(BACA) ANNOUNCES THE 2025 BLACK EXCELLENCE AWARDS NOVEMBER 3, 2025 AT BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

BLACK ARTS & CULTURE ALLIANCE OF CHICAGO (BACA) ANNOUNCES

THE 2025 BLACK EXCELLENCE AWARDS

THE EVENING OF CELEBRATION WILL BE HELD MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2025

AT BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER

Special honors will be awarded to Pemon Rami, Eve L. Ewing

and Professor Roxanne Stevenson, in addition to nominees in literature. visual arts, dance, theater and music

The Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago (BACA) announces the 2025 Black Excellence Awards, honoring and celebrating Chicago theatre, dance, music, film, literary, and visual artists. The 24th annual event will be held at 7:30pm on Monday, November 3, 2025, at Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark St. in Chicago.

For Black Excellence Awards tickets, event updates, and more information about the Black Arts and Culture Alliance of Chicago, visit https://www.bacachi.org/. Tickets are $50; $25 for students and seniors.

Throughout the evening, three Special Honor Awards will be presented to: Pemon Rami (Excellence in Film); Eve L. Ewing (Excellence in Literature); and Professor Roxanne Stevenson (Excellence in Music and Music Education).

The evening’s nominees are:

Literature
For Excellence in Community Engagement: Underground Bookstore, Da Book Joint, and Salty Books and Beans


Visual Arts
Gallery Exhibition: Faie African Art Gallery, Gallery Guichard, and Blanc Gallery

Artist: Dayo Laoye, Natasha Moustache, George Crump, and Ahmad Lee


Dance
Performance: Praize Production, Deeply Rooted, and Red Clay Dance

Choregraphy: Maiya Redding, Nicole Clarke Springer, Enneressa LaNette, Rasheida Smith and Brandee Lathon


Theater
Production: Definition Theater, Black Ensemble Theater, Theater 47, MPAACT and Pegasus Theater

Production Director: Jackie Taylor, Tyrone Phillips, Carla Stillwell, Daryl D. Brooks, John Ruffin and Ilesa Duncan

Actor Male: Ronald L. Connor, Vincent Jordan, Tamarus Harvel and Michael Kenady

Actor Female: Rhonda Preston, Alexandria Crawford, Tamara Batiest, Ariya Hawkins and Caitlin Dobbins

Special Recognition Director: Lili Ann Brown, Malika Stampley, Ron OJ Parson, Shanesia Davis, Awoye Timpo and Gabrielle Randle-Bent

Special Recognition Actor/Actress: Anji White, Gregory Fenner, Namir Smallwood, Brittney Mack, Kelvin Roston, Jr. and Shanesia Davis

Music
Female Vocalist: Lucy Smith and Zemrah

Male Vocalist: Gregory Gibbs, Theodis Rogers Jazz Trio and Jovan Watson


About The Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago
The mission of the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago is to collectively advance excellence in the work of the Black arts and culture sector. The Alliance works to increase interaction, communication and development of black arts organizations and artists, while delivering programs that increase their visibility, marketability, stability, and sustainability.

Founded in 1997 as the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago and rebranded the Black Arts & Cultural Alliance of Chicago (BACA) in 2023, BACA offers a diverse range of events and programs that celebrate the rich heritage of the Black arts community in Chicago. Events and programs are designed to engage, educate, and inspire individuals (artists and patrons) who are passionate about Chicago’s Black arts and culture.

With new leadership in November 2024, the organization has been reorganized and revitalized, including a return to its original mission and a new focus in building the Board and programming, increasing membership, and creating websites that appropriately support BACA’s mission and purpose.

BACA is going strong after 28 years, with a full slate of events and programs celebrating the rich heritage of the Black arts community in Chicago.

In August 2025, BACA launched the Black Arts Directory of Chicago to serve as a vibrant online hub for African American and minority performing arts and culture in Chicago and beyond. The directory spotlights theatre, dance, music, and cultural events to celebrate rich artistic traditions. BACA prioritizes connecting audiences with diverse cultural experiences, showcasing the talents of Black and Brown artists that showcase the dynamic ingenuity and creativity of Chicago’s Black artists and organizations. It celebrates the rich narratives, historical relevance and artistic expressions that define African American and minority performing arts.

To find out more and view the Black Arts Directory visit https://www.blackartsdirectory.org/. The Black Arts Directory is made possible by an Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

The BACA staff is Executive Director Luther Goins, Grants Writer & Development Manager Ilesa Duncan, and PR, Marketing & Design Director Doc Wheeler. The Board of Directors includes President Jackie Taylor, Vice President Sydney Chatman, and members Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Troy O. Pryor, Portia McFarland, William Gill, Ericka Ratcliff, Shawn Wallace, Daryl D. Brooks, and Roxanna Conner.



Upcoming BACA Events and Programs include:

Black Excellence Awards Ceremony 2025
Monday, November 3, 2025, 7:30pm-9:00pm
Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N Clark St, Chicago
Tickets: $25-$50
https://www.bacachi.org/

The Black Excellence Awards Ceremony, presented annually by the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago, honors, celebrates, supports, and promotes Chicago theatre, dance, music, film, literary, and visual artists.

Martin Luther King Celebration: The Black Arts & Culture Town Hall
January 19, 2026

This celebration and panel discussion honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and discusses the challenges and commonalities faced by Black artists and arts organizations and will launch the 2026 Black to Black Workshop Series.


Black to Black Series: Entertainment Business for the Black Artist
March 2026

Workshops
Black to Black Series: Working & Thriving in Chicago
May 2026
Panel Discussion

Cookout In The Blackyard Summer Networking Event
August 2026
Join BACA for an amazing networking opportunity featuring barbecue, drink, music, and fun.


Black to Black Series: History & Fundamentals of Black Organizations
October 2026
Workshops & Auditions

Black Excellence Awards
November 2026

Black Arts Hall of Fame 2026
November 2026



About Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago (BACA)
The mission of the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago is to collectively advance excellence in the work of the Black arts and culture sector. The Alliance works to increase interaction, communication and development of black arts organizations and artists, while delivering programs that increase their visibility, marketability, stability, and sustainability.

For tickets, event updates, and more information about the Black Arts and Culture Alliance of Chicago, visit https://www.bacachi.org/.

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2025/26 Season kicks off With Cherubini's Medea October 11 - 26, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Lyric Opera of Chicago opens new season with 

Cherubini's Medea

October 11 - 26, 2025

Running time: 3 hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission.

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2025/26 Season kicks off with a searing tale of vengeance and betrayal: Cherubini’s Medea, on stage October 11–26, 2025. Euripides's ancient tragedy comes to blazing life in this riveting opera, a late 18th-century masterpiece with music and themes that continue to resonate across the millennia. Medea marks the return of three Chicago-born international stars to the Lyric stage: superstar soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in an Olympic-level performance of the title role; acclaimed tenor Matthew Polenzani; and the rising star mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams. With the Lyric Opera Orchestra conducted by Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Cherubini’s score delivers operatic fire and fury as never before. Lyric presents Medea for the first time in its seven-decade history in a production directed by Sir David McVicar, who returns with a sweeping vision of beauty and decay that commands attention from first note to final breath. 

Six chances to see Medea: October 11 at 7:30 p.m.; October 14, 17, 20, at 7 p.m., and matinee performances on October 23 and 26 at 2 p.m.

For more information and tickets, visit lyricopera.org/medea or call 312.827.5600.

Sung in Italian, with easy-to-follow English titles projected above the stage.

Hell hath no fury like a sorceress scorned. This centuries-old tale burns with unrelenting emotional fire, and in Cherubini’s hands, it demands to be retold. Audiences witness the tragedy of Medea, a powerful sorceress betrayed by her lover, Giasone, who abandons her and their two children to marry another woman, Glauce, the daughter of the king Creonte. Given just 24 hours to accept her fate, Medea instead bends it to her will, with her accomplice, Neris, at her side, delivering vengeance that shakes the very foundations of the kingdom. A favorite of Beethoven himself, who considered Cherubini to be the greatest living composer of his time, Medea channels the raw power of Greek tragedy and sets it to unforgettable music, leaving audiences breathless as love curdles into rage, and a mother’s heartbreak becomes her most devastating weapon.

A pantheon of world-class operatic talent. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, who was born just outside of Chicago in Berwyn and now calls suburban Evanston home, is one of the world’s most renowned and in-demand vocal artists. She received thunderous critical and audience acclaim for her intense tour-de-force performance as Medea when the world premiere of this new co-production opened the Metropolitan Opera’s 2021/22 Season. Since beginning her Lyric career in the title role of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah in the 2002/03 Season, she has performed the heroines of Verdi, Bellini, Tchaikovsky, and more on the Lyric stage. Her innovative Lyric concert performances of The Puccini Heroines during the 2024/25 Season, in which she sang most of Puccini’s iconic arias in a single monumental program, was recorded by Pentatone for a future release. In the wake of the pandemic, Radvanovsky ushered Lyric back into live performances at the start of the 2021/22 Season with her role debut as Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth conducted by Maestro Mazzola in his first performances as Music Director.

At the Metropolitan Opera, she has regularly appeared in leading roles since her debut in 1996. A highlight of her extensive career at the Met was her 2015/16 Season portrayal of each of Donizetti’s Three Queens — the title roles of Anna Bolena and Maria Stuarda and Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux — a feat not accomplished at an American opera house since the legendary Beverly Sills sang the roles at New York City Opera in the 1970s. Radvanovsky’s Donizetti heroines were also the inspiration for her concert program The Three Queens, presented at Lyric in the 2019/20 Season and also recorded for Pentatone.

Away from the opera stage, Radvanovsky is a co-creator and co-host of the podcast and video series Screaming Divas, in which she and fellow soprano Keri Alkema talk with great humor and frankness about their lives and operatic careers.

Tenor Matthew Polenzani, an Evanston native and alumnus of Lyric’s renowned artist-training program, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, is one of the most gifted and distinguished lyric tenors of his generation. In Medea, he sings Giasone, a role he performed opposite Radvanovsky at the Metropolitan Opera. His more than 15 roles at Lyric since his debut as the Captain of the Crossbowmen in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra in the 1995/96 Season include the title role in Mozart’s Idomeneo in the 2018/19 Season, and Nadir in Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers and the Duke in Verdi’s Rigoletto, both in the 2017/18 Season. He most recently appeared at Lyric in Mozart’s Requiem during the 2023/24 Season, with performances conducted by Maestro Mazzola.

In addition to his extensive work at Lyric, Polenzani has sung nearly 500 performances in more than 20 roles at the Met. Highlights later this season include Don José in Bizet's Carmen and Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly at the Met, Don José at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, and Riccardo in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at Opéra national de Paris.

He was the recipient of the 2004 Richard Tucker Award, the Met’s 2008 Beverly Sills Artist Award, and a 2017 Opera News Award.

Soprano Elena Villalón makes her much-anticipated Lyric debut as Glauce. A winner of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and several prizes at the 2023 Operalia competition, she recently performed the role of Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto at Santa Fe Opera, and later this season she stars as Dalinda in Handel’s Ariodante at London's Royal Ballet & Opera. In the 2024/25 Season she made two major appearances in New York: as Nuria in the highly anticipated Metropolitan Opera premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar and in a solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall with pianist (and Ryan Opera Center Music Director) Craig Terry.

Exceptional ensemble cast. Mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams, a native of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, is Neris, a role she has performed in this co-production at Canadian Opera Company. In the 2024/25 Season she performed two roles at Lyric: the Mother in Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s Blue and Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto. Also in the 2024/25 Season, she appeared with the LA Phil as part of the Eldorado Ballroom series curated by Solange Knowles for Saint Heron, singing Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater, with an additional performance with the Houston Symphony. Later this season, she returns to Lyric as a soloist in Billy Corgan’s A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness.

Renowned bass-baritone Alfred Walker sings the role of Creonte. He has appeared at Lyric as Don Fernando in Beethoven’s Fidelio in the 2024/25 Season and as the Father in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel in the 2022/23 Season. Later this season, he takes on the role of Porgy in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. He sang the role of Enobarbus in the San Francisco Opera’s world premiere of John Adams's Antony and Cleopatra, a role he also performed at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu and at the Met, where he is a graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

Three current members of Lyric’s Ryan Opera Center Ensemble also have supporting roles in Medea. Bass-baritone Christopher Humbert, Jr. is the Captain of the Guard, soprano Emily Richter is First Handmaiden, and mezzo-soprano Camille Robles is Second Handmaiden.

Passion and precision drive every beat. Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola takes the podium for this production, bringing his signature blend of elegance and intensity to the Lyric Opera Orchestra. Mazzola — “Chicago’s Maestro-Around-Town” — has quickly become a vital force in the city’s cultural scene. Internationally celebrated for his mastery of the Italian repertoire — from Donizetti and Verdi to Bellini — he brings deep stylistic insight shaped by a career spanning the world’s most prestigious stages, including recent performances at Deutsche Oper Berlin and New National Theatre Tokyo. Back home with Lyric, he continues to shape a bold new musical era with unwavering discipline, fiery enthusiasm, and a true love of the operatic form.

A bold show calls for bold leadership. Internationally acclaimed Scottish director Sir David McVicar takes the lead as both Director and Set Designer. McVicar is a frequent collaborator with Lyric; Medea will be his tenth opera with the company. McVicar brings dramatic depth and theatrical precision to each production, as seen in recent seasons in Verdi’s Don Carlos (2022/23), Verdi’s Macbeth (2021/22), and R. Strauss’s Elektra (2018/19). Known for his bold, visually striking productions, McVicar’s work has been seen at other leading opera houses of the world, including the Met, London’s Royal Ballet and Opera, and the Salzburg Festival.

Turning concept into creation. The production team for Medea includes Costume Designer Doey Lüthi in her Lyric debut; Revival Lighting Designer Clare O’Donoghue, who makes her Lyric debut recreating the work of Original Lighting Designer Paule Constable; and Projection Designer S. Katy Tucker. Chorus Director Michael Black leads the 60-member Lyric Opera Chorus, and Jo Meredith makes her Lyric debut as Movement Director.

A historic premiere launches one of Lyric’s most thrilling seasons to date. With a cast of operatic Olympians, visionary direction, and music that blazes with wrath and beauty, Medea sets the tone for a season defined by bold storytelling and emotional intensity. This spellbinding production transforms myth into music and passion into fire — an unforgettable night at the opera that proves hell hath no fury like a sorceress scorned.

Ticketholders are invited to a free pre-opera talk by noted opera scholar Dr. Harris Saunders on Medea’s composition history and social context; the talks begin one hour before each performance on the main floor of the theater.

Lyric partners with the Chicago Humanities Festival to present Medea Opera Insights on Saturday, October 18 at 3:00 p.m. at the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, Breasted Hall, 1155 East 58th Street. This event will examine and contextualize Cherubini’s Medea within the broader tradition of theatrical adaptations of the Greek tragedy by Euripides, Seneca, and Corneille. Featuring distinguished faculty from the University of Chicago’s acclaimed Classics, Theater, and Music Departments alongside the world-class artists from Lyric’s cast, this event offers a rich blend of ancient storytelling and contemporary artistic insight. Tickets and more information at chicagohumanities.org.

Following the Sunday, October 26 matinee performance, former Lyric dramaturg Roger Pines leads a discussion with the artists from Medea. Deepen your experience of this visceral production by hearing how they brought Sir David McVicar's compelling vision to life — and explore each artist’s personal connection to the opera.

Audio description, a guided touch tour of the set, and SoundShirts are available at the Sunday, October 26 matinee performance. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the main floor coat check at all performances. For more information on these and other accessibility assets, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.

A co-production of Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Canadian Opera Company.

Six chances to see Medea: October 11 at 7:30 p.m.; October 14, 17, 20, at 7 p.m., and matinee performances on October 23 and 26 at 2 p.m.

For more information and tickets, visit lyricopera.org/medea or call 312.827.5600.

Lyric’s 2025/26 Season is presented by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation.

Lyric’s presentation of Cherubini’s Medea is generously made possible by Lisbeth Stiffel, Julie & Roger Baskes, Marlys A. Beider, and Patricia A. Kenney & Gregory J. O’Leary.

Maestro Enrique Mazzola is generously sponsored by Alice & John Butler, H. Gael Neeson, Sylvia Neil & Daniel Fischel, the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, Mary Stowell, and the Zell Family Foundation as members of the Enrique Circle.

Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, United Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.  

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists — magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Facebook. #LongLivePassion

For more information, visit lyricopera.org.

THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND Via Invictus Theatre Company October 28 - December 14, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Cast and production team announced for 

THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND

October 28 - December 14, 2025

Aaron Reese Boseman to direct Marcus Gardley’s drama set in 1813 New Orleans

Invictus Theatre Company’s follow-up to its enormously successful production of ANGELS IN AMERICA will be THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND, by Marcus Gardley, a former playwright-in-residence at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theatre. Company member and Jeff Award nominee, Aaron Reese Boseman, who previously directed Invictus’s productions of TOPDPOG/UNDERDOG (2024), THE MOUNTAINTOP (2023), and A RAISIN IN THE SUN (2020), will direct. Gardley’s drama, inspired by Federico Garcia Lorca’s THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA, is set in 1813 New Orleans, as the French-owned Louisiana Territory is about to be acquired by the United States, threatening the liberty of the free people of color residing on the land. A young woman skilled in the art of voodoo, and the appearance of a ghost, play into this story set during a very real, but little-known and disturbing chapter of United States history. 

THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND has been produced at some of North America’s most prestigious theaters, including Berkeley Rep, Yale Rep, the New York Theatre Workshop (where it won the Off-Broadway OBIE Award for Playwriting), and the Shaw Festival in Ontario, Canada. Invictus’ production will be the drama’s first professional Chicago production since it was staged at Victory Gardens Theater in 2016. Performances are at the Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. I'll be out for the press opening Monday, November 3rd, so check back soon after for my full review. 

Boseman announced his cast today. Appearing as Beartrice Albans, a free woman of color who struggles to maintain her daughters’ independence, will be Britt Edwards, a veteran of seven shows at Black Ensemble Theatre, where she has played such luminaries as Donna Summer, Sheila E, and Tina Turner. Agnès Albans, the strong-willed and sensual eldest daughter, will be played by Kaylah Marie Crosby, whose credits include performances with Steppenwolf, Writers Theatre, and Court Theatre. Cast as Maude Lynn Albans, Beartrice’s light-hearted middle daughter, is Sierra Coachman, who appeared in BENEATH THE WILLOW TREE for Pulse Theatre. Coachman has also performed at the Goodman, Court Theatre and Griffin Theatre, among others. Odette Albans, the youngest daughter, will be played by Aysia Slade, making her Chicago debut after many credits in Raleigh, North Carolina. Shenise Brown, a veteran of productions with Northlight Theatre, Black Ensemble Theatre, MPAACT, and others, will be Makeda — the Albans’ servant who is known for her wisdom and regal presence.

Playing La Veuve, a free woman of color who is Beartrice’s sworn enemy, will be Sandra Adjoumani. Adjoumani appeared in THE MAMALOGUES for Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre and additionally has many credits with Yellow Rose Theatre and Second City Skybox. Marie Josephine, Beartrice’s clairvoyant sister, will be played by Jimiece Gilbert, who has appeared with such companies as ETA Creative Arts, Black Ensemble Theatre, and Invictus, where she understudied key roles in A RAISIN IN THE SUN and ‘NIGHT, MOTHER.

Longtime Chicago actor Ron Quade, whose recent appearances include THE INNOCENCE OF SEDUCTION with City Lit Theatre, will play Lazare, the father of Beartrice’s daughters. Bryan Nicholas Carter, who is just completing his role in GANGSTA BABY with Open Space Arts, will play The Man with the Bamboula. Understudies are Quenna Lené (u/s Beartrice, Marie Josephine), Sarah Driessen (u/s Agnés, Maude Lynn), Karli Scott (u/s Odette), LaTorious R. Givens (u/s Makeda, La Veuve), Ronald McDowell (u/s Man with the Bamboula), and Charles Askenaizer (Lazare).




Top Row (Left to Right): Sandra Adjoumani (La Veuve), Shenise Brown (Makeda), Bryan Nicholas Carter (Man with the Bamboula), Sierra Coachman (Maude Lynn)

Second Row Down from Top (Left to Right): Kaylah Marie Crosby (Agnés), Sarah Driessen (U/S-Agnés and Maude Lynn), Britt Edwards (Beartrice), Jimiece Gilbert (Marie Josephine)

Third Row Down from Top (Left to Right): LaTorious R. Givens (U/S- Makeda and La Veuve), Quenna Lené (U/S- Beartrice and Marie Josephine), Ronald McDowell (U/S-Man With The Bamboula), Ron Quade (Lazare)

Bottom Row (Left to Right): Karli Scott (U/S- Odette), Aysia Slade (Odette)

The production team that will recreate the beauty and romance of New Orleans of 1813 in the Windy City Playhouse will include Jeff Award winners Kevin Rolfs (Scenic Designer) and Petter Wahlbäck (Sound Designer); and Christie Chiles Twillie (Composer), Terrie Devine (Costume Designer), Anika Splettstoeszer (Wardrobe Supervisor), Levi J. Wilkins (Lighting Designer), Mark Brown (Production Electrician), Mariah Bennett (Properties Designer), Rueben Echoles (Wig, Hair, and Makeup Designer), Jessica Moore (Wig, Hair, and Makeup Assistant), Greg Geffrard (Violence and Intimacy), Susan Gosdick (Dialect Coach), Cliford St. Laurent (Dialect Consultant), Isis Elizabeth (Assistant Director and Movement), Anthony Doyle (Stage Manager), Laura Courtney (Assistant Stage Manager), Tom McNelis (Technical Director), and Becca Holloway (Casting Director). Invictus staff includes Charles Askenaizer (Artistic Director), Todd Henry Faulstich (Executive Producer), Mary Carroll Dougherty (Marketing Director), and Ana Schedler (Graphic Design).

Performances are Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:00 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. (No performances November 28, 29 and 30). Tickets are $38.00 for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances and $25.00 for Monday performances (except opening night, Monday, November 3). Tickets are on sale now at https://www.invictustheatreco.com/house.

Production Details
October 28 – December 14, 2025
Previews: October 28 and 31 at 7 p.m., November 1 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., November 2 at 1 p.m.
Press Opening: Monday, November 3 at 7 p.m.
Closing: Sunday December 14 at 1 p.m.

Performances Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays at 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m.
No performances November 28, 29 and 30 (Thanksgiving Weekend)
Performances at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago
Ticket prices: Previews $25. Mondays $25 (except Opening Night 11/3 is $38).

In early nineteenth-century New Orleans, widowed mother Beartrice struggles to manage her headstrong daughters after the death of her second husband. But as the matriarch takes her place as head of the household, a more ominous transfer of power transpires in the region. The French-owned Louisiana Territory is about to be acquired by the United States, threatening the liberty of the free people of color residing on the land. A gripping examination of intersecting captivities, THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND follows four women in mourning as they look ahead to an uncertain and haunting future.

BIOS

Aaron Reese Boseman (Director) is a Chicago native and a graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Direction and Acting. He directed Invictus’s acclaimed productions of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, THE MOUNTAINTOP, and A RAISIN IN THE SUN and is a Jeff Award, Black Excellence Award, and Black Theatre Alliance Award nominated theatre artist. He is also co-founder and Artistic Director of PULSE Theatre Chicago, where his directing credits include the world premiere of BENEATH THE WILLOW TREE by Isis Elizabeth, the Jeff Award Winning production of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, IN THE BLOOD, THE COLORED MUSEUM, FABULATION, OR THE RE-EDUCATION OF UNDINE, and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Other directing credits include AMERICAN SON (Ghostlight Theatre), NETWORTH, ROOM FOR MORE (Film Series), FABULATION OR, THE RE-EDUCATION OF UNDINE, DETROIT '67 (Columbia College Chicago-Mainstage),THE MUSIC MAN (Metropolis Performing Arts) and FAIRVIEW (Theatre at Cedar Rapids), THE TIGER WHO WORE WHITE GLOVES (eta Creative Arts Foundation), THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, S'KIN, THE PHILADELPHIA (Columbia College Chicago). Boseman is also an adjunct professor of Theatre at Columbia College Chicago.

Recent Acting Credits include BLUE HEAVEN (Black Ensemble Theater), RAGTIME (Metropolis Performing Arts), RUINED (Invictus Theatre), BIG RIVER (TATC), SHREK THE MUSICAL (Windy City Performs), IN THE HEIGHTS (The Miracle Center, Slate), VIOLET, BALM IN GILEAD (Griffin Theatre and Loyola University), GOLDEN BOY, DO RE MI (Porchlight Music Theatre), RENT (CCC), and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Skylight Music Theatre and Citadel Theatre).

Marcus Gardley (Playwright) is an acclaimed poet, playwright, and screenwriter whom THE NEW YORKER describes as “the heir to Garcia Lorca, Pirandello and Tennessee Williams.” His plays include THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND, which had its world premiere at Yale Rep in 2014, and for which he received the 2018 AUDELCO Award and the 2019 OBIE Award; X: OR, BETTY SHABAZZ V. THE NATION; BLACK ODYSSEY (2023 Drama Desk nomination); THE GOSPEL OF LOVING KINDNESS; EVERY TONGUE CONFESS; ON THE LEVEE, music and lyrics by Todd Almond (commissioned by Yale Rep); …AND JESUS MOONWALKS THE MISSISSIPPI; THE ROAD WEEPS, THE WELL RUNS DRY; and DANCE OF THE HOLY GHOSTS (Yale Rep world premiere, 2006).

Charles Askenaizer (Artistic Director) is the Founding Artistic Director of Invictus Theatre Company. He won the 2023 Jeff Award (Non-Equity Wing) for his direction of the company’s WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, which also won Jeff Awards for Production of a Play, Scenic Design (Kevin Rolfs), and Performer in a Supporting Role – Play (Rachel Livingston). Other recent Invictus directing credits include: ANGELS IN AMERICA, THE WINTER’S TALE, NETWORK, THREE SISTERS, THE CRUCIBLE (Jeff Award Nominations-Director, Production), JULIUS CAESAR, HAMLET, 'NIGHT, MOTHER (Associate Director), THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, and OTHELLO: THE MOOR OF VENICE. Directing credits outside of Invictus include TITUS ANDRONICUS (Bare Knuckles Theater), JULIUS CAESAR (Associate Director- Brown Paper Box), THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (Reutan Collective) and readings with Chicago Dramatists and Piccolo Theater. Since 2018, Charles has also directed several productions for Invictus's outreach programming in partnership with the Cook County Juvenile Justice System and Lawrence Hall. In 2024, Charles was named one of New City Magazine’s “Players 50 2024: The Rising Stars and Storefront Stalwarts.”

ABOUT INVICTUS THEATRE COMPANY

At Invictus Theatre Company, our mission is to create theatre that promotes a better understanding of language: its poetry, its rhythm, its resonance; through diverse works by diverse artists. We respect the power of heightened language: spoken, written, sung; to express the breadth of the human condition. We work to harness the power of language: to promote diversity, to engender respect, to foster collaboration; and to empower our communities to share their voices.

Invictus Theatre Company incorporated in January 2017 and received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in February 2017. A diverse group of Chicago actors and directors founded Invictus with the vision to empower their communities through theatrical productions of heightened language. We are committed to the idea that our productions should reflect the communities we represent, and, to that end, we are committed to non-discriminatory hiring practices. In working with local artists, designers, and production teams, Invictus Theatre Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, nationality, citizenship, religion, or any other status protected by law.

Invictus Theatre Company is generously supported by Michael and Mona Heath of The Heath Fund, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Untouchable Times Tours, Inc., and the Illinois Arts Council

JEKYLL & HYDE Via Kokandy Productions at The Chopin Theatre October 9 – December 21, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Kokandy Productions Presents

JEKYLL & HYDE

October 9 – December 21, 2025 at The Chopin Theatre

Pictured (left to right) Emily McCormick, David Moreland and Ava Stovall in a publicity image

for Kokandy Productions’ production of Jekyll & Hyde. Photo by Collin Quinn Rice.

Just in time for Halloween, Kokandy Productions embraces gothic horror with a revival of Jekyll & Hyde – the first Chicago staging of the macabre musical in over 15 years. Directed by Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham with music direction by Nick Sula and choreography by Brenda Didier, Jekyll & Hyde will play October 9 – December 21, 2025 on the The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's Kokandy Productions on Halloween night, so check back shortly after for my full review. Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've been covering Kokandy's fabulous productions since their inception in 2010 and they just get better every season! 

Featuring the full orchestration and a 15-piece orchestra, the epic and sweeping score takes the company to the Chopin Mainstage for the first time, creating a chilling chamber for this haunting tale. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/JekyllChicago. 
Based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson, Jekyll & Hyde is conceived for the stage by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, with book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and music by Frank Wildhorn.

Audiences will be taken to the moral limit by David Moreland (Cruel Intentions, American Psycho) in the titular roles of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde. Ava Stovall (Alice by Heart) returns to Kokandy as Lucy Harris (the Red Rat's main attraction and Hyde's obsession) and Emily McCormick makes her Kokandy debut as Emma Carew (Jekyll's fiance). The trio will be joined by Nathan Calaranan (Sir Danvers Carew), Ismael Garcia (Lord Savage), Jon Parker Jackson (Bishop of Basingstoke), Quinn Kelch (Simon Stride), Quinn Rigg (General Lord Glossop), Gabby Sauceda-Koziol (Sir Archibold Proops) Quinn Simmons (Poole), Maiko Terazawa (Lady Beaconsfield) and Kevin Webb (Gabriel John Utterson).

Swings include Jeffrey Gougis Jr, Emily Ling Mei, Caitlin Preuss, Anna Seibert, Jaxson Smith and Kelan M. Smith.

About the Production:
An evocative tale of two men – one, a doctor, passionate and romantic; the other, a terrifying madman – and two women – one, beautiful and trusting; the other, beautiful and trusting only herself – both women in love with the same man and both unaware of his dark secret. A devoted man of science, Dr. Henry Jekyll is driven to find a chemical breakthrough that can solve some of mankind's most challenging medical dilemmas. Rebuffed by the powers that be, he decides to make himself the subject of his own experimental treatments, accidentally unleashing his inner demons along with the man that the world would come to know as Mr. Hyde.

Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham comments, “At the heart of Jekyll & Hyde is a question... and a dare: how far is too far, and are we willing to take the risk and find out? In spending our fall with this beloved gothic thriller, we're taking the dare, heading upstairs and going full swoon into penny dreadful pulp. With a 15-piece orchestra supporting our cast, the music will drive us to the edge, taunting and tantalizing us with a curiosity that is provocative, sexy and scary as hell. Do you dare?

Music Director Nick Sula adds, “We are so excited to explore the broad range and color of the full orchestration, to emphasize the theme of duality – powerful brass paired with agile woodwinds, bold synths and percussion contrasting the elegant string quartet – all accompanying the passionate ballads and the intimate duets, from the explosions of full ensemble chorus to the quiet intensity of personal revelations. With the largest orchestra in Kokandy history and a cast of powerhouse voices, this production is sure to be an unforgettable experience!”

The production team includes Sotirios Livaditis (Scenic Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), G “Max” Maxin IV (Lighting Design), Matt Reich (Sound Design), Forrest Gregor (Associate Sound Design), Syd Genco (Make-up Design), Keith Ryan (Wig Design), Charlie Baker (Violence Director), Kirsten Baity (Intimacy Director), Shane Roberie (Casting Director), Nicholas Reinhart (Production Manager), Kendyl Meyer (Assistant Production Manager), Hannah Kwak (A1), Christine Burquest (A2), Shelby Burgus (Stage Manager) and Yasmeen Abiad (Assistant Stage Manager).



PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Conceived for the Stage by Frank Wildhorn & Steve Cuden

Book and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

Music by Frank Wildhorn

Based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson

Directed by Derek Van Barham

Music Direction by Nick Sula

Choreography by Brenda Didier

Location: The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, October 9 – Friday, October 24, 2025

Press performance: Saturday, October 25 at 7 pm

Regular run: Sunday, October 26 – Sunday, December 21, 2025

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Wednesday, November 26 at 7 pm; there will not be a performance on Thursday, November 27 (Thanksgiving Day).

Tickets: Previews $25 general admission, $33 reserved seating. Regular run $45 general admission, $55 reserved seating. Students/Seniors $35. There will be a limited number of $15 tickets (with code ARTIST) available to artists for each performance. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/JekyllChicago.



About the Artists

Derek Van Barham (Director) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions. Directing credits include Children of Eden in Concert (Broadway In Chicago), Amélie, Into the Woods, Alice by Heart, Sweeney Todd, American Psycho, Head Over Heels (3 Jeff Awards and 2 Jeff nominations, Kokandy); Spring Awakening (Flint Rep); Rock of Ages (Metropolis); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Miracle by Dan Savage, Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag); Carrie, Bat Boy, Merrily We Roll Along (CCPA/Roosevelt University). Choreography credits include Evil Dead (Jeff nomination), Coraline the Musical, Ghost Quartet and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes). He was previously named one of Windy City Times’ 30 Under 30, and one of Newcity Magazine’s 50 Players 2024. MFA: CCPA/Roosevelt University. IG: @dvbarham

Nick Sula (Music Director) is an award-winning pianist and music director, proud to return to Kokandy Productions and the Chopin Theatre where he served as music director for the Jeff Award-winning productions of Sweeney Todd (Jeff Award for Outstanding Music Direction), Into the Woods (Jeff Awards for Outstanding Music Direction and Orchestrations), as well as the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. Other Chicago theatre music direction credits include: Anything Goes (Jeff nomination) with Porchlight Music Theatre; Ghost Quartet (Jeff nomination), Mary Rose, Nevermore, Amour and Coraline with Black Button Eyes Productions; Myths & Hymns, The Glorious Ones (Jeff nomination), Hello Again, La Cage aux Folles and Pippin with BoHo Theatre. As a professor of musical theatre he serves as a music director, instructor and vocal coach at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

Brenda Didier (Choreographer) is thrilled to collaborate with Derek (DVB) for the first time and to return to Kokandy after choreographing Grand Hotel in 2018 (Jeff nomination). Direction and/or Choreography credits include work with: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Goodman, Marriott, Paramount, Porchlight Music Theatre, Mercury Theater, Theo and many others. Tour: Kenny Rogers Christmas Tour, Cirque Shanghai: Navy Pier Skyline Stage and productions in Atlantic City, Las Vegas and the New Victory Theatre in New York. Ms. Didier made her TV Choreography debut with T-Mobile's national holiday commercial "Home for the Holidays." She is a multiple Jeff Award recipient in both Direction and Choreography (Equity and Non-Equity wings) and Artistic Director/Founder of The Lincolnshire Academy of Dance, now in its 28th Season. "Thank you to Derek, Nick, Shane, Scot and our incredible cast, design team, band and crew! Thank you for supporting live theatre! Love to Mike, Mom, family and friends!”

About Kokandy Productions
Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theatre to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theatre artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theatre community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot T. Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Scot T. Kokandy, Danielle Sparklin and Katie Svaicer.

For additional information, visit www.kokandyproductions.com.

World Premiere of Ghost Fetus Via Trap Door Theatre Now Playing Through September 27th, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Trap Door Theatre’s Trap Open Series Presents

The World Premiere of

Ghost Fetus

Written by Suz Evans

Directed by Anna Klos

Now Playing Through September 27th, 2025

Trap Door Theatre is thrilled to open its 32nd season with a World Premiere presented with the Trap Open Series: Ghost Fetus, written by Chicago playwright Suz Evans and directed by Anna Klos. Ghost Fetus will play September 11th –27th, 2025 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W Cortland St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at trapdoortheatre.com or by calling (773)-384-0494. 

The cast includes Jenn Geiger, Tia Pinson, Lolo Ramos, Gus Thomas, and Jacqui Touchet

A ghost seeking revenge. A church caught in its own contradictions. Two queer teens reckoning with faith, fear, and desire. Anna Klos and Suz Evans bring you a haunting, hilarious, and heartfelt piece like no other.

The production team includes Anna Klos (Director), Richard Norwood (Lighting Designer),Suz Evans (Set Designer), Emily Nichelson (Costume Designer), Anna Kosicki (Assistant Costume Designer), Laila Eskin (Sound Designer), Chels Morgan (Intimacy/Violence Director), Gabrielle Owens (Stage Manager), Laura Nelson (Marketing), Lo Miles

Cast (in alphabetical order): Jenn Geiger (Craig), Tia Pinson (Ghost Fetus), Lolo Ramos(Whitney), Gus Thomas (Aaron), and Jacqui Touchet (Sarah Jane).

Location: Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. Chicago, IL 60622

Dates: Regular Run: Thursday, September 11th –Saturday, September 27th, 2025

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm.

Tickets: $22. Tickets are currently available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/trapdoor/ghost-fetus or by calling (773) 384-0494.

Group tickets: Special group rates are available. For information, call (773) 384-0494 or email boxofficetrapdoor@gmail.com.

Plan your visit: Free street parking is available.

Buses: #9 (Ashland), #50 (Damen), #72 (North), #73 (Armitage).

Metra: Clybourn metra stop.

Accessibility:

Trap Door Theatre is wheelchair accessible.

About the Artists:

Suz Evans (Playwright) (they/them) (b Cincinnati 1990) is a playwright, set designer and visual artist with a background in printmaking and performance art. Their work delves into questions about identity, hierarchy, cultural deviance, relationships and grief. Evans has a BFA in printmaking and art history from Montserrat College of Art (2013). They have shown visual work at the Lily Pad (Cambridge MA), the Crane Estate of Ipswich (MA), SOWA open studios (Boston), the Boston Printmakers Biennial, Roots and Culture and Archer Beach House (Chicago) and unofficially made live work at places such as the Cincinnati Art Museum, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Mass MoCa, and Smith College Museum of Art.

Their first script, Childhood Beauty, was produced at Trap Door Theatre in 2019. In 2021 they wrote for adevised work at Trick Lock Theater (Albuquerque). Evans designed the set for Antigonik, directed at Trap Door by Anna Klos in 2024. Their puppetry work has also been performed at several YUCK! shows in Chicago in collaboration with Klos. 

Evans is committed to making work that examines their own childhood of fundamental Christian upbringing. Whether it’s deep dives into the impacts of pro-life ideology or obsessions with cultural moments such as Jane Fonda Workout videos, their plays are all in consideration of understanding what got us to the present. Ghost Fetus was written a year before Roe v.Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. As Evans creates work about a life that feels far removed from a progressive city like Chicago we are reminded that ideas of the body, the reproduction system, and societal control are strongly rooted in our American culture.

Anna Klos (Director) (they/them) has worked with Trap Door for the last five seasons, and during thattime they have explored a myriad of projects, including: Antigonick (Director), The Ugly One (Assistant Director), Trap Door's 25/25 (Event Manager), Old Woman Broods (Actor), and Monsieur D'Eon is a Woman, The White Plague, Lipstick Lobotomy, Queen C, Decomposed Theater, The Martyrdom of PeterOhey (Chicago run and New York tour), Jeanne et le Feu, and Bowie in Warsaw (Stage Manager). Anna is grateful for clowns, their Trap family, and their partner, Suz.

About the Trap Open Series

The Trap Open Series explores non-traditional forms of playmaking, while developing and giving voice to the next generation of groundbreaking theater artists. In keeping with the promise to foster innovative forms of expression, Trap Door opens up its space to company members, as well as guest artists, to develop new work that exists outside the realm of a traditional theatrical run. These performances occur sporadically throughout the prime-time season as additional offerings during the week and late nights. Whether it is a workshop of a bold new play, a daylong performance installation, or a collaboration with artists from other mediums, Trap Open offers audiences thrilling, unexpected experiences while granting artists the opportunity to take risks that push their artistic practices to new heights.

About Trap Door Theatre

Trap Door Theatre is committed to seeking out challenging and obscure works. Whether a forgotten European classic, an international project rarely seen in the United States, or an untarnished piece of American literature, Trap Door seeks diverse voices and presents them through innovative expression. We mix established and imaginative techniques to illustrate theabsurdities of living in today’s society.

Trap Door Theatre is funded in part by The Paul M Angell Family Foundation, The CliffDwellers Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council Agency, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The John R Halligan Charitable Fund, The Reva and David Logan Foundation, and the generosity of individual donors.

For additional information, visit trapdoortheatre.com

TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody Announces Final Extension Through Nov. 9, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

TWIHARD! A TWILIGHT MUSICAL PARODY 

SINKS ITS TEETH INTO FINAL EXTENSION WITH PERFORMANCES NOW ON SALE THROUGH SUNDAY, NOV. 9

Tickets On Sale Now at www.TwihardTheMusical.com, Just in Time for Spooky Season

TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody, the smash hit original musical from Otherworld Theatre Company that was called “super funny” by WBEZ’s Mike Davis, today announced that performances will extend through Sunday, Nov. 9 at Chicago’s Apollo Theater (2550 N Lincoln Ave), with tickets for the entirety of the run on sale now at www.TwihardTheMusical.com.

Hailed as “too much fun” with a “surprising amount of heart” by Chicago Tribune, TWIHARD! reimagines the beloved Twilight saga with irreverent humor and showstopping original music. Written and directed by Tiffany Keane Schaefer with music by Brian Rasmussen, TWIHARD! “goes hard” (Chicago Reader), with Entertaining Chicago calling it “the musical you never knew you needed in your life.”

The cast, called “superb” by Around the Town Chicago, includes Rachel Arianna, Peter Stielstra, Aliyah Necaise, Allie Grace Ember, Trey Plutnicki, Maxwell Peters, Kyra Young, Ryan Wagner, Hannah Decker, Cris Moreno, Stephanie Boyd, Ginny Weant, Jacob Watson, Mason Sammarco, Liam Ryan, Jackson West, Nicholas Ian, Maddi LeBlanc, Carly Nadeau, Cosmo Coniglio, Isabel Koleno and Jordan Thompson.

Photo Credit for all: Nadir Waxali

Tickets to TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody are available now at www.TwihardTheMusical.com through Sunday, Nov. 9. Performances take place Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. To relive the fang-tasy at home or to prepare for your next visit to Forks, stream the TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody original cast recording album on Spotify.

About TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody

TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody is a hilarious reimagining of the iconic Twilight saga, blending catchy original songs, over-the-top humor, and a fang-filled twist on the story of Bella, Edward, and the supernatural world of Forks. Created by Otherworld Theatre Company—North America’s premier sci-fi and fantasy theatre—this side-splitting parody delivers a wildly entertaining experience for die-hard fans and first-timers alike. Whether you're Team Edward, Team Jacob, or just in it for the chaos, TWIHARD! promises an evening of laughter, love and glitter.

REVIEW: Lifeline Theatre's World Premiere Production of RABBITS IN THEIR POCKETS Through October 5, 2025

When Life's the Pits, Embrace The Cherries!

Black Joy and Rabbit Luck Abound in Lifeline's World Premiere

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

“RABBITS IN THEIR POCKETS”

Developed in Lifeline’s 2024 BIPOC Workshop: Chicago Playwright’s Debut Production 

Run Time: 90 minutes

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

(L to R) Marcus D. Moore (Jasper), Simmery Branch (Harley), and Felicia McNeal (Inola). Improv students Jasper and Inola try a scene as Harley’s ancestors in Lifeline Theatre’s “Rabbits In Their Pockets” Photo credit for all: Josh Bernaski

I've always been fascinated by the idea that homes soak in the energy and emotions of what transpired there. Chicago playwright Kimberly Dixon-Mays, RABBITS IN THEIR POCKETS takes this concept to the next level with the invention of walls that can store up black joy like solar panels. This play hits home in an era where DEI initiatives are being rolled back on the regular, lynchings are resurging, and black joy is under attack. 

It's fantastic that this play came to life through Lifeline’s 2024 BIPOC Developmental Workshop and firmly centers the lives of two very different black siblings and their struggle to reconnect as adults. I applaud the choice of productions outside of the white, male canon, and the strong representation of lead roles for both women and actors of color. Simmery Branch (Harley) and LaKecia Harris (Ash) expertly play siblings, whose conflict and connection is fascinating to see. Felisha McNeal (Inola) is also a hoot in her role as a cryptic ancestor/investor. We also enjoyed watching Marcus D. Moore (Jasper, R) in action.

Since Virginia Woolf's famous essay, the idea of a room of one's own, has captivated imaginations. It's particularly important for mothers, caregivers, and women to have a space of their own to retreat into and recharge, no matter how small, and the sisters saw this as children, in their Mother's cherry wallpapered hidey hole beneath the stairs. In RABBITS IN THEIR POCKETS there's something so joyful and special about reclaiming sacred space, rekindling the bonds of blood, and moving forward together. I love the juxtaposition of old school, low tech, self care with futuristic, cutting edge invention, all in pursuit of joy. 

There's also quite a bit of humor and rabbit fun from an improv assignment to a full body, jump scare inducing bunny suit, complete with a giant furry head. 

Simmery Branch (Harley, L) coaches her improv student Marcus D. Moore (Jasper, R) as he tries to be a rabbit in Lifeline Theatre’s “Rabbits In Their Pockets”

It was such a pleasure to catch opening night of this playfully thought provoking piece. We'll be keeping an eye out for more work from playwright Kimberly Dixon-Mays whose insightful themes on human psychology and family dynamics are at once universal and deeply personal. And if that joy collector wall panel actually works, those wall will be oozing joy after the laughter and applause of opening weekend. 

Sisters LaKecia Harris (Ash, L) and Simmery Branch (Harley, R) meet after a long estrangement in Lifeline Theatre’s “Rabbits In Their Pockets” a world-premiere original comedy by Kimberly Dixon-Mays

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar. Recommended. Three out of four stars. ★★★ 

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

(L to R) Simmery Branch (Harley) and LaKecia Harris (Ash) play sisters who find shared joy in childhood memories 

Lifeline Theatre's World Premiere production of Kimberly Dixon-Mays’ RABBITS IN THEIR POCKETS is directed by Christopher Wayland and running through October 5, 2025 on the Rogers Park theatre’s stage at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. Tickets ($25 - $45) are now available at https://lifelinetheatre.com/.

(L to R) Simmery Branch (Harley) and LaKecia Harris (Ash) play siblings with very different approaches to life.

In the pursuit of joy, does method matter? Two siblings–opposites and estranged–take one last shot at putting grief behind them to create the joy they both seek. But their daring project can only succeed if they can accept each other's special magic. A world premiere original play by Chicago playwright Kimberly Dixon-Mays, RABBITS IN THEIR POCKETS began in Lifeline’s 2024 BIPOC Developmental Workshop.

(L to R) LaKecia Harris (Ash) and Simmery Branch (Harley)

RABBITS IN THEIR POCKETS PRODUCTION DETAILS

Title: RABBITS IN THEIR POCKETS

Written By: Kimberly Dixon-Mays

Directed By: Christopher Wayland

Cast: LaKecia Harris (Ash), Simmery Branch (Harley), Marcus D. Moore (Teddy), and Felisha McNeal (Inola)

Production Crew: Maryha Paige (Stage Manager), Shokie Tseumah (Scenic and Props Designer), Joseph Nelson (Lighting and Projections Designer), Emily McConnell (Costume Designer), and Isaac Mandel (Sound Designer)

Dates: Now Playing Through October 5, 2025 

Schedule: Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Location: Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave.

Tickets: General Admission: $45

Military, student, and senior discounts available

Box Office:  info@lifelinetheatre.com or by phone at 773-761-4477

ABOUT LIFELINE THEATRE

Now in its 43rd season, Lifeline Theatre continues to explore, interpret, and reimagine books and other literary works to create stories that move us beyond the margins of our own lives. Lifeline Theatre – Big Stories, Up Close.

Lifeline Theatre’s MainStage programs are partially supported by the Carole Oppenheim and Jerome S. Lamet Charitable Fund; Illinois Arts Council Agency; Anonymous; Paul M. Angell Foundation; Rogers Park Social; S&C Electric Company Fund; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; The Saints; and the annual support of businesses and individuals. https://lifelinetheatre.com

(L to R) Simmery Branch (Harley) and LaKecia Harris (Ash) play siblings in Lifeline Theatre’s “Rabbits In Their Pockets” a world-premiere original comedy by Kimberly Dixon-Mays, directed by Christopher Wayland. Now running through Sunday, October 5. Lifeline Theatre is located at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. Chicago, IL 60626. For tickets visit https://lifelinetheatre.com or call the box office at 773-761-4477. 

DUCK SOUP VIA THE CONSPIRATORS AT STARS & GARTERS OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 23, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

THE CONSPIRATORS ANNOUNCE DUCK SOUP,

OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 23, AT STARS & GARTERS

The Conspirators Lovingly Dismantle This Marx Brothers Classic Film in Their Inimitable Style

The Conspirators present Duck Soup by Harry Ruby and Burt Kalmar, adapted from the Marx Brothers’ movie for the stage by Sid Feldman and directed by Wm. Bullion, at the NEW Stars & Garters venue, 3914 N. Clark St., October 24 - November 23. The production includes two preview performances on Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays - Sundays at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for previews, $30 for the regular run, and may be purchased online at ConspireWithUs.org. I'll be out to review at the press opening, Thursday, Oct. 30th, so check back soon after for my full review.

Duck Soup Synopsis: Stop them if you've heard this one before—an influential billionaire installs a crackpot president who hires incompetents into his cabinet and starts a war out of complete vanity. Ring a bell? The Conspirators lovingly dismantle the Marx Brothers classic film in their own inimitable style.

“Instead of our usual political satire, we just wanted to do something fun this time,” offered Adapter and Producer Sid Feldman, “pure comedy without the commentary.” Director Bullion added, “This will TOTALLY take our mind off of our national decline and get our minds onto Freedonia’s national decline.”

The cast and production team for Duck Soup are to be announced.

ABOUT WM. BULLION (Director, Executive Artistic Director)

Wm. Bullion is a veteran tragicomedian, director and actor on the fringe of the Chicago theater fringe and beyond. Bullion is an emeritus member of The Factory Theater, for whom he directed Prophet$ and Born Ready. He started Sliced Bread Productions in 1988 and put up some fine work before it folded in 2008. He co-founded The Conspirators in 2016 and has proudly directed their oeuvre, including Chicago Cop Macbeth; Viva la Mort; Commedia Divina: It’s Worse Than That; The Ineptidemic; Accidental Death of a Black Motorist; The Deckchairs, or Make the Titanic Great Again and The Resistible Rise of Herr Helmut Drumpf—but he was a fool to think starting another theater group in Chicago is a viable, sustainable idea. Yet, here we are.

ABOUT SID FELDMAN (Adapter, Producer/Style Coach, Producing Director)

Sid Feldman co-founded The Conspirators and has written plays, adaptations, screenplays, reviews and essays. He has produced plays, concerts and events for numerous organizations, including New Crime and Sliced Bread Productions (also with Wm. Bullion).

ABOUT THE CONSPIRATORS

The Conspirators are a (newfangled) theater and performance collective in Chicago dedicated to provoking thought and action through dynamic, immediate theater art. The Conspirators work exclusively in a style of neo-Commedia called “The Style”—a highly theatrical performance mode developed by movie stars Tim Robbins and John Cusack from the techniques of Ariane Mnouchkine, Commedia dell’Arte, Bugs Bunny cartoons and punk rock, as historically performed by New Crime Prod. (R.I.P.) and The Actors’ Gang. The company also offers free Style workshops to interested performers of all calibers.

The regular performance schedule is Thursdays - Sundays at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for previews, $30 for the regular run and may be purchased online at ConspireWithUs.org. 

Please follow The Conspirators on Facebook and Instagram.

FEST ALERT: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble Presents the Full Circle Festival September 19 - 28, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

CHICAGO DANZTHEATRE ENSEMBLE PRESENTS 

FULL CIRCLE FESTIVAL 

SEPTEMBER 19 - 28, 2025

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) is pleased to announce the plays and artists featured in the reimagined “Full Circle Festival,” September 19-28, at Chicago Danztheatre, 1650 W. Foster Avenue. The performance schedule is Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9:30 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. For additional information on this upcoming season and to purchase tickets, visit DanzTheatre.org.

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble has reimagined its Full Circle Festival, featuring physical, fringe, and dance theater works between 30 and 60 minutes in length. About the festival, for eight years, CDE has produced this eclectic festival for works under 15 minutes. Since reopening three years ago after being closed due to the pandemic, the company has been responding to the needs of the performance community even more, and has found that there is a need to present longer works. CDE is co-producing this event with Whispering Theatre Collective (Britt Anderson and Richie Schiraldi). This year’s lineup will feature: RE|dance, Whispering Theatre Collective, Michelle Stine, CIRCA-Pintig, HGBIC Productions, Emma Jean Eastling and Broken Planet.

The 2025 Full Circle Festival includes:

Josephine

Friday, Sept. 19 and 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Presented by HGBIC Productions

Directed by Mikey Duran

Choreographed by Dushawn Darling and Juan Irizarry

Set before the Actress Josephine Baker’s historic debut at The Folies Bergere, Josephine recounts her childhood and early career, which led her to become the most famous black woman in the world.

Well-Balanced Dads

Saturday, Sept. 20 and 27 at 4 p.m.

Presented by Whisper Theater

Well-Balanced Dads is a family-friendly physical comedy about two dads navigating life after their kids have left the nest. Through partner acrobatics, classic rock, and an abundance of audience interaction, Dick and Dale take the audience on a camping adventure complete with a beloved Minivan, dance numbers, a cheese stick fight, movie references, and a spooky ghost story.  Suitable for all ages.

Every Brilliant Thing

Saturday, Sept. 20 and 27 at 5:30 p.m.

Presented by CiRCA Pintig

Written by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe

Directed by RJ Silva and Annemarie Andaleon

Featuring Mari Joy

Every Brilliant Thing is a heartwarming, interactive play that celebrates life’s joys and struggles. Starring Mari Joy, the show invites audiences to laugh, reflect, and participate in a unique theatrical experience.

Chicago MemoryScape

Saturday, Sept. 20 and 27 at 7 p.m.

Presented by RE|Dance Group

Chicago MemoryScape is a public art and dance installation

that creates a moving memory map throughout the city of Chicago. Lucy Vurusic Riner turns Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods into stages for spontaneous, crowdsourced dance performances, using public art as a backdrop to spark connection with dance and community members. Together they experience, participate, and create their own MemoryScape.  Suitable for all ages.

The Storage Closet

Saturday, Sept. 20 and 27 at 8 p.m.

Written by Emma Jean Eastlund

The Storage Closet is a new play by Emma Jean Eastlund that peels back the curtain on GoGo dancing to reveal a raw, femme-driven story of survival, sisterhood, and reclamation. Set in the storage closet of a nightclub, the play follows a group of women as they navigate the chaos of nightlife, clinging to their power and dreams. Both gritty and poetic, The Storage Closet is a tribute to the women of GoGo—and to all femme artists who continue to make art by any means necessary.

Broken Planet Show

Saturday, Sept.  27 at 9:30 p.m.

Broken Planet Show is an absurd interactive cabaret of apocalyptic proportions where clown, music, and chaos collide in a nightly riot of world-saving mischief. Featuring characters like Clown God, Mothman, and Fart Monkey, the show dares audiences to laugh at our flaws, misbehave joyfully, and unite through ridiculousness. It’s a rebellious celebration of imperfection, set to a live-looped cosmic soundtrack.

Always, Sometimes, Maybe

Sunday, September 21 and 28 at 3 p.m.

Presented by Michele Stine

Michele Stine’s Always, Sometimes, Maybe follows a janitor who unexpectedly finds herself onstage. With nothing but her rubbish and a lot of imagination, she tries to find a connection. Using physical comedy, puppetry, dance, and non-verbal storytelling, this is a warm, accessible experience suitable for all ages and backgrounds. A funny, tender journey directed by Sean Garratt into what it means to be alone- and how we find our way back to each other.  Suitable for all ages.

Destination Wedding

Sunday, September 21 and 28 at 6 p.m.

Presented by Fat Theatre Project

The ins and outs of a wedding are told from a variety of perspectives.

 Arachne

Sunday, September 21 and 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Presented by Whisper Theater

Written by Britt Anderson

Directed by Alex Mallory

Greek mythology meets Steel Magnolias in Arachne, a bold, hilarious solo show about the very first spider. Athena, the Goddess of Justice and Handicrafts, is hosting a launch party for her memoir… until a mysterious force demands that she tell the WHOLE truth about her past. If she doesn’t, she’ll be coughing up webs for all eternity. Athena’s story dives into issues like justice, accountability, and the complexities of women’s friendships. Britt Anderson uses music, multiple characters, and audience interaction to weave this tale about two former best friends.

ABOUT CHICAGO DANZTHEATRE ENSEMBLE

Founded in 2001, Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) is Chicago’s only multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to social justice and socially conscious work that builds community through the arts “one voice, one story, one person at a time.” CDE’s mission is to engage, inspire, and challenge the community, both onstage and in the classroom, through innovative and collaborative multidisciplinary storytelling to illuminate aspects of social issues. We do this in the genre of Tanztheatre, "which unites all art media to achieve an all-embracing, radical change in humankind.” Through our school-based art and performance programs, CDE helps students in Chicago schools explore their own creativity, supporting their social and emotional learning. CDE provides a physical and emotional space where community conversation and cultural change can happen.

For our performance series, CDE is dedicated to creating performances that blend together dance, theatre and visual art to tell stories about the human condition. We give an artistic voice to those who are not always heard.

Dedicated since our founding to diverse casting of age, body type and ethnicity

Consistently listed as a “Top Theater and Dance Performance to See” by New City and Chicago Reader

Unique collaborations with the Veterans Art Museum, Poetry Center Chicago, Cantigny Museum, Neighborhood Writing Alliance, Voice of the City and numerous dance and theater companies

MacArthur Award Grantee for International Collaborations.  

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) is pleased to announce its 2025 - 2026 season. CDE will open this season with LUMINOSITY, Aug. 1-2, followed by a reimagined “Full Circle Festival,” Sept. 19-28, featuring local artists participating in a classic fringe-style festival. The Artists’ Residency, Body Passages, returns to CDE from Nov. 14-15, as well as the New Plays Program and Next Stage Development. In addition, CDE announces Davon Suttles as its new assistant artistic director.

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is supported by The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Bayless Family Foundation, The Saints Foundation,The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; Innovation 80; Farny Wurlitzer Foundation; Mardi Gras Fund and the annual support of individual donors.