THE CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOUIS LE PRINCE VIA THE FACTORY THEATER JUNE 6 - JULY 19, 2025

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THE FACTORY THEATER ANNOUNCES

THE CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES OF 

LOUIS LE PRINCE

JUNE 6 - JULY 19

 WRITTEN BY CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER CHASE WHEATON-WERLE

AND DIRECTED BY BECCA HOLLOWAY

This Courtroom Drama Inspired by Real Events is the Final Production of 

The Factory’s 30th Season

The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St., is proud to announce the final production of their 30th season, The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince, written by Factory Chief Operations Officer Chase Wheaton-Werle and directed by Becca Holloway, June 6 - July 19. Previews for The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince are Friday, June 6, Saturday, June 7 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 8 at 3 p.m. The press opening is Friday, June 13 at 8 p.m. The regular performance schedule includes Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. There will be additional Thursday performances July 10 and 17 at 8 p.m. An accessibility performance is Sunday, June  29 at 3 p.m. and an understudy performance is Sunday, July 6 at 3 p.m. The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince has an approximate runtime of one hour and thirty minutes. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased at the door or by visiting TheFactoryTheater.com.

On September 16, 1890, inventor Louis Le Prince boarded a train bound for Paris, in preparation for a visit to the United States to demonstrate his single-lens motion picture camera. He never reached his destination. Seven years later, it falls to his widow and son to investigate his disappearance and fight for his legacy in this amazing story based on true events.

Based on the true unsolved mystery of Louis Le Prince, this play follows Lizzie and Adolphe Le Prince as they track the inventor’s last known whereabouts and cross the Atlantic to a New York courtroom for a confrontation with legendary inventor Thomas Edison.

Half Victorian-era mystery, half courtroom drama, The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince explores how we struggle with unresolved tragedies, and how we remember (or don’t remember) the people in our history.

Top Row (left to right): Ethan Smith (Adolphe), Aimee Kleiman (Lizzie), Patrick Blashill (Edison/Seward), Joe Sergio (Louis/Albert),

Middle Row (left to right): Joel Ottenheimer (John/Page), Ksa Curry (Dickson/Higginbotham/Longley), Andrew Bosworth (Mason/Dougan/Tate), Alex Albrecht (Richard/Dyer/Morgan),

Bottom Row (left to right) Joseph Antonio (Adolphe U/S), Jill Smethells Frederickson (Lizzie U/S), Anthony Augustine (Louis/Albert/Seward/Edison U/S), Natalie Opoku (Page/Mason/Tate/Wilson/Dyer U/S) 

The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince cast includes Ethan Smith (Adolph Le Prince); Aimee Kleiman (Lizzie Le Prince); Patrick Blashill (Clarence Seward/Thomas Edison); Joe Sergio (Louis Le Prince/Albert Le Prince); Joel Ottenheimer (Parker Page track); Ksa Curry (William Dickson track); Andrew Bosworth (Fred Mason/Mr. Tate track); Alex Albrecht (Richard Wilson/Richard Dyer track); Joseph Antonio (US Adolphe); Jill Frederickson~ (US Lizzie and Dickson); Anthony Augustine (US Louis/Albert & Seward/Edison) and Natalie Opoku (US Page, Mason/Tate & Wilson/Dyer).

The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince creative team includes Chase Wheaton-Werle~ (playwright); Becca Holloway (director); Christine Watt (assistant director); Miranda Hernandez (production manager); Aidan Leake (stage manager); Hayley Wallenfeldt (set designer/charge); Victoria Jablonski (costume designer); Rachel Livingston (props designer); Jack Goodman (lighting designer); Henry Bender* (master electrician); Sebby Woldt (sound designer); David Sajewich (projections designer) and Andersonville Scenic (technical director/master carpenter).

∽ denotes Factory Ensemble; * denotes Artistic Associate  

ABOUT CHASE WHEATON-WERLE, playwright

Chase Wheaton-Werle is a proud member of The Factory Theater ensemble as well as its Chief Operations Officer. His mainstage Factory credits include Prophet$, Last Night in Karaoke Town, The Kelly Girls and Die Hard 4 Your Luv.  Most recently you may have seen Wheaton-Werle’s writing with the Jeff-nominated Factory show Wise Guys: The First Christmas Story. He is represented by Big Mouth Talent Agency.

ABOUT BECCA HOLLOWAY, director

Becca Holloway is an emeritus member of the Factory ensemble and a director and casting director around the city. Previous Factory credits include Die Hard 4 Your Luv (2024; director), Wide Guys: The First Christmas Story (2023; director), Last Night in Karaoke Town (2020/2022; AD/music director/choreographer), The Hamilton Beach 420 Special (The 2021 Factory Holiday Show; director), The Factory Zone (2019; actor) and Prophet$! (2019; AD/choreographer). She is also a proud company member of Red Theater where she is also the resident casting director. Halloway has been lucky enough to work on the directing teams of companies including Hell in a Handbag, Broken Nose Theater, Oil Lamp Theater, Theatre Evolve, The Comrades, Refuge Theatre and many others. On a personal note, she and Chase Wheaton-Werle are married and partners in life and art.

ABOUT THE FACTORY THEATER

Since 1992, The Factory Theater has delivered unexpected, unapologetic theatrical experiences through original works, forged and assembled by our shameless ensemble.

The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St., is proud to announce the final production of their 30th season, The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince, written by Factory Chief Operations Officer Chase Wheaton-Werle and directed by Becca Holloway, June 6 - July 19. Previews for The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince are Friday, June 6, Saturday, June 7 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 8 at 3 p.m. The press opening is Friday, June 13 at 8 p.m. The regular performance schedule includes Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. There will be additional Thursday performances July 10 and 17 at 8 p.m. An accessibility performance is Sunday, June  29 at 3 p.m. and an understudy performance is Sunday, July 6 at 3 p.m. The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince has an approximate runtime of one hour and thirty minutes. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased at the door or by visiting TheFactoryTheater.com.

World Premiere of The Infinity Play Via Curious Theatre Branch Now Playing Through May 18th at Jarvis Square Theatre

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CURIOUS THEATRE BRANCH CONTINUES ITS 36th SEASON WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF PAUL WILLIAM BRENNAN’S

THE INFINITY PLAY

NOW PLAYING THROUGH MAY 18, AT JARVIS SQUARE THEATER

This Play of Fables is Directed by Brennan and Maya Odim.

Curious Theatre Branch, is proud to present the world premiere of The Infinity Play, written by Paul William Brennan and directed by Brennan and Maya Odim, now playing through May 18, at Jarvis Square Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave. The performance schedule of Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. The running time is 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets for The Infinity Play are on sale at CuriousTheatreBranch.com. Tickets are priced on a “pay what you can” scale, with a suggested price of $20. 

In ten scenes of different times, places and proportions, a pair of players take turns to clean up the mess the preceding players made, but end up making a bigger mess for the players after them. 

The cast of The Infinity Play includes Curious Theatre ensemble members Julie Williams (she/her), Vicki Walden (she/her) and Leny Brün (he/they), as well as returning Curious players Kristin Garrison (she/her), Lola Zimmerman (she/her), Maya Odim (she/her), Shaun Rosten (he/him) and new Curious players Lynda Cortez (they/she), John Francis Klingle (he/they) and Douglas Levin (he/him).

The production team includes Paul William Brennan (he/him, director); Maya Odim (she/her, director); Charlotte Lastra (she/her, scenic designer and stage manager). Produced with Jenny Magnus (she/her), Stefan Brün (he/him), Chris Bower (he/him) and Beau O Reilly (he/him).

ABOUT PAUL WILLIAM BRENNAN, playwright/director

Paul William Brennan is a Chicago filmmaker, playwright, transgressor to the rule of three, and performer. Under Curious Theatre Branch's banner, he wrote and produced Daughter (2013), Subjective is Beauty (2018) and Beckett: a Show About Nothingness (2020), none of which you've heard of. Other theater companies for whom he's written, performed and/or produced include Prop Thtr, Silent Theatre Company, Labyrinth Arts Collective, Sweetback Productions, Hate/Lab, and The Meat Machine. His comedic endeavors include membership in the Uploose Odditorium troupe and one half of Chicago revisionist comedy duo John & Paul. His work consistently attempts to consolidate ties between the mediums of theatre and film. Due to the childhood experience of spending three years in a washing machine, almost everything he writes accidentally involves comically tragic and inevitable cycles.

ABOUT MAYA ODIM, director

Maya Odim has an interdisciplinary practice rooted in places where writing and dance meets. Odim anchors an artistic approach in spaces where phrases of language and phrases of movement can overlap (exploring how words move and what bodies they are a part of). She is a poet in residence with the Chicago Poetry Center and a lecturer in Theater and Performance Studies at the University of Chicago.

ABOUT CURIOUS THEATRE BRANCH

Curious Theatre Branch is dedicated to the creation of new plays and performances and to the production of the annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival. Curious aims to promote innovative works of the imagination in the performing arts from a broad and inclusive spectrum of artists and are also devoted to mentoring programs that engage emerging artists as a way to enrich and expand our artistic community.  We are committed to creating and producing new plays and performances in a collaborative manner, encouraging our members as artists to share decision making and responsibilities, while expanding their skills as writers, actors, designers, directors and arts administrators.  Curious also is committed to the idea that a pay what you can pricing policy is sustainable and will suffice over the long term as an economic model.

WORLD PREMIERE OF THE OSTRICH MAY 2 - 17, AT BERGER PARK’S NORTH MANSION

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THE TERROR COTTAS AND CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT ANNOUNCE THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

THE OSTRICH

MAY 2 - 17, AT BERGER PARK’S NORTH MANSION

 The Ostrich, a Site-Specific Piece Featuring the Wright Brothers 

Written by Wendy A. Schmidt and directed by Eileen Tull

This show looks like a ton of affordable fun... in a mansion no less! Sadly I'm booked solid and can't squeeze this one in. But here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we're huge fans of the Chicago Park District and adore Berger Park. So we're happy to spread the word. 

The Terror Cottas and Chicago Park District are pleased to announce the cast and creative team for the world premiere of The Ostrich, written by Wendy A. Schmidt and directed by Eileen Tull, May 2 - 17 at Berger Park’s North Mansion, 6205 N. Sheridan. Opening night is Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m. with the press opening Saturday, May 3 at 7 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7 p.m. with an Industry performance on Monday, May 12 at 7 p.m. The runtime is 100 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $5 - $10 and go on sale April 18 at  TheTerrorCottas.org.

Please Note: This venue is not handicap accessible, as the only entrance is via stairs. The audience will move six to ten times throughout the performance. Chairs will be provided in each setting, with the exception of two five-minute scenes. For any accommodations needed, please contact TheTerrorCottas@gmail.com.

Orville and Wilbur Wright, the Wright Brothers, have arrived in present-day Ostrich, Indiana, to build an airstrip. Chuck, a farmer, and his sister, the mayor and proprietor of a tacky bed and breakfast called The Ostrich Feather, must grapple with tradeoffs in the effort to do what’s best for the place they love. Can technological progress finally get Ostrich off the ground? The first floor of an old mansion is transformed into an ostrich-themed bed and breakfast for this site-specific dark comedy, about the human cost of invention in bed with capitalism, and the audience is seated in the middle of the action. Early reactions include “So timely,” “That is f’d up,” “The Cherry Orchard boiled down to five minutes” and “Oh noooo!”

The cast of The Ostrich includes Jorge Salas (he/him/el, Chuck); Shellie DiSalvo (they/sidhe); Pete Wood (he/him, Orville Wright); Donaldson Cardenas (he/they, Wilbur Wright); Ellen Adalaide (she/her, Gidgitomy/ensemble); Jonathan Crabtree (he/him, Hasty/ensemble); Paul Kaufmann (he/him, U/S Chuck and Orville); Debra FitzGerald (she/her, U/S Incandescence and Gidgitomy) and Ted Dayton (he/him, U/S Wilbur and Hasty).

The creative team of The Ostrich includes Eileen Tull (she/her, director); Wendy A. Schmidt (she/her, playwright); Sallie Anne Young (she/her, stage manager); Mary Aurora Moore (she/her, properties and set designer); Annie A. (she/they, costume designer); Daniel “Taz” Stahlnecker (he/him, assistant director) and Lou McNaughton (they/them, assistant stage manager).

ABOUT EILEEN TULL, DIRECTOR

Eileen Tull is a Chicago-based theatremaker, poet, educator, and one-woman-show person. Her work has been seen all over Chicago in bookstores, art galleries, bars, non-traditional spaces, and sometimes in theaters. Directing credits include Funny, Like An Abortion (Fat Theatre Project/Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble), Household Spirits (Theater Wit), STEPS (Improv Playhouse), and dozens of productions with the Chicago Park District including The Phantom Tollbooth, Cheerleaders VS. Aliens, Jason and the Argo-NOTS, Big Smoke, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Witches with elementary aged children and No Exit and Happy Days with adults. Eileen is the producer of both The Alice Gerstenberg Play Festival with the park district and The Gloria Bond Clunie New Playwrights Festival with Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre. She is a drama instructor with the Chicago Park District, where she has taught creative classes to folks of all ages for almost 10 years. Eileen founded Fat Theatre Project in 2024 where she teaches, produces, writes, and directs. She is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago and is currently working towards an MFA in Directing & Playwriting at Randolph College. www.eileentull.com

ABOUT WENDY A. SCHMIDT, PLAYWRIGHT

Wendy A. Schmidt is a playwright, theatre producer, and visual artist. Past lives as a devout Christian and as a painter inform her work today. She is fascinated with perception and how people construct worlds to live in together. She usually writes about how Capitalism directly conflicts with every Christian value she’s ever had. Productions include This Music Should Not Be at RhinoFest (2024), about the self-alienation of technology; her one-woman play Maker of Worlds starring Amy Gorelow at Theater for the New City’s Dream-Up Festival (NYC) (2019), about the toxic marriage of Capitalism and religion; and Marvelous Madeleines at Berger Park Coach House (2016), a rom-com about two companies who fall in love and get married now that Citizens United has made it legal. She once almost won an award, and was rejected for many other things. She formed The Terror Cottas in 2022 to build audience and create performance opportunities for the work of experimental playwrights. Educational highlights include a BFA in drawing from Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, philosophy classes at Marquette and DePaul, the La MaMa Umbria Playwrights Retreat x3, playwriting at Chicago Dramatists, and acting at Piven Theater Workshop, Green Shirt Studios, and TUTA.

ABOUT THE TERROR COTTAS

The Terror Cottas is an experimental playwright-driven theatre group based in Chicago. Its mission is to build audience and performance opportunities for experimental playwrights by sharing resources and networks among member playwrights and associate artists, applying for funding, and educating and welcoming audiences with radical hospitality.

Berger Park Cultural Center offers classes and cultural programming for kids, adults, and seniors all year round. The theatre for adults programs have presented original solo performances, as well as productions of Happy Days by Samuel Beckett and No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre. 

Citadel Theatre to Present Chicago Premiere of A JUKEBOX FOR THE ALGONQUIN, April 18 – May 18, 2025

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A JUKEBOX FOR THE ALGONQUIN

By Paul Stroili

Directed by Scott Westerman

April 18 – May 25, 2025 (Now extended due to popular demand)

"A GRAND COMEDIC ADVENTURE…that wittily navigates the highs and lows of aging with laughter, nostalgia and rebellion.“  Denver Gazette

Citadel Theatre will close its 2024-25 season with the Chicago premiere of A JUKEBOX FOR THE ALGONQUIN, by Chicago/Skokie-based actor and playwright Paul Stroili. Stroili’s comedy received its world premiere in 2023 at The Purple Rose Theatre, the Equity-affiliated theatre in Chelsea, Michigan founded by actor Jeff Daniels, that is dedicated to developing new American plays. 

A JUKEBOX FOR THE ALGONQUIN is set in the Placid Pines Senior Care Center. Some of the residents really want a jukebox for their recreation room, called The Algonquin. When the jukebox they have in mind – a vintage Wurlitzer, like the kind they remember from earlier years - costs more than the center can raise, a small band of residents hatch an unusual plot to come up with the money. 

Stroili’s comedy, which he describes as being “not a play about old people; it's a play about people who have just lived longer," was one of the most popular and successful plays at the Purple Rose Theatre. It recently concluded a successful engagement at Miner’s Alley Performing Arts Center in Denver and six more productions in addition to Citadel’s have been scheduled in theaters across the US. The DENVER GAZETTE called it “a deeply affecting comedy that reveals a major playwriting talent in Paul Stroili… A GRAND COMEDIC ADVENTURE…that wittily navigates the highs and lows of aging with laughter, nostalgia and rebellion.“ A JUKEBOX FOR THE ALGONQUIN will open on Friday, April 18, following previews on April 16 and 17, and play through May 25th, 2025. Tickets priced at $45 are now on sale at www.citadeltheatre.org.

A JUKEBOX FOR THE ALGONQUIN will be directed by Chicago actor and director Scott Westerman, who previously directed Citadel’s THE MOUSETRAP, THE CHRISTIANS, and SEX WITH STRANGERS. Westerman will direct an ensemble cast of seven. Johnnie, the longtime Placid Pines resident who is the primary instigator of the drive to buy the jukebox, will be played by Kenneth Johnson, whose credits include Sheldon in TROUBLE IN MIND with TimeLine Theatre and Pops Washington in BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY with Redtwist Theatre. His fellow resident Dennis, a gay man who uses a wheelchair, will be Bob Sanders, a veteran of several Citadel productions who is currently appearing as Arvide in GUYS AND DOLLS for Music Theatre Works.  Cast as Annie, a visually impaired resident who has taken on the responsibility of ensuring Placid Pines is a “bigot-free” zone, is Citadel co-founder Ellen Phelps. Phelps’ many credits at Citadel include Sharon in THE ROOMMATE and Miss Hannigan in ANNIE.

Peg, a recently divorced woman who has just moved into the independent living unit of Placid Pines and devises the scheme to raise the money to buy the juke box, will be Elizabeth Rude. Rude last appeared at Citadel in the company’s Jeff Award-winning THE EXPLORERS CLUB and later this year will reprise her role as Anne Smith in BILL W. AND DR. BOB with Theatre 68. Karla Corona, a member of The Artistic Home ensemble who had the title role in TAH’s production of EURYDICE, will play the no-nonsense Placid Pines manager Josefina. Patrick Thornton, an instructor with The Artistic Home’s Training Studio who appeared in that company’s DYING FOR IT, has been cast as Chuck, a maintenance worker with a troubled past. Chuck’s young co-worker Tyler will be Joshua Thomas, who understudied the leading role of Clayton Boone in GODS AND MONSTERS at Theatre Wit.  Understudies are Valerie Gorman (Annie), Adrian Campbell (Johnnie), Kim Buck (Peg), Gustavo Duran (Tyler), Laura Quinones. (Josefina), and Sean Harklerode (Dennis).

L-R, back: Elizabeth Rude, Ellen Phelps, Kenneth Johnson, Joshua Davis, Karla Corona.

Front: Bob Sanders. Photo by Ralph Durham. 

The production team includes Catalina Nino (Set Designer), Danielle Reinhardt (Costume Designer), Michael Trudeau (Lighting Designer), Hannah Kwak (Sound Designer), Ellen Markus (Properties Designer), Connor Windle (Stage Manager), Mitchell Pollitt (Master Carpenter), Alex Trinh (Stage Crew), and Scott and Ellen Phelps (Production Managers).

Citadel Theatre is in residence in the West Campus of the Lake Forest School District at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Further information and ticketing is available on the company’s website at www.citadeltheatre.org.

Friday April 18 - Sunday May 18, 2025

(Previews April 16-17 @ 7:30 pm)

Press Opening Friday, April 18 at 7:30 pm

Thursdays*, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sunday matinees at 3 pm. Wednesday matinees at 1 pm on April 23 and May 7. No performances on Thursdays, April 24 and May 8.

Preview ticket prices $20. Regular run prices $45.00. Discounts available for groups, seniors and students.

Citadel Theatre, located in the West Campus building of the Lake Forest School District 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL

Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org. or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1

The residents of Placid Pines Senior Care Center really want a jukebox for their recreation room, called The Algonquin. When the jukebox they have in mind – a vintage Wurlitzer like the kind they remember from earlier years -  costs more than the center can raise, a small band of residents hatch a plot to come up with the money.

 

BIOS

Scott Westerman (Director) makes, does, and teaches theatre and film in and around Chicago. At Citadel, he has directed THE MOUSETRAP, THE CHRISTIANS and SEX WITH STRANGERS. Scott is the founding Artistic Director of Go To Productions, a 501©3 nonprofit which develops projects that explore the nexus between theatre and film. He created and directed the web series HAMLET & OPHELIA which won Best Picture at the New York Film Awards, Best Web Series at the LA Film Awards, and Best Mobile Series at the 2022 New Media Film Festival. Scott has directed stage productions for The Artistic Home, ChiArts, City Lit Theatre, Chimera Theatre Company, Citadel Theatre, Beyond This Point, Barter Theatre, Stage Left Theatre, The Smithsonian Institution, American Theatre Company (Bridge), National High School Institute (Cherubs), and Reverie Theatre Company. Scott is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, an ensemble member with The Artistic Home, represented by Gray Talent Group, and a teaching artist with Writers Theatre and The Theatre School at DePaul University. He has an MFA from The Shakespeare Theatre Academy. As an actor, Scott has worked with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Lookingglass, Northlight, The Shakespeare Theatre and Ford’s Theatre in DC, Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, the Warehouse Theatre in South Carolina, and the Barter Theatre in Virginia to name a few. On Camera credits include MACHINE GUN PREACHER, PRISON BREAK, and HEIST 88 which will premiere in 2023. More about Scott can be perused at www.ScottWesterman.org.

Paul Stroili (Playwright).  A resident artist at The Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, Michigan, Paul Stroili’s writing includes the plays CHEESE LOUISE (with Maureen Morley), MY DINNER WITH ARLECCHINO, PLANE CRAZY (with Cissy Conner), A JUKEBOX FOR THE ALGONQUIN (which was a finalist in the Austin Film Festival Playwriting competition, and LAST CALL AT THE AARDVARK. A member of the original Chicago cast of TONY ‘N TINA’S WEDDING, Paul directed the critically acclaimed revival 25 years later. As an actor, his television credits include EMPIRE, CHICAGO P.D., and UNDERCOVER BRIDESMAID,  MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, BROTHER’S KEEPER, GETTING PERSONAL, CHANCE OF A LIFETIME, HELP ME and THE UNTOUCHABLES, His film credits include ONLY DANCE CAN SAVE US, THE BEATING, GRATITUDE, COLD JUSTICE, THE WRONG PROFILE and THE REAL WHATEVER. Paul was nominated for an Ovation Award for Best Solo Performance and an LA Weekly Award for PAUL STROILI’S STRAIGHT UP WITH A TWIST, which enjoyed over 1000 performances nationwide and culminated in a twice extended Off Broadway run.

Scott Phelps (Artistic Director) is in his 23rd year as the Artistic Director at Citadel. He’s acted in and directed dozens of Citadel productions over the nearly two and one-half decades since founding this North Shore theatre in 2002 with his friend and lifelong companion, Ellen. In 2023, he starred in the leading role of Pastor Paul in THE CHRISTIANS. He has acted/directed in NYC, and in his home state of California, trained as an actor at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, CA, received his BFA from the University of Utah, and did an apprenticeship at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in KY. For 18 years Scott worked for a promotional company and raised his three daughters and his son in Lake Forest. Recently he has been taking on the next chapter of his life — the role of “Beepa” to his grandchildren. Although he is unsure if he is old enough to play that part, he’s been enjoying the challenge.

Citadel Theatre is one of Chicagoland’s premier live theatres, producing hundreds of performances annually and inspiring audiences for nearly 23 years. Founded by Scott and Ellen Phelps in 2002, Citadel Theatre is comprised of its Main Stage performances and its theatre acting classes for children. A proud member of the League of Chicago Theatres and the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff ArtsLink, Citadel Theatre offers a unique intimate theatre experience that transports you to another setting and leaves you feeling exhilarated and wanting more. A recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Citadel can accept tax-deductible donations. 

For more information, ticketing, and to donate, please visit Citadel online at www.citadeltheatre.org. or call 847.735.8554.

The Story Theatre Presents At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen April 26 – May 25, 2025 at Raven Theatre

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The Story Theatre Presents

At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen

By Governing Ensemble member Terry Guest

Directed by Mikael Burke

Pictured: Governing Ensemble member Terry Guest in a publicity image for The Story Theatre’s At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen. Photo by David Hagen.

Featuring Governing Ensemble members

Terry Guest and Paul Michael Thomson

Twice Extended Due to Popular Demand.Now Playing Through May 25th, 2025 

The Story Theatre is over the moon to kick off Season V with a reimagined production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen by Governing Ensemble member and Joseph Jefferson Award-winning playwright Terry Guest, directed by Joseph Jefferson Award-winning director Mikael Burke. This critically-acclaimed play about Black queer life, death and drag in the rural South will run April 26 – May 25, 2025 on Raven Theatre’s Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville) in Chicago, with multiple possible extensions. Tickets are now on sale at thestorytheatre.org/tickets, ci.ovationtix.com/34415/production/1234667  or by calling (773) 338-2177. 

The production will feature Governing Ensemble members Terry Guest and Paul Michael Thomson reprising their roles from The Story’s world premiere production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen in Season II during the summer of 2019. In a moment when the art of drag has taken on increased political risk and resonance, when federal funding for HIV and AIDS resources hangs precariously in the balance and when the right to express oneself freely without fear of persecution is under attack, The Story is proud to reimagine this vital, deeply compassionate work.

About the Production:

Courtney Berringers would like to welcome you to her wake! But – make no mistake – this ain’t your grandma’s funeral. Loosely based on the life and death of playwright Terry Guest’s Uncle Anthony, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen is a one-act, two-hander play set in 2004 that centers Blackness, southern queerness and the fine art of drag. From African gods and goddesses to Trina and Whitney Houston, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen thoughtfully uses storytelling, drama and drag to explore identity, illness and the narratives we construct for ourselves. Come party at the wake. Bring your own heels!

Playwright and actor Terry Guest comments, "When I wrote this play at the start of the first Trump presidency, I hoped and assumed that it would be irrelevant by now. Drag was popular and mainstream, queer artists were becoming household names and it seemed like we were on the edge of curing HIV for good. Almost 10 years later, at the dawn of the second Trump presidency, the play is sadly more relevant than ever.”

Guest adds, “I had a lot to say when I first wrote this play, but I didn't always know how to say it. Now, I have the craft, tools, life experience and resources to create the production I always believed was possible. Finally, the community of theatregoers has shifted so dramatically since we first premiered this play in 2019. I am so excited to share this play with a cohort of audiences and artists who have heard rumblings about our past production, but who never got to see it for themselves. I can't wait for them to laugh, lean in and mourn with us at the wake."

The Story Theatre’s Governing Ensemble states, "When we first produced this play in Season II, it was Terry Guest's first professional production. But we knew then what the national theatre community has come to know now: Guest is a singular talent, a once-in-a-generation voice in the American theatre and a damn good performer to boot. At that time, as a grassroots nonprofit founded by working artists and not funded by generational wealth, we put on our smash hit world premiere with a couple thousand dollars, borrowed wigs and a fervent belief in this story. We still have that belief in this story. Now, we have the resources to share this reimagined production with more audiences than ever before. Under Mikael Burke's genius direction and this duo of talented actors, this reimagined production is, to quote protagonist Courtney Berringers, 'bigger than life, bigger than death,' but ultimately just about telling the truth.

Then and Now:

The Story Theatre’s critically-acclaimed Season II production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen put the young company, the production’s creative team and this magnificent play on the map. Since its world premiere production, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen has been produced seven times across the U.S. to sold-out houses, stunning reviews and prestigious accolades. Playwright Terry Guest has gone on to receive productions and commissions from some of the biggest companies in Chicago and beyond, including: Nightbirds and The Madness of Mary Todd at Goodman Theatre; The Magnolia Ballet at About Face Theatre (Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production); and Marie Antoinette & the Magical Negroes at The Story Theatre (Joseph Jefferson Awards for Best New Work, Best Director, and Best Ensemble). In 2022, Guest was awarded the David Goldamn Best New American Play Award from the National New Play Network for The Magnolia Ballet and was featured in the NPR article “Where Will the Next Hamilton Come From?”

Director Mikael Burke has also gone onto achieve critical acclaim and accolades after directing the 2019 production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen. His 2023 production of Tambo & Bones at Refracted Theatre Company garnered the Joseph Jefferson Awards for Best Production and Best Director. And The Story Theatre has since been named 2021’s “Best New Theatre Company” by Chicago Reader, as well as receiving the support of the Chicago Bulls Charities, DCASE CityArts and the Illinois Arts Council.

The production team for At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen includes Alyssa Mohn (Scenic Design), Racquel Postilgione (Costume Design), Brenden Marble (Lighting Design), Ethan Korvne (Sound Design, Original Composition), Danyelle Monson (Choreographer), Spencer Diaz Tootle (Prop Design), Victoria Nassif (Intimacy Direction), Stina Taylor (Technical Direction/Assistant Scenic Design), Olivia Sullam (Stage Manager), Tessa Huber (Assistant Stage Manager), Shelbi Weaver (Production Manager), David Hagen (Director of Design), Ayanna Bria Bakari* (Wig Design), Brenna DiStasio* (Associate Director) and Brenna DiStasio* and Ayanna Bria Bakari* (Producers).

*Denotes a member of The Story Theatre’s Governing Ensemble

Content Advisory: If you would like content details before purchasing your ticket, please feel free to email production@thestorytheatre.org. The Story recognizes that individual sensitivities are myriad, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions.

Production Details:

Cast (in alphabetical order): Terry Guest* (Courtney Berringers/Anthony Knighton) and Paul Michael Thomson* (Vickie Versailles/Hunter Grimes)

Understudies: Winter Olamina (Courtney/Anthony) and D. Shea Petersen (Vickie/Hunter)

Location: Raven Theatre Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville), Chicago

Dates: Previews: Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, April 27 at 3 pm

Press Opening: Monday, April 28 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 25, 2025 (with multiple possible extensions)

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm

Tickets: $10 – 40 (tiered options) Tickets are now on sale at thestorytheatre.org/tickets, ci.ovationtix.com/34415/production/1234667 or by calling (773) 338-2177

Group tickets: Special group grates are available. For more information, call (773) 338-2177 or email brenna@thestorytheatre.org

Plan Your Visit:

Free parking is provided in a lot adjacent to the theatre—additional street parking is available.

Nearest El station: Granville Red Line. Buses: #22 (Clark), #36 (Broadway), #151 (Sheridan), #155 (Devon), #84 (Peterson).

About the Artists:

Terry Guest (Director) is a three-time Jeff Award winning playwright, actor, director and teaching artist. His play The Magnolia Ballet had its National New Play Network (NNPN) rolling world premiere in 2022 and has since gone on to win two Jeff Awards, the NNPN Best New American Play Award and was featured on NPR. Terry went on to direct his play Marie Antionette and the Magical Negros at The Story theater which won three Jeff Awards (including Best Director and Best New Play for Terry). Other works include: Milo Imagines The World, At The Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, OAK, Nighbirds (Goodman New Stages Residency) and A Ghost in Satin (Williamstown Theatre Festival). As an actor, Terry has worked at regional theaters including Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Alliance Theatre, About Face Theatre and Actors Express. He is a Governing Ensemble member at The Story Theatre, a Hermitage Fellow and a teaching artist at Jackalope, Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre and Chicago Children’s Theatre.

Mikael Burke (Director, he/him) is a black queer director, deviser and educator based in Chicago. A Princess Grace Award recipient in Theatre (2017) and Joseph Jefferson Award-winning Director (2024), Mikael has also been recognized with a Black Theatre Alliance Award for Directing (2022), and as one of New City Magazine’s “50 Players of Chicago” in 2023 & 2025. Mikael is an Artistic Associate at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company in Chicago, as well as at About Face Theatre, where he also previously served as Associate Artistic Director. He’s is an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University and Roosevelt University, and is a proud member of SDC. He holds an MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University, and you can learn more about him at mklburke.com.

Recent directing credits at the Story Theatre include: At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen by Terry Guest (World Premiere); Who’s Afraid of Deepak Chopra by Tyla Abercrumbie (The (W)rights of Summer). Additional credits include: Milo Imagines the World by Christian Magby, Christian Albright and Terry Guest (World Premiere, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Chicago); King James by Rajiv Joseph (Forward Theatre, Madison, WI); Oak by Terry Guest (World Premiere, Urbanite Theatre, Sarasota, FL); Othello by William Shakespeare (Theatreworks Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO); Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago); Notes from the Field by Anna Deveare Smith (TimeLine Theatre, Chicago); The Salvagers by Harrison David Rivers (World Premiere, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT); Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris (Refracted Theatre Company, Chicago, winner of 8 Jeff Awards); Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Chicago); Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage (Theaterworks Hartford, Hartford, CT, winner of 1 CCC Award); The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest (About Face Theatre, Chicago, IL, winner of 2 Jeff Awards).

About The Story Theatre:

Founded in 2018, The Story Theatre will pose questions rather than provide answers. We develop and produce new work that is whimsical, melancholic, mythic in vision, and intimate in scale. We are run by a Governing Artistic Ensemble, who ensures our work is actively dismantling racism and inequity, while cultivating community through activism and catharsis.

Our Emerging Playwright Residency Program fosters the growth of playwright at the beginnings of an exciting career. After an intensive application and interview process, the Governing Ensemble chooses one playwright-in-residence and offers them: a fully-produced run of a completed full-length play; the development of a new script through our unique inquiry-based workshop process; a free public staged reading of this new script; and our trusted advocacy with industry professionals every step of the way.

The Story Theatre is funded in part by The Michael and Mona Heath Fund, The Illinois Arts Council, and The Cecilia, Marcia, and Jay Iole Foundation.

GARY: A SEQUEL TO TITUS ANDRONICUS VIA REDTWIST THEATRE APRIL 24 - JUNE 1

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

REDTWIST THEATRE ANNOUNCES CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR 

GARY: A SEQUEL TO TITUS ANDRONICUS 

WRITTEN BY TAYLOR MAC AND DIRECTED BY STEVE SCOTT

APRIL 24 - JUNE 1

Award-Winning Artist, Pulitzer Prize Finalist and MacArthur “Genius” Taylor Mac Pens the Aftermath to Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus 

Award-winning Redtwist Theatre, currently presenting, the recently extended through April 6, Titus Andronicus, one of the top rated plays in Chicago, according to TheaterInChicago.com, is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Taylor Mac’s Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, April 24 - June 1, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave, directed by Steve Scott. Previews are Thursday, April 24 - Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. 

I'll be out for the press opening April 27th, so check back soon after for my full review. The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. The running time is currently 95 minutes with no intermission. Two understudy performances will occur on Thursday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 25 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 for general admission, with pay-what-you-can pricing every Friday and are available now at RedtwistTheatre.org. 

Taylor Mac’s singular world view intersects with Shakespeare’s first tragedy, Titus Andronicus. Set just after the blood-soaked conclusion of that sensationally gruesome tale, the years of battles are over, the country has been stolen by madmen, and there are casualties everywhere. And two very lowly servants are charged with cleaning up the bodies. It’s the year 400—but it feels like the end of the world.

Top Row, L to R: William Delforge and Hannah Rhode

Bottom Row: Cameron Austin Brown

The Gary cast includes William Delforge (he/him, Gary); Hannah Rhode (she/her, Janice); Cameron Austin Brown (he/him, Carol);  Hannah Rhode (she/her, Janice) with understudies TBA (U/S Gary); Madison Bacino (she/her, U/S Janice);  and Hannah McCauley (she/her, U/S Carol). 

The Gary creative team includes Steve Scott (he/him, director); Maria Reyes (she/her, stage manager); Ashley O’Neill (she/her, stage manager); Eric Luchen (he/him, set design); Korey Joseph (he/him, assistant director); kClare McKellaston (she/her, costume design); Robin Manganaro (she/her, props design); Jeff Brain (he/him, technical director); Seth Eggenschwiller (he/him, fight/violence director); Piper Kirchhofer (she/her, lighting design); Rain DeDominici (they/she, production manager); Eileen Dixon (she/her, casting director/co-artistic director) and Dusty Brown (they/them, co-artistic director).

Productions, participants and dates are subject to change. 

ABOUT TAYLOR MAC, playwright

Taylor Mac (who uses “judy”, lowercase sic, not as a name but as a gender pronoun) is a playwright, actor, singer-songwriter, performance artist, director and producer. “A critical darling of the New York scene” (New York Magazine), TimeOut NY has called Mac “One of the most exciting theater artists of our time” (naming judy a future theater legend). Judy’s work has been performed at New York City’s Lincoln Center, The Public Theatre and Playwrights Horizons, Los Angeles’s Royce Hall, Minneapolis’s Guthrie Theater, Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, the Sydney Opera House, Boston’s American Repertory Theatre, Stockholm’s SodraTheatern, the Spoleto Festival, San Francisco’s Curran Theater and MOMA and literally hundreds of other theaters, museums, music halls, opera houses, cabarets and festivals around the globe. Judy is the author of 17 full-length plays and performance pieces including HIR (placed on the top ten theater of 2015 lists of The New York Times, New York Magazine and Time Out NY; published by North Western University Press and in American Theater Magazine), The Lily’s Revenge (Obie Award), The Walk Across America for Mother Earth (named “One of the Best Plays of 2011” by The New York Times), The Young Ladies Of (Chicago’s Jeff Award nomination for best solo), Red Tide Blooming (Ethyl Eichelberger Award), The Be(a)st of Taylor Mac (Edinburgh Festival’s Herald Angel Award) and in collaboration with Mandy Patinkin, Susan Stroman and Paul Ford, Mac created The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville. Mac is the recipient of multiple awards including the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a Guggenheim Award, the Herb Alpert Award in Theater, the Peter Zeisler Memorial Award, the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award and an Obie. An alumnus of New Dramatists, judy is currently a New York Theater Workshop Usual Suspect and the resident playwright at the Here Arts Center.

ABOUT STEVE SCOTT, director

Steve Scott has directed eleven previous productions for Redtwist Theatre, including King Lear, Death of a Salesman, Clybourne Park and A Delicate Balance. During his career he has directed more than 300 productions locally and nationally; recent credits include Royko: The Toughest Man in Town at the Chopin Theatre and Native Gardens at Buffalo Theatre Ensemble. He is a member of the Redtwist ensemble and is an artistic associate and board member at the Goodman Theatre, where he served as producer for more than 30 years. For three decades Scott was on the faculty of the Theatre Conservatory of the Chicago College of Fine Arts at Roosevelt University and is the recipient of six

Jeff nominations, an After Dark Award, a special Jeff Award for career achievement and the League of Chicago Theaters’ Lifetime Achievement Award. He is currently the artistic director of the Dunes Arts Foundation in Michigan City, Indiana.

ABOUT REDTWIST THEATRE

Redtwist, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, is an award-winning theatre company that stages up close and personal contemporary dramas annually in its intimate black box theatre housed proudly within the heart of Edgewater’s Bryn Mawr Historic District. 

Intimate performances at Redtwist are designed to place the theatre patron in the midst of the stories being told, making them accessible and riveting. Redtwist strives for excellence with every project and endeavors to take risks while offering opportunities for up-and-coming actors, designers and directors to work with established talent. Redtwist provides the very best Chicago storefront theatre experience from excellence on stage, to warm hospitality in a clean, friendly environment.

Rolling World Premiere of KAIROS Via Red Theater April 23 - May 18, 2025 at The Edge Off Broadway

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Red Theater Announces Cast, Creative Team for 

KAIROS 

by Lisa Sanaye Dring

Kairos will be Red’s fourth premiere from a living female playwright since returning to production post-lockdown in 2022. 

Red Theater is thrilled to announce the cast and creative team for their premiere production of Lisa Sanaye Dring’s Kairos, directed by Artistic Director Clare Brennan, running April 23 - May 18, 2025 at The Edge Off Broadway in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave.

The production features Tamsen Glaser as Gina and Johnard Washington as David, understudied by Mindy Shore and Thomas Russell.

“Two people fall in love during a tectonic shift in society. Their nascent relationship is tested by the advent of Prometheus, a procedure that grants immortality to a select few. What happens to commitment, meaning and care when linear time breaks open?” - New Play Exchange

Playwright Lisa Sanaye Dring makes her Chicago debut at an exciting moment in her career. Her play Sumo received its New York premiere at The Public Theater with Ma-Yi Theater Company in March 2025, while Kairos is in the midst of its rolling world premiere with the National New Play Network. Comments Lisa, “The development and conversations I’ve had with Red Theater have made the script better than it’s ever been. I trust fully in Clare’s leadership and the work of this wonderful ensemble, and am so excited to share this piece with you.”

Kairos will be Red’s fourth premiere from a living female playwright since returning to production post-lockdown in 2022. Comments Artistic Director Wyatt Kent, “We are so excited to bring Lisa’s writing to Chicago for the first time. She’s crafted an often funny, always heart-wrenching story of a relationship that Johnard and Tamsen bring to life with incredible depth and chemistry. We can’t wait to hear what you think.” 

Tickets are on sale now at www.redtheater.org. General admission tickets are $30. As part of Red’s mission to make theater by putting people first, a limited number of $10 access tickets are available for students, artists, or anyone on a tight budget. Purchasing a ticket at our $50 pay-it-forward tier helps us sustain Red’s accessibility efforts. Use code ACCESS at checkout for $10 tickets.

Cast: Tamsen Glaser (Gina), Johnard Washington (David), Mindy Shore (Gina U/s), Thomas Russell (David U/s)

Production Team: Jessica Love (assistant director), Nole Beran (stage manager), Manuel Ortiz (scenic design), Evy Burch (props design), James Arakas (lighting design), Jamie Macpherson (intimacy design), Haleigh Kent (costume design), Jay Black (sound design), Skyler Simpson (poster design), Faith Decker (photographer), Andy Cahoon (technical director), Becca Holloway (casting director), Wyatt Kent (production manager), and Mary T. Cahoon (company manager). 

Location: The Edge Off Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave, Chicago

Opening night: Friday, April 25, 2025 @ 7:30P

Previews: Wednesday, April 23 & Thursday April 24, 2025 @ 7:30P

Run dates: Wednesday, April 23 - Sunday, May 18, 2025

Curtain times: Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays @ 7:30P, Sundays @ 3P; Saturday 5/10 @ 2P

Box Office link: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35021/production/1214205 

 

ABOUT RED THEATER

Red Theater’s mission is to make theater by putting people first. Founded in 2013, Red’s productions have included 9 Chicago premieres and 8 world premieres. We work from our core values of radical transparency, community care, and meaningful experience. These ideals drive us to bring access to theater to anyone who wants it, with an intentional focus on those restricted by financial and physical disability. Red Theater is funded in part by the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Clinton Family Fund, and the Illinois Arts Council. 

Drury Lane Theatre Presents Chicago Premiere of The Da Vinci Code April 9 – June 1, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Drury Lane Theatre announces casting for

 Chicago Premiere of

 The Da Vinci Code

Adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel

Based on the novel by Dan Brown

April 9 – June 1, 2025

Drury Lane Theatre is pleased to announce the cast for its thrilling Chicago Premiere of The Da Vinci Code, based on the novel by Dan Brown, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, and directed by Elizabeth Margolius. Witness the action-packed novel live on stage as Professor Robert Langdon, played by Chicago theatre favorite Jeff Parker and cryptologist Sophie Neveu, played by Vaneh Assadourian, race against the clock to unlock the secrets of Da Vinci, April 9 – June 1, 2025 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. I'll be out for the press opening April 17th, so check back soon after for my full review.

“I can’t think of a more provocative play than The DaVinci Code to kick off our thrilling 2025-2026 season,” comments Managing Director Wendy Stark Prey. “Visionary director Elizabeth Margolius - who brought our groundbreaking production of Fiddler on The Roof to life - is telling this electrifying story of ancient secrets and deadly conspiracies in a way never before seen on the Drury Lane stage.”

Based on the best-selling novel of the century, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code transforms into a thrilling new immersive experience. Innovative staging and dynamic effects plunge you into a world where renowned professor Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu race through a labyrinth of ancient clues and modern dangers. As shadows hold secrets, surveillance lurks at every turn, and centuries-old conspiracies emerge in real time, you'll discover The Da Vinci Code as you've never encountered it before. What truths hide behind sacred walls? What deadly traps await those who dare to seek answers? Experience the theatrical event of the year that transforms one of the most captivating thrillers ever told into a pulse-pounding journey of revelation.

Jeff Parker leads the cast of the Regional Premiere of The Da Vinci Code at Drury Lane Theatre

Starring Jeff Parker (Robert Langdon) and Vaneh Assadourian (Sophie Neveu), the cast of The Da Vinci Code includes Bradley Armacost (Sir Leigh Teabing), Jennifer Cudahy (Vernet/Docent/Church Volunteer), John Drea (Rémy/Philip), Ray Frewen (Jaques Saunière), Anthony Irons (Bezu Fache), Shane Kenyon (Silas), Janice O'Neill (Sister Sandrine/Marie), Leslie Ann Sheppard (Collet), and understudies Kroydell Galima and Charence Higgins.

The creative team includes Elizabeth Margolius (director-last directed Drury Lane’s groundbreaking production of The Fiddler on The Roof), Scott Penner (scenic designer), Nicole Boylan (costume designer), Lee Fiskness (lighting designer), Joshua Schmidt (original music & sound designer), Anthony Churchill (co-video designer), Mike Tutaj (co-video designer), Cassy Schillo (properties designer), Bridget Rzymski (wig and hair designer), Rick Sordelet (violence choreographer), Eva Breneman (dialect designer), Daren Leonard (associate director), Larry Baker (production stage manager).

The Da Vinci Code will be presented at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace, April 9 – June 1, 2025. Single tickets are on sale now and are available by phone at (630) 530-0111 or online at DruryLaneTheatre.com. Groups of 10 or more can receive special group pricing.

Dates:  April 9 – June 1, 2025

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

 

Schedule:                                       

Wednesdays: 1:30 p.m.

Thursdays: 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Fridays: 7:00 p.m.

Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Sundays: 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.                               

 

Location:                                        

Drury Lane Theatre at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace

Tickets:                                              

Tickets range from $75 - $150

Group discounts available to groups of 10 or more

Dining and show packages available

Senior discounts available

Box Office:                                       

100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace; (630) 530-0111; Monday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com

Season and Membership Information

The 2025/2026 season opens with the Chicago premiere of The Da Vinci Code (April 9 – June 1, 2025), followed by a love letter to a country music icon in Always…Patsy Cline (June 11 - August 3, 2025); the riveting thriller Dial M for Murder (September 3 - October 26, 2025); the divine feel-good musical comedy Sister Act (November 12, 2025 - January 11, 2026) and the exhilarating music of the Miami Sound Machine in On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan (January 28 - March 22, 2026). 

Drury Lane Theatre’s performance schedule for the 2025/2026 season is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

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 DruryLaneTheatre.com.

Group tickets start at $45 and Student group tickets start at just $35. On-site dining is available at Lucille Restaurant with convenient pre-show or post-show prix fixe menus. To book a group of 10 people or more, call Group Services at 630-570-7272 or email Groups@DruryLane.com.

Gift certificates to Drury Lane can be purchased in any denomination, never expire, and can be used for performances, at Lucille Restaurant or for Drury Lane Events. Gift certificates can be purchased online at drurylanetheatre.com/gift-certificates or by calling the box office.

Dining and Special Events

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 featuring 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.

 

About Drury Lane Theatre  

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

Founded by Anthony DeSantis over 70 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.

Prayer for the French Republic to open at Northlight in a co-production with Theater Wit April 10 – May 11, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Northlight Theatre continues 2024-2025 season with

Prayer for the French Republic

By Joshua Harmon

Directed by Jeremy Wechsler

In a co-production with Theater Wit

April 10 – May 11, 2025

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2024–2025 season with Joshua Harmon’s celebrated play Prayer for the French Republic, directed by Jeremy Wechsler in a co-production with Theater Wit. Prayer for the French Republic runs April 10 – May 11, 2025, at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. 

In 1944, a Jewish couple in Paris desperately awaits news of their missing family. More than 70 years later, the couple's great-grandchildren find themselves facing the same question as their ancestors: "Are we safe?" Following five generations of a French-Jewish family, Prayer for the French Republic is a sweeping look at history, home, and the effects of an ancient hatred. Winner of the 2022 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best New Off-Broadway Play, this celebrated work is from the author of Bad Jews and Significant Other.

• Prayer for the French Republic is a co-production with Theater Wit.

“Two years ago David Cromer, a Northlight alumnus who directed the original production of Prayer for the French Republic, texted me to say I should see his production at Manhattan Theatre Club and then produce it at Northlight,” says Artistic Director BJ Jones. “I jumped on a plane and caught a full house matinee. Taking place in 2016-2017, I found it provocative, moving, thoughtful, and timely. The audience was in tears at the end, and I knew we needed to bring it to our stage. Fortunately, Jeremy Wechsler of Theatre Wit felt the same way, and his relationship with the playwright Josh Harmon gave us both the opportunity to present this important work.”

Jones continues, “What makes it special is the examination of anti-Semitism over decades and its impact on one family. The haunting question posed in the play by Pierre, the grandfather, that rings out over the years is, ‘Why do they hate us?’ And the elusive answers are a hundredfold. After the Charlie Hebdo Incident in 2015, the Prime Minister of France said, ‘If 100,000 Frenchmen of Spanish origin were to leave, I would never say that France is no longer France. But if 100,000 Jews leave, France will no longer be France. The French Republic will be judged a failure.’”

• The Off-Broadway production of Prayer for the French Republic won the 2022 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, with the Broadway production earing three Tony Award nominations including Best Play.

Jeremy Wechsler adds, "Joshua Harmon has an uncanny ability to write to the future. I’ve been working on this show since 2018 and, as a Jew in America, I am asking questions today I have never asked myself. The play's central question is simple: Am I safe here? For those of us in cultural minorities, that question is never far away. Watching Charlottesville in 2017 was a jolt—those Nazis felt closer, bolder, and more numerous than I’d ever imagined. I wondered: If I lived there, how safe would I feel? How secure is the promise of assimilation? Prayer is set in France, but its tensions hit close to the bone here in America. My anxiety hasn’t eased. Rhetoric from the current administration is chillingly reminiscent of 1940s Vichy France, with an upswing in the same racist tropes that fueled 20th-century fascism. In the U.S., far-right movements flourish—I can’t forget hearing about ‘good people on both sides’ in 2017. And I believe you only have to look at a movement’s fellow travelers to understand its core."

This production is supported in part by the Crain-Maling Foundation, Paul & Janet Gans Epner, Al Zunaman, and Tiffany and Tobi Laczkowski.

The cast includes Janet Ulrich Brooks (Marcelle Salomon), Rom Barkhordar (Charles Benhamou), Rae Gray (Elodie Benhamou), Max Stewart (Daniel Benhamou), Lawrence Grimm (Patrick Salomon), Maya Lou Hlava (Molly), Henson Keys (Pierre Salomon), Kathy Scambiatterra (Irma Salomon), Torrey Hanson (Adolphe Salomon), Alex Weisman (Lucien Salomon), and Nathan Becker (Young Pierre Salomon).

The creative team is Jeremy Wechsler (director), Joe Schermoly (set designer), Mara Blumenfeld (costume designer), JR Lederle (lighting designer), Joseph Cerqua (sound designer), Nicolas Bartleson (prop designer), Katie Klemme (stage manager), and Jyreika Guest (resident violence and intimacy coordinator).

Tickets for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season, including Prayer for the French Republic and Twisted Melodies, are now on sale through the box office, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie; 847.673.6300; northlight.org.

About the Artists

Joshua Harmon (Playwright) is a Tony-nominated playwright and the winner of two Drama Desk Awards and two Outer Critics Circle Awards. He graduated from the School of Drama’s Dramatic Writing program in 2010. His plays include Bad Jews, Significant Other, Admissions, and Prayer for the French Republic. He and Sarah Silverman co-wrote the libretto for The Bedwetter based on her memoir. His plays have been produced on Broadway and the West End; Off-Broadway at Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theater Club and Atlantic Theater Company; across the country at Geffen Playhouse, Speakeasy, Studio Theatre, Theater Wit, About Face, Actor’s Express, and The Magic, among others; and internationally in a dozen countries. He is a two-time MacDowell fellow, a 2024 Guggenheim fellow, and an Associate Artist at Roundabout.

Jeremy Wechsler (director) is the Artistic Director of Theater Wit where he has directed the Chicago premieres of Inanimate, The Whistleblower, Hurricane Diane, The Realistic Joneses, Admissions, 10 Out of 12, Naperville, The Antelope Party, The New Sincerity, The (Curious Case of the ) Watson Intelligence (Best of 2015 – Chicago Sun Times), Bad Jews (Best of 2015 – New City), 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 the Year 2014), Completeness, Tigers Be Still, This, The Four of Us, Feydeau-Si-Deau, Men of Steel, Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (Jeff Award – Best Solo Performance), Two for the Show and annual favorite The Santaland Diaries. Under Jeremy’s leadership, Theater Wit has emerged as the go-to destination for cutting edge contemporary work, gaining national recognition for excellence. He has directed over fifty shows at various Chicago theaters, including Tragedy A Tragedy, The Flu Season, A Taste of Honey (“US Best of 2008” in The 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, Szinhaz, The Duchess of Malfi, Tragedy a Tragedy, Titus Andronicus, The Roaring Girl, Flight, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, This is the Rill 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 Three Penny Opera. His productions have been nominated for and won multiple awards for design, performance, adaptation and best new work. He has been featured multiple times in the New York Times and American Theatre Magazine.

Janet Ulrich Brooks (Marcelle Salomon) was last seen at Northlight Theatre in 2017’s By The Water. Select credits include: The Audience, Fiddler On The Roof, Murder On The Orient Express, Steel Magnolias (Drury Lane Theatre); Beautiful, The Music Man (Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre); The Cherry Orchard, 2666, Vanya Sonya Masha & Spike, Seagull (Goodman Theatre); The Children (Steppenwolf); Plantation (Lookingglass). She has appeared in 16 productions with TimeLine Theatre Company (Company Member) including Bakersfield Mist with the late Mike Nussbaum, and Master Class (Jeff Award Principal Actor). Tiny Beautiful Things, Pipeline, Native Gardens (Victory Gardens). Women Laughing Alone With Salad (Helen Hayes Nomination - Woolly Mammoth DC) and work with Milwaukee Rep, Theatre Squared in AR., and Peninsula Players in Door County, WI. Film credits include: Divergent, Conviction, One Small Hitch, M.O.M.. T.V. credits include: Work In Progress, Fargo, Sense8, Proven Innocent, Boss, Chicago Med, Fire & Justice.

Rom Barkhordar (Charles Benhamou) is making his Northlight/Theater Wit debut with Prayer for the French Republic. Previous Chicago area credits: A Lie of the Mind (Raven Theatre), White Christmas (Marriott Theatre), The Band’s Visit, A Distinct Society, Wife of a Salesman (Writers Theatre), Mosque4Mosque (About Face Theatre), Acts of God, Around the World in 80 Days (Lookingglass Theatre), Yasmina’s Necklace, Ruined (u/s) (Goodman Theatre), The Elephant Man, Homebody/Kabul (u/s) (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), The Who and the What (Victory Gardens Theatre), Mosque Alert, Night over Erzinga (Silk Road Rising), Pravda, Halcyon Days, Not About Nightingales (Timeline Theatre). Regional credits: The Band’s Visit (TheatreSquared), The Art of Burning (Huntington Theatre, Hartford Stage), Proof (Kitchen Theatre); Disgraced (Virginia Stage Co.); The Who and the What (HuntingtonTheatre) Around the World in 80 Days (Kansas City Rep.)

Rae Gray (Elodie Benhamou) has appeared on Broadway in The Real Thing (Roundabout), in the National Tour of To Kill a Mockingbird, and internationally in The Beacon (Druid/Gate Theatre, Ireland). Chicago credits include: Graveyard Shift, The Little Foxes, A Christmas Carol (Goodman); Domesticated, Slowgirl, The Book Thief, Wedding Band (Steppenwolf); King Charles III (Chicago Shakespeare); The North China Lover (Lookingglass); The Real Thing (Writers); Inherit the Wind (Northlight); Spay, Crooked (Rivendell), The Whistleblower, Completeness (Theater Wit) and, most recently, Uncle Vanya (The New Theatre Project). Regional credits: Queens (La Jolla Playhouse); Slowgirl (Geffen Playhouse). TV credits include: A League of Their Own, Power Book IV: Force, Justified: City Primeval, American Rust, Fear the Walking Dead, Grace and Frankie, For the People, Sea Oak, Boardwalk Empire, Shameless, The Resident, Bull, Adventure Time, Chicago Fire, PD and Med, and Bossy Bear. Film credits include: Slice, I Do...Until I Don’t, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, The Robbery (Sundance Selection), Dismissed, and Invitation to a Murder. Rae is a Rivendell Theatre Ensemble member and a graduate of the University of Chicago. 

Max Stewart (Daniel Benhamou) has appeared in Noises Off (Steppenwolf and Geffen Playhouse); Fairview (Definition Theatre); Southern Gothic, Sons of Hollywood (Windy City Playhouse); Walk on the Wild Side (Pale Horse Playhouse); Romeo and Juliet (Kane Repertory Theatre); Letters Home (Griffin Theatre). Television credits include: Chicago Fire (NBC), Soundtrack (Netflix). Awards include: NFAA YoungArts. He studied at The Theatre School at DePaul University (B.F.A. Acting), British American Dramatic Academy, and with The Groundlings.

Lawrence Grimm (Patrick Salomon) has been an actor and teacher for over 30 years. A founding ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre, Lawrence is a Jeff Award-winning actor who has worked extensively at Chicago’s most prominent theaters, including Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Victory Gardens, Raven, Next, Timeline, Shattered Globe, Court, Collaboraction, and Piven Theater Workshop. With a Masters in Education from DePaul University, Lawrence was a high school English and Drama teacher at Stevenson High School and Chicago’s public high school for the arts, Chi-Arts. Film credits include Eric Larue, Captive State, Welcome to Me, Night’s End, Murphy’s Law, Cicero in Winter, and A Perfect Manhattan. TV credits include: Somebody, Somewhere, Chicago PD/Med/ Fire, The Red Line, Unsolved Mysteries, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

Maya Lou Hlava (Molly) is thrilled to be making her debut at Northlight Theatre. Additional Chicago credits include, The Little Mermaid, Christmas Carol, Shrek, White Christmas and Bye Bye Birdie (Drury Lane Theatre); The Penelopiad (Goodman Theatre); Happy Days Are Here (Again) and Zurich (Steep Theatre); The Best Damn Thing (The Understudy Cafe); Dory Fantasmagory and Last Stop On Marketplace (YPPT/Greenhouse Theater); Spring Awakening (Porchlight Theater); Act 5, The Killing Game and The Nether (A Red Orchid Theatre); Oklahoma (Marriott Theatre); Violet (Griffin Theater); Trevor (Writers Theatre); The Secret Garden (Court Theatre); Jane Eyre (Lifeline Theatre); and The Wheel (Steppenwolf Theatre). Film and Television Credits include Will Trent, The Perpetrator, Chicago Med, The Chi, and The Big Leap.

Henson Keys (Pierre Salomon) is credited with some 125 roles in NYC, Chicago, and such regional theatres as Yale Rep, McCarter, Asolo, and MeadowBrook, including 45 roles in Shakespeare. For 27 years he led Acting Programs at Ohio University, Alabama Shakespeare, and finally 16 years at the U. of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. In Chicago, he’s worked with Chicago Shakes and Steppenwolf.

Kathy Scambiatterra (Irma Salomon) is making her Northlight Theatre debut. As artistic director and co-founder of The Artistic Home, she has helmed 25 seasons, is director of the AH Acting Studio and was most recently seen there in Dying for It for which she received a Jeff nomination. In Chicago, she has worked at Steppenwolf, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman Theatre, Rivendell, Raven among many others and was a longtime ensemble member at Center Theater. In LA, she was an ensemble member at Pacific Resident Theatre. TV/Film credits include: recurring role on Chicago PD (NBC Dick Wolf Productions), Mr. Throwback (Peacock), Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams (Amazon), Good Guy with a Gun (One Shot Productions), Monuments (Zaxiefilms), and Into the Wake (Diesel Brothers), among others. 

Torrey Hanson (Adolphe Salomon) has performed in over 160 theater productions, regionally at Milwaukee Rep (seventeen seasons), Oregon Shakespeare Festival (five seasons), Alley Theater, Seattle Rep, Cleveland Play House, Indiana Rep, Intiman Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, Empty Space Theatre, and Utah Shakespeare Festival; in Chicago at Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Writers, Drury Lane, Profiles, Silk Road, The House, and Provision. He’s had guest, recurring and co-star roles in Emperor Of Ocean Park, Somebody Somewhere, Fargo, The Exorcist, Shining Girls, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, South Side, Empire, Crisis, Cheers and Wings. He played Jack Hyde in Jordan Peele’s remake of Candyman. Upcoming: Monsters: The Ed Gein Story on Netflix.

Alex Weisman (Lucien Salomon) makes his Northlight debut and returns to Theater Wit where he starred in the sold-out Chicago premiere of Josh Harmon’s Significant Other. Broadway credits include: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (OBC). In Chicago he appeared at the Goodman, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, Court Theater, Victory Gardens, Paramount, About Face, TimeLine among many others. He is a two-time Joseph Jefferson Award winner for The History Boys and Hand to God. Regional credits include: Milwaukee Rep, Chautauqua, and Zoetic. TV credits include: “Frank” on Sesame Street (GLAAD New Media Award), five years as “Chout” on NBC’s Chicago Fire/Med/P.D., New Amsterdam, Empire, Living With Yourself, Inventing Anna, Everything’s Trash, White House Plumber, and American Crime Story. Film credits include: A Complete Unknown, An Acceptable Loss, Black Box, Your Monster, and Another Happy Day. He is a founding stakeholder with BackRoom Shakespeare and proud NU grad!

Nathan Becker (Young Pierre Salomon) is making his Northlight and Theatre Wit debut. He has performed at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Provision Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, and Theatre at the Center among others. A native Chicagoan, Nate spent the last four years living in NYC attending NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Dates: Previews begin April 10, 2025

Press Opening: Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 7:30pm

Regular run: April 18 – May 11, 2025

Schedule:   

Tuesdays: 7:30pm (April 15 only) 

Wednesdays: 1:00pm and 7:30pm

Thursdays: 7:30pm 

Fridays: 7:30pm

Saturdays: 2:30pm (except April 12) and 7:30pm

Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:30pm (April 13 only)

• Theater Wit, in collaboration with the Crown Family Center for Jewish Studies at Northwestern and Northlight Theatre, hosts CityTalk: A Series of Conversations on Assimilation, Antisemitism and Culture. This free, unprecedented series of curated talks and convenings with distinguished experts in Jewish history will be presented throughout the Chicago area, March 23 – May 9, 2025. The events are free, and advance registration is required. For more information and registration, visit https://citytalkchicago.org/.

Backstage with BJ – Northlight’s popular discussion series with Artistic Director BJ Jones – will be held April 4 at 12pm.

An Open Captioned performance will be held on Friday, May 2 at 7:30pm. An Open Captioned and Audio Described/Touch Tour performance will be held on Saturday, May 3 at 2:30pm.

Location: Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie

• Theater Wit has produced all of Joshua Harmon’s Chicago premieres with this co-production of Prayer for the French Republic being the largest. Bad Jews explored young Jews grappling with religion amid American secularism; Admissions dove into the explosive mix of college anxiety and white fragility. 

Tickets:

Previews: $35-$74

Regular run: $49-$91

Student tickets are $15, any performance (subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie. 847.673.6300; northlight.org

• The first production of Prayer for the French Republic was directed by Chicagoan David Cromer and premiered at the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City in January 2022. The Broadway production began previews in December 2023 and officially opened in January 2024. It starred much of the off-Broadway cast alongside Anthony Edwards as Patrick, with Cromer returning as director.

About Theater Wit

Founded in 2004, Theater Wit is a cultural hub of the Chicago theater landscape, specializing in contemporary works of comedy, intellect and heart. Under a unique, playwright-centric second production process, Theater Wit has become a nationally recognized producer of new work by writers like Anne Washburn, Will Eno, Itamar Moses, Joshua Harmon and Madeleine George.

Under founding Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler’s leadership, Theater Wit has grown from a small $40K annual budget to a leader in the Chicago landscape with an annual budget of $750K. In 2007, he supervised and designed a new home for Theater Wit, a three-theater facility that hosts Wit’s own award-winning work and gives a home to a number of Chicago's best neighborhood theaters with over 500 performances per year from 20+ companies in a typical season.

About Northlight Theatre

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Founded in 1974, the organization has mounted over 240 productions, including more than 45 world premieres. Northlight has earned 230 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 36 Awards, as well as 11 Edgerton Foundation for New Play Awards. As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions BMO Harris Bank; Bulley & Andrews; Byline Bank; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, Inc.; The Field Foundation of Illinois; Full Circle Foundation; Grumman Butkus Associates; Hagerty Consulting; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; John R Halligan Charitable Fund; LionBird; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Mabadi Realty; Mammel Family Foundation; Modestus Bauer Foundation; Northwestern University; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Pritzker Foundation; The Schubert Foundation, Inc.; The Sullivan Family Foundation; The Weatherlow Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners.