Displaying items by tag: Chicago events

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.

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents Ice Cream Circus! 2026, a free, family-friendly theatrical event presented as part of the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series. Created in association with Actors Gymnasium, Ice Cream Circus! tours parks across Chicago and Evanston June 2 – 7, 2026.

A wordless story of wonder, kindness, and play, Ice Cream Circus! combines dance, clown, and circus arts to tell an original story designed for audiences of all generations and language backgrounds. Performed outdoors in neighborhood parks, the production celebrates the transformative magic of a simple act of kindness.

"Traveling to the parks throughout Chicago these past few summers has been balm for the soul," comments Artistic Director Kasey Foster. "When we can bring a live theatre experience to families, some for the first time, we see why live performance is essential to the human experience. There is awe and there is wonder, yes, but most impactful, there is community."

Ice Cream Circus! is created and directed by Kasey Foster and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, in collaboration with the cast: Kaitlyn Andrews, Alexander D'Amazing, Kat Hoil, Julie Matolo, and Jacinda Ratcliffe. Ice Cream Circus! was inspired by workshops with over 600 Chicago Public School students and community members including Communities in Schools Chicago, Chicago Help Initiative, Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, Trumbull Park Line Dancers, Austin Town Hall Cheerleaders, PODER, and students at Dyett High School for the Arts, Solorio Academy High School, and Palmer, Hurley, Tilton, Parker, New Sullivan, Libby, Webster, Mozart, and Earle Elementary.  

All performances are free and open to the public, with no RSVP required. Neighborhood ice cream vendors will be present at each performance, with treats available for purchase. Audiences are encouraged to bring blankets and/or chairs for outdoor seating. In the event of inclement weather, performances will move indoors to park fieldhouses at each location. Updates and weather-related announcements will be posted on Lookingglass Theatre Company's social media channels and website. Additional information is available at lookingglasstheatre.org.

Performance Dates and Locations
Tuesday, June 2 at 5:00 p.m. — Seneca Park, 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago
Wednesday, June 3 at 5:00 p.m. — Trumbull Park, 2400 E. 105th St, Chicago
Thursday, June 4 at 5:00 p.m. — Gage Park, 2411 W. 55th St, Chicago
Friday, June 5 at 5:00 p.m. — Columbus Park, 500 S. Central Ave, Chicago
Sunday, June 7 at 4:00 p.m. — Tallmadge Park, 927 Noyes St, Evanston

Ice Cream Circus is made possible by the generous support of our collaborators and partners Chicago Park District, Actors Gymnasium, ComEd Powering  the Arts, and Marc, Maureen, and Elana Schulman.

About Lookingglass Theatre Company

Founded in 1988 by graduates of Northwestern University, Lookingglass Theatre Company is a nationwide leader in the creation and presentation of new, cutting-edge theatrical works and in sharing its ensemble-based theatrical techniques with Chicago-area students and teachers through Education and Community Programs. Guided by an artistic vision centered on the core values of collaboration, transformation and invention, Lookingglass seeks to capture audiences' imaginations leaving them changed, charged and empowered. Recipient of the 2011 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Lookingglass has built a national reputation for artistic excellence and ensemble-based theatrical innovation.

Notable world premieres include Mary Zimmerman's Tony Award-winning Metamorphoses, J. Nicole Brooks' Her Honor Jane Byrne, David Schwimmer's adaptation of Studs Terkel's Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel about the American Obsession, Matthew C. Yee's Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon, Atra Asdou's Iraq, But Funny, and David Catlin's circus tribute to Lewis Carroll, Lookingglass Alice, which was captured by HMS Media and reached 1.6 million PBS viewers. Lookingglass Alice is now available to more than four million students worldwide through Digital Theatre+. Work created by Lookingglass artists has been produced in Australia, Europe and throughout the United States.

The South Florida based YI Love Jewish and Chicago-based Arts Judaica proudly join forces to present a limited engagement of the Chicago Premiere production of L. M. Feldman's acclaimed theatrical mosaic A PEOPLE, at Theater Wit. A PEOPLE will be directed by world renowned actor, director and Jewish Culture activist Avi Hoffman, who is currently directing and will star in a Yiddish-language production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN, to be performed in Bucharest, Romania on May 30. Hoffman will play Willy Loman, a role for which he earned a Drama Desk nomination with New York's New Yiddish Rep in 2015. 

A PEOPLE invites Chicago audiences on a magical, lyrical journey through 5,000 years of Jewish identity, heritage, and humanity, brought to life by a dynamic ensemble of performers. The ensemble portrays a range of old and new-world characters, weaving together vignettes that question, affirm, and reimagine what it means to be part of a people. Historical and fictional characters, separated by generations, meet in a surreal landscape to explore their peoples' rich history and traditions, much of which they fear will be forgotten entirely. The play will preview June 18 and 19, 2026, prior to opening on Saturday, June 20^th at 7:30 pm, and play through July 5^th at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. No performance on Saturday, July 4.

A PEOPLE playwright LM Feldman's nine full-length plays have enjoyed numerous productions across the US. Feldman's script for A PEOPLE is sometimes hilarious, sometimes searingly honest, as it weaves together old and new-world  voices to explore how all individuals wrestle with, deny, or embrace their heritage. The result is a vivid collage of characters and moments that illuminate the way we see life, the way we want it, and the way it really is.

The cast of A PEOPLE includes Jin Ai, Daniel Boughton, Freya Churchwell, Zach Kunde, Douglas Levin, Xavier Mattison, Haley Schenk, and Charity Schultz. The production team, in addition to Hoffman as director, includes Zach Stinnet (Sound Designer), Dugan Kenaz-Mara (Sets/Props/Puppet Designer), Abby Gillette (Costume Designer), Katie Mae Ryan (Stage Manager), Karen Wallace (Lighting Designer), and Elayne LeTraunik (Producer). Sabrina Lipsitz is YI Executive Director and Olivia Flynn is YI Director of Marketing. 

YI Love Jewish is a global cultural initiative that advocates for Jewish Pride, builds cultural bridges and challenges antisemitism through the arts, while celebrating and promoting Jewish history, life, and culture, and their far-reaching impact on the world.

Arts Judaica, a Chicago-based 501(c)(3), is the city's only producing organization dedicated exclusively to exploring and celebrating Jewish history, culture, and arts through live theater, music, and educational programming. Together these two Jewish cultural organizations are presenting this play at Theatre Wit, a vital Lakeview venue known for its smart, intimate 98–99-seat black box spaces; they will bring together local and national voices in an accessible, neighborhood setting.

Tickets for A PEOPLE at Theater Wit are now available, with regular weekly performances Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm, through July 5. (No performance Saturday, July 4). Tickets can be reserved online at https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/572/performances#top, via Theatre Wit's box office (773) 975-8150, or in person at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657.

A PEOPLE
By L M Feldman
Directed by Avi Hoffman
June 18 – July 5, 2026
Press Opening Saturday, June 20 at 7:30 pm
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.
No performance Saturday, July 4
Tickets will be $32 with group rates of 10 or more at $30
Opening will be a VIP special for $100.

Tickets can be reserved online at https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/572/performances#top or via Theater Wit's box office (773) 975-8150, or in person at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
More information at www.artsjudaica.com
 
A PEOPLE is a magical, lyrical journey into heritage, tradition, religion and humanity. Through vignettes, music and monologues, L M Feldman holds up a mirror to 5000 years of Jewish history, reminding us that we're all descendants from somewhere, and we choose to embrace our lineage, deny it, or wrestle with it. Hilarious and terrifyingly honest.

JK Entertainment is proud to announce the final production of their inaugural season: HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, the cult-classic created by John Cameron Mitchell (Text) and Stephen Trask (Music and Lyrics). The production will run from July 9 through July 26 at the Catalyst Ranch (648 W. Randolph St.), following the 25th anniversary of the film. This bold new staging, directed by Arlo Kiss with music directed by Jonathan James, will feature a distinctive rotating-cast approach, with three actors alternating through each role across performances. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.jkentertainment.org/tickets.

Loud, glitter-soaked, and unapologetically raw, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is a genre-defying rock musical about identity, heartbreak, and the messy, human search for wholeness. This production features three performers rotating through the roles each night, shattering the idea of a single Hedwig and revealing something deeper: this story isn't owned by one voice—it lives in all of us.

Arlo Kiss, director, said "Hedwig and the Angry Inch is ultimately driven by the human need to find purpose, connection, and wholeness through the people we love and the pain that comes when we struggle to find that wholeness reflected back to us. 

For this production, I wanted to explore a rotating-cast approach as a way to reflect the fragmentation at the heart of Hedwig's journey, while also giving actors the opportunity to form uniquely vulnerable connections with each other. Three actors rotate through all three roles, with each performance revealing a different facet of the collective Hedwig experience. As the cast shifts from show to show, the relationships evolve into a cycle of passion, heartbreak, and reflection. Each night, Hedwig steps onto the stage, tells her story and then passes the torch (or rather the wig) to the next punk rock icon. No two performances will be exactly alike in look, sound, or emotional texture. Instead, each interpretation aims to offer an authentic, interconnected, and fresh reflection of this extraordinary story."

Part rock concert, part confession, Hedwig takes the stage to tell her story—of East Berlin, a botched surgery, and a love that split her wide open. Driven by a live band and iconic anthems like "The Origin of Love" and "Midnight Radio," the show is fierce, funny, and emotionally unfiltered.

JK Entertainment will donate $1 of every ticket sold to The Trevor Project, honoring the show's legacy and investing in a future where every identity is seen, valued, and free.

The rotating cast for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH will be announced on June 10. 

JK Entertainment's production of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is directed by Arlo Kiss with music direction by Jonathan James. 

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

TICKET INFORMATION AND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Individual tickets priced at $35 and group sales for 5 or more are available now. For audiences interested in experiencing all three interpretations of the production, a special three-show package will be available beginning at $85 starting June 10, when the designated casts for each performance will be announced. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit www.JKEntertainment.org/theatre/hedwig. 

ABOUT JK ENTERTAINMENT
JK Entertainment is a Chicago-based nonprofit producing theatre, film, music, and other media for audiences who think differently. Founded by Jonathan James and co-founded by Kyle Reid Hass and Olivia Kaye Da Silva, in the wake of a sold-out Chicago run of The Outsiders, the company champions bold, boundary-pushing work at the intersection of art and activism.

To learn more about JK Entertainment and keep up with future projects visit jkentertainment.orgFollow JK Entertainment on Instagram, TikTok, and  Facebook  #jkentertainment

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.

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.

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.

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.

Following a critically-acclaimed, sell-out run of Just For Us at Steppenwolf Theatre and around the globe, Tony and Emmy Award-winning comedian Alex Edelman returns with another hilarious and thought-provoking dissection of identity: What Are You Going to Do, playing five performances only August 12 – 16, 2026 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Tickets ($54* – $94*) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or by calling the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. *includes $10 processing fee

This all-new show finds the Bostonian sweetheart asking different and more unsettling questions. Primarily, should he spend his time doing something else? Should he be saving lives like his physician father? Should he be trying to return to the sense of community he experienced growing up among Israelis and Palestinians? In a show that reckons with the effects of time spent in trauma, Edelman deftly weaves in and out of examinations of faith broadly – not just Judaism – and wonders if, perhaps, there might be better things out there for him.

Performance Schedules:

Wednesday, August 12 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, August 13 at 7:30 pm
Friday, August 14 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, August 15 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, August 16 at 3 pm

Artist Biography

One of the most critically hailed comedians of his generation, Alex Edelman is best known for solo shows that blur the line between his stand-up comedy roots and narrative-driven storytelling. His last offering, Just For Us, played more than 500 performances all over the world - including acclaimed runs off- and on-Broadway. It premiered as an HBO original comedy special in April of 2024, earning him a place on the Time 100 list, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award for Best Writing for a Variety Special. Edelman appeared in Jerry Seinfeld's directorial debut for Netflix, Unfrosted. Beyond stand-up, he writes regularly for TV and can be seen starring in Peacock's The Paper, a Greg Daniels-helmed spiritual successor to The Office. He also writes on the show as a Consulting Producer. 

Accessibility:

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

Sponsor Information: 

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

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier Ensemble Theater with 50 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the 1980 phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and now, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theatre and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1975 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise, Steppenwolf started as a group of young people in their teens and early 20s performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director E. Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance.

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