World Premiere of A Red Orchid Theatre's VEAL - September 25 – November 2, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

A Red Orchid Theatre Opens 33rd Season with World Premiere of

VEAL

By Jojo Jones

Directed by Ensemble Member dado 

September 25 – November 2, 2025

Pictured: The cast of A Red Orchid Theatre’s world premiere of Veal includes (left to right)

Jojo Brown, Alexandra Chopson, Carmia Imani, Jasper Johnson and Alice Wu.

A Red Orchid Theatre is pleased to open its 33rd Season with the world premiere of Jojo Jones’ dystopian dark comedy Veal, directed by Ensemble Member dado*, playing September 25 – November 2, 2025 at 1531 N. Wells St. in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. Single tickets for Veal go on sale Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at aredorchidtheatre.org or by calling (312) 943-8722. Season subscriptions are currently available. The press openings are Saturday, October 4 at 3 pm and 7 pm.

Veal will feature Jojo Brown, Alexandra Chopson, Carmia Imani, Jasper Johnson and Alice Wu. Understudies include: Lola Fratto, Kaitlyn Gorman, Amy Yesom Kim, Sean McGlynn and Christin Prince.

About the Production:

Following a violent coup, a young woman named Chelsea becomes Queen of North America. Into her new palace walk three friends from middle school — Franny, Lulu and Noa — with whom she hasn’t spoken in years. They’ve come to ask Chelsea for a big favor, but before she grants it, she’s going to make them revisit their shared friendship — and its terrible end. 

*Denotes A Red Orchid Theatre Ensemble Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Cast (in alphabetical order): Jojo Brown (Franny), Alexandra Chopson (Chelsea), Carmia Imani (Lulu), Jasper Johnson (Unnamed Male Concubine) and Alice Wu (Noa).

Understudies: Lola Fratto (u/s Franny), Kaitlyn Gorman (u/s Chelsea), Amy Yesom Kim (u/s Noa), Sean McGlynn (u/s Unnamed Male Concubine) and Christin Prince (u/s Lulu).

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, September 25 at 7 pm, Friday, September 26 at 7 pm, Saturday, September 27 at 7 pm, Sunday, September 28 at 3 pm, Thursday, October 2 at 7 pm and Friday, October 3 at 7 pm

Press performances: Saturday, October 4 at 3 pm and 7 pm

Opening: Sunday, October 5 at 6 pm

Regular run: Thursday, October 9 – Sunday, November 2, 2025

Curtain Times: Thursdays and Fridays at 7 pm; Saturdays 3 pm & 7 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be an added Industry Night on Monday, October 20 at 7 pm

Tickets: Previews: $33 – $44*. Regular run: $55*. Access, student, senior, and group discounts available. Single tickets for Veal go on sale Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at aredorchidtheatre.org or by calling (312) 943-8722. Season subscriptions are currently available. *Ticket prices include a processing fee.

About the Artists:

Jojo Jones (Playwright, she/her) is a writer and performer from New York City. Her work has been read at The Jungle, A Red Orchid Theatre, The Tank, the Brooklyn Center for Theatre Research, and more. Her play Veal was nominated for the 2023 Venturous Fellowship and the Goldberg Prize and long listed for the Theatre503 International Playwriting Award. One time Wallace Shawn held the door open for her at the Jewish Community Center on 76th and Amsterdam.

dado (Director, she/her) Last season, dado directed Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin by Dianne Nora at A Red Orchid Theatre, as well as Lobster by Kallan Dana for the Wirtz Center at Northwestern University. Previously, dado directed Anna Ouyang Moench’s In Quietness (A Red Orchid), The Lover by Harold Pinter (with Yasen Peyankov at Facility Theatre), as well as Right Now by Catherine Anne Toupin (Facility Theatre) and People Places and Things by Duncan MacMillan (University of Illinois). Later this year she will direct Dance Nation by Clare Barron. She is currently teaching at the University of Illinois.

Jojo Brown (Franny, she/her) is a Chicago-born actress who made her A Red Orchid Theatre debut in The Room, directed by dado. Off-Broadway credits include CHARM (MCC Theater) and 7 Minutes (Waterwell). Chicago credits include The Brightest Thing in the World (About Face Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Two Pence) and Let Me Down Easy (American Theater Company). On television, she’s appeared in Single Drunk Female (Prime Video), Broad City (Comedy Central), Billions (SHOWTIME), Manifest (NBC), New Amsterdam (NBC), Younger (Paramount+) and Clean Slate (Prime Video). Her heart remains in the Chicago theatre scene.

Alexandra Chopson (Chelsea, she/her) is elated to be back at A Red Orchid Theatre! Last year, her performance in AROT’s production of In Quietness earned her a Jeff Award Nomination for Performer in a Supporting Role. Recent credits include Late, A Cowboy Song (Couch Penny Ensemble) and Noises Off (Steppenwolf, Dir. Anna D. Shapiro). Additional projects include work with The Gift Theatre, Chicago Dramatists and The Den Theater. Her first national commercial will be airing this fall. Originally from Nashville, Chopson is, of course, a singer/songwriter. She holds a BFA in Acting from Ball State University and is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Carmia Imani (Lulu, she/her) is thrilled to make her A Red Orchid Theatre debut! She’s a company member of PlayGround-Chicago and an ensemble member of A Short Leap Theatre Company. Chicago credits: Clearing (A Short Leap); Field of Flesh (Leisure); brother sister cyborg space (u/s, Raven Theatre). Regional: Skeleton Crew, Death of a Salesman (The Black Rep); Much Ado About Nothing (u/s, Commonwealth Shakespeare). She holds a BFA in Acting from Ball State University, where she produced AmeriKKKa (Best Film, Hoosier Films Festival 2021). She gives endless thanks to God, her family and friends for their unwavering support. Instagram: @carmiaimani

Jasper Johnson (Unnamed Male Concubine, he/him) is excited to work with A Red Orchid again, after understudying In Quietness. He’s worked with Drury Lane Theatre and Griffin Theatre Company, among others. TV: Chicago Med, Dark Matter. FILM: Young Men, Love Language, The Eden Theory. He is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, and moonlights as an EMT in Chicago. He's represented by DDO Artists Agency and a member of SAG-AFTRA. Love to Sierra. yellowpadpictures.com           

Alice Wu (Noa, she/her) At A Red Orchid Theatre: Revolution (u/s), Staff Meal (Taste of Red Series). Select Chicago: Time is a Color... Blue (Avalanche Theatre), Sound, Instrument, Singing (Dizzy Turek), The Skin of Our Teeth (Remy Bumppo), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Midsommer Flight), Arabia, Arabia! (The Plagiarists), Select Regional: The Many Deaths of Nathan Stubblefield (Humana Festival), Circle Mirror Transformation (u/s) (Actors Theatre of Louisville). Select TV/Film: Chicago Fire (NBC); Empire (FOX); ESPN (ESPN); Wheelhouse (web), Tears to a Glass Eye (Jack Kenny). Education: BFA, NDSU; Professional Training Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville. Ensemble member: Avalanche Theatre, Red Theatre. Representation: DDO Artists Agency.

Sponsors: Production sponsor: The Colemans.

About A Red Orchid Theatre:

A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 32 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories.  

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Karen Aldridge, Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Esteban Andres Cruz, Dado, Mike Durst, Sherman Edwards, Myron Elliott, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Levi Holloway, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, John Judd, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Travis A. Knight, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Sadieh Rifai, Grant Sabin, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West.  

Sponsor Information: 

A Red Orchid Theatre remains grateful for the support of our board, donors and loyal audience who continue to champion our ambitious and powerful storytelling. These sponsors help to create a platform for our talented Ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensure that we remain a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre-making. 

A Red Orchid Theatre’s 33rd Season is sponsored by Heidi Graham. The production sponsor for Veal is The Colemans.

Interested in sponsoring a production? By partnering with us as a sponsor, you will help to take our work to the next level of artistic excellence, while also receiving deeper access to our artists and the creative process. To learn more, please contact Development Director Stephanie Shum at stephanie@aredorchidtheatre.org or (312) 943-8722. 

SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM VIA OIL LAMP THEATER AUGUST 15 - SEPTEMBER 14, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

OIL LAMP THEATER ANNOUNCES CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR 

SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM

AUGUST 15 - SEPTEMBER 14

DIRECTED BY CHRISTINA RAMIREZ AND MUSIC DIRECTED AMY BRANAHL

Oil Lamp Theater Celebrates the Life and Works of the Late, Great, Stephen Sondheim

Oil Lamp Theater, which recently opened the Oil Lamp Theater’s SPARK CENTER for the Performing Arts, is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its next production, Side by Side by Sondheim, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and music by Leonard Bernstein, Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers and Jule Styne with continuity by Ned Sherrin. The production runs August 15 - September 14, at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road. Side by Side by Sondheim is directed by Christina Ramirez and music directed by Amy Branahl. The schedule includes a preview performance Thursday, August 14 at 7:30 p.m. with the opening/press performance Friday, Aug. 15 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 August 20 at 3 p.m. and September 3 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. There will be an understudy performance on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 7:30 p.m.Tickets are on sale now for $30 for previews and $55 for the run at OilLampTheater.org.  

Side By Side By Sondheim offers a captivating journey through the wit and brilliance of one of Broadway’s greatest musical storytellers. Simple and unpretentious, this Tony Award-winning musical is a perfect introduction to the work of the contemporary master, Stephen Sondheim, and a must for diehard fans featuring songs from Gypsy, Company, West Side Story, A Little Night Music, Follies and others.

The cast of Side by Side by Sondheim includes Jacob Alexander (he/him); Michael Davis Arnold (he/him)); Abbey Loria (she/her); Alondra Rios (she/her); with understudies Julia Hope Budd (she/her); Thomas Ferro (he/him); Daria Koon (she/they) and Tommy Wells (he/him). 

The production team includes Christina Ramirez (she/her, director); Amy Branahl (she/her, music director); Andy Cahoon (he/him, technical director); Spencer Donovan (he/him, scenic designer); Taylor Pfenning (she/her, costume designer); Ellie Fey (she/her, lighting designer); Alex Trinh (he/him, sound designer); Leo Bassow (he/they, props designer); Connor Windle (he/him, production stage manager) and Sara Segneri (she/her, assistant stage manager).

ABOUT CHRISTINA RAMIREZ, director

Christina Ramirez is thrilled to be back at Oil Lamp after directing First Date last season. Ramirez serves as managing director at the award-winning Actors Training Center in Wilmette, working with actors of all ages (youth through adult) and when not directing is known for her work as a teaching artist and coach. She holds a masters in directing from Roosevelt University CCPA and a BFA in musical theatre from The Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University. 

ABOUT AMY BRANAHL, music director 

Amy J. Branahl is the director of Choral Activities at New Trier High School and president of the IL-American Choral Directors Association(ACDA).  She is the music and vocal director of the Frosh/Soph musical and coaches badminton there. Branahl is a proud alum of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana where she received her MME/BME in choral music education. With her husband Jared, they have three awesome boys. When not doing music, she loves to travel and document them by knitting, crocheting, while watching tennis/sports or going to shows. Please check out her work @craftingcourtside. 

MORE FROM FROM OIL LAMP THEATER

Gaslight (Angel Street)

October 2 - November 2

By Patrick Hamilton

Directed by Susan Gorman

Preview Performance:Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Press Opening: Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances October 8 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., October 15 at 7:30 p.m. October 22 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and October 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Audiences are invited to step into the suspenseful world of Gaslight (Angel Street), where secrets lurk in the shadows and reality blurs with deception. When Bella begins to suspect that the flickering lights and missing objects in her home aren’t just in her imagination, her world unravels into a chilling game of manipulation and control. Suspenseful, haunting and unforgettable, this is the classic mystery that inspired the 1944 Academy Award-winning film starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten and Angela Lansbury, in her film debut, defined a genre and inspired the term “gaslighting.”

It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

November 20 - December 28

Adapted by Joe Landry

Preview Performance:Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Press Opening: Friday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with an additional Wednesday performance, December 10 at 7:30 p.m.

This heartwarming production is the perfect way to embrace the spirit of the Holidays. Experience unrivaled cheer with Frank Capra's beloved classic, “It's a Wonderful Life,” reimagined as a captivating live radio play, complete with foley sound effects and set in Oil Lamp’s own WBFR radio studio.

Journey to Bedford Falls, where George Bailey's troubles lead him to wish he was never born. Clarence, an angel sent to intervene, steps in to make his wishes come true and George quickly learns just how many lives he has touched and just how blessed he really is.

ABOUT OIL LAMP THEATER’S SPARK CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Oil Lamp Theater recently opened the Oil Lamp Theater’s SPARK CENTER for the Performing Arts, 1009 Waukegan Rd. The SPARK CENTER spans 2,750 square feet, featuring two spacious studios for classes and dedicated office spaces for Oil Lamp staff. The SPARK CENTER enables the expansion of Oil Lamp’s arts education programs led by top Chicagoland theater professionals for all ages and skill levels. These same studios serve as the creative center where Oil Lamp’s productions come to life as it is also a rehearsal space for Oil Lamp Theater productions taking place across the street at 1723 Glenview Road.

The inaugural offerings of the SPARK CENTER included Summer Camps and Youth and Adult Education classes with fall classes on sale now. For more information on the SPARK CENTER, go to OilLampTheater.org/spark-center.

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.

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

Court Theatre presents Big White Fog September 12 – October 12, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Court Theatre presents

Big White Fog

By Theodore Ward

Directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson

September 12 – October 12, 2025

Under the continuing leadership of Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, with interim artistic leadership from Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent and Senior Managing Producer Heidi Thompson Saunders, Court Theatre is thrilled to present Theodore Ward’s Big White Fog, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson. This production will run September 12 – October 12, 2025 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. 

The cast of Big White Fog includes Amir Abdullah (Daniel Rogers); Ayanna Bria Bakari (Wanda Mason); Saran Bakari (Claudine/Sister Gabrella); Ronald L. Conner (Percy Mason); Brandon Dahlquist (Bailiff); Lionel Gentle (Count Cotton); Nathan Daniel Goldberg (Lieutenant); Joshua L. Green (Victor Mason); Sharriese Hamilton (Ella Mason); Anthony Irons (Count Strawder); Jada Jackson (Caroline Mason); Artem Kreimer (Nathan Piszer/Marks); Alanna Lovely (Juanita Rogers); John McBeth III (Phillip Mason); Patrick Newson Jr. (Lester Mason); Greta Oglesby (Martha Brooks); and Michael B. Woods (Patrolman).

The creative team includes Jack Magaw (Scenic Designer); Yvonne L. Miranda (Costume Designer); Lee Keenan (Lighting Designer); Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer and Composer); Khalid Long, PhD (Production Dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (Director of Casting and Artist Cultivation), with Associate Casting Director Celeste M. Cooper; Jaclynn Joslin (Production Stage Manager); and Lauren Peters (Assistant Stage Manager). 

Theodore Ward’s Big White Fog is the big shoulders on which A Raisin in the Sun stands. First completed in 1938, funded by the Federal Theatre Project, and influenced by the South Side Writers Group that cultivated such iconic talents as Richard Wright and Margaret Walker, Big White Fog drove American realism forward by contending with discontent. 

The United States is on the cusp of the Great Depression and, like many, the Mason family is struggling. Between the precarious economy and racial violence on Chicago’s segregated South Side, something’s got to give. As different generations strive to secure the Mason family’s future, catastrophic decisions are made, leading to a heartbreaking twist and a blistering condemnation of America’s Big White Fog. 

Resident Artist and the nation’s preeminent director of August Wilson Ron OJ Parson (East Texas Hot Links) opens the 2025/26 season with this rich portrayal of Black life on Chicago’s South Side.

Subscription packages including Big White Fog are on sale now, and single tickets will be available on Friday, August 1, 2025. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased online at CourtTheatre.org  or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472. 

Big White Fog is sponsored by Allstate. Ron OJ Parson’s residency is made possible by the Joyce Foundation. 

Court will recognize the legacy of playwright Theodore Ward – author of Big White Fog – in the 2025 Spotlight Reading Series. All Spotlight events are free and open to the public and will be held at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts (915 E 60th Street). 

This year’s Spotlight includes:

A staged reading of Just Before Day on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 

A film screening of Native Son (1951) on Thursday, August 14, 2025

A dinner and facilitated discussion, Community Reads: Native Son, on Thursday, August 14, 2025 

A staged reading of Our Lan’ on Friday, August 15, 2025 

The Spotlight Reading Series is presented in partnership with the University of Chicago’s Film Studies Center and the Chicago Public Library, and is supported in part by the Joyce Foundation. 

Reservations for the Spotlight Reading Series can be made online at CourtTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.

Production Details:

Featuring: Amir Abdullah (Daniel Rogers); Ayanna Bria Bakari (Wanda Mason); Saran Bakari (Claudine/Sister Gabrella); Ronald L. Conner (Percy Mason); Brandon Dahlquist (Bailiff); Lionel Gentle (Count Cotton); Nathan Daniel Goldberg (Lieutenant); Joshua L. Green (Victor Mason); Sharriese Hamilton (Ella Mason); Anthony Irons (Count Strawder); Jada Jackson (Caroline Mason); Artem Kreimer (Nathan Piszer/Marks); Alanna Lovely (Juanita Rogers); John McBeth III (Phillip Mason); Patrick Newson Jr. (Lester Mason); Greta Oglesby (Martha Brooks); and Michael B. Woods (Patrolman).

Creatives: Jack Magaw (Scenic Designer); Yvonne L. Miranda (Costume Designer); Lee Keenan (Lighting Designer); Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer and Composer); Khalid Long, PhD (Production Dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (Director of Casting and Artist Cultivation), with Associate Casting Director Celeste M. Cooper; Jaclynn Joslin (Production Stage Manager); and Lauren Peters (Assistant Stage Manager). 

Dates:           

Previews:  September 12 – September 19, 2025

Press Opening: September 20, 2025 at 7:30pm

Regular Run: September 21 – October 12, 2025

Schedule:  

Wed/Thurs/Fri: 7:30 p.m.                  

Sat/Sun: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

 

Accessible        

Touch Tour on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 12:30pm

Performances: 

ASL Interpretation and Audio Description on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 2:00pm 

Open Captioning on Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 2:00pm 

 

Location:     

Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

 

Tickets:         

$42.00 – $74.00 Previews


$60.00 – $90.00 Regular Run

Student, group, and military discounts available

Box Office:    Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or CourtTheatre.org .

Winner of the 2022 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago’s historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.

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 

The Crane Wives Beyond Beyond Beyond Album Release Tour To Play The Vic in Chicago July 26, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

The Crane Wives

Announce New Dates For 

Beyond Beyond Beyond Album Release Tour 

Photo Credit for all unless otherwise noted: Dugan Kenaz-Mara for ChiIL Live Shows

"The Crane Wives charmed us again with its harmony-laced folk-rock…

polished sound and dynamic energy…

proves just how much fun the band is having with its music.” - NPR

Grand Rapids, MI-based indie rock band The Crane Wives (1.4m Spotify monthly listeners, 713.5k TikTok likes) are ready to charm live audiences once again, heading back out on the road this spring in support of their highly acclaimed new album Beyond Beyond Beyond, out everywhere now. Due to overwhelming demand, the band has also announced a new string of dates taking place through July, and will be making stops in major cities like Nashville, Chicago, Brooklyn, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and beyond. Tour dates and tickets for all shows are available here.

 "The Crane Wives are a four-piece band that have an uncanny ability 

at crafting goose-bump inducing three-part harmonies.” - No Depression

 

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've covered The Crane Wives since their inception, and my 24 year old son and his girlfriend did a fabulous photo feature and review on their last Chicago gig in July of 2024. Check it out, then get your tickets for the summer leg of their album release tour.  The Crane Wives will be back in Chicago July 26th at The Vic, and Dugan and his girlfriend, Kit are covering the show again for ChiIL Live Shows. They're especially excited since the show falls on Kit's actual birthday, and The Crane Wives are a favorite of theirs. Check out their 2024 feature/review HERE.

"They’re an impeccable band with incredibly tight instrumentation and harmonies that, 

paired with an inclination for catchy hooks and scintillating lyricism, 

make a strong case for their burgeoning popularity.” - For Folk’s Sake

 

"They're reshaping the indie folk landscape 

with unforgettable performances and passionately crafted music." - Blurred Culture

Born of the 2010’s folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock and roll era, The Crane Wives epitomize the evolving landscape of indie folk. Their high-energy performances have been described as “charged with emotion and technical skill” (Blurred Culture), while their harmony-dense melodies support deeply resonant lyrics, exploring the vulnerable and the ugly sides of the human condition. The band has built a global community and has amassed over 1m Spotify monthly listeners and 100m total streams with their unparalleled, spirited live show, evocative lyricism and glimmering harmonies.

Featured by Michigan Radio and NPR’s “All Songs Considered," the band recently released their sixth full-length studio record, Beyond Beyond Beyond, to high praise, with Glasse Factory calling the album “a testament to the band’s ability to turn personal struggles into universally relatable anthems." 

Niner Times describes the new release as “angsty, haunting and gritty,” praising its departure from the more traditional folk sound of The Crane Wives’ previous records. Since its release in September 2024, Beyond Beyond Beyond has accrued over 7 million streams on Spotify.

The pulse of The Crane Wives is delivered by Ben Zito (bass) and Dan Rickabus (drums), creating a driving, dynamic backdrop while co-leads Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury establish expansive and gritty conversations between their electric guitars. A web of three-part harmony helps to soften the blow of their emotional candor, like a 21st century Cerberus, the hound of Hades reimagined as an emotional support animal.

The Crane Wives have 6 full-length albums under their belts and have performed over 600 shows across the US, sharing stages with acts such as The Avett Brothers, Lake Street Dive, Rusted Root, The Dead South, Joseph, and many more.

2025 US Tour Dates Newly Added:

July 10          Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre

July 11          Madison, WI @ The Sylvee

July 12          Minneapolis, MN @ Palace Theatre

July 14          Kansas City, MO @ Truman

July 15          St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant

July 17          Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl 

July 18          Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom

July 19          Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi Annex

July 20          Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi Annex

July 22          Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s

July 23          Columbus, OH @ Athenaeum Theatre

July 25          Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews

July 26          Chicago, IL @ The Vic

 

Follow The Crane Wives:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Spotify | YouTube

Photo Credit: Hwa-JeenNa

American Blues Theater Opens its 40th Anniversary Season With the World Premiere of THINGS WITH FRIENDS August 22 – October 5, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

American Blues Theater presents the World Premiere of 

THINGS WITH FRIENDS

By Artistic Affiliate Kristoffer Diaz

Directed by Artistic Affiliate Dexter Bullard

August 22 – October 5, 2025

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, is thrilled to open its 40th anniversary season with a world premiere by Artistic Affiliate Kristoffer Diaz, Things With Friends. The winner of the 2023 Blue Ink Playwrighting Award and workshopped through American Blues Theater, Things With Friends will receive its world premiere staging August 22 – October 5, 2025, under the direction of Artistic Affiliate Dexter Bullard. 

Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside states, “We’re thrilled to share Kristoffer Diaz’s provocative world premiere that will leave audiences breathless. Things With Friends received our 2023 Blue Ink Award for new work and its relevance has only grown in the interim. Pairing Dexter Bullard’s deft direction with this powerful script is sure to produce a night of theater audience will not forget.”

Manhattan. Burt and Adele are hosting a dinner party. Steak is on the stove. The George Washington Bridge has collapsed into the Hudson. Kristoffer Diaz has written a play about it. We’ve already said too much.

The cast of Things With Friends includes Audrey Billings* (Adele), Casey Campbell* (Burt), Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel (Vy), Maya Lou Hlava (Joony), Flaco Navaja (NYC), & Jon Hudson Odom* (Chabby).

The production team includes Grant Sabin* (scenic), Lily Walls* (costumes & wardrobe supervisor), Levi J. Wilkins (lights), Rick Sims* (sound), Amy Peter (properties), Richard Lundy* (stage manager), Michael Trudeau* (facilities manager), Nate Walczyk* (production manager & ME), Tom Daniel* (technical director), & Chris Walls (audio supervisor).

*denotes Ensemble member or Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater.

Tickets, priced 39.50-$49.50, are on sale now the American Blues Theater box office, online at www.americanbluestheater.com, or by phone at (773) 654-3103.

About the Artists

KRISTOFFER DIAZ (Playwright) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. Kristoffer is a playwright, screenwriter, musical librettist, and educator. His teaching interests include dramatic writing and contemporary US theater, with a special focus on new American plays and musicals. His musical Hell’s Kitchen (created with Alicia Keys) was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, including Best Book, and is currently running on Broadway. His play The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama, and has gone on to more than forty productions nationwide. Other full-length titles include Hercules (adapted from the Disney film for the Joseph Papp Public Theater’s Public Works program), Reggie Hoops, Welcome to Arroyo’s, #therevolution, Rebecca Oaxaca (Lays Down A Bunt), Expect Victory, and The Unfortunates. His work has been produced, commissioned, and developed at The Public Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Geffen Playhouse, Center Theatre Group, The Goodman, Second Stage, Victory Gardens, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Chelsea Factory, American Theater Company, The Atlantic, InterAct, Mixed Blood, The Orchard Project, Hip-Hop Theater Festival, The Lark, Summer Play Festival, Donmar Warehouse, and South Coast Repertory, among many others. Awards include the Guggenheim, Jerome, Van Lier, NYFA, and Gail Merrifield Papp Fellowships; New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award; Lucille Lortel, Equity Jeff, and OBIE Awards; and the Future Aesthetics Artist Regrant, among others. As a screenwriter, Kristoffer adapted the musical Rent for the Fox network, wrote on the Netflix series GLOW, and has developed original television pilots for HBO and FX. Kristoffer holds a BA from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, an MFA from NYU’s Department of Dramatic Writing, and an MFA from Brooklyn College’s Performing Arts Management program. He teaches in both Gallatin and the Department of Dramatic Writing at the Tisch School of the Arts. Kristoffer sits on the board of New Dramatists (where he is an alumni playwright) and serves as an officer on the council of the Dramatists Guild.

DEXTER BULLARD (Director) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. Dexter has directed throughout Chicago since at theaters such as Steppenwolf, Goodman, Northlight, Victory Gardens, HOUSE, A Red Orchid, Next, Famous Door, and of course, American Blues: Tom & Jerry.  He directed Tracy Letts’ Linda Vista at Steppenwolf, Center Theater Group LA, Mies Julie and Sucker Punch at Victory Gardens, Christmas with Elvis at Chopin, and The Flick also at Steppenwolf.  On Broadway, he directed Linda Vista with Second Stage and Craig Wright’s Grace; Bug, Lady, and Mistakes Were Made Off-Broadway. Dexter is alumni director for the Second City developing original revues for Detroit, ETC and Second City Theatricals. Dexter founded and led Plasticene “a pioneer physical theater company” (Chicago Reader) and with the ensemble developed over fourteen critically-acclaimed experimental works appearing at venues including The Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theater NYC, Viaduct, Links Hall, the MCA and the Storefront. He has received a Jeff Citation, a Lucille Lortel Award, several Jeff Nominations, a Drama Desk Nomination, and was named “Best of Chicago” by Chicago Magazine. Dexter studied acting at Northwestern and received his MFA in Performance from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Dexter is a Professor of Acting at The Theatre School at DePaul and hosts ongoing classes for all levels with his own Studio. dexterbullard.com

AUDREY BILLINGS (Adele) is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater. American Blues Theater credits include Mary Bailey in the annual production of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! (Jeff Award nominations for Ensemble, Short Run Production, and Production-midsize); The Commons, Blue Ink Festival, and The Ripped Festical. Some favorite roles outside of Blues include: Emilie in A Red Orchid Theatre’s production of The Moors, Christmas Eve in the long-running production of Avenue Q at the Mercury Theater, Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, Antonia in Man of la Mancha, and Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof. She has graced the stages at the Paramount Theatre, Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Theatre at the Center, and Lookingglass Theatre Company. Audrey is the managing director at A Red Orchid Theatre, bookkeeper for Visionary Eye Care Professionals, and a proud member of Actors’ Equity.

CASEY CAMPBELL (Burt) is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater. American Blues Theater credits include Oklahoma (Jeff Award nominations for Supporting Actor & Musical-midsize), It’s a Wonderful Life (2006-2008), Holiday Cabaret Show, and The Ripped Festival. He is a professional voice-over actor who resides in Burbank, California. His television voice credits include: THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT (Regular VO for Comedy Cold Opens), MORE POWER (History Channel, Narrator), CUBS CORNERSTONES (Marquee Sports Network, Narrator), and the video games CALL OF DUTY: COLD WAR, TOPSPIN 2K24. Casey is also the voice of THE GENERAL for the THE GENERAL AUTO INSURANCE COMMERCIALS, as well as the exclusive voice for NBA TV. He recently also became the voice of Chester the Cheetah for CHEETOS. His other commercial voice-over work includes clients such as DODGE RAM, HBO MAX, GEICO, NINTENDO, MO’S SOUTHWEST GRILL, CARRABBAS, NISSAN, FORD, HULU, CARMAX, ECHO PARK, JOHN DEERE, MUCINEX, WALMART, LA RAMS, BIG BUS TOURS CHICAGO and LOS ANGELES, KANSAS CITY ROYALS, CASEY’S CONVENIENCE STORES, MENARDS, HOME DEPOT and many, many more. His on-camera works includes playing Chef Murphy on the first four seasons of Disney’s BUNK’D, as well as BIZAARDVARK, BEST FRIENDS WHENEVER, MIGHTY MED, MTV’s AWKWARD, HAPPYLAND and NBC’s SUPERSTORE. On camera commercial work includes AMAZON PRIME, CARMAX, TOYOTA, JOSE CUERVO, GEICO, CHEVY and an unfortunately named auto school called UTI (Universal Technical Institute). Theatre credits include “The Buddy Holly Story” at Drury Lane Oakbrook, “Troilus and Cressida” at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and “Fool For Love” at Los Angeles Fringe Festival.

CRUZ GONZALEZ-CADEL (Vy) is an award-winning theatre, film, and television actor originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Selected Chicago credits include: Measure for Measure (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Fen, The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice and Electra (Court Theatre), The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (Goodman Theatre); Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Lela & Co. (Steep Theatre Company; Jeff Award, Performer in a Principal Role) and The Abuelas, Hope: Part II of a Mexican Trilogy, La Havana Madrid and i put the fear of mexico in ’em at Teatro Vista, where she serves as an Artistic Collective member and Managing Director. Regional credits include: In The Heights (Marriott Theatre) and La Havana Madrid (South Coast Repertory) Film: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; Rounding, Heist 88, Single Car Crashes. Television: “Fargo”, “Chicago Med”, “The Chi”, “Empire”.

MAYA LOU HLAVA (Joony) is thrilled to be making her American Blues Theater Debut. Additional Chicago credits include, Prayer for the French Republic (Northlight Theatre); Little Mermaid, Christmas Carol, Shrek, White Christmas and Bye Bye Birdie (Drury Lane Theatre); The Penelopiad (Goodman Theatre); Happy Days Are Here (Again) and Zurich (Steep Theatre); The Best Damn Thing (The Understudy Cafe); Dory Fantasmagory and Last Stop On Marketplace (YPPT/Greenhouse Theater); Spring Awakening (Porchlight Theater); Act 5, The Killing Game and The Nether (A Red Orchid Theatre); Oklahoma (Marriott Theatre); Violet (Griffin Theater); Trevor (Writers Theatre); The Secret Garden (Court Theatre); Jane Eyre (Lifeline Theatre); The Wheel (Steppenwolf Theatre); Film and Television credits include –  Will Trent, The Perpetrator, Chicago Med, The Chi, and The Big Leap. Maya is represented by Stewart Talent.

FLACO NAVAJA (NYC) is thrilled to make his American Blues Theater debut. Born and raised in the Bronx, Navaja is a legendary poet, dynamic singer, seasoned actor, and film performer. As a member of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, he toured internationally, bringing his voice to audiences around the globe. His award-winning one-man show, Evolution of a Sonero, has toured nationally to critical acclaim. A longtime collaborator of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Navaja was featured on the Warriors album and sings the theme song for the PBS Kids animated series Alma’s Way, with lyrics written by Miranda. Theatre credits include The Seven (New York Theatre Workshop), among others. His film and television appearances include Fighting, Gun Hill Road, Pride and Glory, and East Willy B. With his salsa band, The Razorblades, Navaja continues to blend spoken word, soul, salsa, and street into an unforgettable live experience.

JON HUDSON ODOM (Chabby) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. Chicago credits: The Reclamation of Madison Hemings (Jeff Award nomination for Performer) & On Clover Road (American Blues Theater); No Man’s Land, Describe the Night, The Seagull, Ms Black For President (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Toni Stone, A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); Witch (Writers Theatre) Regional: Ain’t No Mo’, An Octoroon, Botticelli in the Fire, Shipwreck (Woolly Mammoth Theatre); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Denver Center for the Performing Arts); The Magic Play (Actors Theatre of Louisville); Angels in America (Round House Theatre & Olney Theatre Center) TV: “Lovecraft Country “(HBO), “Somebody Somewhere” (HBO Max), “South Side” (HBO Max), “Chicago PD” (NBC) Film: “The Year Between”, “A Savage Nature”, “Reporting for Christmas.” Five-time nominee and recipient of the Helen Hayes Awards & Jeff Award nominee. Education: University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Represented by Paonessa Talent and Kaplan Mills Entertainment.              

Featuring: Audrey Billings* (Adele), Casey Campbell* (Burt), Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel (Vy), Maya Hlava (Joony), Flaco Navaja (NYC), & Jon Hudson Odom* (Chabby).       

Creative Team: Grant Sabin* (scenic), Lily Walls* (costumes & wardrobe supervisor), Levi J. Wilkins (lights), Rick Sims* (sound), Amy Peter (properties), Richard Lundy* (stage manager), Michael Trudeau* (facilities manager), Nate Walczyk* (production manager & ME), Tom Daniel* (technical director), & Chris Walls (audio supervisor).

Dates: August 22 – October 5, 2025

Schedule:                     

Wednesdays: 2:00 PM  (Sept 10 & 17); 7:30 PM (Sept 24 only)

Thursdays: 7:30 PM

Fridays: 7:30 PM

Saturdays: (Sept 6, 20 & Oct 4 only); 7:30 PM (Aug 23, 30 & Sept 13, 27 & Oct 4)

Sundays: 2:30 PM

Location:  American Blues Theater, 5627 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago

Ticket prices:  Previews: $39.50; Regular Run: $49.50; Opening night with reception: $64.50

Box office:  Buy online at www.americanbluestheater.com or by calling (773) 654-3103.

Public Programming and Special Events

American Blues Theater is excited to offer audiences even more ways to engage with artists, neighbors and the larger community through its two programs The Commons and @Home Accessibility Series

The Commons features readings, live concerts, open mics, game nights, town halls and more at American Blues. The @Home Accessibility Series features readings, live concerts, and town halls from the comfort of home via Zoom. For the most up-to-date programming schedule or to purchase tickets, visit www.americanbluestheater.com. Additional programming will be announced throughout the season.

About American Blues Theater

Winner of the prestigious National Theatre Company Award from American Theatre Wing (Tony Awards). American Blues Theater is an Ensemble of artists committed to producing new and classic diverse stories that ask the question: “What does it mean to be American?”

The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Ensemble theater in Chicago. As of 2025, the theater and artists received 239 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and 44 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades.