Displaying items by tag: Dear Rhoda

Dear Rhoda invites audiences into the chaotic world of 1920s Chicago, where love refuses to surrender to fear. Inspired by the letters of Chicago bookseller Jerry Nedwick, found locked in a trunk for more than 90 years, this timeless love story with live music is written by co-authors Donna Russell and David Ranney (University of Illinois Chicago Professor Emeritus) and adapted and directed by Peter Garino, Artistic Director of The Shakespeare Project of Chicago.

"This wonderful love story, locked in a trunk for more than 90 years, got a grip on both Donna and I. Two lovers, one running a bookstore in Chicago, the other locked up in a TB sanitarium, were somehow able to strengthen their love amidst the tumultuous events of the 1920s," says Ranney.

Jerry and Rhoda meet at the Dil Pickle Club, a bohemian haven for artists, radicals, and free-thinkers. Drawn together by shared ideals and an undeniable connection, their love ignites. But as a devastating disease spreads, prejudice tightens its grip, and society teeters on the brink of upheaval, will their love endure?

The production stars J.G. Smith, an ensemble member of American Blues Theatre, as Rhoda Katz, and veteran New York actor Tom Morin as Jerry Nedwick. The ensemble features Josh Carpenter, Joe Fernandez, Jenny Hoppes, Dev Kennedy, Tim Kough, Dina Monk, and Allison Sokolowski. Shawn Wallace provides live piano accompaniment.

The creative team includes Lia Wallfish (costumes), Sierra Walker (lighting), Hannah Dykstra (projection design), Naya Tadavarthy (set decoration/properties), Hannah Amell (dramaturg), and Christopher Prentice (stage manager).

Tickets and Information

Venue: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60657

Dates: January 7-24, 2027

Performance Schedule:

• Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m.
• Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Sundays at 2 p.m.
• Additional performance Wednesday, January 20 at 2 p.m.

Runtime: Approximately 2 hours, including one 10-minute intermission

Tickets: $30. Groups of 10 or more save $5 per ticket. Theater Wit members attend as part of their membership.

Visit Dear Rhoda for tickets and additional information, including the historical background behind the production.

About The Shakespeare Project of Chicago

Since its founding in 1995, The Shakespeare Project of Chicago has presented more than 150 staged readings of the works of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries, performed by professional actors in public libraries and at Chicago's Newberry Library. The company's education outreach program also brings Shakespeare workshops and abridged productions to local schools.

For more information, visit The Shakespeare Project of Chicago.

About Theater Wit

As a production company, Theater Wit is dedicated to producing humorous, challenging, and intelligent plays that speak with a contemporary theatrical voice. As an institution, it serves as a hub for Chicago's neighborhood theater community.

Led by Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler, Theater Wit hosts a variety of storefront theatre companies in its three 99-seat performance spaces, giving audiences access to a wide range of productions and artists from across the Chicago theater landscape.