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Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to open its 36^th Season with the Midwest premiere of Erika Sheffer's Vladimir, an unflinching drama of resistance directed by Ensemble Member Lou Contey*, playing October 2 – November 14, 2026 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Single tickets ($20 – $60) are now on sale at SGTheatre.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. 

Vladimir features Ensemble Members Rebecca Jordan*, Drew Schad* and Adam Schulmerich*, Associate Artist Steve Peebles⁺, with Isabel Alamein, Kseniya Janyan, Juliana Liscio, Laila Malak, Tristan Odenkirk and Ben Perry.

About the Production:

In a world where facts are manipulated and fear is currency, the truth becomes dangerous.

As a new authoritarian government tightens its grip on Russia, Erika Sheffer's Vladimir follows an independent journalist who uncovers a story that could expose the truth behind a nation in transition. But when every headline comes with consequences and every source becomes a target, she must decide how much she's willing to sacrifice for the story. Vladimir is a gripping political thriller about what happens when silence becomes complicity.

The production team includes Joe Shermoly (Scenic Designer), KClare McKellaston (Costume Designer), Shelley Strasser* (Lighting Designer), Christopher Kriz+ (Original Music and Sound Designer), Cecilia Chan (Props Designer), Erin Pleake (Projection Designer), Elise Kauzlaric (Dialect Coach), Maren Robinson (Dramaturg), Catherine Miller (Casting Director), Ellie Fey* (Assistant Lighting Designer), E Tylkowski (Production Manager), Nick Peebles (Technical Director), Leah Donovan (Lead Electrician), Tina M. Jach* (Production Stage Manager) and Emily Nicholas (Assistant Stage Manager).

*Denotes SGT Ensemble Member  ⁺Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

Vladimir

Playwright: Erika Sheffer
Director: Ensemble Member Lou Contey
Cast (in alphabetical order): Isabel Alamein (Daughter, Masha, TV Crew), Kseniya Janyan (Chovka, Makeup Lady), Rebecca Jordan* (Raya), Juliana Liscio (Galina), Laila Malak (Tatiana, Bartender, Book Clerk), Tristan Odenkirk (Yevgeny, Cameraman), Steve Peebles⁺ (Andrei, Old Man, Deacon), Ben Perry (Director, Vitaly, News Personality, Sasha), Drew Schad* (Jim) and Adam Schulmerich* (Kostya).

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Friday, October 2 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, October 3 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, October 4 at 3 pm and Wednesday, October 7 at 7:30 pm

Opening: Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Saturday, October 10 – Saturday, November 14, 2026
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a 7:30 pm performance on Friday, October 9 or Saturday, October 31; there will be an added 3 pm performance on Saturday November 14.

Tickets: Previews: $25. Regular run: $20 - $60. Student, veteran/active military and teacher discounts available. Single tickets are available at SGTheatre.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Season Traveler memberships starting at $55 are also available. For information on group discounts, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (773) 770-0333.

About the Artists:

Erika Sheffer (Playwright, Vladimir) is a playwright and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. Her first play, Russian Transport, premiered at The New Group and went on to productions at Steppenwolf as well as other regional and international theaters. The Fundamentals was commissioned and produced by Steppenwolf. Her latest play, Vladimir was commissioned by The Geffen Playhouse and received its world premiere at Manhattan Theatre Club. Honors include the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, multiple TCG Edgerton Grants and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination. She is an alum of Ars Nova Playgroup and a member of Center Theatre Group's LA Writer's Workshop. Erika has held commissions from Steppenwolf, The Geffen Playhouse, Center Theatre Group and Manhattan Theatre Club. Screen credits include Apple TV's Little America and Netflix's The Beast in Me (Writers Guild nomination). as well as multiple development rooms for Apple TV, Starz and Sony.

Lou Contey (Director, Vladimir) is a long-time Ensemble Member with Shattered Globe Theatre. He recently directed the multiple award-winning production of A View from the Bridge. Shattered Globe credits include The Manchurian Candidate, A Streetcar Named Desire, All My Sons, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Peter Pan, Les Liaisons Dangereuse, Warhawks and Lindberghs, Holy Ghosts, Judgement at Nuremberg, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Whaleship Essex, In the Heat of the Night, The Tall Girls, The Heavens are Hung in Black, and many others. Among his more than eighty directing credits are The Price, Awake and Sing!, It's All True, Copenhagen. Pravda, Paradise Lost, The General from America, A House with No Walls, Lillian, Frost/Nixon, The Guys and The Apple Family Plays, all at TimeLine where he is an Associate Artist. Other Chicago credits include The Master and Margarita (Strawdog Theatre); In a Garden (A Red Orchid Theatre); Marriage Play, Duck Variations (The Goodman Theatre) and Haymarket Eight (Steppenwolf). He has also worked at Theatre at the Center, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Provision Theatre, Eclipse Theatre and American Theatre Company. He has taught acting and directing for the theatre programs at UIC, The Acting Studio, Act One Studio and The Theatre School/DePaul University.

Isabel Alamein (Daughter, Masha, TV Crew, U/S Chovka, Makeup Lady, she/her) is thrilled to be a part of Vladimir! Recent favorite credits include the world premiere of Pilgrimage (Golden Thread Productions) and several feature films in post-production. Outside of acting, Isabel is a visual artist and dancer. Thank you to the production team, and to every person speaking truth to power.

Kseniya Janyan (Chovka, Makeup Lady, she/her) is an Armenian-Egyptian and Russian actress who's never quite settled anywhere, but who recently made the migration from her American home in New York to the welcoming, collaborative spirit of Chicago's creative community. Recent local credits include: King John (Circuit Theatre Company), Wish You Were Here (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company), How To Defend Yourself (Odds & Ends Theatre Company), Pigeon Whole (Eclectic Full Contact Theatre), Ubu: the King (Facility Theatre). She extends her gratitude to you and your continuous support of storefront theater, to the tireless and talented cast and crew of Vladimir, and most urgently – to the people behind the stories who fought for the humanity within them.

Rebecca Jordan (Raya, she/her) is super excited to reunite with director Lou Contey at their artistic home. Rebecca was most recently seen in the world premiere of Eelpout by Paul W. Kruse. And before that, in London Road, which received the Jeff Award for Best Production – Musical in 2024 – both at Shattered Globe Theatre, where she has been a founding ensemble member for 36 years. Other SGT favorites include Marvin's Room, Mill Fire, A View from the Bridge (Jeff nomination, best actress supporting), The Manchurian Candidate, All My Sons, Anna Karenina (Jeff nomination, best actress lead), Rocket to the Moon and Judgment at Nuremberg. Rebecca received Joseph Jefferson awards for her portrayals of Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire and for Pam in Frozen Assets at SGT. She also performed at the Goodman Theatre in House and Garden, Trojan Women and the world premiere of Rebecca Gilman's Blue Surge. In Los Angeles, Rebecca played the role of Susan opposite Ed Harris, Bill Pullman and the late Glenne Headley in the world premiere of The Jacksonian at the Geffen Playhouse, penned by Beth Henley and directed by Robert Falls. Other Los Angeles credits include The Butcher of Baraboo at The Road Theater, Fatboy (LA Ovation nomination for best comedic role) and Scarcity (LA Scenie award for best actress), both at Need Theater. Some TV credits include Chicago Med, Empire, PKD's Electric Dreams, Chicago Justice, Shameless, Eagleheart.  Rebecca has just finished penning her second feature film. She is grateful and proud to be represented by Stewart Talent, Chicago.

Juliana Liscio (Galina, she/her) is thrilled to return to Shattered Globe, where she was a 2022 Protégé and understudied Catherine in A View From the Bridge (Jeff Award Winner – Best Production; Best Director). She recently made her Los Angeles theatre debut in the world premiere of Julie Shavers' The Baptist Witches of Shelbyville, starring Mamie Gummer. Chicago theatre: The Diary of Anne Frank (Young People's Theatre of Chicago), Picasso at the Lapin Agile and Brighton Beach Memoirs (Citadel Theatre), Six Stories Up (co-writer/performer, Tellin' Tales Theatre), Dracula (Surging Films and Theatrics), A Midsummer Night's Dream (understudy, Oak Park Festival Theatre), The Jacksonian (Profiles Theatre) and Take Me Back (The Poor Theatre). Tour: Space Station Safety (The National Theatre for Children). Film: Smiles, The Vigil. Her play Rambutan received a reading through Steppenwolf's LookOut series. Her writing has also been developed through Chicago Dramatists and the Inclusive Playwright Project. Training: Loyola University Chicago; Fordham London Dramatic Academy; Beverly Hills Playhouse.

Laila Malak (Tatiana, Bartender, Book Clerk, she/her) is a Chicago-based actor/singer/writer who earned her BFA in Acting from Ball State University. She was last seen in Anatomy of a Suicide directed by Alex Mallory. Other credits include: DoProcess's reading of the new musical (out), 24 hour play festival: Ad Infinitum (Sub Rosa Theatre Collective), Our Town directed by David Little, An Enemy of the People adapted and directed by  Zoé Soteres, The Polar Express (Rail Events Inc.), Macbeth (Hoosier Shakespeare), The Children's Hour directed by Veronica Santoyo. Laila is thrilled to be making her Shattered Globe Theatre debut! Instagram: laila_malak24

Tristan Odenkirk (Yevgeny, he/him) is a Chicago actor making his debut at Theater Wit, one of his favorite stages in the city. Tristan received his Bachelor's in Theater from Augustana College in 2020 and graduated from the Chicago Black Box Drama School Actor's Studio training program in December of 2023. Tristan's work alternates between the professional and amateur. Most recently, he played Al Capone in Outta This World! at iO Theater. He also played Tibult with Midsommer Flight, and the lead in Trap Door's Fraudulent LLC.

Steve Peebles (Andrei, Old Man, Deacon) has worked with SGT in London Road (Jeff Winner, Best Musical, Nominee Best Ensemble) Becky Nurse of Salem, Hannah and Martin, Five Mile Lake, In The Heat of the Night, The Whaleship Essex and Our Country's Good. Other Chicago credits include: Macbeth (Three Crows), Spamalot! (The Mercury), Peter and the Star Catcher (Metropolis Performing Arts), Cyrano (Boho), Midsummer Night's Dream (First Folio) and Flanagan's Wake. Other credits: Kalamazoo Christmas! (Farmer's Alley Theater), Into The Woods (Two Pigs - Ratone, NM), The Shrew (P45 - Traverse City, MI), and seven tours with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. Steve is an Artistic Associate with SGT, a graduate of North Central College, and has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour after winning the Moth GrandSlam in 2022.

Ben Perry (Director, Vitaly, News Personality, Sasha, he/him) is excited to be returning to SGT! Chicago credits include A View From The Bridge (Shattered Globe Theatre), Antigone, Dante 360 (Athenaeum Center), The Elephant Man (Surging Film & Theatrics), The Tragedy of King Christophe (House Theatre of Chicago), The Prodigal Prince (The Veil Theatre) and performing with the Harold Team Jackie Bass at Improv Olympics. Regional credits include Noises Off, Young Frankenstein, Murder on the Orient Express, Stranger Sings (Wolfbane Productions), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged, Parade, Newsies and The Will Rogers Follies (Alluvion Stage Company).

Drew Schad* (Jim, he/him) is excited to be back on stage at Shattered Globe Theatre, where he has been an ensemble member since 2009. Drew has appeared in over 15 SGT productions, including: Rasheeda Speaking, Sheepdog, Hannah and Martin, Crime and Punishment, Five Mile Lake, The Heavens Are Hung in Black, In the Heat of the Night, The Rose Tattoo, The Whaleship Essex, Mill Fire, Our Country's Good, Happy Now?, Her Naked Skin, Orpheus Descending, Romeo and Juliet and The Little Foxes. Other Chicago credits include: Born Yesterday (Remy Bumppo, Jeff Award Best Production Midsize) and Six Degrees of Separation (Eclipse). TV credits include: 61st Street (AMC), Chicago P.D. (NBC) and Chicago Med (NBC). Drew has studied at the National Theater Institute, and he holds a BA in Drama from Kenyon College, where he received the Paul Newman Trophy. He is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA.

Adam Schulmerich (Kostya, he/him) is an ensemble member with Shattered Globe. Recent SGT credits; Lobby Hero, Becky, Nurse of Salem and A View from the Bridge. Other recent credits; Superior Donuts (The Artistic Home), Macbeth (Lakeside Shakespeare). Recent television credits include Chicago Med and Mr. Throwback. Adam received his BFA in Theatre Arts & Film from SUNY Purchase College. He is represented by Gray Talent Group.

About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre seeks to redefine what it means to be an ensemble theatre, discover new connections between story, artist and audience, and explore drama from bold, challenging perspectives.

Shattered Globe Theatre was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 80 plays, including ten American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 53 Jeff Awards and 134 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Guided by Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, Shattered Globe's values are rooted in a commitment to racial equity, respect for all artists and support for the ensemble, while creating new opportunities to amplify traditionally marginalized voices and collaborate in all aspects of its work. Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre's Ensemble includes Judy Anderson, Louis Contey, David Dastmalchian, Demetra Dee, Joe Forbrich, Ellie Fey, Christina Gorman, Daria Harper, Kotryna Hilko, Tina M. Jach, Rebecca Jordan, Steve Kleinedler, Vivian Knouse, AmBer Montgomery, Tina Muñoz Pandya, Eileen Niccolai, Jazzma Pryor, Deanna Reed-Foster, Linda Reiter, Jeff Rodriguez, Drew Schad, Adam Schulmerich, Leslie Ann Sheppard, Sandy Shinner, Joe Sikora, Shelley Strasser, Devonte E. Washington, Sarah Jo White, Joseph Wiens and Brad Woodard.

SGT's Artistic Associates includes Daniela Colucci, Elliot Esquivel, Mikey Gray, Lawrence Grimm, Ronald Hale, Darren Jones, Christopher Kriz, Jason Lynch, Lydia Moss, Tim Newell, Jane Nix, Aila Peck, Steve Peebles, Cage Sebastian Pierre, David Antonio Reed, Angie Shriner, Abbey Smith, Hershey Suri, Michael Trudeau and Ayanna Wimberley.

SGT is supported in part by generous grants from the Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, Brenda and James Grusecki, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Carol P. Eastin, The Shubert Foundation, Judith and David Sensibar, the Illinois Arts Council, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and Americans for the Arts.

Visit SGTheatre.org for subscriptions, tickets and information, and follow the company @shatteredglobe on Facebook and Instagram.

BrightSide Theatre has announced cast and crew for THE ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL - the kickoff production of BrightSide's 15^th Anniversary season. The gloriously ghoulish characters created by Charles Addams for THE NEW YORKER Magazine - Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, and Grandma; along with their servants Lurch and Thing - will take the stage of the Theater at Meiley-Swallow Hall from October 2 – 18. BrightSide's De Haddad will direct, with music direction by Phil Videckis and choreography by Shane Brown. The musical, which ran for 22 months on Broadway in. 2010 and 2011 after a 2009 tryout in Chicago, has remained an audience favorite ever since. 
 
This wickedly funny musical with book by Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman (JERSEY BOYS), and songs by Andrew Lippa (THE WILD PARTY, BIG FISH), follows Wednesday Addams as she falls in love with a perfectly respectable young man from a very normal family. When the two families meet for dinner, secrets are revealed, expectations are challenged, and hilarity ensues. Filled with unforgettable characters, catchy songs, and laugh-out-loud comedy, this Broadway hit celebrates what makes every family unique.

Haddad's cast will be led by Scott Kelley of Schaumburg as Gomez and Samantha Keret of Naperville as Morticia. Kelley's most recent appearance among his many leading roles with BrightSide was as Max Bialystock in this past summer's THE PRODUCERS. Keret is making her BrightSide debut. The Addams Family children will be played by Lauren Mathews of Chicago as Wednesday and Jake Keller of Bristol as Pugsley. Mathews appeared in BrightSide's THE PRODUCERS and Keller is a recent graduate of North Central College, where he majored in musical theater and acted, designed, and directed several musicals. Colin Borisenko of Chicago, a veteran of the city's renowned improv comedy scene, will be Uncle Fester. Dona Mullen, who hosts a jazz radio show in WDCB-FM and has played such iconic stage roles as Ouiser in STEEL MAGNOLIAS, will be Grandma. The family's taciturn butler, Lurch, will be played by Nahuel Redoba, who has performed at the venerable Fireside Theatre in Wisconsin.
 
Appearing as Wednesday's boyfriend Lucas Beineke will be Matthew Andresen of Kenosha, Wisconsin (BrightSide's PIPPIN and PHANTOM IN CONCERT). John McNally of Itasca (Frank-n-Furter in BrightSide's THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW) and Jeff Award winning actress Amy Arbizanni of Naperville have been cast as Lucas' parents Mal and Alice.
 
The ensemble of Addams ancestors will be Michelle Bolliger of Roselle, Hannah Decker of North Aurora, Ashley Chavez of Downers Grove, Chris Frewen-Peña of Bolingbrook, Sydnee Howes of New Lenox, Peter Kattner III of Chicago, Katelynn Pitzafero of Barrington, and Emily Sherman of Chicago. Understudies are Michelle Bolliger (u/s Morticia, Alice), Hannah Decker (u/s Wednesday), Chris Frewen-Peña (u/s Gomez, Mal), and Peter Kattner III (u/s Lucas). 

The production team will include Cheryl Newman (Costume Designer), Kurt Ottinger (Lighting Designer), Ariel Mozes (Scenic Designer), and Evan C. Summers-Oslund (Stage Manager).

Tickets for individual shows are $37.00 for adults and $32.00 for students and seniors. Season subscriptions and individual show tickets are sale at www.BrightSidetheatre.com or by phone at 630-447-TIXS (8497).  

THE ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL
Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Orchestrations by Larry Hochman
Based on Characters Created by Charles Addams
Director: De Haddad
Music Director: Phil Videckis
Choreographer: Shane Brown
October 2 - 18, 2026
Fri & Sat @ 7:30pm | Sun @2pm
The Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth, Naperville
 
THE ADDAMS FAMILY is a comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family—a man her parents have never met. And if that wasn't upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he's never done before—keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday's "normal" boyfriend and his parents.

This narrative tracks five individuals within the "People’s Diasporatic Party"—outfitted in corporate attire—as they take refuge in a desolate East New York residence While the group anticipates the fallout from an orchestrated bombing, hysteria takes hold, exposing the rift between their brutal insurgent schemes and abstract revolutionary principles.

Cast:

Kwame: Kevin Aoussou

Tamara: Justice Ford

Ahmed: Joseph Pryce

James: Dontaye Albert

Lance: Jimmie Rogers III

Lewis: Grayson Kennedy*

Creative Team:

Director: Makari Robinson-McNeese

Stage Manger: Shreya Khanna

Production Manager: Tommy Thams*

Producer: Tommy Thams*, Grayson Kennedy*+

Lighting Design: Emma Berry

Scenic Design: Catalina Nino

Costume Design: Grace Weir

Props Design: Ellory Jezuit

Marketing: JonMarie Johnson*

* - Denotes Ensemble Member

+- Denotes Artistic Director

About Gwydion: The Gwydion Theatre Company was formed in Los Angeles, CA by a group of actors following their completion of training in 2019. It started with doing Shakespeare in parking lots, apartments, parks, to then tackling full scale productions during the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Following the pandemic, a decision was made to move operations to Chicago, IL in order to connect with the storefront community that Chicago is renowned for. Gwydion has now served as a resident company at The Greenhouse Theater Center since 2022 and has mounted nine full-length productions, as well as co-producing Chicago’s first “Theatre of the Absurd Festival” alongside the Chopin Theatre. Gwydion Theatre aims to be a theatre of class, one that addresses the growing dominance of commercialism and pay-to-play in our artform through critical and provocative theatre that challenges the biases of the theatre community here in Chicago. Gwydion Theatre also aims to uphold the theatre as a central pillar of the identity of Chicago.

Coming of age stories resonate more profoundly when they mirror the lived reality of a real person.  That’s why the firecracker of a play, Hail Mary/Maria, that’s just begun its far too short run at Theater Wit, is must-see theater for just about anybody who counts themselves as a member of the human family.  If you’ve ever been young or wracked with self-doubt, Hail Mary/Maria proves there are avenues that lead to clarity and self-actualization.  Making the play act as a raucous, hugely humorous and often touching guide on how to find them.

Very much a reflection of playwright RJ Silva’s own experiences, the story follows the life of Kid (Juan Sedonio), a teenager who immigrated to the US with his mother from the Philippines when he was in the seventh grade.  Now in an all-boys high school, he’s a little bit of a loner and completely hooked on the exploits of his favorite pro-wrestler, Maria.  He’s also, with great misgivings, about to embark on his first journey into romance.

A badass brawler with heart, it’s Maria we first meet when the play opens. She pumps up the crowd with her bravado, high voltage smile and saucy hair flips.  A stark contrast with the subdued and self-enclosed Kid, Maria’s the bolt of energy that serves to ignite a story that’s about to match her spirit.

The core of the play starts innocently enough in school with Kid, which is short for Kindness, sitting alone listening to music through his earbuds.   He’s joined by another student who casually strikes up a conversation.  Confident and friendly, the boy is feeling Kid out, trying to learn more about him.  He trips over the typical stumbling blocks when it comes to pronouncing foreign names and learning new things about a different culture.  But there’s no animus. He’s open and curious. They both tap into their recall and remember being aware of each other from previous school encounters.  Blond and self-assured, the new arrival’s name is Jack and it’s clear he wants to be friends.  Since Jack (Aidan Leake) is really into the new Avatar movie, we can tell it’s the original he’s talking about and that the play’s setting is fifteen years or so in the past. 

We can see too from their exchange that Kid, although on the surface quiet and retiring, has some spunk to him.  Once he begins talking about why he’s such a fan of the wrestling phenom, Maria, played with zestful impeccability by Carina Lastimosa, we get a glimpse of his animated side.  To Kid, she’s an underdog who became the top dog. An inspiration.  There’s a lot of pride that comes pouring through in his admiration for her.

We meet Kid’s other role model at home.  It’s his Mom, Marie (Marie Tredway).  The quintessential Filipina nurse; tireless, indispensable, magnanimous, Marie’s got an iron core that’s fortified and sustained by her faith and belief in Mama Mary.  A figure most of us know as the Blessed Virgin Mary.  In Kid’s household, she has a shrine set up in her honor and consulted by Kid as well as his Mom for guidance and advise.  Filling two roles, Lastimosa shows how easily she can portray widely divergent personalities.  As Mama Mary, she beautifully personifies a potent blend of compassion and enlightened understanding when responding to Kid’s solicitations.

Scenes that take you inside Kid’s home are some of the most moving and treasured in the production.  Thanks in no small part to Katelyn Montgomery’s wonderfully evocative set.  They’re portals into a world rich in tradition, strongly held belief and the type of family values that insure cohesion.  Attributes that on one hand are wonderfully sublime and on the other almost quaint. The types of characteristics that may have once flourished in the American culture as well; but have long since dissipated or atrophied.    

Very much a collaborative effort, Hail Mary/Maria is directed by Mr. Silva’s husband, Adam Reed.  The unconventionality of the central character is complemented by an equally unorthodox directorial approach in Mr. Reed’s debut directing effort.  One that fills the one-act performance with heaps of emotional and physical dynamism while encouraging plenty of audience interaction.

Pro wrestling of various shades have long been extremely popular in the Philippines.  From the responses of the audience Saturday night, it has a strong following in this country too.  Rather than conjuring it only through the imagination, Hail Mary/Maria brings it live and center stage, giving the uninitiated a taste of its electric appeal.   The ploy works beautifully, making Hail Mary/Maria as much a rewarding visceral charge as it is a splendid theatrical offering. 

From that initial conversation between Kid and Jack, you somehow know Jack had more than friendship on his mind when he sat down next to Kid that day.  And he likely sensed that Kid was interested in him, too.  As we all know, a lot can be transmitted in a simple glance.  

Kid and Jack inch their way toward understanding one another and liking each other even more as their familiarity grows.  Something that triggers trepidation and even fear in Kid.  How can he reconcile who he is with what he thinks should be? How that dilemma is resolved is what makes this project so appealing.  There’s a wholesomeness to it that feels very honest.  The solid gold cast help make Hail Mary/Maria a treasure.  Both Sedonio and Leake fill their roles with the kind of intangibles that make what they present on stage memorable.  A statement that’s just as true for Lastimosa and Tredway.  You can’t help but want to see them all in other works that showcase their skill and gifts as well as this project one does.

The only pressing question now might be, what’s the fledgling entertainment enterprise going to roll off their runway next?

Hail Mary/Maria

Presented by Nova Entertainment

Thursday, August 20^th  - 7:30pm

Friday, August 21^st – 7:30pm

Saturday, August 22^nd  -  2:30pm & 7:30pm

Sunday, August 23^rd  -  2:30pm

Venue:  Theater Wit in Theater 2

1229 W. Belmont Avenue

Chicago, IL  60657

For more information and tickets:  https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/602/performances

Highly Recommended

Finding love has always been a challenge. In Jane Austen’s day, a time governed by strict rules of courtship, couples had to avoid mistakes that could potentially ruin a reputation. One might think that the complexities of dating would have eased over time, yet modern romance remains just as fraught with pitfalls. Exploring these timeless rules of attraction is Oil Lamp Theater’s production of I Love You Because, with music by Joshua Salzman and book and lyrics by Ryan Cunningham. Directed by Scott Shallenbarger, this musical, inspired by Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, examines two mismatched couples and asks a fundamental question: Do we love someone despite their differences, or because of them?

Meet our musical’s core couple. Austin Bennet (Aiden McCoy) is a straight-laced, slightly vanilla greeting card writer who fancies himself a "poet" yet struggles to craft anything with authentic depth. Marcy Fitzwilliams (Hanna Kipp) is a carefree photographer who balks at rules and lives in the moment. Having both recently gotten out of long-term relationships, Austin and Marcy decide to follow their friends’ advice and get back out there. This time, though, they’re not looking for “the one,” just someone.

Their first date couldn’t go worse. Austin is still hung up on his unfaithful ex, and Marcy makes little effort to hide her disinterest. Gradually, however, a friendship develops. When they least expect it, sparks fly, prompting both to reexamine what they were looking for in a mate.

Central to any compelling romance is chemistry. Perhaps it was opening weekend jitters, but the on-stage tension between McCoy and Kipp left something to be desired. While their initial awkwardness felt appropriate as the characters grew more familiar, the spark never really intensified. That missing connection made it difficult to fully invest in the material, because their relationship never felt entirely natural.

Part of the issue may stem from character interpretation. Although the script frames Austin as conventional and Marcy as unconventional, neither performer fully embraced those extremes. For example, Austin is written as a Type‑A personality who brings his own black coffee from home to a local café - a funny character trait meant to establish a tightly wound demeanor - but the joke didn’t quite land. If both actors pushed further into their contrasting traits, the show’s humor, which relies on highlighting their polar opposites, might be more effective.

Conversely, the "opposites attract" dynamic succeeded with the supporting couple. Kristin Brintnall plays Diana, an actuary who relies on her rigid mathematical system for love calculations. Maxwell J. DeTogne plays Jeff Bennet, a boyish man-child whose views on relationships are as jumbled as his vocabulary, leading to malapropisms like "duck in a line" or "barking up the wrong treehouse." What begins as a casual fling eventually forces them into the dreaded "Define the Relationship" conversation.

Brintnall and DeTogne play off each other wonderfully by fully embracing their characters' differences. Her rigid precision complements his easygoing demeanor, creating genuine stage friction and strong comedic timing. Their energetic performances helped elevate a relatively straightforward plot.

Unlike Austen’s rich source material, this musical offered few complications for its core couple. Other modern adaptations of classic texts, like 10 Things I Hate About You, which adapted Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, successfully updated stories while preserving their complexity. But once Austin and Marcy recognize their feelings, there really aren’t any obstacles in their way.

The strength of I Love You Because comes from its performers. Their vocal ability shined in each song, and when the ensemble came together for group numbers, they blended beautifully. As the cast settles into their roles, the chemistry between the leads should deepen and help the audience connect to the central love plot. In any case, the message of I Love You Because was effectively communicated. True love isn’t loving someone in spite of their quirks, but because of them.

I Love You Because runs through September 13 at Oil Lamp Theatre in Glenview, IL.

Advisory: Oil Lamp Theater advises that the production contains mature content, including explicit language and sexual situations.

https://www.oillamptheater.org/

Pulse Theatre Chicago proudly announces a defining new chapter in the company's history with the expansion of its artistic leadership, the beginning of its residency at the historic eta Creative Arts Foundation, and the cast and creative team for its Fall 2026 production of Dominique Morisseau's acclaimed drama, Detroit '67.

More than a season announcement, this moment represents the culmination of twelve years of artistic growth— from a storefront theatre founded in 2014 to a Black-led company entering a new chapter through expanded artistic leadership, a residency at one of the nation's most historic Black theaters, and its most ambitious season to date.

As the flagship production of its 2026–2027 season, Detroit '67 marks an exciting milestone for Pulse Theatre Chicago. Dominique Morisseau's celebrated drama explores family, resilience, and hope amid the Detroit uprising of 1967—themes that resonate deeply with the company's season-long exploration, The Healing Pulse: Mental Health in Black Homes.

Founded in 2014, Pulse Theatre Chicago enters its twelfth season by expanding its artistic leadership. Executive Artistic Director Aaron Reese Boseman is joined by Associate Artistic Director Isis Elizabeth, who joined the company in 2023. Together they will guide Pulse's artistic vision as the company begins its residency at eta Creative Arts Foundation and continues its commitment to creating bold, community-centered theatre on Chicago's South Side.

"This moment represents years of dreaming, building, and believing," said Executive Artistic Director Aaron Reese Boseman. "Since founding Pulse Theatre Chicago, our mission has been to create theatre that doesn't simply entertain—it transforms. Beginning our residency at eta Creative Arts Foundation and expanding our artistic leadership strengthens our commitment to building an artistic home where artists and audiences alike can gather, heal, and imagine together."

A New Chapter for Pulse Theatre Chicago

Founded in 2014, Pulse Theatre Chicago has grown into a Black-led professional theatre company recognized for producing new works, reimagined classics, and immersive theatrical experiences rooted in poetic grit, bold imagination, and deep compassion.

Boseman's directing work in Chicago storefront theatre includes acclaimed productions of Confederates, The House That Will Not Stand, Topdog/Underdog, The Mountaintop, The Colored Museum, and A Raisin in the Sun, reflecting the company's longstanding commitment to centering Black voices and transformative storytelling.

An actor, playwright, and educator, Isis Elizabeth joined Pulse Theatre Chicago in 2023. Her original play Beneath the Willow Tree received its world premiere at Pulse, exemplifying the company's investment in developing new work alongside celebrated classics. As Associate Artistic Director, Elizabeth will help shape artistic programming while continuing Pulse's commitment to nurturing emerging artists and new voices.

A New Home at eta Creative Arts Foundation

Pulse Theatre Chicago proudly begins its residency at the historic eta Creative Arts Foundation, one of the nation's oldest continuously operating Black theaters.

The residency reflects a shared commitment to expanding professional theatre opportunities, fostering artistic collaboration, and investing in the cultural vitality of Chicago's South Side while honoring eta's enduring artistic legacy.

The partnership builds upon an already successful artistic relationship. Pulse Theatre Chicago's production of Once on This Island, presented at eta Creative Arts Foundation, earned a Jeff Award, laying the groundwork for this exciting new chapter and underscoring the artistic partnership between the two organizations.

The Healing Pulse

The company's 2026–2027 season, The Healing Pulse: Mental Health in Black Homes, explores the emotional landscapes of Black life through stories of grief, healing, caregiving, identity, joy, memory, and restoration.

Earlier this summer, Pulse launched its immersive Ritual & Rhythm Reading Series, featuring City of Water by Isis Elizabeth and Rhyme Deferred by Kamilah Forbes and Chadwick Boseman. The series transformed traditional staged readings into immersive theatrical experiences, inviting audiences into conversations that continue throughout the season.

Through The Healing Pulse, Pulse Theatre Chicago asks audiences not simply to witness these stories, but to consider what healing looks like behind closed doors, who gets to rest, who gets to unravel, and how communities care for one another through joy, grief, and resilience.

Detroit '67

By Dominique Morisseau

Directed by Aaron Reese Boseman

Set during the Detroit uprising of 1967, Detroit '67 follows siblings Chelle and Lank as they struggle to preserve family, hope, and home amid profound social change. Both an intimate family drama and a sweeping historical portrait, the play explores the enduring strength of community in moments of uncertainty.

The cast features Shenise Danyèl as Chelle, Tamarus Harvell as Lank, Emma Jean Eastlund as Caroline, Dairyon Bolden as Sly, and Jimiece Gilbert as Bunny. Completing the company are understudies Marlissa Stalling (Chelle), Destin Patton-Warner (Lank), Jen Agather (Caroline), Michael Ashford (Sly), and Y'vonne-Rose Smith (Bunny). The creative team includes AnJi White, Assistant Director; Ashley Coney, Production Stage Manager; Chels Morgan, Intimacy & Violence Director; Kevin M. Rolfs, Scenic Designer; Levi J. Wilkins, Lighting Designer; Warren Levon, Sound Designer; Terri Devine, Costume Designer; and Rueben Echoles, Hair & Makeup Designer, Enjoli Valentine, Property Design; Sierra Coachman, Dramaturgy.

Previews: September 11, 2026

Closing: November 1, 2026

Performances take place at eta Creative Arts Foundation.

About Pulse Theatre Chicago

Founded in 2014, Pulse Theatre Chicago is a Black-led professional theatre company committed to producing new works, reimagined classics, and immersive theatrical experiences that amplify underrepresented voices. Through bold storytelling and community-centered artistry, Pulse believes theatre can serve as both a catalyst for dialogue and a space for collective healing.

Now a resident theatre company at eta Creative Arts Foundation, Pulse continues its mission to expand access to professional theatre on Chicago's South Side while cultivating artists, developing new work, and strengthening Chicago's vibrant Black theatre ecosystem.

For more information and tickets, visit www.pulsetheatrechicago.org.

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s 30th Anniversary Season continues with "Exploring The In Between: A Conversation About Mid-Sized Theatres in Chicago," Monday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in Theater One at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. This one-night-only event, moderated by Chicago theatre Historian and Author Mark Larson and Associate Director of the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum Matt Randle-Bent bring together Chicago theatre voices from four storied companies: Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, A Red Orchid Theatre, Teatro Vista Productions and About Face Theatre to discuss how midsized theatres have shaped our city’s cultural ecosystem and what role might they play in what is to come. Tickets are on sale now for $35 at TheaterWit.org or by calling the Theater Wit Box Office at 773.975.8150.  

“Exploring The In Between: A Conversation About Mid-Sized Theatres in Chicago” is a night of discovery, conversation and envisioning. “Exploring the In Between” excavates the history, heart and value of midsized theatres in Chicago featuring Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Marti Lyons, A Red Orchid Theatre Founding Artistic Director and Board Member of The Red Orchid Theatre Guy Van Swearingen, An Artistic Collective member of Teatro Vista Productions and a Core Ensemble Member of Remy Bumppo Theatre Company Charin Alvarez and About Face Theatre’s Director of Education and Artistic Programing Dionne Addai. 

Ticket sales benefit Remy Bumppo Theatre Company. 

ABOUT REMY BUMPPO THEATRE COMPANY

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company expands and enriches their community’s view of the world, and their own, by producing both the great plays of the past and the important plays of today. As an ensemble-driven theater company, Remy Bumppo authors a more humane culture that listens to, and seeks to understand, the voices, the ideas and the stories of one another. 

Since its inception in 1996, Remy Bumppo has produced a blend of modern classics and complex contemporary works, presented in an intimate setting with clarity, wit and passion. We invite audiences to engage directly with the art through conversation with the artists.

Shattered Globe Theatre (SGT), now under the artistic leadership of Ian Frank, is pleased to announce its 36^th Season, featuring three plays that explore the distortions that shape our lives and the courage it takes to break through them. The season kicks off this fall with the Midwest premiere of Erika Sheffer's Vladimir, an unflinching drama of resistance directed by Ensemble Member Lou Contey. SGT's 2026/27 season continues next winter with the Midwest premiere of Phanésia Pharel's emotionally rich two-hander The Waterfall, directed by Jasmine B. Gunter. The 36^th Season concludes next spring with Oli Forsyth's intimate psychological thriller Brace Brace, directed by Elizabeth Margolius. Whether political, personal or inherited, each of these stories follows characters searching for truth, connection and the freedom to define their own reality.

Shattered Globe Producing Artistic Director Ian Frank comments, "I'm honored to steward Shattered Globe's legacy of bold, intimate storytelling into this exciting new chapter. Our upcoming season tells stories about parents, partners and politics. But at its core is a fight to break free and find something honest, authentic and redemptive. These are stories about what happens when the narratives we've inherited begin to crack, and we're forced to decide what truths are worth holding onto. We promise you'll leave the theatre talking. That's exactly what live theater is supposed to do."

The full 2026/27 Season will be presented at Shattered Globe's resident home, Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Single tickets ($20 – $60) are now on sale at SGTheatre.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Season Traveler memberships starting at $55 are also available. For information on group discounts, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (773) 770-0333.

Shattered Globe Theatre's 2026/27 Season includes:

October 2 – November 14, 2026

Vladimir – Midwest Premiere!

By Erika Sheffer

Directed by Ensemble Member Lou Contey

Featuring Ensemble Members Rebecca Jordan, Adam Schulmerich and Drew Schad with Associate Artist Steve Peebles. Additional casting to be announced.

In a world where facts are manipulated and fear is currency, the truth becomes dangerous.

As a new authoritarian government tightens its grip on Russia, Erika Sheffer's Vladimir follows an independent journalist who uncovers a story that could expose the truth behind a nation in transition. But when every headline comes with consequences and every source becomes a target, she must decide how much she's willing to sacrifice for the story. Vladimir is a gripping political thriller about what happens when silence becomes complicity.

January 22 – February 27, 2027

The Waterfall – Midwest Premiere!

By Phanésia Pharel

Directed by Jasmine B. Gunter

What do we owe the people who raised us? After her mother's hospitalization, Bean returns home expecting to help her recover. Instead, she's forced to confront the dreams, expectations and traditions that have quietly shaped her entire life. As old tensions ripple to the surface, both women must confront the love and sacrifices that bind them together. The Waterfall is an intimate powerful exploration of family, identity and the ties that shape us.

April 16 – May 29, 2027

Brace Brace

By Oli Forsyth

Directed by Elizabeth Margolius

You survive the unimaginable. Now what? When a shocking event leaves Ray and Sylvia alive but forever altered after their honeymoon, they find themselves trapped in competing memories of the same event. As their relationship begins to unravel, Brace Brace explores how trauma reshapes perception, distorts truth, and leaves us questioning not just what happened, but who we've become because of it.About the ArtistsErika Sheffer (Playwright, Vladimir) is a playwright and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. Her first play, Russian Transport, premiered at The New Group and went on to productions at Steppenwolf as well as other regional and international theaters. The Fundamentals was commissioned and produced by Steppenwolf. Her latest play, Vladimir was commissioned by The Geffen Playhouse and received its world premiere at Manhattan Theatre Club. Honors include the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, multiple TCG Edgerton Grants and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination. She is an alum of Ars Nova Playgroup and a member of Center Theatre Group's LA Writer's Workshop. Erika has held commissions from Steppenwolf, The Geffen Playhouse, Center Theatre Group and Manhattan Theatre Club. Screen credits include Apple TV's Little America and Netflix's The Beast in Me (Writers Guild nomination). as well as multiple development rooms for Apple TV, Starz and Sony.

Lou Contey (Director, Vladimir) is a long-time Ensemble Member with Shattered Globe Theatre. He recently directed the multiple award-winning production of A View from the Bridge. Shattered Globe credits include The Manchurian Candidate, A Streetcar Named Desire, All My Sons, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Peter Pan, Les Liaisons Dangereuse, Warhawks and Lindberghs, Holy Ghosts, Judgement at Nuremberg, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Whaleship Essex, In the Heat of the Night, The Tall Girls, The Heavens are Hung in Black, and many others. Among his more than eighty directing credits are The Price, Awake and Sing!, It's All True, Copenhagen. Pravda, Paradise Lost, The General from America, A House with No Walls, Lillian, Frost/Nixon, The Guys and The Apple Family Plays, all at TimeLine where he is an Associate Artist. Other Chicago credits include The Master and Margarita (Strawdog Theatre); In a Garden (A Red Orchid Theatre); Marriage Play, Duck Variations (The Goodman Theatre) and Haymarket Eight (Steppenwolf). He has also worked at Theatre at the Center, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Provision Theatre, Eclipse Theatre and American Theatre Company. He has taught acting and directing for the theatre programs at UIC, The Acting Studio, Act One Studio and The Theatre School/DePaul University.

Phanésia Pharel (Playwright, The Waterfall) is a Haitian-American playwright from a dragon fruit farm in Miami. The daughter of an immigrant teacher and farmer, she writes to honor people. Her full-length plays include Dead Girl's Quinceañera, The Waterfall, R&B, Lucky and Black Girl Joy. She is the incoming playwriting fellow at Emory University where she will teach and have a new play produced through their repertory company. She has received commissions from the Atlantic Theater, Lucille Lortel (Alcove), La Jolla Playhouse, Miranda Family Fund, Hero Theatre, City Theatre Miami and the Latinx Playwrights Circle. Her honors include Kilroys List, five awards from the Kennedy Center, two-time Bay Area Playwrights Festival Finalist/Honorable Mention, Jane Chambers Finalist, A is For Playwriting award recipient and the Frank Moffett Mosier Fellowship for Works in Heightened Finalist Prize. Phanésia is a member of the Obie-winning EST/Youngblood group and The Wish Collective. Her work has been developed by the Playwrights' Center, New York Stage and Film, SolFest, Thrown Stone, Shattered Globe and Echo Theater Company. B.A, Urban Studies, Barnard College of Columbia University. MFA, Playwriting, UCSD '25.

Jasmine B. Gunter (Director, The Waterfall, she/her) works as an active director, producer and casting director around the U.S. She was the 2021 recipient of the Hangar Directing Drama League fellowship, the 2020 recipient of the Leighton M. Ballew Directing Scholarship and a proud graduate of the Northwestern MFA Directing program and SDC member. Recent directing credits includes Furlough's Paradise (Geva Theatre), The Love Object (Story Theatre), Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really (Northwestern University), The Revolutionists (Northwestern University), jump (Northwestern University) Lost Girl (Hangar Theatre), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Hangar Theatre), Hedda Gabler (Northwestern University), Wine in the Wilderness (Northwestern University), Intimate Apparel (SUNY Brockport), Ghost Story (Kane Repertory Theatre), Lines in the Dust (Geva Theatre Center), Reroute (24 Hour Plays: Nationals). Associate/Assistant Credit: Blues for an Alabama Sky (Remy Bumppo), Nina Simone: Four Women (Arena Stage), In the Heights (Seattle Rep), Quixote Nuevo (Hartford Stage/Huntington Theatre Company) and The Luckiest People (Actors Theatre of Charlotte/NNPN). Jasmine has also taught at the Berkshire Theatre Group and the Redhouse Arts Center in Syracuse, NY.

Oli Forsyth's (Playwright, Brace Brace) play Brace Brace premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2024. He was the recipient of the Jerwood New Playwright award in the same year and is currently under commission to the Royal Court for a new play. In 2021, he was invited to join Mike Bartlett's writing group at Hampstead Theatre and was commissioned to write The Pox, for the main stage. In 2019 Cash Cow was produced at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, quickly followed by a run in Edinburgh. Also in 2019, Such Filthy F*cks, a Smoke & Oakum/Pleasance co-production ran at the Vaults Festival in London.Oli's earlier work includes: Tinderbox (2014) which was nominated for an Amnesty International Award; Cornermen (2015) at The Old Red Lion and The Pleasance, then transferring to VAULT Festival and touring in co-production with Red Ladder Company/New Diorama Theatre (2018).New Diorama Theatre/Smoke & Oakum co-produced Happy Dave (2016) and Kings (2017).

Elizabeth Margolius (Director, Brace Brace) is a Jeff Award-winning stage and movement director, who most recently received the award for Director of a Musical for Shattered Globe Theatre's London Road. A five-time Joseph Jefferson Award nominee, Elizabeth's selected directorial credits also include: The Da Vinci Code for Drury Lane Theatre, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk for Northlight Theatre, Fiddler on the Roof for Drury Lane Theatre, Tidy and Rose for Renaissance Theaterworks, Crimes of the Heart for American Stage, Le Loup-garou for Opera Southwest, I and You, Silent Sky, Miss Holmes and The Bridges of Madison County for Peninsula Players, Queen of the Mist for Firebrand Theatre, The Scarlet Ibis for Chicago Opera Theater, Machinal (Movement Director) and Uncle Philip's Coat for Greenhouse Theater, Haymarket: The Anarchist's Songbook for Underscore Theatre, The Girl in the Train for Chicago Folks Operetta, Goldstar, Ohio for American Theater Company, The Merry Wives of Windsor for Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Assistant Director), Opus 1861 for City Lit Theater, Violet for Bailiwick Chicago and Bernarda Alba and Songs for a New World for Bohemian Theatre Ensemble.  

About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre seeks to redefine what it means to be an ensemble theatre, discover new connections between story, artist and audience, and explore drama from bold, challenging perspectives.Shattered Globe Theatre was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 80 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 53 Jeff Awards and 134 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Guided by Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, Shattered Globe's values are rooted in a commitment to racial equity, respect for all artists and support for the ensemble, while creating new opportunities to amplify traditionally marginalized voices and collaborate in all aspects of its work. Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.Shattered Globe Theatre's Ensemble includes Judy Anderson, Louis Contey, David Dastmalchian, Demetra Dee, Joe Forbrich, Ellie Fey, Christina Gorman, Daria Harper, Kotryna Hilko, Tina M. Jach, Rebecca Jordan, Steve Kleinedler, Vivian Knouse, AmBer Montgomery, Tina Muñoz Pandya, Eileen Niccolai, Jazzma Pryor, Deanna Reed-Foster, Linda Reiter, Jeff Rodriguez, Drew Schad, Adam Schulmerich, Leslie Ann Sheppard, Sandy Shinner, Joe Sikora, Shelley Strasser, Devonte E. Washington, Sarah Jo White, Joseph Wiens and Brad Woodard.SGT's Artistic Associates includes Daniela Colucci, Elliot Esquivel, Mikey Gray, Lawrence Grimm, Ronald Hale, Darren Jones, Christopher Kriz, Jason Lynch, Lydia Moss, Tim Newell, Jane Nix, Aila Peck, Steve Peebles, Cage Sebastian Pierre, David Antonio Reed, Angie Shriner, Abbey Smith, Hershey Suri, Michael Trudeau and Ayanna Wimberley.SGT is supported in part by generous grants from the Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, Brenda and James Grusecki, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Carol P. Eastin, The Shubert Foundation, Judith and David Sensibar, the Illinois Arts Council, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and Americans for the Arts.Visit SGTheatre.org for subscriptions, tickets and information, and follow the company @shatteredglobe on Facebook and Instagram.

The Joffrey Ballet opens its 2026-27 season with the Chicago Premiere of John Neumeier's landmark narrative ballet Liliom. Inspired by Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play and later the basis for the musical adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel, Liliom traces a haunting story of love and redemption set against the faded glamour of a Depression-era amusement park. One of the choreographer's most profound artistic endeavors, Neumeier's theatrical tour de force comes to life with an evocative score by multi-Academy Award®-winning composer Michel Legrand. For its Chicago premiere, Liliom features live music performed on stage by the 16-piece Rob Parton's Jazztech Big Band in concert with the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Nathan Brock. Liliom takes place for ten performances only at the historic Lyric Opera House, 20 North Upper Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago, from September 17–27, 2026.

"The Joffrey was founded on the belief that ballet should evolve, challenge expectations, and reach beyond traditional boundaries. This landmark Chicago premiere demands extraordinary versatility from our artists, blurring the lines between dance, drama, and storytelling in ways few works can. I have long believed that Liliom is John Neumeier's greatest achievement, showcasing the full breadth of his genius as a storyteller and transforming what inspired Rodgers and Hammerstein's beloved Carousel into a cinematic, emotionally stirring, and deeply human theatrical experience," says The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE.

"After celebrating 70 years of artistic excellence last season, The Joffrey Ballet now turns its attention to the future. We are proud to launch the first season of our next 70 years with Liliom, a sweeping theatrical work that showcases the incredible range of our artists. Whether you're a lifelong dance lover or a devoted theatergoer, we invite you to experience the artistry, emotion, and imagination that make Chicago one of the world's great cultural destinations," said Greg Cameron, President and CEO.

Neumeier's adaptation follows Liliom, the charismatic but self-destructive carnival barker whose fierce love for Julie, a young working woman, is unraveled by pride, poverty, and rage. Set amid the dreamlike, faded glamour of an American amusement park during the Great Depression, passion turns toward crime—and ultimately, tragedy.

Granted a chance to return to Earth after death, Liliom confronts the consequences of his choices and attempts one final act of grace. What remains is a stark reckoning with guilt and the fragile possibility of redemption. Rarely presented in the United States, the Joffrey is the first American ballet company to bring Liliom to life. Distinguished by Neumeier's signature emotional depth and theatrical nuance, Liliom takes shape through multi-Academy Award®-winning composer Michel Legrand's evocative score, blending classical and jazz influences that echo a restless America.

One of the most influential artists of our time, Neumeier returns to the Joffrey and the Lyric Opera House following the critically acclaimed run of The Little Mermaid in 2023 and the Lyric Opera's first collaboration with the Joffrey, Orphée et Eurydice, in 2017. Learn more about John Neumeier here.

With gratitude to Liliom Presenting Sponsors Lynda Sue Lane, M.D. and Mr. and Mrs. Joel V. Williamson, Major Sponsors Pamela Crutchfield and Lisbeth Stiffel, and Production Sponsors Holly Palmer Foundation and Max Mara.

Tickets and Schedule

The Joffrey Ballet presents Liliom from Thursday, September 17–Sunday, September 27, 2026.

The full schedule is as follows:

Thursday, September 17 at 7:30PM;

Friday, September 18 at 7:30PM;

Saturday, September 19 at 2:00PM and 7:30PM;

Sunday, September 20 at 2:00PM;

Thursday, September 24 at 7:30PM;

Friday, September 25 at 7:30PM;

Saturday, September 26 at 2:00PM and 7:30PM;

Sunday, September 27 at 2:00PM.

The Joffrey Ballet is the only official seller with the best prices. Be aware of ticket re-sellers offering overpriced or invalid tickets. Tickets are available for purchase at the Lyric Opera Box Office, located at 20 N. Upper Wacker Dr., by telephone at 312.386.8905, or online at joffrey.org.

About The Joffrey Ballet 
The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies in the world today, with a reputation for boundary-breaking performances for 71 years. The Joffrey repertoire is an extensive collection of all-time classics, modern masterpieces, and original works. Founded in 1956 by pioneers Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, the Joffrey remains dedicated to artistic expression, innovation, and first-rate education and engagement programming. The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE and President and CEO Greg Cameron.

The Joffrey Ballet is grateful for the support of its 2026–2027 Season Sponsors: The Abbott Fund, Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation, The Florian Fund, Gallagher, Anne L. Kaplan, and Lynda Sue Lane, M.D. Season-long sponsorship of the Company Artists is generously made possible by Margot and Josef Lakonishok.   

Live Music Sponsors: Sandy and Roger Deromedi, Sage Foundation, and The Marina and Arnold Tatar Fund for Live Music. The Joffrey also acknowledges our Season Partners: ATHLETICO and Chicago Athletic Clubs.

For more information on The Joffrey Ballet and its programs, visit joffrey.org. Connect with the Joffrey on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.