ART BEAT: ARTS OF LIFE ANNOUNCES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY WITH CELEBRATORY EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS, AND PROGRAMMING FEBRUARY 22, 2025

 ART BEAT: ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

ARTS OF LIFE ANNOUNCES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY 

WITH CELEBRATORY EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS, AND PROGRAMMING 

Book cover of 2wenty 5ive – Arts of Life 2000-2025; Artwork by Veronica Cuculich

Anniversary year kicks off with 25th Birthday Party & Book Launch in February to celebrate new artwork-filled hardcover retrospective highlighting organization’s role in the progressive art studio movement supporting artists with disabilities.

The Chicagoland non-profit Arts of Life is pleased to announce its 25th Anniversary and associated programming. With locations in Chicago and Glenview, Arts of Life advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership. Throughout the anniversary year, Arts of Life will look back at its history, celebrate its impact, and cast eyes toward its future. The launch of an artwork-filled, retrospective hardcover book kicks off Arts of Life 25th Anniversary festivities in a celebratory fashion (February 22), continuing with a New York City Book Launch at Outsider Art Fair (February 27-March 2); a booth at EXPO Chicago (April 24-27); a dedicated exhibition at the Chicago Design Museum (August 11-September 30) and correlating Art on theMART feature projection (September 11-October 6); and the Arts of Life annual Benefit Art Auction (October 2025). More information on Arts of Life and current and upcoming galleries and programming can be found at artsoflife.org.

The anniversary year of celebrations will begin on February 22, 2025 with 2wenty 5ive: Arts of Life Birthday Party & Book Launch to celebrate the launch of its new book, 2wenty 5ive – Arts of Life 2000-2025, a retrospective that highlights the organization’s role in the progressive art studio movement in supporting artists with disabilities. With planned distribution at Urban Outfitters stores across the US, the book includes a foreword by Intuit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art Executive Director Deb Kerr, in addition to impact stories from individual artists.

The book launch event will take place at Seven Star Venue Space in Rogers Park (2017 West Howard Street) and will honor Wilmette resident and arts supporter Cindy Shanker for her commitment to the Arts of Life community as a longtime, devoted volunteer as an arts facilitator. Throughout her time working with Arts of Life, Shanker has helped artists achieve their artistic goals and provided support within the studio. She has also led both the Art Talk and Poetry Group gatherings, which provides group work for art sharing, learning about art history, and writing poetry to accompany their visual art.

Tickets and more information on 2wenty 5ive: Arts of Life Birthday Party & Book Launch are available on artsoflife.org.

Arts of Life Co-Founder and Executive Director Denny Fisher says, “The excitement is building as we approach this remarkable milestone at Arts of Life. We cannot wait to celebrate our community’s achievements as we look ahead to the next quarter century. 2025 offers a fantastic opportunity to get involved - meet our artists, buy their work, and join the festivities. We cannot wait to shine the light on our artists and their work.”

More details on the above programming and more are to come.

About Arts of Life

Arts of Life advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership.

Arts of Life is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in January 2000 with a shared vision: to create a working, person-centric, artistic community while providing a work environment of equality in Chicago. Motivated by founding artist Veronica Cuculich along with two co-founders Arts of Life brought nine other individuals with developmental disabilities to create the organization we are today. Their shared vision grew from a passion for artistic expression and a need for an alternative system.

For artists at Arts of Life, a career in the visual arts is an opportunity for meaningful employment. Each artist has their own studio space and works independently from individualized project plans or receives one on one visual arts facilitation to increase their artistic skill set. Artists also receive 60% of art sales.

Today, Arts of Life has two professional art studios and represent over 60 artists with varying levels of physical and intellectual disabilities. Each studio is 6,000 square feet and includes a community gallery that is open to the public.

For more information on Arts of Life and its programs, visit artsoflife.org. Connect with Arts of Life on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

SAVE THE DATE: Tickets On Sale January 7, 2025 for Chicago Theatre Week 2025 February 6 – 16, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar: 

League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with Choose Chicago, Presents 

Chicago Theatre Week 2025

February 6 – 16, 2025

Tickets go on sale starting Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Here at ChiIL Live Show and ChiIL Mama, I personally catch over 200 shows a year, and often closer to 300! We're passionate about Chicago's world class theatre scene, and cover everything from scrappy, low budget storefronts to opulent operas, and Broadway touring extravaganzas. The weather in Chicago may be frightful, come February, but our theatre's delight-FULL. Save the date on January 7th at 10am and get out of the deep freeze and into some hot shows at a huge discount. We've been covering Chicago Theatre Week (#CTW25) since its inception and it always makes ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List. There are plenty of family friendly picks, adult shows, and something for every taste. Our talent pool here in Chicago is deep, so don't miss this!

Chicago Theatre Week (#CTW25), an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago during which visitors and residents can access value-priced tickets, will take place February 6-16, 2025. For the third consecutive year, HotTix.org will host Chicago Theatre Week Continued from February 17-23, 2025, which will extend Theatre Week discounts to participating productions for an additional week.

The value-priced CTW tickets will be $30, $15, or less. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00am CST on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at ChicagoTheatreWeek.com.

Last year’s Chicago Theatre Week saw massive ticket sales with more than 18,000 tickets sold to 81 participating productions for more than 446 performances. 64 theaters participated in CTW 2024, with 29 neighborhoods and suburbs represented. The program continues to bring in new audiences to area theatres with approximately 58% of patrons visiting their chosen theatre for the first time. Chicago Theatre Week also raises the visibility of the theater industry, as evidenced by the 144,689 unique visitors to ChicagoTheatreWeek.com from the tickets sale date through the end of Theatre Week.

A small sample of the many productions expected to participate are:

Sondra Radvanovsky in Concert – Lyric Opera

Singin’ In the Rain in Concert – Lyric Opera

A Raisin in the Sun – Court Theatre

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical – Drury Lane

Avaaz – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

The Heart Sellers – Northlight Theatre

Fool for Love – Steppenwolf Theatre Company

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Betrayal – Goodman Theatre

Winter Series – Hubbard Street at Harris Theater for Music and Dance

Fat Ham – Goodman Theatre and Definition Theatre

The announcement of Chicago Theatre Week 2025 comes as Choose Chicago, the League of Chicago Theatres, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events present the second Chicago Theater Season campaign. From now until the end of the year, this campaign will encourage locals and visitors to explore productions across Chicago’s diverse theater community. For find more information on the 2024 Theater Season campaign, including a full calendar of performances and ticketing information, visit TheaterSeason.com.

League of Chicago Theatres Executive Director Marissa Lynn Jones comments, “Chicago Theatre Week is a time for exploration and discovery. It is a pleasure to bring new audiences to our treasured stages that bring talent from across the globe. Chicago is the home of the best theatre artists in the world with stories for all ages and experiences.’ 

“Chicago offers one of the most dynamic performing arts scenes in the world," said Choose Chicago Interim President and CEO Rich Gamble. "I am proud to support Theatre Week in partnership with the League of Chicago Theatres. Initiatives like this and our Chicago Theater Season campaign are critical to attracting new audiences to our venues and ensuring residents and visitors alike have the opportunity to experience the excitement and vibrancy of live theater in Chicago for generations to come."

Chicago Theatre Week is presented by the League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago. Subscribe to the Theatre Week email newsletter for updates and announcements.

The official hashtag for Chicago Theatre Week 2025 is #CTW25.

 

About Chicago theatre 

Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 7 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. For more information, visit www.chicagoplays.com. #ChiTheatre

The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement

Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.

About Choose Chicago

Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city and its member business community.

Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and tag #ChicaGOandKNOW. For more information, visit choosechicago.com. Support the theatre community this fall during Theater Season and explore more than 100 shows happening now through the end of the year at TheaterSeason.com.

LOOKINGGLASS ANNOUNCES TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND PREPARES TO REOPEN WITH CIRCUS QUIXOTE JANUARY 30, 2025

LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS: FOUNDING ENSEMBLE MEMBER DAVID SCHWIMMER 

AND CHICAGO ATTORNEY JAMES (JIMMY) OH

STRENGTHENING ITS LEADERSHIP AS LOOKINGGLASS 

PREPARES TO REOPEN WITH 

CIRCUS QUIXOTE, JANUARY 30, 2025

The 2024/2025 Season Includes Two World Premieres: Circus Quixote, Jan. 30 – March 30, 2025, and Iraq, But Funny, May 29 – July 20, 2025; a Renovated Lookingglass Lobby, Bar and Café Also Reopens Thursday, Jan. 30

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've been covering Lookingglass Theatre Company and reviewing all their shows for over 15 years. We're elated that they're returning with a new managing director, Jamey Lundblad, a new artistic director, Kasey Foster, a longtime favorite of ours on stage and behind the scenes, and a couple of powerhouse board members. David Schwimmer and James (Jimmy) Oh are fabulous assets to have on board. We can't wait to check out Lookingglass' new lobby makeover, and 2 world premiers shows coming in January and May! 

After pausing its operations last year to reorganize and create a new business model, Chicago’s Tony-Award winning Lookingglass Theatre Company is proud to announce two new Board members as it prepares to reopen January 30, 2025: founding ensemble member, actor and director David Schwimmer and Chicago employment and healthcare attorney James (Jimmy) Oh. Lookingglass’ Board of Directors is now composed of 25 business, civic and arts leaders charged with advancing the mission of this ensemble-based company founded in 1988. Located inside the historic Water Tower Water Works building, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave., Lookingglass will present two world premieres this season: Circus Quixote, Jan. 30 – March 30, 2025, and Iraq, But Funny, May 29 – July 20, 2025, plus Young Ensemble performances and special events in neighborhoods throughout Chicago. A renovated lobby, bar and café also reopens Thursday, Jan. 30, with its menu and programming to be announced in the coming months. The full list of Board members and 2024/2025 season details may be found at LookingglassTheatre.org. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Jimmy and David to our Board of Directors, as we continue to strengthen Lookingglass’ leadership at this pivotal moment for the Company,” said Board Chair Richard Chapman. “David and Jimmy bring a passion for the performing arts and unique skill sets and networks that will help advance our vital mission—to redefine the limits of theatrical experience and to make theatre exhilarating, inspirational and accessible to all.”

Jamey Lundblad (formerly with the City of Chicago’s Cultural Affairs department) joined Lookingglass as managing director this fall, and ensemble member and multi-hyphenate artist Kasey Foster was named artistic director earlier this year. Additionally, this past spring, the Company welcomed four new members into its ensemble: Atra Asdou, Wendy Mateo, Ericka Ratcliff and Matthew C. Yee.

“Lookingglass has been my artistic home for more than three decades, and I have worked hard to sustain it, but this is my first time serving on the Board,” said David Schwimmer. “I’m incredibly excited to partner with our dedicated Board of Directors, talented Ensemble and hardworking Staff to bolster an organization that means so much to me, and to Chicago.”

“My passion for theatre is personal. All four of our sons performed in children’s theatre, three earned theatre degrees—and now they’re working in the arts,” said Jimmy Oh. “So, I’m thrilled to be directly involved in and supporting the creative industries through my Board service at Lookingglass, one of the best regional theatres in the U.S.”

ABOUT DAVID SCHWIMMER

David Schwimmer’s many television and film acting credits include the hit comedy series “Friends,” for which he received his first Emmy Award nomination, “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson” for which he received a second Emmy nomination, “Band of Brothers,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Madagascar 1, 2 &; 3,” “Feed the Beast,” “Six Days Seven Nights,” “Apt Pupil,” “The Pallbearer,” “Duane Hopwood,” “The Iceman,” “The Laundromat” and “Little Death.” Schwimmer executive produced and starred as the lead in the Sky TV/Peacock original sitcom “Intelligence” and in “Extrapolations” for Apple TV+.  

He will next be seen in Disney’s anthology series “Goosebumps,” based on R.L. Stine’s bestselling Scholastic series.

Schwimmer has directed over twenty plays, including his adaptations of Studs Terkel’s RACE and Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle for Lookingglass and Laura Eason’s Sex with Strangers for the Second Stage Theatre. Other stage credits outside of Lookingglass include Detroit at Playwrights Horizons, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial on Broadway and the premiere of Neil LaBute’s Some Girls in the West End, London.

Schwimmer’s television and film directing includes ten episodes of “Friends,” the HBO series “Little Britain USA,” “Growing Up Fisher” for NBC, the feature films “Since You’ve Been Gone,” “Run Fat Boy Run” and the independent drama “Trust” starring Clive Owen, Catherine Keener and Viola Davis. He also produced the film “LOVE” directed by Alexander Zeldin for the BBC based on his play produced at the National Theatre in London.

ABOUT JAMES (JIMMY) OH

Jimmy Oh is an employment and healthcare attorney based in Chicago, with a passion for theatre. At Epstein Becker Green, Oh’s work traverses all three of the firm’s core practices: employment, labor and workforce management (ELWM); health care and life sciences (HCLS) and litigation and business disputes. He  has tried cases in federal courts around the country on both employment and healthcare-related issues. 

Oh is a member of Epstein Becker Green’s ELWM Steering Committee, health employment and labor (HEAL®) strategic industry group (which consists of members of both the ELWM and HCLS practices) and litigation and business disputes practice. He also holds leadership roles on the firm’s Diversity and Professional Development Committee and serves on the Executive Committee of the firm’s Minority Attorney Forum.

In addition, he has published numerous articles and made presentations on a variety of topics. He is a graduate of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and Northwestern University.

ABOUT THE 2024/2025 SEASON

WORLD PREMIERE 

Circus Quixote

January 30 – March 30, 2025

Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave. 

Based on Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote of La Mancha

Written and Directed by Kerry and David Catlin

Circus by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi

Produced in Association with Actors Gymnasium

Somewhere in La Mancha there lived a man who read so many books that his brains dried up…Saddle up with Lookingglass as they go tiltingly, acrobatically into the dreamy madness of Don Quixote and his impossible folly-filled quest to bring good-deed doing back into the world— whether the world wants it or not!

Circus Quixote production sponsors include Greg Thompson & Greg Cameron and Marla Mendelson, M.D. & Stephen Wolf. 

WORLD PREMIERE 

Iraq, But Funny 

May 29 – July 20, 2025 

Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave. 

Written by Atra Asdou 

Directed Dalia Ashurina 

A raucous satire about five generations of Assyrian women reclaiming their stories, as narrated by a British guy. Making its world premiere at Lookingglass Theatre, Ensemble Member Atra Asdou’s original dark comedy jauntily marches through the Ottoman Empire to modern-day U.S.A. exploring history, family and dysfunction.  

2024/2025 season sponsors are Joan & Paul Rubschlager, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, HMS Media, Waldorf Astoria Chicago and the City of Chicago. 

Lookingglass Young Ensemble 

March 2025 

The Lookingglass Young Ensemble (YE) is a group of Chicago-area young adults, ages 13-18 years old, committed to building their theater skills, lifting their voices and developing theircreativity through collaborative creation. Three months of rehearsal and ensemble-building amongst this incredible group of artists will culminate in three public performances. 

 

Lookingglass Outdoors 

Summer 2025

Lookingglass takes their art outside the historic Water Tower Water Works and into the neighborhoods through special events like Sunset 1919, educational opportunities like summer camp and recurring programs that tour around town. This summer, Lookingglass continues its ambitious video project to bring Chicago together despite the lines that divide us, 50 Wards: A Civic Mosaic. The series currently has 10 wards available for viewing at LookingglassTheatre.org. 

ABOUT LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY

Founded in 1988 by graduates of Northwestern University, Lookingglass Theatre Company is a nationwide leader in the creation and presentation of new, cutting-edge theatrical works and in sharing its ensemble-based theatrical techniques with Chicago-area students and teachers through Education and Community Programs. Guided by an artistic vision centered on the core values of collaboration, transformation and invention, Lookingglass seeks to capture audiences’ imaginations leaving them changed, charged and empowered. Recipient of the 2011 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Lookingglass has built a national reputation for artistic excellence and ensemble-based theatrical innovation. Notable world premieres include Mary Zimmerman’s Tony Award-winning Metamorphoses and The Odyssey, J. Nicole Brooks’ Her Honor Jane Byrne, David Schwimmer’s adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and Studs Terkel’s Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel about the American Obsession, Matthew C. Yee’s Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon and David Catlin’s circus tribute to Lewis Carroll, Lookingglass Alice, which was captured by HMS Media and reached 1.6 million PBS viewers. Lookingglass Alice is now available to more than four million students worldwide through Digital Theatre+. Work created by Lookingglass artists has been produced in Australia, Europe and dozens of cities throughout the United States.

Guarneri Hall Celebrates Schoenberg’s Seminal Composition Pierrot Lunaire in Concert Series Pierrot Unmasked December 9-10, 2024

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Guarneri Hall celebrates Schoenberg’s seminal composition 

Pierrot lunaire in concert series 

Pierrot Unmasked

With Different Experiences on December 9th and 10th at 6:30 p.m.

The 2-day event enlivens the melodrama on the tragic-comic character Pierrot via poetry reading and theatrical performance, followed by Q&A and intimate reception with the artists

The nonprofit Guarneri Hall, a state-of-the-art, custom-built classical music venue in the heart of downtown Chicago at 11 E. Adams St., presents Pierrot Unmasked, a concert series exploring the poetic and theatrical context of Arnold Schoenberg’s seminal melodrama, Pierrot lunaire. On December 9th and 10th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Pierrot Unmasked presents two different performances around the tragic-comic character Pierrot from Commedia dell'Arte, one with a reading of Albert Giraud’s poems on which Pierrot lunaire is based, and the other featuring a lively theatrical performance. Tickets can be purchased at guarnerihall.org, with general admission priced at $40 and student discounts available.

The stock character Pierrot originated in the Commedia dell’Arte of 17th-century Italy. This sad clown has been a source of artistic inspiration since, reflected in the work of many French painters and Symbolist poets. Giraud’s 50-poem set, Pierrot lunaire: rondels bergamasques, formed the basis of the commission that resulted in Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire. The extended tonality of Schoenberg’s musical language super-charges the haunting, other-worldly quality of Giraud’s poems, making both performances of Pierrot lunaire uniquely evocative and modernistic experiences.

Guarneri Hall’s unique pair of evenings will provide context for Pierrot lunaire with in-depth perspectives on the literary and theatrical histories of the Pierrot character. Each evening will culminate in a performance of Pierrot lunaire by soprano Kristina Bachrach with pianist Daniel Pesca, flutist Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, clarinetist Graham Steele Johnson, and Guarneri Hall’s resident ensemble, NEXUS Chamber Music, and include a post-performance Q&A session with the performers and event organizers. While the music is the same both nights—taking a cue from Schoenberg himself, who with his circle frequently staged performances where works were played twice in their entirety—the two evenings promise to offer uniquely different experiences, as outlined below.

Pierrot Unmasked: Pierrot the Poet

Monday, December 9th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.

Renowned poet David Yezzi of Johns Hopkins University will discuss the interpretive implications of existing translations of the Giraud poems followed by a performance of the Schoenberg by Bachrach and NEXUS Chamber Music. Yezzi is an American poet, editor, actor, and professor, who currently teaches poetry in the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University. He last appeared in Guarneri Hall in 2021, reading poems of Emily Dickinson and Gustav Mahler.

Pierrot Unmasked: Pierrot the Actor

Tuesday, December 10th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.

Pierrot the Actor will feature a semi-staged theatrical performance of Pierrot lunaire directed by actor-director Jim Iorio, Associate Professor of Theatre at Roosevelt University. The evening begins with Iorio providing the historical background of the character Pierrot, and completes with a semi-staged theatrical performance of the Schoenberg by Bachrach and NEXUS Chamber Music, directed by Iorio.

Performing artists include Kristina Bachrach, soprano; Daniel Pesca, piano; Brian Hong, violin and viola; Alexander Hersh, cello; Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, piccolo and flute; Graeme Steele Johnson, clarinet and bass clarinet.

About Guarneri Hall

Guarneri Hall NFP delivers extraordinary classical music to a broad and diverse audience through a curated mix of live performances and original music videos. The hall is a uniquely intimate, custom-built, 60-seat venue in the heart of downtown Chicago with optimal acoustics designed by Threshold Acoustics. In addition to presenting live performances that connect audiences to the dynamism of live performance with unparalleled intimacy, Guarneri Hall also produces high-quality video content designed to advance classical music in the digital age. Named after the famous Italian family of luthiers whose prominence in violin making is equaled only by that of Stradivari, Guarneri Hall (pronounced gwar-NAIR-ee) was founded in 2018 by esteemed violinist and violin dealer Stefan Hersh. For more information on Guarneri Hall visit guarnerihall.org.

Photos left to right, top to bottom: David Yezzi, Jim Iorio, Kristina Bachrach, Daniel Pesca, Brian Hong, Alexander Hersh, Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, Graeme Steele Johnson.

Oil Lamp Theater Announces the Cast for its 2025 Season Opener: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), Jan. 24 - Feb. 16, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

OIL LAMP THEATER ANNOUNCES CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR 

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED)

JANUARY 24 - FEBRUARY 16, 2025

DIRECTED BY JT NAGLE

Oil Lamp Theater’s 2025 Season Begins With A Spin On The Bard’s Catalog, Written By Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess WInfield.

Oil Lamp Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its first production of the 2025 season, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield with new revisions by Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, January 24 - February 16, at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged…) is directed by JT Nagle with a preview performance Thursday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m 

The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances January 29 and February 12 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and February 5 at 7:30 p.m. Single tickets are $30 for previews and $55 for the performance’s run. Subscriptions for the entire 2025 season and single tickets to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) are on sale now at OilLampTheater.org. 

Oil Lamp Theater’s 2025 season begins with an irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays,The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) weaves through all of Shakespeare’s comedies, histories and tragedies in one wild ride that will leave audiences breathless and helpless with laughter.

The cast of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) includes Michael Ashford (he/him), Samantha Garcia (she/her) and Elizabeth Rentfro (she/her) with understudies Kyle Quinlivan (he/him); Emma Soden (she/her) and Aneesah Jemei (she/her).

The production team includes JT Nagle (he/him, director); Brenden Delcorio (he/him), stage manager); Marcus Klein (he/him) scenic designer); Ellen Markus (she/hers, properties designer); Janelle Smith (she/hers/they/them, costume designer); Hannah Wien (she/hers/they/them, lighting designer);Connor Windle (she/hers/they/them, sound designer) and Greg Korak (he/him, technical designer).

ABOUT JT NAGLE, director

JT Nagle is an actor, comedian and director from Osawatomie, Kansas. As a director, he has worked with Oil Lamp Theater (most recently directing Ripcord), Avila University, Muse of Fire and Visceral Theatre (which he co-founded). You may also have seen Nagle onstage at Oil Lamp, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Strawdog, Shattered Globe, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and others. His one man show, Head Stuff, was featured at Redtwist Theatre and at the KC Fringe Festival with dozens of five-star reviews that weren’t just his parents.

OIL LAMP THEATER’S 2025 SEASON

In addition to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), the 2025 Oil Lamp Theater season includes The Lifespan of Fact, March 14 - April 16; The Marvelous Wonderettes, June 6 - June 29; Side by Side by Sondheim, August 17 - September 7 and Gaslight (Angel Street) October 3 - 26. Five-show and four-show subscriptions for the 2025 season are on sale now at OilLampTheater.org. 

ABOUT OIL LAMP THEATER

Oil Lamp Theater is an award-winning 60-seat storefront theater located in the heart of downtown Glenview. Keith Gerth founded the theater in February 2005, originally staging 20 productions for up to thirty-five friends and guests at night in his condo in Chicago. In March 2012, the organization was incorporated as a nonprofit and established a new location in downtown Glenview, fitted with warm décor and comfortable seating, reminiscent of a home. Oil Lamp produced 53 shows over the next seven years, reaching 10,000+ patrons per year and earning “Best Live Theater in the North Shore'' for four consecutive years. At the start of 2020, Keith Gerth retired, and shortly after, the pandemic began. Despite these major changes, Oil Lamp sprung into action and organized a drive-in for a fully-produced solo show, hosted outdoor concerts and built an outdoor venue for two full productions. Seeing the impact this made and the ability to conquer any challenge, Oil Lamp returned to indoor programming with a renewed vision. Oil Lamp now produces a dynamic Main Stage Season, Speak Easy Nights, a Women on Wednesdays series and continues investing in its connection with the community.

JACKALOPE THEATRE ANNOUNCES ITS 17th SEASON AT THE BROADWAY ARMORY PARK

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

JACKALOPE THEATRE ANNOUNCES ITS 

17th SEASON 

AT THE BROADWAY ARMORY PARK

The 2024 - 2025 Season includes the return of The Smuggler by Ronán Noone, the United States Premiere of Esho Rasho’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival Hit, Dummy in Diaspora; the World Premiere of Rehana Lew Mirza’s Neighborhood Watch, relaunch of its New Frontier Series and a 2025 edition of the Living Newspaper Festival

Jackalope Theatre Company is proud to announce its 17th season to be performed at the Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N Broadway St. The 2024 - 2025 season season includes the return of the one-man thriller in rhyme, The Smuggler, January 14 - 25, 2025, by Ronán Noone, directed by Gus Menary and starring Andrew Burden Swanson, the United States premiere of one of the hits of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Dummy in Diaspora, February 26 - March 23, 2025, written and performed by Esho Rasho and directed by Karina Patel, then the world premiere of a heightened and sharp tale of Islamophobia in an American suburb from Rehana Lew Mirza, Neighborhood Watch, May 22 - June 28, 2025, directed by Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed and the season concludes with the latest edition of the Annual Living Newspaper Festival, August 21 - 25, 2025. In addition to the season announced today, Jackalope is currently accepting submissions from artists and companies for its New Frontier Series. The New Frontiers series is Jackalope supporting stories, people and communities in new and expansive ways at the Broadway Armory. Season subscriptions may be purchased for $85 with single tickets starting at $15. Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now at JackalopeTheatre.org or by calling the box office at 773.340.2543.

“Jackalope Theatre is back at the Edgewater Armory with an incredible season including the return of The Smuggler, which played to sold out houses earlier this year,” said Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed. “In addition, Chicago will host the United States premiere of the amazing Edinburgh festival hit from Esho Rasho, a world premiere about islamophobia and paranoia from Rehana Lew Mirza and the return of our Living Newspaper Festival. Jackalope’s 17th season continues our history of presenting productions from diverse American perspectives.”

Jackalope Theatre’s 17th season includes:

The Smuggler

January 14 - 25, 2025

Written by Ronán Noone

Directed by Gus Menary

Starring Andrew Swanson

(L to R) The Smuggler:  Ronán Noone, playwright; Gus Menary, director and Andrew Burden Swanson, "Tim Finnegan"

Previews: Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Press Opening: Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance schedule: Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.,

Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

The Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway St.

JackalopeTheatre.org

Tickets: $15 - $35

Jackalope Theatre Company remounts its thriller in rhyme, The Smuggler, reuniting the team behind the successful winter 2024 run, now scheduled at the Broadway Armory. It is 2025. Tim Finnegan is a clever and enterprising Irish immigrant tending bar on the island of Amity, an affluent summer enclave off the coast of Massachusetts. When his child falls ill and he loses his job, Finnegan is drawn into the dark world that exists only in the shadows of the wealthy island.

UNITED STATES PREMIERE

Dummy in Diaspora

February 26 - March 23, 2025

Written by Esho Rasho

Directed by Karina Patel

Starring Esho Rasho

(L to R) Dummy in Diaspora: Playwright/Performer Esho Rasho and Director Karina Patel

Previews: Wednesday, Feb. 26, Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Press Opening: Monday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance schedule: Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m.,

Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

The Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway St.

JackalopeTheatre.org/2024-2025-season

Tickets: $15 - $35

Dummy in Diaspora is a coming-of-age solo play written and performed by Esho Rasho about a Middle Eastern American boy, Essa, whose parents are refugees. During its most recent run in the 2024 Edinburgh Festival, The Scotsman in its four-star review said Dummy in Diaspora is “brutally honest” and “chilling.” Essa confesses the experience of growing up in a country that doesn’t have a place for him. He navigates sexuality, the demands of a religion passed onto him from his parents, learning the English language, the fleetingness of youth and a nicotine demon that won't leave him alone. Absurd. Raw. Untold.

WORLD PREMIERE

Neighborhood Watch

May 22 - June 28, 2025

Written by Rehana Lew Mirza

Directed by Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed

(L to R): Neighborhood Watch: Playwright Rehana Lew Mirza and Director Kaiser Ahmed

Previews: Thursday, May 22 - Saturday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Monday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Press Opening: Tuesday, May 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance schedule: Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m.,

Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

The Broadway Armory, 5917 N Broadway

JackalopeTheatre.org/2024-2025-season

Tickets: $15 - $40

Neighborhood Watch is a sharp and heightened tale of islamophobia in an American suburb. Paul, a suburban family man, becomes so convinced that his new neighbor is a terrorist that in his pursuit to uncover the truth, he begins terrorizing his daughter and neighborhood.

16th Annual Living Newspaper Festival

August 21 - 25, 2025

Press Opening: Thursday, Aug, 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance schedule: Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and Mondays at 7:30 p.m.

The Broadway Armory, 5917 N Broadway

JackalopeTheatre.org/2024-2025-season

Tickets: $15 - $35

The Living Newspaper Festival is inspired by the 1930s Living Newspapers of the Federal Theatre Project that created stories based on recent events. This year’s Festival will include one-act plays inspired from recent news headlines.

Performances, show times, dates are subject to change.

ABOUT RONÁN NOONE, PLAYWRIGHT THE SMUGGLER

Ronán Noone (he/him) believes in playing with a myriad of elements to find the right way to tell a good story; a necessary story that tells us who we are, where we have been and where we are going. He believes in stories that resonate beyond the theatre’s door and that add ideas to the national conversation. He believes in the playwright as a thinker traveling in the direction of their fear. His play The Smuggler won the Best Playwright award at the 1st Irish Festival of New York in January of 2019. The Second Girl (Thirst) was the inaugural winner of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Excellence in Playwriting Award (2015) and an Edgerton Award winner in 2014. Additional plays include The Atheist, Brendan, Scenes from an Adultery, The Lepers of Baile Baiste, The Blowin of Baile Gall, The Gigolo of Baile Breag (The Baile Trilogy), The Compass Rose, Little Black Dress and A Small Death.

ABOUT GUS MENARY, DIRECTOR THE SMUGGLER

Gus Menary (he/him) directed David Greig's adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's Solaris at Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle, where he served as artistic director. While there, he oversaw the pivot to audio plays during the COVID shutdown and produced world-premiere audio adaptations of authors such as Octavia E. Butler, N.K. Jemisin and Oscar Wilde. As part of Book-It’s return to the stage, he produced world-premiere stage adaptations of Amy Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter and Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, as well as many other modern adaptations. As director, he led the productions of Julian Glover’s Beowulf and Bilal Dardai's world-premiere adaptation of Jamyang Norbu's The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes. Previously, he served as the artistic director of Jackalope Theatre. Under his leadership, Jackalope produced world-premieres by Ike Holter (Prowess and The Light Fantastic), Lloyd Suh (Franklinland), Idris Goodwin (The Raid) and Calamity West (In the Canyon, Rolling), among many other national and regional premieres. Onstage, he directed Aaron Loeb's Ideation, Kenneth Lin's Life On Paper, Shawn Reddy's My Name is Mudd, Andrew Swanson's Lunacy! and Moonshiner and Ike Holter's The Light Fantastic and Exit Strategy. 

ABOUT ESHO RASHO, PLAYWRIGHT/PERFORMER, DUMMY IN DIASPORA

Esho Rasho (he/him) is a Chicago-based actor and writer. He is a graduate of the BFA in acting program at The Theatre School at DePaul University. His solo play, Dummy in Diaspora, which he wrote and performed, ran at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it received critical acclaim, earning four stars from The Scotsman, Broadway Baby, ThreeWeeks and Culture Fix UK. It was also given an "EXCELLENT SHOW" rating by Fringe Review and listed in a database of the best shows The Scotsman had seen at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He was a part of the 2024 “Criminal Queerness Playwriting Studio” cohort at The National Queer Theatre in New York and has also trained at The Second City Chicago.

ABOUT KARINA PATEL, DIRECTOR, DUMMY IN DIASPORA

Karina Patel (she/her) is a devised theatre artist, director and dramaturg originally from London, United Kingdom. She is currently the new works manager at Jackalope Theatre Company and literary associate at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Patel has developed new and devised work with The Story Theatre, The Understudy Chicago, APIDA Arts, TimeLine Theatre Company, Avalanche Theatre, Token Theatre, 24 Hour Plays and others. She has also served as an assistant director at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Court Theatre and the Repertory Theatre of St Louis.

ABOUT REHANA LEW MIRZA, PLAYWRIGHT, NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Rehana Lew Mirza (she/her) recently held a prestigious National Playwrights Mellon residency at Ma-Yi Theatre in New York from 2016-2022, after also being a playwright in residence at La Jolla Playhouse, where her musical Bhangra Nation (previously titled Bhangin’ It, 2019 Richard Rodgers Award; developed at The Orchard Project, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and their 3R program, Goodspeed and Project Springboard) premiered in 2022. It recently had its United Kingdom premiere at Birmingham Rep in February of 2024. Mirza’s plays include: Hatefuck (First Floor; Colt Coeur/WP); A People’s Guide to History in the Time of Here and Now (Primary Stages Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation's Women Playwrights Commission; AADA workshop production); Soldier X (Ma-Yi; Brooklyn College; NYSCA/Lark commission); Tomorrow, Inshallah (Living Room Theater, Kansas City; Storyworks/HuffPost commission); Neighborhood Watch (NNPN/InterAct commission) and Barriers (Desipina, Asian American Theater Company). She founded the award-winning South Asian theater and film company, Desipina & Co, alongside her sister Rohi Mirza Pandya in 2001, where together they produced the popular Seven.11 series (seven, 11-minute plays all set in a convenience store.) Additional awards/honors include: Kleban Award, Cape Cod Theatre Artist in Residence, NYFA Artist Fellow, TCG Fellowship with New Georges and an HBOAccess Writing Fellow. She currently holds a Julia Miles Playwriting Residency with WP Theater. She has an MFA from Columbia University and a BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

ABOUT KAISER AHMED, DIRECTOR, NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Kaiser Ahmed (he/him) is a Bangladeshi-American theatre director, producer, teacher and actor based in Chicago. He has worked as a director at Steppenwolf, Remy Bumppo, The Artistic Home, Northlight Theatre, Silk Road Theatre, American Blues Theatre, First Floor Theatre, Rasaka Theatre and many others. Ahmed was featured in the Kilroy's Web 2023 and named on NewCity’s Players 2019 and 2022: "Fifty People Who Really Perform For Chicago”. Kaiser was the co-founding artistic director of Jackalope Theatre Company from 2008-2012, he continued to serve as the associate artistic director through 2019 and returned as artistic director in 2020. Recent directing credits include Queen (Penobscot), Passage (Remy Bumppo), Among the Dead, Fast Company (Jackalope), and Language Rooms (Broken Nose). Kaiser is a member of the Columbia College Advisory Board and the Sarah Siddons Artistic Council, a 2015-16 Eugene O’Neill National Directors Fellowship finalist, a 2016-17 Victory Gardens Directors Inclusion Initiative recipient, and an Associate Member of SDC. He holds a BA in theatre directing from Columbia College Chicago.

ABOUT JACKALOPE THEATRE

Jackalope Theatre Company expands the definition of American Identity by engaging with communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Jackalope is a premier home for new and exciting Off-Loop Theatre based in Chicago's Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods. They are committed to cultivating new voices that contribute to an expanding American culture and mythology. Each season, Jackalope produces full-length plays, new play development programming and provides free classes in partnership with the Chicago Park District.

Jackalope Theatre expands American identity by engaging with our communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Season 17 is made possible by the continued generosity of Season Sponsors Michael and Mona Heath.

Shannon Walsh’s documentary ADRIANNE & THE CASTLE at Music Box Theatre with filmmakers’ Q&A Nov. 23rd

Films On Our Radar:

Music Box Theatre & Intuitive Pictures present director Shannon Walsh’s fantastical documentary 

ADRIANNE & THE CASTLE

beginning November 22, 2024, with filmmakers’ Q&A November 23rd

On Saturday, Nov. 23, director Shannon Walsh, film subject Alan St-George, composer Richard Reed Parry, co-writer/creator Laurel Sprengelmeyer, and actress SLee will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A after the 7:15pm screening.

For showtimes and information, click here: https://musicboxtheatre.com/films-and-events/adrianne-the-castle.

“It’s a truly fascinating story taken to a transcendent level with a wholly original approach to the filmmaking.” — Den of Geek

“The film challenges jaded perspectives and invites viewers to reconsider the possibility of timeless, unwavering devotion. It reminds that perhaps, even in our most cynical moments, extraordinary love can still be found.” — In Review Online

“In keeping the fantasy alive, Walsh seems to honor Adrianne's wishes to forge a magical world of her own. That's what makes ADRIANNE & THE CASTLE feel so very special.” — RogerEbert.com

About ADRIANNA & THE CASTLE:

A true story of love and loss, ADRIANNA & THE CASTLE documents the unique life of the St-Georges, who built a castle to their love in rural Illinois. Now facing the future without the love of his life, Alan grapples with his grief through creative musical re-enactments of their story, transporting him into the fantasy world they created together.

Pricing: Ticket prices are $11 ($8 for Music Box members).

Become a member: https://www.musicboxtheatre.com/membership/become-a-member

About Music Box Theatre:

Operating since 1929, the Music Box Theatre has been the premier venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films for more than four decades, playing host to over 200,000 patrons annually. It currently has the largest theater space operated full time in the city. The Theatre is independently owned and operated. Its sister company, Music Box Films, is dedicated to curating a diverse repertoire of films from around the world and distributing them throughout the US. Music Box Theatre and Music Box Films both engage audiences with exciting alternatives to mainstream entertainment.

Regular events produced, presented, and hosted at Music Box Theatre include the 70mm Film Festival; Music Box Christmas Sing-a-long and Double Feature, the annual 24-hour horror-movie marathon Music Box of Horrors; and Noir City: Chicago, co-presented by the Film Noir Foundation.

Follow the Music Box Theatre on Facebook (www.facebook.com/musicboxchicago/), Twitter (@musicboxtheatre), Instagram (@musicboxchicago), TikTok @musicbox_chicago