Displaying items by tag: on stage

Trap Door Theatre is thrilled to continue its 33rd season with a Chicago Premiere of Oh, Buddy, written by Hal Cosentino and directed by Jeremy Ohringer. Oh, Buddy will play November 12th – December 19th, 2026 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W Cortland St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at trapdoortheatre.com or by calling (773)-384-0494.

It's hard to be the New Guy in the world's most generic office. It's even harder to be the New Guy when you're the New Guy because you came out as transgender. And has anybody noticed that the boss is a Big Furry Monster? OH, BUDDY is a dark, absurdist comedy about how the bizarre demands of binary gender affect the way we take on roles in the workplace and beyond. 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Oh, Buddy

Author: Hal Cosentino

Director: Jeremy Ohringer

Cast (in alphabetical order): Jack Bowes (New Guy), Haven Crawley (Emery), Mackenzie Jones (Lady), Shail Modi (Buddy), and Dustin Valenta (Dude).

Location: Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. Chicago, IL 60622

Regular Run: Thursday, November 12th –Saturday, December 19th, 2026 (No performances on 11/26-28)

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm. Sundays 12/6 and 13 at 3:00 pm. With a special performance on Sunday, December 6th at 3:00 pm including a talk back after the performance with the playwright.

Tickets: $25. Tickets are currently available at https://our.show/oh-buddy or by calling (773) 384-0494.

Teatro Vista Productions (TVP), the Midwest's only Latine-led Equity theatre company, in collaboration with Audible, presents Cafecito & Loops: A Mexodus Listening Tour Headed South, a FREE series of Sunday listening parties leading up to the Chicago premiere of Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson's hip hop musical Mexodus, playing at The Studebaker Theater November 7-21, 2026.

Cafecito & Loops will be held Sundays, October 11, 18, 25 and November 1, from noon to 4pm, at various locations throughout Chicago, with each stop mirroring a chapter in the play's journey.

"Teatro Vista is thrilled to partner with Audible, the Studebaker and P3 Productions to support Mexodus with Cafecito & Loops, an intentional journey that connects our communities directly to the play's groundbreaking music and message," says Teatro Vista Productions Artistic Director Wendy Mateo. "By mapping this listening tour southward we are tracing a path of artistic expression and resistance across Chicago. This free series is about making space for connection, conversation, and collective joy in neighborhoods that power our city's vibrant cultural landscape."

Teatro Vista Productions will host four listening parties featuring excerpts from the Audible Original, which features the entire musical recorded in immersive Dolby Atmos sound design, each stop acting as a chapter in the experience. These listening parties will be scattered throughout the city, strategically en route from Teatro Vista Productions' homebase at The Exchange in Jefferson Park to where Mexodus is playing at the Studebaker Theater downtown. The events are free and open to all.  Reservations are encouraged at: https://www.teatrovista.org/cafecito-and-loops-rsvp.

Teatro Vista Productions previously produced the world premieres of Brian Quijada's critically acclaimed Where Did We Sit on the Bus in 2016 (in association with DCASE and Victory Gardens Theater) and Somewhere Over the Border in 2022 as part of a rolling world premiere with Syracuse Stage and GEVA Theatre.

The Cafecito & Loops schedule is as follows:

Sunday, October 11, 12pm-4pm

The Exchange, home of Teatro Vista Productions in Jefferson Park

4800 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago

Sunday, October 18, 12pm-4pm

Magnifico Coffee Roasters & Coffee Shop in Avondale

3063 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago

Sunday, October 25, 12pm-4pm

Caña in West Town

1406 W Grand Ave, Chicago

Sunday, November 1, 12pm-4pm

Groundswell Coffee Roasters at the Fine Arts Building in the Chicago Loop

410 S Michigan Ave, Chicago

About Mexodus

Studebaker Theater, P3 Productions and Audible,

in collaboration with Teatro Vista Productions present

Mexodus

Written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson

Choreographed by Tony Thomas

Directed by David Mendizábal

Studebaker Theater, 410 S Michigan Ave, Chicago

November 7-21, 2026

Press Opening: Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30pm

Creators Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson perform this groundbreaking hip-hop musical, using live instruments to build a soundscape live each night incorporating looping to layer rhythms, melodies, and harmonies to create full arrangements on the spot at each performance.

Told through bold storytelling and sick beats, Mexodus reimagines the Underground Railroad heading south to Mexico—unearthing a powerful, untold chapter of American history. Called "thrilling" by The Washington Post and "genius in motion" by the San Francisco Chronicle, this is theatre you feel in your body and your bones.

Tickets for Mexodus are available through the Studebaker Theater Box Office, https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/mexodus/ or by calling (312) 753-3210.

About Teatro Vista Productions

Teatro Vista is a non-profit theatre and production company dedicated to multidisciplinary artists of color whose artistic expression on stage and beyond is rooted in the transformative power of owning and telling our own stories.

When the Chicago theater world wasn't ready for us, Teatro Vista Productions made space. For 36 years, we've told true stories that reflect our community. We're not just building on this amazing legacy; we're strengthening and expanding it for the future. Today we continue to actively engage in advocacy that seeks to increase the authentic representations of us on stage and screen.

Teatro Vista Productions believes we are stronger together — across disciplines, across experiences, across mediums, across diasporas. We center our collective of artists at the heart of everything we do. We empower our artists to create with their own authentic voice by providing the tools and resources they need to thrive in the industry. Our work is timely, relevant and authentically reflects our community. Now, as always, We Are Theater With A View.

The company is led by Executive Director Lorena Diaz, Artistic Director Wendy Mateo, and Associate Artistic Director Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel.

Follow TVP on social media & YouTube to experience the multidisciplinary talents of our Artistic Collective and stay connected. @teatrovista

The blurb is: hahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahaha hihihi hahahahahahaha hoho hahahhahaha hehe hahahahahahahahahaha.

Julia Masli's award-winning solo phenomenon ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (a New York Times Top Pick of the Year) arrives at Steppenwolf Theatre Company for a four week engagement January 13 – February 7, 2027 in Steppenwolf's Ensemble Theater, 1646 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. A special Steppenwolf member pre-sale begins Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 12 pm. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 12 pm at steppenwolf.org/hahahahahahaha or by calling the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.

Performer Julia Masli creates a hilarious, yet moving and unpredictable live experience at the intersection of comedy and performance. What begins as playful improvisation evolves into a collective ritual of vulnerability, care and unexpected humor. Masli explores the subtle boundary between a laugh and a tear, proving that one lies very close to the other.

Utterly unlike anything else onstage, this is a completely different experience every night that keeps audiences coming back again and again.

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha arrives in Chicago following critically acclaimed and sold-out runs at The Public Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, SoHo Playhouse in New York City, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, London's Soho Theatre and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Steppenwolf's Creative Producer Patrick Zakem shares, "There's nothing quite like this remarkable, wholly indescribable show. After I first saw the show, bleary-eyed in the early morning hours at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, I immediately knew I had to tell everyone I know to see it. We're thrilled to finally bring this acclaimed performance to Chicago, and Steppenwolf is excited to collaborate with Julia for the first in-the-round presentation of this work that has built a sea of fans across the world."

What the critics are saying:

"Masli's breakthrough, poignant show has its audience in stitches. So, that's how cults are born."
–The New York Times

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha is "a great unexpected carnival of mutual care, ring-led with a featherlight touch by a clown whose mischief is matched only by her compassion."
–The Guardian

"New York's wildest show" –New York Magazine

"A comedy masterpiece" –The Guardian

"An experiment in collective consciousness." –LA Times

"A jaw-dropping delight." –The Times

About Julia Masli and the show:

Julia Masli is an award-winning clown from Estonia, based in London. All she wants to do is solve people's problems and eventually win the Nobel Prize, presented to those who have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. But this plan keeps going wrong as she continually wins prizes for comedy. It was bad enough when she was the winner of the Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality in 2019 and her debut show CHOOSH – about a migrant's struggles in the USA – was one of the most acclaimed comedy shows of the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022.

But in 2023, things spiraled when she set out to help audience members in ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, which you can read about in the New York Times here. This serious, important event was nominated for Edinburgh's top prize for Best Comedy Show and named number one comedy show of the year by The Guardian, before being invited for a four-week, completely sold-out run at London's Soho Theatre. Despite the seriousness of Julia's intentions, the show was once more shortlisted for Most Outstanding Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, nominated for Edinburgh's top prize of Best Comedy Show and the SKY Arts Best Comedy Award, and declared number one comedy show of the year by The Guardian.

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha is a Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company touring production.

Creative Team:

Created and Performed by Julia Masli
Directed by Kim Noble
Sound Design conceived by Alessio Festuccia
Lighting Design conceived by Lily Woodford
Co-Lighting Design by Jennifer Fok
Live Sound Design by Sebastián Hernández
Live Lighting Design and Stage Management by Sarah Chapin
Costume Design by Alice Wedge, Annika Thiems and David Curtis-Ring

Production Details:

Dates: Previews: Wednesday, January 13 and Thursday, January 14, 2027 at 7:30 pm
Opening: Friday, January 15, 2027 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Saturday, January 16 – Sunday, February 7, 2027
Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a 3 pm performance on Saturday, January 16, 2026.

Tickets: Previews: Pay-what-you-want ($15 - $60). Regular run: ($37.50* - $85.00*). Single tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 12 pm at steppenwolf.org/hahahahahahaha or by calling the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. *Ticket prices include processing fees.

Tis the season, in spite of today's unseasonable temps, as A Christmas Carol begins rehearsals for The Goodman's 49^th annual production of Charles Dickens' classic favorite. This year, a new Scrooge—Tim Hopper, acclaimed longtime Chicago actor—joins the production, directed by BOLD Artistic Producer Malkia Stampley for her second year. In addition, 11-year-old Sanjana Suraj (City of Lights Theatre's Annie) makes her Goodman debut as Tiny Tim, plus newly cast ghosts—Ghost of Christmas Past Rae Gray (Graveyard Shift), Ghost of Christmas Present Lachrisa Grandberry (The Color Purple) and the Ghost of Jacob Marley Gavin Lawrence (Dartmoor Prison). Other new faces among the 34-member company include Chad Bay (Remy Bumppo's Art), Sunnie Eraso (Lookingglass Theatre's White Rooster), Joryhebel Ginorio (Raven Theatre's Octet), Jyreika Guest (Definition Theatre's Cypress Bayou), Jourdan Lewanda (Steep Theatre's Our Dear Dead Drug Lord) and Amy Vargas Rivera (Wolf at The Door). Young performers Austin Hartung and Rio Lewis make their Goodman debuts, joined by three returning young performers: Ella Boparai—last year's Tiny Tim—Viva Boresi and Henry Lombardo. Rom Barkhordar (Yasmina's Necklace) joins the company as Scrooge for 10 performances. A Christmas Carol runs November 13 through December 31 (opening night is November 23) in the 856-seat Albert Theatre. For tickets ($34 - $188, subject to change), visit the Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), call 312.443.3800 or purchase online at GoodmanTheatre.org/Carol. The Goodman is grateful for the support of PNC (Major Corporate Sponsor).

Millions have rediscovered Dickens' classic at The Goodman over the past five decades—and know why it's "the best Christmas story ever told!" (Time Out Chicago). Follow the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Tim Hopper) as ghostly intervention transforms his holiday disdain into delight one fateful Christmas night. This timeless production, long heralded for its "first-rate cast and marvelous staging" (Chicago Sun-Times), is not to be missed.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Tim Hopper (Ebenezer Scrooge) last appeared at The Goodman in 2017 as Vanya in Uncle Vanya. He is a Steppenwolf Theater Company ensemble member and has appeared in many plays there, most recently Catch As Catch Can. He will be appearing in the upcoming A24 film Enemies, and also in Trash Mountain. Other films credits include School of Rock and To Die For. Television credits include Chicago Fire, Amazon's Utopia, Emperor of Ocean Park and Fargo, among others.

Rom Barkhordar's (Alternate Ebenezer Scrooge) Goodman Theatre credits include: Yasmina's Necklace, Ruined. Chicago credits include: A Prayer for the French Republic (Northlight); A Lie of the Mind (Raven Theatre); White Christmas (Marriott Theatre); The Band's Visit, A Distinct Society, Wife of a Salesman (Writer's Theatre); Mosque4Mosque (About Face Theatre); Acts of God, Around the World in 80 Days (Lookingglass Theatre); The Elephant Man, Homebody/Kabul (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Pravda, Halcyon Days, Not About Nightingales (Timeline Theatre). Regional credits include: The Band's Visit (TheatreSquared); The Art of Burning (Huntington).

Sanjana Suraj (Tiny Tim) is thrilled to make her Goodman Theatre debut in A Christmas Carol! Her recent stage credits include Young Fiona in Shrek and Lash in Dragon Jr. (Theater on the Hill); Orphan in Annie (City of Lights Theatre); and Young Krishna in Krishna Dance Ensemble (Samskriti). A dedicated musician and performer, Suraj trains in classical Indian music and dance, sings with her school's Honors Chorus, and is currently learning the flute. Offstage, you'll find her jamming to new tunes or immersed in her latest creative art project.

Malkia Stampley (Director) is a three-time Jeff-nominated director from Milwaukee and The Goodman's BOLD Artistic Producer since 2021. Goodman Theatre directing credits: Covenant, A Christmas Carol, BUST (associate director), Primary Trust, In My Granny's Garden, New Stages' This Part of His Life Blooms and Cephianne's Reflection. Additional directing: Remy Bumppo, Rivendell, Raven, Definition, Congo Square, TimeLine, Court, Chicago Shakespeare, Stage Left, Kansas City Rep, Orlando Shakespeare, Milwaukee Rep, Milwaukee Chamber, Skylight Music, Black Arts MKE, Northern Sky, American Players, Farmers Alley, Northwestern, First Stage, Inc. Malkia is a facilitator with Civic Actors Studio at Court Theatre and a teaching artist with Remy Bumppo.

Company of A Christmas Carol
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Tom Creamer
Directed by Malkia Stampley

Rom Barkhordar...Alternate Ebenezer Scrooge
Ella Boparai...Emily Cratchit/Ignorance
Viva Boresi...Belinda Cratchit
Tatiana Bustamante...Belle/Ensemble
Amira Danan...Frida
Elleon Dobias...Musician/Felicity
Arash Fakhrabadi...Young Scrooge/Ensemble
Sól Fuller...Martha Cratchit/Fan
Joryhebel Ginorio...Ensemble
Brian Goodwin...Musician
Lachrisa Grandberry...Ghost of Christmas Present/Charwoman
Rae Gray...Ghost of Christmas Past
Jyreika Guest...Maxine Fezziwig/Abigail
Austin Hartung...Gregory Cratchit/Turkey Child
Benjamin Heppner...Musician
Gregory Hirte...Musician/Topper
Tim Hopper...Ebenezer Scrooge
Anthony Irons...Ortle/School Official/Old Joe
Chris Khoshaba...Dick Wilkins/Ensemble
Gavin Lawrence...Young Marley/Ghost of Marley
Helen Joo Lee...Mrs. Cratchit
Henry Lombardo...Peter Cratchit/Boy Scrooge
Jon Hudson Odom...Bob Cratchit
Robert Schleifer...Mr. Fezziwig
Anne Sheridan Smith...Ensemble
Sanjana Suraj...Tiny Tim/Want
Austin Tichenor...Crumb
Penelope Walker...Mrs. Fezziwig/Ensemble 

Understudies include Chad Bay, Sunnie Eraso, Jordan Golding, Jourdan Lewanda, Rio Lewis and Amy Vargas Rivera.

Creative Team

Choreographer and Associate Director...Breon Arzell
Composer...Andy Hansen 
Music Director...Gregory Hirte
Fly Director...Andrea Gentry 
Voice & Dialect Coach...Shadana Patterson
Costume Designer...Heidi Sue McMath 
Lighting Designer...Keith Parham 
Set Designer...Todd Rosenthal 
Sound Designer...Pornchanok "Nok" Kanchanabanca 
Associate Lighting Designer...Brian Elston
Assistant Director/Choreographer...Christopher Michael Richardson
Assistant Sound Designer...Daniella Brown
Young Performer Supervisors...Nihan Baysal and Habby Olusesi
Line Producer...Lena Romano
Second Line Producer...Sarah Slight

Casting by Lauren Port, CSA. Jennifer Gregory is the Production Stage Manager. Beth Koehler and Duncan McMillan are the Stage Managers.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES
Visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Access for more information about The Goodman's accessibility efforts. 

ASL-Interpreted...December 4 at 7:30pm – An ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.
Audio-Described...December 5 at 2pm; Touch Tour; 12:00pm – Action audibly enhanced via headset.
Open-Captioned...December 6 at 2pm – LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.
Spanish-Subtitled...December 6 at 7pm – Spanish-translated dialogue via LED sign.
Sensory-Friendly...December 27 at 2pm – Softer lighting and sound; sensory items available for use.

ABOUT THE GOODMAN

Since 1925, The Goodman has been a theatrical home for artists and a gathering space for Chicagoland, where bold stories spark connection, conversation and change. Now, as it enters its second century, The Goodman builds on that legacy with an eye toward the future. Under the leadership of Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, the theater continues to champion new work—following hundreds of plays developed and a national reputation for commissioning and premiering original stories by living writers—while reimagining classics and produce large-scale musicals.

But The Goodman's reach today extends beyond its home in the heart of the Loop. From the intimate magic of The Magic Parlour, now in its third year, to the boundary-pushing world of Theater of the Mind—an immersive experience that blurs the lines between science, storytelling and sensation—and from citywide initiatives like 100 Free Acts of Theater to partnerships with artists and companies across Chicago and around the world, The Goodman is expanding what theater can be, and where it can live.

At its core, The Goodman is driven by a belief that a more empathetic, more connected city is built one story at a time. Generation-spanning productions and programs offer theater for a lifetime—from babies and young children to teens, adults and seniors—including Theater for the Very Young (ages 0–5) and the beloved annual A Christmas Carol, which has welcomed audiences for five decades. Education and Engagement programs, led by Clifford Director Jared Bellot and based in the Alice Rapoport Center, use the tools of theater to spark imagination, reflection and belonging—reaching thousands each year, the majority from underserved communities.

With nearly 200 world or American premieres, two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and nearly 200 Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman remains a defining force in American theater—and the first to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson's American Century Cycle. The theater also frequently serves as a production partner—from national and international companies to Chicago's Off-Loop theaters—to help amplify a wide range of theatrical voices.

Founded by William O. Goodman and his family in memory of playwright Kenneth Sawyer Goodman, the theater carries forward a legacy of artistic ambition and civic generosity. With the help of Mr. Goodman's descendants—Albert Ivar Goodman and his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton—that spirit continues to shape its future as The Goodman expands its impact across Chicago and beyond. Marsha Cruzan is Chair of the Goodman Theatre Board of Trustees; Diane Landgren is Women's Board President; and Kelli Garcia is president of the Scenemakers Board for Young Professionals.

The Goodman stands on the unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations—and acknowledges the many other Nations for whom this land now called Chicago has long been home, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. The Goodman is proud to partner with the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum (Gichigamiin-Museum.org) and the Center for Native Futures (CenterForNativeFutures.org)—organizations devoted to honoring Indigenous stories, preserving cultural memory, and deepening public understanding.

Let he without sin cast the first stone, Lyric’s “Don Giovanni” seemingly says when they bring up the house lights while the cast cheerfully sing about sinners being smote. Lyric Opera of Chicago kicks off the season with a thrilling revival of their 2014 collaboration with former Goodman artistic director Robert Falls.

Generally considered one of the best operas ever written, “Don Giovanni” sets a high bar for opera lovers, specifically Mozart fans. Oddly enough it was the first opera ever performed by the Lyric all the way back in 1954. Thankfully, you’re in good hands with legendary Chicago director Robert Falls at the helm. Falls returns to direct this remount of his 2014 production, and his fingerprints are all over it.

Falls is best known for the Broadway-ready new and classic works during his tenure at Goodman Theatre. Now that he’s retired from Goodman, he works in an emeritus capacity, bringing his signature style to other local institutions. Just last year he directed a celebrated revival of “Amadeus” at Steppenwolf, another Mozart-adjacent show.  His next directing project will be with Edgewater storefront company, Redtwist Theatre.

Christian Van Horn as Don Giovanni and Anna El-Khashem as Zerlina. Photo by Cory Weaver.

Opera plots can be a little hard to follow, but here, Falls delivers a concise and straight forward version that requires little flipping back and forth in the program. Scenes are neatly divided and each scene is larger than life thanks to Walt Spangler’s sets and Ana Kuzmanic’s costumes. Every scene is a feast for the senses, but not in a way that distracts from Mozart’s breathtaking music played by the Lyric Opera Orchestra led by Enrique Mazzola.

Don Giovanni is everyone’s favorite playboy. That is unless you’re one of the women he’s seduced and abandoned. Lyric not only cast wonderful singers in the roles, but they brought in singers who also exude the kind of sexuality and comic timing that makes this such a fun opera. Mozart had a playful sense of humor and the bromance between Christian Van Horn in the titular role and his sidekick Leporello played by the dashing Tommaso Barea is genuinely laugh out loud funny. Not to mention Van Horn’s commanding baritone.

The female ensemble: Donna Anna (Mane Galoyan), Donna Elvira (Nina Solodovnikova), and Zerlina (Anna El-Khashem) are all gorgeous singers, but each bring their characters to life in an almost slapstick way. Particularly Anna El-Khashem who gleefully sings to her husband that he’s free to beat her and pull out her hair because of her triste with Don Giovanni on their wedding night. The absurdity of the lyrics through her childlike yearning is hilarious.

“Don Giovanni” is hard to classify as either a comedy or a tragedy. Mozart’s operas tend to have a bright and cheery sound to them, but this one is less upbeat than say, “Marriage of Figaro” and the plot takes a decidedly more intense turn by the middle. It’s the best of both worlds. Mozart’s music paired with Falls’ theatrical sensibilities make this easily one of the most watchable operas ever produced. Clocking in at just under 3 and a half hours, nothing about this production feels redundant. Each moment is packed with enough amusement that a wry little grin will stay plastered on your face even after the final brava. (through November 1 at Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N Wacker Drive. (312) 827-5600)

https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2026-27/don-giovanni/

For its sixth Halloween season, Rough House Theater Co. has transformed Steppenwolf’s Merle Reskin Garage into a spectacular puppet haunted house. Last year I visted House of the Exquisite Corpse V: BLOOD & PUPPETS, and this year’s installment feels familiar in form but distinct in approach. The experience unfolds across six short puppet performances, each about seven minutes long and staged in its own small, enclosed box. Instead of sitting in seats, audience members peer through peepholes and listen through headphones, becoming voyeurs of a series of strange, self-contained worlds.

Last year’s “Blood & Puppets” theme offered a direct prompt. This time, LULLABIES gives its six creative teams a more abstract one, and they take it in folkloric, tall-tale directions. The stories draw on the uneasy promise at the heart of a lullaby: sleep, and you’ll be safe; stay awake, and you’re powerless. The audio narration felt especially full and impactful this year, adding texture to the stories and pulling listeners further into each room.

Jumping Jack Money. Photos by Greg India.

Exquisite Corpse's unique format gives each team room to experiment and draw on personal or cultural connections to lullabies. This variety is one of the production’s greatest strengths. Puppetry appears in many forms, often layered together: shadow puppets, hand puppets, and full-body puppets all share these small spaces. You’re close enough to notice the details in the figures and the mechanics of their movement, while the peepholes keep you just outside the worlds you’re watching.

That close-up view, combined with each team’s total freedom to construct an original world, raises expectations and makes the weaker moments more noticeable. There are always limits in live theater, but it’s disappointing when a story sets up a moment and then declines to stage it. “Jumping Jack Money” is a hilarious, cheeky piece, and its audience interaction is among the evening’s most charming. All the more frustrating, then, is that when the central conflict arrives, the piece avoids the playful challenge of staging a puppet fight and opts for a blackout that isn’t even dark enough to make the absence feel intentional. Another piece introduces a tornado—a chance for an intricate, dynamic effect alongside its many forms of puppetry, then buries the moment under a simple projected animation. Both left me wishing the production had followed through on the possibilities it had deliberately established.

don’t you want to live it? don’t you want to live your dream? 

My favorite stories show what the format can do when its ideas and staging work in tandem. Designed by Caitlin McLeod, “Hushaby hush, you’re not going with them,” performed by Finn Bradley, Eddy Barber-Rozema, Rachel Hartmann and Emilie Wingate, uses an angled castle set with meticulous detail. From all angles, the perspective gives the scene the feeling of a storybook illustration, making it an especially apt fit for a show about the tales we tell to get children to sleep.

The final piece, “don’t you want to live it? don’t you want to live your dream?,” created by J. Felix and Abby Palen and performed by Mallory Limbrell and Shannon Twenter, makes memorable use of its floating, moving set. The performers move around it, giving the puppets space to transform along with the scene. It’s a playful, visually inventive take on lullabies and a strong finish to the sequence.

The experience design has also become more cohesive since last year. Each performance space’s exterior peepholes now feel connected to the story inside, and the paths between each story, between and around the boxes, carry a more unified atmosphere, giving the six distinct rooms a shared setting: an eerie, wonderful night of lullabies and puppets!

House of the Exquisite Corpse VI: LULLABIES runs at Steppenwolf’s Merle Reskin Garage through November 1. Tickets are available at roughhousetheater.com/tickets.

They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're altogether ooky, The Addams Family.

Yes, ooky.

BrightSide Theatre’s production of The Addams Family Musical at the Theater at Meiley Swallow Hall feels like stepping back into the wonderfully odd world of a family we’ve all grown up with. There’s an immediate charm in seeing Gomez and Morticia - the passionately devoted, darkly elegant heads of the Addams clan - presiding over their spooky, loving household with the same theatrical flair that made them iconic. With a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, the show’s blend of gothic quirk, musical comedy warmth, and big-hearted family chaos lands with a personal, familiar joy that makes this staging especially inviting. And right at the center is Wednesday Addams, their sharp tongued, deadpan daughter whose unexpected leap into romance sets everything spiraling.

In this musical comedy, Wednesday has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet, decidedly “normal” young man from Ohio. Determined to prove she’s ready for something real, she asks her parents to host a dinner so the two families can meet - but she also begs Gomez to keep her engagement a secret from Morticia. That single request throws Gomez into a hilarious moral crisis, while Morticia senses something is off and the rest of the Addams household prepares for an evening guaranteed to go sideways. When the straight-laced Beinekes arrive, their collision with the gloriously eccentric Addamses sparks a night of confessions, misunderstandings, unexpected alliances, and more than a few supernatural surprises. What unfolds is a heartfelt, funny, and delightfully macabre exploration of love, loyalty, and the beautifully strange ways families learn to accept one another - quirks and all.

BrightSide’s production thrives on the strength of its performers, and this cast brings the Addams world to life with personality, precision, and a magnificently off-center spirit.

Scott Kelley and Samatha Keret (rear) as Gomez and Morticia and Ancestors in Brightside Theatre’s The Addams Family Musical. Photos by CM Stage Photography.

At the center of the production are Scott Kelley’s Gomez Addams and Samantha Keret’s Morticia Addams, who anchor the show with an easy chemistry that makes their partnership feel lived in and genuinely affectionate. Their banter and romantic interactions are fantastic - playful, sharp, and full of the kind of idiosyncratic mutual understanding that makes their marriage the emotional core of the evening. Kelley gives Gomez a warm, slightly frantic presence, the kind of theatrical bravado that feels both funny and sincere. Keret, with her beautiful voice and cool, elegant presence, matches him beat for beat, creating a dynamic that feels both grounded and pleasantly heightened. Together, they knock their roles out of the ballpark.

The ensemble - from the Addams clan to the buttoned-up Beinekes, along with the ghostly Ancestors who linger in the house until Wednesday’s journey toward love sets them free - brings strong energy and cohesion to the production, giving the show a vibrant foundation for some standout performances.

Lauren Mathews’ Wednesday Addams is terrific, offering a Wednesday who is smart, guarded, and brimming with the dry, deadpan wit audiences expect - but also carrying the emotional uncertainty of someone stepping into adulthood faster than she planned. Her performance captures a teenager caught between loyalty to her wonderfully strange family and the terrifying possibility of real change. Because the story ultimately revolves around love - romantic, familial, and everything in between - Mathews becomes the hinge of the entire narrative, and she handles that responsibility with clarity and confidence.

Collin Borisenko’s Uncle Fester adds a welcome dose of sweetness and eccentricity, leaning into Fester’s gentle oddball nature without tipping into caricature, while Amy Arbizzani’s Alice Beineke provides some of the evening’s biggest laughs as a tightly wound suburban mom whose unraveling becomes a comedic highlight. Arbizzani’s timing - and her ability to really belt when the moment calls for it - turns her musical outbursts into genuine showstoppers.

BrightSide’s creative team shapes this production with care and a clear affection for the material. Under De Haddad’s direction, the musical moves with clear, unfussy ease, balancing the story’s humor and heart while keeping the unconventional Addams world feeling cohesive and inviting. Shane Brown’s choreography adds light, well placed movement that supports the storytelling without crowding the stage, giving each number a clear, character focused lift. Phil Videckis leads the music with steady assurance, keeping the score’s personality and emotional beats aligned with the action. Cheryl Newman’s costumes offer a thoughtful blend of familiar Addams silhouettes and clean, stage ready designs, while Kurt Ottinger’s lighting brings subtle shifts in mood and color with just enough theatrical shadow to frame the world effectively. The production’s scenic design, crafted by Ariel Mozes, provides a space that feels both spooky and welcoming - a home that fits the Addams tribe and the story unfolding within it. One of the production’s most engaging details is the way the Ancestors drift in and out of the family portraits, turning the walls of the Addams home into a living gallery that observes the action as it unfolds.

Pugsley and Wednesday Addams (Carson Kelley and Lauren Mathews) in Brightside Theatre’s The Addams Family Musical. 

This is a funny show that is all about love, and BrightSide delivers that humor with a light, playful touch that keeps the audience laughing. And even when some of the jokes are predictable, they still land, because the delivery, timing, and sheer Addams‑style absurdity make the familiar feel fun rather than tired. I did wonder whether comedy born sixty years ago would still resonate with today’s crowd, but the production blends the classic Addams deadpan with a few modern winks - including some sly innuendo and contemporary asides - that make the jokes feel fresh without betraying the spirit of the original. The crowd was a mix of longtime Addams fans and newer generations, something made instantly clear when the familiar theme kicked in - a handful snapped right on cue while others clapped along. It was a fun blend of reactions, and the overall effect showed that the humor lands for everyone.

Big musical moments like When You’re an Addams burst with playful choreography and gothic silliness, setting the tone right from the start. Later, Full Disclosure turns a family dinner into a brilliantly chaotic spectacle, layering jokes, reveals, and ensemble energy in a way that feels both sharp and amusingly messy. Morticia’s Just Around the Corner is another highlight - a charming bit of dark humor built around her cheerful pun that “death is just around the coroner… get it?” delivered with exactly the kind of melodramatic glint the character thrives on.

For so many of us, The Addams Family began in grainy black and white reruns on TV - the kind you’d stumble upon on a quiet afternoon, or watch curled up on the couch, instantly pulled into that wonderfully odd little world. Those episodes became part of childhood in a way that sticks, shaping our sense of humor and giving us characters who felt strange, sweet, and strangely familiar all at once. Seeing the Addamses still make people smile today - onstage, in full color, with all their offbeat charm intact - is a reminder of how enduring they are. Decades later, they’re still beautifully weird, still welcoming, and still capable of bringing out that same simple, shared joy.

BrightSide Theatre’s The Addams Family Musical is recommended, offering a spirited, nostalgic, and thoroughly enjoyable night out for audiences of all ages. The production runs October 2–18, 2026 at the Theater at Meiley Swallow Hall at North Central College, located at 31 S. Ellsworth St. in Naperville. With an estimated running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermission, it’s an evening that delivers plenty of laughs, charm, and quirky family fun - a welcome return to the wonderfully weird world of the Addams clan.

https://brightsidetheatre.com/the-addams-family/

Avalanche Theatre announces the world premiere production of They Broke Up by Chicago playwright Skyler Tarnas, November 6–22, 2026.  Opening November 7 at 7:30pm) at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 Ridge Ave.

They Broke Up is Avalanche's first world premiere presented at their new home as a resident company at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. The play is the professional full-length debut from playwright Skyler Tarnas, an ensemble member of Avalanche and graduate of Northwestern University's Writing for the Screen and Stage MFA program.

They Broke Up — which was originally developed in Avalanche's new play incubator the Next Draft Series in 2024 — is an apocalyptic absurdist comedy centered around a friend group trying to weather both the end of the world and the much more devastating end of a relationship. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit avalanchetheatre.com/event-details/they-broke-up.

"They Broke Up is one of the most fun, distinct, and laugh-out-loud plays we've come across at Avalanche. Skyler has such a clear voice and vision for this play, which made the workshop a delight," says Avalanche Theatre's Artistic Director Alexander Attea, who also will perform in production as Brett. "In the two years that we've been working on this play, it has grown and changed in some weird and wonderful ways; all while staying rooted in the comedy and tragedy of this insane group of friends having to grapple with the reality of being themselves."

It's New Year's Eve, and it sure looks like the world is ending. But much more importantly, Brett and Amy have just broken up. As aliens pollute the water, zombies run for Congress, birds ravage the housing market, and apocalyptic cult plans for the end of days, Brett and Amy's friends scheme to reunite them while the ex-couple themselves try to navigate a world with an end-date and a world without each other.

"I remember reading three grotesquely awful news stories in a row in a Trader Joe's parking lot and then dissociating heavily next to the oranges. I realized that's what this play was going to try to capture... the constant overload of tragedy and the deranged sense of detachment I felt like I needed to get through the day, letting numbness shut out helpfulness and growth," says playwright Skyler Tarnas. "I love how absurd I got to be with language and logic in this piece."

Avalanche Theatre's world premiere of They Broke Up plays Nov 6 - 22, 2026, at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble at 5779 Ridge Ave. Tickets are now available starting at an early-bird rate of $25 through September 15th and then increasing to $35 at AvalancheTheatre.com. A special edition of the script, published by Avalanche Theatre, will also be available for purchase as a ticket add-on.

The cast of They Broke Up features Avalanche Theatre ensemble members Gabriela Diaz, Alexander Attea, Ky Anderson, and Mitch Fischer. The cast also includes Reagan James, Jack Disselhorst, Maya McEntyre, and Jo Tannous. Understudies for the production are Lily Lourigan, Nathan Keiller, Becca Anderson, Curen Feliciani, Katie Bevil, and Matt Schutz.

They Broke Up is directed by Avalanche Theatre ensemble member Owen Hickle-Edwards. The design team includes Avalanche Executive Director Zoe Sjogerman (Production Manager), Emma Crumption (Stage Manager), Yukta Sinha (Assistant Stage Manager), Alishiana Uyao (Technical Director), Nathan Keiller (Lighting Designer), Drew McCall (Sound Designer), Eel Black (Costume Designer), Ab Rieve (Props Designer), and Tristin Hall (Intimacy Designer).

They Broke Up

World Premiere

By Skyler Tarnas

Directed by Owen Hickle-Edwards

Nov 6 - 22 (Opening night Friday Nov 6 at 7:30pm) at Rivendell Ensemble Theatre

Information

Tickets: www.AvalancheTheatre.com

General Admission Tickets: $35 - $45

About Avalanche Theatre

Avalanche Theatre, founded in 2019 by Alexander Attea and Zoe Sjogerman, is Chicago's new home for new play development. With a mission centered on developing new plays by Chicago playwrights, Avalanche has workshopped scripts that have gone on to be seen on stages including the Goodman Theatre, Shattered Globe Theatre, Alleyway Theatre, Silk Road Cultural Center, Renaissance Theatreworks, and others, as well as recognition from the Maxim Mazumdar New Play Award and as Finalists & Semi-Finalists for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. Through its script development programs like the Next Draft Series and its monthly Show & Tell events, Avalanche is committed to elevating the voices of Chicago's emerging playwrights.

Oil Lamp Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its next production and the final production in its 2026 season, It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, November 20 - December 27, adapted by Joe Landry and directed by Becca Holloway at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road. The schedule includes preview performances Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. with the opening performance Saturday, Nov. 21 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 on Dec. 2 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m, Dec. 16 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. There will also be an understudy performance on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $30 for previews and $55 for the run at OilLampTheater.org.  

This heartwarming production is the perfect way to embrace the spirit of the Christmas season. Experience unmatched holiday 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 Theater’s WBFR radio studio.

Audiences are invited to 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 blessed he is and how many lives he has touched.

The cast of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play includes Ethan Smith (he/him, Jake Laurents); India Huy (she/her, Sally Applewhite); Adam Schulmerich (he/him, Freddie Filmore); Baxter Konstans (he/him, Harry “Jazzbo” Haywood); Julia Hope Budd (she/her, Lana Sherwood); Anthony Augustine  (he/him, Foley Artist); Christopher Ratliff (he/him, U/S Jake Laurents); Aly Mackenzie (she/her, U/S Sally Applewhite); Neil Figuracion (any, U/S Freddie Filmore); Payton Nesci (he/him, U/S Harry “Jazzbo” Haywood); Katherine Abel (she/her, U/S Lana Sherwood) and John N Williams (he/him, U/S Foley Artist).  

The production team includes Becca Holloway (she/her, director); Anthony Doyle (he/him, stage manager); Trenton Jones (he/him, scenic designer); Rachel D. Hemm (she/her, lighting designer); Taylor Pfenning (she/her, costume designer); Elly Burke (she/her, props designer); Conner Nicoson (they/them, technical director); Connor Windle (she/her, production manager and sound designer) and Rose Leisner (she/her, company manager). 

ABOUT JOE LANDRY, playwright

Joe Landry's plays have been produced across the country and internationally and include It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (named one of the top-ten most produced plays by American Theatre Magazine). His other Live Radio Play adaptations include Vintage Hitchcock, Meet Me in St. Louis, War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast and A Christmas Carol, published through Playscripts/Broadway Licensing and Concord. Other plays include The Wicked Stage, Reefer Madness, Numb and Hitchcocked!. He attended Playwrights Horizons/NYU and has taught playwriting at Sacred Heart University.

ABOUT BECCA HOLLOWAY, director

Becca Holloway is a director/choreographer based in Chicago. She’s thrilled to return to Oil Lamp Theater, where she made her directorial debut 10 years ago! Favorite directing credits include Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince, Wise Guys, Die Hard 4 Your Luv (The Factory Theater), Muted (Red Theater) and Wanderlust and The Muses (Chicago Music Theater Festival). As an associate director: Godspell (Music Theater Works) and the upcoming Sunday in the Park with George (Paramount Theatre). Holloway has also worked extensively as a casting director for more than 30 productions including work with Wicked and The Lion King.