World Premiere of Artemis Books & the Well-Meaning Man Via The Village Theater at Rivendell Theatre July 17 - August 2, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

The Village Theater Presents the World Premiere of 

Artemis Books & the Well-Meaning Man

by Paul Michael Thomson

Directed by Clara Zucker

Poster design by Andi Muriel

The Village Theater's inaugural production is playing 

July 17th Through August 2nd at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Regina (Reggie) runs a femme-centric feminist bookstore in Tucson, AZ. Artemis Books is a safe space for queer people, free expression, and womxn of all kinds. When her boss unexpectedly jumps ship, Reggie is stuck with a new hire: straight, white, cis-male JJ. Workplace romances, existential anxieties, and some questionable spell-casting abound as Reggie tries to reclaim her safe space. Does identity have to influence ideology? Does colonialism ever stop? And what in the actual hell is a “good guy”?

The production will run from July 17-August 2 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Tickets can be purchased via the-village-theater.com/artemisbooks.

"Artemis Books and the Well-Meaning Man" will run from July 18 to August 3 at the Rivendell Theatre 5779 N. Ridge Ave. Please join us for our post-show dialogues following select matinee performances on July 19, July 20, and August 2-- beverages will be provided!

*PREVIEW IS THURSDAY, JULY 17. Discounted tickets available.*

*UNDERSTUDY PERFORMANCE IS WEDNESDAY, JULY 23.*

*INDUSTRY NIGHT IS MONDAY, JULY 28. Use code INDUSTRY for $10 tickets*

Seating is GA for Access and Standard Ticket levels. For Donor level tickets, seats will be reserved. The house will open 30 minutes before the performance's scheduled start time. If you have any questions or need accommodations, please email us at villagetheaterchi@gmail.com.

Performance Schedule

July 17th – August 2nd

7:30pm Thursday, July 17th, Preview Performance

8:00pm Friday, July 18th, Opening

8:00pm Thursdays and Fridays

3:00pm and 8:00pm Saturdays

3:00pm Sunday, July 20th

8:00pm Saturday, August 2nd Closing

Additional Performances

8:00pm Wednesday, July 23rd Understudy Performance

8:00pm Monday, July 28th Industry Night Performance

ARTEMIS BOOKS & THE WELL-MEANING MAN will be performed at:

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

5779 N. Ridge Avenue

Chicago, IL 60660

Tickets:the-village-theater.com/artemisbooks

Phone: (872) 529-6792

Email: villagetheaterchi@gmail.com

Tickets follow a pay-as-you-are model:

● Access tickets (limited quantity): $12

● Standard tickets: $25

● Donor tickets (includes a reserved seat): $50

ARTEMIS BOOKS & THE WELL-MEANING MAN is a topical and comedic examination of morality, identity, and community in a capitalist and patriarchal society. Set in a feminist bookstore in Tucson, AZ, the show follows the chaos that ensues when JJ, a straight, white, cis man, joins the staff. For The Village Theater’s debut performance, director Clara Zucker, also the co-artistic director of The Village, has selected a show that reflects The Village Theater’s values of amplifying marginalized voices, championing local organizations, and allowing the audience to engage with difficult questions.

Creative Team

Playwright: Paul Michael Tomson

Director: Clara Zucker*

Assistant Director: Carmia Imani

Stage Manager: Amanda Tancioco Rokosz

Scenic Designer: Katelyn Montgomery

Sound Designer: Satya Chávez

Lighting Designer: Joseph Nelson

Props Master: Averly Sheltraw

Costume Designer: Maggie McGlenn

Dramaturg: Naomi Kalter*

Intimacy Coordinator: Bailey McWilliams-Woods*

Producers: Lena Romano and Emily Newmark*

*denotes Village Team Member

Cast

Regina - Daniela Martinez (u/s Teri Talo)

Asha - Tierra Matthews (u/s Aysia Slade)

Emerson - Phoebe Jacobs (u/s Janey Elliott)

JJ - Kyle Roth (u/s Bryce Miller)

Paul Michael Thomson is a playwright, performer, producer, and PhD candidate based in Chicago. Nationally produced plays include: brother sister cyborg space (Raven Theatre); Fremont Junior High Is NOT Doing Oklahoma! (Good Company Theatre, Live Theatre Workshop); What a Time to Be Alive (You Say That Every Time) (Definition Theatre, Great Plains Theatre Commons); Leave Me Alone! (The Story Theatre); The G.O.A.T., or Who Is Ximone? (Theatre L'Acadie, O'Neill Center NPC Finalist); and more. 

As an actor, Paul Michael has worked onstage at Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, and Drury Lane, and his on-camera work includes: All Happy Families, Drawn Back Home, Chicago Med, and Chicago Justice. Paul Michael is a proud co-founder and Governing Ensemble member of The Story Theatre, where his producing credits include: At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, the love object, Marie Antoinette & the Magical Negroes, and The (W)rites of Summer new play festivals. He is a PhD candidate in Afro-American Studies through the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and his scholarly work has been published in Theatre History Studies, the Black Theatre Review, and Theatre Annual. He is represented by Gray Talent Group. Paul Michael's play Pot Girls will premiere with The Story Theatre in February 2026, in collaborative conversation with Raven Theatre's production of Top Girls by Caryl Churchill. He is honored to be a part of The Village Theater's inaugural production and stands in awe of this brilliant team and the village they're creating.

paulmichaelthomson.com @paulmichaelt

Clara Zucker*- Director (Co-Artistic Director of The Village Theater)

Clara Zucker is a Chicago-based director, playwright, and dramaturg. She is passionate about utilizing theater as a tool for social change and firmly believes in theater’s ability to uplift and unify diverse voices. 

Directing credits include the Midwest premiere of The Lacy Project (The Understudy), Sophie Sucks Face (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, shortlisted for best show for Edinburgh Comedian's Choice Awards), Doom Tank (Under St. Mark’s Theatre), Shayna Punim, The Aliens, Athena, Mr. Marmalade (Oberlin College). Past playwriting credits include Fishing for Whales (2024 Cherry Picking, New York, NY), and Shayna Punim (Oberlin College, Oberlin Ohio). Clara currently serves as the literary and dramaturgy apprentice at Goodman Theatre and is the dramaturg for the upcoming world premiere of Ashland Avenue (Dir. Susan Booth, Goodman Theatre). Clara holds a B.A. in Theater and American Studies from Oberlin College and is the recipient of the Nash Drama Award for exceptional achievement in Oberlin Theater. She would like to thank her family for making the trek from NYC and her community here in Chicago. It takes a village!

ARTEMIS BOOKS & THE WELL-MEANING MAN is the first production of The Village Theater’s inaugural season.

The production will run from July 18-August 2 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Tickets can be purchased via the-village-theater.com/artemisbooks.

The Village Theater of Chicago is a director-driven collective that harnesses theater as an instrument for cultivating community. Through intimate storytelling, community partnerships, and post-show dialogues, we reveal the profound magic of human connection. Transformative art emerges from collaboration. After all, it takes a village.

Stay updated with The Village at our website https://www.the-village-theater.com/ and follow us on Instagram @the.village.theater

World Premiere of Billie Jean at Chicago Shakespeare Theater July 18–August 10, 2025 in The Yard

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Electrifying World Premiere Play 

Billie Jean

Based on the life of sports icon and equality champion Billie Jean King

by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Marc Bruni

Starring Chilina Kennedy in the title role

July 18 Through August 10, 2025 in The Yard

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents the world premiere play Billie Jean, about sports icon and equality champion Billie Jean King. Playwright Lauren Gunderson, one of the most-produced playwrights in the US, and director Marc Bruni (Broadway’s The Great Gatsby and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), team up to stage this empowering new look at a legend who shattered glass ceilings on and off the court. Following her path to becoming a sports icon, from her record-breaking victories to her relentless fight for equal pay and equal rights, Billie Jean explores the cost of public battles and private struggles—bringing us closer than ever before to a woman whose battle for identity and equality inspired and continues to inspire generations. The production runs July 18–August 10, 2025, in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Chilina Kennedy stars as Billie Jean King, leading a cast that also includes Dan Amboyer, Julia Antonelli, Elena Hurst, Courtney Rikki Green, Wynn Harmon, Carolyn Holding, Jürgen Hooper, Callie Rachelle Johnson, Lenne Klingaman, Nancy Lemenager, and Murphy Taylor Smith.

Named one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” by Life magazine, Billie Jean King is the first woman athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the first individual woman athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. She is the founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation, the Women’s Tennis Association and the Billie Jean King Foundation. She is part of the ownership groups of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angel City FC and a member of the Advisory Board of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). In 2020, King became the first woman to have an annual global team sports event named in her honor when Fed Cup, the women’s world cup of tennis, was rebranded as the Billie Jean King Cup. The National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006 in honor of her accomplishments on and off the court.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s world premiere production of Billie Jean is developed by special arrangement with four-time Tony-winning producer Harriet Newman Leve (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, War Horse, Stomp) and Stephanie Sandberg (Country Lane Productions), with Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner (powerhouse creative duo in television, sound recording, film, theater, and animation for more than 40 years). 

Chilina Kennedy is best known for playing Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway for over 1,200 performances. Her Broadway credits include Myrtle in The Great Gatsby, Annie in Paradise Square, and Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, and she starred in the first national tour of The Band’s Visit (Toronto Critics Award). Kennedy’s other selected credits include the Off-Broadway world premiere of This Ain’t No Disco, the world premiere of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Hartford Stage/The Old Globe in San Diego), and the one-woman play The Human Voice (filmed for Toronto’s Ontario International College). She spent three seasons each at the Shaw Festival Theatre and the Stratford Festival, with credits including Rose of Sharon in The Grapes of Wrath.

The cast also features Dan Amboyer (Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest and Uncoupled, TV Land’s Younger, NBC’s Blacklist: Redemption) as Larry King, Julia Antonelli (Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid, Netflix’s Outer Banks, Nickelodeon’s Every Witch Way and WITS Academy) as Young Billie Jean, and Elena Hurst (Becoming A Man and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at American Repertory Theater) as Rosie Casals, as well as Courtney Rikki Green (Henry V at CST, Romeo and Juliet at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Wynn Harmon (Porgy and Bess on Broadway), Carolyn Holding (HBO’s The Gilded Age, STARZ/Netflix’s Heels), Jürgen Hooper (The Comedy of Errors, Amadeus, and more at CST, Brighton Beach Memoirs on Broadway), Callie Rachelle Johnson (Hamlet at CST, Next to Normal at Drury Lane, Pal Joey at Porchlight), Lenne Klingaman (Waitress on Broadway and first national tour, The Underlying Chris at Second Stage), Nancy Lemenager (McNeal, Chicago, Never Gonna Dance, and more on Broadway), and Murphy Taylor Smith (A Transparent Musical at Center Theatre Group).

Understudies include Miles Borchard, Sydney Feldman, Kelli Harrington, Nathe Rowbotham, Hannah Ruwe, Marlene Slaughter, and Jocelyn Zamudio.

“It’s so exciting to be announcing this brilliant cast for Lauren Gunderson’s play about the heroic Billie Jean King,” shared Chicago Shakespeare’s artistic director Edward Hall. “Bringing thought-provoking and original drama into our repertoire alongside Shakespeare gives us and our audiences such a wonderful opportunity to explore the connections between Shakespeare’s world and ours. Billie Jean has left and continues to leave her mark on our world, helping to shape our thoughts and challenge accepted societal norms. It is a joy and a privilege to be bringing this play to CST first.”

Playwright Lauren Gunderson has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015, topping the list thrice. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, the winner of the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in Theatre Award, the Lanford Wilson Award, and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Her plays have been translated into a dozen languages and are produced across the world including the West End. Her anthology, Revolutionary Women, is published by Bloomsbury, where her play I and You is a “modern classic.”

Gunderson shared, “CST is the perfect place to launch this new play about Billie Jean King, her activism, and her ongoing impact on the world. Her story is a hero’s journey, and the house of Shakespeare’s heroes is a fitting home for this theatrical debut about excellence, equality, and heart. We want this play to be an exploration of contrast: instantly recognizable and also deeply surprising; athletic and also theatrical; heartfelt and heroic. I am honored and thrilled to have Billie Jean be a part of CST’s season.”

Director Marc Bruni’s credits include The Great Gatsby, currently running on Broadway and the West End as well as the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway, in the West End, US and UK Tours, and in Australia. He also directed Trevor: The Musical which was filmed Off-Broadway at Stage 42 and now streams on Disney+. Bruni was Jeff Award-nominated for Chicago credits Trevor at Writers Theatre and Old Jews Telling Jokes at the Royal George, and his many additional credits include Bye Bye Birdie, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, How to Succeed in Business..., 50 Years of Broadway (Kennedy Center), and Hey, Look Me Over!, Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream and Fanny (City Center Encores!).

Billie Jean features movement direction by Steph Paul (Sanctuary City at Steppenwolf Theatre, Nobody Loves You at American Conservatory Theater), scenic design by Wilson Chin (Cost of Living and Pass Over on Broadway), costume design by Linda Cho (Two Noble Kinsmen, Othello, and Mary Stewart at CST, Tony Award winner for The Great Gatsby and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder on Broadway), lighting design by Jen Schriever (Tony Award nominee for A Strange Loop and Death of a Salesman on Broadway), sound design by Jane Shaw (credits at Theater for a New Audience, Roundabout Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons and many more), and video and projection design by David Bengali (Tony Award nominee for Water for Elephants). The creative team also includes Chels Morgan (Intimacy Coordinator), Eva Breneman (Dialect Coach), Tom Watson (Hair & Makeup Designer),The Telsey Office | Karyn Casl CSA & Charlie Hano CSA (Casting), Bob Mason (Chicago Casting), Amy Marie Seidel (Associate Director), Lily Tomasic (Assistant Scenic Designer),

Herin Kaputkin (Assistant Costume Designer), Colleen Doherty (Assistant Lighting Designer), Taylor Edelle Stuart (Associate Video Designer), Kristi J. Martens (Production Stage Manager, Amanda Blanco (Assistant Stage Manager), and Ethan Coon (Production Assistant).

More information at chicagoshakes.com/billiejean or on social media at @chicagoshakes.

Billie Jean By Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Marc Bruni

July 18 – August 10, 2025

The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

• Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.

• Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (no matinee July 23)

• Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.

• Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

• Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

• Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Chicago Shakespeare strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons. Accessible seating, assistive

listening devices, large-print and Braille programs, and sensory tools are available at every performance. Enhanced

performances include:

• Audio-described performance – Sunday, August 3 at 2:30 p.m.

A program that provides spoken narration of a play’s key visual elements for patrons who are blind or have low vision.

• Open captioned performance – Wednesday, August 6 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

A text display of the words and sounds heard during a play, synced live with the action onstage.

• ASL interpreted performance – Friday, August 8 at 7:30 p.m.

All dialogue and lyrics are translated into American Sign Language by two certified interpreters

Creative Team

Lauren Gunderson - Writer

Marc Bruni - Director

Steph Paul – Movement Director

Wilson Chin - Scenic Designer

Linda Cho - Costume Designer

Jen Schriever - Lighting Designer

Jane Shaw - Sound Designer

David Bengali - Video & Projections Designer

Chels Morgan - Intimacy Coordinator

Eva Breneman - Dialect Coach

Tom Watson - Hair & Makeup Designer

The Telsey Office | Karyn Casl CSA & Charlie Hano CSA - Casting

Bob Mason - Chicago Casting

Amy Marie Seidel - Associate Director

Lily Tomasic - Assistant Scenic Designer

Herin Kaputkin - Assistant Costume Designer

Colleen Doherty - Assistant Lighting Designer

Taylor Edelle Stuart - Associate Video Designer

Kristi J. Martens - Production Stage Manager

Amanda Blanco - Assistant Stage Manager

Ethan Coon - Production Assistant

Cast

Chilina Kennedy - Billie Jean King

Dan Amboyer - Larry King

Julia Antonelli - Young Billie Jean

Courtney Rikki Green - Woman Two

Wynn Harmon - Man One

Carolyn Holding - Woman Five

Jürgen Hooper - Man Two

Elena Hurst - Rosie Casals

Callie Rachelle Johnson - Woman Six

Lenne Klingaman - Woman Three

Nancy Lemenager - Woman One

Murphy Taylor Smith - Woman Four

Miles Borchard - Understudy

Sydney Feldman - Understudy

Kelli Harrington - Understudy

Nathe Rowbotham - Understudy

Hannah Ruwe - Understudy

Marlene Slaughter - Understudy

Jocelyn Zamudio - Understudy

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER (CST)

CST is a leading international theater company and the nation’s largest year-round theater dedicated to the works of Shakespeare. Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes, the Regional Tony Award recipient is committed to creating vivid, entertaining theatrical experiences that invigorate and engage people of all ages and identities by illuminating the complexity, ambiguity, and wonder of our world. Each year, nearly a quarter of a million people experience CST’s artistry through more than 12 productions. With Shakespeare at the heart of the artistic work, CST also produces compelling, contemporary stories from fresh voices of today. CST brings the world to Chicago and sends Chicago out into the world as Chicago’s foremost presenter of international theater, and consistent producer of North American and world premieres. Serving more students and teachers than any theater in the city, CST annually welcomes more than 20,000 students to performances and programs like Chicago Shakespeare SLAM, alongside professional development opportunities for teachers. CST activates its campus with three venues: 700-seat The Yard; the 500-seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater; and the 200-seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio. Free programs like Shakes in the City bring performances to parks and community spaces across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. Shared humanity and unforgettable stories—now THIS is Chicago Shakespeare. chicagoshakes.com 

The Crane Wives Beyond Beyond Beyond Album Release Tour To Play The Vic in Chicago July 26, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

The Crane Wives

Announce New Dates For 

Beyond Beyond Beyond Album Release Tour 

Photo Credit for all unless otherwise noted: Dugan Kenaz-Mara for ChiIL Live Shows

"The Crane Wives charmed us again with its harmony-laced folk-rock…

polished sound and dynamic energy…

proves just how much fun the band is having with its music.” - NPR

Grand Rapids, MI-based indie rock band The Crane Wives (1.4m Spotify monthly listeners, 713.5k TikTok likes) are ready to charm live audiences once again, heading back out on the road this spring in support of their highly acclaimed new album Beyond Beyond Beyond, out everywhere now. Due to overwhelming demand, the band has also announced a new string of dates taking place through July, and will be making stops in major cities like Nashville, Chicago, Brooklyn, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and beyond. Tour dates and tickets for all shows are available here.

 "The Crane Wives are a four-piece band that have an uncanny ability 

at crafting goose-bump inducing three-part harmonies.” - No Depression

 

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've covered The Crane Wives since their inception, and my 24 year old son and his girlfriend did a fabulous photo feature and review on their last Chicago gig in July of 2024. Check it out, then get your tickets for the summer leg of their album release tour.  The Crane Wives will be back in Chicago July 26th at The Vic, and Dugan and his girlfriend, Kit are covering the show again for ChiIL Live Shows. They're especially excited since the show falls on Kit's actual birthday, and The Crane Wives are a favorite of theirs. Check out their 2024 feature/review HERE.

"They’re an impeccable band with incredibly tight instrumentation and harmonies that, 

paired with an inclination for catchy hooks and scintillating lyricism, 

make a strong case for their burgeoning popularity.” - For Folk’s Sake

 

"They're reshaping the indie folk landscape 

with unforgettable performances and passionately crafted music." - Blurred Culture

Born of the 2010’s folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock and roll era, The Crane Wives epitomize the evolving landscape of indie folk. Their high-energy performances have been described as “charged with emotion and technical skill” (Blurred Culture), while their harmony-dense melodies support deeply resonant lyrics, exploring the vulnerable and the ugly sides of the human condition. The band has built a global community and has amassed over 1m Spotify monthly listeners and 100m total streams with their unparalleled, spirited live show, evocative lyricism and glimmering harmonies.

Featured by Michigan Radio and NPR’s “All Songs Considered," the band recently released their sixth full-length studio record, Beyond Beyond Beyond, to high praise, with Glasse Factory calling the album “a testament to the band’s ability to turn personal struggles into universally relatable anthems." 

Niner Times describes the new release as “angsty, haunting and gritty,” praising its departure from the more traditional folk sound of The Crane Wives’ previous records. Since its release in September 2024, Beyond Beyond Beyond has accrued over 7 million streams on Spotify.

The pulse of The Crane Wives is delivered by Ben Zito (bass) and Dan Rickabus (drums), creating a driving, dynamic backdrop while co-leads Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury establish expansive and gritty conversations between their electric guitars. A web of three-part harmony helps to soften the blow of their emotional candor, like a 21st century Cerberus, the hound of Hades reimagined as an emotional support animal.

The Crane Wives have 6 full-length albums under their belts and have performed over 600 shows across the US, sharing stages with acts such as The Avett Brothers, Lake Street Dive, Rusted Root, The Dead South, Joseph, and many more.

2025 US Tour Dates Newly Added:

July 10          Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre

July 11          Madison, WI @ The Sylvee

July 12          Minneapolis, MN @ Palace Theatre

July 14          Kansas City, MO @ Truman

July 15          St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant

July 17          Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl 

July 18          Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom

July 19          Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi Annex

July 20          Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi Annex

July 22          Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s

July 23          Columbus, OH @ Athenaeum Theatre

July 25          Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews

July 26          Chicago, IL @ The Vic

 

Follow The Crane Wives:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Spotify | YouTube

Photo Credit: Hwa-JeenNa

Two Times the TUTA in Rotating Repertory June 27 – August 16, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

TUTA Theatre Announces Summer Rep of 

Celine Song’s TOM & ELIZA 

Alternating With 

White Rabbit, Red Rabbit

Plays to be performed in rotating repertory June 27 – August 16.

TUTA Theatre announces changes in two-play summer rep: 

Celine Song’s TOM & ELIZA will now be paired with the experimental 

WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour

TUTA Theatre has announced a change in its two-play summer repertory. WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT will replace the replace the previously announced EVERY BRILLIANT THING and will play Sundays and Mondays through August 16. This highly experimental play by Iranian German playwright Nassim Soleimanpour, like some of his other plays, is performed cold by a different actor at each performance, with no rehearsal, no director, and no set. Company member Huy Nguyen will perform the play on opening night, with actors for the remaining performances to be announced. Forbidden to leave his country, playwright Nassim Soleimanpour distilled the experience of an entire generation in a wild, utterly original play. WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT is as much about contemporary Iran as it is about power dynamics in the rest of the world. Please note - this play is NOT overtly political and should not be portrayed as such. It operates on a deeper, metaphoric level, and very expressly avoids overt political comment. I'll be reviewing WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT for ChiIL Live Shows at the press opening Monday, July 7th, so check back shortly after for my full review. I reviewed Interrobang's version of this show back in 2018, and I'm eager to see what TUTA's style and the changing world over the past 7 years will bring to this fresh production. The show will play Sunday and Monday evenings through August 11.

Since its joint premiere in 2011 in Edinburgh and Summerworks festival, WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT has been translated into more than 30 different languages and been performed over 3000 times by some of the biggest names in theatre and film including actors John Hurt, Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, Stephen Rea, Sinead Cusack, Marcus Brigstocke, Dominic West and film director Ken Loach. It was produced off-Broadway in New York in 2016. The production team for TUTA’s staging will be Co-Artistic Director Jacqueline Stone (Artistic Producer), Huy Nguyen (Artist Liaison), Keith Parham (Lighting Design), Becky Warner (Stage Manager), and Helen Lattyak (Creative Producer).

TUTA’s summer rep will begin on June 26 with the Chicago premiere of TOM & ELIZA by Celine Song, whose directorial film debut PAST LIVES (2023) received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Song’s following feature film, MATERIALISTS, opened to rave reviews on June 13. TUTA Co-Artistic Director Aileen Wen McGroddy will direct. The two plays will be performed in repertory through mid-August at TUTA Theatre, 4670 N. Manor Avenue, Chicago.

TOM & ELIZA, which premiered at Brooklyn, New York’s JACK theater in 2016, examines a young couple from their ordinary first date toward the end of civilization. In little more than an hour, with no intermission, the two characters use rapid-fire language to chronicle their entire relationship, mercilessly withholding nothing. A teethy battle of wills that centers on obsessions with bathing and book-burning, the play wakens both ecstasy and disgust with life. TUTA Co-Artistic Director Aileen Wen McGroddy, who was Jeff-nominated for her direction of the Jeff Award-winning ensemble of TUTA’s ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE in summer 2024, is directing this Chicago premiere.

The two-hander TOM & ELIZA will be played by Clifton Frei and Seoyoung Park, who were both members of the Jeff Award-winning ensemble cast of ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE. Keith Parham, Jeff-nominated for his lighting design of ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE, is Lighting Designer. Tatiana Kahvegian, a 2024 Tony Award nominee for the scenic design of THE OUTSIDERS, is Set and Costume Designer. I'll be covering TOM & ELIZA for ChiIL Live Shows on Sunday, June 29th so check back soon for my full review. Previews begin June 26th. It will play an irregular schedule through August 16.

Seats for all performances of TOM & ELIZA and WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT can be reserved by purchasing in advance. Prices for all performances (excluding opening nights) are $20,  $45 and $60 (plus a $3.00 per ticket fee). Any seating not reserved in advance will be available the day of the performance for in person, pay-what-you-choose tickets at the door 30 minutes before curtain time. Additional information on TUTA Theatre’s ticketing is available at www.tutatheatre.org. There is no late seating. If available, pay what-you-choose 30 minutes before curtain.

Clifton Frei and Seoyoung Park. 

MORE PRODUCTION INFORMATION

TOM & ELIZA

By Celine Song

CHICAGO PREMIERE

Directed by Aileen Wen McGroddy

Performed by Seoyoung Park and Clifton Frei

June 26 – August 16, 2025

Performance Days: Vary per week. See schedule below.

Press Openings Sunday, June 29 at 7:30 pm and Monday, June 30 at 7:30 pm

TUTA Theatre, 4670 N Manor Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Ticket Prices: $20 - $60

Tickets and more information at www.tutatheatre.org

Tom's mother and father made love

Tom was born

Tom grew up

Tom entered this restaurant

Tom is on a date

 

Eliza's mother and father made love

Eliza was born

Eliza grew up

Eliza entered this restaurant

Eliza is on a date

 TOM & ELIZA is a dual meditation on the choices we make (and those we don't) in a world that spins relentlessly into the future. Performed in one long breath by two virtuosic actors, TUTA Co-Artistic director Aileen Wen McGroddy directs the Chicago premiere of this idiosyncratic work by Celine Song, writer of Oscar-nominated PAST LIVES and the recently released rom-com MATERIALISTS.

Performance Schedule:

Previews: Thursday 6/26 – 7:30 pm, Friday 6/27–7:30 pm, Saturday 6/28 – 7:30, pm

Openings: Sunday 6/29 – 7:30 pm and Monday 6/30 – 7:30 pm

Regular Run: Thursday 7/3 – 7:30 pm, Thursday 7/10 - 7:30 pm, Friday, 7/11 – 7:30 pm, Saturday 7/12 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/13 – 2:00 pm, Thursday 717 – 7:30 pm, Saturday 7/19 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/20 – 2:00 pm, Thursday 7/24 – 7:30 pm, Friday 7/25 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/27 – 2:00 pm, Thursday 7/31 – 7:30 pm, Saturday 8/2– 7:30 pm, Sunday 8/3 – 2:00 pm, Thursday 8/7 – 7:30 pm, Saturday 8/9– 7:30 pm, Sunday 8/10 – 2:00 pm, Friday 8/15 – 7:30 pm, Saturday 8/16 – 7:30 pm

Additional performances listed above in bold. Monday 7/28 – 7:30 pm will now be a performance of WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT.

WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT

by Nassim Soleimanpour

Presented in association with Nassim Soleimanpour Productions

July 6 – August 11, 2025

Press Opening Monday, July 7 at 7:30 pm

Performance days and times vary per week

TUTA Theatre, 4670 N Manor Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Ticket $20 - $60

Ticketing and more information at www.tutatheatre.org

Forbidden to leave his country, playwright Nassim Soleimanpour distilled the experience of an entire generation in a wild, utterly original play. WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT is as much about contemporary Iran as it is about power dynamics in the rest of the world. The play is  performed cold by a different actor at each performance, with no rehearsal, no director, and no set.

Performance Schedule

Preview: Sunday 7/6 – 7:30 pm.

Press Opening: Monday, 7/7 – 7:30 pm

Regular Run: Sunday 7/13 – 7:30 pm, Monday 7/14 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/20 – 7:30 pm, Monday 7/21 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/27 – 2:00 pm, Monday 7/28 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 8/3 – 7:30 pm, Monday 8/4 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 8/10 – 7:30 pm, Monday 8/11 – 7:30 pm.

BIOS

Celine Song (Writer, TOM & ELIZA) is a Canadian director, playwright, and screenwriter based in New York City. Her directorial film debut PAST LIVES (2023) received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Song's other plays include ENDLINGS and THE SEAGULL ON THE SIMS 4  FAMILY, and THE FEAST. According to her biography on The Playwright's Realm, "she has been awarded residences, fellowships, and commissions from MTC/Sloan, Sundance, the Millay Colony for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Edward F. Albee Foundation." Her next film project,  MATERIALISTS, starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, was released in theatres on June 13, 2025. 

Aileen Wen McGroddy (Director, TOM & ELIZA; TUTA Co-Artistic Director) is a Chinese and Irish American theatre director, educator, and producer of live events. She is a co-artistic director of TUTA Theatre Chicago. She is also the Creative Producer for the Writing is Live Festival at Brown University, a member of the Roundabout Directors Group, a past 2050 Fellow at New York Theatre Workshop, and the BOLD Resident Director at Northern Stage. MFA Directing from Brown-Trinity. Past work includes: ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE (TUTA, Jeff Award winner for Ensemble – Play), A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Trinity Rep); THE CHINESE LADY (Kitchen Theatre and Geva Theatre Center); SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (Northern Stage); AIRNESS (Breckenridge Backstage Theatre); THE LATE WEDDING, THE DUMB WAITER, SUMMER AND SMOKE, and THE TEMPEST (Brown-Trinity); COLD WAR CHOIR PRACTICE, THROWBACK ISLAND, ON THE Y-AXIS, AKIRA KUROSAWA EXPLAINS HIS MOVIES AND YOGURT (Writing is Live); MR. BURNS: A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY (Adelphi); THE GLASS MENAGERIE, OR,, DANI GIRL (Winnipesaukee Playhouse); KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY MUSICAL and THE SNOWY DAY (Emerald City Theatre); MONTAUCIEL TAKES FLIGHT (Lifeline Theatre); ULYSSES (The Plagiarists); A HERO’S JOURNEY, THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK, ROBIN HOOD, and THE PIED PIPER (The Forks & Hope Ensemble); THE WHISKEY RADIO HOUR, WAKE: A FOLK OPERA, KODACHROME TELEPHONE and SIGN OF RAIN (The Whiskey Rebellion). She has directed readings for New York Theatre Workshop, The Bushwick Starr, Clubbed Thumb, NY Classical Theatre, The Yale Drama Prize, Northern Stage, and Babes with Blades.

Jacqueline Stone (Artistic Producer, WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT; TUTA Co-Artistic Director) Jacqueline Stone is honored to be Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of TUTA. Her TUTA directing credits include THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER, the world premiere of HEDDA GABLER (as well as adaptor), Chicago and New York premieres (59E59 Theaters) of Adam Rapp's THE EDGE OF OUR BODIES, world premiere of THE ANYWAY CABARET (AN ANIMAL CABARET), and U.S. premiere OF THE SILENT LANGUAGE.  Her TUTA performance credits include FULTON STREET SESSIONS, BAAL, THE WEDDING (1996, 2010, 2011), UNCLE VANYA (2008, 2009), A STILL LIFE IN COLOR, THE BIRDS, THE SWEET LITTLE PRINCE, ALICE, and THE HOUR.  

In addition to TUTA, Stone currently serves as Producing Artistic Director of Breckenridge Backstage Theatre in Breckenridge, CO. BBT directing credits include the Colorado premiere of Jim DeVita and Josh Schmidt’s musical adaptation of THE GIFT OF THE MAGI, MT Cozzola’s A LADY’S GUIDE TO MOUNTAINS (Denver Fringe), and A CHRISTMAS STORY. This spring she will direct EVERY BRILLIANT THING.

From 2016 - 2020, Stone served as Artistic Director of Emerald City Theatre Company, Chicago's largest professional theatre serving young audiences.  ECT directing credits include the Chicago premiere of FANTASTIC MR. FOX, the Chicago premiere of KEN LUDWIG'S 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (Broadway Playhouse), the Chicago premiere of THE SNOWY DAY & OTHER STORIES, the world premiere of MOTHER GOOSE'S GARDEN, world premiere of PETER RABBIT (also adapter), JUNIE B. JONES, RAMONA QUIMBY, and the world premiere of Mo Willems' DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS.  

Select Chicago directing credits include Strawdog Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Chicago Immersive, Broadway in Chicago, Piven Theatre, The Second City, Mudlark Theater, Akvavit Theatre, Step Up Productions, 20% Theatre Company, You & Me Productions, and DCASE. Jacqueline is co-founder of Sirens, the longest running all-female improv group in the country.  She has appeared and created over 200 original shows with them.

Stone taught acting and improvisation at The Second City for ten years and Columbia College Chicago for five years. She spent twelve years as Emerald City Theatre's Education Director, building and fostering new acting programs for young people ages 3.5 - 13 years old.  Other select teaching credits include The Faculty of Dramatic Arts (Belgrade, Serbia), Chicago Improv Festival, Miami Improv Festival, Duke University's FUQUA School of Business, UCLA, and University of Chicago. 

ABOUT TUTA THEATRE

TUTA Theatre was established in 1995 in Washington, DC by co-founders Zeljko and Natasha Djukic, who brought a unique sense of artistic expression from their European homeland. In 2002, they relocated the company to Chicago. In the ensuing 23 years, TUTA has presented numerous US premieres of foreign plays from France, Russia, Austria, and Serbia. TUTA has produced seven world premieres, eight US premieres, four Midwest premieres and many modern re-imaginings of classics.  In 2012, longtime company member Jacqueline Stone stepped into the role of Artistic Director, and TUTA added productions for youth with the US premiere of THE SILENT LANGUAGE.  TUTA’s productions have been listed on Chicago critics’ ‘best of the year’ list eight times in the past 10 years and have been produced nationally (in NYC and LA) and internationally (in Serbia with the National Theatre in Belgrade).In 2023, TUTA named a new leadership structure with Co-Artistic Directors Aileen Wen McGroddy, Aziza Macklin, and Jacqueline Stone. Brad Gunter is Managing Director.

World Premiere of GIRLS & BOYS Via Griffin Theatre Company at Bramble Arts Loft July 11 - August 16, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY 

ANNOUNCES THE MIDWEST PREMIERE OF 

GIRLS & BOYS 

AT BRAMBLE ARTS LOFT, JULY 11 - AUGUST 16, 

WRITTEN BY DENNIS KELLY 

DIRECTED BY ROBIN WITT

This Solo Performance that’s Equal Parts Hilarious and Harrowing Stars Cynthia Marker 

Griffin Theatre Company, is proud to announce the midwest premiere of Girls & Boys, written by Dennis Kelly and directed by Robin Witt, July 11 - August 16 at Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N Clark St. Previews for Girls & Boys are Friday, July 11, Saturday, July 12, Thursday, July 17 and  Friday July 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 13 at 3 p.m. The press opening is Saturday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Girls & Boys has an approximate runtime of 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 6 for $30- $43 and may be purchased at GriffinTheatre.com.

When a woman meets the man of her dreams, their whirlwind romance promises a future full of happiness and fulfillment. Their lives are painted with the vibrancy of passion, success and the joys of parenthood. Yet, as their ambitions escalate and subtle fractures begin to emerge, the veneer of their idyllic existence starts to crumble, leading to the unimaginable. A powerful and unflinching exploration of love and the dark truths that lie beneath, Girls & Boys is told with biting humor and raw emotion--a masterclass in storytelling that’s equal parts hilarious and harrowing.

Girls & Boys will be performed by Cynthia Marker as “Woman,” understudied by Andrea Uppling.

The Girls & Boys creative team includes Robin Witt (director); Sotirios Livaditis (scenic design); Brandon Wardell (lighting design); Jessical Wardell (costume design); Thomas Dixon (sound design); Paloma Locsin (properties design); Matthew Chase (production management); Grace Elizabeth Mealey (stage management); Adam Goldstein (dialect coach); Harrison Ornelas (technical director) and Joe Johnson (asst. scenic designer).  

ABOUT DENNIS KELLY, playwright

DENNIS KELLY (Playwright) is a British screenwriter and playwright.  Born in Barnet, North London, Kelly left school at age sixteen. While working at a Sainsbury's grocery store, Kelly became involved in local youth theatre. Kelly later pursued a degree in Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths College in South London. Kelly's first play, Debris, was well-received. After a string of other successful plays (Orphans, Love and Money) , Kelly co-wrote the BBC Three sitcom Pulling, which was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award in 2007. Kelly is also known for co-writing Matilda the Musical (Tony Award - Best Book of a Musical) and for his 2007 play DNA, which has been staged and taught in many secondary schools.

ABOUT ROBIN WITT, director

For Griffin Theatre, Robin Witt has directed For Services Rendered, London Wall (Jeff Award), Men Should Weep (Jeff Award), Flare Path (Jeff Nomination) and Stage Door (Jeff Nomination).  She is also a member at Steep Theatre where she recently directed A SlowAir by David Harrower and A Case for the Existence of God by Samuel D. Hunter. Among the other productions she has helmed for Steep are Simon Stephens’s Light Falls, Harper Regan and Wastewater, Alistair McDowall’s Pomona and Brilliant Adventures, as well as Cordelia Lynn’s Lela & Co (Jeff Award) and Dennis Kelly’s Love and Money. Other theatres she has worked for include Steppenwolf, Goodman, Northlight, Writers Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Edinburgh Theatre Festival, Everyman Theatre (Baltimore), A Red Orchid and The Artistic Home. Her essay,  “Interview theatre and the Dream Act: Activism through raising community voices” may be found in “DREAM Act Activists & Teacher Allies: Are You Listening?” (Teachers College Press). She is a professor of directing at UNC Charlotte and holds a BFA from New York University Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA from Northwestern University. As an actor, she last appeared on stage in A Red Orchid’s production of Bug by Tracy Letts in 2001. Robin is the daughter of the late actor Howard Witt.

ABOUT CYNTHIA MARKER, (Woman)

Cynthia Marker is a member of Steep Theatre where she has appeared in Light Falls, Mosquitoes, Linda, Birdland, Earthquakes in London and Moment. Marker most recently played the role of “Dean Healy” in First Floor Theater's premiere of One Party Consent. An alum of The School at Steppenwolf, she is ecstatic to return to Griffin and resume her work with the indomitable and incomparable Robin Witt.

ABOUT ANDREA UPPLING (Woman U/S)

Andrea Uppling is very excited to be working with Griffin Theatre Co. and these amazing creators. Recent credits include her work with Paramount Theatre in What the Constitution Means to Me (“Heidi” U/S) and A Streetcar Named Desire (“Eunice,” “Blanche” U/S) as well as The Winter's Tale (“Hermione”) and the Jeff Award-winning Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (‘Martha”) at Invictus Theatre Co.

ABOUT THE GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY

Established in 1988, the mission of the Griffin Theatre Company is to create extraordinary and meaningful theatrical experiences for both children and adults by building bridges of understanding between generations that instill in its audience an appreciation of the performing arts. Through artistic collaboration the Griffin Theatre Company produces literary adaptations, original work and classic plays that challenge and inspire, with wit, style and compassion for the audience. 

The Griffin Theatre has provided a wide range of work including world and mid-west premieres of acclaimed scripts, critically lauded productions of Shakespeare and original adaptations of novels.  Many of the Griffin’s 150 plus productions have appeared on Chicago area critics “Best of the Year” lists. The Griffin Theatre Company is the recipient of 140 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for theater excellence in Chicago. The Griffin was honored with four 2018 Jeff awards for Ragtime including Best Ensemble, Best Musical, Best Director-Musical and Best Performer in a Supporting Role-Musical. Additionally, the company was the repeat winner of the 2016 Jeff Award for Best Production of a Play for London Wall having won the same award in 2015 for its production of Men Should Weep. In 2014, the Griffin was honored with a Special Jeff Award for  artistic excellence and its dedication to provocative and transformational theatre for Chicago  audiences as well as its touring theater that engages and enlightens youth throughout the  United States.

The Griffin is a nationally recognized producer of youth touring theatre in the United States. The Griffin’s national audience exceeds 100,000 young people and adults each year. Tours have included such prestigious venues as Cleveland Playhouse Square, Tennessee Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, and the Cerritos Center for the Arts in Cerritos, California. Touring productions include both youth focused plays, Frindle and The Stinky Cheese Man and the Griffin’s hit adult production of Letters Home—a production that pays tribute to the men and women in the US military, In to America, a play that traces America’s 400-year immigrant history and Ghosts of War. Most recently, the Griffin produced the world premiere production of Astronaut Group I, the story of the original Mercury 7 Astronauts. Overall, Griffin’s touring productions have been performed in 44 of the 50 United States.

Griffin Theatre Company, is proud to announce the midwest premiere of Girls & Boys, written by Dennis Kelly and directed by Robin Witt, July 11 - August 16 at Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N Clark St. Previews for Girls & Boys are Friday, July 11, Saturday, July 12,  Thursday, July 17 and Friday July 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 13 at 3 p.m. The press opening is Saturday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Girls & Boys has an approximate runtime of 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets go on sale Thursday, June 5 for $30- $43 and may be purchased at GriffinTheatre.com.

World Premiere of “BIG TIME TOPPERS” Via Theatre L’Acadie at Redtwist Theatre July 10th - July 26, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

“BIG TIME TOPPERS” 

PRESENTED BY

THEATRE L’ACADIE AT REDTWIST THEATRE

Theatre L’Acadie proudly presents its 5th theatrical season with the World Premiere of 

Patrick Vermillion’s pie-in-the-face dark farce.

Directed by TL Co-Artistic Director Brandii Champagne.

Big Time Toppers will take place at Redtwist Theatre (1044 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL 60660) and

runs from July 10th - July 26th. Preview performances will take place July 6th, 7th, and 8th at

8pm. Press opening is July 8th at 8pm, and opening night is July 10th at 8pm. There will be one

Matinée performance on Sunday, July 13th at 3PM. Designated understudy performance will

take place on Monday, July 21st. Tickets (PayWhatYouCan suggested donation of $30) are now

on sale at theatrelacadie.com.

Photo credit: Sam Riehl

Big Time Toppers, by Patrick Vermillion: After a juggling trick goes horrifically awry, aspiring

professional clowns Harlow and Stubs must find a way to treat the severe wounds they’ve

accidentally inflicted on each other before the most important audition of their fledgling careers.

A farcical comedy about being an artist in a world of peril - and making your dreams come true

no matter what - even if there's a tornado!

MORE PRODUCTION DETAILS: BIG TIME TOPPERS

Cast: Jamaque Newberry (Stubbs), Hannah Antman (Harlow), Kandace Mack (Billie), Shane

Rhoades (Eddie), and Quinn Leary (Jimmy Knives)

Production Team: Erin Sheets (Movement / Fight Director), Benjamin Mills (Assistant

Director / Costume Designer), Jimena Ramirez (Stage Management), Adriana Andreolas

(Assistant Stage Management), Joel Willison (Dramaturgy), Sam Anderson (Lighting Design),

Riley Woods (Associate Lighting Designer), Al Joritz (Props Master), Stefan Roseen (Sound

Design), Rose Johnson (Scenic Design), and Katie Dreher (Production Manager)

Dates: July 10th - July 26th (Previews July 6th, 7th, 8th)

Press Opening: Tuesday, July 8th, 2025 at 8pm

Location: Redtwist Theatre (1044 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL 60660)

Running Time: Approximately 100 minutes with no intermission

Tickets: General Admission: $30 suggested donation; pay-what-you-can

ABOUT THEATRE L’ACADIE

Founded in 2018, Theatre L’Acadie is a collective of multi-disciplinary storytellers who ask: how

do you get people to talk about the ugly? As nurturers of new and under-produced works,

Theatre L’acadie is driven to unearth the beauty rooted within chaos. 

Learn more about us at theatrelacadie.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @theatrelacadie

World Premiere of Dhaba on Devon Avenue at Writers Theatre June 19 – July 27, 2025

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Writers Theatre concludes its 2024/25 Season with 

the World Premiere of

Dhaba on Devon Avenue

Written by Madhuri Shekar

Directed by Chay Yew

Produced in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company

June 19 – July 27, 2025

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, concludes its 2024/25 Season with Madhuri Shekar’s Dhaba on Devon Avenue, directed by Chay Yew. Dhaba on Devon Avenue will run June 19-July 27, 2025 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. 

Tickets are on sale at Writers Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org.  

Dhaba Canteen has been a stalwart institution on Chicago’s Devon Avenue since the ‘80s, serving up delicious Sindhi food with the power to transport diners back to the halcyon days of undivided India. Times are changing, however. With the bank threatening foreclosure and Chef Neeraj’s health in decline, the restaurant may soon be cooking up its last meal—unless sous chef Rita can convince her father to let her take over the kitchen. Rich with culinary tradition and dramatic twists, Dhaba on Devon Avenue serves up a searing Chicago-set story of family, legacy, and survival at all costs. 

This World Premiere production Dhaba on Devon Avenue is produced in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company.

Dhaba on Devon Avenue is produced in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director PJ Powers and Executive Director Mica Cole.

"Writers Theatre is honored to join forces with TimeLine Theatre Company, an organization whose dedication to illuminating history through imaginative storytelling perfectly aligns with our own artistic values. This collaboration feels like a natural extension of both our missions," said Writers Theatre Artistic Director Braden Abraham. “Madhuri Shekar's vibrant new work invites audiences into the heart of Chicago's Indian community, where tradition and innovation collide in a deeply personal exploration of cultural heritage. Both funny and scathingly direct, Madhuri's timely play explores the complexities of allegiance, independence, and what it truly means to belong.”

“TimeLine is thrilled to partner with Writers Theatre, an organization that we’ve greatly admired throughout our history, not only for its mission but also its commitment to audience engagement and uplifting the esteemed artists who work on stage and behind the scenes,” said TimeLine Theatre Artistic Director PJ Powers. “It’s an honor to collaborate with them and director Chay Yew to bring to life Madhuri Shekar’s play. Delving into the rich history of Chicago’s famed Devon Avenue and Indian cuisine, this world premiere is a wonderful marriage between TimeLine and Writers, coalescing our missions and artistic aesthetics, as we present this heart-stirring and timely story about identity, culture, and legacy.”

The cast is: Isa Arciniegas (Luz Fuentes), Arya Daire (Sindhu Madhwani), Kamal Hans (Adil Jaisinghani), Anish Jethmalani (Neeraj Madhwani), and Tina Muñoz Pandya (Rita Madhwani).

The creative team includes: Chay Yew (Director), Lauren M. Nichols (Scenic Designer), Christine Pascual (Costume Designer), Christine A. Binder (Lighting Designer), Eric Backus (Sound Designer), Kristina Fluty (Intimacy Director), and Karina Patel (Dramaturg). The stage manager is Katie Klemme and the assistant stage manager is Alexis Wiley.

Dates: First performance: June 19, 2025

Press opening: Friday, June 27, at 7:30pm 

Closing performance: July 27, 2025

Performance Schedule:

Wednesdays: 3:00pm (July 2 & 16 only) and 7:30pm

Thursdays: 7:30pm 

Fridays: 7:30pm

Saturdays: 3:00pm (except June 21) and 7:30pm

Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm (June 29 & July 13 only)

Open Captioned Performance: Thursday, July 10 at 7:30pm

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Saturday, July 19 at 3:00pm

Location: Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

Prices: $35-$95

Discounts are available for students, educators, theater industry professionlas, active military personnel, veterans, police officers, firefighters, and their immediate families. Information is available at: https://www.writerstheatre.org/plan-your-visit/box-office-and-theatre-center/pricing--special-offers

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org.

Dhaba on Devon Avenue is inspired by Chicago’s South Asian community, the third largest population of South Asians in the country. The play takes place on Devon Avenue on the far north side of Chicago, an area renowned for its remarkable diversity, and a magnet for immigrants as they settle in to life in America.

DHABA ON DEVON EVENTS

South Asian Community Night 

Friday, July 11 at 6pm 

Members of the South Asian community are invited to Writers Theatre for an evening of good food, great company, and outstanding theatre! Join us for a pre-show reception and exclusive post-show discussion with members of the creative team. Enjoy happy hour specials at the WT bar and food for purchase from Highland Park’s top-rated restaurant Indus.  

Family Matinee 

Saturday, July 12 at 3pm 

Parents and caregivers can see the 3pm matinee of the production and drop their young ones off for an imaginative afternoon at a special onsite theatre class with Writers Theatre Education’s expert teaching artists.

The Restaurant Generation: South Asian cuisine and the immigrant story 

In association with TimeLine Theatre’s Sunday Scholars program 

Sunday, July 20 at 12pm 

Join local experts for a discussion of the importance of the food industry to new arrivals and the evolution of South Asian flavors in America. 

The Final Word Audience Discussion 

Sunday, July 27 at 12pm 

Join Writers Theatre Artistic staff and fellow audience members for a conversation about the themes and production elements of the show. 

Glencoe Al Fresco 

It’s too nice to eat inside! Writers Theatre, the Village of Glencoe and Glencoe Public Library invite you to WLC park for food trucks, happy hour specials, live bands and activities for the whole family on Friday nights in July. 

Upcoming Education & Engagement Programs 

Wake Up Words Family Playtime 

Sunday, June 8 at 11am

Stories jump off the page on select Sunday mornings at Writers Theatre. Each Playtime pairs a favorite story with another art form and is a unique opportunity for young children and their families to create together. Designed for ages 3-6 and their parents/caregivers, siblings welcome.  

Show & Tell Storytelling: True Colors

Tuesday, June 10 at 7pm 

Enjoy an engaging evening of storytelling at our monthly Show & Tell series. Each event features talented professional storytellers and celebrates unique themes in a relaxed environment. In June, celebrate Pride Month at True Colors, an evening of stories celebrating the queer experience. Tickets are Pay What You Can. 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Madhuri Shekar has said that Dhaba on Devon Avenue is “my ode to the quiet heroism and daily struggles that are required to be an artist, an entrepreneur, an immigrant, and a parent.” 

Madhuri Shekar (Playwright)’s plays have been produced across the United States and internationally. They include House of Joy, Queen, In Love and Warcraft, A Nice Indian Boy, and many other works specifically for young audiences. In TV and film, her projects include the movies Evil Eye and A Nice Indian Boy, and the TV shows The Nevers and 3 Body Problem. She is an alumnus of USC and Juilliard. She is thrilled that Dhaba on Devon Avenue, a play commissioned with love for the city of Chicago, is getting its world premiere now with Writers Theater and Timeline Theatre Company. 

Playwright Madhuri Shekar is the 2020 winner of the Lanford Wilson Playwrighting Award, established by the Estate of Lanford Wilson and presented by the Dramatists Guild Council to a dramatist based primarily on their work as an early career playwright. Her play A Nice Indian Boy was adapted into a feature film and is now playing in theaters to great critical acclaim. 

Chay Yew (Director) His New York credits include the Public, Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, Signature, New York City Center Encores!, Flea, Playwrights Realm, Audible, Rattlestick, and Ensemble Studio Theatre. His regional credits include the Goodman, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Rep, Arena, American Conservatory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Alley Theatre, Goodspeed, South Coast Rep, Old Globe, Center Theatre Group, Denver Center Theater, Huntington, Seattle Rep, Writers Theatre, Victory Gardens, amongst others. His opera credits include Perelman Performing Arts Center, Tanglewood, and LA Philharmonic. He is a recipient of the 2024 Doris Duke Artist Award, and the OBIE for direction.

Director Chay Yew returns to Writers Theatre where he previously directed Dishwasher Dreams. In May 2025, Yew was highlighted by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Union as one of the 65 directors and choreographers whose “work has inspired SDC Members and transformed the American theatre.”

Isa Arciniegas (Luz Fuentes) Chicago credits: Love Song (Remy Bumppo); Solaris (Griffin Theatre); How to Defend Yourself (Victory Gardens Theatre); Wolf Play (The Gift Theatre); First Love Is the Revolution (Steep Theatre); Fantastic Mr. Fox (Emerald City Theatre); The Wolves (Goodman Theatre, Jeff Award—Best Ensemble), Fun Home (Victory Gardens Theater); Buried Child (Writers Theatre); We’re Gonna Die (Haven Theatre Company, ALTA Award—Outstanding Actor in a Principal Role in a Musical); Good Friday (Oracle Productions); American Idiot (The Hypocrites); Romeo and Juliet (Teatro Vista); and Adventures with Aladdin (Lookingglass Theatre Company with Chicago Symphony Orchestra). Regional: Where Did We Sit On the Bus? (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre); Such Things as Vampires (People’s Light Theatre); Stinky Cheese Man and Letters Home (Griffin Theatre National Tour). TV/FILM: The Bear, Swipe Up, Vivian!, Grace and Betty, Kissing Wells.

Arya Daire (Sindhu Madhwani)  Chicago Credits: An Enemy of the People (Goodman Theatre; Jeff Nomination for Best New Adaptation), A Disappearing Number (TimeLine Theatre Company), Inana (TimeLine Theatre), Julius Caesar (Writers Theatre), Samsara (Victory Gardens), Much Ado About Nothing (Victory Gardens), Principal Principle (Stage Left Theatre; Jeff Nomination for Best New Play), Big Lake, Big City (Lookingglass Theatre), Suburbia (University of Chicago), Disconnect (Victory Gardens), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Beverly Arts Center). Regional Credits: A Christmas Carol (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre), Miranda (Indiana Repertory Theatre). Film & TV: A Christmas Carol - The Concert (PBS; Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Original Music & Lyrics), Chicago Fire (NBC). 

Kamal Hans (Adil Jaisinghani) has appeared in Disconnect (Victory Gardens), Multitudes!, A Passage to India (Vitalist Theatre), Invasion!, Merchant on Venice (Silk Road Theatre), Kabulitus, Much Ado About Nothing, A Nice Indian Boy (Rasaka) F*#kn’ A, Cuba and His Teddy Bear (Urban Theater), Fanny, Tempest, West Side Story (ITC), and Chess (Phoenix). Film & TV: Contagion, “Consumed!”, Marvel, The Last Question, Promise Land, “Chicago PD”, “Chicago Med”, “Shameless”. Goodman school of drama, Julliard, Illinois Wesleyan University, R.A.D.A.

Anish Jethmalani (Neeraj Madhwani) returns to Writers Theatre where he previously appeared in The Caretaker and To the Greenfields Beyond. Chicago credits include The Lehman Trilogy, Campaigns Inc., Oslo, In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play, A Disappearing Number, Inana, and Blood & Gifts (TimeLine Theatre); Wit and A Christmas Carol (The Goodman Theatre); Titus Andronicus, Water by the Spoonful, Mary Stuart, The Invention of Love and Life is a Dream (Court Theatre);  Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Around the World in 80 Days, and Sita Ram (Lookingglass); as well as various productions at Chicago Shakespeare, Victory Gardens, Remy Bumppo, A Red Orchid, and more. Regional credits include Henry VII and Much Ado About Nothing at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Film and television credits include Deli Boys (Hulu), Station Eleven (Max), 61st Street (CW), Chicago PD (NBC), Chicago Med (NBC), APB (Fox), Boss (Starz), Leverage (TNT), Empire (Fox), Early Edition (CBS), Batman vs. Superman, Girl on the Third Floor, Animals and more. He is a company member of TimeLine Theatre.

Tina Muñoz Pandya (Rita Madhwani) is an actor, musician, and teaching artist whose Chicago credits include: The Matchbox Magic Flute (Goodman Theatre); London Road and The Tall Girls (Shattered Globe Theatre); The Secretaries (First Floor Theater); Anna in the Tropics (Remy Bumppo Theatre); Mr. Burns (Theater Wit); The Mousetrap (Court Theatre); and Octagon (Jackalope Theatre). Regional and touring credits include: The Matchbox Magic Flute (Shakespeare Theatre DC, Berkeley Rep); As You Like It and The Old Man and the Old Moon (Door Shakespeare); Matt and Ben (Penobscot Theatre); House of Joy (St. Louis Rep); The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry IV Pt 1 (Montana Shakespeare in the Parks); and HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado (The Hypocrites). You can also hear her on the Chicago-based audio dramas The Vanishing Act and Fawx and Stallion. Tina is an ensemble member with Shattered Globe Theatre.

WRITERS THEATRE 2025/26 SEASON 

The 2025-26 Season launches with Hershey Felder’s brand-new musical play Rachmaninoff and the Tsar, followed by a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s As You Like It by Tony Award winner Shaina Taub (Suffs), directed by Artistic Director Braden Abraham with music direction by Michael Mahler. Celebrated Chicago director Lisa Portes joins Writers for the first time to direct Two Sisters and a Piano, by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz, followed by the Midwest Premiere of the off-Broadway/Broadway hit Job by Max Wolf Friedlich, directed by David Esbjornson. The subscription season caps off with the Midwest and Chicago Premiere of Tom Stoppard’s epic, Tony Award-winning play Leopoldstadt, directed by Carey Perloff. The season also includes two productions available as add-ons to subscription packages: the one-night only special event of Hershey Felder’s Great American Songbook Sing-Along, and a limited engagement of sleight of hand magician Harry Milas’ The Unfair Advantage.  

Writers Theatre is offering a variety of subscriptions with an option for every theatregoer. Each subscription includes a deeply discounted ticket price, ranging from $275-$375 for one ticket to the five-play series, Flex subscriptions, with options for either four tickets ($280) or five tickets ($350), are available.

Season package subscribers receive the new Writers Theatre concierge service for ticket exchanges and questions. Exclusive subscriber benefits include: complimentary ticket exchanges (upgrade fees may apply), special “subscriber-rate” prices on additional tickets, advance access to special events and programs, easy, free parking, exclusive discounts in bar items and merchandise, discounts on rental of Writers Theatre event spaces on Writers Theatre merchandise, event rentals, and more. For a complete list of benefits visit writerstheatre.org. 

Season Packages are available online at www.writerstheatre.org., and at the Box Office by calling 847-242-6000. 

Single tickets will go on sale for each show approximately two months prior to first preview. Single ticket prices start at $35.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES: 

WT offers Open Captioning on select dates for each production. Please visit writerstheatre.org/accessibility for more information. 

Throughout the season, Writers Theatre offers a variety of audience enrichment and special programming. This includes regularly occurring offerings like the Family Matinee Series, The Green Room artist interview series and podcast, and The Final Word Audience Discussion Series. Please visit writerstheatre.org/events for a full listing of upcoming offerings. 

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE  

Writers Theatre boldly looks to the future as it looks toward its 34th season. Having captivated audiences for years with its dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible, the theatre is now a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called “America’s finest regional theater company” by The Wall Street Journal. Under the leadership of Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, the company is charting a path forward for the next 30 years.  

Since its founding in 1992, Writers Theatre has stayed true to its core values: valuing the power of the written word and uplifting the artists who bring that word to life. The company has produced over 140 productions—everything from inventive interpretations of classics to groundbreaking new work. In 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility designed by the internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects. 

Writers Theatre now welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each season and has helped establish the North Shore of Chicago as a premier cultural destination. Through its Literary Development Initiative, which has been responsible for the nurturing and premiering of over 30 world premieres, the theatre has established itself as a major originator of new theatrical works. Serving as an extension of the Writers Theatre mission, WT Education programs engage an average of 10,000 students each year with active learning opportunities centered around the written word.

ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY

TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. Currently celebrating its 28th season, TimeLine has presented 92 productions, including 14 world premieres and 42 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program and TimeLine South summer arts program, which bring the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools and beyond. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 62 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

The company departed its longtime home on Wellington Avenue in August 2024 and moved into temporary administrative offices a few blocks north of the site of its future new home, to be located at 5035 N. Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Construction is ongoing on that site, where plans feature an intimate black box theater seating up to 250 audience members, expanded area for the immersive lobby experiences that are a TimeLine hallmark, new opportunities for education and engagement, room to allow audience members to arrive early and stay late, and more. For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com.

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the intended 2020 world premiere production of Dhaba on Devon Avenue at Victory Gardens in Chicago, and a second time at Writers Theatre in 2021. This Writers Theatre and TimeLine co-production now reunites many of those original cast members and designers.