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A Red Orchid Theatre is thrilled to announce a remount of its critically-acclaimed, father-daughter drama Birds of North America, returning for a limited engagement September 10 – October 4, 2026 at 1531 N. Wells St. in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. Written by Anna Ouyang Moench and directed by Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald*, the remount will feature the full original cast and creative team. Single tickets are now on sale at aredorchidtheatre.org or by calling (312) 943-8722. 

Reprising their original roles in Birds of North America are Ensemble Member John Judd* with Cassidy Slaughter-Mason. Understudies include Sahar Dika and Guy Wicke.

Birds of North America recently received seven 2026 Equity Jeff Award nominations including Best Play, Best Director (Kirsten Fitzgerald), Best Performer in a Principal Role (John Judd and Cassidy Slaughter Mason), Best Scenic Design (Morgan Laszlo) and Best Sound Design and Best Original Music in a Play (Ethan Korvne).

About the Production:

John and his daughter Caitlyn are birders. As they scan the skies over their backyard in suburban Maryland looking for elusive birds, years go by. Relationships begin and end. Children grow up and parents age. The climate and the world change in small and vast ways. Birds of North America takes a close look at the relationship of a father and daughter over the course of a decade as they struggle to understand the parts of one another that defy understanding. 

Birds of North America received critical acclaim during its sell-out Chicago premiere:

★★★★

"A gorgeous little 90-minute two-hander, a beautifully acted and directed

father-daughter play capable of transporting you away... I was transported"

"[John] Judd, one of the Chicago theater's most remarkable actors [is] a perfect fit for this role...

a really beautiful performance and one of Judd's best. (I've seen many.)"

–Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

★★★½

"A gripping generational dialogue... Slaughter-Mason's performance in this production is moving."

–Mike Davis, Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ Chicago

RECOMMENDED! "A tender portrait that walks the taut line

between pain and sentimentality with the vivid humor of recognition."

–Irene Hsiao, Chicago Reader

The production team includes Morgan Laszlo (Scenic Designer), Ben Argenta Kress (Costume Designer), Seojung Jang (Lighting Designer), Ethan Korvne (Composer & Sound Designer), Spencer Diaz Tootle (Props Designer and Set Dressing), Jojo Brown (Dramaturg), Amy Carpenter (Assistant Director), Kyle Stoffers (Casting Director), Kira Nutter (Production Manager), Tom Daniel (Technical Director). Alivia Arizaga (Stage Manager) and Faith Locke (Assistant Stage Manager).

Subscribers for A Red Orchid's 2026/27 Season may add Birds of North America to their package at a discounted rate. Season subscriptions are currently on sale at aredorchidtheatre.org/season-34.

*Denotes A Red Orchid Theatre Ensemble Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Birds of North America

Playwright: Anna Ouyang Moench
Director: Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald*
Cast: Ensemble Member John Judd* (John) with Cassidy Slaughter-Mason (Caitlyn)

Understudies: Sahar Dika and Guy Wicke

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago

Dates: Opening: Thursday September 10, 2026 at 7 pm

Regular run: Friday, September 11 – Sunday, October 4, 2026 Curtain Times: Thursdays and Fridays at 7 pm; Saturdays 3 pm & 7 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm.

Tickets: $61*. Access, student, senior and group discounts available.  Single tickets are now on sale at 12 pm at aredorchidtheatre.org or by calling (312) 943-8722. *Ticket prices include a processing fee.

About the Artists:

Anna Ouyang Moench (Playwright, she/her) is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Her plays include Your Local Theater Presents: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, Again, Man of God, Birds of North America, Mothers and Sin Eaters. Anna's work has been produced at the La Jolla Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Geffen Playhouse, East West Players, the Playwrights Realm, NAATCO at the Public Theater, A Red Orchid Theater Company, The Gift Theatre, and many others. She is a former Jerome Fellow at the Playwrights' Center, Van Lier fellow at the Lark and Page One fellow at the Playwrights Realm. Awards include two 2023 WGA Awards for her work on Severance (Apple TV+), the 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award, the Gerbode Special Award in the Arts, the Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting Award from the Kennedy Center, and the NYFA Award in Playwriting/Screenwriting. Anna received her MFA in Playwriting from UCSD and now lives

in Los Angeles with her family.

Kirsten Fitzgerald (Director, she/her) is a proud member of the Ensemble at A Red Orchid Theatre and has served as the Artistic Director since 2008. Recent directing credits include the world premiere of Gorgeous by Keiko Green at Raven Theatre, The Moors at A Red Orchid (Jeff Award for Best Production and Best Director of a Play-Midsize) and Dance Nation at Northwestern University's Wirtz Center. As an actor Kirsten has originated roles in the world premieres of The Cave, Grey House, Traitor, Pilgrim's Progress, Weapon of Mass Impact, and more (A Red Orchid); Swing State, I hate It Here (Goodman); Lettie, Appropriate (Victory Gardens); Mary Page Marlow, The Qualms (Steppenwolf). TV: Dark Matter, Shining Girls, Somebody Somewhere, The Exorcist, Sirens, The Big Leap, Chicago Med/Fire/Justice, Underemployed, ER. Film: Widows, Working Man. Kirsten is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent.

John Judd (John, he/him) last appeared on the A Red Orchid Theatre stage in Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin, and was previously seen in The Cave, The Malignant Ampersand, and Gagarin Way, as well as the McCarter Theatre's presentation of Simpatico. A Chicago based actor for forty years, John has acted at The Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writer's Theatre, Court Theatre, Drury Lane, Northlight, Shattered Globe, Lookingglass, Victory Gardens and Next, as well as numerous regional, international and Off-Broadway venues.

Cassidy Slaughter-Mason (Caitlyn, she/her) is a Chicago based actor and writer. Recent theater credits include: Brooklyn Laundry (Northlight Theatre), The Luckiest (Raven Theatre, Equity Jeff Award for Best Performer in a Principal Role), How a Boy Falls (Northlight Theatre), Kiss (Haven Theatre), Significant Other (Theatre Wit/About Face) and Rapture Blister Burn (Goodman Theatre, Equity Jeff nomination for Performer in a Supporting Role). Film and TV credits include: All Happy Families, Ultra-City Smiths, Chicago Fire and Easy. Her short film Rabbit Rabbit (co-written with Poppy Golland) will stream this spring on OpenTV. Cassidy is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.

 Lead Production Sponsor: Zell Family Foundation. Production Sponsor: Northern Trust.

About A Red Orchid Theatre:

A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 32 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories.  

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Karen Aldridge, Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Esteban Andres Cruz, Dado, Mike Durst, Sherman Edwards, Myron Elliott, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Levi Holloway, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, John Judd, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Travis A. Knight, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Sadieh Rifai, Grant Sabin, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West.  

Back by popular demand, the sold out hit, THE BOOK OF MORMON , is returning to Chicago! Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce tickets will go on sale on Friday, August 7. THE BOOK OF MORMON will play Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) for a limited engagement, October 23 – November 1.THE BOOK OF MORMON tour production photos can be found here.THE BOOK OF MORMON features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. The Broadway production is directed by Parker and two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw, and choreographed by Nicholaw. The tour is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner based on the original Broadway direction and choreography. Set design is by three-time Tony Award winner Scott Pask, costume design is by Tony Award winner Ann Roth , lighting design is by five-time Tony Award winner Brian MacDevitt, sound design is by two-time Tony Award winner Brian Ronan, and hair design is by Josh Marquette. Orchestrations are by Tony Award winner Larry Hochman and two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Oremus. Music supervision and vocal arrangements are by Stephen Oremus. Casting is by Carrie Gardner.Since opening on March 24, 2011, THE BOOK OF MORMON  has become one of the most successful shows in Broadway history, breaking the Eugene O’Neill Theatre house record more than 50 times. In addition to nine Tony Awards including Best Musical and the Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album, THE BOOK OF MORMON  won five Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, the NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the Drama League Award for Best Musical and four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Musical.The West End production opened in February 2013, winning four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical, and breaking the record for the highest single day of sales in West End history. The first-ever UK and European tour launched in Manchester in June 2019, winning ‘Best Theatre Show’ at the Manchester Evening News City Life Awards before touring throughout the UK and Europe.THE BOOK OF MORMON has been performed on three continents and has won over 30 international awards. The musical has smashed long-standing box office records in New York, London, Melbourne, Sydney and in cities across the U.S. and the world.The Original Broadway Cast Recording for THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, is available on Ghostlight Records.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. www.networkstours.comFor more information, visit thebookofmormontour.com

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, October 23 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 27 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 28 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 29 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, October 30 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 31 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 1 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (As of August 6, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for THE BOOK OF MORMON go on sale Friday, August 7 and range from $49.00 - $139.00 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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#broadwayinchicago

Producing Artistic Director Kyle A. Dougan and Music Theater Works are proud to announce its 47th season. The 2027 season at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd. includes Parade, March 4 - 28, 2027; Bye Bye Birdie, August 12 - 22, 2027; Mary Poppins, October 7 - 31, 2027, and the fourth and final show to be announced, December 16, 2027 - January 2, 2028. Parade and Mary Poppins will be in the North Theatre where Music Theater Works reimagines shows to fit the more intimate space while Bye Bye Birdie and the fourth show will be performed at the George Van Dusen Theatre to showcase these shows on a larger scale. Current members may renew for the 2027 season now with new memberships available beginning Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 12 p.m. and single tickets for all the 2027 productions will go on sale Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2027 at 12 p.m. For more information on the 47th season go toMusicTheaterWorks.com and for membership renewals call 847-673-6300.

"This season tells the story of who we are. From the urgent humanity of Parade to the infectious joy of Bye Bye Birdie, the timeless magic of Mary Poppins and an exciting finale still to come, each production reflects our belief that musicals have the power to unite us across generations,” said Producing Artistic Director Kyle Dougan-LeBlanc. As we celebrate 47 years, we aren't simply looking back, we're investing in the future of this art form by creating experiences that are intimate, inclusive, artistically bold and deeply connected to our community. That has always been our purpose, and it's what will carry Music Theater Works into the future.”

The Music Theater Works 2027 season includes:

PARADE

March 4 - 28, 2027

Book by Alfred Uhry

Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown

North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie

Parade is the daring, Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece from Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy) and Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, The Bridges of Madison County). Based on a true story, Parade follows Leo and Lucille Frank, a young Jewish couple from New York whose new life in early 20th-century Georgia is upended when Leo is accused of a devastating crime. As their marriage, faith and belief in justice are tested, they confront prejudice, political pressure and a community searching for someone to blame. In this unflinching, intimate production, Parade brings audiences face-to-face with a story of love, resilience and the enduring pursuit of truth.

BYE BYE BIRDIE

August 12 - 22, 2027 

Book by Michael Stewart

Music by Charles Strouse

Lyrics by Lee Adams

George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie

A Tony Award-winning and classic musical comedy set in small-town 1950s America, Bye Bye Birdie tells the story of rock & roll star “Conrad Birdie.” When Conrad gets drafted into the Army, he plans to say a final goodbye to the town of Sweet Apple, Ohio - but not without a farewell kiss! Based on the events of Elvis Presley’s own draft into the Army in 1957, Bye Bye Birdie is a sweet, lighthearted musical filled with young romance and just a bit of chaos featuring the classics “Put on a Happy Face,” “How Lovely to Be a Woman” and, of course, “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s

MARY POPPINS 

October 7 - 31, 2027

Book by Julian Fellowes

A musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film

Original Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

Book by Julian Fellowes

New Songs and Additional Music and Lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe

Co-Created by Cameron Mackintosh

North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie

Cameron Mackintosh's and Disney’s Tony Award-winning “Best Musical” Mary Poppins brings its timeless magic to audiences of all ages. Set inside a child’s oversized Victorian doll house that bursts open with imagination, wonder and theatrical magic, everyone’s favorite nanny arrives with her iconic umbrella to take the Banks family, and audiences, on an unforgettable journey. Featuring beloved songs including “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “Step in Time,” this enchanting production is filled with breathtaking dance, dazzling visual moments and heartwarming storytelling. A magical experience for both children discovering the wonder of the story for the first time and adults rediscovering the joy and nostalgia of a beloved classic, Mary Poppins is a family adventure where imagination takes flight and everything is truly “Practically Perfect.”

Show #4

December 16, 2027 - January 2, 2028

George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie

Award-winning Redtwist Theatre’s new 22nd season, “State of Violence,” begins with Prayer Circle, September 17 - November 8, by Erik Gernand and directed by Executive Artistic Director Dusty Brown, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Preview performances are Thursday, Sept. 17, Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Regular performance schedule includes Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. Single tickets are on sale starting August 15 for $50 (seniors and veterans: $35; students: $10 and Fridays are Pay-What-You-Can) with subscriptions also available at RedtwistTheatre.org. 

As the world hurtles ever faster in the wrong direction, Addy discovers she may have the power to make it better. Joining with the members of a small town prayer circle, four people try to convince their pastor to pray with them… to bring about some killer results. Erik Gernand, Redtwist’s resident playwright, invites audiences to a darkly comedic debate - how far would you go to save your country?

The cast of Prayer Circle includes Jaqueline Grandt* (Marilyn); Philip Matthews* (Pastor Evans); Andi Muriel (Addy); Kezia Waters (Doug); Macaria Chaparro Martinez* (Carol); Natalie Rae (Marilyn U/S); Jeff Menezes (Pastor Evans U/S); Jessie Skonesey (Addy U/S) and Marco Antonio Perez (Doug U/S).

The creative team of Prayer Circle includes Erik Gernand (playwright); Dusty Brown (director); Joshua Servantez (assistant director); Jeff Brain* (scenic designer); Leo Bassow* (props designer); Piper Kirchhoffer* (lighting designer); Madeline Felauer (costume designer) and Charlie Tolbert (production manager).

*denotes Redtwist Theatre Ensemble Member

ABOUT ERIK GERNAND, playwright 

Erik Gernand is a Chicago-based playwright and filmmaker. His play The Totality of All Things won a Jeff Award for Best New Work for its 2024 production at Redtwist Theatre where he is the playwright in residence. His plays have been produced around the country, including at The Barrow Group (New York City), The ROAD Theatre Company (Los Angeles) and City Theatre (Miami) and have been published by Dramatic Publishing and Smith & Kraus. His award-winning short films have screened at more than 100 film festivals around the world including SXSW, Cinequest, Outfest and the Chicago International Film Festival and have been broadcast on IFC, PBS and The Logo Channel. Gernand is a professor of instruction in radio-TV-film at Northwestern University.

ABOUT DUSTY BROWN, director

Dusty Brown is the executive artistic director of Redtwist Theatre. They began their career as a stage hand in Atlanta, Georgia, working on everything from Shakespeare to new works, and everything in between. They received their MFA in directing from Ohio University in 2021. Notable productions include: Steve Yockey's Wolves at Redtwist and Pluto at Ohio University; William Shakespeare's Macbeth at Three Crows and Ohio University; Tracy Letts' Bug at Ohio University; Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd at DramaTech in Atlanta; Uffizi at Bottled Lightning in Atlanta and Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park at Vox Populi Productions in Chattanooga.

The 2026 - 2027 Redtwist Theatre season also includes:

SHOW TWO - TO BE ANNOUNCED

January 28 - March 14, 2027

Previews: Thursday, Jan. 28 - Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Opening Night: Sunday, Jan. 31 at 3:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule: Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. 

Tickets: $50 (seniors and veterans: $35; students: $10 and Fridays are Pay-What-You-Can)

Single tickets go on sale Saturday, Aug. 15

Redtwist Theatre will be announcing the second production at a later date. 

Julius Caesar

April 8 - May 30, 2027

Written by William Shakespeare

Previews: Thursday, April 8 - Saturday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Opening Night: Sunday, April 11 at 3:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule: Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. 

Tickets: $50 (seniors and veterans: $35; students: $10 and Fridays are Pay-What-You-Can)

Single tickets go on sale Saturday, Aug. 15

“Friends, Romans, Countrymen…” Something’s rotten in the republic. Most people know what happened on the Ides of March, but do they remember what came next? Join Redtwist in a riveting new take on Shakespeare’s classic story of political violence and its consequences. 

Twisted Tuesday New Play Readings

Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

On select Tuesdays, Redtwist welcomes audiences for a new play reading from a variety of Chicago-based playwrights. All readings are Pay-What-You-Can.

One-On-Wednesday

Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

For three years, each Wednesday, Redtwist invites unique solo performers to take over its space and bring their singular, edgy perspective to the black box in Edgewater. All performances are Pay-What-You-Can.

Twisted PlayFest

Summer 2027

Returning for its third season, Twisted PlayFest is a new play incubator that provides ongoing play readings and development for aspiring Chicago playwrights. The centerpiece of this initiative is the annual Twisted Play Festival. The festival features ten plays at various stages of development. 

ABOUT REDTWIST THEATRE

Redtwist is an award-winning theatre company that has for 22 seasons staged up close and personal contemporary dramas annually in its intimate black box theatre housed proudly within the heart of Edgewater’s Bryn Mawr Historic District. 

Performances at Redtwist are designed to place the theatre patron in the midst of the stories being told, making them accessible and riveting. Redtwist strives for excellence with every project and endeavors to take risks while offering opportunities for up-and-coming actors, designers and directors to work with established talent. Redtwist provides the very best Chicago storefront theatre experience from excellence on stage, to warm hospitality in a clean, friendly environment.

Award-winning Redtwist Theatre’s new 22nd season, “State of Violence,” begins with Prayer Circle, September 17 - November 8, by Erik Gernand and directed by Executive Artistic Director Dusty Brown at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Preview performances are Thursday, Sept. 17, Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Regular performance schedule includes Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. Single tickets are on sale starting August 15 for $50 (seniors and veterans: $35; students: $10 and Fridays are Pay-What-You-Can) with subscriptions also available at RedtwistTheatre.org. 

Lake Forest's Citadel Theatre has announced the full cast and crew for its season opener - the satirical comedy EUREKA DAY, which examines the frequently contradictory practices of a fictional, highly progressive private school located in Berkeley, California. The play, which premiered in Berkeley in 2018, deals with topical subjects like vaccinations, privilege, and communication, utilizing sharp wit, farce, and intense dialogue to create laughter. It was produced on Broadway in the 2024-25 season and won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Revival of Play. Scott Westerman, the director of such Citadel hits as MISERY, A JUKEBOX FOR THE ALGONQUIN, THE MOUSETRAP, THE CHRISTIANS, and SEX WITH STRANGERS, will direct. 

 
Leading Westerman's cast as Don, a member of the school's board who tries to keep the peace when the debate over whether or not the school should require vaccinations becomes heated, will be Steve McDonagh, who recently earned raves for his performance as "Man in Chair" in Theo Ubique's THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. The school's founder, Suzanne, will be played by Jennifer Ruffner, seen earlier this year in Citadel's ADMISSIONS. Cast as Carina, the parent of a black student at the school, is Alexis Primus, who appeared in TUTA Theatre's THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER in 2024 and 2025. Ethan Check, of 2023's GODS AND MONSTERS at Theater Wit, has the role of Eli, a stay-at-home dad. Carmen Liao (Raven Theatre's A DOLL'S HOUSE) will be Meiko – a single mother who deeply opposes vaccinations. Kristin Weed, seen recently on the North Shore in HAIRSPRAY with Uptown Music Theatre, will play Winter – one of the parents on the school's executive committee. Understudies are Jason Clark (u/s/ Don), Amy Yulish (u/s Suzanne), Kristin Weed (u/s/ Carina), Austin Rambo (u/s/ Eli), and Stephanie Fongheiser (u/s/ Meiko).

The production team is Scott Phelps (Producer), Ellen Phelps (Producer), Kate Espinoza (Stage Manager), Bob Knuth (Set Design), Devin Meseke (Scenic Charge), kClare McKellaston (Costume Design), Jodi Williams (Lighting Design), Petter Wahlbäck (Sound Design), Mitchell Pollitt (Master Carpenter), Randy Rozler (Properties Design), Kira Nutter (Intimacy Director), Devon Carson (Assistant Director), Kristin Weed (Run Crew).

Season subscriptions are available for the full four-show season at $140.00, or as flex passes that can be used for the patron's choice of either three shows for $115.00 or two shows for $80.00. Preview flex passes are also available for $45 (two shows), $55 (three shows), or $65 (four shows). Subscriptions and single tickets priced at $50 (plus ticketing fees) are now on sale at www.citadeltheatre.org. 
 
Citadel Theatre is in residence in the West Campus of the Lake Forest School District at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Further information and ticketing is available on the company's website at www.citadeltheatre.org.

EUREKA DAY
By Jonathan Spector
Directed by Scott Westerman
Friday, September 11 – Sunday, October 11, 2026
(Preview September 9 at 7:30 pm)

Preview ticket prices $27.15 including ticketing fee. Regular run prices $53.40 including  ticketing fee. Discounts available for groups, seniors and students.
Citadel Theatre, located in the West Campus building of the Lake Forest School District, 300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, IL.
Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1
 
In this hilarious 2025 Tony Award-winning satire, an elite private school is thrown into crisis when a mumps outbreak divides parents and board members over vaccines. As debates intensify and facts grow slippery, every solution only deepens the conflict. EUREKA DAY asks us to fully recognize the humanity of those we disagree with.

Jackalope Theatre Company, presenting the 17th Annual Newspaper Festival, August 20 - 24, is proud to announce the world premiere of Engines and Instruments of Flight: A Fantasia in Three Acts by Calamity West, written by Calamity West and directed by Jonathan Berry, November 11 - December 19, 2026, at Jackalope Theatre in the Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N Broadway St. The total running time, including one intermission, is two hours and 30 minutes. Preview performances are Wednesday, Nov. 11, Friday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. The performance schedule is Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with no Friday, Nov. 27 or Saturday, Nov. 28 performances. Tickets are $20 - $45 with student and Edgewater resident discounts available. Subscription and single tickets are now available at JackalopeTheatre.org or call/text the box office at 773.340.2543.

Calamity West is conjuring a fantasia: It’s 1986 New York and Tony is a playwright who isn’t writing. As he and his closest collaborators search for meaning in an increasingly fractured America, figures from history begin appearing with agendas of their own. Engines and Instruments of Flight is a play about the magic of making theatre in a world that refuses to stand still.

The cast of Engines and Instruments of Flight: A Fantasia in Three Acts by Calamity West includes Raphael Diaz (he/him, Henry); Julian Hester (he/him, William); Niko Kourtis (he/him, Tony); Andrew Burden Swanson (he/him, Calvin); Johnard Washington (he/him, Gene) and Mary Williamson (she/her, Eleanor).  

The creative team for Engines and Instruments of Flight: A Fantasia in Three Acts by Calamity West includes Calamity West (she/her, playwright); Jonathan Berry (he/him, director); Salman Lee (he/him, assistant director); Tianxuan Chen (she/her, scenic and lighting designer); Delena Bradley (she/her, costume designer); Steve Labedz (they/them, sound designer); Courtney Abbott (they/she, intimacy coordinator); Madie Doppelt (she/her, script advisor); E Tylkowski (they/them, production manager); Tseela Sokolin-Maimon (she/her, stage manager); Mayah Jaimes (they/them, assistant stage manager) and AJ Links, CSA (she/her, casting director).

ABOUT CALAMITY WEST, PLAYWRIGHT

Calamity West is the 2026 recipient of the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award, one of the nation’s most significant prizes for new American plays, for her play FEAST!. Originally developed in New York at Primary Stages through the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group, FEAST! received further development at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. West’s work has been produced, commissioned and developed by some of the country’s leading theatrical institutions including The Public, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Roundabout Theatre Company, the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and Jackalope Theatre Company. From 2022 to 2026, West was an invited member of Primary Stages’ Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group, where she wrote three new plays: FEAST!, Sgt. Hank Cole’s Drama Club of Algona and PARALLAX. Her body of work also includes In the Canyon, Give It All Back, Rolling and Greetings from Moscow: A Love Story. West’s Engines and Instruments of Flight: A Fantasia in Three Acts is receiving its world premiere at Jackalope Theatre Company to be followed by the world premiere of FEAST! at Goodman Theatre, February 27 - March 28, 2027.

ABOUT JONATHAN BERRY, DIRECTOR

Jonathan Berry is a Chicago-based director, producer, educator and is the recently appointed artistic director at Raven Theatre. For Jackalope, he directed the world premiere of The Casuals.  He was an artistic producer at Steppenwolf, where directing credits include: Lindiwe, The Children, You Got Older, Constellations, Curious Incident… and The Crucible. Other work includes: Steep Theatre (Company Member): Paris, Birdland, Red Rex, The Knowledge, Festen, Moment and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. Griffin (Company Member): The Harvest, Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy, Spring Awakening, Punk Rock, Port, Company and Picnic. Other credits include Roundabout Theater: Suicide, Incorporated; Gift Theatre: the remount of Obliterarion, the world premieres of Dirty and Suicide, Incorporated and at Goodman Theatre: The Solid Sand Below and The World of Extreme Happiness for New Stages. Assistant director for Broadway productions of Of Mice and Men and This is Our Youth.  He taught classes at UIC, Columbia College, Northwestern and was instrumental in leading the ensemble training program, The School, at Steppenwolf.  For three years, he served as artistic director of the Penobscot Theatre Company in Bangor, Maine. 

Coming Up from Jackalope:

17th Annual Living Newspaper Festival 

August 20 - 24

Press Opening: Thursday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule: Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. and Monday at 7:30 p.m.

The Broadway Armory, 5917 N Broadway

JackalopeTheatre.org/2025-2026

Tickets: $20 - $35

The Living Newspaper Festival is inspired by the 1930s Living Newspapers of the Federal Theatre Project that created stories based on recent events. This year’s Festival includes world premieres inspired from recent news headlines.

Performances, show times, dates are subject to change.

ABOUT JACKALOPE THEATRE

Jackalope Theatre Company expands the definition of American Identity by engaging with communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Jackalope is a premier home for new and exciting Off-Loop Theatre based in Chicago's Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods. They are committed to cultivating new voices that contribute to an expanding American culture and mythology. Each season, Jackalope produces full-length plays, new play development programming and provides free classes in partnership with the Chicago Park District.

Jackalope Theatre Company, presenting the 17th Annual Newspaper Festival, August 20 - 24, is proud to announce the world premiere of Engines and Instruments of Flight: A Fantasia in Three Acts by Calamity West, written by Calamity West and directed by Jonathan Berry, November 11 - December 19, 2026, at Jackalope Theatre in the Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N Broadway St. The total running time, including one intermission, is two hours and 30 minutes. Preview performances are Wednesday, Nov. 11, Friday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. with the press opening Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with no Friday, Nov. 27 or Saturday, Nov. 28 performances. Tickets are $20 - $45 with student and Edgewater resident discounts available. Subscription and single tickets are now available at JackalopeTheatre.org or call/text the box office at 773.340.2543.

Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce tickets for t he original Tony® & Olivier Award-winning musical sensation, JERSEY BOYS, are now on sale. The highly anticipated engagement will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre for a limited two-week engagement, November 10 - 22. This engagement of JERSEY BOYS is part of a multi-city North American Tour beginning September 2026 in celebration of its 20^th Anniversary year.

JERSEY BOYS is the behind-the-music true story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.  They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard… and the radio just couldn’t get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story – a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. The show features all their hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Beggin’” and “Working My Way Back To You.”

JERSEY BOYS is written by Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Grammy Award-winner Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe.

The recipient of Broadway’s Tony, London’s Olivier and Australia’s Helpmann Awards for Best New Musical, JERSEY BOYS is the winner of 65 major awards and has been seen by over 30 million people worldwide.

The Broadway production originally opened on November 6, 2005, and, by the time it closed on January 15, 2017, it was the 12^th longest running show in Broadway history.  It returned to New York with a new production from November 2017 to May 2022. JERSEY BOYS has also had multiple record-breaking US National Tours from 2006 through 2022 as well as productions in Las Vegas, Chicago and Toronto.

JERSEY BOYS ran in London’s West End from March 18, 2008 to March 26, 2017 and, at the time, was the 6^th longest musical running in the West End. The musical returned to the West End as the first show to play the reinstated Trafalgar Theatre from April 14, 2021 to January 4, 2024. JERSEY BOYS previously played three record-breaking UK and Ireland tours from 2014 to 2016, 2017 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022.

A JERSEY BOYS 20^th Anniversary UK and Ireland tour also opened on June 15, 2026, at the New Wimbledon Theatre, currently booking dates through 2027.

The JERSEY BOYS 20^th Anniversary North American tour will be staged by the entire original Broadway creative team, led by the Tony Award-winning team of director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo, with scenic design by Klara Zieglerova, costume design by Jess Goldstein, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy, projections design by Michael Clark and production supervision by Danny Austin. The orchestrations are by Steve Orich and the music supervision and vocal arrangements by Ron Melrose.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The cast recording is available on Rhino Records. JERSEY BOYS: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Broadway Books) is the official handbook to the smash Broadway hit.  Season’s Greetings: A JERSEY BOYS Christmas, a holiday CD featuring international cast members of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, is available on Rhino Records.

For more information, please visit www.JerseyBoysInfo.com
Instagram: @JerseyBoysBroadway
Facebook: @JerseyBoysBroadway
TikTok: @JerseyBoysBroadway
YouTube: @JerseyBoys
Threads: @JerseyBoysBroadway

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 10 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 11 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 12 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 13 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 17 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 18 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 19 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 20 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 21 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 22 – 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (As of August 14, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for JERSEY BOYS are on sale now and range from $40.00 - $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.
Follow @BroadwayInChicago on
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#broadwayinchicago

This summer, the Starship Edsel boldly goes where they maybe shouldn’t go as Otherworld Theatre, Chicago’s premier destination for Science Fiction and Fantasy performance, presents the premiere of Starship Edsel: Season 4. Running from August 9 through September 13 at Second City’s De Maat Theatre, this improvised Star Trek parody illuminates the ship you wouldn’t hear about in the greater Starfleet Universe.

The Director, Executive Producer, and showrunner is Anthony LeBlanc (Second City Mainstage alum, former Executive Producer/Artistic Director, and Jeff Award nominee), with Otherworld’s Director of Development Dylan Schaefer as Managing Producer and Wanjiku Kairu Oliver as Associate Producer. Starship Edsel is a Star Trek fan’s dream. Otherworld is widely known for hit genre‑bending shows including Improvised Romantasy, Moon, Prism, Power! and Twihard! A Twilight Musical Parody.

Coming off their recent stint in early TOS’s 23rd century, the Edsel crew is thrown into Starfleet Academy’s 32nd century. Will they be able to handle the cultural differences faced by the Starship Discovery? Will the entire crew have to attend Starfleet Academy with prepubescent teens to prove they can handle this new time period? What exactly can a Betazed do telepathically? All this—and a brand‑new captain—will be revealed in the latest six‑week mission of the Starship Edsel.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun while going to places we haven’t been to. Just like improvisation, we are playing in a part of Star Trek that hasn’t been defined yet. It’s great to play inside a limited container,” says LeBlanc.

Beyond its Chicago mainstage run, Starship Edsel has built a proven track record entertaining convention crowds across the Midwest, including C2E2, FanExpo Chicago, and Starbase Indy. Full cast includes Lilly Bolduc, Ian Deanes, Stephen Fauss, Eliana Decker‑Glick, Matt Kawa, Mike Mazzella, Edward Neequaye, Wanjiku Kairu Oliver, Croix Perkins, Carlos Rivera, Janice Rumschlag, Liam Ryan, Dylan Schaefer, Bernadette Santos Schwegel, and Keely Smith. Created from a LARP written by Brandon Brylawski. Special guests include Rich Alphonso, Alex Bellisle, James Dugan, Javid Igbal, Steve Nelson, Cassidy Russel, Andy Stagmeyer, CJ Tuor, and Craig Uhlir.

About the Show

Starship Edsel is an improvised farce set aboard Starfleet’s worst vessel, the USS Edsel. Plagued with mechanical problems and design flaws—and filled with Starfleet’s most problematic personnel—the Edsel was assigned to remain in parking orbit above a vacation planet, ordered to give VIP tours of an “authentic Federation Starship.” After an incursion by the Romulan Empire, the Edsel was thrust into the center of a galactic crisis.

The show follows the ship and her crew on their subsequent misadventures throughout the galaxy. Blending fast‑paced comedy with affectionate sci‑fi satire, each performance boldly explores strange new worlds, unexpected adventures, and the corners of the Federation no one wants to visit, with a special guest each night.

Performance Details & Tickets

Starship Edsel will be performed at Second City’s De Maat Theatre, located in Chicago’s Old Town district.

• Run Dates: Opening – Sunday, August 9 at 6 p.m.; Closing – Sunday, September 13 at 6 p.m. • Location: Second City’s De Maat Theatre, 1608 N. Wells, Chicago, IL 60614 • Tickets: $25 general admission • Direct Ticket Link: https://www.secondcity.com/shows/chicago/starship-edsel-an-improvised-star-trek-satire-chi

Media outlets, convention organizers, and programming directors interested in booking Starship Edsel or scheduling interviews with the cast and creative team can contact: Wanjiku Kairu Oliver at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About Otherworld Theatre Company

Tin Drum Theatre Company is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Chicago premiere for A Dark Wood, October 15 - November 1, written by Eric Coble and directed by Steve Needham, at Studio 44 in the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. The preview performance for A Dark Wood is Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. with the opening night performance Friday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. The Understudy Performance is Saturday, Oct. 31 at 2:30 p.m. There will be a post-show talk-back with playwright Eric Coble after a select performance date, to be announced. Tickets are $29 with $15 student tickets. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 1  at TinDrumTheatre.com or by calling the Greenhouse Theater Company box office at 773.404.7336. 

“The Fix” was supposed to correct everything that had gone wrong with the country. Now, three members of a shattered family, Earthworm, Hummingbird and Armadillo, occupy different corners of a society in free-fall, each surviving in their own way. Earthworm squats in no-man’s land beside his only friend, desperate to cross the river border and begin a new life. Hummingbird hides in a boarded-up apartment, secretly reading books with a fugitive teacher who will do anything to keep both her — and the resistance — alive. Armadillo stands alone in her police armor searching for justice, or perhaps forgiveness. Which of them will make it to Paradise and what will it cost? Does such a place even exist?

A Dark Wood ensemble cast includes Renzo Vicente (he/him, Earthworm), Delaney 

Vallese (she/her, Hummingbird), Marlee Feacher (she/her, Armadillo), Carlos Andrés Mai (he/they, Montrose), Shannon Leigh Webber (she/her, Miss Vivian) and Raúl Alonso (he/him, Dipper).

The creative team includes Eric Coble (he/him, playwright); Steve Needham (he/him, producer/director),  Jason Palmer (he/him, production manager),  Sil Rivera (they/them, stage manager); Will Hughes (he/him, technical director and scenic designer); Kasey Wolfgang (she/her, costume designer); Emma Berry (she/her, lighting designer and master electrician); Zach Stinnett (he/him, sound designer) and Erin Alys (she/her, director of intimacy and movement). 

ABOUT ERIC COBLE, playwright

Eric Coble is an award-winning American playwright whose work spans sharply drawn dramas, audacious comedies and incisive social satire. Born in Edinburgh and raised on the Navajo and Ute reservations of the American Southwest, Coble brings a distinctive blend of wit, empathy and theatrical boldness to the stage.

His plays have been produced across the United States and internationally, including on Broadway, Off-Broadway and at major regional theatres. His Broadway debut, The Velocity of Autumn, starring Estelle Parsons and Stephen Spinella, earned Parsons a Tony Award nomination. Other widely produced works include The Giver (stage adaptation), Bright Ideas, My Barking Dog, Fairfield, The Dead Guy, Natural Selection and Southern Rapture, among many others.

Coble’s scripts have received an ATCA Steinberg New Play Award citation, the Governor’s Award for the Arts (Ohio) and multiple Edgerton New Play Awards. His work has been developed or produced by The Kennedy Center, Playwrights Horizons, Manhattan Class Company, Denver Center Theatre Company, Cleveland Play House, Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage and Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Known for his sharp comic voice and ability to illuminate the tensions and absurdities of contemporary American life, Coble remains a vital presence in the new-play landscape. He is a member of the Playwrights’ Center and a graduate of Ohio University’s MFA program.

ABOUT STEVE NEEDHAM, director

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Steve Needham is a founding member of Convergence-Continuum, which is still producing provocative black box theatre for more than 25 years.

In Chicago, Needham has previously worked in various capacities at The Bailiwick Repertory Theatre, About Face Theatre and Pride Films & Plays. He holds a B.A. in theater from Kent State University, a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Cleveland State University.

At Tin Drum Theatre, he wrote the company’s inaugural play, Winter Garden about Edwin and John Wilkes Booth, and directed The Unseen by Craig Wright. 

Outside of his artistic pursuits, Needham is an attorney with a litigation firm located in the River North neighborhood.

ABOUT TIN DRUM THEATRE COMPANY

Tin Drum Theatre Company exists to disrupt complacency and reassert theatre’s civic purpose. Creating theatre that asks something of its audience, moving beyond comfort to provoke conversation and critical engagement. Tin Drum believes community begins where audiences and ideas collide, and where dramatic disturbances are created.

Curious Theatre Branch, with co-producers Chicago Danztheater Ensemble, Chicago Dramatists and Labyrinth Club, are pleased to announce the 37th annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival, September 20 - October 26 at four venues across Chicago. The month-long festival of shows will kick off with a special “afternoon tea” edition of the Full Moon Vaudeville, this concert launches the festival on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave., headlined by art/folk/cabaret act The Crooked Mouth and other special guests. 

Throughout its nearly four decades, Rhinofest has endeavored to welcome as many participants as possible, both as artists and as audience members. To that end, artists pay no fee to apply or to produce their works at Rhinofest and all tickets are offered at pay-what-you-can pricing, with a $25 suggested price. Tickets and details for all upcoming shows will be available Sunday, Sept. 6 at Rhinofest.com.

Since its inception in 1989, as a single weekend of shows in the Wicker Park neighborhood, this unique and mutable fringe festival has expanded and contracted to fit the time and has become the longest running Fringe Festival in Chicago. Festival events will take place at four venues this year: Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave. in Humboldt Park; Chicago Dramatists, 798 N. Aberdeen in River West, Labyrinth Arts Club, 3658 N. Pulaski Rd. in the Irving Park neighborhood and Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, 1650 W. Foster Ave. 

The 37th Rhinofest will feature mostly original work from Chicago artists and companies, including new work from The Fat Theater Project, the 10th anniversary of Ira Murfin’s An Interview, a new work by Jessica Wright Buha, new work from Drinking and Writing Theater, and, of course, an evening of short works by The Curious Theatre Branch, Rhinofest’s host. New to the Festival in 2026 are partnerships with Chicago Danztheater, a beautiful space in Andersonville, featuring movement-based work and a creativity workshop called Maps, Guides & Legends: a generative writing and interdisciplinary art-making workshop on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.  

This year's festival will feature plays, music and performances from more than 35 companies and solo artists. Among the highlights are: 

The Full Moon Vaudeville

Facility Theater, 1138 N. California Ave.

Sunday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m.

The annual bacchanalia headlined by art/folk/cabaret act The Crooked Mouth 

includes a variety of acts to inaugurate the festival featuring cool things as yet unknown and a rare afternoon teatime show.

Make Out the Words 

by The Curious Theatre Branch

Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave.

Saturday, Oct. 3 at 9 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 4 at 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. 

Make Out the Words: two new short plays inspired by the unproduced writing of the late Matt Rieger, by Curious ensemble members Charlotte Lastra and Chris Bower. The show also features a performance of Rieger's own text by Beau O'Reilly. 

A strange encounter on a train leaves an aimless woman desperate for answers, and a flood with no explanation leaves a couple with a basement full of ruined Moby Dicks.

Drinking and Writing Theater: Miersten Wolf

Labyrinth Arts Club, 3658 N. Pulaski Rd.

Thursdays: Sept. 24, Oct. 1, Oct. 8, Oct. 15 and Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.

In this 70-minute musical, three stories are interwoven with 10 original songs. The stories include the truthful biographical information of the writer, the history of Chicago's problem/solution with its waste and, lastly, a fictional story of a crib keeper on Lake Michigan who dreams of a mysterious woman named Miersten Wolf.

Works in Progress

By Jeff Glassman, Mark Enslin and Susan Parenti

Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave.

Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m.

Works in progress include Radish is My Teacher by Jeff Glassman, a collection of scripts for puppets by Susan Parenti and a libretto by Mark Enslin about a stranded international volunteer incarcerated firefighter. Both Susan Parenti & Jeff Glassman have had new works produced here in Chicago and around the country over the last decade.

The Metamorphosis aka The Adult Show/I'm a Bug!!! aka the Kids Show

By Jessica Wright Buha

Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave.

Sundays: Oct. 4, Oct. 11, Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 at 11 a.m.

This staged reading presents TWO works-in-progress that will happen at the same time (in two separate rooms). 

The Metamorphosis aka The Adult Show, is a five-actor immersive show based on Franz Kafka's “The Metamorphosis.” 

I'm a Bug!!!! aka the Kids Show, is a two-actor/teaching artist show for kids based on Franz Kafka's “The Metamorphosis.” This second piece will also serve as child care for audience members going to see The Metamorphosis.

Shaking the Beckett: 

The Magic of Lady M. and A Needless & Wasteful Requirement

By Fat Theater Company

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, 1650 W. Foster Ave.

Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10 at 9 p.m. 

These two one acts are both subjective and satirical interpretations of the works of two theatrical masters: William Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett. The Magic of Lady M. by Laura Scruggs reimagines the tragedy of “Macbeth” as a feminist political satire in a style akin to John Waters or “Ru Paul's Drag Race.” A Needless & Wasteful Requirement by Robert MacCrae follows two actresses awaiting the performance rights to produce Waiting for Godot, which becomes an existential absurd comedy in the vein of Beckett himself. 

An Interview

By Ira Murfin

Sunday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. at Labyrinth Arts Club, 3658 N. Pulaski Rd.

Saturday, Oct. 24 at 9 p.m. at Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, 1650 W. Foster Ave.

An Interview is an ongoing series of encounters between rotating pairs of participants, who meet across a table in front of an audience to first revisit an interview conducted during the previous installment and now to conduct a new, unrehearsed conversation. Every performance is specific, unique and unrepeatable, while each encounter is connected to all the others by the format and sequence that carries through the project’s 10-year history. 

Special Event: Maps, Guides & Legends

Led by Sherry Antonini and Jenny Magnus

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, 1650 W. Foster Ave.

Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Maps, Guides & Legends is a generative writing and interdisciplinary art-making workshop. A writing and creativity day based on the idea that doing is learning, and experiments and games are an explosive way to try new things. Antonini and Magnus have been teaching together for 30 years, from the incredible Interdisciplinary Arts Department at Columbia College Chicago back in the day to writing classes at The School of the Art Institute and everything in between. This duo knows how to have fun and get ideas rolling. Anyone can get ready to begin, begin again or find a way through the middle of a project. Open to writers and interdisciplinary artists at all levels, this workshop will point to new project routes, productive detours and discoveries of what can be found along unpaved roads. 

About the Rhinoceros Theater Festival

The event that became the Rhinoceros Theater Festival began in 1988 as an offshoot of the Bucktown Arts Fest and in its first year featured just two days of performances, including work by Curious Theatre Branch co-founders Jenny Magnus and Beau O'Reilly. Curious went on to produce the Rhino across many neighborhoods and venues over the years, with events variously taking place in Wicker Park/Bucktown, Rogers Park, Andersonville and Avondale; at spaces including the Lunar Cabaret and Full Moon Café, the Neo-Futurarium, the Society for New Things, The Garage, The Firehouse, Remains Theatre and Prop Thtr. In the mid-2000s, Rhinofest settled at Prop Thtr in Avondale as its long-term base and Prop and Curious co-produced the festival among a shifting group of curators for many years. Following the closure of Prop's Elston Ave. space in 2020 and a year off during the height of the pandemic, Rhinofest now returns to its expanded form, producing shows by more than 50 artists at multiple venues.