Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, concluded its 2025/26 season by shattering box office, attendance, and fundraising records, and cementing its position as a premier national hub for theatre excellence and community engagement. The critically acclaimed five-show season in the Studio Gang Architects-designed building at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe, earned a collective 17 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations, recognizing every production, including Hershey Felder's Rachmaninoff and the Tsar, As You Like It, Two Sisters and a Piano, JOB, and Leopoldstadt.

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

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

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

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

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

Commitment to Artistic Development and New Work

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sisters

Written by Matthew Libby
Directed by Jessica Thebus

August 13 – November 8, 2026

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

The Royale

Written by Marco Ramirez
Directed by Tyrone Phillips

October 22 – November 29, 2026

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

Noël Coward's Brief Encounter

Adapted for the stage by Emma Rice

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

Choreographed by William Carlos Angulo

Music Supervision by Matt Deitchman

February 11 – March 28, 2027

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

Creditors 

By August Strindberg 

Adapted by Jen Silverman 
Directed by Braden Abraham 

April 8 – July 3, 2027 

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

Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me

A new play with music

Book by Hershey Felder

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

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

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

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

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE

Writers Theatre proudly celebrates its 35th Season.  

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

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

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

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

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