REVIEW: The OLDest PROfession Now Playing Theater WIT Through May 27, 2026

The Oldest Profession: Solo Comedy Show About Sex Worker History 

Three nights only at Theater Wit

May 25, 26 & 27

Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes with no intermission 

GUEST REVIEW

By Barbara Belcore

I was so pleased to see The Oldest Profession at Theater Wit, with my daughter last night, and with only two nights left, I’d absolutely hurry to get a seat. Kaytlin Bailey delivers a fast paced one woman show that somehow manages to be hilarious, deeply informative, personal, and genuinely moving all at once.

Blending stand up, storytelling, and art history, Bailey traces 10,000 years of sex worker history while making the subject incredibly accessible, even for audience members who may know very little about it going in. The show balances humor with serious social commentary in a way that never feels preachy. I found myself laughing one minute and sitting with something profoundly uncomfortable or thought provoking the next.

One of the most powerful threads throughout the show was the comparison between Bailey’s experience as a sex worker and her father’s experience as a soldier, especially the irony that his profession was statistically far more dangerous. Her reflections on how society assigns morality and value to different kinds of labor were sharp and memorable.

The historical sections were fascinating too, from discussions of virginity tests and the weaponization of the word “whore” starting in childhood, to debunking myths like Mary Magdalene being a sex worker. Bailey also explores how institutions, particularly the church, shaped attitudes toward sexuality, women, queer people, and sex workers over centuries.

The opener, Lauren, was fantastic too and set the tone perfectly with a warm, funny set before Bailey took the stage.

It’s rare to see a show that is this funny, this smart, and this human all at the same time. I left entertained, challenged, and still thinking about it hours later.

Barbara is a Chicago-area home birth midwife, maker, theater enthusiast, avid reader, and mom of two quirky, creative teens. She is currently snuggling three cats who are perpetually convinced that they have never been fed.

The Oldest Profession is a solo comedy show by Kaytlin Bailey who is a comedian, former sex worker, and host of the acclaimed podcast of the same name. Bailey offers a new angle on the world’s oldest profession, reframing the story of western civilization in a fast-paced and profoundly moving solo show. The performance is enhanced by a projected art history slideshow.

Blending stand-up, storytelling, and lived experience with meticulously researched history, the show races through 10,000 years of sex worker history in a funny yet thought provoking hour. The performance makes use of a projected art history slideshow.

Check out The Oldest Profession HERE for more information and upcoming show dates: https://theoldestprofession.org/

EXTENDED: Theater Wit's Midwest Premiere of The Ally Through May 17, 2026

Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar:

Theater Wit adds shows, extends its Midwest Premiere of 

The Ally

the 2025 Pulitzer-nom'd play by Itamar Moses, through May 17, 2026

DeVaughn Asante Loman (left) as Baron and Jordan Lane Shappell as Asaf. Credit: Charles Osgood.

Theater Wit is excited to announce added performances and a two-week extension of its current Midwest premiere of The Ally due to popular demand.

The critics agree, The Ally is must-see:



“It is unusual to encounter a play so ferociously intelligent and even more unusual to encounter one that respects the intelligence of its audience…more than great theatre, it is important, essential theatre.” 

- C.J. Fernandes, Stage & Cinema



“Heady and passionate questions…(The Ally) explodes with rhetoric and recrimination—mostly around Israel and Palestine, but also touching on a host of other urgent issues.” 

- Kerry Reid, Chicago Reader, adding “It’s also often a very funny play, despite the subject matter” 



“The Ally has a heightened immediacy today, and should be seen. Highly Recommended.” 

- Bill Esler, Buzz Center Stage


Originally slated to run through May 2, The Ally has now been extended through May 17. The updated performance schedule, including newly-added Saturday matinees, is Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Theater Wit is also offering free pre-show discussions before the next two Sunday matinees to explore and add context to the themes of The Ally, and to learn more about engaging in social movements in Chicago. Admission is free with a ticket to the 2 p.m. performance that follows.

Sunday, April 19, 12:30 p.m.

“Approaches for Social Change” with Kelly Bencola, Northwestern University

Bencola will explore different models of social change and create space to reflect on how individual strengths and values can shape your approach to making an impact.


Sunday, April 26, 12:30 p.m.

“Organizing for Jewish Safety & Collective Freedom” with artist and activist Eli Newell from IfNotNow

Newell presents perspectives on the communal organizing landscape in the Jewish world, exploring grassroots contexts on the proliferation of antisemitic ideology and how we might disrupt its exploitation.

Extension tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 17. Tickets are $18-$44. Purchase tickets at theaterwit.org, by calling (773) 975-8150, or in person at the Theater Wit box office.

Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont Ave., in Chicago’s Lake View neighborhood. Convenient parking is available for $10 across Belmont in the lot behind Kubo restaurant (pay at the Theater Wit box office.) Neighborhood street parking is available, as are private paid lots (tip: book ahead and at a discount with Spothero). Theater Wit is also accessible via the CTA 77 Belmont bus, and is three blocks west of the CTA Belmont Red/Brown/Purple line stop.

The Ally: A student manifesto forces questions about identity and faith

From the Tony Award-winning author of The Band's Visit comes a provocative new play about identity, loyalty, and the complexities of unity.

A finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize, The Ally, written by Itamar Moses (Completeness, Dead Outlaw), directed by Jeremy Wechsler (Prayer for the French Republic), is now enjoying its Midwest Premiere at Chicago’s Theater Wit. 

Moses’ newest play is a darkly funny and deeply human new play that asks: just whose side are you on? When Asaf’s student asks him to sign a petition condemning police brutality, he wants to do the right thing — until he realizes the manifesto turns out to be broader than he imagined, and every choice feels like betrayal. As the debate roars through his Midwestern campus and his ex-girlfriend takes the lead, Asaf is pulled into a political storm that tests his convictions and his sense of self. Will his fumbling entrée into activism help or hurt the cause? Who’s side is Asaf – and the audience – really on?

The cast for Theater Wit’s Midwest Premiere of The Ally features Sharyon Culberson as Nakia, Eliyah Arman Ghaeini as Farid, Mira Kessler as Rachel, DeVaughn Asante Loman as Baron, Evan Ozer as Reuven, Jordan Lane Shappell as Asaf, and K Chinthana Sotakoun as Gwen. Designers are Joe Schermoly (set), Matthew Eggers (costumes), Piper Kirchhofer (lights), Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (props), Joe Cerqua (composer and sound designer), Sarah Luse (stage manager), Matthew R. Chase (production manager) and Claire Simon (casting director).

The Ally premiered off-Broadway at the Public Theater in February 2024. The New York Times called it “Important…Itamar Moses’ play offers eloquent arguments on all sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” New York Stage Review wrote “The Ally will most certainly give you the tools to wage a cogent, forceful argument, no matter what side you’re on.”

"I recognized myself in Asaf the moment I read this play," said Jeremy Wechsler, Theater Wit Artistic Director and director of The Ally. "Before October 7th, I — like a lot of American Jews on the left — held two ideas at once: that Israel was a haven and that the occupation was wrong. Itamar Moses saw, honestly before I did, that those two ideas were becoming impossible to hold simultaneously. But there are always two ways to answer the question ‘What do I believe?': what do I think, and what do I feel? Where we land on that spectrum is a constant negotiation between ourselves and the world around us. What The Ally asks — what it really demands — is that we face that negotiation honestly. Can we be good people when our hearts and our heads aren't aligned?”



Mira Kessler (from left) as Rachel, Jordan Lane Shappell as Asaf, DeVaughn Asante Loman as Baron, Eliyah Arman Ghaeini as Farid and Sharyon Culberson as Nakia inTheater Wit's Midwest Premiere of The Ally. Credit: Charles Osgood



Evan Ozer ( left) as Reuven and Jordan Lane Shappell as Asaf in Theater Wit's Midwest Premiere of The Ally. Credit: Charles Osgood


About Theater Wit, Chicago’s “Smart Art” theater
Photos courtesy Theater Wit

As a production company, Theater Wit is the premier smart art theater in Chicago, producing humorous, challenging, and intelligent plays that speak with a vibrant and contemporary theatrical voice. As an institution, Theater Wit seeks to be the hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene. Led by Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler, Wit brings together Chicago’s best storefront theater companies in its three, 99-seat spaces, where audiences find a smorgasbord of excellent productions, see the work of a parade of talented artists, and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago.

In Fall 2025, Theater Wit received a three-year, $600,000 grant from the Paul M. Angell Foundation in support of Theater Wit’s Shared Spaces program, which empowers the artistic work of independent itinerant theater producers through subsidized, affordable space rentals and tailored production, accessibility and administrative support. 

In addition to Theater Wit’s The Ally, productions playing this spring at Theater Wit include resident company Shattered Globe Theatre’s World Premiere of Paul W. Kruse’s Eelpout!, April 17-May 30; and visiting company The Artistic Home’s The Sugar Wife, now through May 3.

A great way to show support for Chicago storefront theater is to purchase a Theater Wit Membership. For a low monthly fee of $35 – often less than the price of a single ticket – $25 for students, and $62 for a dual membership - Theater Wit members see as many shows as they want on the company’s three stages, year round. Sign up at theaterwit.org/boxoffice/membership.

Midwest Premiere of The Ally at Theater Wit March 20-May 2, 2026

Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar:

From the Tony Award-winning author of The Band's Visit comes a provocative new play about identity, loyalty, and the complexities of unity.

The Ally

at Theater Wit March 20-May 2, 2026



A well-meaning professor finds himself in a firestorm in The Ally, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize-nominated new play by Itamar Moses, March 20-May 2 at Theater Wit

The Ally, a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize, written by Itamar Moses, directed by Jeremy Wechsler, is receiving its Midwest Premiere at Theater Wit, Chicago's smart art theater.

Moses’ newest play, about a well-meaning professor who finds himself in a firestorm, is a darkly funny and deeply human new work that asks: just whose side are you on?

“Important…Itamar Moses’ play offers eloquent arguments on all sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” 

- The New York Times



Theater Wit presents the Midwest Premiere of The Ally by Itamar Moses (top, center), directed by Jeremy Wechsler (right), March 20-May 2. The cast features (bottom, from left) Sharyon Culberson as Nakia, Eliyah Arman Ghaeini as Farid, Mira Kessler as Rachel, DeVaughn Asante Loman as Baron, Evan Ozer as Reuven, Jordan Lane Shappell as Asaf, and K Chinthana Sotakoun as Gwen.

From the Tony Award-winning author of The Band's Visit comes a provocative new play about identity, loyalty, and the complexities of unity.

A finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize, The Ally, written by Itamar Moses (Completeness, Dead Outlaw), directed by Jeremy Wechsler (Prayer for the French Republic), will receive its Midwest Premiere at Chicago’s Theater Wit in March. Moses’ newest play is a darkly funny and deeply human new play that asks: just whose side are you on? 

Previews are March 20-29: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. Press opening is Monday, March 30 at 7 p.m. Performances run through May 2: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. Exception: No show Thursday, April 2. Tickets are $18-$44. Run time is two hours with intermission. Purchase tickets at theaterwit.org, by calling (773) 975-8150, or in person at the Theater Wit box office.

Candid photos from the first rehearsal of Theater Wit’s The Ally. Top: DeVaughn Asante Loman (Baron) and Sharyon Culberson (Nakia). Middle: Jordan Lane Shappell (Asaf), Bottom:Jordan Lane Shappell (Asaf) and K Chinthana Sotakoun (Gwen). Courtesy Theater Wit.

A student manifesto forces questions about identity and faith in 

The Ally

When Asaf’s student asks him to sign a petition condemning police brutality, he wants to do the right thing — until he realizes the manifesto turns out to be broader than he imagined, and every choice feels like betrayal. As the debate roars through his Midwestern campus and his ex-girlfriend takes the lead, Asaf is pulled into a political storm that tests his convictions and his sense of self. Will his fumbling entrée into activism help or hurt the cause? Who’s side is Asaf – and the audience – really on?

The Ally premiered off-Broadway at the Public Theater in February 2024. The New York Times called it “Important…Itamar Moses’ play offers eloquent arguments on all sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” New York Stage Review wrote “The Ally will most certainly give you the tools to wage a cogent, forceful argument, no matter what side you’re on.”

"I recognized myself in Asaf the moment I read this play," said Jeremy Wechsler, Theater Wit Artistic Director and director of The Ally. " Before October 7th, I — like a lot of American Jews on the left — held two ideas at once: that Israel was a haven and that the occupation was wrong. Itamar Moses saw, honestly before I did, that those two ideas were becoming impossible to hold simultaneously. But there are always two ways to answer the question ‘What do I believe?': what do I think, and what do I feel? Where we land on that spectrum is a constant negotiation between ourselves and the world around us. What The Ally asks — what it really demands — is that we face that negotiation honestly. Can we be good people when our hearts and our heads aren't aligned?”

The cast for Theater Wit’s Midwest Premiere of The Ally features Sharyon Culberson as Nakia, Eliyah Arman Ghaeini as Farid, Mira Kessler as Rachel, DeVaughn Asante Loman as Baron, Evan Ozer as Reuven, Jordan Lane Shappell as Asaf, and K Chinthana Sotakoun as Gwen.

Designers are Joe Schermoly (set), Matthew Eggers (costumes), Piper Kirchhofer (lights), Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (props), Joe Cerqua (composer and sound designer), Sarah Luse (stage manager), Matthew R. Chase (production manager) and Claire Simon (casting director).

Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont Ave., in the Belmont Theatre District in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Convenient parking is available for $10 across the street from the theater in the lot behind Kubo restaurant (pay at the Theater Wit box office.) Neighborhood street parking is available, as are private paid lots (tip: book ahead and at a discount with Spothero). Theater Wit is also accessible via the CTA 77 Belmont bus, and is three blocks west of the CTA Belmont Red/Brown/Purple line stop.

To learn more, visit theaterwit.org or follow the company on Facebook or Instagram.

Photos courtesy Theater Wit

About Theater Wit, Chicago’s “Smart Art” theater 
As a production company, Theater Wit is the premier smart art theater in Chicago, producing humorous, challenging, and intelligent plays that speak with a vibrant and contemporary theatrical voice. As an institution, Theater Wit seeks to be the hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene. Led by Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler, Wit brings together Chicago’s best storefront theater companies in its three, 99-seat spaces, where audiences find a smorgasbord of excellent productions, see the work of a parade of talented artists, and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago.

In Fall 2025, Theater Wit received a three-year, $600,000 grant from the Paul M. Angell Foundation in support of Theater Wit’s Shared Spaces program, which empowers the artistic work of independent itinerant theater producers through subsidized, affordable space rentals and tailored production, accessibility and administrative support.

In addition to Theater Wit’s The Ally, productions playing this spring at Theater Wit include resident company Remy Bumppo’s new staging of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, now through March 8; visiting company The New Theatre Project’s The Shape of the Bones, now through March 22; resident company Shattered Globe Theatre’s Midwest Premiere of Kirsten Greenidge’s Morning, Noon, and Night, now through March 28; visiting company The Artistic Home’s The Sugar Wife, March 28-May 3; and Shattered Globe’s 35th season finale, Eelpout!, a World Premiere by Paul W. Kruse, April 17-May 30.

A great way to show support for Chicago storefront theater is to purchase a Theater Wit Membership. For a low monthly fee of $35 – often less than the price of a single ticket – $25 for students, and $62 for a dual membership - Theater Wit members see as many shows as they want on the company’s three stages, year round. Sign up at theaterwit.org/boxoffice/membership.

Biographies:



Itamar Moses (playwright, he/him) is the author of the full-length plays Outrage, Bach at Leipzig, Celebrity Row, The Four of Us, Yellowjackets, Back Back Back, Completeness and The Whistleblower, the musicals Nobody Loves You (with Gaby Alter), Fortress of Solitude (with Michael Friedman) and The Band’s Visit (with David Yazbek), and the evening of short plays Love/Stories (or But You Will Get Used to It). Awards for his work include the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for The Band’s Visit, along with Lucille Lortel, New York Drama Critics Circle, Outer Critics Circle and Obie awards in New York, and from the Portland, San Diego, Dallas and Bay Area Theatre Critics Circles. His work has appeared off-Broadway and elsewhere in New York, at regional theaters across the country and in Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Venezuela, Turkey and Chile, and is published by Faber & Faber and Samuel French. He’s received new play commissions from The McCarter, Playwrights Horizons, Berkeley Rep, The Wilma Theater, South Coast Rep, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center and The Goodman. On television, Moses has written for TNT’s Men of a Certain Age, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, WGN’S Outsiders and Showtime’s The Affair. He holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU and has taught playwriting at Yale and NYU. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and is a New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect. Born in Berkeley, CA, he now lives in Brooklyn, NY.



Jeremy Wechsler (director, he/him) is the founding Artistic Director of Theater Wit. Under Wechsler’s leadership over the last 15 years, Theater Wit has emerged as the go to destination for cutting edge contemporary work, gaining national recognition for excellence. His Theater Wit directing credits include, most recently, the 2025 smash hit co-production with Northlight Theatre, Prayers for the French Republic, along with the Chicago premieres of The Whistleblower, Hurricane Diane, Admissions, The Realistic Joneses, The Antelope Party, 10 Out of 12, Naperville (Jeff Award), This Way out of Santaland, The New Sincerity, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence(Best of 2015, Chicago SunTimes), Bad Jews (Best of 2015, Newcity), Mr. Burns: a post electric play (Time Out Peoples’ Choice Award for Direction, Best of 2015), Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England (Sun-Times Best of 2014), Completeness, Tigers Be Still, The Four of Us, Feydeau-Si-Deau, Men of Steel, Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (Jeff Award, Best Solo Peformance), Two for the Show and many, many productions of The Santaland Diaries. He has directed over 60 shows in the last 20 years at various theaters, including Tragedy A Tragedy, The Flu Season, A Taste of Honey (U.S. Best of 2008, Wall Street Journal), Now Then Again (Jeff Award, Best New Work), The Play about the Squirrel, The White Devil, This is Not a Play about Cancer, Peer Gynt, The Real Thing, Shinhaz, The Duchess of Malfi, Titus Andronicus, The Roaring Girl, Flight, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, This is the Fill Speaking, Hay Fever, A Month in the Country, Europe, Henry VI: Blood of a Nation, The Promise, Spin, Un Robot, Horror Academy, Kind Lady, Playing by the Rules, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Solitaire, The Coarse Acting Show, Life is a Dream, The Prisoner’s Dilemma, Cabaret and The Threepenny Opera. His productions have been nominated for and won multiple awards for design, performance, adaptation and best new work.



Sharyon Culberson (she/her, Nakia Clark) has appeared in The Chi(Showtime), Chicago PD and Chicago Fire (NBC), and The Big Leap and Proven Innocent (FOX). She also starred in the short films Mama’s Boy and Daughters. On stage, Culberson has performed in regional and national productions and she was a performing artist-in-residence with Arts + Public Life.



Eliyah Arman Ghaeini’s (he/him, Farid) regional credits include Whitelistedand A Year with Frog and Toad (Salt Lake Acting Company); Shakespeare in Love, West Side Story, The Odd Couple: Female Version and In the Heights(West Valley Theatre); and Twelfth Night (Creekside Theatre Festival). TV/film credits include The Chosen (CW), High School Musical: The Series (Disney+) and Amber Brown (AppleTV).



Mira Kessler (she/her, Rachel) grew up in Durham, North Carolina and comes to Chicago by way of New York, where she was a member of The New Yiddish Rep Theater Company, performing with them in God of Vengeance and Awake and Sing! Other credits include Netflix's Unorthodox, The Band’s Visit at Writers Theatre (u/s) and Goodbye Marianne at Goodman Theater (reading). Kessler graduated with an MFA in acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

DeVaughn Asante Loman (he/him, Baron) most recently played Kenneth in Eboni Booth’s Primary Trust at Farmers Alley Theatre. Other credits include Movement Revisited (Muhammad Ali) at Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Jive Records (Bobby Womack, Bob Marley, Ensemble) for Black Ensemble Theatre, A Drop in the Bucket (Sumwea) at Jackalope Theatre, and Cult Showat The Neo-Futurists.



Evan Ozer (he/him, Reuven) is a Chicago-based actor, originally from New York. After graduating from The Theater School at DePaul University in Spring 2025, he played Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night at Oak Park Festival Theater.



Jordan Lane Shappell’s (he/him, Asaf) most recent credits include King James, for which he won a San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Award for Best Actor. Credits also include Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley(TheatreWorks), The Real Thing (Writers Theatre), Be a Good Little Widow(NoHo Theater), How to Quit (Meta Theatre), Henry V (Meta Theatre), Journeys of Identity (National Theatre of the Deaf), Dancing at Lughnasa(Merle Reskin Theatre), and Day in the Death of Joe Egg (dir. Larry Moss). Film and TV credits include Monkey Bread, Abigail Before Beatrice, Scream: Fan Favorite, Patient and The Orville (Fox) Shappell earned his BFA from The Theater School at DePaul University.

K Chinthana Sotakoun (they/them, Gwen), making her Chicago theater debut, recently appeared in the indie folk rock musical Hundred Days as Abigail and in the streaming series Heavy Hitters. Other roles include Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Neary/Sothea in Cambodian Rock Band, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and Jessica/Jolene in Hand to God.

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

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

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.

Chicago Premiere of INCOGNITO Via Tin Drum Theatre Company at Theater Wit July 17 - August 3

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

TIN DRUM THEATRE COMPANY PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF 

INCOGNITO 

BY NICK PAYNE, JULY 17 - AUGUST 3, AT THEATER WIT

Directed by Nick Payne, Incognito is an Unforgettable Journey Across the Landscapes of Love, Loss and Self-Discovery.

 (l to r): Teddy Boone and Shannon Leigh Webber / Photography by Jacob Coggshall

Tin Drum Theatre Company is proud to announce the Chicago premiere of Incognito at Theatre Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., July 17 - August 3. The provocative play by award-winning British playwright Nick Payne is produced by Steve Needham and directed by Jason Palmer. Incognito promises to take audiences on an unforgettable journey across the landscapes of love, loss and self-discovery. The preview for Incognito is Thursday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m. and the opening night/press performance is Friday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule for Saturday, July 19 - Sunday, Aug. 3 is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. The regular run begins Saturday, July 19 - Sunday, Aug. 3 with performances  Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m.Tickets are $25 - $39 with $15 student tickets and may be purchased at https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/box_office.

Tin Drum Theatre Company invites audiences to discover the extraordinary tapestry of the heart and mind on display in Incognito—a play that redefines our understanding of self and the ever-shifting narrative of our lives.  This unique and compelling narrative bridges science and philosophy, tracing how emotions intertwine with our concept of identity and challenging the boundaries of traditional narrative storytelling.

First staged in London to enthusiastic reviews, Incognito has since enjoyed several acclaimed productions on both sides of the Atlantic. Critics have praised the play for its innovative storytelling and its fearless probing of memory, genius and identity. Its past productions have been heralded as groundbreaking explorations that challenge audiences to rethink the boundaries of the human psyche, setting the stage for this highly anticipated Chicago premiere.

The Incognito ensemble cast includes Teddy Boone, Shannon Leigh Webber, Erin Alys and Riles August Holiday.

The creative team includes Steve Needham (producer), Jason Palmer (director), Teddy Boone (casting director), Jacob Coggshall (assistant director), Joey Bluhm (stage manager), Alex Kinglsey (sound designer), Marcus Klein (scenic designer), Jack Goodman (lighting designer), Kasey Wolfgang (costume designer), Erin Annarella (dialects) and Izzi King (intimacy).

ABOUT TIN DRUM THEATRE COMPANY

Tin Drum Theatre Company thrives on presenting works that challenge the mind, stir the soul and inspire our audiences to engage actively and more critically with the world around them. 

ABOUT NICK PAYNE, playwright

Nick Payne is an acclaimed British dramatist celebrated for his incisive exploration of the human condition. Best known for his internationally lauded work Constellations, Payne has established himself as a dynamic voice in contemporary theatre. His plays are marked by their inventive narrative structures and deep philosophical inquiry—qualities that shine brightly in Incognito. Payne’s works captivate audiences worldwide with a  blend of wit, intellect and raw emotional power.

Nick Payne’s plays include If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet (Bush Theatre and Roundabout Theatre Company, New York), Wanderlust (Royal Court Theatre), Sophocles' Electra (Gate Theatre), One Day When We Were Young (Paines Plough/Sheffield Theatres and Shoreditch Town Hall), Lay Down Your Cross (Hampstead Theatre), Constellations (Royal Court Theatre and Duke of York’s), and The Same Deep Water As Me (Donmar Warehouse). He is the recipient of the 2009 George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright, 2012 Harold Pinter Playwright’s Award and the 2012 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play for Constellations. His screenplays include The Sense of an Ending and We Live in Time.

ABOUT JASON PALMER, director

Hailing from the scenic coal region of north central Pennsylvania, Palmer has worked in the storefront theater scene and entertainment industry on both coasts, as well as our very own ‘third coast.’ Memorable work in New York includes Assistant Director for the Off-Broadway premiere of Keith Reddin’s Black Snow and serving as a Literary Manager for the Gilgamesh Theater Group.  Chicago work includes producing the annual Directors’ Festival at the Bailiwick Repertory.  In California, Palmer embarked on a career with the entertainment unions, working for both Actors’ Equity Association and The Directors’ Guild of America.  Returning to Chicago after a long hiatus, he directed Tin Drum’s inaugural production, Winter Garden in 2024, and co-founded Tin Drum Theatre with longtime friend Steve Needham. 

ABOUT STEVE NEEDHAM, producer

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Needham is a founding member of Convergence-Continuum, where he directed and performed, and which he is proud to say is still producing provocative and experimental black box theatre nearly 25 years later for a new generation of audiences.  In Chicago, Neehamhas worked at The Bailiwick Repertory Theatre, About Face Theatre, and Pride Films & Plays.  While completing his studies at The University of Chicago, he wrote the play Winter Garden about Edwin and John Wilkes Booth, which he later developed with Jason Palmer into Tin Drum Theatre’s inaugural production. 

Explore the Full Program for The 12th Physical Theater Festival at Theater WIT June 2–8, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

7 of many

Explore the Full Program for This Year’s 

Physical Theater Festival

Tickets Available Now!

The 12th edition of the Physical Theater Festival is taking place June 2–8! We’ve curated a vibrant week of performances and can’t wait to see you there—enjoying the shows, connecting with one another, and experiencing some of the best contemporary, visual, and physical theater from around the world. Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've covered every one since their inception and highly recommend checking out this fabulous fest. Don't miss this! Full lineup HERE: www.physicalfestival.com.

Monday, June 2nd kicks off the fest with their beloved Scratch Night, followed by the debut of their brand-new Being Made in Chicago series. This exciting initiative features two local companies presenting 30–40 minute works-in-progress as they develop full-length productions. Our long-term vision is to launch a fully-fledged incubator program to support Chicago artists in creating original physical theater works.

As the week unfolds, you’ll experience international award-winning productions from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Iceland, Scotland, and the UK, plus a critically acclaimed clown show from Minneapolis. On Sunday, June 8, they will debut another Chicago show: Adventure Sandwich: A Sandwich Adventure!—a delightful live-action-cartoon musical made for people and sandwiches of all ages.

Below you’ll find details on each of the incredible International shows & local Chicago favorites, too.  

Get your tickets in advance HERE so you won't have FOMO when they sell out:  https://www.physicalfestival.com/tickets

BEING MADE IN CHICAGO PRESENTS: WELL-BALANCED DADS + SENSATION(S)

60 min / All Ages

Tuesday, June 3 at 7pm

The new Being Made in Chicago series offers two local artists or companies up to 40 minutes each to showcase new work developed from pieces previously presented at Scratch Night. The inaugural Being Made in Chicago will present Well-Balanced Dads by Brit Anderson & Richie Schiraldi + Sensation(s) by Amanda Raquel Martinez. 

https://www.physicalfestival.com/beingmadeinchicago

UN POYO ROJO (Argentina)

Directed by Hermes Gaido, with Alfonso Barón & Luciano Rosso

60 min / Ages 12+

Wednesday, June 4 & Thursday, June 5 at 7pm, Friday, June 6 at 9pm, Saturday June 7 at 7pm

Two men and a live radio in a dressing room face off—challenging, fighting, and seducing one another. Un Poyo Rojo is a compelling fusion of dance, sport, and sexuality. Using only body language, the performers push the boundaries of contemporary movement and its interpretations. It’s a provocation, an invitation to laugh at ourselves, and—at the same time—to recognize our full humanity. With a dynamic mix of acrobatics and humor, Un Poyo Rojo can be seen as kitsch, cliché, or a striking expression of the physical and spiritual possibilities of the human body.

https://www.physicalfestival.com/unpoyorojo

REWIND (Brazil, Colombia, Iceland & UK)

by Ephemeral Ensemble

65 min / Ages 12+

June 5, June 6 at 8pm & Saturday, June 7 at 3pm & 8pm

One of The Guardian's top 10 best theatre shows of  2024 

REWIND invites you to witness the investigation of a long-buried crime. In a whirlwind of powerful live music, energetic physical theater, and striking imagery, the show takes you on an intimate, backward journey into the life of Alicia—a young woman who dares to resist.

https://www.physicalfestival.com/rewind 

KNIGHT, KNIGHT (USA)

by Madeleine Rowe 

60 min / Ages 16+

June 5 & June 7 at 9pm

★★★★★ "Belly-laugh funny" The Crumb

"One of the best clown shows ever" - LMAOnaise

Fresh from their smash hit run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and a sold out New York premiere at Union Hall, Gaulier-trained clown Madeleine Rowe brings their iconic and iconoclastic Medieval romp to  Physical Theatre Festival Chicago. “The funniest take on Arthurian legend since Monty Python” (Steve Bennett, Chortle), Knight, Knight is a wild one-person clown show about courage, determination, brotherhood, grief, and most of all, horses. 

https://www.physicalfestival.com/knightknight

BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY VOICE (Scotland & USA)

by Apphia Campbell

60 min / Ages 10+

June 6 at 7pm & June 8 at 2pm 

Winner: Best Theatre Award, Adelaide Fringe 2024

‘Nothing short of sensational… will make you cheer for her, smile with her and then sting your eyes with tears’ ★★★★★ Broadway Baby  

Inspired by the life of Nina Simone, and featuring many of her most iconic songs performed live. Apphia Campbell’s acclaimed play follows a successful singer and civil rights activist as she seeks redemption after the untimely death of her father. She reflects on the journey that took her from a young piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church, to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. The show has toured the UK and Australia to standing ovations and played sell-out seasons in Shanghai, New York, Edinburgh and the West End of London. 

https://www.physicalfestival.com/blackisthecolorofmyvoice

ADVENTURE SANDWICH: IT'S A SANDWICH ADVENTURE (Chicago)

by Adventure Sandwich 

50 min / All Ages

June 8 at 11am

Adventure Sandwich: A Sandwich Adventure! is a new live-action-cartoon musical made for people and sandwiches of all ages. Join Hoagie (a sandwich) and Lily (a human) as they make their way from the streets of Possibilopolis to the depths of the Several Seas and beyond. Will they find the secret recipe for Imaginnaise? Will they escape Dr. Distracto’s Den of Diversions? Or will they get stuck in The Buffer Zone? Find out on June 8th at the Physical Theater Festival!

https://www.physicalfestival.com/adventuresandwich

Also, check out our Workshop offerings for this year at  https://www.physicalfestival.com/workshops

New Adaptation of Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities Via Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater WIT Apr 18–May 31, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Director Mikael Burke makes his Shattered Globe debut with 

Brendan Pelsue’s new adaptation of 

Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities

April 18–May 31, 2025

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're huge fans of Charles Dickens and we've been following the directing career of uber talented Mikael Burke for years. This cast and crew are incredible and we can't wait to catch this one. I'll be out for opening night, so check back soon for my full review. 

Shattered Globe Theatre’s 34th season finale is the Midwest premiere of a bold new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities by Brendan Pelsue (top, center)  directed by Mikael Burke (top, right) in his SGT debut, featuring (bottom, from left) Shattered Globe ensemble members Demetra Dee, Daria Harper and Jazzma Pryor, and Diego Vazquez Gomez, Glenn Obrero, Jeff Rodriguez, William Anthony Sebastian Rose II and Penelope Walker.

It’s the best of times, and it’s the worst of times.

Still today.

So what better time to take a new look at Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities? It may be 165 years old, but Shattered Globe’s Midwest premiere of Brendan Pelsue’s bold new adaptation of Dickens’ classic story feels a tad too relevant. As the gap between rich and poor widens and cries for change grow louder, Dickens’ tale of power, privilege and political adaptation reminds us that some things never change.

Or can they? 

“This is not your mama’s Dickens,” declares director Mikael Burke, who is making his Shattered Globe debut staging Pelsue’s new riff on Dickens’ chillingly timely novel. “This is Dickens’ powerful story of life, liberty and the pursuit of love, told as only live theater can. In turns both hilarious and heart-rending, A Tale of Two Cities holds a striking mirror up to our world and makes us take a long look at the best and worst of ourselves. What Brendan has crafted here is something you must experience to believe, and I can’t wait to share this incredible and thrilling play with Chicago.”

A Tale of Two Cities runs April 18-May 31 at Theater Wit. The first preview, Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m., is Pay-What-You-Can. Previews continue Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, April 20 at 3 p.m, and Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. Previews are $10-$25. Press opening is Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through May 31: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. No show Friday, April 25. There’s an added 3 p.m. matinee on closing day, Saturday, May 31. Performances are $15-$52.

Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Purchase tickets online at SGTheatre.org, call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150, or purchase in person at Theater Wit. For group discounts, email groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or call (773) 770-0333. Visit SGTheatre.org for more information, including content warnings and exclusive news. Follow the company on social media @shatteredglobe on Facebook and Instagram. 

A Tale of Two Cities features the best of casts: Shattered Globe ensemble members Demetra Dee, Daria Harper and Jazzma Pryor, along with Diego Vazquez Gomez, Glenn Obrero, Jeff Rodriguez, William Anthony Sebastian Rose II and Penelope Walker.

There is also prodigious strength in the production team: Mikael Burke (director), Brendan Pelsue (adaptor), Milo Bue and Eleanor Kahn (co-set designers), Kotryna Hilko (costume designer), Eric Watkins (lighting designer), Christopher Kriz (original music and sound designer), Ab Rieve (props designer), Maya Vinice Prentiss (intimacy and fight director), Joel Willison (assistant director), Erik Tylkowski (production manager), Jean E. Compton (stage manager) and Emily Nicholas (assistant stage manager).

Access Services:

Audio Description and a Touch Tour for patrons who are blind or have low vision will be offered on Friday, May 23. The Touch Tour begins at 6:15 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. 

Shattered Globe will offer a captioned performance on Sunday, May 25 at 3 p.m. for patrons with hearing loss. Assisted Listening Devices are available for all performances.

Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible, and all patrons with disability needs are invited to purchase $20 access tickets with the code “ACCESS20” at Theater Wit’s checkout page. Please email boxoffice@theaterwit.org to ensure the theater can reserve the right seat for your access needs. 

Company biographies

Brendan Pelsue (playwright, he/him) is thrilled to be making his Shattered Globe debut. Past Chicago area credits include productions of his play Wellesley Girl at Compass Theatre and North Central College. Other credits include Hagoromo at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, A Tale of Two Cities at The Alliance, Don Juan at Westport Country Playhouse, and Read to Me at Portland Stage. He has been a MacDowell Fellow, a Château de la Napoule artist in residence, and the John C. Grace Memorial Playwright in Residence at Green College, University of British Columbia. Originally from Newburyport, MA, he received his BA from Brown University and his MFA from Yale School of Drama. He teaches at Rutgers University. brendanpelsue.com

Mikael Burke (director, he/him/anything respectful) is a Black, queer director, deviser, and educator based in Chicago. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre (2017) and Jeff Award-winning director (2024), his recent credits include Milo Imagines the World by Christian Magby, Christian Albright and Terry Guest (rolling world premiere: Chicago Children’s Theatre and Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis), King James by Rajiv Joseph (Forward Theatre, Madison), Oak by Terry Guest (Urbanite Theatre, World Premiere), Othello by William Shakespeare (Theatreworks Colorado Springs), Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Notes from the Field by Anna Deveare Smith (TimeLine Theatre, Chicago Premiere), The Salvagers by Harrison David Rivers (Yale Repertory Theatre, World Premiere), Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris (Refracted Theatre Company, Chicago Premiere, winner of eight Jeff Awards), Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company), Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage (Theaterworks Hartford), and The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest (About Face Theatre, Chicago Premiere, winner of two Jeff Awards). Burke has also been recognized with a Black Theatre Alliance Award for Directing (2022), and as one of Newcity Magazine’s 50 Players of Chicago in 2023 and 2025. Burke is an artistic associate at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, as well as at About Face Theatre, where he previously served as associate artistic director. He’s also an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University and Roosevelt University, and a member of SDC. Burke earned his MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University. mklburke.com

Charles Dickens (author, A Tale of Two Cities, 1812-1870) was born in Landport, Hampshire, during the new industrial age. His father was a clerk in the Navy pay office, who was well paid but often ended in financial troubles. In 1814 Dickens moved to London, and then to Chatham, where he received some education. He worked in a London blacking factory, while his family was in Marsgalea debtor's prison. In 1824 - 27 he studied at Wellington House Academy, London and at Mr. Dawson's school. From 1827 to 1828 he was a law office clerk and then worked as a shorthand reporter at Doctor's Commons. He later wrote for True Son, Mirror of Parliament, Morning Chronicle, Monthly Magazine, The Evening Chronicle and Bentley's Miscellany. By the 1840's Dickens was editor of the London Daily News. His career as a fiction writer started in 1833 when his short stories and essays appeared in periodicals. His novels first appeared in monthly installments and included Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickelby, and Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Great Expectations, and his unfinished mystery novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In the 1840's Dickens spent much time travelling and campaigning against many of the social injustices of his time and he gave talks and readings, wrote pamphlets, plays and letters. In the 1850's Dickens was founding editor of Household World and its successor All the Year Round (1859-70). 

Demetra Dee (Actor 3, she/her) is a Shattered Globe ensemble member, where her credits include Be Here Now and Stew. Other Chicago credits include Little Women (Northlight Theatre), Corduroy (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Relentless (TimeLine Theatre), The Penelopiad, The Nacirema Society and Relentless (Goodman Theatre), Chlorine Sky (Steppenwolf), Cullud Wattah (Victory Gardens), The Last Pair of Earlies and Crumbs from the Table of Joy (U/S performed, Raven Theatre), Middle Passage (Lifeline Theatre), Comfort Stew and Migration (ETA Creative Arts Foundation), The Colored Museum (Pegasus Theatre Chicago) and The Greenbook (Chicago Dramatists). TV credits include Power Book IV: Force (Starz) and The Bear (FX). Dee earned her BFA in Theater at East Carolina University.

Daria Harper (Actor 1, she/her), born and raised in Los Angeles, is a Shattered Globe ensemble member. Her SGT credits include Mill Fire, Crime and Punishment, Rose Tattoo, Hannah and Martin and Rasheeda Speaking, for which she received a Jeff Nomination for supporting actor in 2022. Other credits include Spoon River Anthology (Provisions Theatre), The Hat Maker’s Wife (Evolve Theatre), Devil in the Dirt (Red Twist Theatre), Tartuffe (Bo Ho Theatre), The Golden Dragon (Sideshow Theatre), The Cyclist (Genesis Theatrical Productions), Never a Bridesmaid (Polarity Ensemble Theater) and Fuddy Meers (Ka-Tet Theatre). Film credits include El Salvador (director Oliver Stone).  Harper holds a BFA in acting from Carnegie Mellon University, an MFA in Acting from the University of Virginia, and has been a London-trained Alexander Technique Teacher since 1982.

Jazzma Pryor (Actor 6, she/her) is an ensemble member with Shattered Globe Theatre where her credits include Jump, STEW, Hannah and Martin and Crime and Punishment. Other Chicago credits include Until The Flood, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf, The Light, Twilight: Los Angeles,1992, Sunset Baby and From The Mississippi Delta (Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre), Doubt: A Parable (Irish Theatre of Chicago), Phillis: The American Revolutionary (Redd Opera), Insurrection: Holding History (Stage Left Theatre), Marisol (Promethean Theatre) and Prelude to a Kiss (The Comrades). Pryor has a M.S. in Leadership for Creative Enterprises from Northwestern University and B.A. in Production Studies in Theatre from Clemson University. 

Diego Vazquez Gomez (Actor 2, he/they) is a proud Mexican and Argentinian theater artist from Miami and recent Chicago transfer making his Shattered Globe debut. Other Chicago credits include The Full Monty (Paramount Theatre), A Year with Frog and Toad and The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party (Chicago Children’s Theater) and A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane Theater). Other credits include Romeo y Julieta Limeño (National Black Theatre Festival) and Heathers and The Motherf*cker with the Hat (UNCSA). TV credits include Chicago Stories (WTTW). Gomez graduated with a BFA in Acting from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2023.

Glenn Obrero (Actor 4, he/him) is also making his Shattered Globe debut. He was last seen in Ironbound at Raven Theatre. Other credits include The Great Leap (Steppenwolf Theatre), The Chinese Lady (Timeline Theatre), 20,000 Leagues under the Seas (Lookingglass) and Wipeout (Rivendell). Film credits include When Cats Fly. TV credits include Chicago Fire (NBC) and nExt (FOX). Obrero is an ensemble member of Rivendell Theatre. He graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Acting.

Jeff Rodriguez (Actor 7, she/her, he/him) previously appeared at Shattered Globe Theatre in last season’s production of Jump. Other Chicago credits include All's Well That Ends Well, As You Like It, Shakespeare in Love, Richard III and The Comedy of Errors (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Support Group for Men and Revolutions (Goodman Theatre), 33 to Nothing (A Red Orchid Theatre), The Legend of Georgia McBride (Northlight Theatre), Verboten (The House Theatre of Chicago), Zurich (Steep Theatre), One Came Home (Lifeline Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Teatro Vista), All My Sons (Eclectic Theatre Co.) and Amadeus (Boho Theatre). Regional credits include As You Like It (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre) and Richard III, Twelfth Night and The Tempest (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre). TV credits include Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount), Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Crisis (NBC), and Proven Innocent (FOX). Rodriguez is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf and Illinois State University.

William Anthony Sebastian Rose II (Actor 8, he/him) is also making his Shattered Globe debut. Chicago credits include Inanimate (Theater Wit), The Love Object (The Story Theater), Tambo & Bones (Refracted Theater Co., Jeff Award Winner Performance in a Principal Role in a play), Fences (American Blues Theater, Jeff Award Best Production of a Play) and The Tragedy of King Christophe (The House Theater Chicago, Black Theater Alliance Award Winner Best Leading Actor in a Play). Regional credits include Oak (Urbanite Theater) and A Christmas Carol (Farmers Alley Theater).

Penelope Walker’s (Actor 5, she/her) many credits include A Christmas Carol, Inherit The Wind, The Story, Crowns and Wit (Goodman Theatre), Purpose and Don DeLillo’s Love Lies Bleeding (Steppenwolf and The Kennedy Center), Mother Of The Maid, Into The Breeches, Curve Of Departure, Eclipsed, Gee’s Bend and Bee-luther-Hatchee (Northlight Theatre), The House That Will Not Stand and No One As Nasty (Victory Gardens), Life Sucks and J. Nicole Brooks’ Black Diamond: The Years the Locusts Have Eaten (Lookingglass), Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England (Theater Wit), Love & Information (Remy Bumppo), We’re Gonna Be Okay, The Project(s), Agnes of God, Doubt and The People’s Temple (American Theater Company), Will You Stand Up? (Erasing the Distance), Laura Jacqmin’s 10 Virgins and Lydia R. Diamond’s Voyeurs de Venus (Chicago Dramatists), Omnium Gatherum (Next Theatre), Chris-T (MPAACT), The Clink (Rivendell Theatre) and Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery (Chicago Theatre Company). Walker created and starred in her own solo pieces, Daddy’s Girl and How I Jack Master Funked the Sugar in My Knee Caps! She has appeared regionally with the Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage and the Alley Theatre. Films include Olympia, Dubious Ruffians and Flowers. TV credits include The Bear, Chicago Med, Chicago Justice and Chicago Fire (NBC), South Side (Comedy Central), and Work In Progress and Boss (Showtime). 

About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre seeks to redefine what it means to be an ensemble theatre, discover new connections between story, artist and audience, and explore drama from bold, challenging perspectives. 

Shattered Globe Theatre was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 80 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 44 Jeff Awards and 118 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. 

Guided by Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, Shattered Globe’s values are rooted in a commitment to racial equity, respect for all artists and support for the ensemble, while creating new opportunities to amplify traditionally marginalized voices and collaborate in all aspects of its work. Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre’s Ensemble has 29 members: Judy Anderson, Louis Contey, David Dastmalchian, Demetra Dee, Joe Forbrich, Christina Gorman, Daria Harper, Tina M. Jach, Rebecca Jordan, Steve Kleinedler, Vivian Knouse, AmBer Montgomery, Tina Muñoz Pandya, Eileen Niccolai, Jazzma Pryor, Hailey Rakowiecki, Deanna Reed-Foster, Linda Reiter, Nate Santana, Drew Schad, Adam Schulmerich, Leslie Ann Sheppard, Sandy Shinner, Joe Sikora, Shelley Strasser, Devonte E. Washington, Sarah Jo White, Joseph Wiens and Brad Woodard.

SGT’s Artistic Associates now number 20 including Daniela Colucci, Mikey Gray, Lawrence Grimm, Darren Jones, Christopher Kriz, Jason Lynch, Elizabeth Margolius, Kelsey Melvin, Tim Newell, Jane Nix, Aila Peck, Steve Peebles, David Antonio Reed, Jasmine Cheri Rush, Angie Shriner, Abbey Smith, Becca Smith, Michael Trudeau, Ayanna Wimberley and Austin Winter.

Brenda and James Grusecki are the Lead Season Sponsors of Shattered Globe Theatre. SGT is also supported by generous grants from The Bayless Family Foundation, The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, Brenda and James Grusecki, Carol P. Eastin, The Shubert Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council.

Visit SGTheatre.org for subscriptions, tickets and information, and follow the company @shatteredglobe on Facebook and Instagram.