Drury Lane 2025/26 Season to Include Chicago Premiere of The Da Vinci Code and More

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Drury Lane announces the 2025/26 Season 

featuring a lineup of shows that invite audiences to escape the ordinary 

including the Chicago premiere of The Da Vinci Code, Always…Patsy Cline, Dial M For Murder, Sister Act, and the Chicago regional premiere of On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan

Drury Lane Theatre invites audiences to escape the ordinary with an enticing lineup of productions in its 2025/2026 season, including a gripping Chicago premiere, a tale of envy and murder, and a trio of beloved female-driven musicals sure to have you singing along. The new season is packed with shows audiences have been clamoring for, and Drury Lane is proud to present them as only it can, with unparalleled theatrical artistry.

Drury Lane kicks off the 2025/26 season with the action-packed Chicago premiere of The Da Vinci Code, adapted from the best-selling novel by Dan Brown; a tale of friendship and heartache based on a true story in Always…Patsy Cline; a new adaptation of the beloved thriller of jealousy and deception, Dial M For Murder, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original by Frederick Knott; the heavenly musical comedy Sister Act, based on the hit 1992 film; and the Chicago regional premiere of the unstoppable rhythm of the Miami Sound Machine in On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan.

Drury Lane’s new season runs from April 1, 2025 – March 22, 2026, at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. For more information, visit www.drurylanetheatre.com.

“For me, announcing the 2025-2026 season is a thrilling experience. Drury Lane has crafted a groundbreaking series of productions with titles you will recognize, music you can start singing now, and surprises that I hope will bring thrills and chills,” comments Drury Lane Managing Director Wendy Stark Prey.

The performance schedule for Drury Lane’s 2025/2026 Season is Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Excellence isn’t limited to the stage at Drury Lane! Before or after the show, theatergoers can indulge in delicious onsite dining at Lucille Restaurant, which features seasonal pre-fixe menus and an elevated atmosphere to complete their experience. Boasting over a century of collective expertise in hospitality, the dedicated team ensures that you will be cared for with freshly prepared meals, handcrafted cocktails, and exceptional service. At Drury Lane, everything is in one place, so you will never be late for your performance. 

Drury Lane Theatre Membership Program

Lock in your seats for a season of spectacular theatre with Drury Lane’s new Membership Program! Members have exclusive access to uniquely tailored benefits designed to enrich their Drury Lane experience, all at a cost savings of more than 50% off single ticket prices. Membership includes Tier One seating for all five Drury Lane Theatre productions, free ticket exchanges, dedicated dining credits at Lucille Restaurant, exclusive event invitations, Member pre-sales and unlimited single ticket discounts. Membership prices range from $229.25 - $260.75. For more information, visit www.drurylanetheatre.com.

Group tickets start at $45 and Student group tickets start at just $35. To book a group of 10 people or more, call Group Services at 630-570-7272 or email Groups@DruryLane.com.

The Drury Lane Theatre 2024/2025 Mainstage Season is as follows:

Chicago Premiere

The Da Vinci Code

Adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel

Based on the novel by Dan Brown

April 9 – June 1, 2025

Press Opening: Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 7pm

 

Witness the action-packed novel live on stage as Professor Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu race against the clock to unlock the secrets of Da Vinci in this Chicago regional premiere.

 

Based on a True Story

Always…Patsy Cline

Created and originally directed by Ted Swindley

June 11 - August 3, 2025

Press Opening: Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 7pm

Featuring 27 of Patsy Cline’s biggest hits, this is the ultimate love letter to one of the most celebrated and influential performers of the 20th century.

 

New Adaptation

Dial M For Murder

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher

From the original by Frederick Knott

September 3 - October 26, 2025

Press Opening: Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 7pm

An affair, a fortune on the line, and the perfect murder…But what happens when it all goes wrong? Find out in this riveting new adaptation.

 

Sister Act

Music by Alan Menken

Lyrics by Glenn Slater

Book by Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner

Additional Book Material by Douglas Carter Beane

November 12, 2025 - January 11, 2026

Press Opening: Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 7pm

Based on the hit 1992 film, this divine, feel-good comedy will have you rejoicing with your group this holiday season.

 

Chicago Regional Premiere

On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan

Book by Alexander Dinelaris

Featuring Music Produced and Recorded by Emilio & Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine

January 28 - March 22, 2026

Press Opening: Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 7pm

Filled with the exhilarating music of the Miami Sound Machine, this celebration of Gloria Estefan’s greatest hits will have you dancing in the aisles.

 

Theatre for Young Audiences 2025 

A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens

November 28 – December 27, 2025

Single Tickets: $30-$40, Group Tickets: $17.50 (10 or more)

Continue your tradition or start a new one by gathering the whole family for Drury Lane Theatre's heartwarming production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Set in Victorian-era London, A Christmas Carol tells the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts that visit him one fateful Christmas Eve hoping to change his miserly ways. Complete with falling snow and magical illusions, the play is a visually stunning experience and, at one hour long, perfect for children of all ages.

 

About Drury Lane Theatre  

Built from scratch. Built in Oakbrook. Built for you.

Founded by Anthony DeSantis over 60 years ago, Drury Lane remains a family-run organization under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis. Drury Lane Theatre continues as a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, producing world-class theatre in collaboration with some of the nation’s leading actors, directors, and creative minds. Drury Lane Theatre produces the highest quality theatrical experience that immerses and supports our artists and audiences in the exploration of what it means to be human and to experience the transcending power of the performing and visual arts. Drury Lane strives to create an environment in which every individual or group is welcomed, respected, supported, valued and able to fully experience and participate in this transformative art form.

The theatre has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for over 360 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane proudly employs thousands of professional actors, musicians, designers, and crew members to entertain upwards of nine million audience members and counting

 

Chicago Premiere of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL November 12 – 24, 2024

GOOD TIMES NEVER SEEMED SO GOOD.

  A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL

TO MAKE ITS CHICAGO PREMIERE AT THE CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE

AS PART OF A MULTI-YEAR NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 

Direct from Broadway, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL will make its Chicago debut, November 12 – 24, 2024, at Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre as part of multi-year North American Tour.

TICKET INFORMATION

Groups of 10+ are now on sale by calling (312) 977-1710 or by emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. A BEAUTIFUL NOISE will be part of the next Broadway In Chicago subscription. Current subscribers can renewal beginning on Monday, February 26, and the season will be available to new subscribers on Wednesday, March 20. Single tickets will be on sale at a later date. Ticket prices range from $40 - $135 with a select number of premium tickets available. For more details, visit BroadwayInChicago.com.

“Some of my most thrilling nights have been while I was on tour, bringing my music to audiences across the world,” said Neil Diamond. “Having A BEAUTIFUL NOISE go on tour is an honor and I can’t wait for audiences across North America to experience this show. I hope they enjoy it as much as I have.”

The tour will be lead produced by Ken Davenport, Bob Gaudio and NETworks Presentations.

Producer Ken Davenport said, “Neil is one of the best live entertainers the world has ever seen. In his fifty-year career, he’s performed for millions of fans around the globe. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to honor his legacy than having A BEAUTIFUL NOISE touring North America, visiting the same cities where he gave so many people so much joy.”

Producer Bob Gaudio said, “When Neil and I first started talking about making a musical using his music, I knew how daunting that would be. With Jersey Boys, I learned how vital it is to have a first-rate creative team making sure everything weaves together. We have that on A BEAUTIFUL NOISE—an incisive book that tells Neil’s story honestly, fantastic choreography, one of the best directors on Broadway guiding the entire production, and of course, Neil’s iconic songs. Having the show go on tour is an exciting next step.”

The Broadway production continues to play for cheering audiences nightly at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City.

A full tour route and casting will be announced at a later date. Please visit abeautifulnoisethemusical.com to sign up for the email newsletter and be among the first to receive tour news and updates.

“SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD!”

CBS, CNN, GMA, Entertainment Weekly, Morning Joe

 

“DAZZLING! WE SAW HIS SHOW, NOW WE’RE A BELIEVER”

WBUR

“THE BIOGRAPHICAL DRAMA IS A HEARTWARMING CELEBRATION OF MR. DIAMOND’S UPLIFTING MUSIC AND INSPIRATIONAL LIFE.”

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

ABOUT A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL

This is the story of that Brooklyn kid who made it big and took us all along for the ride. From those exhilarating early days in New York to the sold-out spectacles that defined his career, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL explores the life of a rock icon through the music that made him “a national treasure” (Los Angeles Times).

The story of the legendary Neil Diamond comes to life on stage in an uplifting new Broadway musical, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, featuring all his hit songs including “Sweet Caroline,” “America,” and “Cracklin’ Rosie.”

The grandson of Jewish and Polish immigrants, Brooklyn born and raised, Neil Diamond was a New York kid down to his boots, strumming his guitar on the steps of Erasmus High School on Flatbush Avenue. 1960s America was hungry for change and so was he. He landed a gig selling songs for fifty bucks a week in the legendary Tin Pan Alley’s Brill Building. At night he honed his voice on stage at the Village’s Bitter End, but knew he was destined for something greater. This was New York, after all. City of dreams. Full of life and opportunity where anyone could write their story. And so he did, in song after song.

10 Top 10 Hits. 140 million albums sold. His 1972 concert and live album Hot August Night sung in front of 5,000 screaming fans catapulted him to fame as the ultimate entertainer. He sang his way to a Grammy Award, into the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame, then topped it off with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy and the Kennedy Center Honors.

Directed by Tony Award® winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), choreographed by Olivier Award winner Steven Hoggett (Once, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and written by four-time Academy Award nominee Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Two Popes), A BEAUTIFUL NOISE is a thrilling look at an artist’s search for himself and a celebration of the enduring power of his music.

The design team for A BEAUTIFUL NOISE on Broadway features Tony Award winner David Rockwell (scenic design), Tony Award nominee Emilio Sosa (costume design), four-time Tony Award winner Kevin Adams (lighting design), Tony Award winner Jessica Paz (sound design), Jamie Harrison (Illusion consultant), and Luc Verschueren (hair and wig design). The production has music supervision and arrangements by Sonny Paladino, incidental music and dance music arrangements by Brian Usifer, vocal design by AnnMarie Milazzo, and orchestrations by Bob Gaudio, Sonny Paladino, and Brian Usifer. Casting is by Jim Carnahan, CSA & Jason Thinger, CSA. The A BEAUTIFUL NOISE tour will be directed by Austin Regan and choreographed by Yasmine Lee. The stage management team is led by production stage manager Stacy N. Taylor. The company management team is led by Erik Birkeland.

A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL is produced on Broadway by Ken Davenport, Bob Gaudio, Sandi Moran, Hunter Arnold, Scott Abrams, Marco Santarelli, Jonathan and Rae Corr, Marguerite Steed Hoffman, Ron Kastner, Rob Kolson, Valli Family Group, Caiola Productions, Paul Dainty AM, Gaudio Family Group, Joseph J. Grano Jr., Starlight Theatre, Roy Putrino, James L. Nederlander, Tricia Blake, Mark E. Jacobs, Universal Music Group Theatrical, Deborah Green, Patty Baker, Sheri and Les Biller, H. Richard Hopper, Sharon Karmazin, NETworks Presentations, Adam Riemer, Matthew Salloway, BB Investments LLC, Universal Theatrical Group, Witz End Productions, Theatre Producers of Color, and Ryan Conway.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL, produced by Bob Gaudio and released by UMe, is available now as a CD and to stream on all major platforms. To order the album or stream it, please visit www.abeautifulnoise.lnk.to/originalcastalbumpr

Follow the show online: abeautifulnoisethemusical.com

Facebook.com/abeautifulnoisemusical

@beautifulnoise on X

@abeautifulnoisemusical on Instagram

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 24 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Follow @broadwayinchicago on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok #broadwayinchicago

BIOGRAPHIES

KEN DAVENPORT (Producer) is a two-time Tony Award-winning producer of Once on This Island, The Play that Goes Wrong, Gettin’ the Band Back Together, Spring Awakening, It’s Only a Play, Macbeth, Godspell, Kinky Boots and the Off-Broadway productions of Altar Boyz, The Awesome 80s Prom, My First Time and more. He was the executive producer for North America for Andrew Lloyd Webber and the theatrical consultant for Primary Wave. Ken founded TheaterMakersStudio.com for writers, producers and anyone who dreams about getting a show on a stage. His blog and podcast have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair and more. Ken conceived the best-selling board game Be a Broadway Star (Amazon) and is an avid golfer. Born Kenneth Anjum Hasija, Ken dedicates his career to his late father, Dr. Kenny Dipchand Hasija, an Indian immigrant who dreamed about going into the theatre. Favorite production is daughter McKenna with his wife, Tracy Weiler. Upcoming: Harmony by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, The Griswolds’ Broadway Vacation and Joy the Musical. KenDavenport.com. Instagram: @kendavenportbway

BOB GAUDIO (Producer). Inducted into the Songwriters, Rock and Roll, and the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The principal writer and an original member of The Four Seasons portrayed in Jersey Boys, one of the top ten longest-running Tony and Olivier Award-winning hit Broadway musicals. Earned a Grammy for the JB cast album, remaining one of the top ten bestselling cast albums. Gaudio wrote and/or co-wrote “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Beggin’,” the classic “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and numerous others. He produced and co-wrote with Jake Holmes, the album Watertown for Frank Sinatra. He produced a number of songs for Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Roberta Flack and others and the film soundtrack for Little Shop of Horrors. Bob’s longtime association with Mr. Diamond yielded seven albums, including The Jazz Singer Soundtrack, along with “America,” “Hello Again,” “September Morn,” “Love on the Rocks,” “Forever in Blue Jeans” and the Diamond & Streisand duet “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” Thanks to the life-long support of his three children, Lisa, Danielle and Shannon. Special thanks to the Nashville ABN music development team: Ryan Sutton, Debra Clements, Blair Masters. A Beautiful Noise would not be a reality without the insights and trust of Neil and Katie Diamond.

NETWORKS PRESENTATIONS (Producer) is an industry-leading producer of touring theatrical productions, committed to delivering quality entertainment to audiences worldwide for more than 25 years. Networkstours.com

Chicago Premiere of The Reclamation of Madison Hemings Via American Blues Theater February 16 – March 24, 2024

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

American Blues Theater continues its 2023-24 Season

with the Chicago Premiere of

The Reclamation of Madison Hemings

Written by Charles Smith

Directed by Ensemble Member Chuck Smith

Featuring Ensemble Member Manny Buckley and Jon Hudson Odom

February 16 – March 24, 2024

at American Blues Theater’s new home, 5627 N. Lincoln Ave.

Tickets on-sale now

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents the Chicago premiere of The Reclamation of Madison Hemings, written by Charles Smith and directed by Ensemble Member Chuck Smith. The Reclamation of Madison Hemings will be presented in American Blues Theater’s new permanent home, located at 5627 N Lincoln Ave in Chicago, February 16 – March 24, 2024. The press opening is Thursday, February 22 at 7:30pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.americanbluestheater.com or by calling (773) 654-3103.

It’s 1866, and the Civil War has ended. Madison Hemings, son of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, and Israel Jefferson, formerly enslaved footman, return to Monticello in search of Israel’s long-lost brother. Their search gets sidetracked when Madison decides to claim what’s left of his birthright as the son of an American president. Together, the two men must face their conflicting feelings about the man who wrote “All men are created equal.” Slavery has been abolished, but what has changed? What do we need to keep with us as we move through this world and what should we leave behind?

Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside comments, “Ensemble member Chuck Smith brought this incredible project to us. We immediately connected the poignant themes to our mission. We’re thrilled to work with celebrated playwright Charles Smith, and we’re honored for the opportunity to premiere this script to Chicago audiences.”

The Reclamation of Madison Hemings will play in the new home of American Blues Theater. The new venue, which had its first public performance on December 8, 2023, includes two theaters (137-seat proscenium and 40-seat flexible studio); an inviting lobby with box office, bar, and concessions; gendered and all-gendered restrooms; dressing rooms and greenroom; administrative offices; production spaces for scenery, props, and costumes; a small on-site parking lot with ample street parking.

The cast of The Reclamation of Madison Hemings includes Jon Hudson Odom (Madison Hemings) and Manny Buckley* (Israel Jefferson).

The creative team includes Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (scenic/props), Jared Gooding* & Rachel West* (co-lighting), Lily Walls* (costumes), Rick Sims* (sound), Warren Levon* (associate sound), and Richard Lundy (stage management).

*Denotes Ensemble member or Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater.

 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

CHARLES SMITH (Playwright) – Charles Smith’s plays include The Reclamation of Madison Hemings, Objects in the Mirror, Free Man of Color, Knock Me a Kiss, The Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues, Freefall, The Gospel According to James, Jelly Belly, Pudd’nhead Wilson, Les Trois Dumas, Denmark, Sister Carrie, The Sutherland, Black Star Line, Takunda, Cane, and City of Gold. His plays have been produced by Indiana Repertory Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, The Acting Company, People’s Light, The New Federal Theatre, Penumbra, Crossroads Theatre Company, Shakespeare & Company, Penguin Repertory Theatre, Ujima Theatre Company, The Colony Theatre, St. Louis Black Rep, Weissberger Theater Group, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Jubilee Theatre, Ensemble Theatre in Houston, Pegasus Theatre Chicago, Westcoast Black Rep., Robey Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theater, Ensemble Theatre in Cleveland, Independent Theatre in Adelaide, South Australia, the HBO New Writers Project, the International Children’s Theater Festival in Seattle, and The National Black Theatre Festival. He has been commissioned by Cleveland Play House and The Acting Company, and has received multiple commissions from Victory Gardens, Indiana Rep, and Goodman. His awards include a Joseph Jefferson Award, a John W. Schmid Award, two Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards, the Illinois Arts Council Governors Award, the Joyce Award, the Cornerstone National Playwriting Award, The National Black Theatre Festival’s August Wilson Playwriting Award, Princess Grace Fellowship, the Theodore Ward National Playwriting Award, two Black Theatre Alliance Awards for New Work, the NBC New Voices Award, and numerous other AUDELCO, Jeff, NAACP, and Black Theatre Alliance award nominations. He is an alumnus of New Dramatists, a graduate of the University of Iowa Playwrights Workshop, one of the founding members of the Playwrights Ensemble at the Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Presidential Research Scholar in the Arts and Humanities at Ohio University and has taught playwriting at Northwestern University, for the Prague Summer Program in Creative Writing in the Czech Republic, and for the Center for Dramatic Art in Groznjan, Croatia. His plays may be obtained through Dramatic Publishing, Samuel French, Northwestern Press, Smith and Kraus, Swallow Press, and Alexander Street Press. 

CHUCK SMITH (Director) is an Ensemble member of American Blues Theater where he directed Leroi Jones’ Dutchman and Flyin’ West. He is a member of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees and is a Goodman Theatre Resident Director. He is also a resident director at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe in Sarasota, Florida. Goodman credits include the Chicago premieres of Pullman Porter Blues; By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Race; The Good Negro; Proof and The Story; the world premieres of By the Music of the Spheres and The Gift Horse; James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner, which transferred to Boston’s Huntington Theatre Company, where it won the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Award for Best Direction; A Raisin in the Sun; Blues for an Alabama Sky; August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean, Two Trains Running and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Objects in the Mirror, Having Our Say, Ain’t Misbehavin’ the 1993 to 1995 productions of A Christmas Carol; Crumbs From the Table of Joy; Vivisections from a Blown Mind and The Meeting. He served as dramaturg for the Goodman’s world-premiere production of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. He directed the New York premiere of Knock Me a Kiss and The Hooch for the New Federal Theatre and the world premiere of Knock Me a Kiss at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theater, where his other directing credits include Master Harold... and the Boys, Home, Dame Lorraine and Eden, for which he received a Jeff Award nomination. Regionally, Mr. Smith directed Death and the King’s Horseman (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Birdie Blue (Seattle Repertory Theatre), Jitney and Gem of the Ocean (Nashville Shakespeare Festival), The Story (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Blues for an Alabama Sky (Alabama Shakespeare Festival) and The Last Season (Robey Theatre Company). At Columbia College he was facilitator of the Theodore Ward Prize playwriting contest for 20 years and editor of the contest anthologies Seven Black Plays and Best Black Plays. He won a Chicago Emmy Award as associate producer/theatrical director for the NBC teleplay “Crime of Innocence” and was theatrical director for the Emmy-winning “Fast Break to Glory” and the Emmy-nominated “The Martin Luther King Suite”. He was a founding member of the Chicago Theatre Company, where he served as artistic director for four seasons and directed the Jeff-nominated Suspenders and the Jeff-winning musical Po’. His directing credits include productions at Fisk University, Vanderbilt University, Roosevelt University, Eclipse Theatre, ETA, Black Ensemble Theater, Northlight Theatre, MPAACT, Congo Square Theatre Company, The New Regal Theater, Kuumba Theatre Company, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, Pegasus Players, the Timber Lake Playhouse in Mt. Carroll, Illinois, the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. In 2019 he received an Honorary Ph.D. from his alma mater Governors State University and has received lifetime achievement awards from The African-American Arts Alliance of Chicago, the League of Chicago Theaters and the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee. He is a 2003 inductee into the Chicago State University Gwendolyn Brooks Center’s Literary Hall of Fame and a 2001 Chicago Tribune Chicagoan of the Year. He is the proud recipient of the 1982 Paul Robeson Award and the 1997 Award of Merit presented by the Black Theater Alliance of Chicago.

JON HUDSON ODOM (Madison Hemings) previously appeared at American Blues Theater in On Clover Road. Other Chicago credits include No Man’s Land, Describe the Night, The Seagull, Ms. Black For President (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Toni Stone, A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); Witch (Writers Theatre). Regional credits include: Ain’t No Mo’, An Octoroon, Botticelli in the Fire, Shipwreck (Woolly Mammoth Theatre); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Denver Center for the Performing Arts); The Magic Play (Actors Theatre of Louisville); Angels in America (Round House Theatre & Olney Theatre Center). TV credits include: “Lovecraft Country “(HBO), “Somebody Somewhere” (HBO Max), “South Side” (HBO Max), “Chicago PD” (NBC). Film credits include: “The Year Between”, “A Savage Nature”, “Reporting for Christmas.” He is a five-time nominee and recipient of the Helen Hayes Awards & Jeff Award nominee. He attended University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

MANNY BUCKLEY (Israel Jefferson) is an Ensemble member of American Blues Theater. He is a Chicago based actor, director, and writer. Directing credits include Driving Miss Daisy, The Bad Seed (Jedlicka Performing Arts), Kingdom, an audio play (Broken Nose Theatre), Uhuru, Cane, Origin Story, Mother of Pearl and The Reapers On Woodbrook Avenue (Blue Ink Festival), multiple short plays in the Ripped: The Living Newspaper, #ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence, and The One Minute Play Festival. Acting credits include work with Chicago Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Court, Victory Gardens, Chicago Dramatists, Next Theater, House Theatre, Shattered Globe Theater, Cincinnati Children’s Theatre and Studio Theatre. Manny has numerous credits with American Blues Theater, including his critically-acclaimed, award-winning solo performance in Looking Over the President’s Shoulder. Film and TV credits include: Proven Innocent, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, The US Navy, Northwestern University, and The Onion. He has received nominations for the Joseph Jefferson Award, the Helen Hayes Award and the 3Arts Award; he is the recipient of both a Black Theater Alliance Award and Black Excellence Award. Mr. Buckley was recently seen in American Blues Theater’s sold-out production of Fences and annually in American Blues' annual production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

Dates: 

February 16 – March 24, 2024

Previews: February 16, 71, 18 and 21

Opening: February 22 at 7:30pm

Regular Run: February 23 – March 24, 2024

 

Schedule:                    

Thursdays: 7:30pm

Fridays: 7:30pm

Saturdays: 7:30pm

Sundays: 2:30pm

 

Location: American Blues Theater, 5627 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago

Ticket prices: $25-$55, plus a $4.50 ticket fee

Box office:  Buy online at www.americanbluestheater.com or by calling (773) 654-3103.

About American Blues Theater

Winner of the prestigious National Theatre Company Award from American Theatre Wing (Tony Awards). American Blues Theater is an Ensemble of artists committed to producing new and classic American stories that ask the question: “What does it mean to be American?”

The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Ensemble theater in Chicago. As of 2023, the theater and artists received 232 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and 44 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades. 

REVIEW: Fringe Fest Fan Favorite Being Seen, Now Playing The Den Through July 2, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

“FAN FAVORITE” OF THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL 

Chicago Premiere of 

BEING SEEN

STARRING WILL CLINGER AND KELLY ANNE CLARK 

Now Playing Through July 2nd at The Den

Note: This production includes themes of power imbalance and is 

recommended for ages 15 and older.

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

They're seen everywhere. The theatre industry is rife with narcissists, abusive bosses, toxic workplaces, misleading ads, and new talent hungry for a chance to break into the field of their dreams. Being Seen brings the audience along for the ride on an audition from hell. I adore the dynamic of two person shows, and Will Clinger and Kelly Anne Clark are amazing to watch in this high energy, psychologically wrenching production. It's a timely piece, especially relevant in our current era of gig workers, toxic politicians, and cancel culture. This delightfully insidious production brings abuse of power to light with equal parts horror and hilarity. 

All Production Photos by Mike Martin

Kelly Anne Clark in particular, just killed it in this invasively soul baring audition. This tour de force comedy asks the question: “What would you do for a dream?”, and she shouts back with physical, mental, and emotional gymnastics. The audience is left to question why we've let fame and acclaim excuse indecent and even illegal behavior for far too long. 

Being Seen is a gaslighting bonanza and a must see for anyone embarking on the audition or interview process. If you've ever been in a relationship, job, or friendship with a narcissist, this show will ring true. Highly recommended. Don't miss this limited run.

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

The Chicago Premiere of Being Seen 

Written and Directed by Richard Gustin 

Enjoyed a Sold Out Run during its New York Premiere

Voted “Fan Favorite” (one of 12 out of 180+ productions so honored) at the New York International Fringe Festival, Being Seen, written and directed by Richard Gustin and starring Will Clinger and Kelly Anne Clark makes its Chicago premiere, June 14 - July 2, in the Crosby Theatre at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.  The preview date is Wednesday, June 14 at 8:00. 

The regular performance schedule is Wednesdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets for Being Seen are $35 with $20 tickets available to seniors, industry and students. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased through the box office by calling 773.697.3830 or by visiting TheDenTheatre.com.  

This captivating, fast-paced comedy by Richard Gustin looks at launching a “fresh start.” An actor answers the audition notice of a highly acclaimed director and finds herself navigating his outlandish creative process.

The original production at the New York International Fringe Festival starred Broadway actor William Youmans and Allison Minick and premiered at the 2015 New York International Fringe Festival to critical and audience acclaim. “The most nonstop laughs at FringeNYC this year (2015) were provided by a show about theatre… simultaneously comedic and thought-provoking,” said HYReviews.com about the New York production and Theatre in The Now wrote, “the script Gustin has written is wickedly smart. The dialogue is snappy, the conversations are genius. . . There was never a dull moment and every beat has a purpose. The storytelling is sharp and precise.”

The Chicago production proudly features Will Clinger and Kelly Anne Clark in the lead roles. 

Being Seen’s creative team includes Richard Gustin (director), Lydia Goble LaGue (production stage manager), Guy Wicke (male understudy), Gabrielle Johnsen (female understudy), Gabe Gorsline (lighting designer), Max McNeal Martin (media consultant) and Vanessa Ellis (production intern).  

ABOUT RICHARD GUSTIN, writer and director

Richard Gustin (he/him/his)  is an emerging playwright whose plays include Being Seen, Surviving the Cycle, A Sparrow Falls, Leviathan, Circle 7, Mercy, Flat World, Someone Like Me, Concentric Circles, Found Objects, Switch, CruciFiction and an original adaptation of Everyman. As an Equity actor Gustin has been featured in major roles at various regional theaters including Kansas City Repertory Theater, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Virginia Museum Theatre, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, First Stage Milwaukee, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Chicago’s Ivanhoe and Blackstone Hotel, and Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre. For more information on Richard Gustin visit www.richardgustin.com 

ABOUT WILL CLINGER, performer

Will Clinger (he/him/his) is an award-winning actor, producer, writer and TV show host. Beloved for his role as host and segment producer for WTTW’s “Wild Chicago,” he has also a wide range of stellar acting credits in feature films “Witless Protection,” ”Stranger Than Fiction,” ”Something Better Somewhere Else,” ”Camp Manna,” ”B-Roll,” ”After Effect,” ”No Sleep ‘Til Madison,” ”Stash” and ”Serious Business,” as well as the short films ”Stealing Kisses,” ”Hit and Run,” ”Rain Rain” and ”Train Town” (which won a Silver Award at the 2007 Chicago International Film Festival and a 2008 Best of the Midwest award for Best Short Film). Klinger’s work in ”Train Town” was nominated for a 2008 BMA Award for Best Actor.  He has also guest-starred on a number of network and cable television shows, including “Fargo,” ”Chicago P.D.,” ”Sirens,” ”Play by Play,” “ER,” ”Early Edition,” ”America's Most Wanted” and ”The Untouchables,” as well as the pilots ”Peep Show” and ”JimMortal.” For more information on Will Klinger visit ​​www.willklinger.com.

ABOUT KELLY ANNE CLARK, performer

Kelly Anne Clark (she/her/hers) is an award winning actress who has lived and worked in the Chicago area for more than 25 years. Her credits include “Jeanette Guerre” in the U.S. Premiere of The House of Martin Guerre (Goodman Theater), “Norma Cassidy” in Victor/Victoria (Jeff Award), “Mabel” in The Pirates of Penzance, “Rosemary” in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre), “Rose White” in Beaches the Musical, “Mary Turner” in Of Thee / Sing, “Philia” in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Jeff Nomination) and “Minnie Faye” in Hello Dolly! (Drury Lane Oakbrook Theater) among numerous other credits. 

OPENING: Chicago Premiere of Being Seen at The Den Theatre June 14 - July 2, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

“FAN FAVORITE” OF THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL 

BEING SEEN

COMES TO CHICAGO STARRING WILL CLINGER AND KELLY ANNE CLARK 

FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT, JUNE 14 - JULY 2, AT THE DEN THEATRE

The Chicago Premiere of Being Seen 

Written and Directed by Richard Gustin 

Enjoyed a Sold Out Run during its New York Premiere

Voted “Fan Favorite” (one of 12 out of 180+ productions so honored) at the New York International Fringe Festival, Being Seen, written and directed by Richard Gustin and starring Will Clinger and Kelly Anne Clark makes its Chicago premiere, June 14 - July 2, in the Crosby Theatre at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.  The preview date is Wednesday, June 14 at 8:00. I'll be out for the press opening June 15th, so check back shortly after for my full review.

The regular performance schedule is Wednesdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets for Being Seen are $35 with $20 tickets available to seniors, industry and students. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased through the box office by calling 773.697.3830 or by visiting TheDenTheatre.com.  

This captivating, fast-paced comedy by Richard Gustin looks at launching a “fresh start.” An actor answers the audition notice of a highly acclaimed director and finds herself navigating his outlandish creative process. This tour de force comedy asks the question: “What would you do for a dream?” 

The original production at the New York International Fringe Festival starred Broadway actor William Youmans and Allison Minick and premiered at the 2015 New York International Fringe Festival to critical and audience acclaim. “The most nonstop laughs at FringeNYC this year (2015) were provided by a show about theatre… simultaneously comedic and thought-provoking,” said HYReviews.com about the New York production and Theatre in The Now wrote, “the script Gustin has written is wickedly smart. The dialogue is snappy, the conversations are genius. . . There was never a dull moment and every beat has a purpose. The storytelling is sharp and precise.”

Note: This production includes themes of power imbalance and is recommended for ages 15 and older.

The Chicago production proudly features Will Clinger and Kelly Anne Clark in the lead roles. 

Being Seen’s creative team includes Richard Gustin (director), Lydia Goble LaGue (production stage manager), Guy Wicke (male understudy), Gabrielle Johnsen (female understudy), Gabe Gorsline (lighting designer), Max McNeal Martin (media consultant) and Vanessa Ellis (production intern).  

ABOUT RICHARD GUSTIN, writer and director

Richard Gustin (he/him/his)  is an emerging playwright whose plays include Being Seen, Surviving the Cycle, A Sparrow Falls, Leviathan, Circle 7, Mercy, Flat World, Someone Like Me, Concentric Circles, Found Objects, Switch, CruciFiction and an original adaptation of Everyman. As an Equity actor Gustin has been featured in major roles at various regional theaters including Kansas City Repertory Theater, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Virginia Museum Theatre, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, First Stage Milwaukee, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Chicago’s Ivanhoe and Blackstone Hotel, and Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre. For more information on Richard Gustin visit www.richardgustin.com 

ABOUT WILL CLINGER, performer

Will Clinger (he/him/his) is an award-winning actor, producer, writer and TV show host. Beloved for his role as host and segment producer for WTTW’s “Wild Chicago,” he has also a wide range of stellar acting credits in feature films “Witless Protection,” ”Stranger Than Fiction,” ”Something Better Somewhere Else,” ”Camp Manna,” ”B-Roll,” ”After Effect,” ”No Sleep ‘Til Madison,” ”Stash” and ”Serious Business,” as well as the short films ”Stealing Kisses,” ”Hit and Run,” ”Rain Rain” and ”Train Town” (which won a Silver Award at the 2007 Chicago International Film Festival and a 2008 Best of the Midwest award for Best Short Film). Klinger’s work in ”Train Town” was nominated for a 2008 BMA Award for Best Actor.  He has also guest-starred on a number of network and cable television shows, including “Fargo,” ”Chicago P.D.,” ”Sirens,” ”Play by Play,” “ER,” ”Early Edition,” ”America's Most Wanted” and ”The Untouchables,” as well as the pilots ”Peep Show” and ”JimMortal.” For more information on Will Klinger visit ​​www.willklinger.com.

ABOUT KELLY ANNE CLARK, performer

Kelly Anne Clark (she/her/hers) is an award winning actress who has lived and worked in the Chicago area for more than 25 years. Her credits include “Jeanette Guerre” in the U.S. Premiere of The House of Martin Guerre (Goodman Theater), “Norma Cassidy” in Victor/Victoria (Jeff Award), “Mabel” in The Pirates of Penzance, “Rosemary” in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre), “Rose White” in Beaches the Musical, “Mary Turner” in Of Thee / Sing, “Philia” in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Jeff Nomination) and “Minnie Faye” in Hello Dolly! (Drury Lane Oakbrook Theater) among numerous other credits. 

Chicago Premiere of ANTONIO’S SONG/I WAS DREAMING OF A SON at Goodman's Owen Stage April 28 – May 28, 2023

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ANTONIO EDWARDS SUAREZ STARS IN 

ANTONIO’S SONG/

I WAS DREAMING OF A SON

HIS TOUR-DE-FORCE SOLO WORK, CO-WRITTEN WITH PULTIZER PRIZE FINALIST DAEL ORLANDERSMITH

***MARK CLEMENTS DIRECTS THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF THIS “DEEP AND PERSONAL DIVE INTO THE FORMATION OF A MAN” (MILKWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL) IN THE OWEN THEATRE, APRIL 28 – MAY 28***

Poetry, music and movement unite on the Owen Stage to bring an “honest and empathetic look at fatherhood” amidst the implications of identity, art and culture in Dael Orlandersmith and Antonio Edwards Suarez’s Antonio’s Song/I Was Dreaming of a Son, directed by Mark Clements. Following an accomplished run at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, the acclaimed solo piece makes its Chicago debut and features Antonio Edwards Suarez as he considers—using his own lived experiences—the immense weight of raising a son in a world rife with ethnic and gender stereotypes. Antonio’s Song/I Was Dreaming of a Son appears April 28 – May 28, 2023 in the 350-seat flexible Owen Theatre.

I'll be out for opening night, Monday, May 8th, so check back shortly after for my full review. Tickets ($15 –$50, subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Antonio or by phone at 312-443-3800. The Goodman is grateful for the support of The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust (Lead Funder of IDEAA Programming).

“Having my son, I thought to myself, 'this is going to be tough, raising a boy in today’s world'," said Antonio Edwards Suarez.  “So much of what is shown on television and the news are boys and men struggling and acting out many of those struggles in destructive ways. My son’s birth also made me start to reflect and examine how I was raised, my mother and father’s hopes and dreams, how were they raised, the boys, girls, men and women who influenced me and the generations of neighborhoods we all grew up in. Am I going to pass some of the destructive behaviors I experienced on to my son? Will he, my son, go through what I went through?”

Dael Orlandersmith, Goodman Artistic Associate and Alice Center Resident Artist who co-wrote the piece with Suarez, said, “We rarely see men portrayed vulnerably. We rarely see men question themselves and grapple with parenting the way this character does—recognizing how he must break the chains of the past.”

From Brooklyn to Massachusetts to Russia, Antonio struggles to reconcile multiple ethnic identities. He wrestles with the legacy of stereotypes of masculinity while discovering there is beauty in manhood and becoming a father. Powerful poetry intermixed with original movement, music and projected imagery creates an evocative, wholly unique performance. The creative team includes Luciana Stecconi (Set Design); Peggy McKowen (Costume Design); John Ambrosone (Lighting Design); Andre Pluess (Sound Design); Jared Mazzocchi (Projection Design); Alexandra Beller (Movement Direction). Malkia Stampley is the Line Producer and Patrick Fries is the Production Stage Manager.

Dael Orlandersmith’s plays include Stoop Stories, Black n’ Blue Boys/Broken Men, Horsedreams, Bones, The Blue Album, Yellowman, The Gimmick, Monster and Forever. Orlandersmith was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Drama Desk Award nominee for Yellowman and the winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for The Gimmick. Dael is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts grant, The Helen Merrill Award for Emerging Playwrights, a Guggenheim, along with several other awards and honors. Her play, FOREVER, was commissioned and performed at the Mark Taper Forum/Kirk Douglas Theatre in Fall 2014, followed by performances at the Long Wharf Theatre in Winter 2014/15, New York Theatre Workshop in Spring 2015 and at Portland Center Stage in Winter 2016. Her play Until the Flood appeared at St Louis Repertory in Fall 2016, Rattlestick Theatre in 2018, Milwaukee Rep in 2019, Portland Center Stage, ACT Seattle, the Arcola Theatre in London, the Galway Arts Festival at the Druid Theatre and the Traverse at Edinburgh Festival. The play was performed in Berlin at the Schaubuhne Theatre in April 2022 and at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC in June 2022. Ms. Orlandersmith is working on a commission for Rattlestick Theatre called Watching the Watcher and had two plays opening at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre in 2022: New Age directed by Jade King Carroll and Antonio’s Song/I Was Dreaming of a Son, directed by Mark Clements. Orlandersmith‘s new play Spiritus/Virgin’s Dance, commissioned by Merrimack Theater in Massachusetts will be appear at CATF Theatre in West Virginia in Summer 2023 and Rattlestick and Merrimack Theaters in 2024. Orlandersmith is currently working with writer/performer David Cale and director Robert Falls on a play called You Don’t Know the Lonely One. Ms. Orlandersmith received a Doris Duke Award in 2020. She is currently working on two commissions for Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.

Antonio Edwards Suarez’ Broadway credits include American Buffalo, directed by Robert Falls. New York credits include Chaucer in Rome (Lincoln Center Theater), directed by Nicholas Martin; Entertaining Mr. Sloane; The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui; Dogg’s Hamlet, Cahoot’s Macbeth; The Trial (Phoenix Theatre Ensemble); This One Girl’s Story (New York Musical Theatre Festival, Award for Best Ensemble); Points of Departure (INTAR) and Richard III (National Black Theatre). Other credits include Food Acts (Lions Theatre); The Hamlet Project (Mac Wellman Theater); Trespass (Producers Club II); Fuente (Cherry Lane Alternative); Waiting for Godot (Chashama) and Mother (La MaMa E.T.C.). International and regional credits include Antonio’s Song/I Was Dreaming of a Son (Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Contemporary American Theater Festival); Leandro in the international tour of The King Stag (directed by Andrei Serban, choreographed by Julie Taymor); The Night is a Child (Milwaukee Rep); A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Taming of the Shrew; The Tempest; Julius Caesar (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company); Havana is Waiting (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Spinning into Butter (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis) and Idiots Karamazov (American Repertory Theater). Film and television credits include The EndGame; The Tested; Elementary; several episodes of Law & Order; The Good Wife; Rookie Blue; Person of Interest; One Life to Live; As the World Turns; Flight of the Conchords (HBO); Curb Your Enthusiasm and Stan the Orderly (recurring) on Royal Pains (USA Network).

Mark Clements is a multi-award-winning international theater director whose work has appeared in over 100 major theaters throughout Europe and the United States. He began his tenure as artistic director of Milwaukee Rep, with the 2010/11 season, by bringing musicals to the mainstage and introducing the John Jack D. Lewis New Play Development Program, a vibrant and eclectic new works initiative that seeks to produce one new work in each of the Rep’s three performance spaces per season. This includes Antonio’s Song, which he developed in collaboration with Contemporary American Theatre Festival. Milwaukee Rep directing credits include the world premieres of One House Over; his own adaptation of the current A Christmas Carol in the Pabst Theatre; Five Presidents and American Song; Things I Know To Be True; Junk; The Glass Menagerie; Of Mice and Men; Othello; Death of a Salesman; The History of Invulnerability; End of the Rainbow; Clybourne Park and Bombshells. Select New York and international work includes Speaking in Tongues for Roundabout Theatre Company and Hampstead Theatre in London; The Milliner; Blunt Speaking; Obie Award winning musical The Thing About Men, in addition to creating and directing the West End and UK National Tours of Soul Train. Prior to joining Milwaukee Rep, Mark served as an associate artistic director for several UK theater companies, but most notably, as artistic director for the award-winning Derby Playhouse in the UK from 1992-2002, where he directed over 40 productions. He has been nominated for an Olivier Award and several UK Theater Awards, and has won three Barrymore Awards from his time at Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Mark is currently working with Ayad Akhtar on adapting his critically acclaimed novel American Dervish for the stage to make its world premiere at Milwaukee Rep in an upcoming season, along with Run Bambi Run, an original new rock musical penned by Eric Simonson and Gordon Gano from the Violent Femmes.

THE COMPANY OF Antonio’s Song/I Was Dreaming of a Son 

Antonio ……Antonio Edwards Suarez

Set Design by Luciana Stecconi

Costume Design by Peggy McKowen

Lighting Design by John Ambrosone

Sound Design by Andre Pluess

Projection Design by Jared Mazzocchi

Movement Direction by Alexandra Beller

Line Production by Malkia Stampley

Patrick Fries is the Production Stage Manager.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

Visit Goodmantheatre.org/Access for more information about Goodman Theatre’s accessibility efforts.

Touch Tour and Audio-Described Performance: Sunday, May 21, 12:30pm Touch Tour; 2pm performance – The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset. NOTE: Touch Tours for the 2022/2023 Season will not have access to the stage due to current health and safety protocols, but will feature alternate pre-show sensory introductions.

ASL-Interpreted: Saturday, May 27 at 2pm – An American Sign Language interpreter signs the action/text as played.

Spanish Subtitles: Saturday May 27 at 8pm.

Open-Captioned: Sunday, May 28 at 2pm – An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

Chicago’s theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. The theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earner two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades. The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.

Using the tools of the theatrical profession, the Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand the cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered free of charge for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation on the new Goodman center in 2000.

Today, Goodman Theatre is led by Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director/CEO Roche Schulfer. Theater leadership also includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Rebecca Gilman, Dael Orlandersmith, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott, Kimberly Senior, Chuck Smith and Mary Zimmerman. Jeff Hesse is Chairman of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Fran Del Boca is Women’s Board President and Craig McCaw is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

Chicago Premiere of HATEF**K May 5 – June 10, 2023 at The Den Theatre

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First Floor Theater

Presents the Chicago premiere of

HATEFUCK

By Rehana Lew Mirza

Directed by Arti Ishak

May 5 – June 10, 2023 at The Den Theatre

 

PHOTO CREDIT: The cast of First Floor Theater’s Chicago premiere of Hatefuck 

includes (left to right) Aila Peck and Faiz Siddique.

 

 First Floor Theater is pleased to conclude its Tenth Season with the Chicago premiere of Rehana Lew Mirza’s Kilroys’-lauded hit Hatefuck, directed by Arti Ishak, playing May 5 – June 10, 2023 at The Den Theatre (2B), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at firstfloortheater.com. I'll be out for the press opening May 11th, so check back soon for my full review.

Passions ignite when Layla, an intense literature professor, accuses Imran, a brashly iconoclastic novelist, of trading in anti-Muslim stereotypes. But as their attraction grows into something more, they discover that good sex doesn't always make good bedfellows. Conflicting cultural identities collide in this thornily clever antidote to a meet-cute romance.

Comments Director Arti Ishak, “As an actor I’ve experienced first-hand how Muslim stories get filtered through the lens of whiteness, whether it’s pining to prove we’re ‘just like you,’ playing up the exotic other, or blatantly leaning into stereotypes. Muslim Americans deserve nuanced representation that asks us to wrestle with our intracommunity issues while tangled in a story about messy human connection. Rehana Lew Mirza’s Hatefuck is the modern Muslim love story I’ve been waiting for and I’m ready to help bring that story to Chicago as my directing debut.”

The production team includes Paloma Locsin (Scenic and Props Designer), Isaac Pineda (Costumes Designer), Ben Carne (Lighting Designer), Troy Cruz (Sound Designer), Samantha Kaufman (Fight and Intimacy Director), Layla Bahmanziari* (Assistant Director/Dramaturg), Shelbi Weaver* (Production Manager), Anastar Alvarez* (Director of Production) and Devonte Washington (Stage Manager).

*Denotes FFT company members

Cast: Aila Peck (Layla) and Faiz Siddique (Imran)

Understudies: Ben Matthew (Imran) and Donya Rahimi (Layla)

 

Location: The Den Theatre (2B),1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago

Dates: Previews: Friday, May 5 at 8 pm, Saturday, May 6 at 8 pm, Sunday, May 7 at 3 pm and Wednesday, May 10 at 8 pm

Press Performance: Thursday, May 11 at 8 pm

Regular Run: Friday, May 12 – Saturday, June 10, 2023

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Saturday, June 10 at 3 pm

Industry Nights: Monday, May 22 at 8 pm and Monday, June 5 at 8 pm

Understudy Performance: Wednesday, May 31 at 8 pm

Tickets: Previews: $0 - $20. Regular Run: $0 – $35. In the spirit of bringing accessibility to the theatre, a limited number of free tickets are available for each performance. Use the code FREE to unlock 1 complimentary ticket (subject to availability). Tickets are now on sale at firstfloortheater.com.

 

About the Artists

Rehana Lew Mirza (Playwright, she/her) is a playwright, writer and creator. Her plays include: Hatefuck (WP/Colt Coeur); A People’s Guide to History in the Time of Here and Now (Primary Stages Toulmin commission); Soldier X (Ma‐Yi); Tomorrow, Inshallah (Living Room Theater; Storyworks/ HuffPost commission); Neighborhood Watch (NNPN/InterAct commission) and Barriers (Desipina, Asian American Theater Company).

With her husband Mike Lew, she shared a Mellon Foundation National Playwright residency administered in partnership with Howlround at Ma‐Yi Theater, where they co‐wrote The Colonialism Project (La Jolla Playhouse commission) and the musical Bhangin’ It, with composer/lyricist Sam Willmott (La Jolla Playhouse 2022; Richard Rodgers Award; Rhinebeck Writers Retreat; Project Springboard).

Additional honors include: 2021 Cape Cod Theatre Project Artist‐in‐Residence, 2020 Kleban Award, 2019 NYFA Fellow, HBO Access Fellow, Lilly Award (Stacey Mindich “Go Write A Play”), and a TCG/New Georges Fellowship. MFA: Columbia University; BFA: NYU Tisch. www.rehanamirza.com

Arti Ishak (Director, they/them) is an actor, director and community organizer, recently named a 3Arts Make A Wave Artist. Directing credits include short films Shukran Bas (Means of Productions), Sun On Ice (Jackalope), BaLa (HF Productions). Catch their upcoming directing work on stage with SAME SECTS! by Paul Michael Thomson, produced as part of Haven Chicago’s Directors Haven. Recent acting credits include The Best Decision You Ever Made (The Second City), KISS (Haven), Venus in Fur (Circle), Witch (Writers), Buried Child (Writers), Men on Boats (American Theater Company), Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno (The Second City). TV: Southside (HBO), Dark Matter (NBC), Chicago Med (NBC). Arti is staff with The Chicago Inclusion Project, an instructor at Black Box Acting and an organizer with SWANASA Central. They are represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. www.artiishak.com

About First Floor Theater 

Founded in 2012, First Floor Theater has garnered a reputation for pairing some of the most cutting-edge scripts in Chicago and the American Theater with a signature innovative design style. Shortly after their inaugural season, FFT was named “Best New Theater Company” in the Chicago Reader. FFT was also honored to be recognized with the 2018 Francesca Primus Prize from ATCA for their production of Leah Nanako-Winkler’s Two Mile Hollow, and in Newcity’s Players 2019: “The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago”. Some of First Floor’s notable past productions include Hooded or Being Black for Dummies, Mike Pence Sex Dream, Two Mile Hollow, peerless and Plano. First Floor Theater is a Resident Company at The Den Theatre. 

The Chicago Premiere of Is God Is Via A Red Orchid TheatreApril 6 – May 28, 2023

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A RED ORCHID THEATRE PRESENTS

THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF

IS GOD IS

BY ALESHEA HARRIS

DIRECTED BY MARTI GOBEL

 April 6 – May 28, 2023

A Red Orchid Theatre presents the Chicago Premiere of Is God Is by Aleshea Harris, directed by Marti Gobel. Is God Is runs April 6 – May 28, 2023 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells in Chicago. The press performances are scheduled for Saturday, April 15 at 3:00pm and 7:30pm. Single tickets for Is God Is will go on sale on Monday, March 6 at www.aredorchidtheatre.org.

When twins Racine and Anaia receive a letter from the mother they thought was dead, they swear to avenge her — and themselves — with blood. Their “mission from God” spans from the Dirty South to the California desert, from hip-hop to Afropunk, from ancient tragedy to the Spaghetti Western. Winner of the 2016 Relentless Award and the 2018 Obie Award for Playwriting, Is God Is asks us to consider the roots and futility of cyclical violence, and to question ourselves for wallowing so happily in stories that traffic in it.

Dates:            

Previews: April 6 – 14, 2023

Press Performances: Saturday, April 15 at 3:00pm and 7:30pm

Opening: Sunday, April 16, 2023

Regular Run: April 20 – May 28, 2023

 

Schedule:        

Thursdays:     7:30 p.m.

Fridays:          7:30 p.m. 

Saturdays:      3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  

Sundays:        3:00 p.m.  

 

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

Tickets: $15-$25 previews, $30-$40 regular run. ($30 Thurs, $35 Fri & Sat Matinee, $40 Sat evening & Sun matinee) 

Box Office: Located at 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org

 

Ticket Information

FLASHPASS subscribers enjoy ticket flexibility and exchanges, additional ticket discounts, and reserved seating. The Two-show FLASHPASS is $70 and includes one ticket to each of the 2 shows in our 30th Season, excluding Opening Night.  The Preview FLASHPASS is $50 and includes one ticket to a preview performance of each of the 2 shows in our 30th season. 

FLASHPASSES and individual tickets may be purchased online at www.aredorchidtheatre.org. 

A Red Orchid Theatre remains grateful for the support of our board, donors, and loyal audience who continue to champion our ambitious and powerful storytelling. And we welcome you to join our Red League, Founders Circle, or Orchid Visionary members. These philanthropic leaders foster the development of raw and relevant work: creating a platform for our talented Ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensuring that we remain a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre. To learn more, please contact Individual Giving Coordinator Stephanie Shum at stephanie@aredorchidtheatre.org or 312-943-8722.

 

COVID-19 Policies

A Red Orchid will no longer check vaccination status for entry. We do follow the community masking guidelines recommended by Chicago Department of Public Health and CDC Community Risk Levels as outlined below (https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/covid-dashboard.html).

When Community Risk Level is HIGH (Red)- high quality masks required indoors and in large groups.

When Community Risk Level is MEDIUM (yellow) - Masks are strongly recommended indoors and in large groups. If you are immunocompromised or at higher risk, consider wearing a mask at indoor public settings where vaccination status is unknown.

When Community Risk Level is LOW (green)- masks are optional. If you are immunocompromised or at higher risk, consider wearing a mask at indoor public settings where vaccination status is unknown.

These policies are subject to change based on guidance provided by the CDC, as well as local and state public health authorities. A Red Orchid is grateful for our community’s cooperation in keeping our audiences, artists, and employees safe.

  

About A Red Orchid

A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 30 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights, and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories.  

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

TimeLine Theatre to open 2023-24 season with Chicago premiere production of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY, 2022 Tony Award Winner for Best Play SEPTEMBER 19 – OCTOBER 29th, 2023

SAVE THE DATES:

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

TimeLine Theatre to open 2023-24 season with Chicago premiere production of 

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY

2022 Tony Award Winner for Best Play

BY STEFANO MASSINI, ADAPTED BY BEN POWER, CO-DIRECTED BY NICK BOWLING AND VANESSA STALLING

PRESENTED AT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE AT WATER TOWER PLACE, SEPTEMBER 19 – OCTOBER 29 

 

Pictured (from left): Playwright Stefano Massini, adapter Ben Power, and co-directors Nick Bowling and Vanessa Stalling.

TimeLine Theatre Company is pleased to announce that its Chicago premiere production of the internationally acclaimed and Tony Award-winning play THE LEHMAN TRILOGY by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power, will open the company’s upcoming 2023-2024 season.

Co-directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling and Vanessa Stalling, THE LEHMAN TRILOGY will run September 19 – October 29, 2023 at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago. Opening Night is Wednesday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. Casting for THE LEHMAN TRILOGY, plus details of the three other productions planned for TimeLine’s 2023-2024 season, are still to be announced.

“TimeLine is elated to create a new production of the monumental play THE LEHMAN TRILOGY,” said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. “Tailor-made for TimeLine’s mission of exploring history, the theatrical ambition of this play is thrilling, yet told in an astonishingly simple way, utilizing only three actors. The opportunity for Nick Bowling and Vanessa Stalling to envision a new production specifically for Chicago audiences is an honor—as is the furthering of our relationship with Broadway In Chicago, with whom we partnered on another epic Tony Award-winning play, Oslo, in 2019.”

Told in three parts over one evening, THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is the quintessential story of western capitalism, rendered through the lens of a single immigrant family. On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is soon joined by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish—Lehman Brothers—spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, triggering the largest financial crisis in history. Weaving together nearly two centuries of family history, this theatrical event charts the humble beginnings, outrageous successes, and devastating failure of the financial institution that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees.                      

TimeLine’s production of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is its Chicago premiere. The Italian theatre production had its world premiere in 2015 at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, directed by the late Italian theater innovator Luca Ronconi. THE LEHMAN TRILOGY made its English-language debut in London on July 12, 2018 at the National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre. On October 14, 2021, the play opened on Broadway. Both the London and Broadway premieres were directed by Sam Mendes.                 

Throughout its production history, THE LEHMAN TRILOGY has been met with extraordinary international acclaim. The Guardian proclaimed it “a kaleidoscopic social and political metaphor” and “an intimate epic about the shifting definition of the American Dream.” The Chicago Tribune praised it as “a masterwork” and The New York Times as “a vivid tale of profit and pain.” Vanity Fair raved that it is “true blockbuster theatre that will hold you captive until the final curtain call,” with Time Out New York saying “it leaves you dazzled.” And the Wall Street Journal declared that THE LEHMAN TRILOGY “surpasses all praise.”                                       

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY received five 2022 Tony Awards, including Best Play, plus Drama League and Outer Critics Circle awards, and was nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Play.

 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE AND LOCATION

TimeLine’s Chicago premiere of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY begins performances on Tuesday, September 19. Opening Night is Wednesday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through October 29, 2023 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago.

The performance schedule is Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. (also 2 p.m. matinees on October 4, 11, and 25), Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (except no 7:30 p.m. on October 8, 15, and 29).

 

BUYING TICKETS

The best way to secure seats to THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is to purchase a 2023-2024 TimeLine FlexPass Subscription. Four different tiers of 4-Admission FlexPasses, priced from $119 - $275, will go on sale soon (specific date to be announced). The three other productions of TimeLine’s 2023-2024 season are still to be announced. For more information, call (773) 281-8463 x6 or visit  timelinetheatre.com.

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY will be part of the upcoming Broadway In Chicago season on sale in Spring 2023. Individual tickets for THE LEHMAN TRILOGY will go on sale in July 2023 (specific date to be announced). Group tickets for 10 or more are now on sale by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. For more information, visit  or  timelinetheatre.com.



ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Stefano Massini (Playwright) is an internationally renowned novelist and playwright who regularly contributes to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. For several years he has served as artistic consultant at Piccolo Teatro di Milano - Teatro d'Europa. His works, including The Lehman Trilogy, have been translated into 27 languages, and his plays have been performed in more theaters around the world than those of any other living Italian writer, produced as far afield as Iran and Korea, and staged by directors such as Luca Ronconi and Sam Mendes. His most acclaimed works, beyond The Lehman Trilogy, include Intractable Woman, a decades-long international success; Ladies Football Club, which premiered to wide acclaim in Spain; and 7 Minutes, hailed by LeMonde as a "masterpiece" at the Comédie Française. He has won numerous Italian awards, including the Premio Vittorio Tondelli and the Premio Ubu. Qualcosa sui Lehman (The Lehman Trilogy) was among the most acclaimed novels published in Italy in recent years and won the Selezione Campiello Prize, the Super Mondello Prize, the De Sica Prize, the Prix Médicis Essai and the Prix Meilleur Livre Stranger. He is currently creating a new multi-part play about the history of the atomic bomb, entitled Manhattan Project.

Ben Power (Adapter) is a writer for theatre and the screen. For the last 12 years he has worked at the National Theatre as associate director and deputy artistic director and was responsible for the temporary theatre The Shed. Work for the screen includes Munich: The Edge of War and The Hollow Crown (BAFTA nominations for Best Single Drama and Best Mini-Series). Work for the stage includes adaptations of DH Lawrence’s Husbands & Sons, Euripides' Medea and Ibsen’s Emperor & Galilean, all for the National; A Tender Thing for the RSC and Complicite’s A Disappearing Number (Olivier and Evening Standard Awards). He was associate director of Headlong where he adapted Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author and Marlowe’s Faustus. He is currently creating a television series for Working Title and is published by Faber & Faber.

Nick Bowling (Co-Director) was the founding Artistic Director and is now Associate Artistic Director and a Company Member of TimeLine Theatre, where he has directed more than 30 productions. He is the recipient of eight Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction (The History Boys, The Normal Heart, Fiorello!, This Happy Breed, and The Crucible at TimeLine, Ragtime at Marriott Theatre, Sondheim on Sondheim at Porchlight Music Theatre, and Another Part of the Forest at Eclipse Theatre) and also received Jeff Award nominations for Oslo, Blood and Gifts, The Farnsworth Invention, Hauptmann, and The Lion in Winter at TimeLine; Closer Than Ever at Porchlight Music Theatre; and The Sound of Music, City of Angels, The King and I, and Man of La Mancha at Marriott Theatre. Other recent credits at TimeLine include the Chicago premiere of J.T. Rogers’ Oslo at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse, Campaigns, Inc.; Master Class; The Audience; A Disappearing Number; The Last Wife; and Blood and Gifts. Other Chicago credits include Marriott’s Oliver! and The Bridges of Madison County, Paramount's A Christmas Story, Northwestern University’s Guys and Dolls and Cabaret, Porchlight’s A Catered Affair, Writers Theatre's Bach at Leipzig, and Shattered Globe Theatre's Time of the Cuckoo and Frozen Assets.

Vanessa Stalling (Co-Director) returns to TimeLine, where she previously directed the sold-out, extended production of A Shayna Maidel. She is the director and adaptor of the Jeff Award-winning play United Flight 232. Stalling was the Associate Artistic Director of Redmoon Theater in Chicago, a Michael Maggio Fellow at Goodman Theatre, and has been recognized as one of “The Fifty People Who Really Perform” for Chicago by Newcity magazine. Recent productions include Fen at The Court Theatre, The Great Leap at Asolo Rep, and Roe at the Goodman. She is also the Head of Directing at the University of California San Diego.

ABOUT TIMELINE’S CURRENT 2022-2023 SEASON 

Now playing at TimeLine Theatre is the world premiere of Boulevard of Bold Dreams by LaDarrion Williams, a Los Angeles-based playwright new to Chicago audiences, directed by Malkia Stampley. Set on the night in 1940 that Hattie McDaniel made history at the Oscars, this is a story of dreamers striving to overcome considerable obstacles and fighting for recognition amidst the racism and inequity of Hollywood. Performances run through March 19. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (773) 281-8463 x6 or visit timelinetheatre.com.

Following Boulevard of Bold Dreams, TimeLine has added an exciting fourth production, the first Chicago-based production of What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck, directed by Helen Young, May 10 – June 24, 2023. 

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 26th season, TimeLine has presented 85 productions, including 12 world premieres and 39 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, which brings the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. 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 58 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

The company has long been bursting at the seams of its current leased home located at 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, where the theatre has been in residence since 1999. In December 2018, TimeLine announced the purchase of property at 5033-35 North Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood to be the site of its new home. 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 for theatergoing experiences that extend far beyond the stage, and more. TimeLine is working with HGA as architect for its new home project, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Executive Director Mica Cole, and Board President John Sterling. TimeLine Company members are Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Charles Andrew Gardner, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Anish Jethmalani, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, and Maren Robinson.

Major corporate, government and foundation donors providing season support via TimeLine’s Annual Fund include: Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Crown Family Philanthropies; Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation; Laughing Acres Family Foundation; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at Prince; National Endowment for the Arts; Polk Bros. Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; Van Dam Charitable Foundation; and Walder Foundation. TimeLine also acknowledges the support of a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com or Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (@TimeLineTheatre).

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 22 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, Auditorium Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. 

For more information, visit BroadwayInChicago.com or Facebook (@BroadwayInChicago), Twitter (@broadwaychicago), and Instagram (@broadwayinchicago), and #broadwayinchicago.