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FALL 2017 THEATER HIGHLIGHTS
Fall 2017 will see Chicago continue to produce some of the most exciting theater in the country. Offerings from the city’s more than 250 producing theaters include a range of special fall programming, featuring everything from the latest musicals to highly anticipated world premieres.
For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. The League’s Fall Theatre Guide will be shared in September. Half-price tickets to the current week’s performances as well as future performances are available at HotTix.org and at the two Hot Tix half-price ticket locations: across from the Chicago Cultural Center at Expo72 (72 E. Randolph) and Block Thirty Seven (108 N. State).
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“One of the things that sets Chicago apart as one of the great theatre cities in the world is the incredibly diverse programming our community has to offer. Whether drama, comedy, musicals or family-friendly shows, Chicago theatre companies are always pushing boundaries and finding bold new ways to tell stories,” notes Deb Clapp, Executive Director of the League of Chicago Theatres. “With the beginning of the 2017-2018 Chicago theatre season upon us, we are so excited to explore all the new works and classic productions that will inspire, engage and delight theatergoers of all ages.”
The following is a selection of notable work playing in Chicago throughout the fall:
New works and adaptations include:
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts’ scathing new comedy The Minutes, exploring small-town American politics, premieres at Steppenwolf Theatre before heading to Broadway. Directed by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro. Runs November 9 – December 31, 2017.
Playwright Janine Nabers will receive two world premiere productions this fall with Welcome to Jesus at American Theater Company (Runs October 26 – December 3, 2017) and A Swell in the Ground at The Gift Theatre. (Runs October 13 – December 12, 2017).
A world premiere adaptation of Margaret Atwood's acclaimed novel, Alias Grace looks at one of Canada's most notorious murderers. Rivendell Theatre premieres the adaptation by Jennifer Blackmer at their theatre in Edgewater. Runs September 1 – October 14, 2017.
Musicals include:
Court Theatre launches their new season with Five Guys Named Moe, featuring hit songs by saxophonist and songwriter Louis Jordan, and directed by Ron OJ Parson. Runs September 7 – October 8, 2017.
Writers Theatre premieres TREVOR the musical, based on the story that inspired the Academy Award-winning film, the charity and the national movement. This world premiere musical is directed by Marc Bruni, who helmed the Tony Award-winning production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway. Runs through September 17, 2017.
Gary Griffin directs the insanely funny new musical based on the 1992 film comedy Honeymoon in Vegas at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Runs August 23 – October 15, 2017.
The Chicago premiere of Bonnie and Clyde opens at Theater Wit in a new production by Kokandy Productions, capturing the real-life exploits of outlaws and ill-fated lovers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Runs Runs August 27 – October 15, 2017.
Dramatic works include:
The Young Vic’s award-winning production of A View from the Bridge comes to Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. Visionary Belgian director Ivo van Hove injects a raw, pulsating energy into Arthur Miller’s 1955 classic—recipient of 2016 Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Play and Best Director. Runs September 9 – October 15, 2017.
Silk Road Rising brings the US premiere of Wild Boar to Chicago in an adaptation by playwright David Henry Hwang and directed by Helen Young. Runs November 9 – December 17, 2017.
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar’s acclaimed play The Invisible Hand opens at Steep Theatre in Edgewater. Runs October 5 – November 11, 2017.
Comedies include:
Route 66 Theatre presents Halley Feiffer’s dark comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center of New York City. Keira Fromm directs. Runs August 24 – September 23, 2017.
Playwright Wallace Shawn’s ultra-dark comedy Evening at the Talk House opens A Red Orchid Theatre’s 25th anniversary season. Directed by Shade Murray. Runs October 5 – November 19, 2017.
Northlight Theatre premieres Matthew Lopez’s heart-warming, music filled comedy The Legend of Georgia McBride. Runs September 14 – October 22, 2017.
Other Notable Works include:
Chicago Shakespeare Theater launches their innovative new venue The Yard with the cirque nouveau superstar James Thierrée’s The Toad Knew. Intertwining dreams with childhood terrors, burlesque, and realism to explore the wild, wondrous love shared among sibling, a collective of dancers, high-wire artists, and musicians create an intoxicating world evocative of Salvador Dalí and Tim Burton. Runs September 19 – 23, 2017.
The inaugural Chicago International Latino Theater Festival brings an unprecedented roster of international and local Latino works including the U.S. premiere of The Mirror performed by Ludi Teatro (Cuba), Medea performed by Arte Boricua (Puerto Rico) and I, the Worst of All performed by Chicago’s Water People Theater. Additional offerings include Victory Gardens Theater and Teatro Vista (in partnership with CLATA) present Tanya Saracho’s Fade and CLATA and Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s co-presentation of the Chicago premiere of Teatro Línea de Sombra’s Amarillo as part of the Theater’s World’s Stage series. Runs September 29 – October 29.
About Chicago theater
Chicago theater is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theaters throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theaters in the country, including 5 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theaters serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Last year alone Chicago theater companies produced more than 100 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year Chicago theaters send new work to resident theaters across the country, to Broadway, and around the world.
The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement
The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals.
For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Half-price tickets are available year-round at HotTix.org.
