Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, continues its 35^th Anniversary Season with the highly-theatrical historical boxing drama The Royale from Marco Ramirez (Orange is the New Black, Buena Vista Social Club) and directed by Tyrone Phillips (Fat Ham; Byhalia, Mississippi). Inspired by the first Black world heavyweight champion and Chicagoan Jack Johnson, The Royale follows Jay "The Sport" Jackson as he fights for his place in history, The Royale will run October 22 – November 29, 2026 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. 

Jay is a really good boxer, so good they call him "The Sport." He's won his last seventy-six fights and has his sights set on being crowned the next heavyweight champion. But it's 1905, and in the Jim Crow era, a Black man doesn't get to fight a reigning white champion. When a surprising chance at the title appears, Jay gears up for the fight of his life—where the stakes are staggeringly high inside the ring and out. Inspired by real-world boxer Jack Johnson, this adrenaline rush of a play by Marco Ramirez (Orange is the New Black, Buena Vista Social Club) is a kinetic and poetic portrayal of what it takes and what it costs to make history. 

"The Royale is inspired by the boundary-breaking boxer Jack Johnson and the price of his determination to get to the top, As Jay's obstacles grow, so does his determination, his pride, his discipline and the costs to the people who love him," comments says Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham. "Director Tyrone Phillips and his incredible ensemble of performers will conjure an entire world and its systemic tension using a captivating blend of rhythmic and percussive choreography. It's an invigorating way to continue our 35th season at Writers with a play built from a piece of American history too often left out of the story."

The cast of The Royale includes: La'Tevin Alexander (Jay), Scott Aiello (Max), Ajax Dontavius (Fish), James Vincent Meredith (Wynton), AnJi White (Nina). The understudies are Yomade Adefeso (Jay Understudy; Fish Understudy), Kristin Ellis (Nina Understudy), Joel Gelman (Max Understudy), Frederick Paul Williams (Wynton Understudy).

The creative team includes: Tyrone Phillips (Director), Rasell Holt (Movement Director), Lauren M. Nichols (Scenic Designer), Gregory Graham (Costume Designer), Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer), Stephanie Farina (Sound Designer) and Kenya Hall (Dramaturg). The stage manager is Imani M. Ross.

Single Tickets for The Royale start at $35 are now on sale at the Writers Theatre Box Office at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, by calling 847-242-6000, and at www.writerstheatre.org.

About the Artists

Marco Ramirez (Playwright) has had plays produced at Lincoln Center Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Humana Festival, The Old Globe (San Diego), The Bush Theatre (London), American Theater Company (Chicago), Soulpepper (Toronto) and Center Theatre Group (LA). Honors include Helen Hayes and Drama Desk nominations, the Outer Critics Circle's John Gassner Playwriting Award, Juilliard's Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Fellowship, Lincoln Center's Le Comte du Nouy Award and TCG's Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. Marco is also a WGA and Emmy Award-nominated TV writer and producer, where his credits include Marvel's Daredevil (Netflix), Marvel's The Defenders (Netflix), Sons of Anarchy (FX), Orange is the New Black (Netflix) and Fear the Walking Dead (AMC).

Tyrone Phillips (Director) is the founding Artistic Director of Chicago's Definition Theatre. Recipient of the 2022 Alumni Award for Diversity and Inclusion, he is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has studied abroad at Shakespeare's Globe. As a first generation Jamaican-American, Tyrone is passionate about equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the fine arts industry and has completed advanced anti-racism training to lead change in our community. Select theater credits: Definition Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Writers, Old Globe, Berkeley Rep, Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Rep and Stage 42 (off-Broadway). Tyrone is currently adjunct faculty at DePaul University and serves on the Board of Directors for the League of Chicago Theaters. He is the recipient of the Inaugural Arts Midwest Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity and Entrepreneurship and proud member of SDC, SAG-AFTRA and the NAACP. 

La'Tevin Alexander (Jay) is making his Writers Theatre debut. Regional credits include Joe Turner's Come and Gone as Herald Loomis (Penumbra Theatre); The Piano Lesson as Lymon (Milwaukee Rep and Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park); The Light as Rashad (Portland Center Stage); Paradise Blue as P-Sam (Portland Playhouse); A Christmas Carol as Scrooge (Portland Playhouse); Reggie Hoops as Muncie (Profile Theatre); and Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy as Jonathan Harker (Portland Center Stage). Film credits include Outdoor School (2025); Test Screening (2024); The Paper Tigers (2020); Marry, Fuck, Kill (2024); and Dearest Eva (2022). Television credits include: DELPHI (Prime); CHAD (TBS); The Wonderland Murders (ID); Portlandia (IFC); and Grimm (NBC). He has a BA from Florida A&M University.

Scott Aiello (Max) is returning to Writers Theater, where he previously appeared as Duke Frederick in As You Like It. Other Chicago Theater credits include: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Goodman), Hamlet (SS), A Midsummer Night's Dream (SS), Henry V and Richard III (Chicago Shakespeare), A View From the Bridge (Shattered Globe), Perfect Mendacity (Steppenwolf), Awake and Sing! (Timeline). T.V. and film: American Rust (Showtime, Recurring), Billions (Showtime, Recurring). Joseph Jefferson Awards- Leading Actor in a Play (A View From the Bridge, Shattered Globe, 2024), Supporting Actor in a Play (Broadway Bound, Pegasus Players, 2002) Scott has narrated over 300 audiobooks. Training: The Juilliard School.

Ajax Dontavius (Fish) is a Haitian-American actor. Recent credits include: Blues for an Alabama Sky (Seattle Rep and Remy Bumppo Theatre); Last Night and The Night Before (Steppenwolf Theatre); Measure for Measure (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Fences (American Blues Theater); and Middle Passage (Lifeline Theatre). Television: NCIS: Origins, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., 61st Street. Education: B.F.A. Acting – Roosevelt University/Chicago College of Performing Arts.

James Vincent Meredith (Wynton) previously appeared at Writers Theatre in The Dutchess of Malfi and Othello. Broadway credits include Skin of Our Teeth (LCT), Book of Mormon (Eugene O'Neill, also National Tour), The Minutes, and Superior Donuts (both Music Box). Local credits include work at Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman, Court, Victory Gardens and Steppenwolf (ensemble member since 2007). Recent Television credits include Fargo (FX), Emperor of Ocean Park (MGM), Your Honor (Showtime), 61st Street (AMC/CW)

AnJi White (Nina) hails from the South Side of Chicago. She last appeared in Covenant and Fat Ham (Goodman Theatre). Some Chicago credits include East Texas Hot Links (Court Theatre, Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actress); For Colored Girls (Court Theatre Jeff Award for Best Ensemble); Sunset Baby (Black Theatre Alliance Award for Best Actress, TimeLine Theatre) and more. Regional credit: Paradise Blue (Studio Theatre in D.C., Helen Hayes for Outstanding Supporting Performer). TV credits include: Marvel's Ironheart, Fargo, 61st Street and more.

The Royale

Written by Marco Ramirez
Directed by Tyrone Phillips

Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre

October 22 – November 29, 2026

Cast: La'Tevin Alexander (Jay), Scott Aiello (Max), Ajax Dontavius (Fish), James Vincent Meredith (Wynton), AnJi White (Nina), Yomade Adefeso (Jay Understudy; Fish Understudy), Kristin Ellis (Nina Understudy), Joel Gelman (Max Understudy) and Frederick Paul Williams (Wynton Understudy).

Creative Team: Tyrone Phillips (Director), Rasell Holt (Movement Director), Lauren M. Nichols (Scenic Designer), Gregory Graham (Costume Designer), Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer), Stephanie Farina (Sound Designer), Kenya Hall (Dramaturg) and Imani M. Ross (Stage Manager).

Performance Schedule: 

Wednesdays: 2:00pm and 7:30pm 

Thursdays: 7:30pm  

Fridays: 7:30pm  

Saturdays: 2:00pm and 7:30pm  

Sundays: 2:00pm and 7:00pm 

Open Captioned Performance: Thursday, November 19 at 7:30pm 

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Saturday, November 14 at 2:00pm 

Pay-What-You-Can Performances: Thursday, October 22 at 7:30pm and Sunday, November 22 at 7pm

Location: Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe 

Prices: $35+

Discounts are available for students, educators, theater industry professionals, active military personnel, veterans, police officers, firefighters and their immediate families. Information is available at: https://www.writerstheatre.org/plan-your-visit/box-office-and-theatre-center/pricing--special-offers 

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org 

Single tickets will go on sale Tuesday, September 1. Flex subscriptions and tickets are available online at www.writerstheatre.org, and at the Box Office by calling 847-242-6000. 

Teatro Vista Productions, the Midwest's only Latine-led Equity theatre company, led by Executive Director Lorena Diaz and Artistic Director Wendy Mateo in collaboration with Associate Artistic Director Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, announces its 2026-27 Season. The season opens with the groundbreaking live looping hip-hop musical Mexodus, November 7-21, 2026, presented by Studebaker Theater, P3 Productions and Audible, in collaboration with Teatro Vista Productions. The musical, making its Chicago Premiere, is written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, choreographed by Tony Thomas, and directed by David Mendizábal. The season continues with Luis Alfaro's Mojada, March 12 - April 11, 2027, directed by Wendy Mateo and Denise Yvette Serna, presented in partnership with Court Theatre. Concluding the season is the Chicago Premiere of Reggie Hoops by Kristoffer Diaz, directed by Khanisha Foster, and presented as part of Teatro Vista Productions' multi-year partnership with Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

As part of its commitment to community engagement, supporting its artists and creating new digital projects, the TVP Season 36 includes the launch of a new In Process: Podcast starting in October featuring in-depth Artist on Artist conversations. The first episode will feature TVP Artistic Collective members Max Arciniega and Paloma Nozicka. Live Mexodus Listening Parties, on October 11, 18, 25 and November 1, will be held in locations throughout the city and strategically en route - from Teatro Vista Productions' homebase at The Exchange in Jefferson Park to where Mexodus is playing at the Studebaker Theater downtown - with each stop mirroring a chapter in the play's journey. TVP will also continue workshopping plays to live audiences with In Process Live; presenting La Lupe: My Life, My Destiny, by Carmen Rivera  and directed by Cándido Tirado, on January 23, 2027.

The 2026-2027 season includes:

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 Avenue, 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 available at: https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/mexodus/.

Mojada

By Luis Alfaro 

Directed by Wendy Mateo and Denise Yvette Serna 

Presented In partnership with Court Theatre

Court Theatre, 5535 S Ellis Ave, Chicago

March 12 - April 11, 2027  

Press Opening: Saturday, March 20, 2027 at 7:30pm

An adaptation of an ancient classic tale of revenge, sacrifice, and the high price of pursuing freedom, Mojada renders Euripides's Medea myth urgently and achingly alive in the city of Chicago.

Medea survived a treacherous journey from Mexico to the United States in search of a better life, but the promise of the American Dream is quickly unravelling. She sews exquisite garments in her backyard, suffocated by fear. Her son sheds tradition as fast as he can, trading huaraches for Vans. And her husband grows distant, seduced by ambition and proximity to power. Trapped between who she was and who America demands she become, Medea finds herself in a standoff with the very dream she risked everything to reach. 

Co-directed by Teatro Vista Productions' Artistic Director Wendy Mateo and Artistic Collective member Denise Yvette Serna, Mojada confronts the contradictions at the center of American identity: opportunity and erasure, belonging and betrayal. Both a love letter and a searing indictment, this electrifying production asks: What are we willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of liberty?

Tickets are available at https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2026-2027-season/mojada/ .

The Chicago Premiere of

Reggie Hoops

By Kristoffer Diaz

Directed by Khanisha Foster

Co-Presented with Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater, 1700 N Halsted, Chicago

May 2027

Reggie was one of the NBA's most promising young executives and one of its most compelling characters: a queer Afro-Latina with a gift for structure and a keen appreciation of the art of on-court sacrifice. After an abrupt firing, she finds herself back at home navigating suburbia, parenthood, and her parents' anything but revolutionary past. An unexpected visit from a one-time fling forces her to reconsider what really matters and how far she's willing to go to succeed at the only things she's ever loved.

Reggie Hoops is a sharp, funny, and modern story about parenthood, generational pressures, and the pain that comes with chasing your passion, from the Tony-nominated writer of Hell's Kitchen and The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity.

Reggie Hoops is the second production presented as part of the multi-year partnership between Teatro Vista Productions and Steppenwolf. With Teatro Vista Productions in residency at Steppenwolf, both companies are modeling a relationship that they hope will inspire further collaboration in Chicago's iconic theater community among organizations of all sizes.

Tickets will be available soon at steppenwolf.org/.

Community Engagement and Special Events

In Process Podcast

Episode 1 featuring Max Arciniega and Paloma Nozicka
October 2026

Mexodus Listening Parties

Cafecito and Loops: A Mexodus Listening Tour headed South

October 11, 18 and 25, November 1, 2026

Mexodus will host four listening parties featuring excerpts from the Audible Original, each stop acting as a chapter in the experience. This series of events turns a night at the theater into a greater story. These listening parties will be scattered throughout the city, strategically en route from Teatro Vista Productions' homebase to the Studebaker Theater.

Sunday, October 11: The Exchange, home of TVP - Jefferson Park

Sunday, October 18: Magnifico Coffee Roasters & Coffee Shop - Avondale

Sunday, October 25:  Caña - West Town

Sunday, November 1: Groundswell Coffee Roasters - Fine Arts Building - Chicago Loop 

In Process Live: La Lupe: My Life, My Destiny

By Carmen Rivera

Directed by Cándido Tirado

Starring Melissa DuPrey as La Lupe

January 19-23, 2027 - Workshop

January 23, 2027 - Presentation with invited guests

Teatro Vista Productions will revisit this groundbreaking script 25 years after its world premiere with fresh talent and an evolved understanding of Afro-Latinidad in American pop culture.

Before there was Janis Joplin, Patti La Belle, and Madonna – there was LA LUPE.  Best known for her powerful voice, electrifying performances, and controversial life, La Lupe gained fame as one of the first Latin cross-over musical superstars. She was born Guadalupe Yoli Raymond in Santiago de Cuba in 1936, and became one of the most influential Latin performers of the 20th century.

After a fall from grace, La Lupe - now far from the spotlight and living in the Bronx - receives an "F" on an essay about her own life from a skeptical professor, igniting a struggle to reclaim the truth of her extraordinary musical legacy in a powerful story of defiance, passion, and redemption.

About Teatro Vista

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

LUMA8 and the City of Chicago return with the 12^th Annual Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade, a family-friendly celebration of Chicago’s cultural landscape and creative spirit, featuring unique floats, spectacle puppets, and all forms of artistic performance on Saturday, October 24, from 6-8 p.m. along Columbus Drive, with the parade stepping off at Balbo Drive and marching north to Monroe Drive. This magical evening procession celebrates Halloween as the “artist’s holiday” and draws together participants from cultural organizations, creative youth programs, and artists in every field and from every ward of Chicago. Named ‘one of the best Halloween celebrations in the world’ by UK-based Wanderlust Magazine and included in USA Today’s 10 best Halloween parades, this dazzling production delights an audience of over 100,000 with a wild mash-up of masks, costumes, dancers, musicians, artists, spectacle, circus and fire artists, creative guilds, art cars, and much more. Arts in the Dark is sponsored by Chicago Free For All Fund, with major support from Chicago Loop Alliance and Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee and Chicago. It is produced in partnership with The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the Chicago Park District.

While the Arts in the Dark parade is a Halloween event, participants are not bound by a Halloween theme; each group is invited to showcase who they are as an organization with music, dance, costumes, and other dramatic visual elements. This year’s parade will feature a fire-breathing dragon, 2 giant alebrijes, a 60-foot glow worm, 10 drumlines, 10 marching bands, 20 Mexican cultural groups of over 1,000 performers, hundreds of mesmerizing puppets and dramatic masks and costumes, scores of dance troupes including a bevy of groups capturing the power of Black dance, a collection of LGBTQ+ groups, 3 colleges (including Columbia College bringing hundreds of arts students), 11 high schools, 30+ dance companies, and music groups across genres. Virtually every Chicago neighborhood is represented, and over 75% of the groups are comprised of creative youth – showcasing the grit, commitment, and talent of young people from across the city.

“This is a signature event for Chicago’s cultural community that brings together artists, creative youth and cultural organizations across the city on such a large scale – and in playful solidarity in the name of art,” said Mark Kelly, Arts in the Dark Co-founder and Artistic Director. “Over the course of the night, the audience and parade will merge as one in celebration of this magical evening procession. In the spirit of our parade, we encourage parade-goers to show up in costume.”

The parade will feature Creative Guilds, a collection of creative professionals from different organizations who will come together to honor their respective fields. These guilds include architects (50 individuals wearing their own sculptural headpiece creations), photographers (acting as “paparazzi” documenting the event from inside the parade), writers, poets, and visual artists.

Additionally, the parade will continue its tradition of honoring Creative Spirits who will be introduced and honored at the parade. This year’s Creative Spirits include:

Marty Lennartz - Esteemed and prolific 93XRT radio host for 45 years

Mayda de Valle - Poet Laureate of Chicago and renowned educator and artist

Barbara Gaines - Beloved Founder and Artistic Director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Peter CottonTale - Multi-platinum, GRAMMY Award-winning musician, producer, and composer

"We are delighted to welcome the Chicago Free For All Fund as the lead sponsor of Arts in the Dark for 2026," said Sharene Shariatzadeh, President & CEO of LUMA8. "Their support has been instrumental to this parade's growth and success over the years, and having them step forward as our lead sponsor for this pivotal year is a tremendous vote of confidence in everything we've built together. We're also honored to have received a 2026 Chicago Presents Grant from DCASE, and to continue our partnership with Chicago Loop Alliance and Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago, whose major support helps bring this magical night to life."

The parade will also bring back by popular demand the spectacular DIY costume contest for parade-goers, presented by Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago – a major supporter of the Arts in the Dark parade. Goodwill invites Chicagoland residents to participate in The Haunted Runway Costume Contest by creating a parade-ready look. To enter the contest, folks can shop at their local Goodwill to create a DIY or homemade costume, snap a photo of the look, and submit it online at bit.ly/TheHauntedRunway. All entries must be submitted by the deadline on October 5. After community voting, five finalists will showcase their artistry in the parade, where thousands of parade-goers will cast their vote for the ultimate winner. Contest rules, eligibility, and details are available at HERE.

Arts in the Dark is presented by LUMA8 and the City of Chicago and sponsored by Chicago Free For All Fund, with major support from Chicago Loop Alliance and Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee and Chicago. It is produced in partnership with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the Chicago Park District. Support for Arts in the Dark also is provided by Blue Plate Catering, CHOOSE Chicago, Harris Theater – Millennium Park, Ferrara, Industry Ales, Italian Village Restaurants, Millennium Garages, William Blair, and the LUMA8 Board of Directors. Arts in the Dark is a part of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Fall Fest 2026. LUMA8 also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.

About LUMA8 (Light Up My Arts)

LUMA8 is an independent not-for-profit that strives to elevate Chicago as a focal point of artistic innovation to enrich the lives of its citizens and create economic impact. www.luma8.org

About the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors. https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca.html

About Chicago Loop Alliance
Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA)’s mission is to lead the community by creating and supporting inclusive programs that attract people and investment to the Loop. CLA is a membership organization as well as the sole service provider for Special Service Area#1-2015, and the Chicago Loop Alliance Foundation produces public art projects and events. For more information, please visit LoopChicago.com.

About Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago

Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that enhances the dignity and quality of life for individuals and families by strengthening communities and eliminating barriers to opportunity. Shopping at and donating to Goodwill keeps items in use and supports community programs and services that help people build skills, find a job and connect to resources like housing, food and transportation.

Learn more about community services offered by Goodwill in Greater Chicago and find store locations at www.goodwillgreatermc.org.

For more information visit www.artsinthedark.org , LUMA8.org.

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents Halloween Boo Bash, its annual costumed fundraiser benefiting artists' wages during Season 41. This popular, all-ages celebration features live performances and ghost stories, trick or treating in the theater, contests, seasonal bites and brews, and more. Halloween Boo Bash will be held on Sunday, October 25, 2026, 4:00pm-7:00pm at the company's home, 5627 N. Lincoln Ave.

Tickets, priced at $35, are available now at americanbluestheater.com.

Highlights of the Halloween Boo Bash include:

Pumpkin Decorating, Costume Parade, Outdoor Games, & Prizes

4:00pm-5:00pm

Guests must provide their own pumpkins. American Blues Theater will have tables, some tools, and paint! You may bring your pumpkin already decorated to enter the contest. Prizes will be awarded for all ages. Costumes are optional. Partygoers wearing costumes will automatically be entered for prizes.

Trick or Treating in the theater, Seasonal Bites, Bevs & Brews

5:00pm-5:30pm

Trick or Treat inside American Blues Theater's home! Guests will also enjoy seasonal bites of sweet, salty, and savory snacks and specialty witches brew and drinks for all age and thirsts.

Karaoke Performances & Campfire Stories by incredible artists

5:30pm-7:00pm

American Blues ensemble and artistic affiliates perform karaoke and campfire stories with spine-chilling flair. Some karaoke spots are available for members of the public.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to request a slot. Space is limited and subject to availability.

There will be no reserved parking for this event as many of the activities and games will take place in the lot. There is free street parking on Lincoln and neighborhood streets.

To learn more about the Halloween Boo Bash or to make a donation, contact Director of Development Sarajane Johnson at (773) 654-3103 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Season 41

American Blues Theater's Season 41 opened with the world premiere of Black Girl from a White Suburb, a tour-de-force solo show by Artistic Affiliate Tania Richard, directed by J. Nicole Brooks (September 4 – October 4, 2026). The season continues with the 25^th Anniversary production of Chicago's original holiday hit It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! (November 19 – December 27, 2026); the world premiere of Ken Urban's Blue Ink Award winner The Conquered, directed by Jonathan Berry (June 11 – July 18, 2027); and the Chicago Premiere of UHURU by Gloria Majule, directed by Mikael Burke (Sept 3 – Oct 10, 2027) Tickets are available through the American Blues Theater box office, 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 2026, the theater and artists received 265 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.  

Studebaker Theater, P3 Productions and Audible, in collaboration with Teatro Vista Productions, present the Chicago premiere of the groundbreaking, award-winning new hip-hop musical Mexodus, written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, choreographed by Tony Thomas, and directed by David Mendizábal. Mexodus plays a limited three-week run at Chicago's historic Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Avenue, from November 7 to November 21, 2026.

Tickets for the Chicago premiere of Mexodus, November 7–21, 2026, are now on sale starting at $36, with discounted student tickets for $20, at FineArtsBuilding.com/Mexodus.

Told through live looping, bold storytelling and sick beats, Mexodus reimagines the Underground Railroad heading south to Mexico—unearthing a powerful, untold chapter of American history. Called an "electrifying theatrical experience" by The New York Times, "thrilling" by The Washington Post and "genius in motion" by the San Francisco Chronicle, this is theater you feel in your body and your bones. Created and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, this groundbreaking musical follows a freedom seeker and an unlikely ally as they forge a remarkable bond that transcends borders.

This year Mexodus won four Lucille Lortel Awards including Outstanding Musical, four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical, three Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Music, one Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical, and one Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical—the first Off-Broadway musical to win the award in 30 years.

The Chicago premiere follows the musical's critically acclaimed twice-extended run at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre in New York in 2025 and return Off-Broadway engagement at the Daryl Roth Theatre earlier this year. Mexodus is now available as an Audible Original, featuring the entire musical recorded in immersive Dolby Atmos sound design and extending its reach to millions of listeners around the world.

The Studebaker Theater engagement of Mexodus represents a homecoming for Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson. Quijada is from the Chicago area, and Robinson previously called the city home. An early workshop and developmental performances of the musical were held in Chicago in 2021 and 2023.

"We couldn't be more excited to bring Mexodus to Chicago," said Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson. "Not only do we both have connections to the city, but much of the development of Mexodus happened there. Chicago, pull up!"

Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin of P3 Productions added, "After building such a strong community around the show in New York City, we're thrilled to now bring this bold, original musical to Chicago audiences, especially at the historic Studebaker Theater. It's an honor to continue sharing the show's joy, energy, and message of solidarity with a city that feels so deeply connected to the spirit of Mexodus."

Kate Navin, Audible Head of Creative Development for North America, said: "It has been an honor to share Mexodus with the world, through the Audible Original release and on stage in New York, where it once again took the city by storm. We can't wait to present Brian and Nygel's groundbreaking musical in Chicago, where this work was nurtured during its development. As the production reaches more cities across the United States and listeners globally through Audible, we're continuing to broaden and honor this important story for audiences both in the theater and beyond."

Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater Proprietor Erica Berger said, "We are beyond proud to be a Co-Producer on Mexodus, one of the most exciting new musicals in recent memory. Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson are two exceptional artists with strong ties to Chicago. The Studebaker Theater has been a creative home to innovative theater artists for more than 125 years, and bringing Mexodus home to Chicago further emphasizes our commitment to that legacy." Managing Artistic Director Jacob Harvey added, "We're actively building new pathways for how commercial productions can find a home in Chicago. Mexodus is our first co-producer credit on an Off-Broadway production, but it won't be the last. This is a new era for the Studebaker, cementing us as the premier Chicago venue for developmental and acclaimed productions alike."

Artistic Director Wendy Mateo of Teatro Vista Productions said, "Teatro Vista Productions cultivates the telling of stories that accurately reflect our community and increase the authentic representations of us on stage and screen. We are extremely honored to have been a part of the world premieres of Brian's Where Did We Sit on the Bus? and Somewhere Over the Border. So this is a full circle moment for us to help bring Brian and Nygel back to Chicago and to share the story of Mexodus with our audiences."

Mexodus was developed in previous productions at New York Stage and Film (2021), Baltimore Center Stage & Mosaic Theater Company of DC (Spring 2024), and Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Fall 2024).

The creative team for Mexodus includes Riw Rakkulchon (Scenic Design), David Mendizábal (Costume Design), Mextly Couzin (Lighting Design), Mikhail Fiksel (Looping Systems Architecture and Sound Design), Johnny Moreno (Video/Projections Design), Tony Thomas (Choreographer), and Claire Yenson, C.S.A. (Casting). Hope Villanueva is the Production Stage Manager, and theatrical supervision is by Cath Bates with general management by Pemberley Productions.

TICKETS

Tickets for the Studebaker Theater performances of Mexodus are now on sale starting at $36, with discounted student tickets for $20, at FineArtsBuilding.com/Mexodus.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Saturday, November 7 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (press opening)

Sunday, November 8 at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 12 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Friday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 14 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 15 at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 17 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 18 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 19 at 11 a.m. (student matinee)

Friday, November 20 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 21 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

ABOUT P3 PRODUCTIONS

P3 Productions is an award-winning producing team led by Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin, dedicated to uplifting new voices and communities. Broadway productions include CALL ME IZZY, HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO, and JOB. In addition to MEXODUS, upcoming productions include WANTED, INTER ALIA, and THE NINTH WOMAN. Recent co-producing credits include EVERY BRILLIANT THING, ART, SUNSET BLVD., JUST FOR US, and A STRANGE LOOP on Broadway, as well as INTER ALIA, KINKY BOOTS, 1536, SUGAR DADDY, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, NEXT TO NORMAL, and ORLANDO in London's West End. Learn more at www.p3.productions.

ABOUT AUDIBLE THEATER

Audible Theater makes outstanding performances and powerful storytelling available to live audiences in New York City and millions of people all over the world. Since founding in 2018, Audible Theater's dynamic mix of live and audio theater productions have been praised as "trailblazing" (Variety), "illuminating" (Forbes), and "an exemplary use of the medium" (The Observer).

Audible Theater productions have garnered more than 60 nominations and 14 wins across the theater awards landscape. More than 120 audio theater titles have released on Audible. Audible Theater has produced the multi-award-winning and seven-time Tony Award-nominated musical Dead Outlaw, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, book by Itamar Moses, conceived by David Yazbek, and directed by David Cromer; Hannah Moscovitch's play Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes starring Ella Beatty and Hugh Jackman; Sorry for Your Loss written by and starring Michael Cruz Kayne;  Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares written by and starring Laura Benanti; Alex Newell and the Gospel of a Diva written by and starring Alex Newell; Nostalgia: A Love Letter to NYC written by and starring Eva Noblezada; Girls & Boys starring Carey Mulligan; Harry Clarke starring Billy Crudup; and many others at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City. Audible Theater has also produced audio adaptions of acclaimed plays including Colman Domingo's Wild with Happy starring Domingo, Oprah Winfrey, Sharon Washington, Alex Newell, and Tyler James Williams; David Henry Hwang's Yellow Face starring Daniel Dae Kim and Jason Biggs; David Auburn's Summer, 1976 starring Laura Linney and Jessica Hecht; and many more.

In May 2018, Audible announced that the Minetta Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village would serve as its creative home for live performances in New York, with Audible members receiving exclusive access to discounted tickets and related audio content. Since then, Audible has hosted and produced a wide variety of live performances at the Minetta Lane including dramatic plays, comedic shows, original musical performances, and more.

Since June 2017, Audible has commissioned 50 playwrights to receive support from its $5 million Emerging Playwrights Fund dedicated to developing innovative English-language works from around the globe. The initiative enables the creation of original plays driven by language and voice, keeping with Audible's core commitment to elevate listening experiences through powerful performances and extraordinary vocal storytelling. Emerging Playwrights commissions have included Evil Eye by Madhuri Shekar, The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson, Good Enemy by Yilong Liu, and more.

ABOUT AUDIBLE, INC.

Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering global audiences a powerful way to enhance and enrich their lives through extraordinary content. Audible's catalog includes more than 1,000,000 audio titles, including Audible Originals as well as audiobooks and podcasts from leading studios, print, audio and magazine publishers and world-renowned entertainers.

ABOUT THE STUDEBAKER THEATER

Located inside Chicago's landmarked Fine Arts Building, the Studebaker Theater is one of the city's most historic performance venues, led by Erica Berger and Jacob Harvey. Since its curtain first rose in 1898, the Studebaker stage has been graced by luminaries including Bob Hope, Peter O'Toole, Mae West, Ethel Barrymore, Geraldine Page, Vincent Price and many more. Following a major multi-million-dollar renovation led by Berger Realty Group and completed in 2022, the Studebaker has been home to NPR's popular news quiz show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" and has hosted performances from new musicals including 44: The Obama Musical, Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile, and Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Other recent productions include Ava: The Secret Conversations starring Elizabeth McGovern and Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol. Learn more at fineartsbuilding.com.

ABOUT TEATRO VISTA PRODUCTIONS

When the Chicago theater world wasn't ready for us, Teatro Vista Productions made space. For 35 years, we've told true stories that reflect our community. We're not just building on this amazing legacy; we are 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 is led by Lorena Diaz (Executive Director), Wendy Mateo (Artistic Director) Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel (Associate Artistic Director) and Carina E. Sanchez (Board President).

Teatro Vista Productions believes artists of color are inherently genius across disciplines, experiences, media and diaspora. We center our collective of artists at the heart of everything we do. We empower them to create with their own voice by providing the tools and resources they need to thrive in the industry. Our work is timely, relevant and reflects our community. Now, as always, We Are Theater With A View. Join us across online channels at @teatrovista to experience the multidisciplinary talents of our Artistic Collective and visit teatrovista.org to stay connected to all things TVP. Pa'lante Juntos. Forward Together.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to present Graceful Warrior: An Evening with Gary Sinise on Tuesday, November 24, 2026 at 7:30 pm in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago.

On the tails of Steppenwolf's celebrated 50^th Anniversary Season, Co-Founder Gary Sinise joins Artistic Director Audrey Francis for this one-night-only conversation that bridges generations of Steppenwolf's ensemble. In addition to speaking about Steppenwolf's history, Sinise will share reflections from his upcoming memoir Graceful Warrior: The True Story of a Son, a Father and a Family Who Carried Each Other Through, which honors the life and legacy of his son Mac. All tickets include the purchase of an autographed copy of Graceful Warrior, signed by Sinise.

Tickets cost $70* (includes autographed book). A special Steppenwolf member pre-sale begins Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 12 pm. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, September 25, 2026 at 12 pm at steppenwolf.org/warrior or by calling the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. *Pricing includes a $10 handling fee

About Graceful Warrior:

On November 10, 2026, McCanna "Mac" Sinise would have celebrated his 36^th birthday. Instead, on that day, his father Gary Sinise, will honor Mac's extraordinary life by sharing the story that forever changed his own. Graceful Warrior is Sinise's most personal book to date. More than a memoir, it is a father's tribute to a remarkable young man whose faith, creativity, humor, compassion, and quiet strength inspired everyone around him. While the journey includes Mac's battle with an ultra-rare form of bone cancer, Gary makes clear from the opening pages that this is not a book about cancer. It is a story about hope, perseverance, unwavering love, and the grace to keep moving forward together.

About the Artists:

Gary Sinise's distinguished career in film, television, theater and philanthropy spans across five decades, marked by a deep commitment to storytelling, service and purpose. His journey began in 1974 when at just 18 years old, he co-founded Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, which has become recognized as one of the premier theater companies in the world. He is a three-time Tony Award nominee, twice for acting in Steppenwolf's productions of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Grapes of Wrath, and once for Best Director of Buried Child. His many acting credits at Steppenwolf include A Streetcar Named Desire, The Caretaker, Loose Ends and  Balm in Gilead. Gary has also directed some of Steppenwolf's most notable productions, including Orphans, the Vietnam veteran drama Tracers and Sam Shepard's True West, which he also performed in with John Malkovich Off Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre and received an Obie award for Best Director.

Sinise is best known for his iconic portrayal of wounded Vietnam War veteran Lt. Dan Taylor in the award-winning film Forrest Gump that brought him widespread acclaim and deepened his connections within the military community. Sinise earned Academy Award, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations and was recognized with the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor. His extensive film credits include Apollo 13, Ransom, The Green Mile, Of Mice and Men, Mission to Mars, The Human Stain, I Still Believe and Joe Bell.

On television, for nine seasons Sinise starred as Detective Mac Taylor on CSI: NY, symbolizing his support, affinity and appreciation for first responders. Recent television work also includes Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. With multiple award nominations to his credit, Sinise is an Emmy, Golden Globe and two-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner for his performances in Truman and George Wallace.

In 2011, Sinise founded the Gary Sinise Foundation, with a mission to serve our country by honoring our nation's defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need. The Foundation provides critical support including building specially adapted mortgage free smart homes for our nation's most severely wounded heroes, providing equipment grants to fire and police departments around the country, educating the next generation through trips to the National WWII Museum, National Medal of Honor Museum, Flight 93 Memorial, 9/11 Memorial and Museum and the Pentagon, supporting the families of our fallen through community programming, hosting free concerts with Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band, which for nearly 25 years has been uplifting our veterans, first responders, families of our fallen heroes and much more. 

Audrey Francis currently serves as Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre, alongside Glenn Davis, where she has been an Ensemble member since 2017. Audrey directed You Will Get Sick in Steppenwolf's 2024/25 season and POTUS in the 2023/24 season. She has performed on stage in Catch as Catch Can. Noises Off, The Thanksgiving Play, The Herd, Between Riverside and Crazy, The Fundamentals, The Doppelgänger (an international farce) and Dance Nation. TV and film credits include Justified: City Primeval, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Empire, Perpetrator, Knives and Skin and Later Days. Audrey is an acting coach for NBC, Fox, Showtime and Amazon. She is also the co-founder of Black Box Acting and the co-creator of Steppenwolf's corporate training program, Steppenwolf IMPACT.

Accessibility:

Steppenwolf is committed to making the theatergoing experience accessible to everyone. Assistive listening devices are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access. If you have questions or would like to make a specific request, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call our box office at (312) 335-1650.

Sponsor Information: 

United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from lead sponsors Allstate Insurance Company, Paul Angell Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies, Caroline and Keating Crown, Julius Frankel Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Shubert Foundation, Inc, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Rich and Margery Feitler, FROST CHICAGO, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Jessica and Dominic Green Family Fund, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Orlebeke Foundation, Sacks Family Foundation, Gary Sinise Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Thoma Bravo, and Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.     

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier Ensemble Theater with 51 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the early phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and more recently, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theatre and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise, Steppenwolf started as a group of friends in their teens and early 20s performing in the basement of a school in Highland Park, Illinois. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director E. Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance.

Steppenwolf's Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s (BWBTC) announced today new production dates for the final production in its 2026 season, William Shakespeare’s King Lear, directed by Alison Dornheggen and fight choreography by Jess Pennachio, the new dates are now October 22 - November 21 in Theatre 3 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont. The running time, including intermission, is approximately two hours and 20 minutes. Preview performances are Thursday, Oct. 22 and Friday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The open caption performances are Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 12 and Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. The sensory friendly performance is Sunday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. with the fully masked audience performance, Sunday, Nov. 1 at 3 p.m. There is no performance on Saturday, Oct. 31. Streaming dates for King Lear will be announced at a future date. Tickets are $28 for students and seniors, $37 for general admission and are on sale at the Theater Wit Box Office, 773-975-8150, or at BabesWithBlades.org. 

King Lear tells the complicated story of a king who divides his kingdom into thirds for his three daughters and the unforeseen struggles from this decision’s aftermath. His unraveling is parallelled by the nefarious journey of a jealous Edmund, who seeks to overtake his nobleman father’s affairs from his half brother. 

“I am thrilled that Babes are sinking their teeth into one of Shakespere’s most complex tragedies," said Artistic Director Hayley Rice. “A quote from King Lear is  “‘Tis the time’s plague when madmen lead the blind,” demonstrating, like so much of Shakespeare’s work, these themes are still painfully relevant today including greed, lust for power, the shortsightedness of our leaders and familial strife. We look forward to welcoming audiences to the final production in our 2026 season with this famous tragedy.”

With storefront theater veteran Lynne Baker (she/her) in the titular role of King Lear, the cast also includes Babes With Blades Theatre Company Ensemble MembersKim Fukawa (she/her, Oswald/Duke of Burgundy, Edgar U/S);Carrie Hardin (she/her, King Lear U/S); Jillian Leff(she/her, Duke of Cornwall); Morgan Manasa (she/her, Earl of Gloucester);Jennifer L. Mickelson (she/her, Duke of Albany/ensemble);Jennifer Mohr (she/her, Cordelia/Fool);Thomas Russell (he/they, Edmund) andKathrynne Wolf (she/her, Earl of Kent). They are joined by, in alphabetical order, Kim Boler (she/her, Goneril); Sarah Cushman (she/her, Goneril/Duke of Albany/ensemble U/S); Dani De la Rosa (she/her; ensemble/Edmund and Duke of Cornwall U/S); Stephanie Mattos (she/her, Edgar); Sophia Lanza-Weil (she/her, Earl of Gloucester/ensemble U/S); Madeline Meyer (she/her; ensemble/Oswald and Kent U/S); Rachel Sleek Bañuelos (she/her, Regan); and Brittani Yawn (she/her, ensemble/Cordelia and Fool U/S).

The production team includes BWBTC ensemble members Line Bower (they/them, technical director); Alison Dornheggen (she/her, director); Hayley Rice (she/her, text coach); Payton Shearn (she/they, production assistant) and Laura J. Wiley (she/her, lighting designer) as well as Adri Andreolas (she/her, assistant stage manager); Jessie Gowens (she/her, costume designer); Hannah Foerschler (she/her, sound designer); Tristan Hall (they/them, intimacy designer); Rose Hamill (she/her, production manager); Morgan Lazlo (they/them, scenic designer); Arielle Leverett (she/her, assistant director); Ryan Liddell (he/him, assistant fight choreographer); Elena Lindeman (they/she, props designer); Grace Elizabeth Mealey (she/her, stage manager) and Jess Pennachio (she/her, fight director).

ABOUT ALISON DORNHEGGEN, DIRECTOR

Alison Dornheggen has been working in the Chicagoland area as a director, actor, fight choreographer and administrator for more than 20 years. She received her degree in directing and acting from Columbia College Chicago and has been lucky to work with companies such as Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Idle Muse Theatre, Mercury Theater, A Red Orchid Theatre, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Oak Park Festival Theatre and The Factory Theater among others. She earned her MA in arts management, serving as the Theatre Graduate Fellow at American University in Washington DC and was privileged to work with the Washington Stage Guild, Ford's Theater, the Kennedy Center and award winning composer Peter Lerman. Dornheggen is also part of the theater department faculty at the Chicago Academy for the Arts and has been a proud ensemble member of BWBTC since 2003. 

ABOUT JESS PENNACHIO, FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER

Jess Pennachio has a B.A in theatre performance from UNC Charlotte and completed the Actor’s Gymnasium Professional Circus Training Program focusing in partner acrobatics and juggling. She is a trained stunt performer and an advanced actor combatant with the SAFD. She has assisted stage combat classes throughout Chicago and across the country. She has worked with Babes With Blades, The Factory Theater, Collaboraction, Rough House, Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble and the Carolina Renaissance Festival. She is a fight choreographer for stage and screen as well as a makeup artist.

ABOUT BABES WITH BLADES THEATRE COMPANY

Babes With Blades Theatre Company, for more than 25 years and moving into the future, strives to develop and present scripts focused on complex, dynamic (often combative) characters who continue to be underrepresented on theatre stages based on gender. Babes With Blades Theatre Company uses stage combat to tell stories that elevate the voices of underrepresented communities and dismantle the patriarchy.

In each element of its programming, BWBTC embraces two key concepts:

1)     Folks of marginalized genders and underrepresented communities are central to the story, driving the action rather than responding or submitting to it and

2)     Everyone is capable of a full emotional and physical range, up to and including violence and its consequences.

The company offers participants and patrons alike an unparalleled opportunity to experience every person as heroes and villains; rescuers and rescues; right, wrong and everywhere in between: exciting, vivid, dynamic PEOPLE. It’s as simple and as subversive as that.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT:

Babes With Blades Theatre Company produces theatre in venues located on the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. Many other tribes such as the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox also called this area home. This region that we now commonly refer to as “The Chicagoland Area”, has long been a center for Indigenous people to gather, trade and maintain kinship ties. Today, one of the largest urban Native American communities in the United States resides in Chicago. Members of this community continue to contribute to the life of this city and to celebrate their heritage, practice traditions and care for the land and waterways.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s (BWBTC) announced today new production dates for the final production in its 2026 season, William Shakespeare’s King Lear, directed by Alison Dornheggen and fight choreography by Jess Pennachio, the new dates are now October 22 - November 21 in Theatre 3 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont. The running time, including intermission, is approximately two hours and 20 minutes. Preview performances are Thursday, Oct. 22 and Friday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The open caption performances are Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 12 and Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. The sensory friendly performance is Sunday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. with the fully masked audience performance, Sunday, Nov. 1 at 3 p.m. There is no performance on Saturday, Oct. 31. Streaming dates for King Lear will be announced at a future date. Tickets are $28 for students and seniors, $37 for general admission and are on sale at the Theater Wit Box Office, 773-975-8150, or at BabesWithBlades.org. 

Open Space Arts presents BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY, a three-week theatrical exploration of LGBTQ+ theater created during and in response to the AIDS crisis, running October 23 through November 8, 2026, at Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave. in Chicago.

The project brings together plays that captured the lives, relationships, sexuality, fear, humor, friendship and resilience of gay men as AIDS transformed their communities, alongside work by artists whose lives and writing continue to carry the history of the epidemic into the present. It grew from a desire to revisit theatrical works that were once urgently connected to LGBTQ+ audiences but are now seldom produced.

While a small number of AIDS-related plays have become firmly established within the theatrical canon, many other plays — along with the artists, small theaters and communities that created them — risk disappearing from cultural memory.

BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY asks what happens when these works are heard again, forty years later.

The title reflects the urgency behind the project: an opportunity to revisit this work while many of the artists, activists, audience members and community members who experienced this period are still able to share their memories and perspectives — and while a new generation of LGBTQ+ artists can encounter the people and work that helped blaze the trail before them.

Selected performances will be followed by conversations involving artists, activists, historians and community organizations, connecting the plays with both the history of the AIDS epidemic and the continuing realities of HIV today.
Additional panelists, community partners, casting and special programming will be announced. 

Tickets and complete performance information are available at OpenSpaceArts.org.

BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY includes a one-weekend double bill of Jeff Hagedorn's ONE and Lee Raines' BLOOD SPILL; a two-weekend run of Robert Chesley's JERKER, OR THE HELPING HAND; and a special one-night staged reading of Robin Swados' A QUIET END.

The project marks the 40th anniversary year of both JERKER and A QUIET END, two important works created as American theater began confronting the AIDS epidemic directly.

A portion of ticket revenue and additional donations from BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY will benefit Chicago Black Men's Caucus, Vivent Health + TPAN, and Season of Concern.

DOUBLE-BILL OF "ONE" AND "BLOOD SPILL"
October 23–25, 2026
Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 at 3 p.m.
Tickets $30 General Admission, $25 students and seniors, on sale now at www.openspacearts.com
 
ONE
by Jeff Hagedorn
Directed by Rory Brady
 
BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY opens with a double bill of ONE and BLOOD SPILL. ONE is  Jeff Hagedorn's groundbreaking solo play about a young man attempting to understand and confront his AIDS diagnosis at a time when the disease itself was still frighteningly new.

First produced in Chicago by Lionheart Gay Theatre Company in 1983, ONE is recognized as one of the earliest publicly produced theatrical works about AIDS.

Milwaukee-born Jeff Hagedorn relocated to Chicago in the early 1980s and became a founding member and resident playwright of Lionheart Gay Theatre. He went on to write numerous plays addressing gay life and the effects of AIDS on the community. His later work included THE LAYMAN'S GUIDE TO SAFE SEX, which combined humor and education at a time when providing accurate information about safer sex had become a matter of life and death. Hagedorn also formed the production company SYZYGY, which helped revive Chicago's pub-theater tradition. He died of an AIDS-related illness in 1995.

Rory Brady (he/him, pictured left)) is an up-and-coming theatre creative. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, he first became involved in theatre at the age of five, appearing as an Oompa Loompa. Now, he teaches children that same age.

Rory's work was last seen at Open Space Arts when he directed the staged reading of LIVING THE DREAM. He is very excited to return to OSA and to work on such an important historical piece.

Rory has been enlightened by this play, as well as by other queer media that has introduced him to the people who blazed the trail for his generation.

BLOOD SPILL
by Lee Raines
Directed by Byron Stewart
Presented with ONE, Lee Raines' BLOOD SPILL brings another AIDS-era voice into the conversation.
 
Set in New York in 1992, the play follows HIV-positive playwright Kenny King as he confronts Angela Turner, an old college friend who has become the
artistic director of a major theater company. Kenny arrives with a deeply personal AIDS play, only to discover that Angela's theater has chosen work it considers safer and more accessible to its audience.

Their reunion becomes an increasingly heated confrontation over art, AIDS, institutional responsibility and who gets to decide which stories are acceptable for the stage. Beneath the argument lies Kenny's experience caring for a dying friend — and the anger, guilt and helplessness that fueled the work he has written.

BLOOD SPILL was developed through Write It Out!, the playwriting program for writers living with HIV founded by Donja R. Love. Raines was a member of the program's first cohort and has continued working with the organization in artistic programming and outreach.

Lee Raines is a playwright, theater artist, former ACT UP member and longtime HIV survivor who was diagnosed in 1989. His participation gives BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY a living connection between the artists who experienced the AIDS era and the effort to preserve those stories for audiences today.

Byron Stewart (left) is a Chicago director, actor and educator. He is co-founder and Artistic Director of A Real Read and has also served as Artistic Director of Sex Police. His work in Chicago theater has encompassed directing, performance and the development of work centered on Black and LGBTQ+ voices.

JERKER, OR THE HELPING HAND
40th Anniversary Production
by Robert Chesley
Created and performed by Jason Bowen and Joshua Bowen
October 29-November 8
Thursdays-Saturdays and Monday November 2 at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00pm
Tickets $30 General Admission, $25 students and seniors, on sale now at www.openspacearts.com
 
At the center of BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY is Robert Chesley's JERKER, OR THE HELPING HAND, one of the most provocative and enduring theatrical works to emerge from the AIDS crisis.

The play follows J.R. and Bert, two gay men who develop an increasingly intimate relationship entirely through telephone calls. What begins with anonymous sexual fantasy slowly becomes affection, friendship and emotional dependence as AIDS reshapes the world around them.

Robert Chesley (1943–1990) was a playwright, composer, critic and advocate for gay sexuality at a time when AIDS increasingly associated sex with fear, illness and death. Trained as a musician, Chesley composed extensively before turning to theater and wrote criticism and essays for gay publications as well as plays centered on gay men, desire and AIDS.

His NIGHT SWEAT, produced in New York in 1984, was among the earliest full-length plays to confront AIDS. In 1986, excerpts from JERKER were broadcast by Los Angeles radio station KPFK. The explicit sexual language triggered a major censorship dispute involving the Federal Communications Commission, placing the play at the center of a national debate over sexuality, artistic expression and broadcasting.

Chesley died of an AIDS-related illness in San Francisco in 1990 at age 47. His work remains striking for its refusal to portray gay sexuality as something shameful or incidental, even in the midst of an epidemic.

Open Space Arts presents JERKER in recognition of the play's 40th anniversary, created and performed by brothers Jason Bowen and Joshua Bowen.

A QUIET END
Special 40th-Anniversary Staged Reading
Tuesday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m.
by Robin Swados
Director to be announced
Pay-what-you-can
 
BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY also includes a special pay-what-you-can staged reading of A QUIET END, Robin Swados' deeply human drama about three gay men living together during the early years of AIDS.
The play examines friendship, chosen family, anger, illness, love and mortality as the men confront an epidemic rapidly reshaping their lives and relationships.

A QUIET END is Robin Swados's first play. It has received wide praise for productions including Theater-off-Park, New York; International City Theater, Los Angeles; Offstage Theater Center, London; American Repertory Theater, Amsterdam (which he also directed); Repertory Theater of St. Louis (Best New Play 1987, St. Louis theater critics); and the Weekend Theater, Little Rock, among others.

A QUIET END has been included in BEST MONOLOGUES FOR MEN; BEST SCENES FOR MEN; anthologized in GAY & LESBIAN PLAYS TODAY; and is the focus of an entire chapter of Robert Vorlicky's ACT LIKE A MAN: CHALLENGING MASCULINITIES IN AMERICAN DRAMA (University of Michigan Press, 1995).

Robin Swados lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Open Space Arts presents A QUIET END during its 40th anniversary year.

ABOUT OPEN SPACE ARTS
Open Space Arts is a Chicago-based arts organization presenting theater, film, readings and special cultural events with a particular commitment to LGBTQ+ artists and stories.

From its intimate Uptown storefront, Open Space Arts creates opportunities for artists and audiences to encounter new work as well as significant works that might otherwise disappear from Chicago stages.

The greatest holiday show south of the North Pole returns for its 9th year with another brand spankin' new wintertide wonder! Award-winning comedy icons, writers, actors, and drag queen powerhouses BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon are coming back to town with the wildly successful, internationally acclaimed, The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show (BenDeLaCreme Presents). Directed, produced, and written by BenDeLaCreme, this year's show will tour 30 cities across the U.S. and Canada from November 6 - December 30 in major theaters. 

Tickets are on sale now at JinkxandDeLa.com. VIP Packages, including a photo opportunity with the stars, are only available to purchase separately at JinkxandDeLa.com with proof of ticket purchase.  

Throughout the show's 9-year history, Jinkx and DeLa have met sentient Christmas treats, twisted space-time with Dickensian Ghosts, ventured to the Nutcracker's Land of Sweets, as well as survived immaculate conceptions, A.I., body swaps, and elf attacks. You never know what wild and unexpected sleigh ride these queens have in store. Whatever the twists and turns, fans can expect another year of over-the-top camp spectacle, side-splitting gags, brand new songs, heartfelt storytelling, thrilling dance numbers, and iconic costumes. Hailed by Entertainment Weekly as "the reigning queens of Christmas," this show is not only a moment of respite, but a celebration of community, at a time when we need it most of all.

This year, fans will also get the chance to bring the magic of the Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show home with the forthcoming book, HOW THE QUEENS MADE CHRISTMAS: A Raunchy Holiday Romp for Festive Adults! written by BenDeLaCreme. Publishing on October 20th via Chronicle Books, HOW THE QUEENS MADE CHRISTMAS follows the adventures of the two queens as they find themselves mysteriously trapped in a book with only one way out: together! Through rhyming text and candy-colored illustrations, they spar through the challenge of creating a winning Christmas story—dashing through double entendres and many costume changes along the way. Bright, bawdy, and heartwarming, the book captures the subversive joy of the beloved queer holiday tradition for those who want to experience that very special Jinkx and DeLa cheer any time of year. HOW THE QUEENS MADE CHRISTMAS will include a bonus section of behind-the-scenes photos and lyrics from three of Jinkx and DeLa's singable original songs. Also publishing at the same time, a new book of twelve pop-out hanging ornaments featuring sassy holiday tips and quips to countdown the season in style.

BenDeLaCreme says, "This year marks our 8th touring production, and my relationship with the 'Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show' feels just as fresh as it did when we started back in 2018. It's no easy feat to mount a brand new show every year but we owe it to our audiences who continue to return and bring new folks along the way. For the past 9 years, 'The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show' has given back to us what we hope to give out every holiday season: joy, community, lots of laughter, and a space to uplift each other. I love what I get to do as an entertainer, writer, director, producer, and now author, but it means nothing without the connection we have with our community. That connection is what drives us, and will continue to as we approach next year's 10th anniversary."

Monsoon adds, "Nine years, where does the time go?! You'd think it would feel like a daunting task, but every year, around this time, DeLa and I start getting excited that our time together is coming again. Somehow, every year, our amazing company makes something spectacular that exceeds even our own expectations — then we get to share it with our community at a very meaningful time. What a great way for a witch to spend the solstice."

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show is written by BenDeLaCreme with additional writing by Jinkx Monsoon, directed by BenDeLaCreme, and produced by BenDeLaCreme Presents (a company comprised of producers BenDeLaCreme, Kevin Heard, Gus Lanza, and Associate Producer Jin Moon). This year's tour marks the dynamic duo's 8th live holiday show production, following the massive success of seven previous holiday tours, and cult-classic holiday film The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special in 2020. Since its inception, The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show has premiered a brand new show every year – a major achievement for two drag artists who tour annually at this scale.

For more information, visit jinkxanddela.com and follow on Instagram and TikTok. 

December 6 - Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre

“Great Balls of Fire!” Chicago audiences have just one last chance to catch Paramount Theatre’s immersive musical Million Dollar Quartet, returning more than two years after its smash hit debut for a final run and holiday season comeback, October 7, 2026 - January 3, 2027.

Four legends. One night. Music history made. Don’t miss this last chance to experience one of the most popular jukebox musicals of all time. Four incredibly talented actor/musicians bring Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley back to life as they navigate the intricacies of fame, while delivering incredible, up-close performances of some of the best songs in rock ‘n’ roll history, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “Hound Dog” and “Great Balls of Fire.”  

Paramount’s radically intimate restaging of Million Dollar Quartet was custom built for Paramount’s new 99-seat Stolp Island Theatre so audiences can say “I was there!” Starting October 7, performances are Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Exceptions: No show Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving). Added matinee Friday, November 27 at 2 p.m. No shows December 24 or 25 (Christmas Eve and Christmas). Show time Thursday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve) is at 2 p.m.

Paramount’s Stolp Island Theatre is located at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, in downtown Aurora, with restaurants and easy, affordable parking just a short walk away.

All seats are $87 when purchased in person. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders. For tickets and information, visitParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. Note: Tickets and group outings make excellent holiday gifts.