

Led by acclaimed director Chay Yew, making his Court debut, Out Here arrives as a bold, innovative work that invites Chicago audiences to be among the very first to witness its evolution—bringing the 2025/26 season to a joyous conclusion.

Tickets to Out Here are on sale now, and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472 or online atCourtTheatre.org. Out Here is supported by the Charles Newell Production Fund.

Court will present a series of engagement programming throughout the run of the show that complements themes within the production. More information will be available at CourtTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.

This production was developed in partnership with University of Chicago Professors Leslie Buxbaum and David J. Levin; musician, writer, and producer Erin McKeown; and the Arts Labs research project at the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society. The Neubauer Collegium cultivates new communities of inquiry at the University of Chicago. Their faculty-led research projects bring together scholars and practitioners whose collaboration is required to address complex questions on any topic. Their Visiting Fellows program brings the most creative thinkers from around the world for collaboration, animating the intellectual and creative environment on campus. Their gallery presents art exhibitions in the context of academic research, and their public events invite broad engagement with the scholarly inquiries we support. The aim of these activities is to deepen knowledge about the world and our place in it.

Fact Sheet / Out Here
Title:                              Out Here

Concept by:                  Leslie Buxbaum, David J. Levin, and Erin McKeown

Book and Lyrics by:       Leslie Buxbaum

Music and Lyrics by:      Erin McKeown

Dramaturgy by:             David J. Levin

Directed by:                  Chay Yew

Featuring: Becca Ayers (Dawn); Cliff Chamberlain (Brian); Ellie Duffey (Cleo); Alex Goodrich (Martin); Z Mowry (Jet); Amanda Pulcini (Gina); and Bethany Thomas (Robin).

Creatives: Christie Chiles Twillie (Music Supervisor); Breon Arzell (Movement Director); Andrew Boyce and Lauren M. Nichols (Co-Scenic Designers); Christine Pascual (Costume Designer); Lee Fiskness (Lighting Designer); Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Design); David J. Levin (Production Dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (Director of Casting and Artist Cultivation), with Celeste M. Cooper (Associate Casting Director); Katrina Herrmann (Production Stage Manager); and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager).

Dates:               

Previews:                    April 10 – 17, 2026

Press Opening:           April 18, 2026 at 7:30pm

Regular Run:               April 10 – May 10, 2026

Schedule:         Wed/Thurs/Fri:            7:30pm

                         Sat/Sun:                      2:00pm & 7:30pm

Accessible         Touch Tour: Saturday, May 2 at 12:30pm

Performances: Audio Description and ASL Interpretation: Saturday, May 2 at 2:00pm

Open Captioning: Sunday, May 3 at 2:00pm
                       

Location:         Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets:            $42.00 – $74.00 Previews
                        $60.00 – $90.00 Regular Run

Student, group, and military discounts available

Box Office: Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

Winner of the 2022 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago's historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.

Definition Theatre is proud to present the world premiere of Black Cypress Bayou, a bold darkly comic new play by playwright Kristen Adele Calhoun and directed by Ericka Ratcliff, Black Cypress Bayou will run from February 13 to March 15, 2026 at Definition @ 55th (1160 E. 55th St, Chicago, IL). Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now.

On a sweltering Texas night, Vernita Manifold summons her daughters back to the family bayou after the richest man in East Texas turns up dead—his severed head delivered to her back porch. As buried truths rise from the swamp and ancestors hover in the mist, the Manifold women must decide whether this moment is finally theirs. Wickedly funny and razor-sharp, Black Cypress Bayou is a haunting reckoning where justice, legacy, and survival collide.

The cast features Taysha Hunter (Jyreika Guest), LadyBird Manifold (Michelle Renee Bester), RaeMeka Manifold-Baler (Rita Wicks), and Vernita Manifold (RjW Mays).

The production team includes Production Manager Brianna Parry, Stage Manager LJ Littlejohn, Scenic Designer Alyssa Mohn, Costume Designer Janelle Smith, Lighting Designer Conchita Avitia, Sound Designer Willow James, Props Designer Jamie Auer, and Dramaturg Lydia Moss.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Black Cypress Bayou

Dates: February 13 – March 15, 2026

Press Opening: February 19, 2026 at 7:30pm

Location: Definition @ 55th | 1160 E. 55th Street, Chicago, IL

Tickets: On sale now at definitiontheatre.org

ABOUT DEFINITION THEATRE

Definition Theatre has been a vibrant force for over a decade, celebrating stories created with, inspired by, and intended for people and communities of color. Through the act of making, Definition expands perspectives, stewards resources, and bridges the possibilities found at the intersection of art, innovation, and education. Known for bold and impactful productions, we've brought to life plays by Oscar-winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, Pulitzer Prize-winners James Ijames and Jackie Sibblies Drury, and Tony Award-winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. We strive to promote equity, foster empathy, and enhance the quality of life for our community members by offering opportunities for creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural expression. Our work emphasizes collaboration in theater-making and raises awareness of career paths in the arts. In 2024, Definition leased and equipped a storefront space in Hyde Park, enabling us to engage artists and expand programs as we prepare for our permanent home in Woodlawn on the southside of Chicago. This new theater, community center, and business incubator will amplify and preserve BIPOC voices, promote social justice, and empower the next generation of artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to drive positive progress through the transformative power of the arts.

Definition Ensemble members include: Adia Alli, Owais Ahmed, Ariel Beller, Jared Bellot, Carley Cornelius, Ari Craven, Julie Jachym, Willow James, Martasia Jones, Slick Jorgensen, Yeaji Kim, Kristy Hall, James Ijames, Julie Jachym, Willow James, Kiki Layne, Kelson Michael McAuliffe, Victor Musoni, Neel McNeill, Sophiyaa Nayar, Karyn Oates, Alexandra Oparka, Julian Parker, Maya Vinice Prentiss, Tyrone Phillips, Ireon Roach, Jacqueline Rosas, Christopher Sheard, and Dujon Smith.

Definition Artistic Advisory Board members include: director May Adrales, Steppenwolf ensemble member Alana Arenas, actress Shannon Cochran, actor Brandon Dirden, actor Jason Dirden, actor Jon Michael Hill, director Pam Mackinnon, Equity Quotient CEO Keryl McCord, professor JW Morrissette, director Ron OJ Parson, professor/lighting designer Kathy Perkins, media producer and host Troy Osborne Pryor, Tony Award-winning actress and stage director Phylicia Rashad, and Goodman Theatre director in residence Chuck Smith. Tyrone Phillips is the Artistic Director, Neel McNeill is the Executive Director, Willow James is the Civic Engagement Director. For additional information, visit definitiontheatre.org and @definitiontheatre on Facebook and Instagram #stayinit

TICKETS HERE

Continuing its 17th season, Red Clay Dance Company is thrilled to announce the return of its La Femme Dance Festival during Women's History Month, March 26-28, 2026, with a one-night-only performance at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (205 E. Randolph Street) on Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the performance are now on sale for $19-$59 at redclaydance.com.

In a cultural moment calling for equity, representation and the amplification of diverse voices, La Femme Dance Festival rises as a powerful tribute to the brilliance, resilience and global impact of Black women in dance. Now in its 5th year, this biennial festival curated by Red Clay Dance Company's Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn Sanders-Ward is a national platform for choreographic excellence rooted in the Black/African Diaspora.

The Harris Theater performance on March 28 features the Chicago debut of viral tap dance sensation Syncopated Ladies, led by Emmy Award-nominated tap dancer and choreographer Chloé Arnold, whose recent work includes over 70 episodes of The Late Late Show with James Corden, choreography for Jerry Seinfeld's Unfrosted for Netflix, and the Apple TV+ musical film Spirited starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer.

The festival performance also includes the world premiere of choreographer Rena Butler's A SEAT (working title) for Red Clay Dance Company, along with a reprise of two celebrated works by Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn Sanders-Ward: Unconditional Conditions, which premiered at the 2024 La Femme Dance Festival, and Love Letters to CHI-IL. The performance also features a guest appearance from South Chicago Dance Theatre, which will perform an excerpt of choreographer Kia S. Smith's Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley, which premiered at the Auditorium Theatre in 2023.

"To say I'm excited about the fifth edition of the La Femme Dance Festival is an understatement—what began over a decade ago at the Park District's Fuller Park Auditorium as a way to honor Women's Herstory Month and uplift artists I admired has grown into something far bigger than I ever imagined," says Red Clay Dance Company's Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn Sanders-Ward. "This year's festival places Chicago artists on a global stage, featuring an unmatched roster of choreographers whose glocal practices are deeply rooted here while resonating around the world. I can't wait for Chicago audiences and those traveling in for the festival to witness the brilliance, power, and magnificence of Black women creatives on full display."

La Femme Dance Festival programming kicks off with an Artivist Table Brunch on Thursday, March 26 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (featured speakers and location to be announced) and a dance master class for professional dancers at Red Clay Dance Center (808 E. 63rd Street) on Friday, March 27 with Rena Butler. Advance registration is required.

The day after the festival, Red Clay Dance Center will host Chloé Arnold's Syncopated Ladies Empowerment Camp on Sunday, March 29 from 11 a.m.–5 p.m., welcoming dancers of all ages and levels for classes in tap dance, Brazilian dance, Afro funk, hip-hop and empowerment. The camp is presented by the Chloé and Maud Foundation in partnership with Red Clay Dance Company. Registration for the camp is $200 per student.

For more information about Red Clay Dance Company's La Femme Dance Festival and tickets to all festival programs, visit redclaydance.com. 

Artist Bios

Vershawn Sanders-Ward is a visionary director, choreographer, educator, and Artivist transforming the landscape of contemporary dance through bold artistry and activism. As the Founding Artistic Director and CEO of Red Clay Dance Company, she seamlessly blends African diasporic dance forms with modern techniques to create powerful, socially engaged performances that inspire dialogue and catalyze change. A lifelong advocate for community empowerment, Vershawn uses dance as a platform to examine identity, race, justice, and collective healing.

Her work has earned national and international recognition, including the inaugural Walder Platform Award, a Dance/USA Artist Fellowship, the Chicago Dancemakers Forum Award, and a 3Arts Award. Most recently, her choreography premiered at two prestigious dance institutions—Jacob's Pillow and The Yard at Martha's Vineyard—further solidifying her influence within the global dance community. Her choreography has also been featured at esteemed institutions such as Northwestern University and Loyola University Chicago, with commissions extending across the United States and internationally.

An accomplished educator, Vershawn holds an MFA in Dance from New York University and a BFA from Columbia College Chicago.  Beyond the stage and studio, she is a Board Trustee for Dance/USA, a Community Impact Fellow with the Harvard Business School Club, and a featured guest on PBS's The Expressway with Dulé Hill. Through every facet of her work, Vershawn Sanders-Ward continues to champion equity, inclusion, and transformative cultural expression.

Chloé Arnold is an Emmy-nominated Choreographer and Tap Dancer, discovered at a young age in Washington, DC, by Debbie Allen. Chloé's choreography has been featured on numerous hit TV shows, including over 70 episodes of The Late Late Show with James Corden, featuring A-list actors from Will Smith and Hugh Jackman to pop superstars Ariana Grande and BTS. Other choreography credits include: Bel Air, So You Think You Can Dance, Good Morning America, The Ellen Show, The Talk, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Hello, Jack!, History of the World Part II, and John Legend and Chrissy Teigen's A Legendary Christmas. Chloe most recently choreographed Jerry Seinfeld's Unfrosted for Netflix and the Apple TV+ musical film Spirited starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer.

Chloé is widely known as the Founder of the female tap dance band, Syncopated Ladies, whose fierce footwork and feminine style have attracted audiences of all ages around the world and have over 200 million views online. In addition to their own sold-out concert tours, other live performance credits include: CNN's New Year's Eve Live, Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas to All at Madison Square Garden, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Good Morning America, Global Citizen Week, New York Fashion Week, Essence Fest, Imagine Justice (featuring Common, J. Cole, and Andra Day), Glamour Women of the Year Awards, Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative at the US Open, JP Morgan Chase Women on the Move at Radio City Musical Hall, CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, Women in the World Summit at Lincoln Center, Democratic National Convention and many more.

Chloé is one of 2024 Ebony Power 100 honorees, was named one of LeBron James' "The Strongest," a campaign featured in Essence to celebrate his 16th Nike Sneaker release, was on The Root 100 List, and she was featured in Shonda Rhimes and Microsoft's "Language of Leadership" panel discussion. Chloe is also an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who holds a degree in Film from Columbia University. She and her sister Maud produced the award-winning documentary Tap World, are the co-directors of the critically acclaimed DC Tap Festival, and co-produce the Hollywood Tap Festival with Debbie Allen and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. They have been recognized by Columbia University as Rising Stars, by the US House of Representatives as arts preservers and ambassadors and won the 33rd Annual Mayor's Arts Award for Excellence in Performing Arts. Through the Chloé and Maud Foundation, they give back to the community by creating equal opportunity access to dance programming and education for underserved communities with after-school programs in South Central LA, and Favelas in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Rena Butler, a Chicago native, trained at The Chicago Academy for the Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts, and earned her BFA from SUNY Purchase. She has performed with acclaimed companies such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (also a Choreographic Fellow), AIM by Kyle Abraham, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, and Gibney Company (also the inaugural Choreographic Associate). A 2019 Princess Grace Award winner, recipient of the 2024 Isadora Duncan Dance Award, and the 2025 Ferradini Grander Award in Italy, Butler has created works for Het Nationale Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, San Francisco Opera, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Gauthier Dance Juniors in Stuttgart, Ailey II, AIM By Kyle Abraham, Beth Morrison Projects at BAM Harvey with Matthew Ozawa and Huang Rou and more. Her choreography spans opera, ballet, film, and museums across the U.S. and Europe. A passionate educator and mentor, she has taught at Juilliard, Jacob's Pillow, The Lines Training Program, and SUNY Purchase, and co-founded DanceLab, a free creators' program for the Chicago youth. Featured on the cover of Dance Magazine in the US and Tanz Zeitschrift in Germany, Butler continues to lead in contemporary dance through her creations and commissions.

Kia S. Smith is a Chicago native and the Founder, Director of Vision and Strategy, and Resident Choreographer for South Chicago Dance Theatre. She is also the founder of the signature core programs, the Associate and Emerging Artist Program, South Chicago Dance Festival, the Choreographic Diplomacy™ Program, Education and Community Programs, the Therapeutic Dance initiative, and Workforce Development program. Her early training included Hyde Park School of Dance, The Joel Hall Dance Center, ETA Creative Arts Foundation, StoryCatchers Theatre, and the American Dance Festival. She holds a BFA in Dance from Western Michigan University and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she was an Advanced Opportunity Program Fellow. As a freelance choreographer, Kia's recent and upcoming commissions include Madison Ballet (2021), Chicago Repertory Ballet (2022), Houston Contemporary Dance Company (2023), Chicago Opera Theater (2023), Ruth Page Civic Ballet Training Company (2022), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2023), Giordano Dance Chicago (2023), Western Michigan University (2023), Southeast Missouri State University (2024), Opera Laguna (2024, 2025), New Dance Partners (2024), Resilience Dance Company (2024), Columbia College Chicago (2024) and Scottish Ballet School (2025). Kia's first evening-length work, Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley for South Chicago Dance Theatre, premiered at the Auditorium Theater of Chicago in 2023.

Kia is a member of the International Association of Blacks in Dance, where she received the Joan Myers Brown Artist Development Fund scholarship in 2018. In 2021, she was a 3Arts Make A Wave awardee and an Ann & Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellow at the renowned Jacobs Pillow. She was a 2022 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist and a participant in the Artist in Residence "AIR" Program at the Cliff Dwellers Chicago. Kia was named a Rising Star in 2023 by Chicago Magazine, Player of the Moment in the category of Dance for Newcity Magazine's annual 50 Players List in 2023, and one of Dance Magazine's 25 to Watch for 2024. WBEZ named Kia a breakout artist for 2024, and Chicago News Weekly designated Kia "one of the fastest rising stars of the dance world today."

About Red Clay Dance Company

Led by Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn Sanders-Ward, Red Clay Dance Company is a Black women-led, Black-benefiting professional dance organization that moves the world through Artivism—the integration of art and activism to inspire social transformation. Rooted in the dances, histories, and movement technologies of the African Diaspora, Red Clay Dance creates, performs, and teaches work that uplifts Black voices, dismantles systemic inequities, and cultivates collective joy and liberation.

At the heart of the organization is our professional touring company, Red Clay Dance, Chicago's premier Afro-Contemporary dance ensemble. Now in its 17th season, this award-winning company serves as the artistic engine of Red Clay Dance Company, touring locally, nationally and internationally to share stories of the African Diaspora that challenge oppression, celebrate identity, and ignite agency. Red Clay Dance has graced renowned stages such as Jacob's Pillow, The Yard, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Harris Theater for Music & Dance, the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, the DuSable Museum of African American History, ODC Theater, Dance Mission Theater, The Painted Bride Art Center, and the National Theatre of Uganda. Through technically rigorous and culturally grounded performance, the company affirms African-rooted forms as powerful and enduring modes of innovation, expression, and resistance. 

The touring company's artistic excellence informs our education and community engagement programs, including Making the Artivist Apprenticeship and School/Community Education Partnerships, reaching more than 2,500 students and 4,000 families annually. From our home—the Red Clay Dance Center in Chicago's historic Woodlawn neighborhood—we provide access to high-quality dance training, mentorship, and professional development for artists and community members through our classes and In the Making Membership. Together, our ecosystem of touring, teaching, and training sustains a vibrant hub for Glocal Artivism—proving that dance is not just performance, but a pathway to equity, empowerment, and lasting change.

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation (GDDF) is pleased to announce it awarded more than $1.76 million in grants to 66 of Chicago's small arts organizations and arts advocacy organizations in 2025. Twenty-seven Chicago area arts organizations received multiyear grants of $30,000 or more.

Additionally, GDDF granted $725,000 to the Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development last year, joining together with other funders to provide emergency funding and other support in response to recent challenges faced by arts organizations.

"As part of our Chicago Artistic Vitality program, the foundation, along with our arts philanthropy partners, increased our contribution to the funder collaborative Arts Work Fund," said Ellen Placey Wadey, senior program director for Chicago Arts & Collections at GDDF. "With an ability to deploy funds quickly and for immediate capacity needs, Arts Work Fund is a critical partnership in these difficult times for arts organizations."

"This has been a challenging year for many of our grantee partners, including the loss of significant sources of funding," said Arnold Randall, executive director of GDDF. "The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation remains steadfast in our commitment to our mission, values, and program areas, and in our support for the work of our grantees."

The Chicago arts grantees are a portion of the $7,538,880 in grants that GDDF provided to 128 organizations in the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina across the foundation's three program areas in 2025: Artistic Vitality, Broadening Narratives, and Land Conservation. GDDF is currently funding more than 150 small arts organizations in the Chicago region through its multi-year general operating grants.

Among GDDF's 2025 Chicago arts grantees are nonprofit advocacy and support organizations Arts Alliance Illinois ($75,000) and Enrich Chicago ($60,000). Additional Chicago Artistic Vitality grantees receiving $40,500 grants include American Indian Center of Chicago, Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago, Raven Theatre Company, Red Clay Dance Company, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Sisters in Cinema, South Chicago Dance Theatre, Theater Wit, and Trickster Cultural Center. Arts organizations receiving grants of $36,000 include Teatro Vista, The Chicago Poetry Center, and Visceral Dance Chicago.

A full list of GDDF's 2025 Chicago Artistic Vitality grantees follows at the end of this release.

"We also strive to offer support in ways grounded in trust and shared values," Randall added. "Most of our grants are multiyear general operating support. Beyond funding, we create opportunities to convene and collaborate, and we connect grantees with training and other capacity-building resources. Now more than ever it is vital to champion the power of art, conserve and protect our land, and share the stories that tell us who we are."

GDDF makes grants twice a year and prioritizes multiyear general operating support. In 2025, more than 68% of grants were for general operating support. GDDF also provides project, planning, technical assistance, and cash reserve funding. Program staff made more than 400 personal connections with grantees this year through calls, meetings, field visits, and attendance at performances.

2025 GDDF Funding by Region and Program

Chicago Region
$4,781,000 to 88 organizations

Artistic Vitality: $2,489,000

Broadening Narratives: $690,000

Land Conservation: $1,602,000

Lowcountry of South Carolina

$2,757,880 to 40 organizations

Artistic Vitality: $707,880.00

Broadening Narratives: $550,000

Land Conservation: $1,500,000

2025 Chicago Artistic Vitality Grantees

Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development ($725,000)

Arts Alliance Illinois ($75,0 00)

Enrich Chicago ($60,000)

American Indian Center of Chicago ($40,500)

Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago ($40,500)

Raven Theatre Company ($40,500)

Red Clay Dance Company ($40,500)

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company ($40,500)

Sisters in Cinema ($40,500)

South Chicago Dance Theatre ($40,500)

Theater Wit ($40,500)

Trickster Cultural Center ($40,500)

Teatro Vista ($36,000)

The Chicago Poetry Center ($36,000)

Visceral Dance Chicago ($36,000)

Chicago Art Department ($30,000)

eta Creative Arts Foundation, Inc. ($30,000)

Free Street Theater ($30,000)

Fulcrum Point New Music Project ($30,000)

Griffin Theatre Company ($30,000)

Joel Hall Dancers and Center ($30,000)

Kalapriya ($30,000)

Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago ($30,000)

Latitude Chicago ($30,000)

Praize Productions ($30,000)

PRIDEARTS Center ($30,000)

The Gift Theatre Company ($30,000)

Theatre Y ($30,000)

Lifeline Theatre ($27,000)

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre ($25,500)

City Lit Theater Company ($25,500)

Jackalope Theatre Company ($25,500)

Oak Park Festival Theatre ($25,500)

Sones de Mexico Ensemble ($25,500)

Trap Door Theatre ($25,500)

Haymarket Opera Company ($25,000)

Oak Park Festival Theatre ($25,000)

Roman Susan Art Foundation ($25,000)

6018North ($22,500)

AAMPA African American Museum of Performing Arts ($22,500)

Aguijon Theater Company ($22,500)

Guild Complex ($22,500)

Khecari ($22,500)

Make-Believe Association ($22,500)

MPAACT ($22,500)

NAJWA Dance Corps ($22,500)

Redtwist Theatre ($22,500)

Rembrandt Chamber Musicians ($22,500)

Riverside Arts Center ($22,500)

Roman Susan Art Foundation ($22,500)

Rough House Theater Company ($22,500)

The Paper Machete ($22,500)

Winifred Haun and Dancers ($22,500)

La Caccina ($18,000)

Mad Shak Dance Company ($18,000)

Zephyr Dance Ensemble ($18,000)

South Side Community Art Center ($15,000)

Full Spectrum Features ($13,500)

Third Coast Percussion ($13,500)

Gender Fucked Productions ($12,000)

Piven Theatre Workshop ($12,000)

Red Theater Chicago ($12,000)

Sixty Inches From Center ($10,000)

DanceWorks Chicago ($8,500)

Heaven Gallery ($8,500)

Pegasus Theatre Chicago ($7,500)

Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest ($7,500)

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation supports land conservation, artistic vitality, and regional collections for the people of the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The Foundation seeks to sustain and build resilient, vital, engaged, and equitable communities in these two regions by supporting conservation, arts, and collecting organizations that broaden narratives. For more information, visit gddf.org.

Red Theater is thrilled to announce the cast and crew of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, directed and adapted by Ian Maryfield, running February 14 - March 15, 2026 at The Edge Off Broadway in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave.

The production features Anne Sheridan Smith as Arkadina, Kason Chesky as Treplyov, Chuck Munro as Sorin, Jamie Herb as Nina, Joe Zarrow as Shamraev, Ana Ortiz-Monasterio Draa as Polina, Magdalena Dalzell as Masha, Josh Razavi as Trigorin, Chris Hainsworth as Dorn, Ben Murphy as Medvedenko, and Bobby Bowman as Yakov, understudied by Jack Hradecky, Ethan Smith, Jacqui Touchet, Pricilla Torres, Chuck Munro, Marisa Macella, Andrew Pond, and Bobby Bowman. 

Comments Artistic Directors Clare Brennan and Wyatt Kent, “After three back-to-back new play premieres, we’re thrilled to be returning to the classics with Chekhov’s The Seagull. Ian has done incredible work diving into this text and creating a lively and deeply inspired adaption, and we’re honored to be hosting his directorial debut at Red Theater. With a stellar cast showcasing some of the sharpest storefront actors working in Chicago right now, audiences are in for a surprisingly funny and deeply moving take on this beloved story.” 

The production team includes Mary T. Cahoon (assistant director), Tessa Huber (stage manager), Hunter Cole (scenic design), Suzanne Barnes (props design), Brenden Marble (lighting design), Victoria Nassif (intimacy design), Maggie McGlenn (costume design), Kate Schnetzer (sound design), Jonathan Hannau (composer), Skyler Simpson (poster design), Faith Decker (photographer), AJ Mueth (technical director), Mia Irwin (charge artist), Becca Holloway (casting director), Wyatt Kent and Clare Brennan (co-artistic directors).

PRODUCTION DETAILS

Title: The Seagull

Playwright: Anton Chekhov

Director / adaptor: Ian Maryfield

Cast: Anne Sheridan Smith (Arkadina), Kason Chesky (Treplyov), Chuck Munro (Sorin, u/s Shamraev), Jamie Herb (Nina), Joe Zarrow (Shamraev), Ana Ortiz-Monasterio Draa (Polina), Magdalena Dalzell (Masha), Josh Razavi (Trigorin), Chris Hainsworth (Dorn), Ben Murphy (Medvedenko), Bobby Bowman (Yakov, u/s Trigorin), Jack Hradecky (u/s Treplyov), Ethan Smith (u/s Medvedenko/Yakov), Jacqui Touchet (u/s Masha), Pricilla Torres (u/s NIna), Marisa Macella (u/s Arkadina/Polina), and Andrew Pond (u/s Dorn/Sorin).

Production Team: Mary T. Cahoon (assistant director), Tessa Huber (stage manager), Hunter Cole (scenic design), Suzanne Barnes (props design), Brenden Marble (lighting design), Victoria Nassif (intimacy design), Maggie McGlenn (costume design), Kate Schnetzer (sound design), Jonathan Hannau (composer), Skyler Simpson (poster design), Faith Decker (photographer), AJ Mueth (technical director), Mia Irwin (charge artist), Becca Holloway (casting director), Wyatt Kent and Clare Brennan (co-artistic directors).

Location: The Edge Off Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave, Chicago

Opening night: Saturday, February 14, 2026 @ 7:30P

Previews: Wednesday, February 11, Thursday, February 12, Friday, February 13, 2026 @ 7:30P

Run dates: Saturday, February 14 - Sunday, March 15, 2026

Curtain times: Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays @ 7:30P, Sundays @ 3P

Tickets: General admission tickets are $30. As part of Red’s mission to make theater by putting people first, a limited number of $10 access tickets are available for students, artists, or anyone on a tight budget. Purchasing a ticket at our $50 pay-it-forward tier helps us sustain Red’s accessibility efforts. Tickets are currently available at www.redtheater.org. Use code ACCESS at checkout for $10 tickets. Monday nights are Industry Nights! Artists and service industry professionals can use code ANTON for half price tickets. 

Direct Box Office Link: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35021/production/1264035  

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Ian Maryfield | DIRECTOR / ADAPTOR – Ian (he/him) is an actor in Chicago and is grateful to be making his directorial debut with Red. Some Chicago credits: Translations (Writers Theatre); A Lie of the Mind (Raven Theatre); The Lord of the Rings Musical - US Premiere & New Zealand Tour, SS: Romeo & Juliet, SS: Comedy of Errors (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); All Quiet on the Western Front (Red Tape Theatre); Photograph 51 u/s, The Originalist u/s (Court Theatre); Hamlet, Indoor Cats (Red Theater); Recipe for Disaster (Windy City Playhouse); The Nutcracker (The House Theatre). Regional credits: As You Like It (Montana Shakespeare in the Parks). Commercial credits: Illinois Lottery, State Farm, Wisconsin Lottery, Guinness, Legendary Whitetails, and Avocados From Mexico. Television credits: Chicago Fire (NBC). Ian holds a BFA with a minor in Directing from Oklahoma City University. Rep: Stewart Talent.

Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce Chicago theatre veteran and TV favorite Stephen Wallem joins the cast of the Porchlight in Concert production of Follies as “Buddy Plummer.” Wallem assumes the role previously announced to be played by Alexander Gemignani in the April limited engagement. Gemignani had a schedule conflict allowing Wallem, a Rockford, Illinois native, to return to Chicago where he began his professional career. He joins (in alphabetical order) Michelle Duffy (Broadway’s Leap of Faith, Drury Lane’s Sister Act) as “Phyllis Rogers Stone,” Angela Ingersoll (Jeff Award winner for Porchlight’s End of the Rainbow) as “Sally Plummer” and Anthony Rapp (Broadway’s Rent and If/Then) as “Benjamin Stone,” Saturday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 26 at 2 p.m. at the Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave. This staged concert performance features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman and is directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber and music directed by Linda Madonia. Single tickets are reserved seating and are on sale for $104.50 - $159.50 at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by phone with the Studebaker Theater box office at 312-753-3210. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave., 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday. 

Additional Follies cast members include Anastasia Arnold (Young Sally); Dale Benson (Dmitri Weismann); John Cardone (Max Deems); John Concepcion (Roscoe); Teagan Earley (Young Phyllis);  Felicia P. Fields (Hattie Walker); James Harms (Theodore Whitman); Beck Hokanson (Kevin); Cecilia Iole (Young Heidi); Will Koski (Young Buddy); John Marshall Jr. (Young Ben); Susie McMonagle (Carlotta Campion); Lauren Miller (Heidi Schiller); Mary Robin Roth (Emily Whitman); Genevieve Thiers (Christine Donovan); Sybyl Walker (Solange LaFitte) and Honey West (Stella Deems). 

The creative/production team includes Brenda Didier (assistant director); Eric Watkins (lighting designer); Matthew R. Chase (sound designer); Liviu Pasare (projections designer); Bill Walters (production stage manager); Drew Donnelly (assistant stage manager) and Frank Rose (production supervisor).

Porchlight in Concert debuted in 2024 with sold out performances of Sunday in the Park with George. In spring 2026, Porchlight returns to the Studebaker for a limited engagement of another Stephen Sondheim classic, Follies. 

Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Score, Follies is a dazzling and bittersweet exploration of love, loss and the passage of time. Set at the reunion of the legendary “Weismann Follies” company on the eve of their crumbling theater’s demolition, former showgirls reunite one last time, reliving their heyday and confronting the choices that shaped their lives. With iconic songs like “Broadway Baby” “I’m Still Here” and “Losing My Mind,” this Sondheim gem blends haunting nostalgia with a show-stopping score in a moving celebration of dreams and regrets.

PORCHLIGHT IN CONCERT FOLLIES SPECIAL EVENT

The Creation and History of Follies with Chris Pazdernik

March 28 - April 18, 2026

Classes offered virtually

Fee: $200

Register at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org

As part of Porchlight’s Hobbyist programming, Jeff Award-winner Christopher Pazdernik, with their “near encyclopedic knowledge of musicals” (NewCity), takes participants on a guided tour behind-the-scenes of all things Follies. This four-week class covers the creation of the show and its original production along with major revivals and concerts, including changes made for the London production, which have never again been authorized for use. Guaranteed to be a one-of-a-kind opportunity to do a deep dive into one of the most revered works in the music theatre canon.

ABOUT STEPHEN WALLEM, BUDDY PLUMMER 

Stephen Wallem is overjoyed to return to the Chicago stage after beginning his professional career here from 1986 to 2008. Born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, he is a SAG Award-nominated actor best known as “Thor Lundgren” on the Emmy-winning Showtime series “Nurse Jackie.” He also recurred as “Winston” on “The Resident” (Fox) and, currently, “Rudy Syndergaard” on “Law and Order: SVU” (NBC). Other TV credits include “Difficult People” (Hulu), “Divorce” (HBO) and “Horace and Pete.” Wallem made his feature film debut in the hit romantic comedy “Marry Me” starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. His relationship with Stephen Sondheim musicals began with the second national tour of Into the Woods (“Rapunzel’s Prince”), Sunday in the Park with George (New American Theater) and continued at the Ravinia Festival Sondheim Series, appearing with Patti LuPone, George Hearn, Michael Cerveris and Audra McDonald in A Little Night Music, Passion and Sunday in the Park with George. His most recent stage credit was as “The Beadle” in Sweeney Todd at The Muny, where he was previously seen as “Shrek”(Shrek the Musical), “Horton the Elephant” (Seussical) and “Cowardly Lion” (The Wizard of Oz). Other favorite Midwest credits include “Max Bialystock” in The Producers (Farmers Alley), “Buddy” in Elf (Wagon Wheel), and “Judas/Padre” in Court Theatre’s Man of La Mancha (After Dark

Award, Jeff Award). He is also a two-time winner of the After Dark Award for Outstanding Cabaret Artist and a Chicago Cabaret Professionals' National Honoree for 2014. He teamed up with Edie Falco for the original cabaret The Other Steve and Edie in NYC and spent 12 years and 2500 performances playing both “Jinx” and “Sparky” in multiple companies of Forever Plaid, including the first national tour and the long-running production at the dearly departed Royal George Cabaret Theatre.

ABOUT MICHELLE DUFFY, PHYLLIS ROGERS STONE

Michelle Duffy is delighted beyond words to have returned to her beloved Chicago (after a 30+ year hiatus!) and deeply thrilled to be a part of this concert singing one of her all-time favorite Sondheim scores. Other recent Chicagoland appearances: “Mother Superior” in Sister Act at Drury Lane Oakbrook and “Bonnie” and others in Come From Away at Paramount. Broadway: OBC of Leap of Faith (OBCast album); OQ-Broadway: Originated “Ms. Fleming/Veronica’s Mom” in Heathers the Musical (Original Cast Album). Other recent regional: “Irene Adler” and others in Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt. 2B at Arizona Theatre Company and “Mrs. Dashwood/Anne” in Sense and Sensibility at Northern Stage. She has appeared in principal roles in theatres across the country and around the world such as The Guthrie, ACT, The Old Globe, The Goodman, Milwaukee Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public and The Barbican in London to name a few, and as a guest star in many television shows; most recently “Dark Matter,” “Law and Order,” “Chicago PD” and “Succession.” 

ABOUT ANGELA INGERSOLL, SALLY DURANT PLUMMER 

Angela Ingersoll is an Emmy-nominated and multi-award-winning actress, singer, producer, director and writer. She received an Emmy Award nomination for the PBS broadcast of her national concert tour “Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland.” She also won acclaim starring as Judy Garland in several productions of “End of the Rainbow,” receiving Chicago's Jeff Award, a BroadwayWorld Award and Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year in Theatre. Also: How to Succeed in Business ... (“Hedy,” Jeff nomination), The Mistress Cycle (“Anais Nin,” Jeff nomination), The Secret Garden (“Martha,” Jeff nomination), South Pacific (“Nellie”), Carousel (“Julie”), Jekyll and Hyde (“Lucy,” Ostrander Award), Disney's Beauty and the Beast (“Belle,” Ostrander Award), Man of La Mancha (“Aldonza,” Ostrander nomination), Ragtime (“Evelyn Nesbit,” Ostrander nomination), Macbeth (“Lady Macbeth,” Ostrander Award), Much Ado About Nothing (“Beatrice”), Richard III (“Lady Anne”), The Wizard of Oz (“Dorothy”) and The Second City (Chicago and Hollywood). Other television: “Chicago PD.” Other concerts include her one-woman show “The 12 Dames of Christmas” and appearances alongside her husband, entertainer and producer Michael Ingersoll. Ingersoll is the artistic director of Artists Lounge Live, a Chicago-based production company presenting concerts nationwide. She writes and directs many of their offerings.

ABOUT ANTHONY RAPP, BENJAMIN STONE

Anthony Rapp is thrilled to return to live and work in the city of his birth. Chicago is also where he earned his Equity card 45 years ago, when he was nine years old. He has since appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in National Tours, at Regional Theatres and in films and on television. But his proudest work these days is as the father, with his husband Ken, of their two sons, Rai (aged 3) and Keony (aged 2).

ABOUT MICHAEL WEBER, director 

Michael Weber is a nationally recognized, award-winning director, producer, actor and educator. Previous Porchlight productions include Sunday in the Park with George, Anything Goes, Cabaret, Sunset Boulevard, Gypsy and Merrily We Roll Along. He recently directed the Off-Broadway and European premieres of both Shake it Away: The Ann Miller Story and Call Me Elizabeth, written by and starring Kayla Boye. Under his artistic leadership, Porchlight Music Theatre was awarded Chicago’s Jeff Award for “Best Production” six times. He previously served as artistic director for the inaugural season of Chicago’s Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now Broadway in Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse) and at Theatre at the Center in Munster, Indiana. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, he has been nominated for nine awards and he wrote and directed 14 Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremonies (2006-2018). Weber’s regional acting credits include The Merry Widow (starring Renée Fleming) at Lyric Opera, Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia Festival, The Winter’s Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and more. A board member of The League of Chicago Theatres, he is author of the play WAR of the WELLeS (about Orson Welles’ infamous radio broadcast) and he is a longtime pledge host for PBS station WTTW channel 11.

ABOUT LINDA MADONIA, music director

Linda Madonia is thrilled to be back at Porchlight where she recently music directed the ICONS Gala Celebrating Leslie Uggams and previously worked on Titanique, Broadway in your Backyard, Anything Goes, Cabaret and A Chorus Line. Other recent projects include Legally Blonde: The Musical, Shrek the Musical, Mamma Mia! and Camelot at Music Theater Works and Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages and Sister Act at Mercury Theater Chicago. Linda also serves as the contractor for the Chicago Federation of Musicians for Porchlight Music Theatre, Music Theater Works and Teatro Zinzanni. She is the vocal coach for the master’s degree program in music theatre pedagogy at Carthage College and owns American Eagle Productions, which has been at the forefront of theatre education in the Chicago area for the past 35 years.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 31st season, is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach, we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.” 

Porchlight's history over nearly three decades includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. 

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form. 

The company’s many honors include 178 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 49 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 15 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards and has been honored with seven awards in this tier to date including Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies (2019) and Best Production-Revue for Blues in the Night (2022). 

Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago’s leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. In 2021, Porchlight launched its annual summer series, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city which continues this summer.

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announced that single tickets for the North American tour of the smash hit Broadway musical and global sensation, THE GREAT GATSBY, based on the beloved novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, will go on sale Friday, January 23. The party to end all parties will play Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) for a limited two-week engagement, April 21 - May 3.

Set in the Roaring Twenties, the story follows eccentric and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby, who will stop at nothing in the pursuit of the lost love of his youth, Daisy Buchanan. Through its fascinatingly nuanced characters – driven by complex inner lives, erupting with extravagance and longing – this epic tale has always been destined to sing. Now, it comes to life across North American stages, with a grand, Tony Award-winning production design befitting the 21^st century.

Through an electrifying jazz and pop-infused score, the epic story has landed on the Broadway musical stage for the first time ever, transporting sold-out audiences to an “extravaganza that explodes with life and energy” (Entertainment Weekly). THE GREAT GATSBY is winner of the 2024 Tony Award® for Best Costume Design, winner of the 2024 Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for Favorite New Musical, and winner of nine top awards for BroadwayWorld’s 2024 Theater Fan's Choice awards, including Best Musical.

“This production is a big, bold, Broadway version of The Great Gatsby. It’s thrilling to see these indelible characters and iconic moments from the novel come to life on stage.  This stage production, which honors the novel and its history while also speaking clearly to today’s audiences, is a terrific new iteration of this classic work.”  - The Estate of F. Scott Fitzgerald

THE GREAT GATSBY features music & lyrics by Tony Award nominees Jason Howland (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Little Women) and Nathan Tysen (Paradise Square), a book by Jonathan Larson Grant winner Kait Kerrigan (The Mad Ones), and is staged by award-winning director Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) and choreographer Dominique Kelley (“Mariah’s Magical Christmas Special”, “Dancing with the Stars”). 

THE GREAT GATSBY features Drama Desk Award-winning scenic & projection design by Paul Tate dePoo III (Spamalot, Tommy at The Kennedy Center), Tony Award-winning costume design by Linda Cho (Anastasia, A Gentleman’s Guide...), sound design by Tony Award winner Brian Ronan (Beautiful, The Book of Mormon), lighting design by Cory Pattak (Spamalot), and hair & wig design by Drama Desk Award winner Charles G. LaPointe (The Cher Show, Spongebob Squarepants) & Rachael Geier . Arrangements and Music Supervision are by Jason Howland, Orchestrations are by Jason Howland and Kim Scharnberg (Jekyll & Hyde), and casting is by Stephen Kopel and Jillian Cimini at C12 Casting (Gutenberg, & Juliet).

The Broadway production of THE GREAT GATSBY began previews at The Broadway Theatre on Friday, March 29, 2024, and opened on Thursday, April 25, 2024, where it continues to thrill audiences and break box office records. The Broadway production followed a record-breaking world-premiere engagement at Paper Mill Playhouse, where it was the highest grossing show in that organization’s history.

THE GREAT GATSBY made its West End debut at the London Coliseum, which began previews on April 11, 2025, officially opened on April 24, and closed on September 7. The successful Seoul production recently finished its residency at the GS Arts Center in the Gangnam District of Seoul.

One of the most popular novels of all time, The Great Gatsby is a New York Times and USA Today perennial best seller. It has sold over 30 million copies worldwide since its release in 1925 and continues to sell over 500,000 per year. The novel has been translated into over 42 different languages, and has been adapted into television shows, radio plays, video games, and multiple films – including the blockbuster Baz Luhrmann feature film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

The North American tour of THE GREAT GATSBY is produced by Chunsoo Shin, OD Company and NETworks Presentations.  Mark Shacket and Trinity Wheeler serve as Executive Producers for the production.  Worldwide management for THE GREAT GATSBY is handled by Foresight Theatrical.

Bios
CHUNSOO SHIN (Producer) Acclaimed Korean theatre producer, Chunsoo Shin is a 5-time winner of Korea's most prestigious theatrical award and the founder and president of OD Company, a world class theatrical production company in South Korea. Chunsoo Shin was the first musical producer to be awarded the Korean Pop Culture and Arts Prime Minister Award, Korea's most prestigious prize for popular culture and arts awarded by the government. As the first Korean producer to become a lead producer on Broadway, he has contributed in broadening the pathway for Korean producers’ international expansion throughout his producing career. Broadway:  Doctor Zhivago, Holler If Ya Hear Me. Korea: Sweeney Todd, Man of La Mancha, Jekyll & Hyde, Dreamgirls, Titanic, The Story of My Life. In development: The Lights in Firenze, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (La Jolla).

OD COMPANY (Producer) is a world class global theater producing company of South Korea. Theatrical credits include: Jekyll & Hyde, Dracula, Death Note, Grease, Doctor Zhivago, Il Tenore, Titanic, Dream Girls, Holler if Ya Hear Me, Sweeny Todd, Man of La Mancha, The Story of My Life . OD Company’s production are highly acclaimed by both critics and audiences for its matchless excellence of production quality. With passion and endeavor, OD Company aims to bring the most exciting theatrical experiences, and create a channel of communication between the audience and performance art. More information at ODMusical.com

NETWORKS PRESENTATIONS (Producer) is an industry-leading producer of touring theatrical productions, committed to delivering quality entertainment to audiences worldwide for more than 25 years. Current and upcoming productions include A Beautiful Noise, Beetlejuice, The Book of Mormon, Boop! The Musical,  Buena Vista Social Club, The Great Gatsby, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, Mark Twain Tonight!,  Cameron Mackintosh presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, Water for Elephants and The Wiz.

MARK SHACKET (Executive Producer) is a partner at Foresight Theatrical, one of the leading general management firms on Broadway.  Mark is Executive Producer for The Great Gatsby on Broadway and the West End.  He recently managed Funny Girl with Lea Michele and New York, New York on Broadway, and served as Executive Producer for Slave Play , receiving his first Tony Award nomination, and POTUS: Or, Behind Every Dumbass Are Seven Women Keeping Him Alive.  Mark serves on the board of Broadway Cares and has raised over $2.5 million for the charity through the poker event he co-founded, Broadway Bets. 

TRINITY WHEELER (Executive Producer) has been with NETworks Presentations for over 20 years. Broadway: 1776 (dirs. Diane Paulus and Jeffrey Page), Les Misérables. National tours: The Great Gatsby, The Sound of Music (dir. Jack O’Brien), 1776, Les Misérables, Peter Pan (dir. Lonny Price), A Beautiful Noise, Hairspray, Once on This Island, Waitress, The SpongeBob Musical, Chicago, Finding Neverland, Dirty Dancing, Bullets Over Broadway, Elf the Musical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Royal National Theatre production of Oklahoma!, The Wedding Singer, The Producers, The Wizard of Oz, The Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins, Young Frankenstein (dir. Susan Stroman) and Rent starring Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp.

For more information, visit https://broadwaygatsby.com/
Follow THE GREAT GATSBY on Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube, and Instagram.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, April 21 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 22 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 23 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, April 24 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 25 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 26 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 28 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 29 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 30 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 1 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 2 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 3 – 1:00 p.m.
 
TICKET INFORMATION (as of January 22, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for THE GREAT GATSBY will go on sale Friday, January 23 and range from $49.00 - $140.00 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 Second City e.t.c. is proud to announce its next hit show Improv Supernova, a fully improvised explosion of comedy starting January 22. While Second City is legendary for both razor-sharp sketch comedy and world-class improv, Improv Supernova is all about the latter: no pre-written material, no scripts, and no safety net. Fueled by audience suggestions and inspired by the world we're living in, this show is created live by seasoned Second City artists. Every performance is entirely in the moment and never repeated - pure, high-wire improv from first laugh to final curtain call.

Directed by legendary Chicago comedy thought leader Anne Libera, Improv Supernova's electric cast features Kennedy Baldwin, Anna Bortnick, Chas Lilly, Annie Sullivan, Max Thomas, and Riley Woollen. Musical direction by John Love and stage managed by Abby Beggs.

"Chicago has always been the heart of innovative improvisation," notes director Anne Libera. "The Second City e.t.c.'s Improv Supernova takes that legacy to a new level, featuring some of the best the city has to offer, creating a different performance every night - with improvisation that's deeply human, wildly funny, and built to surprise."

Improv Supernova represents an exciting pivot for the e.t.c. stage. This production redefines the e.t.c. as the professional home for hilarious, story-driven improvisation. Unscripted, unpredictable, and unhinged. The Second City Mainstage has always been known for top-shelf satirical sketch comedy, and now The Second City e.t.c. is home to the best improv show in Chicago. No two performances are the same, and nothing is ever repeated.

Performances start January 22, 2026, and run Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., and Sundays at 7 p.m. In honor of The Second City's founding year, Thursday tickets are $19.59.

Located at 230 W. North Avenue Chicago, IL 60610. Tickets are available at The Second City Box office, by phone at 312-337-3992 or online at www.secondcity.com. 

The producing team includes Ed Wells (CEO), Elizabeth Howard (Executive Producer), Jen Ellison (VP, Creative), Jeremy Smith (General Manager), Thomas J. Troup II (Producer, Resident Stages), and Nick Solideo (Senior Producer).

About the Artists
Kennedy Baldwin (Ensemble)(She/They) is a performer born and raised in Chicago, IL. They started taking improv classes in 2016 at The Second City, CIC, iO and The Chicago Improv Den. They toured with The Second City Touring Company for 2.5 years where they had some of the best times of their life. In 2018, they became a founding member of Logan Square Improv where they produce shows and perform with their best friends.

Abby Beggs (Stage Manager & Lighting Designer) (She/Her) is happy to be back working with the Second City again! Originally hailing from Boston, she moved to Chicago in 2015 to pursue design, production management, and stage management. Her past credits include: Legendary Laughs, She the People, Deck the Hallmark. Gaslight District (The Second City); Bagatelle, Cunning Little Vixen, L'Enfant et les Sortileges, L'incoronazione diPoppea (Roosevelt University); Blue Window (Brown Box Theatre Project); Gallo (Guerilla Opera), Boeing Boeing, Barefoot in the Park, Good People, The Scene (Dorset Theatre Festival), and Fen (Whistler in the Dark,) among others.

Anna Bortnick (Ensemble) (She/Her) is so excited to join The Second City ETC ensemble! She has performed across the country with The Second City National Touring Company. Anna is also a member of the musical improv company, BABY WANTS CANDY and SHAMILTON (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Second City.) She received her B.F.A. from Boston University and has trained at the Eugene O'Neill National Theater Institute. She is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent.

Anne Libera (Director) (She, her) is Director of Comedy Studies at The Second City where she also serves as Artistic Consultant. She is an Associate Professor at Columbia College Chicago where she created and coordinates the Comedy Writing and Performance BA. She served as the Executive Artistic Director of The Second City Training Centers from 2001 to 2009. Directing credits include Stephen Colbert's one man show Describing a Circle, Arrivals and Departures, The Madness of Curious George, Computer Chips and Salsa, The Second City Goes to War as well as Second City multiple Second City touring productions all over the world. Her recent book Funnier: A New Theory for the Practice of Comedy is published by Northwestern University Press who also published her first book The Second City Almanac of Improvisation. She served as Director of Improv Pedagogy for the Second Science Project (Second City and UC Chicago CDR) which married the studies of improvisation and behavioral science and co-created the Improvisation for Caregivers program with Caring Across Generations. The long list of her former students who have gone on to success in improvisation and comedy includes (just to name a few): Ashley Nicole Black, Aidy Bryant, Kay Cannon, Chelsea Devantez, Jordan Klepper, Amy Poehler, Kristen Schaal, Asha Ward and Steven Yeun. Anne has presented on topics in improvisation and comedy at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Chicago Ideas Week, Twitter, Code Conference, and guest lectured at the Stanford Business School.

Chas Lilly (Ensemble) (He/Him) is originally from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, but has been living and performing in Chicago for over a decade. When not on the e.t.c. stage, you'll find him playing music with his band (@KidCopter) or improvising with his friends at Logan Square Improv.

John Love (Musical Director, Original Music & Sound Design) (He/Him) plays music. An alumnus of The Second City's National Touring Company, he has played pianos (mostly good, some bad) all across the country and Chicago. He pursues original musical endeavors available on Spotify/social media- working as a studio musician for Ersatz Records and a bandmate for the groups Kid Copter and Vienna.

Annie Sullivan (Ensemble) (she/they) is a writer, performer, and all-around sweetheart originally from Kansas City and an alum of Columbia College Chicago. She's absolutely stoked to be performing with The Second City's E.T.C. cast. Annie is also a former ensemble member of The Second City's National Touring Company (GreenCo forever!). Other comedy credits include Blast! (iO Theatre), Devil's Daughter (iO Theatre), HOLY F*CK (The Annoyance Theatre), and Hot Reads (Logan Square Improv). Annie is currently represented by BMGTalent.

Max Thomas (Ensemble) (He, Him) has been featured on Comedy Central,The Comedy Store West Hollywood, The NBC Break Out Comedy Festival at The Second City Chicago & Hollywood, Zanies Chicago & Rosemont, Tiny Cupboard Brooklyn, Laugh Factory Chicago, Steppenwolf Theater:1919, Black & Funny Festival, Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Othello, Berkeley Rep: Comedian Rhapsody, Woolly Mammoth Theatre: Dance Like There's Black People Watching, Kenan Thompson: The Ultimate Comedy Experience and Lollapalooza Music Festival. He is The Chicago Reader Best Stage Actor 2022.

Riley Woollen (Ensemble) (he/him) is thrilled to be joining The Second City ETC!  He is a comedian and playwright from Brooklyn, New York. Beyond Second City, he's also a founding producer and ensemble member of "The Orbit," Chicago's only improvised show in the round.

About The Second City

The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world's most influential name in improvisation and comedy, celebrating its 65th year in business. The Second City's stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad and artistic home for many of the funniest performers, writers, directors, and comedic minds on the planet. As well, for decades The Second City's corporate education and entertainment arm, Second City Works, has supported global businesses using the same methods pioneered on its stages to drive individual growth and organizational improvement.

For more information on The Second City, visit www.secondcity.com and follow The Second City on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 50th Anniversary Season with Windfall, a gripping new work by Academy Award-winning ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney, directed by Awoye Timpo, playing April 9 – May 31, 2026 in Steppenwolf's Ensemble Theater, 1646 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Single tickets are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. The press opening is Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 6 pm.

Windfall reunites ensemble members Alana Arenas, Glenn Davis and Jon Michael Hill, who starred in Steppenwolf's Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Purpose, joined by ensemble member Namir Smallwood, direct from his Broadway turn in Bug opposite ensemble member Carrie Coon. Additional casting to be announced.

About the Production:

This is a story about money. Don't let them fool you otherwise. When a father loses his child in a clash with the police, he is visited by three strangers who advise him to take the city's cash settlement, relocate and forget his grief – or else remain, haunted by memories of the world his child fought so hard to protect. This lyrical world premiere is a vital and timely look at the spirit of activism set against the most indifferent system of them all: the almighty dollar.

Steppenwolf Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis comment, "When we commissioned ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney to write a new play specifically built for our in-the-round Ensemble Theater as a centerpiece of Steppenwolf's 50th season, we weren't sure what he'd create. But, given that Tarell is one of the most talented writers of his generation, we were not at all surprised that he delivered a stunning, lyrical and undeniably bold script. This is a play for our moment, for our city, tailor made for an ensemble cast and this unique venue. We eagerly anticipate sharing this vital Chicago story with our community."

The creative team includes Andrew Boyce (Scenic Design), Qween Jean (Costume Design), Jason Lynch (Lighting Design), Willow James (Sound Design), Bryar Barborka (Dramaturg), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Tom Pearl (Producing Director), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting), Michelle Medvin (Production Stage Manager) and Kathleen Barrett (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, click here.

Production Details:

Title: Windfall
Playwright: ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney
Director: Awoye Timpo
Cast: ensemble members Alana Arenas (First Lady, Second Wife, Miss Second, The Last One) Glenn Davis (Marcus), Jon Michael Hill (Nurse, Cori) and Namir Smallwood (Officer, Brother 1). Additional casting to be announced.

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

Dates: Previews: Thursday, April 9 – Saturday, April 18, 2026
Opening: Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 6 pm
Regular run: Tuesday, April 21 – Sunday, May 31, 2026
Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be 7:30 pm performances on Tuesday, April 14, Wednesday, April 22, Tuesday, April 28, Tuesday, May 5, Saturday, May 9 (Steppenwolf Gala) and Tuesday, May 26; there will not be at 3 pm performance on Saturday, May 9 (Steppenwolf Gala); there will be an added 7:30 pm performance on Sunday, April 26; there will be an added 2 pm matinee on Wednesday, May 20.

Tickets: Single tickets for Windfall ($20 – $148.50*) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are currently on sale at steppenwolf.org/memberships: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30. *Pricing includes an $8.50 handling fee

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

Accessible Performance Dates:

Audio-Described and Touch Tour:  Sunday, May 24 at 3 pm (1:30 pm Touch Tour)
Open-Captioned: Saturday, May 16 at 3 pm & Thursday, May 21 at 7:30 pm
ASL-Interpreted: Friday, May 29 at 7:30 pm

Education and Engagement:

Throughout the 2025/26 season, Steppenwolf continues its commitment to the next generation of theatre learners, makers and appreciators with robust education and engagement programming. Programming includes dedicated student matinee performances during four of the five Membership Series productions including Mr. Wolf, Amadeus, The Dance of Death and Windfall, in-school residencies in partnership with Chicago Public schools, workshops, panels and events specifically geared towards teens, as well as professional development trainings and resources for educators. Additionally, Steppenwolf is reimagining their community engagement and will pilot new public programming, continue accessibility programming and offer opportunities for deeper explorations for audiences throughout the season. For additional information about Steppenwolf's Education and Engagement programming and to register your school for a field trip visit steppenwolf.org/education-and-engagement/steppenwolf-field-trip-series.

Artist Biographies:

Tarell Alvin McCraney (Playwright, he/him) is Artistic Director of Geffen Playhouse. In this role, he is responsible for identifying, developing and programming new works and re-envisioned classics. He sets the strategic artistic course for the Geffen's Gil Cates and Audrey Skirball Kenis Theaters. McCraney is an award-winning writer, producer and educator, best known for his acclaimed trilogy, The Brother/Sister Plays. His script In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue is the basis for the Oscar–winning film Moonlight directed by Barry Jenkins, for which McCraney and Jenkins also won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. He is an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre and a member of Teo Castellanos D-Projects in Miami, a graduate of New World School of the Arts, The Theatre School at DePaul University and the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Warwick. He was recently Co-Chair of Playwriting at the David Geffen School of Drama, where he remains on faculty. He is an associate at the Royal Shakespeare Company, London, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Writers Branch).

Awoye Timpo (Director) is a Brooklyn-based Director and Producer. She recently directed Ngozi Anyanwu's Leroy & Lucy at the Steppenwolf. Her recent New York credits include The Swamp Dwellers by Wole Soyinka (TFANA), Syncing Ink by NSangou Njikam (Apollo Theater), Elyria by Deepa Purohit (Atlantic Theater), Wedding Band by Alice Childress (Theatre for a New Audience), In Old Age by Mfoniso Udofia (New York Theatre Workshop), Carnaval by Nikkole Salter (National Black Theatre), Good Grief by Ngozi Anyanwu (Vineyard Theatre and Audible) and The Homecoming Queen by Ngozi Anyanwu (Atlantic Theater Company). Regionally she has directed at the Huntington, Studio Theatre, Paradise Blue, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Berkeley Rep, Marin Theatre Company. Other projects include concert performances for independent artists as well as for the NBA, Ndebele Funeral (59E59, Edinburgh, South African Tour), "Black Picture Show" (Artists Space/Metrograph), and Bluebird Memories (Audible). Awoye is a Creative Arts Consultant for the African American Policy Forum and the Founding Producer of Classix, a collective of 5 artists created to explode the classical canon through an exploration of dramatic works by Black writers and Black performance history, theclassix.org.

Alana Arenas (First Lady, Second Wife, Miss Second, The Last One) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2007. She most recently appeared in Steppenwolf's world premiere of Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins in Chicago and on Broadway (Tony Award – Best Play). Alana also created the role of Pecola Breedlove for the Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of The Bluest Eye, which also played at the New Victory Theater Off-Broadway. Recent Steppenwolf appearances include: the Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of Monster, The Fundamentals, Marie Antoinette, Tribes, Belleville, Head of Passes, Good People, Three Sisters, The March, Man in Love, Middletown, The Hot L Baltimore, The Etiquette of Vigilance, The Brother/Sister Plays, The Tempest, The Crucible, Spare Change and The Sparrow Project. Broadway: Purpose. Other theatre credits include Disgraced (American Theater Company), The Arabian Nights (Lookingglass Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Kansas City Repertory Theatre), Eyes (eta Creative Arts), SOST (MPAACT), WVON (Black Ensemble Theater) and Hecuba (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Television and film credits include David Makes Man, Canal Street, Crisis, Boss, The Beast, Kabuku Rides and Lioness of Lisabi. She is originally from Miami, Florida, where she began her training at the New World School of the Arts. Alana holds a BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Glenn Davis (Marcus) is an actor, producer and Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, alongside Audrey Francis, where he has been an ensemble member since 2017. He most recently appeared in Steppenwolf's world premiere of Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins in Chicago and on Broadway (Tony Award – Best Play, Tony nomination – Best Featured Actor). Other Steppenwolf credits include Downstate, The Christians, You Got Older, The Brother/Sister Plays, Head of Passes, King James (also Mark Taper Forum), Describe the Night. Broadway credits include: Purpose; Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (also Kirk Douglas Theatre, Mark Taper Forum). Off-Broadway credits include Transfers (MCC Theatre), Wig Out! (Vineyard Theatre), Downstate (Playwrights Horizons, Outer Critics Circle Nomination) and King James (MTC). Other regional credits include Moscow x6 (Williamstown Theatre Festival). International credits include Downstate (National Theatre, UK); Edward II, The Winter's Tale and As You Like It (Stratford Festival); Othello (The Shakespeare Company). Television credits include Billions, 24, The Unit, Jericho and The Good Wife. Glenn is an Artistic Associate at the Young Vic in London and at the Vineyard Theatre in New York. He is also a partner in Cast Iron Entertainment, a collective of artists consisting of Sterling K Brown, Brian Tyree Henry, Jon Michael Hill, Andre Holland and Tarell Alvin McCraney. Cast Iron is currently in residence at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. In 2021, Glenn founded The Chatham Grove Company along with his producing partner Tarell Alvin McCraney.

Jon Michael Hill (Nurse, Cori) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2007. He most recently appeared in Steppenwolf's world premiere of Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins in Chicago and on Broadway (Tony Award – Best Play, Tony nomination – Lead Actor). Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Leroy and Lucy, True West (also Galway Arts Festival), Pass Over, Constellations, Head of Passes, The Hot L Baltimore, The Tempest, Kafka on the Shore, The Unmentionables. Broadway: Purpose, Superior Donuts, Pass Over. Off-Broadway: The Refuge Plays (New York Theatre Workshop) Pass Over (Lincoln Center). Film: Pass Over, Widows, In The Radiant City, No Pay, Nudity. Television: A Man in Full (Netflix), Elementary (CBS), Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC), Eastbound and Down (HBO), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) and Person of Interest (CBS).

Namir Smallwood (Officer, Brother 1) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2017. He is currently starring in ensemble member Tracy Letts's Bug on Broadway opposite, ensemble member Carrie Coon. Steppenwolf: Mr. Wolf, You Will Get Sick, The Book of Grace, Seagull, Bug, True West, BLKS, Monster, Man In Love, The Hot L Baltimore, Last Night and the Night Before. Broadway: Pass Over, Bug. Off Broadway: Pipeline, Pass Over (Lincoln Center). Chicago: The Lost Boys of Sudan (Victory Gardens Theater); Charm (Northlight Theatre); The Grapes of Wrath (The Gift Theatre); East Texas Hot Links (Writers Theatre). Regional: Marin Theatre Company, Pillsbury House Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, Guthrie Theater. International: True West (Galway International Arts Festival). Television: Chicago Fire, Betrayal, Elementary, American Rust (Showtime/FreeVee); Power Book IV: Force (STARZ). Film: Rounding.

Accessibility:

As a commitment to make the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each STC production. Assistive listening devices (ALDs), large-print programs and Braille programs are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sponsor Information:

Windfall is supported in part by Conagra Brands Foundation, Laurents/Hatcher Foundation, and CNA. 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 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.