Kokandy Productions Opens the Chicago Premiere of AMÉLIE July 17 – September 28, 2025 at The Chopin Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Kokandy Productions Opens the Chicago Premiere of

AMÉLIE

July 17 – September 28, 2025 at The Chopin Theatre

Book by Craig Lucas

Music by Daniel Messé

Lyrics by Nathan Tysen & Daniel Messé

Directed and Choreographed by Artistic Director Derek Van Barham

Music Direction by T.J. Anderson and Anna Wegener

Pictured (center) Aurora Penepacker with the cast of Kokandy Productions’ 

Chicago premiere of Amélie. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Kokandy Productions invites you to spend the summer in Paris (Montmartre, to be exact), as it kicks off its 2025 Season with the Chicago premiere of Amélie, the charming tale of young woman and the fantastical world of whimsy and romance that surrounds her. Amélie will play July 17 – September 28, 2025 in the Chopin Downstairs Studio, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. The entire Chopin basement, including the lobby, bar and cafe, will envelop audiences in Amélie’s journey. Tickets are currently on sale at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/AmelieChicago. 

Based on the 2001 film of the same name, Amélie is directed and choreographed by Artistic Director Derek Van Barham, with music direction by T.J. Anderson and Anna Wegener, book by Craig Lucas, music by Daniel Messé and lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Daniel Messé. 

The Chicago premiere of this whimsical romance will be led by Aurora Penepacker as Amélie Poulain. The eccentric world that swirls around her includes Todd Aulwurm (Hipolito Jeunet, Elton John), Lucas Burr (Blind Beggar, Garden Gnome), Rachel Carreras (Amandine Poulain, Philomene de Noirpois), Joe Giovannetti (Nino Quincampoix), Sonia Goldberg (Gina Wells), Sam Hook (Lucien Villeparisis), Mizha Lee Overn (Georgette Cornuel, Sylvie Legrandin), Jon Patrick Penick (Collignon, Julien Dufayel), Quinn Rigg (Joseph Cottard, Fluffy Poulain), Samantha Ringor (Suzanne Sacripant) and Kelan M. Smith (Raphael Poulain, Bretodeau). This talented ensemble (many of whom play instruments in the show) will also portray a range of Parisians, tourists, customers and reporters who frequent the streets, cafes, sex shops and photo booths of Montmartre. Swings include Joel Arreola, Hailey Brisard, Neill Kelly, Andrew Lund, Gavin Rhys and Melanie Vitaterna. 

About the Production: 

Amélie is an extraordinary young woman who lives quietly in the world but loudly in her mind. She covertly improvises small but surprising acts of kindness that bring joy and mayhem. But when a chance at love comes her way, Amélie realizes that to find happiness she’ll have to risk everything and say what’s in her heart. Be inspired by this imaginative dreamer who finds her voice, discovers the power of connection, and sees possibility around every corner.

Director Derek Van Barham comments, “Get ready to fall head over heels for this charming jewel box of a musical! The world of this show is just so much fun, and so perfect for our eccentric and idiosyncratic space. Amélie Poulain reminds us to focus on goodness and to look for love wherever we can. Whether a fan of the beloved cult movie or coming to this whimsical tale for the first time, there's something tasty, touching and tantalizing for everyone in this wild and whimsical show.” 

The production team includes G “Max” Maxin IV (Scenic and Lighting Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), Matt Reich (Sound Design), Julian Weslander (Properties Design), Syd Genco (Make-up Design), Keith Ryan (Wig Design), Kirsten Baity (Intimacy Director), Carrie Hardin (Dialect Coach), Quinn Simmons (Associate Director/Choreographer), Stone TeSelle (Associate Scenic Design, Scenic Charge), Nicholas Reinhart (Production Manager), Lynsy Folckomer and Mackenzie Hahn (Sound Engineers), Kendyl Meyer (Stage Manager) and Ethan Colish (Assistant Stage Manager).

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Amélie

Book by Craig Lucas

Music by Daniel Messé

Lyrics by Nathan Tysen & Daniel Messé

Directed by Artistic Director Derek Van Barham

Music Direction by T.J. Anderson and Anna Wegener

Cast (in alphabetical order): Todd Aulwurm (Hipolito Jeunet, Elton John), Lucas Burr (Blind Beggar, Garden Gnome), Rachel Carreras (Amandine Poulain, Philomene de Noirpois), Joe Giovannetti (Nino Quincampoix), Sonia Goldberg (Gina Wells), Sam Hook (Lucien Villeparisis), Mizha Lee Overn (Georgette Cornuel, Sylvie Legrandin), Aurora Penepacker (Amélie Poulain), Jon Patrick Penick (Collignon, Julien Dufayel), Quinn Rigg (Joseph Cottard, Fluffy Poulain), Samantha Ringor (Suzanne Sacripant) and Kelan M. Smith (Raphael Poulain, Bretodeau). 

Swings: Joel Arreola, Hailey Brisard, Neill Kelly, Andrew Lund, Gavin Rhys and Melanie Vitaterna. 

Location: The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, July 17 – Friday, August 1, 2025

Press performance: Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 7 pm

Regular run: Sunday, August 3 – Sunday, September 28, 2025

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm.

Tickets: Previews $25 general admission, $33 reserved seating. Regular run $45 general admission, $55 reserved seating. Students/Seniors $35. There will be a limited number of $15 tickets (with code ARTIST) available to artists for each performance. Tickets are currently on sale at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/AmelieChicago.

About the Artists

Derek Van Barham (Director/Choreographer, he/him) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions. Directing credits include Children of Eden in Concert (Broadway In Chicago), Into the Woods, Alice by Heart, Sweeney Todd, American Psycho, Head Over Heels (3 Jeff Awards and 2 Jeff nominations, Kokandy); Spring Awakening (Flint Rep); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Miracle by Dan Savage, Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag). Choreography credits include Evil Dead (Jeff nomination), Ghost Quartet, Shockheaded Peter and Coraline the Musical (Black Button Eyes). He was previously named one of Windy City Times’ 30 Under 30, and one of Newcity Magazine's 50 Players 2024. MFA: CCPA/Roosevelt University. | derekvanbarham.com | IG @dvbarham

T.J. Anderson (Music Director, he/him) is a Chicago-based actor, music director and musician. Recent productions he has music directed include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ragtime in Concert and Kinky Boots (Highland Park Players); Little Women and [title of show] (Brown Paper Box Co); Night Tide (Towle Theater); and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes Productions). As an actor, he recently appeared in Whisper House and Ghost Quartet (Black Button Eyes Productions); as well as Haymarket (Underscore Theater). He would like to thank all his friends, family, and you, kind audience member, for supporting live theater!

Anna Wegener (Music Director, she/her) returns to Kokandy after last season’s Alice By Heart as Associate Music Director/Conductor. She is a performer and educator in the Chicago area, often acting as orchestrator and sound designer. Recently, she music directed, orchestrated and conducted Into the Woods with CCPA/Roosevelt University, directed by Heather Currie. Last summer, she joined Chicago Musical Theater Festival with Eric Matthew Richardson’s ei hytte (the cabin): an a capella musical, directed by Noah Watkins, as well as performing with the band for The Brass Teapot: A New Musical, words and music by Chaz Cardigan and directed by Landree Fleming. Other notable shows as music director and conductor: Young Frankenstein (Wheaton Drama, Lou Nomination), Sleeping With Beauty (Pride Arts), Assassins (Wee Productions), Xanadu! (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre). A proud collaborator, Anna plays piano throughout the year in musical pits, alongside school choirs, and for cabarets and auditions while maintaining a studio of over 25 students with Piano Power. www.88keysacc.com | IG @88keysacc

Quinn Simmons (Associate Director/Choreographer, they/he/she) is a Chicago-based musical theatre performer and choreographer. Recent choreography credits include 9 to 5 and Rock of Ages (Metropolis, Associate Choreographer). Recently onstage: Spring Awakening (Flint Repertory), The SpongeBob Musical and American Psycho (Kokandy), You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Marriott), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Godspell (Theo Ubique). Quinn is a proud Filipino-American, a graduate of Chicago College of Performing Arts’ (BFA Musical Theatre) and a 2024 Windy City Times 30 Under 30 honoree. Huge thanks to my family, always. Mahal ko kayo! 

About Kokandy Productions

Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theatre to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theatre artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theatre community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot T. Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Scot T. Kokandy, Danielle Sparklin and Katie Svaicer. 

For additional information, visit www.kokandyproductions.com. 

Lucid Theater To Stage WORLD PREMIERE of Comedy BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY August 1-17 at The Edge Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Lucid Theater's World Premiere of

BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY 

by WELLS AND WELLES playwright Amy Crider

Directed by Iris Sowlat 

Opening August 2 at the Edge Theatre

An anxiety-ridden college professor faces crises in her career, her marriage and her family relationships while planning an 80th birthday party for her overbearing mother.

Featuring Kristie Berger, Kathleen Ruhl, Christopher Hainsworth, and Ada Grey

Iris Sowlat will direct Kristie Berger, Kathleen Ruhl, Christopher Hainsworth, and Ada Grey in World Premiere comedy

Lucid Theater will present the world premiere of BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY by Chicago playwright Amy Crider, whose WELLS AND WELLES was a breakout hit of summer 2024. In BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY, an anxiety-ridden college professor faces crises in her career, her marriage and her family relationships while planning an 80th birthday party for her overbearing mother. Neither medication, meditation, nor the tenets of Buddhism are enough to soothe her anxiety over the upcoming party or the ongoing challenges in her life. BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY will be performed at the Edge Theatre, 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago from August 1 – 17. I'll be out for the Press Opening Saturday, August 2nd, so check back soon for my full review. 

BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY will be performed by a cast of Chicago stage veterans, led by Actors Equity member Kristie Berger as the insecure professor Pamela. Berger’s career includes roles at the Goodman, Steppenwolf, and Victory Gardens; as well as productions at storefronts including City Lit, Lifeline, Strawdog, and many others. Pamela’s difficult mother Roberta will be played by Kathleen Ruhl, an ensemble member at Redtwist Theatre, where she has performed in nine plays. Ruhl’s decades-long career includes two Jeff Awards (for supporting actress in DOLLY WEST’S KITCHEN and ensemble for THIS HAPPY BREED, both with TimeLine), and roles with Piven Theatre, Writers, and Shattered Globe. For Shattered Globe, she played the title role in FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70TH BIRTHDAY, written for her by her daughter Sarah Ruhl.

Pamela’s husband Lawrence, a self-assured philosophy professor, will be played by Christopher Hainsworth, a Lifeline Theatre ensemble member who has also performed with The Gift Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Factory, Strawdog Theatre Company, and The House Theatre of Chicago, among others. Ada Grey will play Jennifer, niece of Pamela and a free spirit who has returned from abroad for her grandmother’s party.  A pesky raccoon that is an habitual irritant to Pamela’s routine will be created and performed by Emilie Wingate of Flying Leap Productions.

Top Row L-R: Kristie Berger, Kathleen Ruhl.

Lower Row L-R: Christopher Hainsworth, Ada Grey

Iris Sowlat, a Chicago-based director who holds an MFA in Theatre Directing from University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she directed Sarah Ruhl’s ORLANDO and Lauren Gunderson’s EMILIE: LA MARQUISE DU CHATELET DEFENDS HER LIFE TONIGHT, will direct BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY. Sowlat’s previous Chicago directing credits include productions with Accidental Theatre Company, PrideArts, Piven, and others. Alvaro Ledesma is creating the sound and lighting design.

BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY has been in development for over a decade, starting as a ten-minute play written for a Scene Shop Showcase at Chicago Dramatists in 2014. Crider expanded it into a full-length play for a Chicago Dramatists’ Master Class in 2020, and it has received several readings since then.

Tickets for BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY are $38.00 and are on sale at  www.lucidtheater.com. Performances will be Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30, and Sundays at 3:00, from August 1 – 17 at the Edge Theatre, 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago.

MORE INFORMATION

BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY

WORLD PREMIERE

Written by Amy Crider

Directed by Iris Sowlat.

Produced by Lucid Theater Company

August 1 - 17, 2025

Press Opening Saturday, August 2 at 7:30 pm

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30, and Sunday at 3:00

Edge Theatre, 5451 N, Broadway, Chicago

Tickets: $38, on sale at www.lucidtheater.com

Please visit www.lucidtheater.com for more information.

BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY is a comedy about anxiety, enlightenment, and raccoons. Pamela, an insecure history professor, is pressed by her husband to try medication for anxiety. She’s always counted on the benefits of meditation. Stressed by her overbearing mother and some relentless animals, she learns that liberation is open to all of us in a moment of grace. In the end, her journey is only beginning, and the raccoons will always be with us.  

BIOS

Amy Crider (Playwright) studied comedy at Second City, and attended workshops with Chicago Dramatists, Jackalope Theatre, and LaMaMa. Her last production, WELLS AND WELLES, produced in Chicago in July/August 2024, was a nominee for the 2025 ATCA/Steinberg Award. Her plays have won the Tennessee Williams One Act Play Contest, Word Wave, and New Plays from the Heartland. Two of her plays have been published by TRW. She is also the author two novels published by the University of New Orleans Press. Her podcast Continuous Dream is on Spotify. You’re welcome to find out more at www.amycrider.com

Iris Sowlat (Director) is a Chicago-based director who holds an MFA in Theatre Directing from University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she directed Sarah Ruhl’s ORLANDO and Lauren Gunderson’s EMILIE: LA MARQUISE DU CHATELET DEFENDS HER LIFE TONIGHT. This year, she directed Gunderson’s THE BOOK OF WILL for Triton College (as Adjunct Faculty) and will direct COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Rozina Kanchwala for Eco Logic (June 2025). Favorite Chicago directing credits include ROMEO AND JULIET (Accidental Shakespeare Company), JOAN OF ARC and UNDERWORLD ANTHEM (RhinoFest), THE DAYS ARE SHORTER (Pride Arts), ABCD (Piven Theatre) and NARRATIVES OF ACHROMATOPSIA and TURN THAT THING AROUND, (Chicago Fringe Festival), and three different sold-out fundraiser readings of Paula Kamen’s JANE: ABORTION AND THE UNDERGROUND. She has also worked with Northlight Theatre, About Face Theatre, American Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, Collaboraction, Broken Nose, Stage Left Theatre (former Artistic Associate), Possibilities Theatre Company, NoPassport Theatre Alliance, and many others. Iris is one half of the leadership (with Allison Fradkin) of the DIY queer feminist theatre Violet Surprise. In 2018, she was named one of WINDY CITY TIMES  “30 Under 30.” Find her on the web at www.IrisSowlat.com.

Kristie Berger (Pamela) last appeared in THE MOUSETRAP at Citadel Theatre. Regional theater credits include Barbara Fordham in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY and Frankie in  FRANKIE & JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE at The Human Race Theatre in Dayton; the long-running national tour of THE ODD COUPLE: FEMALE VERSION starring Barbara Eden; VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, BUS STOP, and RESIDENT ALIEN at Nebraska Repertory Theatre.  Chicago area credits include Diane in THE BIRDS, Citadel Theatre; Jeanette in THE LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS, Illinois Theatre Center; THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE, and THE ODD COUPLE: FEMALE VERSION, Apollo Theater. Other theaters she has worked with include the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Equity Library Theater, City Lit, Lifeline, Strawdog, Mary-Arrchie, Touchstone, Center Theater, and Absolute.  She also works in TV, voice-overs, commercials, films, and industrial films. Kristie is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. 

Ada Grey (Jennifer). Television credits include THE RED LINE (CBS), SHRINK (NBC), SIRENS (USA), and CHICAGO FIRE (NBC). Most recent credits at the London Academy of Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) include: DANCE NATION (LAMDA), CHAOS, SAINT GEORGE AND THE DRAGON, and OUR HOUSE. Chicago stage credits include NO HOME FOR BEES (20% Theatre), OUR TOWN (Redtwist Theatre), THE HAVEN PLACE and I AND MY IPHONE (A Red Orchid Youth), SCARCITY (Redtwist Theatre, Broadway World Chicago Nomination Best Actress), THE AWAKE (First Floor Theatre), THE HAMMER TRINITY (The House Theatre), TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Oak Park Festival Theatre), JANE EYRE (Lifeline Theatre), MEN SHOULD WEEP (Griffin Theatre, Jeff Award Best Production), and SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR (The Hypocrites).  She recently graduated from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art with a BA in acting. 

Christopher Hainsworth (Lawrence) is a Lifeline Theatre ensemble member, where he has performed in TREASURE ISLAND, NEVERWHERE, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, THE KILLER ANGELS, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, MISS HOLMES, FRANKENSTEIN and MISS HOLMES RETURNS; and penned the adaptations of HUNGER, MONSTROUS REGIMENT, MIDNIGHT COWBOY and FABLE-OUS! He has also worked for The Gift Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Factory, Strawdog Theatre Company, and The House Theatre of Chicago, among others.

Kathleen Ruhl (Roberta) Over many years in Chicago, Kathleen Ruhl has been lucky enough to have performed on a lot of stages with many wonderful actors and directors. She started on the Chicago City Players stage (four shows) which later became the TimeLine stage (three shows), where she won Jeffs for best supporting actor (DOLLY WEST’S KITCHEN) and member of a Best Ensemble (THIS HAPPY BREED). Kathleen did Shakespeare at the outdoor Court Theatre at the University of Chicago (MACBETH, TWELFTH NIGHT, and AS YOU LIKE IT) and Noel Coward at the “new” Court Theatre (HAY FEVER). She studied with Joyce Piven and performed in seven shows directed by Joyce at the Piven Theatre. Some of the other stages she has trod in Chicago and the northern suburbs include those at Writer’s Theatre (HEDDA GABLER), the Attic playhouse in Highwood (three shows), Shattered Globe (Peter Pan in FOR PETER PAN ON HER SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY) and Music Theatre of Hyde Park (Sarah Brown in GUYS AND DOLLS). Kathleen is currently a company member at Redtwist, where she has done nine shows.

ABOUT LUCID THEATER COMPANY

Lucid Theater Company has been producing plays since 2017. Previous productions include LEDA (2017), CHARLIE JOHNSON READS ALL OF PROUST (2019), METADATA (2021), and A LEGACY (Rhinofest, 2023). The company also produces the podcast series of audio plays CONTINUOUS DREAM.

Mission:

Lucid Theater produces original plays with a broad range of subjects and styles. We center ideas and emotions to evoke thoughtful reflection, courageous choices, and compassion. Our goal is to fight against numbness and awaken our audiences to the richness and depth of emotional experience. Rather than replicate reality, we seek to reveal subjective experience for its dreamlike sensibility.

Values:

We honor the artist by paying everyone involved.

We commit to a respectful work environment.

We strive to hire female directors and leadership.

We pledge to listen deeply and question authentically.

We vow to uplift the human spirit.

World Premiere of Artemis Books & the Well-Meaning Man Via The Village Theater at Rivendell Theatre July 17 - August 2, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

The Village Theater Presents the World Premiere of 

Artemis Books & the Well-Meaning Man

by Paul Michael Thomson

Directed by Clara Zucker

Poster design by Andi Muriel

The Village Theater's inaugural production is playing 

July 17th Through August 2nd at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Regina (Reggie) runs a femme-centric feminist bookstore in Tucson, AZ. Artemis Books is a safe space for queer people, free expression, and womxn of all kinds. When her boss unexpectedly jumps ship, Reggie is stuck with a new hire: straight, white, cis-male JJ. Workplace romances, existential anxieties, and some questionable spell-casting abound as Reggie tries to reclaim her safe space. Does identity have to influence ideology? Does colonialism ever stop? And what in the actual hell is a “good guy”?

The production will run from July 17-August 2 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Tickets can be purchased via the-village-theater.com/artemisbooks.

"Artemis Books and the Well-Meaning Man" will run from July 18 to August 3 at the Rivendell Theatre 5779 N. Ridge Ave. Please join us for our post-show dialogues following select matinee performances on July 19, July 20, and August 2-- beverages will be provided!

*PREVIEW IS THURSDAY, JULY 17. Discounted tickets available.*

*UNDERSTUDY PERFORMANCE IS WEDNESDAY, JULY 23.*

*INDUSTRY NIGHT IS MONDAY, JULY 28. Use code INDUSTRY for $10 tickets*

Seating is GA for Access and Standard Ticket levels. For Donor level tickets, seats will be reserved. The house will open 30 minutes before the performance's scheduled start time. If you have any questions or need accommodations, please email us at villagetheaterchi@gmail.com.

Performance Schedule

July 17th – August 2nd

7:30pm Thursday, July 17th, Preview Performance

8:00pm Friday, July 18th, Opening

8:00pm Thursdays and Fridays

3:00pm and 8:00pm Saturdays

3:00pm Sunday, July 20th

8:00pm Saturday, August 2nd Closing

Additional Performances

8:00pm Wednesday, July 23rd Understudy Performance

8:00pm Monday, July 28th Industry Night Performance

ARTEMIS BOOKS & THE WELL-MEANING MAN will be performed at:

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

5779 N. Ridge Avenue

Chicago, IL 60660

Tickets:the-village-theater.com/artemisbooks

Phone: (872) 529-6792

Email: villagetheaterchi@gmail.com

Tickets follow a pay-as-you-are model:

● Access tickets (limited quantity): $12

● Standard tickets: $25

● Donor tickets (includes a reserved seat): $50

ARTEMIS BOOKS & THE WELL-MEANING MAN is a topical and comedic examination of morality, identity, and community in a capitalist and patriarchal society. Set in a feminist bookstore in Tucson, AZ, the show follows the chaos that ensues when JJ, a straight, white, cis man, joins the staff. For The Village Theater’s debut performance, director Clara Zucker, also the co-artistic director of The Village, has selected a show that reflects The Village Theater’s values of amplifying marginalized voices, championing local organizations, and allowing the audience to engage with difficult questions.

Creative Team

Playwright: Paul Michael Tomson

Director: Clara Zucker*

Assistant Director: Carmia Imani

Stage Manager: Amanda Tancioco Rokosz

Scenic Designer: Katelyn Montgomery

Sound Designer: Satya Chávez

Lighting Designer: Joseph Nelson

Props Master: Averly Sheltraw

Costume Designer: Maggie McGlenn

Dramaturg: Naomi Kalter*

Intimacy Coordinator: Bailey McWilliams-Woods*

Producers: Lena Romano and Emily Newmark*

*denotes Village Team Member

Cast

Regina - Daniela Martinez (u/s Teri Talo)

Asha - Tierra Matthews (u/s Aysia Slade)

Emerson - Phoebe Jacobs (u/s Janey Elliott)

JJ - Kyle Roth (u/s Bryce Miller)

Paul Michael Thomson is a playwright, performer, producer, and PhD candidate based in Chicago. Nationally produced plays include: brother sister cyborg space (Raven Theatre); Fremont Junior High Is NOT Doing Oklahoma! (Good Company Theatre, Live Theatre Workshop); What a Time to Be Alive (You Say That Every Time) (Definition Theatre, Great Plains Theatre Commons); Leave Me Alone! (The Story Theatre); The G.O.A.T., or Who Is Ximone? (Theatre L'Acadie, O'Neill Center NPC Finalist); and more. 

As an actor, Paul Michael has worked onstage at Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, and Drury Lane, and his on-camera work includes: All Happy Families, Drawn Back Home, Chicago Med, and Chicago Justice. Paul Michael is a proud co-founder and Governing Ensemble member of The Story Theatre, where his producing credits include: At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, the love object, Marie Antoinette & the Magical Negroes, and The (W)rites of Summer new play festivals. He is a PhD candidate in Afro-American Studies through the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and his scholarly work has been published in Theatre History Studies, the Black Theatre Review, and Theatre Annual. He is represented by Gray Talent Group. Paul Michael's play Pot Girls will premiere with The Story Theatre in February 2026, in collaborative conversation with Raven Theatre's production of Top Girls by Caryl Churchill. He is honored to be a part of The Village Theater's inaugural production and stands in awe of this brilliant team and the village they're creating.

paulmichaelthomson.com @paulmichaelt

Clara Zucker*- Director (Co-Artistic Director of The Village Theater)

Clara Zucker is a Chicago-based director, playwright, and dramaturg. She is passionate about utilizing theater as a tool for social change and firmly believes in theater’s ability to uplift and unify diverse voices. 

Directing credits include the Midwest premiere of The Lacy Project (The Understudy), Sophie Sucks Face (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, shortlisted for best show for Edinburgh Comedian's Choice Awards), Doom Tank (Under St. Mark’s Theatre), Shayna Punim, The Aliens, Athena, Mr. Marmalade (Oberlin College). Past playwriting credits include Fishing for Whales (2024 Cherry Picking, New York, NY), and Shayna Punim (Oberlin College, Oberlin Ohio). Clara currently serves as the literary and dramaturgy apprentice at Goodman Theatre and is the dramaturg for the upcoming world premiere of Ashland Avenue (Dir. Susan Booth, Goodman Theatre). Clara holds a B.A. in Theater and American Studies from Oberlin College and is the recipient of the Nash Drama Award for exceptional achievement in Oberlin Theater. She would like to thank her family for making the trek from NYC and her community here in Chicago. It takes a village!

ARTEMIS BOOKS & THE WELL-MEANING MAN is the first production of The Village Theater’s inaugural season.

The production will run from July 18-August 2 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Tickets can be purchased via the-village-theater.com/artemisbooks.

The Village Theater of Chicago is a director-driven collective that harnesses theater as an instrument for cultivating community. Through intimate storytelling, community partnerships, and post-show dialogues, we reveal the profound magic of human connection. Transformative art emerges from collaboration. After all, it takes a village.

Stay updated with The Village at our website https://www.the-village-theater.com/ and follow us on Instagram @the.village.theater

World Premiere of Billie Jean at Chicago Shakespeare Theater July 18–August 10, 2025 in The Yard

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Electrifying World Premiere Play 

Billie Jean

Based on the life of sports icon and equality champion Billie Jean King

by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Marc Bruni

Starring Chilina Kennedy in the title role

July 18 Through August 10, 2025 in The Yard

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents the world premiere play Billie Jean, about sports icon and equality champion Billie Jean King. Playwright Lauren Gunderson, one of the most-produced playwrights in the US, and director Marc Bruni (Broadway’s The Great Gatsby and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), team up to stage this empowering new look at a legend who shattered glass ceilings on and off the court. Following her path to becoming a sports icon, from her record-breaking victories to her relentless fight for equal pay and equal rights, Billie Jean explores the cost of public battles and private struggles—bringing us closer than ever before to a woman whose battle for identity and equality inspired and continues to inspire generations. The production runs July 18–August 10, 2025, in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Chilina Kennedy stars as Billie Jean King, leading a cast that also includes Dan Amboyer, Julia Antonelli, Elena Hurst, Courtney Rikki Green, Wynn Harmon, Carolyn Holding, Jürgen Hooper, Callie Rachelle Johnson, Lenne Klingaman, Nancy Lemenager, and Murphy Taylor Smith.

Named one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” by Life magazine, Billie Jean King is the first woman athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the first individual woman athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. She is the founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation, the Women’s Tennis Association and the Billie Jean King Foundation. She is part of the ownership groups of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angel City FC and a member of the Advisory Board of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). In 2020, King became the first woman to have an annual global team sports event named in her honor when Fed Cup, the women’s world cup of tennis, was rebranded as the Billie Jean King Cup. The National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006 in honor of her accomplishments on and off the court.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s world premiere production of Billie Jean is developed by special arrangement with four-time Tony-winning producer Harriet Newman Leve (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, War Horse, Stomp) and Stephanie Sandberg (Country Lane Productions), with Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner (powerhouse creative duo in television, sound recording, film, theater, and animation for more than 40 years). 

Chilina Kennedy is best known for playing Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway for over 1,200 performances. Her Broadway credits include Myrtle in The Great Gatsby, Annie in Paradise Square, and Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, and she starred in the first national tour of The Band’s Visit (Toronto Critics Award). Kennedy’s other selected credits include the Off-Broadway world premiere of This Ain’t No Disco, the world premiere of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Hartford Stage/The Old Globe in San Diego), and the one-woman play The Human Voice (filmed for Toronto’s Ontario International College). She spent three seasons each at the Shaw Festival Theatre and the Stratford Festival, with credits including Rose of Sharon in The Grapes of Wrath.

The cast also features Dan Amboyer (Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest and Uncoupled, TV Land’s Younger, NBC’s Blacklist: Redemption) as Larry King, Julia Antonelli (Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid, Netflix’s Outer Banks, Nickelodeon’s Every Witch Way and WITS Academy) as Young Billie Jean, and Elena Hurst (Becoming A Man and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at American Repertory Theater) as Rosie Casals, as well as Courtney Rikki Green (Henry V at CST, Romeo and Juliet at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Wynn Harmon (Porgy and Bess on Broadway), Carolyn Holding (HBO’s The Gilded Age, STARZ/Netflix’s Heels), Jürgen Hooper (The Comedy of Errors, Amadeus, and more at CST, Brighton Beach Memoirs on Broadway), Callie Rachelle Johnson (Hamlet at CST, Next to Normal at Drury Lane, Pal Joey at Porchlight), Lenne Klingaman (Waitress on Broadway and first national tour, The Underlying Chris at Second Stage), Nancy Lemenager (McNeal, Chicago, Never Gonna Dance, and more on Broadway), and Murphy Taylor Smith (A Transparent Musical at Center Theatre Group).

Understudies include Miles Borchard, Sydney Feldman, Kelli Harrington, Nathe Rowbotham, Hannah Ruwe, Marlene Slaughter, and Jocelyn Zamudio.

“It’s so exciting to be announcing this brilliant cast for Lauren Gunderson’s play about the heroic Billie Jean King,” shared Chicago Shakespeare’s artistic director Edward Hall. “Bringing thought-provoking and original drama into our repertoire alongside Shakespeare gives us and our audiences such a wonderful opportunity to explore the connections between Shakespeare’s world and ours. Billie Jean has left and continues to leave her mark on our world, helping to shape our thoughts and challenge accepted societal norms. It is a joy and a privilege to be bringing this play to CST first.”

Playwright Lauren Gunderson has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015, topping the list thrice. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, the winner of the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in Theatre Award, the Lanford Wilson Award, and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Her plays have been translated into a dozen languages and are produced across the world including the West End. Her anthology, Revolutionary Women, is published by Bloomsbury, where her play I and You is a “modern classic.”

Gunderson shared, “CST is the perfect place to launch this new play about Billie Jean King, her activism, and her ongoing impact on the world. Her story is a hero’s journey, and the house of Shakespeare’s heroes is a fitting home for this theatrical debut about excellence, equality, and heart. We want this play to be an exploration of contrast: instantly recognizable and also deeply surprising; athletic and also theatrical; heartfelt and heroic. I am honored and thrilled to have Billie Jean be a part of CST’s season.”

Director Marc Bruni’s credits include The Great Gatsby, currently running on Broadway and the West End as well as the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway, in the West End, US and UK Tours, and in Australia. He also directed Trevor: The Musical which was filmed Off-Broadway at Stage 42 and now streams on Disney+. Bruni was Jeff Award-nominated for Chicago credits Trevor at Writers Theatre and Old Jews Telling Jokes at the Royal George, and his many additional credits include Bye Bye Birdie, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, How to Succeed in Business..., 50 Years of Broadway (Kennedy Center), and Hey, Look Me Over!, Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream and Fanny (City Center Encores!).

Billie Jean features movement direction by Steph Paul (Sanctuary City at Steppenwolf Theatre, Nobody Loves You at American Conservatory Theater), scenic design by Wilson Chin (Cost of Living and Pass Over on Broadway), costume design by Linda Cho (Two Noble Kinsmen, Othello, and Mary Stewart at CST, Tony Award winner for The Great Gatsby and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder on Broadway), lighting design by Jen Schriever (Tony Award nominee for A Strange Loop and Death of a Salesman on Broadway), sound design by Jane Shaw (credits at Theater for a New Audience, Roundabout Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons and many more), and video and projection design by David Bengali (Tony Award nominee for Water for Elephants). The creative team also includes Chels Morgan (Intimacy Coordinator), Eva Breneman (Dialect Coach), Tom Watson (Hair & Makeup Designer),The Telsey Office | Karyn Casl CSA & Charlie Hano CSA (Casting), Bob Mason (Chicago Casting), Amy Marie Seidel (Associate Director), Lily Tomasic (Assistant Scenic Designer),

Herin Kaputkin (Assistant Costume Designer), Colleen Doherty (Assistant Lighting Designer), Taylor Edelle Stuart (Associate Video Designer), Kristi J. Martens (Production Stage Manager, Amanda Blanco (Assistant Stage Manager), and Ethan Coon (Production Assistant).

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

Billie Jean By Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Marc Bruni

July 18 – August 10, 2025

The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

• Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.

• Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (no matinee July 23)

• Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.

• Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

• Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

• Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Chicago Shakespeare strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons. Accessible seating, assistive

listening devices, large-print and Braille programs, and sensory tools are available at every performance. Enhanced

performances include:

• Audio-described performance – Sunday, August 3 at 2:30 p.m.

A program that provides spoken narration of a play’s key visual elements for patrons who are blind or have low vision.

• Open captioned performance – Wednesday, August 6 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

A text display of the words and sounds heard during a play, synced live with the action onstage.

• ASL interpreted performance – Friday, August 8 at 7:30 p.m.

All dialogue and lyrics are translated into American Sign Language by two certified interpreters

Creative Team

Lauren Gunderson - Writer

Marc Bruni - Director

Steph Paul – Movement Director

Wilson Chin - Scenic Designer

Linda Cho - Costume Designer

Jen Schriever - Lighting Designer

Jane Shaw - Sound Designer

David Bengali - Video & Projections Designer

Chels Morgan - Intimacy Coordinator

Eva Breneman - Dialect Coach

Tom Watson - Hair & Makeup Designer

The Telsey Office | Karyn Casl CSA & Charlie Hano CSA - Casting

Bob Mason - Chicago Casting

Amy Marie Seidel - Associate Director

Lily Tomasic - Assistant Scenic Designer

Herin Kaputkin - Assistant Costume Designer

Colleen Doherty - Assistant Lighting Designer

Taylor Edelle Stuart - Associate Video Designer

Kristi J. Martens - Production Stage Manager

Amanda Blanco - Assistant Stage Manager

Ethan Coon - Production Assistant

Cast

Chilina Kennedy - Billie Jean King

Dan Amboyer - Larry King

Julia Antonelli - Young Billie Jean

Courtney Rikki Green - Woman Two

Wynn Harmon - Man One

Carolyn Holding - Woman Five

Jürgen Hooper - Man Two

Elena Hurst - Rosie Casals

Callie Rachelle Johnson - Woman Six

Lenne Klingaman - Woman Three

Nancy Lemenager - Woman One

Murphy Taylor Smith - Woman Four

Miles Borchard - Understudy

Sydney Feldman - Understudy

Kelli Harrington - Understudy

Nathe Rowbotham - Understudy

Hannah Ruwe - Understudy

Marlene Slaughter - Understudy

Jocelyn Zamudio - Understudy

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER (CST)

CST is a leading international theater company and the nation’s largest year-round theater dedicated to the works of Shakespeare. Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes, the Regional Tony Award recipient is committed to creating vivid, entertaining theatrical experiences that invigorate and engage people of all ages and identities by illuminating the complexity, ambiguity, and wonder of our world. Each year, nearly a quarter of a million people experience CST’s artistry through more than 12 productions. With Shakespeare at the heart of the artistic work, CST also produces compelling, contemporary stories from fresh voices of today. CST brings the world to Chicago and sends Chicago out into the world as Chicago’s foremost presenter of international theater, and consistent producer of North American and world premieres. Serving more students and teachers than any theater in the city, CST annually welcomes more than 20,000 students to performances and programs like Chicago Shakespeare SLAM, alongside professional development opportunities for teachers. CST activates its campus with three venues: 700-seat The Yard; the 500-seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater; and the 200-seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio. Free programs like Shakes in the City bring performances to parks and community spaces across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. Shared humanity and unforgettable stories—now THIS is Chicago Shakespeare. chicagoshakes.com 

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. 

Two Times the TUTA in Rotating Repertory June 27 – August 16, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

TUTA Theatre Announces Summer Rep of 

Celine Song’s TOM & ELIZA 

Alternating With 

White Rabbit, Red Rabbit

Plays to be performed in rotating repertory June 27 – August 16.

TUTA Theatre announces changes in two-play summer rep: 

Celine Song’s TOM & ELIZA will now be paired with the experimental 

WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour

TUTA Theatre has announced a change in its two-play summer repertory. WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT will replace the replace the previously announced EVERY BRILLIANT THING and will play Sundays and Mondays through August 16. This highly experimental play by Iranian German playwright Nassim Soleimanpour, like some of his other plays, is performed cold by a different actor at each performance, with no rehearsal, no director, and no set. Company member Huy Nguyen will perform the play on opening night, with actors for the remaining performances to be announced. Forbidden to leave his country, playwright Nassim Soleimanpour distilled the experience of an entire generation in a wild, utterly original play. WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT is as much about contemporary Iran as it is about power dynamics in the rest of the world. Please note - this play is NOT overtly political and should not be portrayed as such. It operates on a deeper, metaphoric level, and very expressly avoids overt political comment. I'll be reviewing WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT for ChiIL Live Shows at the press opening Monday, July 7th, so check back shortly after for my full review. I reviewed Interrobang's version of this show back in 2018, and I'm eager to see what TUTA's style and the changing world over the past 7 years will bring to this fresh production. The show will play Sunday and Monday evenings through August 11.

Since its joint premiere in 2011 in Edinburgh and Summerworks festival, WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT has been translated into more than 30 different languages and been performed over 3000 times by some of the biggest names in theatre and film including actors John Hurt, Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, Stephen Rea, Sinead Cusack, Marcus Brigstocke, Dominic West and film director Ken Loach. It was produced off-Broadway in New York in 2016. The production team for TUTA’s staging will be Co-Artistic Director Jacqueline Stone (Artistic Producer), Huy Nguyen (Artist Liaison), Keith Parham (Lighting Design), Becky Warner (Stage Manager), and Helen Lattyak (Creative Producer).

TUTA’s summer rep will begin on June 26 with the Chicago premiere of TOM & ELIZA by Celine Song, whose directorial film debut PAST LIVES (2023) received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Song’s following feature film, MATERIALISTS, opened to rave reviews on June 13. TUTA Co-Artistic Director Aileen Wen McGroddy will direct. The two plays will be performed in repertory through mid-August at TUTA Theatre, 4670 N. Manor Avenue, Chicago.

TOM & ELIZA, which premiered at Brooklyn, New York’s JACK theater in 2016, examines a young couple from their ordinary first date toward the end of civilization. In little more than an hour, with no intermission, the two characters use rapid-fire language to chronicle their entire relationship, mercilessly withholding nothing. A teethy battle of wills that centers on obsessions with bathing and book-burning, the play wakens both ecstasy and disgust with life. TUTA Co-Artistic Director Aileen Wen McGroddy, who was Jeff-nominated for her direction of the Jeff Award-winning ensemble of TUTA’s ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE in summer 2024, is directing this Chicago premiere.

The two-hander TOM & ELIZA will be played by Clifton Frei and Seoyoung Park, who were both members of the Jeff Award-winning ensemble cast of ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE. Keith Parham, Jeff-nominated for his lighting design of ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE, is Lighting Designer. Tatiana Kahvegian, a 2024 Tony Award nominee for the scenic design of THE OUTSIDERS, is Set and Costume Designer. I'll be covering TOM & ELIZA for ChiIL Live Shows on Sunday, June 29th so check back soon for my full review. Previews begin June 26th. It will play an irregular schedule through August 16.

Seats for all performances of TOM & ELIZA and WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT can be reserved by purchasing in advance. Prices for all performances (excluding opening nights) are $20,  $45 and $60 (plus a $3.00 per ticket fee). Any seating not reserved in advance will be available the day of the performance for in person, pay-what-you-choose tickets at the door 30 minutes before curtain time. Additional information on TUTA Theatre’s ticketing is available at www.tutatheatre.org. There is no late seating. If available, pay what-you-choose 30 minutes before curtain.

Clifton Frei and Seoyoung Park. 

MORE PRODUCTION INFORMATION

TOM & ELIZA

By Celine Song

CHICAGO PREMIERE

Directed by Aileen Wen McGroddy

Performed by Seoyoung Park and Clifton Frei

June 26 – August 16, 2025

Performance Days: Vary per week. See schedule below.

Press Openings Sunday, June 29 at 7:30 pm and Monday, June 30 at 7:30 pm

TUTA Theatre, 4670 N Manor Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Ticket Prices: $20 - $60

Tickets and more information at www.tutatheatre.org

Tom's mother and father made love

Tom was born

Tom grew up

Tom entered this restaurant

Tom is on a date

 

Eliza's mother and father made love

Eliza was born

Eliza grew up

Eliza entered this restaurant

Eliza is on a date

 TOM & ELIZA is a dual meditation on the choices we make (and those we don't) in a world that spins relentlessly into the future. Performed in one long breath by two virtuosic actors, TUTA Co-Artistic director Aileen Wen McGroddy directs the Chicago premiere of this idiosyncratic work by Celine Song, writer of Oscar-nominated PAST LIVES and the recently released rom-com MATERIALISTS.

Performance Schedule:

Previews: Thursday 6/26 – 7:30 pm, Friday 6/27–7:30 pm, Saturday 6/28 – 7:30, pm

Openings: Sunday 6/29 – 7:30 pm and Monday 6/30 – 7:30 pm

Regular Run: Thursday 7/3 – 7:30 pm, Thursday 7/10 - 7:30 pm, Friday, 7/11 – 7:30 pm, Saturday 7/12 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/13 – 2:00 pm, Thursday 717 – 7:30 pm, Saturday 7/19 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/20 – 2:00 pm, Thursday 7/24 – 7:30 pm, Friday 7/25 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/27 – 2:00 pm, Thursday 7/31 – 7:30 pm, Saturday 8/2– 7:30 pm, Sunday 8/3 – 2:00 pm, Thursday 8/7 – 7:30 pm, Saturday 8/9– 7:30 pm, Sunday 8/10 – 2:00 pm, Friday 8/15 – 7:30 pm, Saturday 8/16 – 7:30 pm

Additional performances listed above in bold. Monday 7/28 – 7:30 pm will now be a performance of WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT.

WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT

by Nassim Soleimanpour

Presented in association with Nassim Soleimanpour Productions

July 6 – August 11, 2025

Press Opening Monday, July 7 at 7:30 pm

Performance days and times vary per week

TUTA Theatre, 4670 N Manor Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Ticket $20 - $60

Ticketing and more information at www.tutatheatre.org

Forbidden to leave his country, playwright Nassim Soleimanpour distilled the experience of an entire generation in a wild, utterly original play. WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT is as much about contemporary Iran as it is about power dynamics in the rest of the world. The play is  performed cold by a different actor at each performance, with no rehearsal, no director, and no set.

Performance Schedule

Preview: Sunday 7/6 – 7:30 pm.

Press Opening: Monday, 7/7 – 7:30 pm

Regular Run: Sunday 7/13 – 7:30 pm, Monday 7/14 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/20 – 7:30 pm, Monday 7/21 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/27 – 2:00 pm, Monday 7/28 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 8/3 – 7:30 pm, Monday 8/4 – 7:30 pm, Sunday 8/10 – 7:30 pm, Monday 8/11 – 7:30 pm.

BIOS

Celine Song (Writer, TOM & ELIZA) is a Canadian director, playwright, and screenwriter based in New York City. Her directorial film debut PAST LIVES (2023) received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Song's other plays include ENDLINGS and THE SEAGULL ON THE SIMS 4  FAMILY, and THE FEAST. According to her biography on The Playwright's Realm, "she has been awarded residences, fellowships, and commissions from MTC/Sloan, Sundance, the Millay Colony for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Edward F. Albee Foundation." Her next film project,  MATERIALISTS, starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, was released in theatres on June 13, 2025. 

Aileen Wen McGroddy (Director, TOM & ELIZA; TUTA Co-Artistic Director) is a Chinese and Irish American theatre director, educator, and producer of live events. She is a co-artistic director of TUTA Theatre Chicago. She is also the Creative Producer for the Writing is Live Festival at Brown University, a member of the Roundabout Directors Group, a past 2050 Fellow at New York Theatre Workshop, and the BOLD Resident Director at Northern Stage. MFA Directing from Brown-Trinity. Past work includes: ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE (TUTA, Jeff Award winner for Ensemble – Play), A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Trinity Rep); THE CHINESE LADY (Kitchen Theatre and Geva Theatre Center); SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (Northern Stage); AIRNESS (Breckenridge Backstage Theatre); THE LATE WEDDING, THE DUMB WAITER, SUMMER AND SMOKE, and THE TEMPEST (Brown-Trinity); COLD WAR CHOIR PRACTICE, THROWBACK ISLAND, ON THE Y-AXIS, AKIRA KUROSAWA EXPLAINS HIS MOVIES AND YOGURT (Writing is Live); MR. BURNS: A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY (Adelphi); THE GLASS MENAGERIE, OR,, DANI GIRL (Winnipesaukee Playhouse); KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY MUSICAL and THE SNOWY DAY (Emerald City Theatre); MONTAUCIEL TAKES FLIGHT (Lifeline Theatre); ULYSSES (The Plagiarists); A HERO’S JOURNEY, THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK, ROBIN HOOD, and THE PIED PIPER (The Forks & Hope Ensemble); THE WHISKEY RADIO HOUR, WAKE: A FOLK OPERA, KODACHROME TELEPHONE and SIGN OF RAIN (The Whiskey Rebellion). She has directed readings for New York Theatre Workshop, The Bushwick Starr, Clubbed Thumb, NY Classical Theatre, The Yale Drama Prize, Northern Stage, and Babes with Blades.

Jacqueline Stone (Artistic Producer, WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT; TUTA Co-Artistic Director) Jacqueline Stone is honored to be Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of TUTA. Her TUTA directing credits include THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER, the world premiere of HEDDA GABLER (as well as adaptor), Chicago and New York premieres (59E59 Theaters) of Adam Rapp's THE EDGE OF OUR BODIES, world premiere of THE ANYWAY CABARET (AN ANIMAL CABARET), and U.S. premiere OF THE SILENT LANGUAGE.  Her TUTA performance credits include FULTON STREET SESSIONS, BAAL, THE WEDDING (1996, 2010, 2011), UNCLE VANYA (2008, 2009), A STILL LIFE IN COLOR, THE BIRDS, THE SWEET LITTLE PRINCE, ALICE, and THE HOUR.  

In addition to TUTA, Stone currently serves as Producing Artistic Director of Breckenridge Backstage Theatre in Breckenridge, CO. BBT directing credits include the Colorado premiere of Jim DeVita and Josh Schmidt’s musical adaptation of THE GIFT OF THE MAGI, MT Cozzola’s A LADY’S GUIDE TO MOUNTAINS (Denver Fringe), and A CHRISTMAS STORY. This spring she will direct EVERY BRILLIANT THING.

From 2016 - 2020, Stone served as Artistic Director of Emerald City Theatre Company, Chicago's largest professional theatre serving young audiences.  ECT directing credits include the Chicago premiere of FANTASTIC MR. FOX, the Chicago premiere of KEN LUDWIG'S 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (Broadway Playhouse), the Chicago premiere of THE SNOWY DAY & OTHER STORIES, the world premiere of MOTHER GOOSE'S GARDEN, world premiere of PETER RABBIT (also adapter), JUNIE B. JONES, RAMONA QUIMBY, and the world premiere of Mo Willems' DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS.  

Select Chicago directing credits include Strawdog Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Chicago Immersive, Broadway in Chicago, Piven Theatre, The Second City, Mudlark Theater, Akvavit Theatre, Step Up Productions, 20% Theatre Company, You & Me Productions, and DCASE. Jacqueline is co-founder of Sirens, the longest running all-female improv group in the country.  She has appeared and created over 200 original shows with them.

Stone taught acting and improvisation at The Second City for ten years and Columbia College Chicago for five years. She spent twelve years as Emerald City Theatre's Education Director, building and fostering new acting programs for young people ages 3.5 - 13 years old.  Other select teaching credits include The Faculty of Dramatic Arts (Belgrade, Serbia), Chicago Improv Festival, Miami Improv Festival, Duke University's FUQUA School of Business, UCLA, and University of Chicago. 

ABOUT TUTA THEATRE

TUTA Theatre was established in 1995 in Washington, DC by co-founders Zeljko and Natasha Djukic, who brought a unique sense of artistic expression from their European homeland. In 2002, they relocated the company to Chicago. In the ensuing 23 years, TUTA has presented numerous US premieres of foreign plays from France, Russia, Austria, and Serbia. TUTA has produced seven world premieres, eight US premieres, four Midwest premieres and many modern re-imaginings of classics.  In 2012, longtime company member Jacqueline Stone stepped into the role of Artistic Director, and TUTA added productions for youth with the US premiere of THE SILENT LANGUAGE.  TUTA’s productions have been listed on Chicago critics’ ‘best of the year’ list eight times in the past 10 years and have been produced nationally (in NYC and LA) and internationally (in Serbia with the National Theatre in Belgrade).In 2023, TUTA named a new leadership structure with Co-Artistic Directors Aileen Wen McGroddy, Aziza Macklin, and Jacqueline Stone. Brad Gunter is Managing Director.

World Premiere of GIRLS & BOYS Via Griffin Theatre Company at Bramble Arts Loft July 11 - August 16, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY 

ANNOUNCES THE MIDWEST PREMIERE OF 

GIRLS & BOYS 

AT BRAMBLE ARTS LOFT, JULY 11 - AUGUST 16, 

WRITTEN BY DENNIS KELLY 

DIRECTED BY ROBIN WITT

This Solo Performance that’s Equal Parts Hilarious and Harrowing Stars Cynthia Marker 

Griffin Theatre Company, is proud to announce the midwest premiere of Girls & Boys, written by Dennis Kelly and directed by Robin Witt, July 11 - August 16 at Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N Clark St. Previews for Girls & Boys are Friday, July 11, Saturday, July 12, Thursday, July 17 and  Friday July 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 13 at 3 p.m. The press opening is Saturday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Girls & Boys has an approximate runtime of 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 6 for $30- $43 and may be purchased at GriffinTheatre.com.

When a woman meets the man of her dreams, their whirlwind romance promises a future full of happiness and fulfillment. Their lives are painted with the vibrancy of passion, success and the joys of parenthood. Yet, as their ambitions escalate and subtle fractures begin to emerge, the veneer of their idyllic existence starts to crumble, leading to the unimaginable. A powerful and unflinching exploration of love and the dark truths that lie beneath, Girls & Boys is told with biting humor and raw emotion--a masterclass in storytelling that’s equal parts hilarious and harrowing.

Girls & Boys will be performed by Cynthia Marker as “Woman,” understudied by Andrea Uppling.

The Girls & Boys creative team includes Robin Witt (director); Sotirios Livaditis (scenic design); Brandon Wardell (lighting design); Jessical Wardell (costume design); Thomas Dixon (sound design); Paloma Locsin (properties design); Matthew Chase (production management); Grace Elizabeth Mealey (stage management); Adam Goldstein (dialect coach); Harrison Ornelas (technical director) and Joe Johnson (asst. scenic designer).  

ABOUT DENNIS KELLY, playwright

DENNIS KELLY (Playwright) is a British screenwriter and playwright.  Born in Barnet, North London, Kelly left school at age sixteen. While working at a Sainsbury's grocery store, Kelly became involved in local youth theatre. Kelly later pursued a degree in Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths College in South London. Kelly's first play, Debris, was well-received. After a string of other successful plays (Orphans, Love and Money) , Kelly co-wrote the BBC Three sitcom Pulling, which was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award in 2007. Kelly is also known for co-writing Matilda the Musical (Tony Award - Best Book of a Musical) and for his 2007 play DNA, which has been staged and taught in many secondary schools.

ABOUT ROBIN WITT, director

For Griffin Theatre, Robin Witt has directed For Services Rendered, London Wall (Jeff Award), Men Should Weep (Jeff Award), Flare Path (Jeff Nomination) and Stage Door (Jeff Nomination).  She is also a member at Steep Theatre where she recently directed A SlowAir by David Harrower and A Case for the Existence of God by Samuel D. Hunter. Among the other productions she has helmed for Steep are Simon Stephens’s Light Falls, Harper Regan and Wastewater, Alistair McDowall’s Pomona and Brilliant Adventures, as well as Cordelia Lynn’s Lela & Co (Jeff Award) and Dennis Kelly’s Love and Money. Other theatres she has worked for include Steppenwolf, Goodman, Northlight, Writers Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Edinburgh Theatre Festival, Everyman Theatre (Baltimore), A Red Orchid and The Artistic Home. Her essay,  “Interview theatre and the Dream Act: Activism through raising community voices” may be found in “DREAM Act Activists & Teacher Allies: Are You Listening?” (Teachers College Press). She is a professor of directing at UNC Charlotte and holds a BFA from New York University Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA from Northwestern University. As an actor, she last appeared on stage in A Red Orchid’s production of Bug by Tracy Letts in 2001. Robin is the daughter of the late actor Howard Witt.

ABOUT CYNTHIA MARKER, (Woman)

Cynthia Marker is a member of Steep Theatre where she has appeared in Light Falls, Mosquitoes, Linda, Birdland, Earthquakes in London and Moment. Marker most recently played the role of “Dean Healy” in First Floor Theater's premiere of One Party Consent. An alum of The School at Steppenwolf, she is ecstatic to return to Griffin and resume her work with the indomitable and incomparable Robin Witt.

ABOUT ANDREA UPPLING (Woman U/S)

Andrea Uppling is very excited to be working with Griffin Theatre Co. and these amazing creators. Recent credits include her work with Paramount Theatre in What the Constitution Means to Me (“Heidi” U/S) and A Streetcar Named Desire (“Eunice,” “Blanche” U/S) as well as The Winter's Tale (“Hermione”) and the Jeff Award-winning Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (‘Martha”) at Invictus Theatre Co.

ABOUT THE GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY

Established in 1988, the mission of the Griffin Theatre Company is to create extraordinary and meaningful theatrical experiences for both children and adults by building bridges of understanding between generations that instill in its audience an appreciation of the performing arts. Through artistic collaboration the Griffin Theatre Company produces literary adaptations, original work and classic plays that challenge and inspire, with wit, style and compassion for the audience. 

The Griffin Theatre has provided a wide range of work including world and mid-west premieres of acclaimed scripts, critically lauded productions of Shakespeare and original adaptations of novels.  Many of the Griffin’s 150 plus productions have appeared on Chicago area critics “Best of the Year” lists. The Griffin Theatre Company is the recipient of 140 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for theater excellence in Chicago. The Griffin was honored with four 2018 Jeff awards for Ragtime including Best Ensemble, Best Musical, Best Director-Musical and Best Performer in a Supporting Role-Musical. Additionally, the company was the repeat winner of the 2016 Jeff Award for Best Production of a Play for London Wall having won the same award in 2015 for its production of Men Should Weep. In 2014, the Griffin was honored with a Special Jeff Award for  artistic excellence and its dedication to provocative and transformational theatre for Chicago  audiences as well as its touring theater that engages and enlightens youth throughout the  United States.

The Griffin is a nationally recognized producer of youth touring theatre in the United States. The Griffin’s national audience exceeds 100,000 young people and adults each year. Tours have included such prestigious venues as Cleveland Playhouse Square, Tennessee Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, and the Cerritos Center for the Arts in Cerritos, California. Touring productions include both youth focused plays, Frindle and The Stinky Cheese Man and the Griffin’s hit adult production of Letters Home—a production that pays tribute to the men and women in the US military, In to America, a play that traces America’s 400-year immigrant history and Ghosts of War. Most recently, the Griffin produced the world premiere production of Astronaut Group I, the story of the original Mercury 7 Astronauts. Overall, Griffin’s touring productions have been performed in 44 of the 50 United States.

Griffin Theatre Company, is proud to announce the midwest premiere of Girls & Boys, written by Dennis Kelly and directed by Robin Witt, July 11 - August 16 at Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N Clark St. Previews for Girls & Boys are Friday, July 11, Saturday, July 12,  Thursday, July 17 and Friday July 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 13 at 3 p.m. The press opening is Saturday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Girls & Boys has an approximate runtime of 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets go on sale Thursday, June 5 for $30- $43 and may be purchased at GriffinTheatre.com.

World Premiere of “BIG TIME TOPPERS” Via Theatre L’Acadie at Redtwist Theatre July 10th - July 26, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

“BIG TIME TOPPERS” 

PRESENTED BY

THEATRE L’ACADIE AT REDTWIST THEATRE

Theatre L’Acadie proudly presents its 5th theatrical season with the World Premiere of 

Patrick Vermillion’s pie-in-the-face dark farce.

Directed by TL Co-Artistic Director Brandii Champagne.

Big Time Toppers will take place at Redtwist Theatre (1044 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL 60660) and

runs from July 10th - July 26th. Preview performances will take place July 6th, 7th, and 8th at

8pm. Press opening is July 8th at 8pm, and opening night is July 10th at 8pm. There will be one

Matinée performance on Sunday, July 13th at 3PM. Designated understudy performance will

take place on Monday, July 21st. Tickets (PayWhatYouCan suggested donation of $30) are now

on sale at theatrelacadie.com.

Photo credit: Sam Riehl

Big Time Toppers, by Patrick Vermillion: After a juggling trick goes horrifically awry, aspiring

professional clowns Harlow and Stubs must find a way to treat the severe wounds they’ve

accidentally inflicted on each other before the most important audition of their fledgling careers.

A farcical comedy about being an artist in a world of peril - and making your dreams come true

no matter what - even if there's a tornado!

MORE PRODUCTION DETAILS: BIG TIME TOPPERS

Cast: Jamaque Newberry (Stubbs), Hannah Antman (Harlow), Kandace Mack (Billie), Shane

Rhoades (Eddie), and Quinn Leary (Jimmy Knives)

Production Team: Erin Sheets (Movement / Fight Director), Benjamin Mills (Assistant

Director / Costume Designer), Jimena Ramirez (Stage Management), Adriana Andreolas

(Assistant Stage Management), Joel Willison (Dramaturgy), Sam Anderson (Lighting Design),

Riley Woods (Associate Lighting Designer), Al Joritz (Props Master), Stefan Roseen (Sound

Design), Rose Johnson (Scenic Design), and Katie Dreher (Production Manager)

Dates: July 10th - July 26th (Previews July 6th, 7th, 8th)

Press Opening: Tuesday, July 8th, 2025 at 8pm

Location: Redtwist Theatre (1044 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL 60660)

Running Time: Approximately 100 minutes with no intermission

Tickets: General Admission: $30 suggested donation; pay-what-you-can

ABOUT THEATRE L’ACADIE

Founded in 2018, Theatre L’Acadie is a collective of multi-disciplinary storytellers who ask: how

do you get people to talk about the ugly? As nurturers of new and under-produced works,

Theatre L’acadie is driven to unearth the beauty rooted within chaos. 

Learn more about us at theatrelacadie.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @theatrelacadie