The Auditorium Philms Concert Series continues with The Holiday in Concert with the Chicago Philharmonic, December 20th

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THE AUDITORIUM PHILMS CONCERT SERIES continues with

The Holiday in Concert

with the Chicago Philharmonic

One night only, Saturday, December 20 at 7:30 PM at The Auditorium

The Chicago Philharmonic performs the Hans Zimmer score live to film

Tis the season for holiday fun with family and friends, or maybe even a special date. It's also cuffing season, ya know. What better way to set the mood than with a fun romcom and a live orchestra? Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we adore The Auditorium Philms Concert Series. This blend of iconic movies and live accompaniment by the Chicago Philharmonic makes for an incomparable live-to-film experience. Cut the clutter this season and make some memories with an experiential gift instead. 

The Auditorium (Chicago’s landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) and the Chicago Philharmonic bring a live-to-film experience of the beloved romcom The Holiday in Concert this festive season. The Chicago Philharmonic takes the Christmas classic and the score of world-renowned composer Hans Zimmer to new heights. The one-night-only presentation takes place Saturday, December 20 at 7:30 PM at The Auditorium, 50 E Ida B Wells Dr. 

Tickets are limited, starting at $48, and are available at auditoriumtheatre.org or by calling The Auditorium’s Ticket Service Center at 312.341.2300

The popular Nancy Meyers romcom The Holiday stars Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black. The film tells the story of Amanda, who lives in LA as a movie trailer editor, and Iris, who lives in Surrey as a journalist. The two decide to swap houses for two weeks at Christmas – both trying to forget their troubled love lives, until love finds them anyway. The Holiday premiered in 2006 and was a commercial success, grossing $205.8 million worldwide. The upcoming live-to-film experience at The Auditorium with the Chicago Philharmonic brings the beloved holiday classic and Hans Zimmer’s score to Chicagoans for an unforgettable live holiday experience under the direction of long-time collaborator conductor Thiago Tiberio.

“Once again, we’re thrilled to welcome guests for another truly magical movie night,” said The Auditorium CEO Rich Regan. “Hans Zimmer’s unforgettable score from The Holiday will be brought to life by the Chicago Philharmonic in a way you’ve never experienced before. We invite everyone to come celebrate the season with music, warmth, and holiday joy here at The Auditorium.”

“We can't wait to bring this movie and score to The Auditorium,” said Chicago Philharmonic Executive Director Terell Johnson. “It's a beautiful, nostalgic way to celebrate the holidays, and another opportunity to show new audiences the magic of live symphonic performance."

About The Chicago Philharmonic Society

Founded by musicians of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in 1989, The Chicago Philharmonic Society is on a mission to reimagine the orchestra concert experience. With nearly 200 musician members and a unique system of musician governance, the organization is one of the most versatile, innovative, and ambitious orchestras in the country.

Chicago Philharmonic proudly collaborates with the greatest artists of our time, in every genre. Past collaborations have included The Joffrey Ballet, English National Ballet, Kishi Bashi, Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Joshua Bell, Tank and the Bangas, William Basinski, the American Ballet Theatre, Ryan Speedo Green, and more.

In 2021, Crain’s Business Chicago 40 Under 40 awardee Terell Johnson joined the organization as Executive Director. Since then, the orchestra has become a force for innovation and inclusion in the city’s performing arts ecosystem with a series of increasingly high-profile events. 2024 brought the orchestra’s debut at Lollapalooza Chicago with Icelandic jazz/pop sensation Laufey as the first orchestra to ever perform at the famed festival; a highly anticipated return to Ravinia Festival with a World Premiere tribute to Whitney Houston and a concert with the Violent Femmes; and the World Premiere tour of An Evening with Sleeping At Last culminating in a sold-out debut at Carnegie Hall. Learn more at www.chicagophil.org.


About Thiago Tiberio

Mr. Tiberio is a specialist in musical synchronization to film, having conducted orchestras in scoring sessions during most of his career. This naturally led to positions in live-to-picture concert productions, such as Star Wars Live in Concert, Pixar in Concert, Danny Elfman: Music from the Films of Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Lord of the Rings: Live to Projection, and others. He premiered the fully orchestrated version of Coco in Concert for Disney, closing the 2019 Ravinia Festival, with the Chicago Philharmonic.

Tiberio is the official conductor of America’s Wonders, the world’s first 3-dimensional, IMAX-style cinematic journey with live orchestra—a celebration of America’s most breathtaking national parks and cities with classical, pop, and original music meticulously synchronized to picture. He also composed and orchestrated a large portion of the music in the show.

About The Auditorium

The Auditorium, located at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, is an Illinois not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming to all of Chicago and beyond as The Theatre for the People. The organization is also committed to the continued restoration and preservation of this National Historic Landmark that originally opened in 1889. The Auditorium’s 2025-26 performance season features a dynamic mix of cultural events from ballet to rock and roll and everything in between. For more information on The Auditorium and a complete listing of events at The Auditorium please visit AuditoriumTheatre.org.

Theater Grottesco Presents ACTION AT A DISTANCE… IN 2025 NOVEMBER 13 - 16 AT FACILITY THEATER

SIX PLAYS, FOUR ACTORS, ONE STAGE: COLLIDE IN 

ACTION AT A DISTANCE… IN 2025 

A BOLD THEATRICAL CHICAGO PREMIERE OF A FAY|GLASSMAN PERFORMANCE STAGED WITH THE COLLABORATION OF THEATER GROTTESCO

NOVEMBER 13 - 16 AT FACILITY THEATER 

Santa Fe’s celebrated physical theater ensemble, Theater Grottesco, proudly announces a limited Chicago engagement for Action at a Distance … in 2025, November 13 - 16 at Facility Theater, 1138 N. California Ave. Action at a Distance … in 2025 is a bold theatrical experiment from Fay|Glassman Performance crafted in collaboration with Theater Grottesco. 

This new production, graphically scored in detail, offers a kaleidoscopic theatrical experience that is closer to music composition and dance, blending six simultaneous plays performed on a 10ft x 10ft stage by four actors. In 2018, the two companies received a national grant from the Network of Ensemble Theaters for five weeks of outlandish theatrical research and development. 

After four months of intensive work in 2025, the fully-developed production comes to Chicago for a limited engagement. The performance schedule is Thursday, Nov. 13 - Saturday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 and 8 p.m. 

Theater Grottesco and Fay|Glassman Performance are committed to making the performances accessible. As part of this commitment, the companies welcome audiences with a sliding scale of ticket prices from $15 - $30.

 Tickets are on sale now and available at: LisaFayAndJeffGlassmanDuo.org/tickets. Action at a Distance ... in 2025 is an original work of new theatrical form that breaches several of theatre’s conventional boundaries. Using techniques often found in film, musical composition and dance such as innovative physical “jump cuts” and “gestural choreography,” characters and actions depart from common representations of time and space, to create moments of astonishing synchronicity, while actors fluidly transform among multiple characters and interact across disparate scenes. 

This dynamic, multilayered performance challenges traditional storytelling, immersing audiences in a constantly shifting mosaic of interactions and emotions. Action at a Distance … in 2025 follows the structural truths when people distraught and disconnected from one another live together, in imperceptible yet finely-tuned synchronicity, as do the actors on this stage. Much like the bustle of a crowded airport, Action at a Distance captures the unpredictability within human connections. 

Six original plays happen simultaneously as performed by four dynamic actors who seamlessly switch between narratives using some of the techniques invented by the Fay|Glassman Performance duo, creating an ever-shifting structural mosaic of simultaneous stories, with juxtaposition, montage, irony and satire, brought to life on a 10ft x 10ft stage. 

Six plays. One tiny stage. All happening at once. But what does that actually mean? The plays: 1. A family with a crying child frantically prepares to evacuate their home in advance of a hurricane. 2. An international human rights lawyer flees her international arms-dealing partner. 3. A filmmaker interviews a doctor who volunteered at the Occupy Wall Street tent camp in 2011. 4. A union local hosts an address by a revolutionary Venezuelan union leader. 5. An artist prepares a gallery installation of the UN negotiator's office for the 1948 Palestine Mandate, just before the negotiator’s assassination by the Stern Gang. 6. A financial mogul is unnerved by a rock, with a photo attached, smashing his window. 

The Action at a Distance … in 2025 cast includes John Flax (he/him), Apollo Garcia Orellana (he/they), Elizabeth Glass (she/her) and Danielle Louise Reddick (she/her). The creative team includes Jeff Glassman (he/him, composition/director); Lisa Fay (she/her, composition); Elizabeth Glass (she/her, Santa Fe directing assistance); William Miglino (he/him, Santa Fe rehearsal manager); Richard Norwood (he/him, lighting, Chicago); Joshua Billiter (he/him, lighting, Santa Fe); Julie Williams (she/her, production manager and consultant, Chicago); Stefan Brun (he/him, production manager and consultant, Chicago); Marc Romanelli (photography) and Mariah Olesen (she/her, media materials, consulting and photography). 

ABOUT THE LISA FAY AND JEFF GLASSMAN DUO (FAY|GLASSMAN PERFORMANCE) The Lisa Fay and Jeff Glassman Duo are known for creating theatre that ranges from humorous and disarming to mesmerizing and disorienting. Their work applies composed structures to ordinary human behavior, just as electronic music applies composed structures to ordinary sounds. The techniques they’ve developed over 40 years allow us to observe methodically re-organized behavior in social space. The reflections can be cathartic and awakening, opening windows on new ways of seeing humanity. New doubts and new truths arise about what’s happening “right now.” 

ABOUT THEATER GROTTESCO Founded in Paris in 1983, Theater Grottesco is known internationally for visual and explosive physical productions. The Grottesco Ensemble rekindles interest in live performance by juxtaposing classical and modern theatrical styles with daring, poetic research of culture and imagination, giving voice to marginal elements of contemporary society and taking audiences to the brink of emotional wonder and soulful reflection. Theater Grottesco is celebrating its 29th year in Santa Fe and is a 2017 award winner of the National Theater Program. 

ABOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS Both companies create collaboratively, involving intensive workshops, improvisation and experimentation with an eye toward making a new work of art instead of crafting an already existing play. Devising a new play often takes years. As for the work's rigorous movement, Glassman has said, “Theater Grottesco is the only company I know of that could handle the strange physicality of this work.” Special thanks for media and publicity materials and advising to Mariah Olesen, Santa Fe; to artists Myriah Duda and Koppany Pusztai, Santa Fe; to Estevan Vigil on lights, Santa Fe; Fay|Glassman Performance for their production support and to Lisa Fay for her keen and cracking good, decades long, artistic consultation and enduring support for this project.

This program supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO'S SEASON 48 FALL SERIES RETURNS NOVEMBER 14–23, 20

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HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO RETURNS TO STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY FOR

SEASON 48 FALL SERIES

NOVEMBER 14–23, 2025

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO RETURNS TO STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY FOR SEASON 48 FALL SERIES, NOVEMBER 14–23, 2025 Program features Ohad Naharin’s Black Milk, Bob Fosse’s Percussion IV, Aszure Barton’s A Duo and Johan Inger’s IMPASSE Tickets for the Season 48 Fall Series Are Available Now at Hubbardstreetdance.com.

Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Hubbard Street), and Executive Director David McDermott are proud to announce programming for the company’s Season 48 Fall Series, marking Hubbard Street’s return to Steppenwolf Theatre Company following last season’s sold-out debut. The engagement runs Friday, November 14 through Sunday, November 23, 2025 in Steppenwolf’s intimate Downstairs Theater (1650 N. Halsted St.). 

Following a record-breaking, landmark year of bold premieres and historic collaborations, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago launches Season 48 with a program that showcases the company’s extraordinary physicality, range, and commitment to presenting both fresh voices and iconic works. The Fall Series includes Ohad Naharin’s Black Milk, described by the Chicago Tribune as “by turns elegant and feral”; Percussion IV, originally choreographed by Bob Fosse for his Broadway hit Dancin’ and returning to the company as part of its ongoing collaboration with The Verdon Fosse® Legacy; A Duo, a dynamic duet by Resident Artist Aszure Barton continuing her creative residency, now in its third season; and IMPASSE, Johan Inger’s theatrical, exuberant favorite brimming with joy and inventive movement. 

The return of Percussion IV to Hubbard Street marks a meaningful full-circle moment. Gwen Verdon’s admiration for the company began in the 1980s when she sought to adapt Bob Fosse’s works for concert dance, a vision that included staging Percussion IV for Hubbard Street during Fisher-Harrell’s tenure as a company dancer. Last season’s Fall Series marked the launch of a historic partnership with The Verdon Fosse® Legacy, making Hubbard Street the only company in the world authorized to hold a Bob Fosse work in its repertoire—a distinction that continues in Season 48. 

“This program brings together four works that, collectively, speak to the vast possibilities of contemporary dance,” said Fisher-Harrell. “From the raw, elemental power of Naharin’s Black Milk to the precision and lineage embodied in Fosse’s Percussion IV, the inventiveness of Barton’s A Duo, and the exuberance of Inger’s IMPASSE, each piece challenges our artists in distinct ways while offering audiences an expansive journey through movement and emotion.” 

Season 48 subscriptions and tickets are available now online or by calling the Hubbard Street Box Office at 312-850-9744, ext. 5. Tickets range from $23 to $128.80 (including fees). For ticket information, program details, or to learn more about how you can join in the movement, visit Hubbardstreetdance.com.

Hubbard Street is grateful to our Season 48 Partners Athletico Physical Therapy and the Illinois Arts Council for their continued support. 

The Season 48 Fall Series performance schedule is as follows: 

Fall Series at Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Downstairs Theater) November 14-23, 2025 

Featuring: Black Milk by Ohad Naharin Percussion IV by Bob Fosse 

A Duo by Resident Artist Aszure Barton 

IMPASSE by Johan Inger 

About Hubbard Street Dance Chicago 

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s mission is to awaken the human spirit through contemporary dance, envisioning a dance landscape that is relevant and accessible to all. 

For 48 years, Hubbard Street has been one of the most original forces in contemporary dance – bringing top choreographers and works to Chicago and beyond. Hubbard Street’s ever-evolving repertory, created by today’s leading choreographic voices, makes them a company that dancers aspire to join and performance venues all over the world are eager to host. To date, the main company has performed globally in 19 countries and 44 U.S. states. 

At home in Chicago, Hubbard Street performs 20 times a year and delivers renowned education programs in 50 classrooms across 17 Chicagoland schools. Hubbard Street Education utilizes the choreographic process to teach essential problem-solving skills, creativity, and collaboration - expanding our reach beyond traditional concert dance audiences, ensuring that everyone has access to world-class dance and instruction. 

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago grew out of the Lou Conte Dance Studio in 1977, and Conte served as Artistic Director for 23 years. Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell began her tenure at the company in March 2021. In January 2022, Hubbard Street moved to their new home in Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue and acclaimed choreographer Aszure Barton was named Resident Artist in January 2023. Visit Hubbardstreetdance.com for more information. 

About The Verdon Fosse® Legacy 

The mission of The Verdon Fosse Legacy® is to promote, preserve, and protect the artistic and intellectual property of Bob Fosse® and Gwen Verdon. Through its range of educational programs, Legacy-sanctioned teachers and reconstructeurs teach Fosse® style, technique, and work ethic to students and professionals in the US & internationally. The Legacy aims to foster and educate performers, directors, and choreographers, as well as scholars and students interested in American film and musical theatre. It partners with universities, dance studios, museums, libraries, publishing companies, film screenings, and non-profit organizations to honor the work and methodology of Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse. The Verdon Fosse Legacy Professional Training Program’s mission is to empower today’s artists through diverse dance training, instilling the original integrity and intent of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon’s work to build uniquely powerful entertainers for tomorrow. The Verdon Fosse Legacy oversees the licensing of Bob Fosse’s work for non-profit and for-profit commercial use. The Legacy protects the image, artistic, and intellectual property of Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse and owns the trademarks for Fosse® and Bob Fosse® whose indelible influences can be seen across pop culture today. 

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier Ensemble Theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the 1980 phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and now, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theater and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1976, Steppenwolf started as a group of teens performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance. Steppenwolf’s Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Court Theatre presents Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew November 14 – December 14, 2025

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Court Theatre announces complete cast and creative team for Marti Lyons' adaptation of 

The Taming of the Shrew

November 14 – December 14, 2025

Under the leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, Court Theatre is proud to present William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, adapted and directed by Marti Lyons (with Associate Director Daira Rodriguez). This production will run from November 14 – December 14, 2025 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. 

Welcome to a tale of deception, disguise, and desire. The richest man in town has two daughters and one big problem: he refuses to marry the youngest, Bianca, until the eldest, Katherina, is married first. Much to her family’s dismay, Katherina repeatedly—and violently— rejects the men interested in her and her wealth, and refuses to sacrifice her independence. When a mysterious gentleman enters the mix, suddenly Kate sees that surrender is no sacrifice. Perhaps there is strength in submission.

Artistic Director of Remy Bumppo Theatre Company Marti Lyons turns William Shakespeare’s classic inside out, with a fresh interpretation focused on feminine desire. This is not your standard Shrew.

“​​I was drawn to adapt The Taming of the Shrew because of its unnerving timeliness,” shares Director and Adaptor Marti Lyons. “It is a piece that brims with contradictions that are urgent and resonant. This complex study of power continues to intrigue even as it provokes. I am thrilled to craft this production at Court Theatre with this superb company of artists, and I cannot wait for audiences to join us on this journey.”

Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman adds: "One of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, The Taming of the Shrew has been reimagined countless times because it invites us to debate vital questions about the complexity of human relationships and gender dynamics. We revere it as a classic precisely because of these complexities and perhaps because we all need a little bit of comic virtuosity to help us navigate ever-challenging times. As the first production of my tenure at Court, I look forward to diving into Shakespeare's canonical battle of wits alongside our audiences.”

The cast of The Taming of the Shrew includes Ryder Dean McDaniel (Tranio/Ensemble); Mark L. Montgomery (Baptista/Petruchio’s Servant/Ensemble); Melisa Soledad Pereyra (Katherina/Ensemble); Nate Santana (Lucentio/Ensemble); Samuel Taylor (Hortensio/Ensemble); Netta Walker (Bianca/Ensemble); Alex Weisman (Grumio/Ensemble); Monica West (Widow/Ensemble); Jay Whittaker (Petruchio/Ensemble); and Dexter Zollifcoffer (Gremio/Ensemble).

The creative team includes Jackie Fox (Scenic Designer): Kotryna Hilko (Costume Designer); Maximo Grano De Oro (Lighting Designer), with Sierra Walker (Associate Lighting Designer); Matthew Chapman (Sound Designer); Ethan Korvne (Composer); Tanya Palmer (Production Dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (Director of Casting and Artist Cultivation), with Celeste M. Cooper (Associate Casting Director); Danny Fender (Production Stage Manager); and Anna Vu (Assistant Stage Manager).

Tickets and subscription packages including The Taming of the Shrew are on sale now, and can be purchased online at CourtTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.

Complementing this production, Court is proud to partner with Jenn Freeman/Po’Chop on a presentation of their performance, THICK: a crumbling freak show. This event is free and open to the public, and reservations are highly encouraged. More information and tickets will be available at CourtTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.

About the Artists
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (Playwright, 1564–1616) was an English poet and playwright. He is widely considered to be the greatest writer in the English language. He wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets. His early plays were mainly comedies (e.g. Much Ado about Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and histories (e.g. Henry V). By the early seventeenth century, Shakespeare had begun to write plays in the genre of tragedy. These plays— such as Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear—often hinge on some fatal error or flaw in the lead character and provide fascinating insights into the darker aspects of human nature. These later plays are considered Shakespeare’s finest achievements.

MARTI LYONS (Director and Adaptor) is thrilled to return to Court Theatre, where she most recently directed Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?. Other recent credits include the world premiere of John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C., the world-premiere of Witch by Jen Silverman at Writers Theatre and the subsequent award-winning production at Geffen Playhouse in L.A., Botticelli in the Fire by Jordan Tannahill at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, her co-adaptation of Cymbeline at American Players Theatre, and ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, where she is Artistic Director. Lyons is also an ensemble member at The Gift Theatre and a member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

RYDER DEAN MCDANIEL (Tranio/Ensemble) is excited to be making his Court Theatre debut! He received his B.A. from Northwestern University in theatre and musical theatre. Recent credits include Hairspray (Uptown Theatre), Disaster! (Big Noise Theatre), Bacchanal (Fowl Players), Throbbin’ Wood (PrideArts), as well as As You Like It, Night Side Songs, and Cock Envy (Northwestern University). He sends a big thank you to this team, his roommates, and family. Represented by Big Mouth Talent and Asteria Artists.

MARK L. MONTGOMERY (Baptista/Petruchio’s Servant/Ensemble) has appeared in Court’s Iphigenia in Aulis, Agamemnon, and M. Butterfly. Chicago credits include Outside Mullingar (Jeff Award nominee – Performer in a Principal Role) and Brooklyn Laundry (Northlight); Camino Real, Stage Kiss, and A Christmas Carol (Goodman); Fascination (About Face); Want, The Time of Your Life, and The Wheel (Steppenwolf); In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) and Equivocation (Victory Gardens); Hedda Gabler and The Letters (Writers). He has also appeared in more than a dozen productions with Chicago Shakespeare Theater and recently completed a tour of Julius Caesar throughout France with Théâtre National de Bretagne.

MELISA SOLEDAD PEREYRA (Katherina/Ensemble) is making her Court Theatre debut. Chicago credits: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chicago Shakespeare), Blood Wedding (Lookingglass). Broadway credits: A Doll’s House (Hudson Theatre). Regional credits: Anna in the Tropics, The River Bride, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Macbeth, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, among others (American Players Theatre Core Company). Other regional work includes Huntington Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Indiana Repertory Theatre, South Coast Rep, among others. Upcoming television debut on an acclaimed sci-fi series on Apple TV. Represented by Gray Talent Group.

NATE SANTANA (Lucentio/Ensemble) is an Artistic Collective member at Teatro Vista and Creative Producer at Shattered Globe, where he recently directed Lobby Hero. Theatre: Ironbound (Raven Theatre); The Thanksgiving Play, Ironbound (Steppenwolf); The Legend of Georgia McBride, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (Northlight); Frankenstein, Sense and Sensibility (Indiana Repertory); Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet, Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night (Chicago Shakespeare); Marvin’s Room (Shattered Globe); Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy (Griffin); The Abuelas, White Tie Ball (Teatro Vista); The Rainmaker (BoHo). Television: Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., Suits, and The Exorcist. He studied at the School at Steppenwolf, the Moscow Art Theatre, and received his B.A. from Valparaiso University.

SAMUEL TAYLOR (Hortensio/Ensemble) returns to Court Theatre, having previously appeared in The Lady from the Sea. He is an Artistic Associate at Lookingglass Theatre. Other Chicago credits include work at Steppenwolf, TimeLine, Redmoon, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. He is a Co-Founder of the Back Room Shakespeare Project and author of the book My Life with the Shakespeare Cult. Regional credits include work at American Players Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Syracuse Stage, and the Guthrie Theater. On-camera credits include recurring roles on Boardwalk Empire, Red Line, and Crisis.

NETTA WALKER (Bianca/Ensemble) returns to Court after appearing in The Lion in Winter. Other Chicago credits include: How to Defend Yourself (Victory Gardens); Yen (Jeff Award – Performer in a Supporting Role, Raven Theatre); Hamlet, The Grapes of Wrath (The Gift); No Child (Definition Theatre); Continuity (Goodman); among many others. Film: Come As You Are, Whole. She played Keisha for three seasons on All American and All American: Homecoming, and has appeared in The Chi, The Big Leap, and Chicago Fire. Her original play keerah is being workshopped by Definition Theatre’s Amplify Festival, and she was selected as the playwright for the Blueprint Commission with First Floor Theater. Proudly represented by Paonessa Talent.

ALEX WEISMAN (Grumio/Ensemble) was previously in The Good Book at Court. Recent Chicago credits: Prayer For the French Republic (Northlight/Theater Wit) and An Act of God (Paramount). He is a two-time Jeff Award winner for The History Boys and Hand to God. Broadway: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (OBC). Select television: Frank on Sesame Street (GLAAD New Media Award), Chicago Fire/Med/P.D., Ted Lasso, New Amsterdam, Empire, Inventing Anna. Film: A Complete Unknown, An Acceptable Loss, and others. Founding stakeholder with Back Room Shakespeare and NU grad.

MONICA WEST (Widow/Ensemble) is making her Court Theatre debut. Chicago credits include Hand to God (Paramount Theatre); The Matchbox Magic Flute, The Music Man (Goodman Theatre); Eastland, Moby Dick (Lookingglass Theatre Company). Off-Broadway: The Glass Menagerie (Roundabout Theatre Company); Red Light Winter (Barrow Street Theatre); Germans in Paris (59E59). International: Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Royal Alexandra Theatre). Regional highlights: Guthrie Theater, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Westport Country Playhouse. TV: Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Law & Order, Underemployed. Ms. West is a graduate of Marquette University and an M.F.A. candidate in writing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

JAY WHITTAKER (Petruchio/Ensemble) returns to Court Theatre, having previously appeared in The Romance Cycle, Travesties, Cyrano, The Glass Menagerie, and The Wild Duck. Jay has worked at Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Northlight. Off-Broadway: Frank’s Home at Playwrights Horizons and Rose Rage at The Duke on 42nd Street. Regionally: Huntington, Shakespeare Theatre, and the Old Globe. Film: Unexpected Treasures, Gray Matter, Let’s Go to Prison, Death of a President, Dust Clouds, The Sea. Television: The Orville, Scream Queens, Chicago P.D., Prison Break, Early Edition. Jay recently wrote a short film that has premiered at five film festivals, and he is currently producing the feature film.

DEXTER ZOLLICOFFER (Gremio/Ensemble) has appeared at Court Theatre in Our Lan’ (2025 Spotlight Reading Series), The Lady from the Sea, King Hedley II, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and others. Other theatre credits: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Little Foxes, Dartmoor Prison (Goodman); Charm (Jeff Award – Actor in a Principal Role, Northlight); To Kill a Mockingbird, A Lesson Before Dying (Steppenwolf); Relatively Close, Knock Me a Kiss (Victory Gardens); and The Overwhelming (Next). Television and film credits include: Ghostlight, South Side, Joe Pera Talks to You, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Detroit 1-8-7, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, and Who Gets the Dog.

Dates: Previews: November 14 – November 21, 2025

Press Opening: November 22, 2025 at 7:30pm

Regular Run: November 23 – December 14, 2025

Schedule: Wed/Thurs/Fri: 7:30 p.m.

Sat/Sun: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Accessible ASL Interpretation on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 2:00pm

Performances: Touch Tour on Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 12:30pm
Open Captioning and Audio Description on Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 2:00pm

Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets: $42.00 – $74.00 Previews
$60.00 – $90.00 Regular Run

Student, group, and military discounts available
Box Office: Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

Winner of the 2022 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago’s historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.

WildDoor Theater Makes Chicago Debut With SMOKEFALL At Theater WIT November 10 – December 21, 2025

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WILD DOOR THEATER MAKES ITS CHICAGO DEBUT WITH

NOAH HAIDLE’S SMOKEFALL 

AT THEATER WIT,

NOVEMBER 10 – DECEMBER 21

Gallant Directs the Poetic Meditation on how Families Fracture, Endure and Find Grace in the Ordinary

A new voice joins Chicago’s vibrant theater scene this fall as Wild Door Theater proudly launches its inaugural production, Smokefall, November 10 - December 21, by Noah Haidle and directed by Andrew Gallant, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Performed in the round for an intimate and immersive audience experience, Smokefall marks Wild Door Theater’s debut, signaling the company’s mission to create bold, heartfelt work that bridges theatrical imagination and emotional truth. 

The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. There are no Thursday performances, Nov. 13 and Nov. 27 and an added performance, Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The running time, including intermission, is two hours. Tickets are $25–$39 and are available at WildDoorTheater.com.

Blending magical realism with aching humanity, Smokefall unfolds inside a crumbling Midwestern home where three generations navigate love, loss and the passage of time. Talking fetuses debate existence, a father vanishes and an apple tree grows through the home — all in a poetic meditation on how families fracture, endure and find grace in the ordinary.

Smokefall defies easy categorization: part family drama, part philosophical meditation and part surreal dreamscape. As Violet prepares to bring twin boys into the world, unseen forces swirl around her—the past and future, birth and decay, love and loss. With scenes shifting between heartbreak and humor, Smokefall explores what it means to begin again even when everything seems to fall apart.

“What moves me most about Smokefall,” says Director Andrew Gallant, “is how each character faces the quiet unraveling of their own small corner of the world — and yet, amidst that growing darkness, they find hope, courage and strength in one another. That’s what makes this play both timely and timeless.”

Performed in the round for an intimate and immersive audience experience, Smokefall marks Wild Door Theater’s debut — signaling the company’s mission to create bold, heartfelt work that bridges theatrical imagination and emotional truth.

The cast of Smokefall includes Isabella Isherwood (she/her, ensemble); Lucky Star (he/they, ensemble); Vilmarie Rosario (she/her, ensemble); Richard Schumacher (he/him, ensemble); Lauren Secrest (she/her, understudy); Katie Hope Noble (she/her, understudy) and Noah Moulton (he/him, understudy).

The production team is Andrew Gallant (he/him, director); Lauren Secrest (she/her, assistant director/assistant stage manager); Joshua Bennett (he/him, stage manager); Spencer Donovan (he/him, scenic designer); Saawan Tiwari (she/they, costume designer); Andy Cahoon (he/him, technical director); Kate Schnetzer (she/her, sound designer); Josiah Croegaert (he/him, lighting designer) and Adanna Eziri (she/her, props designer).


ABOUT NOAH HAIDLE, Playwright

Noah Haidle’s plays have been produced at South Coast Repertory, The Long Wharf Theater, The Goodman Theater, The Woolly Mammoth Theatre, The Huntington Theater and The Roundabout Theatre Company. Haidle has been commissioned by The Goodman Theater and written a screenplay for Scott Rudin Productions. He is a graduate of Princeton University and The Juilliard School, where he was a Lila Acheson Wallace playwright-in-residence. He is the recipient of three Lincoln Center Le Compte Du Nouy Awards, the 2005 Helen Merrill Award for Emerging Playwrights and an NEA/TCG theater residency grant.


ABOUT ANDREW GALLANT, Director

Andrew Gallant holds an M.F.A in acting from DePaul University, a postgraduate diploma from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, a BA in theatre from UW-Madison and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity. For the last 15 years, Gallant has worked professionally in Chicago as an actor, playwright, director and artistic director. His plays I Wish to Apologize to the People of Illinois, At the Center and Out of Tune Confessional were staged at The Agency Theater and his play Mackerel Sky is currently being adapted into a short film with festival submissions pending.




ABOUT WILD DOOR THEATER

Wild Door Theater embraces bold theatrical storytelling to create transformative experiences for Chicago audiences. With roots in the city’s storefront theater scene, they value truthful, ensemble-driven performances as they reimagine classics and develop new works that challenge, connect and inspire the community. On stage and beyond, they are committed to cultivating emerging talent, championing unexpected perspectives and recentering theater as vital to civic life.

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

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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/.

A 225+ Artist Carmina Burana at Lyric Opera of Chicago November 14–18, 2025

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What you need to know about 

Carmina Burana

More than 225 artists bring Orff’s classic work to the Lyric stage

Running time: Approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes, no intermission.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the company premiere of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, November 14–18, 2025. For three performances only, Music Director Enrique Mazzola conducts the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus in this 20th-century masterpiece, joined by soprano Jasmine Habersham, tenor David Portillo, baritone Ian Rucker, and the Uniting Voices Chicago children’s choir. From the thunderous opening chorus "O Fortuna" to passages of hushed intimacy, Carmina Burana captures the full sweep of human experience in music that is at once visceral, dramatic, and unforgettable.

Three performances only: Friday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, November 16 at 2:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m.

The songs of fate, fortune, and fleeting joy. Orff’s score is based on a set of medieval poems discovered in Bavaria, written by students and clergy between the 11th and 13th centuries. His selections explore love, lust, gambling, drinking, and the transience of life with bold rhythmic drive and theatrical force. The result is music that feels both primal and timeless, a raw spectacle of choral power, lush orchestration, and unforgettable immediacy.

Every note resonates with power and precision. Music Director Enrique Mazzola conducts the Lyric Opera Orchestra with a distinctive blend of clarity, vigor, and stylistic insight. Internationally recognized as a leading interpreter of bel canto, French repertoire, and early Verdi, he has appeared at major houses including La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, and Deutsche Oper Berlin, as well as festivals from Salzburg to Glyndebourne. At Lyric, he has led productions that showcase his ability to illuminate the majesty and power of large-scale choral writing such as Mozart’s Requiem (2023/24), Verdi’s Aida (2023/24), Beethoven’s Fidelio (2024/25), and the Wondrous Sound celebration of chorus and orchestra (2024/25).

Chorus Director Michael Black directs the 100-member Lyric Opera Chorus, one of the most distinguished ensembles of its kind in the world and a cornerstone of Lyric’s performances. Renowned for the beauty of their sound and stylistic versatility, the Chorus has collaborated with conductors including Enrique Mazzola, Sir Andrew Davis, Jakub Hrůša, Marco Armiliato, Harry Bicket, James Gaffigan, and Emmanuel Villaume. In the 2024/25 Season, the Chorus showcased its versatility to new audiences across the city and surrounding areas in the Great Choral Works community tour, performing operatic favorites alongside spirituals and musical theater selections. For Carmina Burana, the Chorus is joined by 50 treble voices from Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir), directed by Josephine Lee, whose artistry and youthful energy provide a brilliant complement to Orff’s massive choral forces.

A dazzling trio of soloists brings these iconic vocal lines to life. Soprano Jasmine Habersham, who made her Lyric debut in the 2024/25 Season as Ashley in Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s The Listeners, has quickly become known for her radiant tone and vibrant stage presence. Chicago audiences may also know her from her starring role as Claudette Colvin in Chicago Opera Theater’s world premiere of Jasmine Barnes and Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton’s She Who Dared last summer. She has starred as Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette with Opera San José, Susanna in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with Madison Opera, and Cleopatra in Handel’s Giulio Cesare with Atlanta Opera, and she recently appeared in Barcelona at the Gran Teatre del Liceu as Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen. Her concert work has taken her to stages with the Baltimore Symphony, Dallas Symphony, and Rochester Philharmonic.

Tenor David Portillo, a distinguished alumnus of Lyric’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, has performed ten roles with the company since his debut in 2007, including Arbace in Mozart’s Idomeneo, and Andres in Berg’s Wozzeck. A regular at the Metropolitan Opera, he has sung Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Count Almaviva in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, and the Chevalier de la Force in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. His credits span Glyndebourne, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, and the Salzburg Festival. Portillo was honored with the 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, and his upcoming engagements include Frederic in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance with Seattle Opera and Jupiter in Handel’s Semele at Dutch National Opera.

Baritone Ian Rucker, another proud Ryan Opera Center alumnus, has built a strong presence at Lyric since his debut in the 2022/23 Season. His company appearances have included Raimbaud in Rossini’s Le Comte Ory, Moralès in Bizet’s Carmen, the Foreman in Janáček’s Jenůfa, and Schaunard in Puccini’s La Bohème. He returns in 2025/26 as Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Beyond Lyric, Rucker has performed Dandini in Rossini’s La Cenerentola with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Count Almaviva in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro with Scottish Opera, and the title role in the world premiere of Oliver Leith’s The Story of Billy Budd at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. A recent prizewinner at the prestigious Neue Stimmen competition, he has also sung at the Salzburg Festival and with Palm Beach Opera. Originally from Wisconsin, Rucker studied at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

The production team for Carmina Burana includes Lighting Designer Sarah Riffle and Projection Designer Adam Larsen.

A landmark premiere for Lyric. With its sheer sonic power, unforgettable choral writing, and themes that still resonate today, Carmina Burana is one of the most electrifying works in the concert repertoire. This long-awaited Lyric premiere is set to be a highlight of the Chicago cultural season.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

· Language: Sung in Latin, Middle High German, and Old French, with easy-to-follow English titles projected above the stage.

· Pre-performance talks: Ticketholders are invited to a free 30-minute preview by Dr. Johann Buis one hour before each performance in the Ardis Krainik Theatre. Seating is unreserved; ticket required for entry.

· Accessibility: Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the Steiner Parquet coat checks at all performances. For more information, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.

· Location: Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL.

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


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

Lyric’s presentation of Orff’s Carmina Burana is generously made possible by Irene D. Pritzker in honor of Michael Black.

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.




Lyric Opera of Chicago
20 N. Wacker Drive
Suite 860
Chicago, IL 60606
United States

Photo: John Shaw/Lyric Opera of Chicago

Marriott Theatre Celebrates the Season with Rockin’ Million Dollar Quartet Christmas November 12 at 7pm, and runs through January 4, 2026

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Peter Blair, Executive Producer

Peter Marston Sullivan, Artistic Director

Presents

Marriott Theatre Celebrates the Season with Rockin’ 

Million Dollar Quartet Christmas

This holiday season, the Marriott Theatre, Chicagoland’s longest running musical theatre, concludes its unforgettable 50th anniversary season by inviting audiences to turn up the cheer and rock out with Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, a high-voltage musical celebration. Directed by Jeff Award winner Scott Weinstein (Marriott Theatre: Grease, Something Rotten!; Drury Lane: The Little Mermaid, Always, Patsy Cline) with Musical Direction by Jeff Award nominee Matt Deitchman, this festive spin on the Tony-nominated hit brings together four legendary voices - Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley - for a one-of-a-kind holiday jam session at Sun Records. 

Million Dollar Quartet Christmas previews November 5, 2025, opens Wednesday, November 12 at 7pm, and runs through January 4, 2026.

“I’m so thrilled to be returning to direct at Marriott Theatre - one of my absolute favorite theatres to work at,” says Director Scott Weinstein. “It’s doubly meaningful because one of my first professional directing jobs was as the associate and resident director on the original production of Million Dollar Quartet, which ran at the Apollo Theatre for eight years and impacted my life in innumerable and profound ways. So getting to bring this new holiday version (which I had the privilege of helping develop) to Chicago for the first time at one of my favorite theatres - it’s hard to imagine a better holiday.”

From the creators of the original Million Dollar Quartet, this brand-new production transforms a legendary night in music history into a rockin’ Christmas spectacular. Set in the iconic Memphis studio, the show is packed with seasonal favorites and the chart-topping hits that made these icons famous. Audiences will be treated to a nostalgic journey through stories of Christmas past, present, and future, told through unforgettable performances and playful antics. With a soundtrack that blends rockabilly, gospel, and country, Million Dollar Quartet Christmas delivers a joyful, toe-tapping tribute to the spirit of the season and the enduring power of music.

Million Dollar Quartet Christmas stars JP Coletta as “Jerry Lee Lewis,” Trevor Lindley Craft as “Carl Perkins,” Michael D. Potter as “Johnny Cash,” Colton Sims as “Elvis Presley,” Ross Griffin as “Sam Phillips,” Teah Kiang Mirabelli as “Dyanne,” Jed Feder as “Fluke,” Cody Siragusa as “Brother Jay,” with understudies Jake Busse, Nathan Gallop, Madison Kauffman, Justin Akira Kono, Adelina Marinello, Kelan M. Smith, and Zachary Tate.

The artistic team features Scenic Designer Milo Bue, Costume Designer Nicholas Hartman, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, Sound Designer Michael Daly, Video/Projections Designer Tony Churchill, Wig, Hair & Makeup Designer Miguel A. Armstrong, Props Designer Sally Zack, Dialect Coach Susan Gosdick, and Stage Manager Richard Strimer.

Marriott Theatre is committed to cultivating a culture of inclusivity for its audience. To provide increased enjoyment of their performances for people with hearing loss or other issues which prevent them from understanding performers without effort, they are one of the first theatres in the country to install the new assistive listening system Auracast™ broadcast audio in addition to their existing Hearing Loop. Anyone with Auracast compatible hearing aids or consumer earbuds can tune in and receive crystal-clear audio directly to their ears while reducing external sounds.

 
Million Dollar Quartet Christmas runs Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., with select Thursday 1:00 p.m. shows. Call for group, dinner-theatre, student, senior, and military discounts. 

Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets or become a Marriott Theatre subscriber, please call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to www.tickets.marriotttheatre.com. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information. Attendees are also invited to visit Three Embers Restaurant before the show to experience a pop-up experience that will coincide with Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, transporting guests to another realm while enjoying a themed food and beverage menu led by the culinary team at Three Embers Restaurant.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Presents Much Ado About Nothing November 18 Through December 21, 2025

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Casting announced for 

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Selina Cadell

Just in time for the holiday season, Shakespeare’s wittiest rom-com is “as merry as the day is long!”

Running November 18‑December 21 in the Courtyard Theater

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the cast and creative team for Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare’s wittiest rom-com playing just in time for the holiday season, November 18-December 21. Beatrice is living it up as a fiercely independent woman who answers to no man. Benedick is an avowed bachelor with no plans to settle down. But when these stubborn singles finally meet their match under the sultry Sicilian sun, who can resist romance? Linguistic fireworks and a hilarious battle of wits dazzle in the original “enemies-to-lovers" rom-com. Staged by famed director Selina Cadell, you’ll be transported on holiday to the warm embrace of the Italian countryside in CST’s Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, considered one of the finest spaces to experience Shakespeare’s stories live in performance. Deborah Hay and Craig Bierko star as Beatrice and Benedick, leading an exceptionally talented ensemble cast that also features Debo Balogun, Mark Bedard, Joey Chelius, Sean Fortunato, Kevin Gudahl, Suzanne Hannau, Colin Huerta, Samuel B. Jackson, Mi Kang, Jaylon Muchison, Felicia Oduh, Yona Moises Olivares, Jeff Parker, and Tiffany Scott.

“Much Ado About Nothing is a wonderfully well-rounded, mature, romantic story which embraces all the ridiculous ups and downs of our own behavior when we're in the throes of deep feeling,” shared Artistic Director Edward Hall. “It also offers some of Shakespeare’s wittiest prose and most dazzling language. A truly warm and inviting treat for audiences during the holiday season.”

Director Selina Cadell stated, “In a turbulent world, where charm turns on a dime to hot-headed decisions and disproven assumptions, Much Ado About Nothing is a play for our times, reflecting the tangles of a powerful patriarchy and the wrongful accusations made when power and reputation take precedent over listening and truth. Shakespeare balances this tragic lens with comedy and compassion, as Beatrice and Benedick guide themselves and us through the obstacles that can thwart enduring love.”

In the role of Beatrice, Deborah Hay returns to Chicago Shakespeare after appearing in As You Like It and The School for Lies. Her other credits include nine seasons at the Shaw Festival and seven seasons at the Stratford Festival. Craig Bierko makes his Chicago Shakespeare debut in the role of Benedick, with Broadway credits including The Music Man (Tony Award nomination), Guys and Dolls, Matilda the Musical, and Girl from the North Country. The company also includes Debo Balogun (Richard III, Measure for Measure at CST), Mark Bedard (All’s Well That Ends Well, Richard III at CST), Joey Chelius (Sunny Afternoon at CST), Sean Fortunato (multiple CST credits, including Sunny Afternoon, Henry V, and Richard III), Kevin Gudahl (multiple CST credits, including The Comedy of Errors, Measure for Measure, and As You Like It), Suzanne Hannau (The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale at CST), Colin Huerta (CST debut, with credits at The Colony Theatre, Jackalope Theater, and DePaul University), Samuel B. Jackson (CST debut, with credits at Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, and Black Ensemble Theatre), Mi Kang (CST debut, with credits at Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, and TimeLine Theatre), Jaylon Muchison (Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry V at CST), Felicia Oduh (Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet and Measure for Measure at CST), Yona Moises Olivares (CST debut, with credits at Steppenwolf Theatre, About Face Theatre, and Remy Bumppo), Jeff Parker (The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale, As You Like It, The King’s Speech and more at CST), and Tiffany Scott (The King’s Speech, Sense and Sensibility, and more at CST).

Director Selina Cadell is an acclaimed director and actress. She directed Eddie Izzard’s Hamlet, which saw a record-breaking run at Chicago Shakespeare last year, and also directed Izzard in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. Her other directing credits include Love for Love (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Life I Lead (West End), The Double Dealer (Orange Tree London), The Rivals (Arcola London), The Way of the World and The Rake’s Progress (Wilton’s London). As an actor, her many credits include Top Girls (NYC) /Obie Award, Stanley (NYC), The Madness of King George (NYC), Twelfth Night, The Cherry Orchard (NYC), and A Monster Calls (London), and she has been seen on TV in Midsomer Murders, Queens of Mystery, Poirot, and Doc Martin (Mrs. Tishell). Cadell also runs an opera company with Eliza Thompson, OperaGlass Works, which released a filmed version of La Traviata earlier this year.

The creative team for Much Ado About Nothing also includes Amber Mak (Movement Director), Tom Piper (Scenic and Costume Designer), Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer), Nicholas Pope (Sound Designer), Eliza Thompson (Composer), Bob Mason (Casting), Nathan Allen (Associate Director), Jinni Pike (Production Stage Manager), Katrina Herrmann (Assistant Stage Manager), and Tuesday Thacker (Production Assistant)

PERFORMANCES

Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. (no matinee November 19, no evening performance November 26)

Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. (no performance on Thanksgiving, November 27)

Fridays at 7:00 p.m.

Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (no matinee November 22)

Sundays at 2:00 p.m. (plus 6:30 p.m. on November 30)

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


CREATIVE TEAM

Selina Cadell - Director
Amber Mak - Movement Director
Tom Piper - Scenic and Costume Designer
Jason Lynch - Lighting Designer
Nicholas Pope - Sound Designer
Eliza Thompson - Composer
Bob Mason - Casting
Nathan Allen - Associate Director
Jinni Pike - Production Stage Manager
Katrina Herrmann - Assistant Stage Manager
Tuesday Thacker - Production Assistant


CAST
Debo Balogun - Don Pedro
Mark Bedard - Don John
Craig Bierko - Benedick
Joey Chelius - Messenger / Second Watch
Sean Fortunato - Dogberry
Kevin Gudahl - Leonato
Suzanne Hannau - First Watch
Deborah Hay - Beatrice
Colin Huerta - Conrade
Samuel B. Jackson - Claudio
Mi Kang - Hero
Jaylon Muchison - Friar / Verges / Balthasar
Felicia Oduh - Ursula
Yona Moises Olivares - Borachio
Jeff Parker - Antonio / Sexton
Tiffany Scott - Margaret
Will Burdin - Understudy
Jonathan Gillard Daly – Understudy
Caroline Kidwell - Understudy
Josh Zambrano - 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. www.chicagoshakes.com

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

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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