Displaying items by tag: Chicago events

Some theatrical experiences ask you to sit back and watch. "The Last Word" invites you to pull up a chair, have a cocktail, and tumble headfirst into a delightfully strange fever dream about life, death, friendship, and a very famous green liqueur.

Its title refers both to a classic cocktail and to the screenplay at the center of the evening, and the two become intertwined in ways that are clever, surprising, and ultimately moving. The story revolves around Chartreuse, the legendary French liqueur whose closely guarded recipe is known by only two monks at any given time. When Mike discovers one of those monks dying in the woods and is entrusted with the only known copy of the recipe, he faces an impossible choice: return it to the monastery or risk everything to preserve it himself.

Presented as a live screenplay reading, "The Last Word" (at the iO Theater on Kingsbury) cleverly blurs the line between stage play and film script. Plays are meant to be heard; screenplays are meant to be seen. It takes a special kind of theatrical imagination to make a screenplay reading compelling. Fortunately, this production understands that challenge and embraces it. Through lighting effects, sound design, music, and a constant sense of playful invention, the audience is encouraged to visualize the movie unfolding in their minds.

The evening begins with audience members seated around a long table draped in green, scripts spread out before them, and a bottle of Chartreuse placed prominently center stage like a sacred relic. As the cast settles in and begins reading, we gradually discover who these characters are and the wild journey ahead.

A great deal of credit belongs to host and narrator Declan Grogan, who guides the audience through the evening with infectious enthusiasm. Between the screenplay's four acts, Grogan pauses the action to introduce a specially crafted cocktail inspired by that portion of the story.

The first act is paired with a Chartreuse Swizzle, a bright tropical concoction made with gin, that eases the audience into the tale. The second act features a Green drink made with homemade herbal clove liqueur whose complexity mirrors the increasingly mysterious turns of the plot. A Bijou, rich and blood red, accompanies the third act as the story deepens and the stakes become more profound. Finally, the evening concludes with the iconic Last Word, the cocktail that inspired both the title and much of the play's thematic spirit. Grogan's descriptions are delivered with such enthusiasm and detail that even audience members unfamiliar with mixology may find themselves suddenly fascinated by botanical spirits, obscure liqueurs, and the mystical allure of Chartreuse itself.

The cast—James Cullinane, Rachel Thomas, Declan Grogan, Claire Glennon, Spencer Gallagher, Colleen Grogan, and Liam Mahon—fully commits to the material's offbeat humor and emotional sincerity. What initially appears to be an eccentric comedy gradually reveals deeper themes about mortality, legacy, and the connections we leave behind.

One of the evening's most unusual choices involves video montages featuring the loved ones of cast members speaking about their affection and appreciation for the cast member. At first, the device feels unexpected, even a little puzzling. Yet by the final scene, its purpose becomes crystal clear. The production's emotional threads suddenly converge, and what seemed odd earlier becomes genuinely beautiful.

In the end, "The Last Word" asks a deceptively simple question: We will all have a last word. What will yours be? The answer arrives not through grand speeches but through shared experiences, laughter, friendship, and perhaps a perfectly balanced cocktail. This is an inventive, heartfelt, and thoroughly unique theatrical experience that l have to experience again.

Highly Recommended
When: The Last Friday of the month - June 26, July 31, August 28
Where: iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury St. Chicago
Tickets: $50 general admission (Drink Package)
$20 general admission designated driver
Info: https://www.thelastwordshow.com/

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Studebaker Theater (Erica Berger and Jacob Harvey), P3 Productions (Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin) and Audible, in collaboration with Teatro Vista Productions, present the Chicago premiere of the acclaimed new 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 this fall at Chicago's historic Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building (410 S. Michigan Avenue) beginning November 6, 2026. Tickets go on sale next month at MexodusMusical.com.

The live-looping hip-hop musical Mexodus recently 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 current return Off-Broadway engagement at the Daryl Roth Theatre. 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 also lived in the city. An early workshop and developmental performances of the musical were held in Chicago in 2021 and 2023.

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

"The season's first must-see musical" (The Wrap), Mexodus reveals a hidden chapter of American history. You know the story of the Underground Railroad that ran North, but this show takes you on the path that ran South by crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico. "[An] electrifying theatrical experience" (The New York Times) created and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, this groundbreaking live-looped musical follows a freedom seeker and an unlikely ally as they forge a remarkable bond that transcends borders.

Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin of P3 Productions said, "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 go on sale in June at MexodusMusical.com.

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. Recent Broadway productions include Call Me Izzy, Job, and How to Dance in Ohio. Upcoming: Wanted (formerly Gun & Powder), Mexodus, and The Ninth Woman. Recent Broadway and West End Co-Producing credits: Sunset Blvd, The Last Five Years, Just For Us, A Strange Loop, Orlando, and Next to Normal (West End). Learn more: www.p3.productions and follow @p3productions.nyc.

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.

About Face Theatre is proud to announce its 32nd season featuring the Pulitzer Prize winning musical A Strange Loop and the Midwest Premiere of i never asked for a gofundme by Jayne Deely, directed by About Face Theatre Producing Artistic Director Megan Carney. In addition, the company continues its innovative touring performances and education programs throughout the region.

"About Face Theatre has always been a home for stories that challenge and affirm. The season ahead is no exception," states Megan Carney, Producing Artistic Director for About Face Theatre. "With these groundbreaking and exuberant works, we are continuing our legacy of centering fearless, joyful, and necessary LGBTQ+ voices. I can't wait to share these productions with Chicago audiences."

Overview of the Season

All performances will take place on the Johnson Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N Clark St in Chicago. Tickets for individual shows go on sale one month before previews at https://aboutfacetheatre.com. Secure your spot early by joining the About Face Futurists. To find out more about this monthly donor program, please visit aboutfacetheatre.com/support-us.

Showtimes are Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sun at 3:00pm.

A Strange Loop
book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
directed by About Face Theatre Artistic Associate Mikael Burke

In a co-production with Raven Theatre
October 8-November 8, 2026
 

Up first in October, About Face Theatre proudly presents the Chicago premiere of the Broadway smash hit A Strange Loop with book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson and Directed by About Face Theatre Artistic Associate Mikael Burke. This groundbreaking show won Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical at the 2022 Tony Awards. This is a co-production with Raven Theatre.

Usher is a Black, queer playwright who spends his days working as an usher on Broadway. He spends his nights struggling to write an original musical about a Black, queer playwright who spends his days working as an usher on Broadway. Lines blur, thoughts intrude, and soon he finds himself wrestling to break free from a very strange creative loop.This blistering, groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize winning musical explores identity, race and sexuality through the lens of a young artist at war with a chorus of his own demons and inner voices on a journey towards understanding and self love.

i never asked for a gofundme
by Jayne Deely
directed by About Face Theatre Producing Artistic Director Megan Carney
March 18 – April 17, 2027
Thursday, March 25, 2027 at 7:30pm

Millie and Avery return to Millie's hometown in Alabama seeking a quiet refuge for Avery's recovery from gender-affirming top surgery. One big misunderstanding spirals into a full-blown small-town spectacle in this hilarious and heartfelt comedy. Set against the backdrop of March Madness and the electric energy of WNBA season, the stakes keep rising. As the donations pile up and the pressure mounts, the couple is forced to confront what they truly stand to lose by telling the truth.

This remarkable new play was featured at La Jolla Latinx New Play Festival and the Distillery New Works Festival with Seattle Public Theater. The play was a Finalist at the National Playwrights Conference Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.

Mikael Burke (he/him), director of A Strange Loop, is a Chicago-based director, deviser, and educator. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre and Jeff Award-winning director, his recent credits include: Oak by Terry Guest (Urbanite Theatre, World Premiere); Othello by William Shakespeare (Theatreworks Colorado Springs); Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Notes from the Field by Anna Deveare Smith (TimeLine Theatre, Chicago Premiere); The Salvagers by Harrison David Rivers (Yale Repertory Theatre, World Premiere); Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris (Refracted Theatre Company, Chicago Premiere, winner of 8 Jeff Awards); Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest (About Face Theatre, Chicago Premiere, winner of 2 Jeff Awards); Clyde's by Lynn Nottage (Theaterworks Hartford). Mikael is also an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University and Roosevelt University. MFA, The Theatre School at DePaul University | mklburke.com

Megan Carney (she/her), director of i never asked for a gofundme, is the Producing Artistic Director of About Face Theater in Chicago, a company dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ equity through community building, education, and performance. She has worked extensively as a director, playwright, and teaching artist. Megan's work as a director and playwright has premiered in Chicago, New York, and through touring productions around the country including Audrey Cefaly's The Gulf (About Face Theatre) Danielle Pinnock's Body/Courage (Rivendell), Lisa Dillman's The Walls (Rivendell at Steppenwolf), and Holly Hughes' Let Them Eat Cake (Dixon Place, NYC) among many others. Megan served as the Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center, one of the Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change, at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she produced cultural programs and advanced inclusive policies. Carney is a certified mediator with the Center for Conflict Resolution and has a MFA in Theatre Arts from Virginia Tech with a focus on Directing and Public Dialogue. Her work has been recognized with theatre industry awards, the GLSEN Pathfinder Award, an APA Presidential Citation, and induction in Chicago's LGBT Hall of Fame.

Jayne Deely (they/them), writer of i never asked for a gofundme, is a Queens, NY born and bred boricua playwright and performer. Selected works: Legacy, When Pluto was a planet, I never asked for a gofundme, Walter Mercado Presents: A Queer Puerto Rican (Not Just) Christmxs Spectacular, and unqle play. Their plays have been developed with Seattle Public Theatre, the New Harmony Project, Breaking the Binary, Fresh Ground Pepper, theatre b, American Stage, Renaissance Theaterworks, and others. They were recently named to the Kilroy's Web 25-26 (for I never asked for a gofundme) and are currently under commission with a Sloan grant from EST. Jayne is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and the Dramatists Guild, and is based in Queens, NY. MFA, IU Bloomington.

Michael R. Jackson, writer of A Strange Loop, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, composer, and lyricist is the creator of A Strange Loop, which the New York Times has called a "bravura meta-musical." The piece – which took Jackson eighteen years to create – won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2020, eleven Tony Award nominations, a New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and two Tony Awards – for Best New Musical and Best Book. Jackson has been named one of TIME Magazine's "100 Most Influential People" (2022) and has received numerous awards including a New Professional Theatre Festival Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant, a Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, an ASCAP Foundation Harold Adamson Award, a Whiting Award, the Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, the Windham-Campbell Prize, and a Dramatist Guild Fellowship. He has appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, CBS Sunday Morning, and Late Night with Seth Meyers, to name a few. He wrote book, music, and lyrics for the musicals White Girl In Danger and A Strange Loop (2019 world premiere at Playwrights Horizons in co-production with Page 73 Productions). Jackson holds a BFA and MFA in playwriting and musical theatre writing from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

RAVEN THEATRE is proud to be a cultural cornerstone of Chicago's north side, where its artistic excellence is known among theatergoers and artists alike. Long acclaimed for its revivals of classic plays, Raven also gives voice to emerging playwrights whose work will help to shape the theatrical canon for years to come. Founded in 1983, Raven moved into its current home in 2002 with its 85-seat Johnson Stage and its 56-seat Schwartz Stage.

ABOUT FACE THEATRE advances LGBTQ+ equity through community building, education, and performance. Since our founding in 1995, we've been a national leader in producing groundbreaking theater throughout Chicago that centers and affirms people who identify as LGBTQ+ and other intersecting identities. Working with nationally recognized and emerging artists of all ages, our programs include award-winning productions, touring shows, a Youth Ensemble, and new work development through Re/Generation Studio. Learn more and get involved at aboutfacetheatre.com.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s (BWBTC) 2026 season opens with a world premiere, yo ho., by playwright SMJ, directed by JD Caudill and fight choreography by Carly “CB” Cason, July 19 - August 29 at The Edge Theater Off Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave. The running time is approximately two hours (including intermission). Preview performances are Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m., Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The open caption performances are Saturday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug.16 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Aug. 20 and Friday, Aug. 21 at 8 p.m.. The sensory friendly performances are Sunday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 9 at 3 p.m. and with the fully masked audience performances, Sunday, Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 at 3 p.m. Streaming dates for yo ho. will be announced at a future date. Tickets are $28 for students and seniors, $35 for general admission and are on sale now at BabesWithBlades.org.

yo ho. charts the journey of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two pirates aboard a campy, sexually charged ship facing immediate threat from the crown. Equal parts historical fantasy and introspective sexual and gender exploration, this play is a deeply emotional reimaging and reminder of queer history.

“This hilarious and saucy comedy is perfect for the summer," states Artistic Director Hayley Rice. “In many ways yo ho. is exactly the kind of show you would expect from BWBTC: swashbuckling swordfights between moments of illuminating the lost stories of marginalized identities. This script is also fresh, exciting and perhaps a little steamier than Babes’ offerings of the past.”

The ensemble cast of ten, in alphabetical order, features Stef Brundage (they/them, Calico Jack); Sierra Buffum (they/them, Mary Read); William Delforge (he/him, Chad/James); Schnaude Dorizan (she/her, Vanessa U/S); Stephanie Fongheiser (she/her, Anne Bonny U/S); Cris King (she/her, Calico Jack U/S); Rachel Sleek Bañuelos (she/her, Anne Bonny); Makenna Van Raalte (they/she, Mary Read U/S); Jacob Watson (he/they, Chad/James U/S) and Brittani Yawn (she/her, Vanessa).

The production team includes BWBTC ensemble members Line Bower (they/them, technical director); Jennifer Mohr (she/her, costume designer); Payton Shearn (she/they, production assistant) and Laura J. Wiley (she/her, lighting designer) as well as Carly “CB” Cason (they/she/any, fight choreographer); JD Caudill (they/them, director); Kat Coyl (they/them, assistant director); Amy C. Gilman (she/her, scenic designer); Rose Hamill (she/her, production manager); Alex Kingsley (they/them, sound designer); Meme Matteson (she/they, assistant fight choreographer); Grace Mealey (she/her, stage manager); Alyssa Vera Ramos (she/her/ella, intimacy designer) and SMJ (they/them, playwright).  

ABOUT SMJ, PLAYWRIGHT

SMJ is a mixed-Latiné, non-binary and New York City-based playwright, theatermaker and educator originally from Mount Vernon, OH. They are proud to be the executive director of Andy’s Summer Playhouse, a professional children’s theater in Wilton, New Hampshire, that specializes in creating world premiere work with local children and emerging professional artists. They were a 2022-2023 Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow. As a writer, their work has been seen in various forms with Ars Nova, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, New York Stage and Film, Latinx Playwrights Circle, The Orchard Project, Latiné Musical Theatre Lab, Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, Otterbein University and Manhattanville University. SMJ has been a finalist for the Princess Grace Award in Playwriting at New Dramatists and a semifinalist for the 2024 Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival as well as the O’Neill’s National Playwrights Conference (multiple times). They are a member of the Dramatists Guild and Ring of Keys. 

ABOUT JD CAUDILL, DIRECTOR

JD Caudill is a queer director, literary manager and music director. Their recent direction credits include The SpongeBob Musical (Kokandy Productions; Bowling Green State University), Sofa King Queer (Nothing Without A Company), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Haven Theatre), I Promised Myself to Live Faster (Hell in a Handbag), After the Blast (Broken Nose Theatre) and Southern Comfort (Pride Films and Plays). They’ve also directed for Bechdel Fests 4-6 + 8 and Book of Shadows (Broken Nose Theatre) and other plays at The New Colony, Haven Theatre, The Runaways Lab Theatre, New American Folk Theatre, Hobo Junction, 20% Theatre, Paragon Theatre, Otherworld Theatre, Arc Theatre, 16th Street Theatre, Stage Left, The Syndicates and Red Theatre. They have been a proud ensemble member of Hell in a Handbag for ten years, and served as an ensemble member and literary manager of Broken Nose Theatre for seven years. They are driven to make theatre because of the unique sense of community it creates by bringing people together in person to experience imaginative stories of hope and catharsis. As a director, their mission is to create queer art for everyone; they want queer audiences to experience new stories of authentic representation while helping non-queer audiences cultivate empathy for the LGBTQIA+ community. 

ABOUT CARLY “CB” CASON, FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER

Carly Belle is a founder of Counterfeit Combat, head acting coach with Model Act Studios and is thrilled to be swashbuckling with this great group of pirates! With roots deep in the heart of Texas, they have more than a decade of training and experience in combat for stage and screen. Other Chicago credits include: Bloodbound (Auriel Productions), Fencers of Panache (Fair in the Field), And They Were Shipmates (Counterfeit Combat) and Leap of Fate (Nonsense Productions).

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) 2026 season opens with a world premiere, yo ho., by playwright SMJ, directed by JD Caudill and fight choreography by Carly “CB” Cason, July 19 - August 29 at The Edge Theater Off Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave. The running time is approximately two hours (including intermission). Preview performances are Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m., Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24 at 8 p.m. with the press opening Saturday, July 25 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The open caption performances are Saturday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug.16 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Aug. 20 and Friday, Aug. 21 at 8 p.m.. The sensory friendly performances are Sunday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 9 at 3 p.m. and with the fully masked audience performances, Sunday, Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 at 3 p.m. Streaming dates for yo ho. will be announced at a future date. Tickets are $28 for students and seniors, $35 for general admission and are on sale now at BabesWithBlades.org.

Chicago continues to produce some of the most exciting work in the country this Summer, offering a wide variety of plays and musicals, as well as comedy, dance, music, and more. To highlight these productions, The League of Chicago Theatres is publishing its Summer Theatre Guide, which showcases more than 100 productions; not just in Chicago's iconic theatre districts, but also across vibrant suburban communities. From Oak Park to Naperville, Glenview to Des Plaines, theatres across the region offer top-tier performances that make it easier than ever to experience the magic of live theatre close to home.

For additional details about this summer's performances and the Summer Theatre Guide visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Many summer shows will also be available at HotTix.org, Chicago's local, discounted ticketing service.

The following is a selection of notable work playing in Chicago this Summer, organized by location.

A selection of productions playing in theatres located Downtown are:

Brokeback Mountain

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

May 28 – June 28, 2026

When Ennis and Jack take jobs on the isolated Brokeback Mountain, all their certainties of life change forever as they flounder in unexpected emotional waters. This intense tale of a hidden love spans 20 years and is interwoven with soulful, original Country Western songs, performed live onstage.

Eugene Onegin

The Joffrey Ballet at Lyric Opera House

June 4 – 14, 2026

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century Russian society, this cautionary tale follows the enigmatic and aloof aristocrat after his fateful encounter with the earnest Tatiana. Richly layered and deeply human, Eugene Onegin explores the fragility of the human heart and how unspoken words can shape destinies.

Untitled Vampire Play

Lookingglass Theatre Company

June 4-July 12, 2026

This romantic-comedy-meets-horror-story world premiere by Kevin Douglas explores love, commitment, codependency...and, of course, vampires.

Champions of Magic

Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building

June 6 – July 5, 2026

The production that critics have described as 'the most spectacular show,' 'two hours of mind-twisting, logic-defying entertainment' and 'the summer blockbuster of magic shows.'

SUFFS

Broadway In Chicago at CIBC Theatre

June 7– 19, 2026

Direct from Broadway comes the acclaimed Tony Award®-winning musical Suffs about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote.

Kinky Boots

Broadway In Chicago at the James M. Nederlander Theatre

June 9 - 21, 2026

Kinky Boots follows the journey of two people with nothing in common—or so they think. As Charlie and Lola work together to turn a shoe factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they realized.

Iceboy!

Goodman Theatre

June 20 – July 26, 2026

Broadway's brightest star of 1938, Vera Vimm, is at the top of her game. But when she adopts a 40,000-year-old Neanderthal discovered frozen in the Arctic, the spotlight begins to shift. As Iceboy thaws, he unexpectedly becomes a theatrical sensation, inspiring Eugene O'Neill and challenging his legendary mother for center stage.

A Musical Tribute to John Williams & Steven Spielberg

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

June 23, 2026

Celebrate the legendary collaboration between composer John Williams and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. From Jurassic Park and Jaws to Indiana Jones and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the scores born of this 50-year creative partnership have captured imaginations around the world.

Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

June 25 – 27, 2026

Embark on an epic adventure to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: A New Hope! Experience the iconic film like never before as CSO performs John Williams' legendary Oscar-winning score live.

& Juliet

Broadway in Chicago at Auditorium Theatre

July 22 - August 2, 2026

Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there's life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it.

Theatres are located in almost every neighborhood in Chicago.  A selection of productions playing throughout Chicago are:

Always...Patsy Cline

American Blues Theater

Playing through June 13, 2026

This musical play, complete with down home country humor and big-heart ed emotion, includes hits "Crazy," "I Fall to Pieces," "Sweet Dreams," "Walkin' After Midnight" and more!

LOKI-The End of the World Tour

Lifeline Theatre

Playing through June 13, 2026

In this World Premiere musical, Loki arrives at Asgard, bringing chaos, comedy, and three monstrous (maybe) children. In an us vs. them world, can we envision a new mythology?

The Targeted

A Red Orchid Theatre at Chopin Theatre

Playing through June 14, 2026

Welcome to the Solidarity and Truth Summit. A gathering of the most persecuted, tortured, and misunderstood people in the entire world. They call themselves Targeted Individuals, and they are victims of a vast and covert program of systematic torture, surveillance, and harassment by global intergovernmental powers.

OCTET

Raven Theatre Company

Playing through June 14, 2026

Hailed by the New York Times as "the most original and topical musical of the year" for its 2019 Off Broadway premiere, this inventive and acutely relevant piece reflects the perils of the digital age.

Antigone

Promethean Theatre Ensemble at The Den Theatre

May 31 - June 27, 2026

A timely production of the classic WW2 era adaptation made all the more relevant by recent local and national events.

Catch As Catch Can

Steppenwolf Theatre Company

June 4 - July 12, 2026

When a prodigal son returns to blue collar New England, his homecoming sets off a spiraling crisis for two families, threatening not only their relationships but their very identities. Spanning hilarity, stunning virtuosity and outright horror, this ferocious Chicago premiere—featuring an all-ensemble cast—must be witnessed to be believed.

As You Like It

Midsommer Flight

June 26 – August 2, 2026

Free outdoor performances of Shakespeare's As You Like It will be presented outdoors in six Chicago Parks District parks – Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, Gross Park, Nichols Park, Kelvyn Park, Winnemac Park, and Touhy Park. Banished from court by her uncle, Rosalind escapes to the Forest of Arden, where she disguises herself as man in order to win over her lover by trying to convince him he should forget her. Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic to enjoy this free programming.

Hair

Kokandy Productions at Chopin Theatre

July 2 - September 13, 2026

Exploring ideas of identity, community, global responsibility and peace, Hair remains relevant as ever as it examines what it means to be a young person in a changing world.

Marble
Gift Theatre at Copernicus Center

August 2 – August 30, 2026

Marble follows two married couples, Ben and Catherine, and their friends Art and Anne, whose comfortable lives begin to splinter after a shared dream triggers suspicion and desire.

A surreal and haunting exploration of two couples whose lives collide through shared dreams, this production anchors the company's homecoming to the neighborhood where it was founded.

Productions playing in the suburbs of Chicago include:

Nunsense
Drury Lane Theatre

June 10 – August 2, 2026

Get ready to laugh the summer away with nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken. This beloved revue, directed by E. Faye Butler, will have you in stitches as the five sisters stage a variety show fundraiser filled with outrageous musical numbers and zany comedy. 

A Little Night Music

Marriott Theatre

Playing June 17 – August 9, 2026

Set in 1900 Sweden, A Little Night Music explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress Desirée Armfeldt, and the men who love her. Amid a flurry of jealousy and suspicion, infinite possibilities of new romances and second chances bring endless surprises. Stephen Sondheim's witty, brilliant masterpiece.

Leopoldstadt

Writers Theatre

June 4 - July 19, 2026

At the dawn of the 20th century, Vienna is the heart of European culture. While an extended family gathers in the elegant Merz home for the holidays, two brothers-in-law passionately debate their conflicting visions for the future of their family and the Jewish people–a tension that will echo through the generations that follow.

The Producers

BrightSide Theatre at Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall

June 12 – 28, 2026

Mel Brooks' outrageous musical comedy about two schemers trying to stage the biggest Broadway flop of all time—only to accidentally create a smash hit!

The Last Five Years

Oil Lamp Theater

June 6 - July 5, 2026

This widely beloved show takes audiences on the romantic rollercoaster of Jamie and Cathy as they fall in...and out of love over the last five years.

BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical

Highland Park Players at McGrath Family Performing Arts

July 17 – 26, 2026

Before she was hit-maker Carole King—she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical takes you back to where it all began and takes you on the ride of a lifetime. 

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Available discounted tickets will be listed at HotTix.org.

About Chicago theatre 

Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 6 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago's theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. For more information, visit www.chicagoplays.com.

The League of Chicago Theatres' Mission Statement

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

Hot off their record-breaking, award-winning runs of Jekyll & Hyde and Amélie, Kokandy Productions is pleased to launch its 2026 Season with the revolutionary "love-rock" musical HAIR, playing July 2 – September 13, 2026 on The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Directed and choreographed by Brennan Urbi with music direction by Kara Olander, HAIR features book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni & James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/HairChicago.  

Uniting for an exhilarating summer of peace, love and fury, HAIR features Gavin Rhys as Claude, Catherine Rodriguez O'Connor as Sheila, Zac Richey as Berger, Amy Yesom Kim as Crissy, Chosen Mitchell as Dionne, Stone Teselle as Woof, Nicki Rossi as Jeannie and Joshua Emmanuel as Hud with an ensemble including Diana Marilyn Alvarez, Shayla Florence, Niki-Charisse Franco, Isadora Coco Gonzalez, Wolfie J, Matteo Palm, Quinn Simmons and Kijani X.

Swings include Morgan Barber, Kevin Chlapecka, Allyriane Huq, Mizha Lee Overn, Víctór López, Jack Saunders and Maliha Sayed.

About the Production

The American tribal love rock musical HAIR celebrates the sixties counterculture in all its barefoot, long-haired, bell-bottomed, beaded and fringed glory. To an infectiously energetic rock beat, the show wows audiences with songs like "Aquarius," "Good Morning, Starshine," "Hair," "I Got Life" and "Let The Sunshine In." Exploring ideas of identity, community, global responsibility and peace, HAIR remains relevant as ever as it examines what it means to be a young person in a changing world.

Director and choreographer Brennan Urbi comments, "This is a show about chosen family and active community, exploring how we can build support and fight for each other – no matter the generation, place or time. We have a knockout cast who are ready to rock! By building today's versions of these well-known characters, we're going to find out how this iconic '60s score reverberates all the way to Summer 2026."

The production team includes Eleanor Kahn (Scenic Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), G "Max" Maxin IV (Lighting Design), Matt Reich (Sound Design), Lauren Ramos (Properties Design), Syd Genco (Makeup Design), Keith Ryan (Wig Design), Kirsten Baity (Intimacy Director), Chels Morgan (Cultural Competency Specialist), Shane Roberie (Casting Director), Nicholas Reinhart (Production Manager), Kendyl Meyer (Associate Production Manager), David Moreland (Technical Director), Lynsy Folckomer  (A1), Alfonso Moreno (A2), Shelby Burgus (Stage Manager), Yasmeen "Yaz" Abiad (Assistant Stage Manager), Michael Coppola (Stage Management Intern), Scot Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director).

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

Book and Lyrics: Gerome Ragni & James Rado

Music: Galt MacDermot

Director and Choreographer: Brennan Urbi

Music Director: Kara Olander

Cast (in alphabetical order): Diana Marilyn Alvarez (Ensemble), Joshua Emmanuel (Hud), Shayla Florence (Ensemble), Niki-Charisse Franco (Ensemble), Isadora Coco Gonzalez (Ensemble), Wolfie J (Ensemble), Amy Yesom Kim (Crissy), Chosen Mitchell (Dionne), Catherine Rodriguez O'Connor (Sheila), Matteo Palm (Ensemble), Gavin Rhys (Claude), Zac Richey (Berger), Nicki Rossi (Jeannie), Quinn Simmons (Ensemble), Stone Teselle (Woof) and Kijani X (Ensemble).

Swings: Morgan Barber, Kevin Chlapecka, Allyriane Huq, Mizha Lee Overn, Víctór López, Jack Saunders and Maliha Sayed.

Location: The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, July 2 – Friday, July 17, 2026

Regular run: Sunday, July 19 – Sunday, September 13, 3026

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Saturday, July 4; there will be an added performance on Monday, July 6 at 7 pm.

Tickets: Previews $28.52* general admission, $39.19* reserved seating. Regular run $55.20* general admission, $65.87* reserved seating. Students/seniors $44.52*. There will be a limited number of lower-priced tickets (with code ARTIST) available to artists for each performance. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/HairChicago. *Ticket prices include processing fees

HAIR is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.

www.concordtheatricals.com

About the Artists

Brennan Urbi (Director and Choreographer) is a stage artist who works with community members, artists and actors alike to build a process specific to the questions and skill sets of the group. B's NYC credits include Into the Woods, Macbeth, Strays, (un)belonging*, Blood Grudge, Electric World, My Best Friend's Cabaret, Singing Lessons, iii sisters, Connection is Unstable, The Munchies, Leo's Requiem and Alley Between the House. Assistant on Blackout Songs (MCC) I think Big Cat... (Roundabout). In Chicago, B directed Half-Baked, The Beauty of Your Eyes and Civics and Humanities and assisted productions including Spring Awakening, Children of Eden, Hair and Another Room in Your Head.  MFA Directing Columbia University, Recipient of the Neo-Futurist Artist of Color scholarship, BFA Acting Chicago College of Performing Art. Founding member of Pick Six. www.brennanurbi.com @brennan_urbi.

Kara Olander (Music Director) is a multi-instrumentalist, music director and actor in the Chicago area. As a pit musician of many years, her mission is to foster a band and cast that feels empowered to groove in their own individuality. Past shows include Always, Patsy Cline (Drury Lane), Amélie (Kokandy), Porchlight Sings the Season (Porchlight Music Theatre), LOKI: The End of the World Tour (Lifeline Theatre), Rock of Ages (Metropolis), Tell Me On a Sunday (Theo Ubique) and Houston, You Have a Problem (Streamline Theatre). 

About Kokandy Productions

Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theatre to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theatre artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theatre community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Scot T. Kokandy, Danielle Sparklin and Katie Svaicer. 

For additional information, visit kokandyproductions.com. 

David Koechner stormed into The Den Theatre’s Mainstage this weekend with the kind of unruly, big‑hearted presence that instantly reminded audiences why he had been a comedy fixture for more than two decades. People knew him as the blustering Champ Kind from Anchorman, the delightfully inappropriate Todd Packer on The Office, and from scene‑stealing turns in Waiting…, Talladega Nights, and Krampus. But the Koechner who took the stage here was a comic in full evolution, digging into the raw, strange, deeply human corners of his own story.

His set leaned heavily into his Missouri upbringing, though not in the polished, memoir‑ready way you might expect. Koechner unspooled these memories as if he were rediscovering them in the moment – childhood chaos, family quirks, and the odd rhythms of small‑town life all collided and escalated into full‑tilt comedic spirals. His Second City roots were unmistakable, and the Chicago connection ran deeper than nostalgia; Koechner lived in the city for nine years, and that long stretch of his life seemed to pulse through the performance. He shifted voices, dropped into characters, and built entire scenes out of thin air, giving the night a sense of spontaneity that felt tailor‑made for The Den’s intimate Mainstage.

What defined this chapter of his stand‑up was how much he fed off the room. Koechner treated the audience like co‑conspirators, not spectators. A stray laugh or a bold comment could send him veering off script, and those detours often became the highlight of the night. There was a looseness to the show – a sense that anything could happen – that made the experience feel alive in a way only seasoned improvisers can pull off.

Although he tossed in a quick nod to the roles that made him a household name near the end of the set, he never leaned on them as a crutch. Still, hearing Champ Kind and Todd Packer delivered straight from the source was undeniably fun. The real draw was Koechner himself: messy, generous, unpredictable, and fully engaged. His weekend at The Den Theatre served as a reminder that he was not just a beloved character actor – he was a stand‑up with a singular voice, still sharpening it, still surprising himself, and still finding new ways to bring the audience along for the ride.

Koechner’s Mainstage run was rowdy, personal, and unmistakably his – the kind of night where you walked out buzzing, not because you saw Champ Kind live, but because you saw David Koechner exactly as he was now: a comic still evolving, still swinging big, and still wildly fun to watch.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Spaceman, presented by [producingbody], touches down at The Edge Off-Broadway with a quiet, unnerving force, pulling audiences into the fragile headspace of an astronaut drifting far from home and even farther from certainty. Under Eric Slater’s beautifully calibrated direction, playwright Leegrid Stevens’ one‑woman odyssey becomes less a sci‑fi spectacle than a psychological excavation, using isolation, sound, and the illusion of the vastness of space to illuminate the even vaster, far more treacherous terrain of the human mind. What unfolds is intimate, disorienting, and strangely beautiful - a mission that feels as internal as it is interstellar.

Commander Molly Jennis, played with raw precision by Ashley Neal, anchors the entire piece, and Stevens places her in a cockpit that feels less like a command center and more like a sealed chamber where every thought ricochets back at her. Seven months from Earth and en route to Mars on a mission meant to help establish the first human colony, Molly exists in a liminal space where even the simplest exchange with Houston (a.k.a. Rob, voiced by Slater) arrives with a ten‑minute delay. That communication gap becomes its own form of psychological erosion - a constant reminder of how far she’s drifted from help, from home, and from anything resembling real‑time human connection.

But Molly’s mission is no longer just scientific. It’s personal. In this adaptation, the script’s original husband Harry is affectingly reimagined as Ari, Molly’s wife - also an astronaut - who died in a catastrophic space mishap, a loss that shattered her sense of purpose and left her clinging to a belief that borders on spiritual desperation. Convinced that Mars is the gateway to the afterlife, she pushes forward not only to complete her assignment but in the hope of finding Ari waiting for her on the other side of the red planet’s dust and silence. That longing becomes the engine of the play, fueling her resolve even as it accelerates her unraveling.

Life aboard the ship only intensifies that disintegration. Molly faces a barrage of indignities and challenges that chip away at her humanity: the crushing loneliness of months without touch or immediacy; the numbing boredom of endless routines; the hygiene compromises of sponge baths and wipes in place of a shower; and the messy, often humiliating realities of zero‑gravity bathroom logistics that turn even basic bodily functions into small disasters. These details aren’t played for cheap laughs - they’re reminders of how fragile the body becomes when stripped of comfort, privacy, and gravity itself. Each inconvenience compounds her grief, her remoteness, and her growing conviction that the only meaningful destination left is the one where Ari might be found.

Neal channels all of this with remarkable control. Her Molly is a woman split between duty and delusion, the clipped professionalism of a trained astronaut slowly fraying into paranoia, longing, and hallucinatory hope. Neal’s performance is built on micro‑shifts - the tightening of her jaw, the flicker of yearning behind her eyes, the way her voice strains to maintain authority even as her internal compass spins. She makes Molly’s belief in Ari’s presence feel both irrational and heartbreakingly human.

The plot circles her in increasingly suffocating loops, blurring memory, mission, and metaphysical longing until the audience is never quite sure what’s real and what’s the product of a psyche pushed past its limits. Yet even within that pressure, the play finds brief, unexpected flickers of levity - small human moments that remind us Molly is still fighting to stay tethered to herself. It’s a performance - and a character - shaped as much by silence, distance, bodily strain, and cosmic grief as by the script itself.

Ashley Neal in SPACEMAN from [producingbody] now playing through June 13 at The Edge Off-Broadway.

The production design at The Edge Off‑Broadway becomes an essential partner in Molly’s unspooling, transforming the cozy 50‑or‑so‑seat venue into an airtight capsule that pulls the audience directly into her orbit. A lone captain’s chair sits at the center of the cockpit, surrounded by glowing computer screens that flicker with data like a heartbeat she’s trying desperately to trust. Her only living friend is a small, responsive plant that tilts and bends as though it’s trying to understand her, a fragile tether to something organic in the endless dark. But she also has Jen (Sadieh Rifai) - the ship’s AI voice whose constant presence fills the silence with a companionable, sometimes unsettling intimacy. Throughout the play, the low, constant hum of the rocket engine underscores every moment, a sonic reminder of the machine that keeps her alive even as it isolates her. Lighting is used with surgical precision: tight, concentrated beams that lock onto Molly and amplify her intensity, then suddenly widen into sweeping celestial washes that pull the audience into the vast, indifferent expanse outside her ship. When a meteor strikes the hull, the sound design erupts with visceral force, rattling the space and Molly’s nerves in equal measure. And in one of the production’s most ingenious touches, Allyce Torres - dressed entirely in black and nearly invisible against the cockpit’s shadows - moves objects with ghostlike stealth to create the uncanny illusion of zero gravity. That she also portrays Ari adds an extra layer of resonance, as if her presence is haunting the space even when Molly can’t see her. Every element works in concert to heighten the story’s tension and fragility, making the production not just a backdrop but a powerful, immersive engine driving the narrative forward.

Amy Carpenter, who helps shepherd the production as a producer, also understudies Molly Jennis - a dual role that underscores her investment in the piece’s dramatic and technical precision.

The production’s technical artistry is anchored by a trio of designers whose work deepens the play’s immersive pull. Taylor Dalton (executive producer/set design/costume design), Angela Joy Baldasare (sound designer), and Garrett Bell (lighting designer) craft an environment that feels both meticulously engineered and emotionally charged, each element reinforcing the story’s tautness, precariousness, and sense of cosmic seclusion.

Ashley Neal in SPACEMAN from [producingbody] now playing through June 13 at The Edge Off-Broadway.

Even before the lights go down, Spaceman begins tightening its grip. Audience members are required to seal their phones in Yondr pouches - those soft, magnetic lock bags used at concerts and comedy shows - and the effect is immediate. In such an intimate venue, the simple act of surrendering your device creates a subtle but unmistakable shift: the outside world goes quiet, your digital bind snaps, and a faint echo of Molly’s own isolation settles in. It’s a small, clever pre‑show ritual that primes the audience for the loneliness, disconnection, and suspended‑in‑the‑void feeling that defines her journey. By the time you take your seat, you’re already living in a version of her world - cut off, contained, and waiting for contact that won’t come quickly.

Spaceman is a singular, deeply immersive theatrical experience, the kind that sneaks up on you and refuses to let go. I felt myself drawn in further with each passing minute, the tension tightening and the stakes rising as Molly’s journey pushed deeper into the void. What lingered with me was the sensation of being slowly enveloped - not by spectacle, but by atmosphere. The production creates a kind of emotional gravity, a pull that grows stronger the longer you sit with Molly’s loneliness, her determination, her fraying edges. By the time she reaches the farthest point from Earth, I realized I had traveled with her, carrying the same weight, the same longing, the same fragile hope that something - anything - might answer back.

At just 100 minutes with no intermission - and no re‑entry if you need to leave the theatre - Spaceman demands and rewards full immersion. It’s a tightly calibrated, deeply human piece of sci‑fi storytelling that lingers long after the final blackout, and it comes recommended. Spaceman runs May 19 - June 13 at The Edge Off-Broadway, with tickets priced $15-45. Tickets and additional information are available at www.producingbody.com.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Spamalot rides into the Windy City courtesy of Broadway In Chicago, inviting theatergoers to join King Arthur’s quest now through May 31 at the CIBC Theatre. Fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail - the 1975 cult classic - will find plenty to adore in this musical, which, as its subtitle proudly declares, is “lovingly ripped off” from the film.

Written by Python member Eric Idle, with music co-written by John Du Prez, Spamalot follows King Arthur as he assembles his “very round table” and sets off in search of the Holy Grail. Along the way, we meet a parade of quirky knights: the brash, homicidal Sir Lancelot; the argumentative, hair-flipping Sir Galahad; the cowardly, weak-bowelled Sir Robin; and even Sir Not Appearing in This Show. Arthur’s greatest ally is the Lady of the Lake, a glittering, full-throttle diva armed with riffs and costume changes for days. After a bit of plot and a bounty of silly songs, the hapless heroes finally secure their grail and send audiences out humming the show’s signature tune, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

Interestingly, Spamalot had its world premiere in Chicago back in 2004 before heading to Broadway the following year, where it earned fourteen Tony nominations and won three, including Best Musical. This touring revival, directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes, stays true to the original while injecting the production with fresh energy and a steady stream of contemporary pop-culture nods.

Spamalot’s target audience is, unsurprisingly, die-hard Python fans. Several scenes are lifted almost verbatim from the film, so expect the Black Knight losing limb after limb, the Knights Who Say “Ni,” the cow catapult, a hilarious - and genuinely ferocious - killer rabbit puppet, and more. For those less steeped in the British comedy canon, a few gags linger a beat too long, stretching to honor the movie’s rhythms even when the stage version might benefit from a quicker pivot.

Still, there is no end of splashy musical numbers, big set pieces, and dynamic, eye-catching projections. The cast pulls out all the stops as they don flashy costumes, dance their hearts out, and throw friendly meta-jabs at other Broadway musicals like Wicked and Fiddler on the Roof.

(L-R) Leo Roberts and Amanda Robles in the North American Tour of SPAMALOT.

Leading the charge as King Arthur is Major Attaway, who wears the crown well. Attaway is best known for his time on Broadway playing the Genie in Aladdin and his off-Broadway stint voicing Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors - two roles that showcase his vocal dexterity, a talent he uses to full effect in this production. Along with golden pipes, Attaway voices Arthur with a stoic authority or a comedic twist, whichever the moment calls for. He is the perfect straight man for the zaniness that surrounds him - and there’s a lot.

Another standout is Amanda Robles, making her national tour debut as the Lady of the Lake. Robles tears into the role with gleeful abandon, spoofing Liza Minnelli and other prima donnas with razor-sharp precision. Numbers like “Diva’s Lament” and “The Song That Goes Like This” - both affectionate send-ups of classic Broadway tropes, from the obligatory second-act solo to the formulaic love ballad - are lifted even higher by her vocal prowess, impeccable comedic timing, and undeniable glamour.

Spamalot also boasts a vibrant ensemble, with actors juggling wildly different roles and giving each character distinct voices and mannerisms. Sean Bell steals multiple scenes - both as Sir Robin, a knight who has no idea what knighthood entails, and as an oddball priest with sharp, staccato delivery. From line readings to goofy facial expressions, it’s clear every performer is having an absolute blast, and that infectious joy radiates through the entire production.

As riotously funny as Spamalot is, parents should know that it isn’t especially kid-friendly. Younger audiences may laugh at the fart jokes and bits of bathroom humor, but the show also leans into cruder gags, sexual innuendo, and one very random - and entirely unnecessary - bare backside. It’s probably best suited to teens and adults rather than little ones, landing somewhere in that PG-13 neighborhood.

Spamalot, in a word, is silly - and proudly so. If you’re up for a night of unabashed absurdity, it’s an irresistibly fun choice. It has no interest in plumbing the depths of plot; its mission is pure fan delight. And judging by the uproarious laughter from the audience around me, the cult film’s devotees were more than satisfied. Others who aren’t as familiar with Monty Python or don’t favor dry or crude British humor might choose to seek to find their holy grail elsewhere.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Raven Theatre, under the director of Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Berry, announces its 44^th season, to include Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange Loop, directed by Mikael Burke in a co-production with About Face Theatre; Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, directed by Raven Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Berry; and Sharyn Rothstein's Tell Me I'm Not Crazy, directed by Georgette Verdin in a co-production with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble.

"With this season, we take what has always been essential about The Raven – plays that reach both back and forward to connect us to our cultural landscape – and expand it to include more voices, to take more risks, to be more in conversation with our current moment and to connect with our community, comments Jonathan Berry. "In Michael Jackson's boundary pushing, Pulitzer Prize winning musical A Strange Loop a young, black, queer playwright takes a perilous, ultimately beautiful journey of self- discovery. A poet returns to his family and a heartrending moment of decision in Tennessee William's stunning memory play, The Glass Menagerie. Tell Me I'm Not Crazy is Sharyn Rothstein's poignant, comedy about how one family struggles to feel in control during chaotically divisive times."

Subscriptions to the three-play season start at $120 are currently on sale at raventheatre.com. Subscribers receive priority season, and save up to $50 off regular tickets prices, plus discounts on      tickets for family and friends, 10% off concessions, and 20% off tickets to Raven Theatre's Resident Company The Story Theatre

The 2026-2027 season is:

The 2022 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical
and the 2020 Pulitzer Prize Winner
A STRANGE LOOP
by Michael R. Jackson
directed by Mikael Burke
in a co-production with About Face Theatre
October 8-November 8, 2026
Opening: October 14, 2026

Usher is a Black, queer playwright who spends his days working as an usher on Broadway. He spends his nights struggling to write an original musical about a Black, queer playwright who spends his days working as an usher on Broadway. Lines blur, thoughts intrude, and soon he finds himself wrestling to break free from a very strange creative loop.

This blistering, groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize winning musical explores identity, race and sexuality through the lens of a young artist at war with a chorus of his own demons and inner voices on a journey towards understanding and self love.

Tennessee Williams' memory play directed by Raven's new Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Berry
THE GLASS MENAGERIE
by Tennessee Williams
directed by Jonathan Berry
February 11-March 21, 2027
Opening: February 17, 2027

As America struggles through the Great Depression and the world stands on the brink of a second World War, a young man tries to dream of a future beyond the stifling confines of his day to day existence.

Tom Wingfield dreams of adventure while his mother Amanda desperately yearns for a secure future for her two children. Sister Laura retreats into the fragile confines of her glass menagerie. A long hoped for arrival of a gentleman caller sends the family hurtling towards either salvation or despair.

After 30 years, Tennessee Willams groundbreaking, autobiographical masterpiece returns to the Raven Stage in a bold new production.

From the playwright of Raven's hit production Right to be Forgotten
TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY
by Sharyn Rothstein
directed by Georgette Verdin
in a co-production with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
April 30-June 13, 2027
Opening: May 12, 2027

Life can be overwhelming at any stage – kids to raise, in-laws to deal with, work-life to balance. In an age of shifting gender dynamics and rising cost of living, it can be a struggle to feel in control. But for recent retiree Sol Koening, a neighborhood crime wave proves to be the final straw. He buys a gun, joins a shooting range and sends his loving family running for cover.

As barbed jokes fly and tempers flare, the once-close family threatens to break apart in this hilarious comedy about two generations struggling to find common ground in an America at odds with itself.

This production is a Chicago premiere from the playwright of Raven's smash hit Right to be Forgotten.

ABOUT RAVEN THEATRE COMPANY

Raven Theatre tells stories of today and the past that connect us to our cultural landscape. Raven's commitment to modern drama in all of its forms, as well as its first-class education programming, have helped it remain a cultural cornerstone on the north side of Chicago for 40 years and counting.

For 44 years, Raven Theatre has been the home to revivals of modern dramas and thought-provoking new works to the Northside Chicago community, as well as theatrical education to the children and schools in the surrounding neighborhoods. Founded in 1983, Raven moved into its current home in 2002 with its 85-seat Johnson Stage and its 56-seat Schwartz Stage.

Subscription Series – Raven offers three productions in its subscription series, all in the East Stage, focusing on revivals of works primarily from the late 19th century to the present and including both Chicago and World Premieres.

Educational Programming – Raven provides teaching artists to neighborhood schools for in-school theatrical residencies, a field trip program for elementary school students, and a robust children's theatrical summer camp program.

With efforts in the community, in neighborhood schools, and on the stage, Raven plays an important part in the city's cultural landscape.

Raven Theatre Company is funded in part by The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, JCCC Foundation, Paul M. Angell Foundation, Polk Bros Foundation, S&C Electric Company Fund, and The Shubert Foundation. This project is partially supported by a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. This programming is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. For more information visit www.raventheatre.com.